In January of 2010, three very talented, aspiring, and professional stylists opened their first upscale salon in Plano, Texas. They designed and built an incredibly stunning, beautiful salon located just south of Preston & Hwy 121. The challenge was to create seamless continuity with the customer-centric, user-friendly experience a client receives at the salon via a website delivering the same look, feel and style.

They contacted us, and, to meet an advertising deadline, a basic website was created and launched within two weeks. The site was completed and officially launched in early March, about thirty days after the project’s inception. Just three months later, with business booming fueled by powerful search engine results already taking hold on the web, coupled with the Social Media Marketing efforts of our company, a very big surprise arrived in the salon’s mailbox: Aalam The Salon had been nominated for D Magazine’s Best Salon of 2010.

This was somewhat of a catch-22. While the nomination in and of itself was a blessing, the young company, not even 6 months young and only 3 months on the Internet, was at a severe disadvantage. Many of the other 10 competitors they were competing with for the award had been in business far longer, which meant their marketing capabilities and budgets were far more established. So who were they up against? Names like Halcyon Spa at Neiman Marcus, the very successful upscale chain of Tangerine Salons, the Avalon Salon chains, and other competitors that have been in business for decades with a much larger client base and the financial means to easily outspend our client to lobby for the prestigious award. These competitors pulled out all the stops – engaging in both online and traditional marketing media (print, radio, etc.).

Aalam the Salon came to BlueSpot after hearing this news, already impressed with the tremendous response they were garnering from the web from our online marketing efforts, creative ideas, and unconventional techniques in the realm of Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Optimization. Convinced that this was going to provide the best ROI for the minimal funds they had available, they put all their chips on the table with BlueSpot. Spending very little on marketing, we proved once again that when executed correctly using only an SMM campaign can create significant positive marketing results.  We are very, very honored and proud to announce  that D Magazine‘s Readers’ Choice Award for Best Salon in 2010 is:  AALAM THE SALON

I decided to write this post because recently it dawned on me that I spend more time monitoring my  social media profiles than I do watching TV. So I asked myself why? The answer came to me quickly. I realized that I am more interested in what is going on in the lives of actual people than I am characters in a TV show or movie. I realize that many will argue that social media profiles are simply a facade. But I argue that such is life. People don’t have to be updating a profile to put their ‘pretty face’ on, they’ll do that sitting across a table from you. Much like any other situation, it’s up to us to decide what’s real and what’s smoke and mirrors.

Everyone knows it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. And who you know is made so much easier with tools like Facebook, LinkedIn and many others. The experience that got me hooked and hammered home the power of social media in my mind was when out of nowhere my entire first grade soccer team was reunited because one former teammate posted an old team photo on Facebook and started tagging anyone whose name he could remember. Within a few weeks all but a few on the team were passing messages back and forth on Facebook. Wow, we were all still alive. Many of us even had wives and children. The flashbacks of old memories and the joy I had seeing my old comrades’ families was something that I’ll always remember. So, like I said, I was hooked.

Since the soccer team experience I’ve been found by so many people and have reconnected with people I probably would have never connected with again. I’ll admit that some people I reconnected with I learned in a hurry that it wasn’t going to be a positive experience, so I don’t follow them any more. Big deal. Those I do follow: make me laugh, teach me something, inform me of great things I might have missed out on, entertain me, shock me and even annoy me. But I love every minute of it. Sure, sometimes people might be putting on a show or maybe they are even showing off. But this is what I meant when I referenced the old adage ‘It’s who you know.’ Social media allows you to get to know people in one more way. It keeps you connected with people ongoing and you just never know when someone is going to reach out to you, directly or indirectly. It has surprised me on several occasions how Facebook or LinkedIn sometimes provides a platform for people to interact with me as though we were never apart, even if we hadn’t spoken in years. That has served as a great indicator to me that my relationships with these people, although not current, could be built upon even if we haven’t been in contact for years.

After remaining persistent over the past few years maintaining these and other social media profiles, I can say with confidence that my personal ‘It’s who you know.’ is now on steroids and congress hasn’t caught me yet (sorry, couldn’t resist the MLB reference). I’ve reunited with friends and we are all aware of how we are trying to feed our families. I’ve had people who weren’t even on my radar as potential clients that are now my company’s clients. Oh, and one of my old soccer buddies is now one of my clients, too. He now owns his own manufacturing company. My personal profiles are now serving as great springboards for launching and gaining interest in profiles dedicated to my business endeavors. It’s time to invest some of your time in these valuable tools if you aren’t already. I’d write more on the topic but I need to go check my social media profiles. If you’d like any additional help or advice on how to best use social media for your growth, don’t hesitate to contact us. @jamesjodal

Since 1999, BlueSpot Web Solutions has been on the cutting-edge with teams specializing in Website Design, SEO/SEM/Social Media Marketing, eCommerce, Graphic Design, Custom Web and Mobile Applications, and much more. We are a full-service, one-stop web solutions provider. We specialize in the many details involved in the creation of attractive and user-friendly websites that are highly functional, easy to manage, and turn visitors into customers.

BlueSpot Web Solutions serves clients throughout the United States and across a multitude of industries ranging from medical, automotive, franchise to technology. We build websites search engines love. Each website is custom designed for our customers needs. Our integrated team of web consultants, creative designers, writers, and programmers know how to deliver online results on time and within budget.

For those who are not familiar with Foursquare, it is a location-based social network. What this means is that everything you share on the network is tied to your location at the time. Instead of updating a status message, you check-in at a location and if you want you can add a comment when you do. Like Facebook, on Foursquare you also have the ability to build a list of Friends. For your privacy, you are able to control what information your friends see and what information the general public sees.

Many people are slow to try using location-based networks because they are worried that they might be sharing too much information. The funny thing is that location is the only aspect of one’s life that people share more often on a location-based network when compared with any other type of social network. Only your friends can see where you have checked in. People often include where they are or where they are going in their other social network statuses. At the end of the day, if you feel that sharing your location might put you (or your empty home) in danger at any time…don’t check in!

How much information people share about themselves on a location-based network is actually less information than people share on a Facebook or Linkedin profile. On those profiles people often share where they work, live, go to church, photos of themselves and their families, and all kinds of other personal information. As a matter of fact, the database Facebook has compiled on consumers adds up to Facebook having more information on consumers than any other database that exists.

What people share on their profiles is just the tip of the iceberg. The amount of information people share by updating their status messages is sometimes shocking! Worried about being robbed because you checked in away from home on Foursquare? Do you think that having your religious beliefs on your Facebook profile could reveal that you might not be in town on Easter weekend? Do you think that changing your status to ’7 more days in Maui’ might create any home security risks? You see what we mean? Enough about security. We cannot change that social media is becoming more and more a part of how we communicate with each other every day. When using any social media network, just use a little common sense and proceed with caution.

So what’s the big fuss about location-based social networks? Although Foursquare was launched to the public a little over a year ago, significant adaptation of social-based networks is only happening right now and ramping up every day. So why isn’t everyone using these types of networks? Fear about it creating safety risks is one reason, which hopefully has already been addressed in this post. The other reason people and businesses are not adopting it yet is because they are unaware of all of the benefits of participating.

There are benefits you get from being a user of a location-based network that you just don’t get from Facebook or Twitter. For instance, imagine you are traveling on business and you get to an area that you are unfamiliar with. By looking at tips that other people have left in the surrounding area you will be able to find restaurants, coffee shops, or even the closest neighborhood park. Not only do location-based networks make it easier to find those places, you also learn what it would be a shame to miss. What a terrible thought to imagine you might have come within a block of eating ‘the best cheesesteak south of Philly’ or you sat at the wrong park bench in a  park where sitting at the right one would have afforded you the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen. When you are on Foursquare you won’t miss opportunities to bump into your friends around town, and even around the world. The possibilities to network yourself using location-based networks is endless. If those benefits weren’t enough, when you frequent businesses or become ‘mayor’ of a business, you receive exclusive offers from those businesses. Ever think you should be recognized as a regular somewhere? With Foursquare, smart businesses of every size won’t miss out on opportunities to treat those who should be treated like regulars as such.

Speaking of businesses, the benefits that businesses will reap from location-based networks have only just begun. If you are a business owner just think of how valuable it would be to know more about your most loyal customers, when they frequent your business, and combine that with information on their buying habits. Not only that, but when businesses’ most loyal customers or people who aren’t regular customers use your business and share their opinions of your operation on a network like Foursquare, you gain valuable information that may reveal what they like or don’t like about you. Although that might seem a little scary, knowledge is power. If people don’t like something about your business, wouldn’t you like to know about it? If people love your business, isn’t it great that they will now have a vehicle to tell people about it while they are experiencing your products and services? Sometimes people even invite their friends to come join them immediately. Talk about instant gratification working in your favor!

Please contact us at BlueSpot Web Solutions if you’d like to discuss Foursquare and/or location-based social networks further.

Although you may be using Facebook at work, it’s pretty likely you are not supposed to be. Many companies are more worried about the distractions social networking might cause, versus embracing it as something that can serve to build their business and keep their employees happy. Many still view social networking as a time-wasting activity, a breeder of gossip, and a security concern.

This type of reaction is understandable, because it happens every time new technology enters the workplace. But it is also dead wrong. Consider the findings of another study of 1000 employees. More than half the respondents said they were less likely to leave a company that encouraged them to socialize. And those respondents who declared a high commitment to their employers were significantly more likely to spend time on social activities than those who were scouting around for another job.

In other words, there is an important correlation between people who are committed and/or happy at their job and social interaction. Today those companies who allow their employees to stay connected while at work see it as a benefit. They appreciate that their company trusts them by giving them a little rope. Many successful companies have employees that enjoy working there because they are able to maintain a healthy balance between their home and work lives. But it takes on new meaning in today’s workplace. The so-called Generation Y, or Millenials, have new demands and expectations for their jobs.

If people are allowed to do social things at work, they are likely to engage more fully, and for longer, than those who are not. When employees are allowed to socialize while at work via social networks, they become more productive because they are happier. This ‘giving back’ by employees only grows.

So why does it grow? By condoning certain types of fun activities at work, the psychological contract with your employees changes. The message is: I trust you to do the right thing, and I will evaluate you on your outputs, not on your inputs. Second, the more your employees engage in social networking at work, the more the boundary between work and home blurs. Third, the emergence of a new technology typically has far-reaching and unpredictable consequences. Social networking may look like an enjoyable waste of time today, but chances are it will lead to new applications and inspire new and productive ways of working in the not-too-distant future.

From our perspective, we regularly work with businesses who are not fully comfortable with adapting to the emerging technology referred to as social networking. However we try to push people out of their comfort zones when we know that their businesses would benefit from it. These findings from London Business School support the fact that social networking now affects every area of most of our lives. If you’d like to discuss online solutions for your business, please contact us at www.bluespotweb.com.

Social Media Marketing is the wave of today, but a Facebook fan page would be a more effective tool when properly utilized by a local restaurant versus the online-only high-tech gadget retailer. Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimization are important for both businesses, but without it the online-only retailer wouldn’t ever be found by potential customers. It is critical that when it comes to making a decision as big as your company’s online marketing strategy you use a web development firm that takes the time to fully understand your business and develops a custom plan that fits you like a glove. The one-size-fits-all ‘Bronze/Gold/Platinum/Diamond’ SEO/Marketing packages offered by some unscrupulous or ill-informed web firms do nothing more than add to THEIR recurring monthly revenue, and rarely provide a REAL customer-conversion-to-sale difference on the client’s website.  Most of these ‘packages’ revolve around providing backlinks/incoming links to the client’s website which they purchase at a fixed price from other websites that often are not relevant to the client’s business – and today’s search engine algorithms are smarter than that.

Want to cut through the chaff?  Ask any company you are considering for a list of their last THREE SEO/Marketing clients, and take the time to call them. Demand that the company is transparent regarding the results they are/aren’t achieving for their customers – pretty pie charts, confusing graphs and lingo are their sales tools.  Before you sign the infamous ’90-day Contract’, take the time to visit with their most current references. Choosing anything less than a custom-tailored solution will cause you to miss out on all kinds of opportunities for your business. If you’d like to discuss online solutions for your business, please contact us at www.bluespotweb.com.

We would also like to welcome you to the ’new and improved’ BlueSpot Web Solutions website – we did a lot more than slap a new coat of paint over the old one.  The new site better represents our company image and our commitment to quality, ease-of-use, attention to detail, and clean, eye-catching graphic design that have become our trademark.

Over the next few days and weeks, please continue to visit this blog where we hope to share design, marketing, and general web-related information that we have accumulated throughout the years, in addition to relevant current topics in the news that affect both the web design industry and the general public.

Thank you for stopping in, and I hope to see you back again soon!