Who Needs A Blog Anyway?

We sell books online, but to be most effective, we need to put company news online as well. Much of the internet is full of users who are surfing for “infotainment.”They aren’t necessarily looking to buy a product, but looking for updated news regarding products, services, media, or the industry they are familiar with. To capture this group of users, why not start featuring press releases, white papers or informative content every once in awhile for viewers via a blog? Publishing content online in an industry where no one else has can often times mean becoming an authority in that industry. How many other book sites can you say has a blog?

If you can think of one, is it successful? No? Good, capitalize on their mistakes and make it work. It is successful? Good, let’s figure out what they’re doing right and make a better one. A blog also serves as an important medium for B2B or B2C business. Because people enjoy reading news about their field of work, or articles/studies related to it, by featuring our own blog we can post pictures/videos to it, creating new channels of communication (Flickr, YouTube), which can rake in its own traffic. Featuring messages in videos or graphics on our blog can serve as a commercial for a product or service, provide highlights of an event, or display a message from Bookbyte’s President/CEO. By writing compelling articles and using appropriate graphics, we can capture the reader, allowing them to associate the company with the specific images - further assisting the company in its branding efforts.

To further build Bookbyte’s web relevance, if each article or press release we publish features 1, 2 or 3 out-bound links linking back to Bookbyte, BookbyteDirect, or BestPriceBooks.com, we establish relevant link-building and create better positioning in search engine results.

With big corporations or any company now doing business behind the “closed doors” of the internet, (not necessarily a bad thing, although scams prove this to be true) browsers are comforted by seeing the faces of people operating behind websites. This can be seen on EXIT Real World’s site (Exitrealworld.com) – where they have a “Staff,” (where I used to be listed =]) and “Team” section on their website which displays a picture and one line biography for all the staff and the people on the skate and snowboarding teams. This is just one example of one company being transparent on the internet. I don’t think this would be the most effective way for any company to be transparent, but serves as just one example.

A blog (as the new “rules” of social media indicates) will show that we aren’t solely “pushing” our products and services into the marketplace, but in turn acts as more of a “pull” as we provide relevant content to the user, and let them make their own decision about purchasing. A majority of the time people buy from a) places they’ve bought from before b) places that are well-known and have authority…places they are starting to trust, and c) places that sell the niche product or service they are looking for. It’s hard to pretend like we don’t care about a sale, but as we continue doing business on the ever-changing internet and provide informative and interesting articles with our brand & logo on it, people will start to recognize our business and will come back later. Whether that be for news or to purchase a book doesn’t necessarily matter as much as that they do visit the blog again, helping to show that the blog, indeed, is becoming more established & news-worthy.

One thing has proved to be sanely static in a very dynamic internet for quite some time: people aren’t in buy-mode while browsing, and “content is king.” How do we capture the attention of users who ignore banner advertisements, e-mail marketing messages, and manage to evade our Google PPC Campaign? By creating a “pull” medium, where we practice letting the customer come to us by writing compelling and exciting content that applies to them.

1-2 postings a week on a blog using this new “pull” method even within half a year can generate thousands of unique visitor hits, plus leave an impact on the industry that we are now on the map and provide services and products, as well as quality news. Plus, with the ability now to link our Social Media Networks back to our homepage/blog (remember: Facebook has an Alexa ranking of 2 in the U.S. – meaning it’s the nation’s 2nd most popular site) creates links that Google indexes that will only boost rankings for all our sites, as well as showing customers that “We have A LOT more to offer than other textbook stores,”…we have news and infotainment - which is the main reason people use the internet.

A blog would work perfect for our site, as is. But considering we are entering a new realm into the video game mainstream and industry media, we can participate that much more if we start a blog and write articles and press releases that pertain to the “buying and selling video games online” niche, as well as our loyal book-buyers and –sellers. I’m suggesting a new “P” to add to the core P’s of Marketing – product, price, place & promotion. What’s become hugely apparent in only the last couple of years as social media sites continue to increase in popularity is the 5th “P” – which stands for participation. Our value as a participant is judged by the value we provide to the community as a whole (on Bookbyte.com or social media sites). If we choose only to “push,” or to be “glory hog’s,” we’ll garner little attention. Share freely, and we’ll be a respected member.

Been Awhile…Mac’s Secret Police, Predator Drone Hacked

Wow, it’s been awhile since I lost posted. So to all 1 or 2 of my followers, I’m sorry.

First off, if you do anything business online, or are trying to put your business on the social media online map, there are a couple sites you should know about. TechCrunch.com offers tech-related (Google, Twitter, social media) and CrunchBase.com (basically a Facebook for companies) are two sites I’ve been occupying lately. I created a profile for Bookbyte on CrunchBase, and added content like a screenshot of our homepage and a TV show clip of The Home Network’s show “Designing Spaces,” featuring Bookbyte.com and showing how a student goes about the process of buying and selling from the site. All in all, Crunchbase is awesome for any company wanting to further their brand on the internet, and people who use it extensively can see funding, propositions, and other tid-bits that really makes it worth creating a profile for your company. Crunchbase has facebook feel, with an official presence.

So everyone knows how cool Apple’s marketing campaign is. It just seems so odd to me that in the iPod/music industry, an industry that Apple’s iPod/iTouch/iPhone/iWhatever seems to own, that the TV commercials they put out actually advertises their products. I know every new color, function, and song that these commercials include.

On the contrary, when Mac puts out a commercial marketing (or I think…) their computers/laptops/new Operating systems, they don’t really say anything – at all – about their product, but instead just try to simply everything and create this stereotype that Macs are cool, PC’s are squares. No specs, no answer to “what this product can do for you,” none of that. this approach just seems so far-fetched when Apple only owns like 6 or 7% of the market. You’d think that they want to advertise their product and tell you why it’s better than PC, but instead, they just bash windows, because only office guys with glasses use them. Get a clue Mac.

To add insult to injury, Apple basically just hired it’s own secret police, in one of the saddest, sketchiest thing I’ve ever heard coming from this company. They’ve created a part of their company, “dubbed the ‘Worldwide Loyalty Team,’ with its sole function being to purge Apple stores of people who are not rabid fanboys or toeing the company line on everything.” They report only to Steve Jobs, making this seem like a no-rules SWAT team, or something that you’d see on TV. This sounds as weak as it is kinda intimidating. Their commercials sure make them seem laid back, but wow, you have to be extremely paranoid to start a group like this in your company. You can read the whole story here.

Something else that caught my eye in the news today from multiple sources is something a little more mainstream, but still kind of underground. You know those “Predator” drones that the US Military uses? They are man less aircraft that serve a variety of purposes, anything from chilling idle, way up in the sky and taking pictures, to now even being capable of firing weapons. Below is a picture of what I’m talking about.

Yea..pretty intense. Anyway, so now word is that all the data these drones collect and send back to base can be cracked, downloaded…basically hacked using a $26 dollar piece of software that you can buy online. So the Insurgents now can’t figure out the encryption on our TV’s or DVD players, but it’s good to know this multi-million dollar, manless flying machine has less encryption than our everyday home electronics. Here’s the full article on this story. Like Windows Vista, I hope this hole gets patched soon…real soon.

Glad to be back posting again. I really hope to get more readers here soon. Until then, thanks to all 1 person reading this =]

Update on the Yahoo / Microsoft Deal

Yesterday I posted about the potential Microsoft / Yahoo deal. Well today, way early in the morning, I guess the deal was signed. It's all over the sites I search for news. What this means, and from Lifehacker.com, is the article "Yahoo Will Switch To Bing Search Engine".

From Yahoo.com itself presents an article titled "What our Microsoft Deal Means To You". Posted by another source, one of my favorite news sites, TechCrunch, says this about the following deal:

One of the most apparent facts in the announcement that was
not known beforehand by any blogs or news sites, is the longevity of the
agreement: 10 years, which is like an eternity in the Internet space. Microsoft
will acquire an exclusive 10 year license to Yahoo’s core search technologies,
which is basically the same as saying it just gained unparalleled access to the
blueprint of Yahoo Search, something that can only lead to improvement of its
Bing search engine.

The above is titled "Microsoft-Yahoo Search Deal: The Most Important Facts (and Some Opinions)". Pretty good article about what's to come from both the companies.

Also yesterday I posted something regarding the iPhone. Now, there is news that Forbes.com (yeah, an unlikely source that I would post from, I know) posted an article titled "How To Hijack 'Every iPhone In the World'". It's regarding how on Thursday (tomorrow), two researchers plan to reveal an unpatched iPhone bug that could virally infect phones via SMS (or text messages). Pretty Crazy stuff. I read that if you have an iphone (or any text messaging phone for that matter), and you get a text message with one square character (which on the computer is used to denote characters now used properly, or like copy and pasted text that doesn't translate over), turn your phone off. Turn it back on, then delete it. Or don't touch it at all, I forgot what I read because I'm really hoping not to run into this.

Anyway, I'm going to Battlegrounds, WA today with this guy from work to pick up some books. We're renting a Penske, and hopefully it has AC, because I'm not looking forward to driving an hour and a half in a metal oven.

That's all for now, peace yo

random thoughts\\ news

Today was burning hot in the warehouse at BookByte, i was roasting my face off for goodness sakes. But we (or at least I) got alot done, and in I shelved like 7 or 8 rows of books. Good place to work, but hot in the 100º+.

Some crazy stuff I saw today. This was kinda intersting, where the City of Chicago is being sued for $50,000 for a twitter comment. The statement made, 140 words or less, must have been pretty harsh or direct - check out the full story at Techdirt.

Also Barnes and Nobles is now hosting free WiFi at their stores...so that's perfect we have one so close....like in Clackamas. The best place to go now if you want wireless late at night, in Salem, is Government Cup - open til 11, so you can't beat that.

Microsoft has this new search engine called http://www.blogger.com/www.bing.com. It's supposed to be the next big thing. They've done some TV advertising that's decently humorous, but now they're asking for Yahoo's help, and within 24 hours is supposed to come to a decision if they are going to strike this deal. What it's on, is kinda vague. It's even supposed to be a private negotiation, yet I know about it. As well as this article, which came from the news and list of other sites sharing the same newws from this cool site called techmeme.com. Under each news teaser, there is a "Discussion:" list with different sites reporting the related article teaser. Pretty cool.

Also, I just thought I would post this for anyone who comes across this blog that a) uses Mozilla Firefox and b) has and uses a Twitter account on a regular basis, take a look at the Firefox Add On screenshot below:



You hit Ctrl + Shift + M to make the window Pop up, and hit it to close. but every time you restart your browser, it tells you how many posts you missed from those you follow (as demonstrated as 31 in the pic). Visit TwitterFox.net, or the Mozilla Official Add-On page for more info.

Also, the last thing that i saw today that drew interest was actually from one of my favorite sites: lifehacker. As lifehacker put it "An Arugment Against Buying an iPhone." This is also on wired.com, stating iPhone Jailbreaking Could Crash Cell Towers, Apple Says.

Alright, enough for now. time to read and hit the hay to enjoy another scorching day in the warehouse tomorrow.

Ever tried Linux? usBuntu creates Bootable Linux USB Drives

Never Tried Linux? Here's Your Chance.

If you've never had the simple and beautiful lubuxry of having Linux installed as your primary Operating System (OS), then you should check out the uBuntu Live Creator (lifehacker.com) and make a bootable version onto your USB Drive. They offer "live" versions of many linux Distributors such as Gnoppix, openSUSE, fedora (my other favorite) and of course, uBuntu.

You download this program as an image file (.ISO), and much like you "burn" .ISO files to CD's using programs like PowerISO or MagicISO (I like PowerISO more, & are both free [or to try at least for 30 days, then you just delete and reinstall =] ]), you burn a copy to your USB drive, and on startup, it boots into uBuntu 9.04 Desktop edition. Tadaaaaaaaa

Be the way, you might have to do this [pc only] if it continues to boot into Windows Vista or XP (the exact same thing you'd do if you were forced to boot to a cd...say to reformat a computer). Hit either f8, or f10 a bunch before you see the windows loading loadbar (or look for the button that indicates to go into your BIOS). This should take you to a blue screen, do not be afraid, this is your BIOS - Basic Input/Output System - one of the most powerful features on your computer. Here, you can overclock your system (to squeeze more juice outta your company -like instead of 2.3 MHz, you get 2.6 MHz) and system time settings and a bunch of random things.

You're going to look for something like boot order and arrange it so that a CD or USB boots in order before your hard drive. Why this won't affect your computer in the long run is it's doubtful once you put files back on your USB drive it's going to boot into your word document or all your pictures you took, that's not an .ISO file and isn't meant to be a bootable variable, so don't worry about it =]

This is something fun to do when you want to say that you're a 1337 h4ck3r and have indeed operated in the royale and ultimate Operation System - Unix. We called it Linux because of all the distributors (such as the ones listed above) that make it possible to run, well, UNIX. that's the short version, I gotta hit the hay. Try this. If for no other reason to see the amazing desktop and the simplicity of every movement..it's hard to explain. You also won't wonder where Apple's desktop got it's look - it's almost identical with some drastic differences (such as installing programs via a command prompt (example of some commands below) ....real fun, try this bootable version just for fun - I promise you'll be happy you did.

Until next time..later my one reader for the moment - Becca haha =]

Graphics

These are two of my photos I've made using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I love these programs, along with the rest of the adobe creative suite. Currently I'm using Adobe Creative Suite 3, but someday I'll save up enough money for Adobe Creative Suite 4...that'll be one of my goals by the time I graduate college.


So to all whose viewing my blogs...thank you.

new...renovated

I was thinking how my sister [http://beccalenamann.blogspot.com/] had a blog and how sometimes I looked at her blog, which inspiried me to get my own. So I logged into my gmail account, then went to blogger.com. and like clockwork, it logged me in blogger.com, saying I already ahd registered a profile, and had 5 posts. Looks like I was experiementing awhile ago, but now I'm actually going to use it. There are so many options under settings, and so many programs to help post new blogs that I'm going to explore all this when I get off work.

by the way, if you're a college student, a teacher k-12, or anyone who's taken a college course and wants to buy or sell their textbooks, http://www.bookbyte.com buys and sells new and used textbooks. Keep this ins mind next time you need to buy that $400 book for your course.

More later, i'm stoked I have this.