Food For Thought: Do You Have Time for Social Networking? Economize Time by Planning Ahead

 

“Social media isn’t the end-all-be-all, but it offers marketers unparalleled opportunity to participate in relevant ways. It also provides a launch-pad for other marketing tactics. Social media is not an island. It’s a high-power engine on the larger marketing ship.” — Matt Dickman, American marketer and blogger.

“Networking is not about hunting. It is about farming. It’s about cultivating relationships.” — Dr. Ivan Misner, American author.

“The most successful marketer becomes part of the lives of their followers. They follow back. They wish happy birthday. They handle problems their customers have with products or service. They grow their businesses and brands by involving themselves in their own communities.” — Marsha Collier, American speaker and business author.

Networking—the development and maintenance of beneficial relationships between likeminded individuals—is an important means of maximizing success and productivity at all professional levels. Among other things, it can:

• Help businesses find, make, and close deals.
• Provide a resource for companies to locate talent.
• Make it easier for individuals to find jobs.
• Connect collaborators and joint venture partners.
• Boost marketing efforts in a way that’s both easy and cost-effective.

Networking is a basic human habit that’s been with us since prehistory, but the evolution of the World Wide Web has transformed it into something uniquely widespread, if not unprecedented. Facebook, the premier online social network, claims over 300 million members these days—not much less than the population of the United States. It’s an order of magnitude easier than it’s ever been to stay in contact with people, even if you never see them face-to-face or ever speak to them directly.

It’s no wonder that the business world has latched onto the potential offered by the online social networking sphere, advancing corporate agendas not just on generalized communities like Facebook and Twitter, but on specialized business communities like LinkedIn and VisiblePath as well.

From a business perspective, I believe that participation in social networks can be well worth the time required to cultivate the relationships it offers, especially if you’re an independent entrepreneur. The operative word here is “can.” First of all, you have to choose your venues wisely, and do your best to separate your business efforts from personal interactions. They can intersect to some extent, but don’t ever let the purely social overwhelm the professional. Otherwise, you may end up wasting your time on efforts that do nothing to help you professionally. This can absolutely kill your productivity.

I’m not saying that you should completely avoid non-professional networking sites; in fact, I find Twitter especially useful for keeping in touch with my network and for sharing information. Furthermore, depending on your business plan, Facebook et al. are excellent venues for marketing directly to specific consumer groups. However, LinkedIn and similar business-oriented communities are your best bets for profitable, productive social networking if you’re looking to accomplish most of the goals I outlined at the beginning of this blog entry. After all, that’s what they were designed for.

And don’t forget, with this type of business network, you’ve got a knowledge base composed of literally millions of professionals of all kinds. One thing I’ve recently taken advantage of on LinkedIn is their poll feature; in fact, last time I blogged about the results of my recent poll, “During which period of the day do you feel most productive?”

Which brings up another point: blogging. It’s not networking as such (at least not in the sense of Facebook or LinkedIn), but blogging is a valid and valuable form of social media. Maintaining a regular blog is a great way to attract attention, get your ideas out there, and, ultimately, develop long-term business relationships that profit all parties involved. People are hungry for information in their fields of interest, and more and more, they’re looking for it online because of its ease of availability. What a great way to connect with others, if you’re serious and willing to put a little effort into it!

I’ve already mentioned that you must choose your networking venues wisely, so that they’ll profit rather than distract you, but let me list a few other caveats. Most importantly, I think, you have to be willing to invest the time necessary to make it all work. For example, on your own pages you need to:

• Regularly create and upload content.
• Respond to posts quickly and constructively.
• Congratulate your contacts on birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, and the like.
• Post polls and surveys and take the responses seriously.

In addition, frequent other people’s pages so you can bring yourself to their attention:

• Ask questions—and provide answers.
• Share your experience.
• Post your opinions.
• Respond to their surveys and polls.
• Invite them to visit your pages.
• Leave your own links behind.

All this will take a minimum of 3-4 hours a week to do properly, depending on the number of social networks you work with. If you can’t handle it yourself, delegate it.

To minimize of your SM time expenditure:

• Focus tightly on what you want to accomplish with your SM, and put strategies in place to achieve those goals.
• Schedule a regular time to work on SM, and stick to it. Stop when it’s time to stop.
• Turn off your email alerts and similar distractions.
• Use other technology to make life easier; for example, you can monitor SM sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn with a simple program like Tweetdeck.
• Use automatic scheduling features to post content, as I’ve done on Twitter with my productivity tips.

One more thing: beware of Obsessive-Compulsive Social Media Disorder, which I’ve blogged about before. It’s easy to fall into the habit of compulsively checking SM pages and obsessively posting when you should be doing something else. Fight this tendency. There are very few things on any social networking site that require your immediate attention.

To answer the question headlining this blog: Yes, I think you do have time for social networking, and in fact you should make time for it—but only if you’re determined to use it correctly. Remember: social networking is a tool, just like your Blackberry or iPad, so use it as such. Don’t forget that it can take over your life and damage your productivity if you let it. But make it work for you, as I have, and the sky’s the limit!

via theproductivitypro.com

 

Feeling a little abandoned by Amazon? Barnes & Noble is Courting Amazon Affiliates

With Amazon determined to avoid collecting sales tax in as many states as possible for as long as possible, Barnes & Noble issued an open letter to Amazon affiliates urging them to sign on to its affiliate program, which it says has over 13,000 members. As part of its strategy to limit the states where it collects sales tax, Amazon has ended affiliate programs in a few states that have passed legislation calling for all online retailers to collect sales tax from out-of-state e-tailers. 

“We understand that Amazon.com has threatened to terminate its affiliate program in certain states that may enact e-fairness legislation that requires Amazon to collect sales tax due on purchases by residents in those states.” the letter begins.”Barnes & Noble is disappointed to hear that Amazon would threaten small businesses’ livelihood rather than comply with state law.” In large part because its stores gives it “nexus” in all states, B&N already collects sales tax for both its bricks-and-mortar stores as well as its online business. “Barnes & Noble wants Amazon.com affiliates who have been terminated to know that you are welcome to join the Barnes & Noble affiliate family. If Amazon doesn’t want you, we do! And, we will take care of collecting and remitting all sales taxes due on BN.com sales to its customers so you and our customers don’t have to worry about being hassled or prosecuted by state tax auditors,” the letter, signed by John Foley, president of BN.com, said.

Barnes & Noble is one of the largest and most trusted brands on the Internet. Barnes & Noble.com is now an exclusive partner with the LinkShare network for their affiliate program.

Some details on the Barnes & Noble.com affiliate program:

• 6% commission on millions of products.
• Access to site-wide seasonal sales, coupon offers, and special deals.
• Ability to promote NOOK reading devices.
• Free shipping on orders of $25 or more.

Do you know how to measure the return on your investments in social media? Here's a few solid tips

Do you know how to measure the return on your investments in social media? Every day we measure returns on our marketing investments. We create e-mail campaigns, attend trade shows, hire SEO consultants—and measure results. Social media are no different. Social media have many uses, including brand building and customer acquisition and support, all of which are of great importance. If you’re not measuring success, you won’t know whether you are wasting time and money.

Here are ways to measure returns on your social media efforts.

1. Don’t get trapped in jargon. Each social site is different. Facebook "likes" and Twitter followers are important numbers. But don’t just track those. Track business results. Did you generate leads? Traffic? Did you turn detractors into promoters?

2. Quality matters. Who are your Twitter followers? Are they relevant? Spammers? Lots of people may follow you quickly, wanting you to follow them. If someone looks irrelevant, you’re not obligated to follow back.

3. Measure the conversation. When was the last time you forwarded a vendor e-mail? Measure the rate of shares, "retweets," and comments as a way to gauge your reach.

4. Not all social media count. Not all sites are equal. Are there critical influencers in your market? Have you built relationships with them? Are you reaching out to Yelp commenters?

5. Know your visitors. Measure and score those who come to your site, and watch what they are doing. If you do this across all channels, you’ll know what’s working. If you do it right, social media will power your business to the next level, one customer at a time.

Brian Goffman
Co-Founder and CEO
Optify
Seattle

via businessweek.com

 

Amazon Defies Law, Does Not Collect Sales Tax in California, Yet Dumps Affiliates

So far, Amazon is thumbing its nose at the state of California, refusing to collect sales tax on purchases made by Californians.

According to the state law, however, designing its Kindle within California may cause it to pay taxes, even after the company terminated its agreements with its affiliates in the state.

California Gov. Jerry Brown passed a portion of the state budget on Wednesday night that would require Internet retailers with affiliates in the state of California to collect sales taxes from customers living there.

The so-called budget trailer bill, ABx1 28, was authored by Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando Valley) and took effect Friday, a spokesman for the California State Board of Equalization confirmed.

Amazon representatives could not be reached for comment on Thursday night. But the company said that it would not comply with the new law, in a statement sent to The New York Times.

"This legislation is counterproductive and will not cause our retail business to collect sales tax for the state," Mary Osako, an Amazon spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.

It's true, however, that Amazon is not collecting the tax. PCMag.com purchased a pair of MP3s from Amazon on Friday - one, via a virtual private network (VPN) connection to the company's New York headquarters, and a second from a cable modem physically located in California. Amazon did not charge sales tax for either purchase.

By law, those MP3s are subject to the state's "use tax," which essentially applies sales tax to purchases made from out of state, including Web merchants. But those taxes are rarely collected, prompting California's new law.

As a result of the new law, Amazon terminated its relationships with California affiliates this week. "We oppose this bill because it is unconstitutional and counterproductive," the company said in a letter. "It is supported by big-box retailers, most of which are based outside California, that seek to harm the affiliate advertising programs of their competitors. Similar legislation in other states has led to job and income losses, and little, if any, new tax revenue. We deeply regret that we must take this action."

The tax process

According to Anita Gore, deputy director of external affairs at the BOE, the law requires a company doing business in California to register with the state and file a quarterly tax return.

The third quarter began Friday, covering the period through September; about a month later, "we'll have an idea what compliance will be," Gore said.

Thirty days after that, the state will send a delinquency notice to any companies that do not comply with the law. The state can also perform its own audit and determine what tax, if any, is owed. If a company does not file with the state, it can be charged a 10 percent penalty and interest on that, Gore added.

Companies can appeal the process through a series of hearings with the BOE. That process can last up to a year or more, Gore said, then go to court. If a company wants to expedite the process, it can pay its tax, then ask for a refund. If denied, that company could also sue.

By law, the state posts a list of the individuals and companies with the highest tax delinquencies every quarter, over $100,000, as a "name and shame" strategy.

"Since the inception of this program, the Board of Equalization has received a total of $5.1 million from 36 qualifying taxpayers that came forward to take care of their debts: 25 through installment payment agreements and 11 by making payment in full," the BOE notes.

Why Amazon might be liable

On Friday, the state BOE posted a special notice explaining the new rules for companies doing business in California. There's a key clause:

"Any retailer that is a member of a commonly-controlled group and is a member of a combined reporting group that includes another member of the retailer's commonly controlled group that, pursuant to an agreement with or in cooperation with the retailer, performs services in this state in connection with tangible personal property to be sold by the retailer, including, but not limited to, design and development of tangible personal property sold by the retailer, or the solicitation of sales of tangible personal property on behalf of the retailer."

Amazon houses Lab126, which works on its Kindle readers, in California. On the bottom of the company's "About" page, there is a statement: "Lab126, part of the Amazon.com, Inc. group of companies." The "Contact" page lists an address in Cupertino, Calif.

Although Gore declined to comment on Amazon specifically, she confirmed that any company who housed a design operation - the "design and development of tangible personal property" - would be defined as a nexus, the definition that triggers the new tax law.

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 5:35 PM PT on July 1.

For more from Mark, follow him on Twitter @MarkHachman.

 

via pcmag.com

 

California Tax Ploy: Amazon affiliates are the victims, other web brands offer alternatives

Beginning today, Amazon.com is supposed to start collecting sales tax on goods it sells in California.

So are Overstock.com and other out-of-state online retailers and catalog houses doing business here. Ready or not, like it or not, it's now the law.

First payments will be due by the end of October, 30 days after the close of the third quarter, according to the State Board of Equalization, the state agency in charge of implementing the "e-fairness" law.

Amazon and Overstock, which announced they have cut off their California affiliates, are by no means alone. Approximately 2,000 letters and questionnaires are to be sent to individual out-of-state online retailers nationwide, to ascertain whether they fit the criteria outlined in the law.

The process will take some time, board officials said - they've been given a meager $1,000 out of the general fund to get the law up and running - but suggest companies start collecting now to meet their October bill.

"Any retailer that falls under the new criteria should begin collecting the (sales) tax as of July 1," spokeswoman Anita Gore said.  

 According to the law, an out-of-state online retailer with any kind of "nexus" in the state - a physical or corporate presence, not just a brick-and-mortar retail outlet - is liable. With one exception: retailers who have sold no more than $500,000 worth of goods in California in the previous 12 months. (Full text of the law, ABX1 28, at sfg.ly/kkSCkM.)

The concession was aimed primarily at San Jose's eBay, a strong opponent of all such online tax proposals, saying they hurt the company's "business model," which relies on individuals and small businesses selling stuff on their auction site. Ebay initially pushed for an exemption of $2 million.

In a statement Thursday, an eBay vice president, Tod Cohen, said, "We believe this exclusion covers the vast majority of all eBay sellers." But his statement added that eBay "is committed to protecting all sellers from unconstitutional sales tax laws."

Unclear on the concept: Apart from calling it "counterproductive," the law apparently "will not cause our retail business to collect sales tax for the state," according to Paul Misener, Amazon's vice president for global public policy.

Perhaps Misener believes tossing 25,000 heretofore loyal California "associates" over the side is enough to do the trick. Or, maybe he's not aware of that part of the law referring to any entity "that - either by itself or through a subsidiary (in California) - designs or develops products sold by the retailer."

On Amazon's corporate website, under "United States Subsidiaries," we find four California locations for A2Z Development Center Inc. - "an innovative customer-centric software development company" - including in San Francisco and Cupertino, where the Kindle was developed; a search engine technology company called A9.com in Palo Alto; and, in San Francisco, Alexa, another Amazon search company.

We don't know whether Amazon intends to close them down, or move them out of state - it didn't respond to a request for comment about its intentions toward the law, for example, whether it will be setting sales tax money aside beginning today.

Assurances: The real victims, so far, are Amazon's and Overstock's affiliates.

Utah's Overstock wouldn't say how many of them there are in California, except they number "in the hundreds." One wonders what Alameda County officials, who sold the naming rights to the Oakland Coliseum (now O.co Coliseum) for a song, are thinking about that.

According to Amazon's Dear John e-mail sent out Wednesday, "As of the termination date, California residents will no longer receive advertising fees for sales referred to Amazon.com, Endless.com, MYHABIT.COM or SmallParts.com."

But it goes on to assure the affiliates, "all qualifying advertising fees earned on or before the termination date will be processed and paid in full in accordance with the regular payment schedule."

Amazon and Overstock affiliates looking for alternatives might heed the advice of Board of Equalization member and former Chairwoman Betty Yee: "Other major retailers such as Sears, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy and Walmart have all extended invitations for these affiliates to join their network programs," she said in a statement Thursday.

Yee could have added Target, which has also opened its arms to those being spurned. Expect to see more invitations and full-page ads from these and other retailers in the near future.

Other options: Some affiliates are calling for more direct action. San Francisco writer and best-selling author Michelle Richmond is calling on fellow members of Word of Mouth Bay Area, a writers group, to delete Amazon links from their websites.

Said her e-mail to the group: "Amazon needs to know that the people who write and sell books (not to mention music, movies, etc) don't (think) Amazon and other big internet retailers deserve the unfair edge they get by not taxing products sold online in other states."

 

This article appeared on page D - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

via sfgate.com