Upside Down Social Networking

There are many ways to make money from the internet.  You can get paid to tweet, promote information, learn PPC & CPA marketing or even learn the finer points of email marketing.  And don't forget you can also work at creating teams of distribution representatives for products that others own.  Legitimately if you learn how to market any of these methods, you can make an awesome supplemental income or full time one from the comfort of your home.

I've done all of those methods to make a living from my pajamas.   Working from home certainly has its perks!  However, when you work from home for a long period of time, it can get lonely.  I'm the kind of person who needs human interaction.  It was okay to chat online with 'internet friends' but after awhile I began to feel like a hermit; like I had morphed into a caricature of a nerd.  So, I abandoned Facebook, Twitter, FriendFeed and Flickr for awhile and navigated out into the real world per se.

What I found was I did not spend as much time online any longer.  My Facebook activity along with other social networking behavior didn't matter as much.  You see, I had joined so many groups on Facebook that those groups and the activity they demanded, became my livelihood.  My life began to revolve around updating, posting and checking for responses rather than living outside of the virtual box I had created.  The time I spent with my photography was almost non-existent, as it became more important for me to be online promoting blog posts and getting notoriety for those posts.  I didn't realize that if you write good content, and you have relative relationships within the confines of social networking, that good content will get shared without you asking for it.

My point is, I spent countless hours worrying about and trying to affect something that will grow on its own.  I'm a great writer and photographer, and that stands for itself.  People who know me and like me will read and view my creations anyway.  I had to reevaluate my behavior.  Basically, I had an 'ahh-hah' moment that resulted in an internal-online cleansing. 

I still use Flickr, Picassa and Photobucket to showcase my photos, but I don't spend every waking moment promoting them.  I also still Tweet, Facebook & have rediscovered the joys of online conversations on Google+.  What I discovered, was people are always looking or reading my creations, they just don't say anything until it is necessary.  I have had videos discovered by the Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers television show that I wasn't working at promoting.  My photography was discovered by a travel brochure when I wasn't promoting them.  Yes, good work stands out without shouting from every social network in the world. 

Social networks serve as an outlet to share the things you do.  Many have taken sharing things to sharing products and services; that's okay too, but all things in moderation. 

Thanks for reading, what are your thoughts?

At Least We Know In Advance

I posted this graphic o Google+ (G+) a couple of days ago as a joke. Making fun of presidential hopeful, Herman Cain and his '9-9-9' tax reform proposition.  In the beginning (after a few hours) I had one comment from Shawn Smith who stated, "I could go for a flat tax."  Within a few hours, a lively discussion developed, on whether a flat tax or a value added tax (VAT) would be the solution for our country's financial woes.

I wanted to share this with you as an example of social networking really is.  

As business owners, sometimes we get caught up in numbers, and results; forgetting that websites like G+, Facebook, & Twitter are for making connections.  We are allowed to share ideas, opinions and persuade others using these social networking forums.  However, many times we forget that simple thing of sharing.  Instead we look at Facebook, Twitter and others as one big shouting-outdoor marketplace to sell our wares. Reminds me of some kind of flea market on the weekend.

I'm not trying to tell you how to run your social media marketing business, but I want to share with you is a better way to do it.

Thanks for reading.  What are your thoughts?  How do you view social media marketing?

Facebook Changes Are Not Always Bad

People really love to share photos!  It's actually easier to get people to share a picture than it is to share content on Facebook.  Maybe sharing photos has something to do with our basic human nature.  That is, our eyes like to look at pretty things that are interesting.

I've been sharing lots of photos since joining Facebook over 3 years ago, and have noticed my pictures get shared 90% quicker and more frequently than my content.  Now if I add some interesting content with my photos, then it is a guarantee people will continue to share it.  Just this week, I've been sharing lots of photos with interesting quotes pertaining to God, relationships and motivational stuff.  My shares have increased 200%.  My Facebook friends have been even asking me permission to tag their friends using my photos with the interesting quotes. (SEE BELOW)

People like to share things that are beneficial to them.

If you're using Facebook as a marketing tool, don't complain about the changes, instead, use the changes to your advantage.



What do you think?  Leave me a comment and let's discuss it.

Medicare Open Enrollment Begins Tomorrow!

What is a Medicare Supplement?

Medicare Supplement, also called "Medigap" and "Medicare Supplemental Insurance", is a form of additional health insurance coverage for Medicare enrollees that pays for out-of-pocket expenses not covered by Original Medicare (provided by the federal government). It is an insurance policy that you would buy on top of the Medicare coverage you already have and it covers the three things that the government doesn’t cover. It covers your deductible, co-payments and co-insurance. All of this can add up very quickly, and this is why supplementary coverage is necessary for most Medicare enrollees. This is where we come in.

Think of it this way:

Original Medicare does an adequate job of covering eligible medical expenses for Medicare enrollees. It provides primary coverage for hospitalizations and doctor services. While Medicare is subsidized, it is not completely free and so you share in the cost of the medical expenses you incur. In most years, Original Medicare will provide adequate coverage if your medical expenditures aren’t over a certain amount, say $10,000 per year (hypothetically, depending on your financial situation). However, say one year you need to go through a surgical procedure, along with an extended outpatient rehab state. And say that the overall bill of for the combined treatments comes to over $100,000. While Medicare will cover most of the bill, your share could still end up being $20,000. A Medicare Supplement plan is a true form of insurance that lessens the risk and financial burden against such situations.

You’ll need to decide for yourself whether or not a Medicare Supplement plan is right for your needs. While you should consult with a licensed agent to evaluate your situation at a deeper level, you’re benefited by having a basic understanding of how Medicare Supplement works.   

  


Open Enrollment for Medicare begins tomorrow.  If you have loved ones receiving Medicare, make sure they know their choices. Help them make informed decisions. There is a web site which contains the highest rated Medicare plan providers and you can compare them all in one place. Choosing a Medicare health plan can be confusing, most seniors and those needing the medical benefits have a hard time making sense of it. Because I work for a provider I can not tell you which one to choose, but I can show you how to make an informed decision for yourself or your loved ones. The link below is a comparison site for Medicare health plans. Your loved ones can select a Medigap Supplement plan, a Medicare Advantage plan or a Prescription Drug plan.  This is to help you be informed and be a wise consumer.  Go to the link below it will lead you to the website so you can make an educated choice.  I hope this helps.

http://ow.ly/6Xp7K