Blogging Boomers Carnival #173
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This past week I spent more time in the car than in front of the computer. For someone whose commute is usually 8 feet across the hall (often done wearing pjs and slippers) this was a stressful time for me.
I had to go to Toronto twice, including a there, back and there again in 24 hours. I like the city but driving that often, in a heatwave, is not my idea of fun. I hate rush hour here in Owen Sound, and it usually only lasts 15 minutes.
And to top it off, I didn’t even get to do anything fun. One trip to the airport and back to pick up the boys. Then the very next day I had to make another trip to help my sister recover from surgery (she’s fine by the way).
But now that I’m back to what counts as normal for me I’m posting this week’s Blogging Boomers Carnival. The hosts this time around are the Glam Gals over at Fabulous After 40. There are some interesting posts including a discussion about the flight attendant who lost it last week, boomer caregivers, what to wear to a summer wedding and more.
As always, please visit the carnival, read the posts and feel free to leave comments. Agree, disagree or add your own thoughts and experiences. After all, blogs are more interesting (and more fun) when people start talking.
Andrea J. Stenberg
This past week I was on vacation at the in-laws cottage. My son brought a friend and the two of them spent much of the week listening to music by the Arrogant Worms. They listened so much that every time I woke in the middle of the night I’d have one of their songs running through my head.
One song has stuck with me, for a reason other than the sheer repetition. “I’m boring” is about a nerd who talks too much about boring topics so people run away from him.
While there was some joking around that this was about my husband who does like to talk about science a little too much, it does have a marketing connotation.
You may have noticed some online superstars – you know, the ones with thousands, if not millions of followers.
Many of them became popular because they are controversial. They say over-the-top things that get the online world buzzing. People reply, people argue about them, people visit their sites to see what all the fuss is about. They’re not boring!
One colleague of mine recently rebranded herself to be a little more “in-your-face”. She’s being more blunt and less polite all in an effort to be “more authentic”. This revamped version seems to be working for her.
And yes, being authentic online is essential, particularly if you’re using social media. And being controversial helps. If you can get people arguing about you and your ideas, well, as they say, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
But what if your authentic self is, well … boring? Read More→
Blogging Boomers Carnival #169
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After a short Carnival break, I’m happy to send you over to the Boomer Chronicles this week for Blogging Boomers Carnival #169. As always, this eclectic group of bloggers who happen to be baby boomers have written about some interesting topics. This week includes new and better testing for prostate cancer (near and dear to my heart as I’ve now had two close relatives with the disease), storing important documents electronically, sporty fashion for looking younger, low-fat foods to avoid, bloggers making a living and much more.
As always, head on over to the Carnival and click the links to the articles that sound interesting to you. After you’ve read the articles, join the conversation by leaving a comment, Tweeting about it, bookmarking it using Delicious, Digg it, Like it on Facebook or whatever moves you.
Andrea J. Stenberg
7 Businesses that should use LinkedIn
By · CommentsHave you been holding off on creating a LinkedIn profile because you’re not sure it will be of value to you? Here’s my short list of businesses that need to be on LinkedIn and how it benefits them. Even if your business type isn’t listed here, you may get ideas on how to use LinkedIn.
Authors, Journalists and Bloggers
When looking for experts to interview, there’s no better place to look than LinkedIn. Not only that, you can monitor discussions in Answers or Groups to look for hot topics to write about. Even better, post a question in Answers or a Group and use the responses to guide your article. With permission, you could even get some interesting quotes to use.
Consultants
You can do a lot of research about your clients using LinkedIn. Learn about key players and see what’s new in the company: who’s been hired or promoted and who’s left. Use this information to be better prepared for pitches or in delivering your services.
Sales professionals
Why make cold calls if you can warm them up first? Locate potential customers on LinkedIn first. See if any of your connections already know your prospect then get an introduction. When you phone for an appointment, they’ll already have a level of trust because you’ve been introduced. Read More→
