May 2010 - e-Edge Marketing | AI & Small Business Marketing |Charleston SC 843-647-0489

A Marketing Firms View on Online Internet Privacy

Linda Stern over at CBS Money Watch, wrote an article yesterday inspired by FaceBook’s Privacy Policy Changes. Her recommendations, such as not to share your financial data online seem like common sense to me but, since I continue to be surprised by the things I see others putting online for the world to see, there is a need for such information. It’s one thing to unknowingly submit such information to the world but quite another to be naive enough to think that the information you knowingly submit on the internet isn’t being seen (and saved) somewhere else on the internet. Have you ever thought to Google your own name and see what others can find there? There is a good chance that your FaceBook profile is at the top of the list!

Because I am the president of an internet marketing consulting firm and advise business owners who want to bring their businesses online how to use their information to attract new customers, I make my own profile and information pretty transparent I encourage that kind of transparency to my clients. After all, social media is great for networking and since people do business with those who they know, like, and trust, it’s difficult to form relationships with potential customers and promote a business without giving out some personal information.

With that said, personal and financial data is another issue. My parents taught me that if you didn’t want something seen by the world, don’t write it down! The same rules apply to the internet. Before posting anything online, ask yourself this first; “would I care if this was public information?” How about what you post on social media sites such as Twitter and FaceBook? I’ll tell you this, I fear for our youth. Some of the things I have seen posted on social media sites are sure to come back to haunt some of them in the future. It’s already happening. I read stories of students who have been denied college admittance and jobs due to what they have posted online. If these kids would ask, “would I want my grandmother to see this” before posting comments, photos, and the like, I’m sure they would have far less to regret later in life. In any event, when it comes to posting anything online, if in doubt… DON’T POST IT! It’s really that simple.

Thank you Linda Stern for a great article. Let’s hope people heed her advice.

P.S. If you would like to meet with me personally to find out how you can develop an internet presence for your company, call me today. In the Charleston area call 843-647-0489 outside of Charleston call toll free 866-945-9707.

President Obama Talks About Small Businesses During His Recent Visit to Buffalo

BUFFALO — Welcomes President Obama to Western New York on Thursday to Talk Jobs and small Businesses. Although President Obama’s original agenda was flying to Buffalo to meet with the families of the victims of Flight 3407, he spent much of his time speaking of the U.S. Economy.

“Last month we had the strongest job growth that we’d seen in years,” Obama told the audience at Industrial Support Inc. “Almost all of it was in the private sector and a bunch of it was manufacturing … Next month is going to be stronger than this month. And next year is going to be better than this year.”

“The question is now, how do we keep that momentum going? How do we keep adding more and more jobs?”

Obama was in Buffalo as part of his “White House to Main Street” tour, which has also stopped in places far from Washington, D.C. This tour is focused on small business.

President Obama

“From the middle of 2007 through the end of 2008, small businesses lost 2.4 million jobs,” Obama said. “And because banks shrunk from lending in the midst of the financial crisis, it’s been difficult for entrepreneurs to take out the loans that they need to start a business.”

“I hear a lot of noise from some of our friends out there that say this is nothing more than ‘big government,’” Obama said. “I personally don’t think that giving tax cuts to businesses is big government. I don’t understand how helping businesses get loans so they can grow and hire more workers is big government.”

“We’ve got too many people who are naysayers. (Obama) has got to hold the course,” said William Pienta, district director of United Steelworkers.

“It’s really all about jobs,” said Adam Rizzo, CEO of Solar Liberty Energy Systems Inc. of Buffalo, as he headed into the event.

Obama has been hounded by charges that he is using too much government spending — funded by debt — to create those jobs.

Obama conceded “another debate about big government versus small government: Government is not the true engine of job creation in this country. Businesses are.”

“I can’t think of a better place for the President to talk about creating jobs than Western New York, and I’m looking forward to joining him,” said Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. “When we talk about putting Americans back to work, Western New York is the place to have that discussion. We know the workforce of Western New York is unparalleled in their work ethic and we’ve got the expertise and resources to really grow.”

I was glad to hear that he has such concerns for small businesses, being a business owner myself. I also heard he had the opportunity to go to Duff’s Famous Wings for lunch. You can’t hardly come to Buffalo and not have some of our famous Wings!

Obama’s day was not quite finished after he left Buffalo, he then flew on to New York City to raise money for fellow Democrats and made a surprise appearance at a police computer center.