Pittsburgh SEO – SEM – SEA | Internet Marketing and Website Design | Blackball Online

The Church of Me

The Church of Me Where I Can Worship Myself

We love talking about Facebook, not to discuss the DNA or the atomic structure of a “Like,” or dissecting the value proposition of a “Comment” with a UNIX 8-cylinder engine slide rule, or the square root of a Facebook “Hug.” Oops, Facebook doesn’t do hugs, at least not yet. No, we love talking about FB because it’s just fun. A nerd comes along, builds a run-of-the-mill simple upload, post, edit and submit Website which acquires the popularity of Star Trek’s “where no man has gone before” mantra, and the rest is history. Not to mention a little luck, like being in the right place at the right time, (remember our bumper sticker post). So, what’s not to talk about?

All I can say is “only in America.” Maybe you kind of see it like this too, but you just don’t want to say, and that’s Cooley and the gang with us - we respect that.  We respect all living creatures, and some dead - what the hell. By the way, how many other nerds are out there, right now, who are writing an app with fingers crossed, hoping it’ll “catch fire” too? Hell, we might be one of them. Nothing could be more American.

But let’s get back to the matter at hand, and what on earth has made Facebook as popular as the Beatles during the UK’s second invasion of America? I’ll tell you what I think it is, and it’s not the FB user interface, and how it does this, that or the other. What I’m seeing is that nobody, but nobody, at least so far, has cast the perception of something being entirely devoted to “me” better than the Facebook guys. The FB “Like” is genius, it is so very, very human - who doesn’t want to be liked. And who out there that’s on FB so much that they forget to go eat are thrilled to the point of hyper-ventilation when somebody “Likes” them. You just have to post something again, because one “Like” is just never enough, and you got a taste – and it’s good.

With over 700 million users itching to be “liked,” it’s no wonder FB has advertisers drooling. But the thing about FB is this; it's all about me - squared, not the advertisers, and not anyone else. FB’s “gift” to us all is the perceived ability to “enshrine” one’s self – Vatican style. Good luck with diverting eyeballs around that. The advertisers are trying though.  But they’re finding it’s doubly tough to break the preoccupation we have from our most alluring and captivating subject - ourselves.

As a side note, here’s what I ponder during meditation in my lotus garden; when will someone come along, and cater to the “all about me” perception better than FB? We all pretty much know it is only a matter of when, not if.

Contact Pittsburgh Social Media Marketing for your small business by Blackball Online Marketing where it's all about you.

Turnaround King – Outstanding Case Studies on Business

At Blackball Online Marketing we always try to share information we think valuable for your business. While channel surfing on the good old local cable network this past weekend, I came across a show which I feel is a homerun. The Turnaround King is about a business specialist who analyzes businesses that have either gone astray or lack direction or focus and have fallen on hard times.

Nat Geo's Turnaround King - Grant Cardone

I have always been a fan of preventive maintenance. It takes a lot less energy to maintain and sharpen business practices and worker’s skills than it does to retrain or hire new ones. The tips offered by Grant Cardone are solid fundamental advice for any business including ours, which is what drew my attention in the first place.

The tagline on the National Geographic Channel reads “Sales expert Grant Cardone helps struggling businesses turn things around and get back on their feet by giving the business owners the tools for success.”  The two pilot episodes are amazing to watch as I can see many small businesses falling into the same mindset as the owners featured. These problems are universal for small business which is some of the appeal.

The theme for the auto dealer episode is about small business owners who have been operating for years and have lost the ability or drive to aggressively target new opportunities and adopt new technologies. They, as small business owners, are not alone. We live in a fast paced business climate and seasoned businesses can become complacent. Here’s the video excerpt from this program.

Another episode deals with a family owned franchise of a gym. Grant offers some sage advice when the owners get caught up in competing based on price rather than selling their unique proposition; the amenities and strength of a solid training and support staff. High energy goes a long way provided it’s aimed in the right direction and Grant gives a shot in the arm to this business by offering proven methodologies and a great game plan for revitalization of the business. You can view the preview video here.

I’m already looking forward to the next episode and hopefully after reading this you are too. We are constantly seeking sound advice as we realize there are so many things that we can be better at. Are you doing the same? Need help promoting your Pittsburgh Web Design and Marketing campaigns? Contact Us.

2012 The World Ends: Will Your Facebook Page Be Ready?

Update Your Facebook Page Before The World Ends in 2012

Ok everybody, swallow hard, cause’ we all know what’s coming - Dec. 21^st, 2012 it’s the end of the world. Basically, we’re all gonna’ be toast – real soon like. I figure about a week before the grand finale it’ll be total mayhem, people loading up on Slim Jims, Red Bull, some damn good cheap booze and all kinds of other stuff to make that “last hurrah” easier to take, and lets not exclude cats and dogs living together.

This is a big day for all of us – the end of the world - lots of things to think about – or not. Me, personally, I’ll regret not getting to see the latest James Bond, which I’m sure will be due for release probably on Dec.22^th 2012. That’ll be just a bit too late I believe. I always dug the James Bond movie endings when it says “James Bond will return” well, this time he won’t – bummer.

I’ve only scratched the tip of the iceberg here. You get the picture. It’s not going to be peachy.

So let’s get down to brass tacks. What’s really going to be important when the world ends on December 21^st 2012?  You know it, I know it, and just about everybody else knows it – so it’s unanimous - and that is will your Facebook page be updated and ready for the mother of all events?

You can forget everything else, even Pittsburgh Internet Marketing, and here’s why; Facebook has given us all a reason to live again by helping us magnify our most cherished and addictive subject – ourselves. But now this is all going end. These things happen.  So, since Facebook has given us the means to “embrace and extend” the ultimate importance of us, it stands to reason that when the end comes - and need I remind you it’s real soon, the only thing that’s really going to matter is us all having our Facebook pages nice and spiffy, updated and ready for the big “Check In” (or would that be “check out”). Because, when the world ends on Dec. 21^st 2012, and it isn’t on Facebook, how in the hell will anybody know?

But hey, look on the upside, everyone’s going save money on Christmas gifts, and the best part is you can let everybody know that – on Facebook.

Like us on Facebook before the world ends, would ya. It would mean the world to us.