CircleCount.com hilft Dir Google+ besser zu verstehen

2013-06-19 19:04:12 (1 comments, 3 reshares, 4 +1s)

5 Social Media Rules Every Entrepreneur Should Know

This is the stuff that everyone should know by now, but not everyone understands. Things like Producing quality content, being open and engaging, focusing on a niche are all things people talk about, but few do well. 

This is some fantastic #SocialMedia  advice from the likes of +Gary Vaynerchuk, +Chris Brogan, +Guy Kawasaki and +Mari Smith! 

From the article, which piece do you think is the most crucial?

HT +martin shervington for the find!

2013-06-19 18:32:32 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 8 +1s)

Do you like my weekly newsletter?

This coming Sunday, I'm sharing my own personal approach to sales and marketing, how I do it for my own business. If that's interesting, and you think your friends or those who have circled you might find that interesting, are you willing to press SHARE and not +1 and invite folks to check out my newsletter. 

It's here: 

http://hbway.com/nl to sign up. 

I promise you'll find it fun. 

2013-06-19 14:46:37 (15 comments, 3 reshares, 13 +1s)

Do Not Rush Creativity

I sometimes feel plagued with ideas. Have you ever felt that way? It's as if my #creativity  valve is wide open and I just can't stop the flow of ideas. 

That sounds like a good thing, but it can be a bad thing if you're like me and want to start acting on every single one of those ideas right away! 

+John Saddington implores us creatives to stop and enjoy the moment rather than feeling the need to act on every single one. Easier said than done, but definitely something I needed to hear.

What do you do when a great idea strikes you out of nowhere?

2013-06-18 22:55:26 (2 comments, 2 reshares, 15 +1s)

Kick Your Fear of Failure - Wallpapers

Yesterday there was a great response to the latest blog post on fear of failure (http://dustn.ws/11FG5DV), mostly from you #awesome  people here on Google+! 

So I've uploaded the desktop, smartphone, and tablet #wallpapers  here for all you g+niuses! Enjoy!

2013-06-18 15:03:20 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 10 +1s)

What Is True Influence, and How Do You Gain It?

This is a fantastic article that talks about more than a #klout  score when it comes to the definition of #influence . 

Just like the key to #SocialMedia  is relationships, the same can be said about influence. This article gives 4 action steps to start growing your reach and extending your influence.

2013-06-18 14:55:30 (12 comments, 10 reshares, 27 +1s)

Facebook - The Musical

This is pretty hilarious  Do you know why it's hilarious? Because it's scary how true it is!

Oh, those Facebook people are funny. I'm Glad Google+ is a million times more intelligent! 

HT +ChurchMag (http://churchm.ag/facebook-the-musical/)

#facebook   #evang +

2013-06-18 14:41:55 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 10 +1s)

Famous Statues Turned Hipster

This was pretty funny. See the full post here: http://dustn.ws/11IX08B

HT to +Bradley Horowitz for sharing it!

I would love to see more of these! Which one is your favorite?

2013-06-18 06:36:46 (15 comments, 0 reshares, 23 +1s)

Just plowed through 117 emails and got to #inboxzero . This just happened.

2013-06-18 05:59:44 (2 comments, 2 reshares, 10 +1s)

Great work +Andrij Harasewych! 

2013-06-18 03:49:06 (4 comments, 10 reshares, 18 +1s)

The New Public Squares
Everyone can have a platform

I saw this video posted a few days ago and I'm just now getting to watch it. Wow.

This is just a reinforcement of what I realized when Hangouts On Air were first announced. That anyone with a voice that has something to say (not limited to auditory) can share it with the world easier than ever before.

This is why I live Google+.

#evang+ #socialmedia

2013-06-17 20:44:55 (18 comments, 1 reshares, 14 +1s)

Thank You for Engaging

This circle is one I've put together in the last week of people who have engaged in my posts. This is a way of saying Thank You for the conversations!

I'll be doing this regularly to thank those who engage throughout the week so that others might discover these #awesome  people! 

2013-06-17 05:44:30 (16 comments, 16 reshares, 26 +1s)

Kick Your Fear of Failure Once and for All

The fear of failure has probably stopped more great things from happening than anything else. Nobody wants to fail, but the fear of it can leave us living lives that we never wanted. 

At the end of your days, which always comes far too soon, do you want to look back and say, "I wish I had played it safer,"?

No. 

If you do say that at the end of your days, the closest person should punch you right in the stomach. 

I've found the one thing that scares me more than failure. If you saw my teaser image yesterday, you probably already know what it is. 

In this post I go through some examples of huge failures whom we can only hope to be half as successful as. 

I have also included a set of desktop, tablet, and smartphone wallpapers that will serve ascons... mehr »

2013-06-16 19:27:57 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 32 +1s)

#fathersday lunch (because the bacon-wrapped hot dog wasn't enough). #Chipotle #ftw

2013-06-16 18:27:42 (6 comments, 1 reshares, 34 +1s)

This church knows how to treat a dad on #fathersday. Bacon-wrapped hot dogs for all!

2013-06-15 20:16:42 (5 comments, 14 reshares, 40 +1s)

Don't Fear Failure
Fear succeeding at things that don't matter.

Later today I will be releasing a set of desktop, smartphone, and tablet wallpapers that go along with this image via dustn.tv. 

Stay tuned!

2013-06-15 03:53:40 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Google dreams big: massive, stratospheric balloons providing global internet access.

2013-06-15 03:50:23 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Finally watching #WarmBodies.

If you've seen it, what are your thoughts?

#twt #movienight

2013-06-14 23:44:30 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Press Start | Helping You Level Up

If you're in the Atlanta area and are aspiring to do great things online, I envy you right now. The +8BIT Info crew is putting together an amazing series of events. 

Check out their brand spankin' new site and just try not to drool all over your keyboard.

To +John Saddington, +Chris Ames, +Tom McFarlin, and +Jared Erickson I say well done fine sirs!

2013-06-14 20:16:32 (4 comments, 4 reshares, 32 +1s)

Crash Course on Storytelling

Here are three articles and six TED Talk videos to help you bone up on the art of successful story telling. 

How to Tell a Story -- Right Now -- From a Master of Improve: 
http://www.fastcocreate.com/1681562/how-to-tell-a-story-right-now-from-a-master-of-improv

How to Captivate Your Audience with Story (From America’s Greatest Living Playwright)
http://www.copyblogger.com/mamet-storytelling/

How to tell a story like a stand up comic:
http://www.askmen.com/money/how_to_400/443_how_to.html

Here are six TED talks on storytelling: 
http://www.ted.com/playlists/62/how_to_tell_a_story.html

#storytelling   #story   #writing  

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joel_r/7004601103/

2013-06-14 14:59:19 (10 comments, 8 reshares, 33 +1s)

Rock Your Google+ With These 5 Tips

These down and dirty tips will have you rocking your Google+ like a #boss !

The tips include:
- Post consistently
- Hit a trend of the day
- Join a community that interests you
- Make your posts stand out
- Create a small circle to follow closely

I can tell you first hand-- these tips work! Some of them may seem obvious, but the full post digs in a bit and gives you some solid advice on each one! 

Go read it now! 

HT +Peg Fitzpatrick 
#socialmedia   #googleplustips  

2013-06-13 19:09:01 (21 comments, 1 reshares, 32 +1s)

The Pixel Generation?

Have you noticed this trend of old-school pixel obsession our generation has? I have. And I love it!

I caught this image from +ChurchMag in a post titled Pixel Superheroes - http://dustn.ws/11YRZZr - and I immediately had to go read it.

Why is it that #geeks  like me seem to be so in love with things that look like they're from an 8-bit video game? 

As much as we love #technology  and the advancements in video games graphics, we still are suckers for simple pixels. Why is it?

Could it be that these forms of art resonate with the child that still lives in our memories? 

What do you think? Do you find yourself gravitating towards pixel art?

2013-06-13 17:27:05 (6 comments, 6 reshares, 23 +1s)

The Future is Bright

Social media is what you make of it. The creative tools are available, use them to live your dreams. I said as much in this article: goo.gl/sH0Vk

#creativity   #imagination  

2013-06-13 16:30:20 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Notifications that sync across devices, and a new Android app

Starting today, Google+ notifications are much easier to use across mobile and desktop. In particular:

- When you read a notification on one device, we'll mark it as read on your other devices
- Likewise: dismissing a notification (with a swipe or a click) does so everywhere, so you can say goodbye to annoying repeats

We've also updated the look and feel of Google+ notifications, including:

- A new bell icon (in the Google Bar, and in the mobile apps) that lets you know if anything's waiting for you
- An updated notifications tray that separates unread from previously-read items

We're rolling out these notifications improvements gradually — first on Android and the web, then on iOS. In the meantime, we're also releasing a new Android app thati... mehr »

2013-06-13 16:11:49 (6 comments, 6 reshares, 20 +1s)

Twitter Now Allows Everyone To See Analytics

Twitter analytics has been talked about for a long time now, and it seems they've finally opened them up to everyone! 

Now, anybody can see how many clicks, favorites, retweets, and replies each of their tweets gets! Pretty cool stuff.

Full story here: http://dustn.ws/11YvUKA
[Image and story via +Mashable ]
Will you be using the new Twitter analytics?

#socialmedia   #Twitter   #analytics  

2013-06-12 23:40:15 (6 comments, 3 reshares, 17 +1s)

My post for +Social Media Examiner with information about +Instagram and Pinterest courtesy of +Kim Garst, +Dubbler. Be Heard. +SlideShare with +Pam Moore of +Marketing Nutz, LLC Pinterest and Vine plus a m/t of +Empire Avenue, Tumblr and +Quora AND a nifty +IFTTT trick for #twitter  

Enjoy!

2013-06-12 19:37:55 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 15 +1s)

Free Wallpapers Guaranteed to Help You Make Better Art

Making art in any form-- whether it's a painting, an #infographic , a website, a #film , blog, sculpture, etc. -- is not just about creating a thing, it's about telling a story. 

#Story  is the very core of every piece of art. To make better art, you simply need to connect with the story you're trying to tell. 

I love these wallpapers from +Blaine Hogan as it conveys the essence of creating art. 2 questions that will help you make better art:

What story do you want to tell?
and 
How do you want to tell it?

You can download all the wallpapers (Desktop, iPhone, iPad) here: http://dustn.ws/1bwhmY5

So what story are you trying to tell? Really-- I want to hear about it!

#creativity  

2013-06-12 14:39:53 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 14 +1s)

6 Social Media Tips to Go From Good to Great

Simple. Practical. Effective. These simple social media tips from +Jeremy Smith may seem common sense to some of the more savvy #socialmedia  pro, but it's always good to revisit the basics. 

As common sense as they might seem, there are still many who seem to have never caught on. So give it a read, and let me know if there are any you would have added to the list!

2013-06-12 14:32:54 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 8 +1s)

6 Ways to Create A Culture of Innovation

As a #creativity  junkie, articles like this make me salivate. Innovation is one of my hot buttons. 

Reading through this post I can see these principles at work when I visited Google. They're definitely doing something right. 

Are you positioned inside a culture of innovation?

2013-06-12 06:03:32 (2 comments, 2 reshares, 12 +1s)

Beautiful visualization of the information you consciously and inadvertently share with advertisers. "The global internet becomes the personal internet and information ceased to be information at all." via Bruce Sterling/Wired [2]

[1] http://vimeo.com/34750078
[2] http://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2013/06/showtime-michael-rigley-network/

2013-06-11 23:07:51 (13 comments, 8 reshares, 25 +1s)

3 Simple Tricks to Guard Your Web Surfing From Prying Eyes

My friend +Dale Penn has a great, simple write up on how to make keeping your privacy safe a habbit. 

With all this #PRISM  and #NSA  talk, I figured many folks would find this helpful! Dale really knows his stuff when it comes to #privacy .

2013-06-11 22:53:26 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 10 +1s)

Top Church Tech Blogs of 2013

Last year, +ChurchMag did a top 20 list of the best blogs in the #technology   #socialmedia  and #christianity  space. This year they've expanded the list to 30!

I am honored to have made the list again this year, and feel humbled at the fact that many of the mentioned sites are exceptionally #awesome ! 

Give the list a look and see if you see any sites you visit regularly! 

2013-06-11 20:13:28 (25 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

We're calling for greater transparency--asking the government to let us publish in our Transparency Report aggregate numbers of national security requests, including their scope.  Here's our letter to the US government.  

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/asking-us-government-to-allow-google-to.html

2013-06-11 19:42:01 (13 comments, 9 reshares, 29 +1s)

First Trailer Released:
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

This looks exciting! I wanted to go back and read the book again since the first Hobbit movie was announced. Think it's too late?

2013-06-11 18:17:13 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 10 +1s)

Customers can now follow you directly from Gmail
Posted by +Saurabh Sharma and +David Nachum:

Today we're expanding the +Gmail people widget to include brands and businesses (http://goo.gl/wx2mI), making it easier for your customers to connect with you on Google+. This way, when people receive emails from your domain, they can follow your Google+ page directly from their inbox! Your recent Google+ posts can also appear in the widget (alongside your email message), helping customers find and engage with your content.

To appear in the new Gmail widget, all your business or organization needs is a verified Google+ page and digitally-signed emails. Check out this page to learn more: https://support.google.com/plus/answer/3190197 

#googleplusupdate

2013-06-10 21:07:21 (15 comments, 1 reshares, 28 +1s)

The New Mac Pro: Darth Vader of Desktops?

These specs and design are pretty darn amazing! Although I won't be getting one, I still appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into it. 

And did anyone else notice that the "thermal core" looks like Darth Vader's mouth piece? 

See full specs here: http://www.apple.com/mac-pro/

#apple  

2013-06-10 16:43:23 (2 comments, 5 reshares, 18 +1s)

Google+ Dashboard - making it easier to manage your online presence

Today millions of businesses use Google+ to connect with their customers in meaningful ways. Many of these businesses also use AdWords to promote their products; Maps to update store info; and YouTube to publish high-quality video content (to name a few). We want to make it easier to manage your online presence - all across Google - so today we're getting started with Google+ Dashboard. After signing in to your Google+ page, you'll now have access to the following Dashboard features:

1) The ability to update your info (like website URLs, store hours and phone numbers) across Maps, Search and Google+ - all from the Overview tab.

2) One place to monitor your Google+ notifications, assign page managers, share photos and videos - even start a Hangout with followers.

Local businesses... mehr »

2013-06-10 18:51:55 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 8 +1s)

Watching #wwdc  LIVE: Let's Discuss in Real-Time

#WWDC2013  starts at 10am PST today and I thought it would be great to create this post as a sort of LIVE discussion on the topic. 

As the event progresses I'll be attempting to update this post so that the conversation in the comments can continue to grow. 

You can tune in yourself here - http://www.apple.com/apple-events/june-2013/ - to watch/listen live.

Topic 1 
What are you anticipating most? What do you hope/fear to see at WWDC?

Update 1: Show begins
Make sure if you are following the link to watch live that you are using Safari. It wont work on any other browser.

Update 2: 5yr Anniversay of the App Store
Over 50 Billion app downloads so far. Wow.

Has paid developers over $10 BILLION - half of that being in the lastyear... mehr »

2013-06-10 03:15:23 (13 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

There was an error modifying your circles

Anyone else seeing this error on the Google+ mobile app? I get it every time I try to add any one to a new or existing circle from the mobile app.

I haven't added or moved a whole lot of people recently, but I've been seeing this happen for a few days now.

2013-06-10 01:34:01 (5 comments, 11 reshares, 7 +1s)

How Google+ Turned a Social Media Skeptic into A Fanatic

In case you missed it, my recent interview with +Jesse Wojdylo shows how powerful the vision of +Google+ was for one digitally savvy professional.

Before Google+ he opposed #socialmedia , and after he took the time to look at Google+, he became a fanatic! How could this be? What did he see that the g+ naysayers didn't?

All of these questions are answered in our video interview. On top of that, +Jesse Wojdylo offeres some key insights on what took him from 250 to 45,000 followers, including:

- Seeing social media as relationship building
- Taking a look into the future instead of focusing on the now
- Treating every person as if they are important

I would love to hear your thoughts on the interview! What part did you connect with most?

2013-06-10 01:26:37 (9 comments, 7 reshares, 24 +1s)

Creativity Is...

2013-06-09 05:04:55 (17 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

This movie was fantastic! and a great way to end our #datenight

2013-06-09 02:42:11 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Date Night Part 3: Movie Time!

Now, some of you have realized that this has been more like a date day than a #datenight. And you're right!

To finish our date day/night we are going to see a movie that looks really interesting to me.

Any guesses as to what we might be seeing?

Hint: I've pretty much spelled it out for you. ;)

2013-06-09 00:54:51 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Date Night Part Two: Salt Creek Grille

After a relaxing afternoon at the Spa, we decided to have dinner at the Salt Creek Grille.

Best. Sliders. Ever.

I don't eat beef often, but when I do, I try to eat small portions. The burger sliders were a perfect starter, and they were fantastic!

Next stop on our #datenight... The theater! What movie do you think we'll see?

2013-06-08 23:22:06 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

The One Thing Chrome for iOS Is Missing

Since +Google Chrome launched for #iOS it has replaced Safari as my go-to browser. However there is one thing missing that keeps me returning to Safari...

...the Reader function.

When viewing a blog or article of any kind, Safari allows me to change how it displays so that I can read the article easier. It's beautiful.

Since many sites still have yet to adopt #responsive design (and need to contact me immediately to fix that), this Reader feature helps tremendously.

So why hasn't the Chrome browser for iOS incorporated this yet? Would you like to see a similar feature in mobile Chrome?

2013-06-08 20:02:28 (15 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

Spa Day: A First

I've never been to a spa before. Nor would I consider myself the pampering type. Even with some of my more metro characteristics, I would have imagined myself taking a spa day.

However, I find myself pretty excited to be here with my beautiful wife taking a day to ourselves.

Begin relaxation, now.

2013-06-08 18:31:09 (4 comments, 3 reshares, 5 +1s)

Interactive iPhone 5S & iOS 7 Concept
All done with HTML, CSS & Javascript

This is mind-blowingly brilliant! This is a working, interactive phone built entirely out of html, css & java. Go ahead and give it a try! 

You can click on all of the icons and use them as if you were really using a phone! 

While I think #iOS7  will be slightly different, the fact that someone actually built this (in the way that they built it) is amazing. 

What do you think?

HT +Mike Elgan 

2013-06-08 18:13:47 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

+Jesse Wojdylo here's the link to the full blog post - http://dustn.ws/14oarzW

2013-06-08 18:13:08 (19 comments, 7 reshares, 13 +1s)

Interview: Jesse Wojdylo
From social media skeptic, to full-on fanatic.

Today I had the privledge of interviewing +Jesse Wojdylo about his journey in #SocialMedia  and hear some of his best advice!

It goes about 16 minutes long, but it's worth every minute if you're at all interested in how Jesse went from 250 followers and little to no engagement, to 45,000 followers and more engagement that most people could keep up with!

I've posted the interview notes here - http://dustn.ws/14oarzW - for those of you who like to read along (or have it for future reference). 

What questions would you have wanted to ask Jesse? 

2013-06-08 16:25:12 (5 comments, 1 reshares, 8 +1s)

Justin Timberlake's "Pusher Love Girl" A Cappella

They've gone and done it again folks. +Pentatonix has released another #amazing  cover song. This time it's +Justin Timberlake's new album, The 20/20 Experience. 

When they hit the chorus, I got chills. The talent between the 5 of them is off the scale!

What do you think?

2013-06-08 16:11:34 (4 comments, 4 reshares, 8 +1s)

Everything You Need to Know About Google+ to Start Rocking It!

Whether you're fresh off the boat and starting from scratch here on Google+ or even if you've been here a while and are still adjusting to the #newGooglePlus  this ultimate guide can help!

+martin shervington has put together the best getting started guide to Google+ that I have come across. Period. Follow the link below and bookmark it so that you can have the perfect go-to reference.

If you still have questions though, I'd be happy to answer them! Leave a comment and I will make sure to answer as best I can!

#googleplustips   #googleplushelp   #evang+