VENTRINO TRAFFIC EXCHANGE SCRIPTS
TURNING WEB VISITORS INTO BUYERS FOR OUR CUSTOMERS SINCE 1994
Twitter Power: How to dominate your market one tweet at a time
Published July 7, 2009 | 
Back in May I made a decision to investigate Twitter for internet marketing as my preferred social media promotion resource. I did not intent to exclude any of the others but when there are so many to choose from it makes sense to pick one and focus on it. Twitter had obvious advantages for a software development company. An easy and transparent API with a fun bunch of people behind it demonstrating an interest in developing a service rather than screwing as much cash from it’s membership as possible. No banner ads, no fancy flash ads, heck not even a cookie is required to operate Twitter.
The first book I read dealt with the API which was great if you like that kind of thing. What I needed was something that dealt with the use of Twitter from an end user perspective. I needed to know what twitter was like from a business user point of view. What was twitter’s attraction? How can it be used by business? What advantages does it offer over other social media resources? How could it be used to leverage sales? Could it be used for customer support? A list of pros and cons for business use.
Amazon offered two books that cover the subject I was looking for. Amazon reviews offer a balanced view and are useful but with the two books I shortlised it looked like the authors had employed cheerleaders for their books, and nay-sayers for their competitors (I’m sure that’s not what happened but check them out for yourself and you will see what I mean).
As I had heard of Joel Comm I took a closer look and with an endorsement from Anthony Robbins felt compelled to give it a try. I must add had I known Mark Joyner had given an endorsement I would not have given the book a second look.
Some critics of Joels book say he treats the subject too elementary. He assumes nothing and if you are new to the Internet you will find this useful. It’s not correct to say that this is a waste of time for long term Internet users. Amid the explanations you will find Joels take on how something should be done and why. This is invaluable for any Internet user, especially the experienced as it is so easy to forget the most fundemental tasks sometimes. For example one reviewer criticised Joel for explaining how to upload your background image to twitter. This is perhaps elementary stuff that 99% of twitter users could do without being told, but the reviewer omitted to mention Joel explains the value of that image and how to best make it work for you. The real message was lost to some reviewers and it will be reflected in their timelines.
Not everything in Twitter Power will be a revelation to you, many of the tasks you are familiar with will be enhanced by Joels thinking. Think of Twitter Power as a game plan to the knowledge you need to build your business. You will find out how to avoid disaster and how to maximise opportunity and that makes the book a useful tool for any online business.
Joels book is about understanding Twitter and making the most of it. He writes (or is it Ken Burge) in a casual style that is focused on the task. He wastes no time trying to be clever or complex. His formula for success is straight forward and can be read by anyone without needing a PHD. My rating therefore is five stars. He delivers his message in a quiet and uncomplicated way, if you believe twitter can help you in business and your social life then this book is for you.
Audible UK charges 172% more for downloadable products
Published July 6, 2009 | 
When are online businesses going to learn they cannot get away with theft? Ask audible.co.uk and I am sure they will tell you they have plenty of customers “thank you very much” but how many are they losing because we refuse to be taken for suckers?
I knew someone called Brian Greer involved in the gray import business back in the 1980′s. At the time US companies nicknamed Great Britain “treasure island”. I have not lived in the UK for many years but I am a regular visitor. I love visiting but it is the “rip-off Britain” scenario I thank my lucky stars I don’t live here anymore.
Of course the MP’s have entertained Brits over the last few months with their amazing fall from grace but they just add up to another bunch of thieves. Bankers are worse, they can spend whatever they like and know that if they run out they can sucker-punch British tax payers for another £860 Billion. To pay their exhorbitant expenses the British people and British business have to pay an ever upward increase on their taxes.
The meeting occurred on a blistering hot day so Brian had all the windows shut, air con off, and put the heated air vent on.
Perhaps a 172% price hike on products can be justified in light of the enormous tax bill Audible UK must have to pay, but I fear it is just greed. They may make excuses but there is no reason or justification other than “we do because we can”. They look after themselves and we sit back and let them.
I would not have believed British business was so tainted until I worked for Brian Greer, a wealthy technology investor with businesses across Europe, Egypt, USA and Russia (quite an achievement in the 80′s). He married a British lady and decided to stay. Horrified that Microsoft sold software in the UK for £300 and just $100 in the USA he began a gray import operation (which despite claims to the contrary is not illegal, in fact the opposite is true, what government would encourage foreign companies to rip off it’s people?).
My complaint to Audbile UK: I was ordering “Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time” by Joel Comm for $7.49 and now it asks for £7.99 which is 172% more than the price quoted. I don’t mind paying VAT but what explanation could you possibly have for making an electronic item cost so much more?
Brian was the first person in the UK to receive a visit from the Microsoft Police. It was a time when they didn’t dominate the market with anything other than DOS (and perhaps Windows but these were early versions, possibly pre 3.1). As Brian was a senior shareholder in a well known PC brand in the US he thought they were going to persuade him to stop by offering the UK price parity. His business partner in the US found out ahead of the meeting, they were actually sending lawyers to threaten him.
Brian wore a T shirt he was given by Oracle and shorts that were just a little too short for a man in his 50′s.
So Brian had his boardroom chairs removed and replaced with point-of-display boxes extolling the virtues of Microsofts competitors. An entertaining meeting it must have been. Unfortunately I wasn’t there but I know Brian, he would not have bothered employing his own lawyers to defend his position. The man was always right and always supremely confident.
The meeting occurred on a blistering hot day so Brian had all the windows shut, air con off, and put the heated air vent on. The Microsoft lawyers were shown in and had little choice but to sit on their competitors point of sale boxes. Brian was in his comfortable executive chair at the head of the table of course. He was dressed in stark contrast to the lawyers who were all suited and booted and looking like a million dollars. Brian wore a T shirt he was given by Oracle and shorts that were just a little too short for a man in his 50′s. They began to explain what they thought would happen if he didn’t stop gray imports. At this point the meeting was interrupted by one of Brian’s 19 year old receptionists dressed even less than Brian. She brought in an ice water bucket and one can of coke for Brian. She did not ask if the lawyers would like a drink.
The lawyers were smart enough to realise their flight from Redmond had been a waste of time so tried to leave. But every time they tried Brian would throw them an olive branch so they would stay and try talk him round. He managed to keep them sweating for 4 hours.
After the meeting Brian stepped up his operation and began a massive gray import campaign of OEM licenses marked “Only for use on machines sold in the USA” and practically everyone one in the UK that owned a PC and wished to upgrade owned a copy.
So Audible UK, will history to repeat itself?
Finding product cheaper elsewhere is not against UK law and now that American companies can charge VAT there is no earthly reason why UK customers should put up with your unrealistic pricing. I will wait until I return home to complete my order, which I can do so on the US website and pay US prices. Why would anyone knowingly pay 172% more for a product, an identical product, a product delivered from exactly the same place at exactly the same time in exactly the same state? And exactly how is it that cannot be described as theft or fraud?