The first advantage of widgets is that they are easy to install and use. You don’t have to be a software designer in order to install a text widget on your site or blog. The second advantage is that most widgets can be customized in size, color and style to fit your blog in an elegant way. In this post I”ll recommend a few content-related widgets, that add relevant content to your readers in addition to your own original content:

Twitter Search Widget – There is no doubt about the impact tweets have on the web. over 50M users tweet daily billions of tweets, why not share the relevant ones for you with your readers? Instead of adding a twitter widget of your own tweets, add the search widget and cutomise it to your blog topic.This example is a search widget on ‘Ipad’

The widget can be adjusted with theme, color, size and number of tweets shown. I would recommend using this widget with a search related to the topic of your blog, or a topic concerning current events related to your blog, and maybe even changing the topic of search on the widget from time to time, giving your readers a glimpse at the most relevant tweets.

TimesWidget – The New-York Times also has a great widget for your blog. NYTimes, the leading print and online newspaper lets you enjoy its RSS feed through a great widget(still beta).

This widget enables you to add the NYTimes feed customized to your topic. Pick the subject relevant(can pick more than one), sports, business, technology or others from the list and add it to your site, letting your readers have online access to fresh and relevant content right out of the NYTimes.

Google AJAX Search API for youtube- Not exactly a widget, but I found this cool API that could be suited for a few blogs. I can’t say every blog should have this, but blogs more on the fun side, or writing about media, can use this youtube API as a widget on their blog.

It can be placed in a horizontal or vertical layouts to suite your site. In this example I placed the AJAX with Monty Python’s Youtube Channel. As mentioned about the twitter search widget, here also recommended to change the channels every now and then.

There are many more widgets, these are just a few examples I found useful, and even eye catchers for readers. Don’t add too much to your site, but try to find a few widgets that could give value to your readers.

The first and not recommended option for Twitter users when promoting content is manually tweeting every time you post a blogpost, video, podcast. This is not recommended, especialy when most bloggers post more than once a week at their blog, FaceBook, LinkedIn,etc. and upload a video to YouTube every now and then. You would usually like to tweet on most of that. Luckly, today you can add your Twitter account to most of the existing platforms.

Some of the more simple examples are:

1.Wordpress Twitter plugin – There are many plugins for WordPress that tweet automatically every post you publish. The one I am using currently is Easy retweet.
2.Linkedin – A short time ago LinkedIn added the option to synchronize your LinkedIn status and tweets(th anks guys!) . This is how it will appear

3. Youtube Channel – You can add your twitter account to your YouTube channel, and post automatic tweets with every new video you upload.

4. Tweetdeck - One of the more popular applications for the web and mobile devices. The latest version supports multiple users on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.

However, although I recommend all these tools and methods, it is also recommended to keep a balance with your tweets and status updates on Facebook and Linkedin. Most people want and need the personal touch –  people would like to hear more than just your last published posts. Try to balance your tweets with a few personal thoughts, link to others and combine tweets about your activity. That part of it could be your last post or video. Another option is setting up a different Twitter user for your business – this way you’ll post only business related tweets and links.

After all that said and done, you can also follow this blog on Twitter here, or follow us personally – Yohay or Doron

Operating and managing your blog’s social media activity can be a lot of work, and it might not be so effective if not done right. Many tools offer badges, widgets and toolbars for blogs and websites, I found the Wibiya toolbar very effective and well designed. We implemented it both on this blog and on Sortfix’s blog.

First of all the Wibiya toolbar has a simple step-by-step plugin installation wizard-

After installation, you can decide which applications to add to it, all done through Wibiya’s site. For Sortfix we decided to implement the company’s Facebook fan page, Twitter account, Flickr and the Youtube channel. The added value here is letting your readers enjoy rich content, only one click away (posts, video, images and tweets), in one place without overwhelming them with information-

The toolbar appears at the bottom of the webpage without interfering with the browsing activity. It enables users to communicate, share and be exposed to more content the site has to offer. I also enjoys the fact that you can use less widgets on the sidebar and keep a more clean view to the page and let the user experience more of your content without leaving the page. Wibiya also has a friendly admin page to manage apps, and view stats.

The only thing missing in my opinion, is a connection to linkedin. Hope will be added soon.

Picture credit: stuartpilbrow on Flickr.

Part of my work with start-up companies includes finding investors and funds. With time you find that somethings works for you better than others. Of course, these are just my impressions. Hope you’ll find them useful:

1. Your Network - As mentioned here frequently before, use your close network of family and friends to find funding. It’s common for many start-ups who started out in their garage to raise the first amount of money with their family and friends, which often referred to as FFF (friends, family and fools) . Just to get a kick start, make a short and clear presentation and gather up your close friends and family(your living room is fine). This idea has 2 main advantages: The first is you have a great chance to present your idea and get free feedback. The second is, and take this seriously – a true opportunity to raise capital from people who will be suportive and believe in your potential. Take this group of seed investors seriously, and you just might be a step from seeing your idea turn into business.
2. Be prepared – You’ve just launched the works on your new start-up, even took a bank loan, or took your friends and family as small investors. You already have a business plan, you just finished developing the first stage of your application or product. You’ll probably need to find more capital, and look for more investors. Before you do anything else, have at least the following, a short 1-2 pager summary of your business. A few really good images of your application/website and not more than a 10 page powerpoint slideshow. No one can review more than that and stay focused.
3. To the next step – Now that you have a short executive summary, a killer (and short!) powerpoint presentation and the money invested in you by those close to you, your ready to move to the next stage. Make a list of(and this will take time), potential new investors. Who should be on this list? Anyone related to you or your friends with financial means. Look for:
   1. People related to financial organizations such as Venture Capital firms.
   2. Private investor groups. In many cases small and medium investors group up to invest in new businesses.
   3. Big corporates in related industry fields, that might invest or collaborate with your business.
   4. Business Development experts, that raised capital in the past, they will cost you but will save time and can shorten the time you spend in order to raise the funds.
4. Be Creative! Aside from the options listed above, you can search for capital in many places you haven’t thought about. Not only big VC firms or financiers can come up with capital for your start-up. It can be anyone with financial means. The same way you can gather up your family and friends to hear about your great idea, you can do the same with any business person you can find. Ask for a meeting with owners of a retails stores, big agencies or any other kind of business owners. In many cases Business owners are looking for new ways to bring added value to their cashflow, and investing in new start-up can be a great new opportunity for them.

In our next posts I wil give some more input on the subject with actual examples from my experience.

There is always an exception, dogs who prefer different things to do with their leisure time-

Just like any network, dog owners have their unique characteristics and common interests (dogs…), and just like any other network, the people in it, are different from one another and have different interests,views and professional backgrounds beside being dog owners. Due to the fact that most dogs like to play and run, many dog owners seek for playing grounds that are safe, and with other friendly dogs around.  These two parameters bring dog owners close to one another, and almost naturally meet in places such as parks, large school yards, and any other place which is big enough for the dogs to run in, and far enough from traffic.

I joined a small group of 5 people, who meet up almost every night at a high school near home. The dogs run and play for about  30 minutes, which is fun to watch and healthy for the dogs. While the dogs socialize between themselves, we, the two legged, have enough time to talk and network. One of the biggest benefits is, you get to meet people you probably would not have met otherwise. This makes it a great way to grow your network of connections – personal and business.

Except for the additional responsibility, having a dog, is fun, enjoyable and can grow your network.

And one last update, here is how to find a dog…

1. Setting up a website can cost as low as $150: there isn’t a bigger mistake for a business than this one, especially for small and medium businesses. In many cases, a business website is the ‘Front Cover’ of the business and your reputation. This is where most of the new clients and costumers first encounter your product. That ‘Front Cover’ of your business should reflect the quality of your product. You don’t have to spend a fortune on it, but have a professional do the job, plan wisely what your site should consist of, make sure the design is friendly, and that all the features work properly(links, payment, video’s, ads etc.). This still isn’t a big cost, and it is of great importance. Isn’t it worth paying a little more on your website?
2. Social media is a waste of time. I will start by how NOT to use social media (Sent by Shooky Galili) It’s rarely heard that social media is a waste of time. I can relate to businessmen who say the haven’t any spare time to be active on social platforms. I don’t think a business owner should be active on more than 3-4 social websites. It can be difficult to keep track. The key here is to start with a small modest blog, where you can update on new products and news. All that with writing no more than one 200-word post a week. Some businessmen such as lawyers already have a substantial amount of content written, and can start by posting it. After the blog is up and running, you can link it to your facebook, twitter and so on. Step by step is a good method to step into social media. An interesting discussion about this issue is happening right now at the Social Media Today group on LinkedIn.
3. Offline Advertisement is dead. Although social media and online advertisement are taking their share in advertising budgets, offline media such as newspapers, radio and TV is still part of our lives, and businesses should consider them as part of their marketing campaigns. When focused on local costumers, radio and local papers still have influence on the market. With local radio stations and papers you could complete your campaign and reach more clients in a relatively low cost. It turns out there is even much to learn from radio. Read more about it on digitaltonto by Greg Satell
4. Online Networking and Offline Networking are two completely different stories. The truth couldn’t be further away from that. On social media, email, conventions and even birthday parties, people behave like…people. Most of us enjoy meeting new people, knowing them and having some kind of a relationship (business, romantic, community..) .  If you meet someone face to face, you first want to know who you’re meeting and what common grounds you have. Then, if it seems reasonable enough for both side, a connection can be made. Online and social media aren’t that different. Our previous post about befriending too soon on Facebook guides you what to ‘do’ and what  ‘not do’ on social media.

I’m sure there are many more myths we all encounter daily. I would love to hear yours, and post them.

About a week ago I met and old colleague for a beer after work. While having our beer, I heard someone ordering a beer in Spanish two seats away from us on the bar. Being curious about the spanish, I introduced myself, and so did my colleague. The person we met turned out to be ‘Gale Talk‘, A Madrid based techno artist, who came to town for a concert. We had a fun talk about music and a few more rounds of beer.

Gale Talk

From here on, networking went on using MySpace, where you can find information and more importantly a few tracks. So I could listen to his music, which I really liked. Hope you will enjoy it too. I couldn’t make it to the concert, hope to see it next time in town.

1. What to wear? If you are a man, don’t laugh at this point, this is not a fashion tip! It’s important to wear something suitable for the occasion, but try to wear something comfortable for you. If you usually don’t wear a suit, don’t start now, people will notice you are uncomfortable, and it can be interpreted as unreliable. If you are not sure, and there isn’t a clear dress code, try asking a colleague on similar events. Remember, dress code is important, but feeling comfortable around others is crucial.

Sometimes, dressing wrong for the occasion is serving a purpose…

2. Like Actors – Learn your lines! If you are not a people person, and finding it hard to introduce yourself, do as professional actors do, rehearse and learn by heart. You can implement this method by learning by heart, just like writing your CV. Take the highlights of your work and business actions, and shape them into 3-4 short sentences you can say naturally, short and to the point. My personal example I use in events is say: “I’m a self-employed business developer. currently I’m working on…” .Keep it short and interesting. You can finish these few lines by handing a business card and wait to see if people ask to hear more.

3. Rehearse. Practice makes..well, you know. Again, like actors, a good rehearsal is a great help before the real show. The best way to rehearse on networking is only with the real thing. Try finding prior to your event a smaller one. See if you can find a smaller event (there’s always something), even on a different subject before the event you intend to attend. Go to a smaller gathering, where you preferably know a few people, and try approaching people with the lines you remembered by heart. If it works stick to it, if not, you can still adjust them before the important event.

4. Do your homework. Try making the most out of every event. Study the subjects that will be spoken about, what’s up for discussion? Who is going to attend the event? Study these detail and network with specific new people on relevant subjects to them and yourself.

5. Don’t forget to enjoy. Even business events these days have a fun aspect to them (or at least they try). In most conventions there is a variety of people, eatable food and in many cases, drinks. Think of these events as an opportunity to enjoy yourself, with business as an added value. If people will see you as optimistic and positive, it will ease the networking.

These 5 guidelines should keep you comfortable, confident, positive and interesting enough to network effectively to new connections.

In this blog we dealt with how to built your network, and how to make it grow. Assuming you already have a network of considerable size, it’s time to make it work for you, and for your connections. A non-active network, won’t bring any value to your business. Connection won’t last – the next time you’ll need someone from your network you will have to start rebuilding your relationship from scratch.

One of the best ways to keep your network active and bring value to your business, is connecting between people inside your network. As we said before, a network is based on your family, friends, colleagues and associates. Do these different people know one another? And if not, why should they?

Well, the answer is quite simple. I explained before that people connect to people and not to businesses. If you are the one to connect between people, you bring added value to both parties, and will be remembered positively by both sides. By connecting people you you make a good reputation for yourself and people will appreciate doing business with you. A good example is romantic relationships. Ask couples who introduced them to one another, I’m sure they always remember.

What kind of links can you make? The possibilities are endless. You can recommend a talented family member to a colleague looking to hire. You can connect between a business associate to a supplier who is a close friend. Of-course you can use the example in the the first paragraph and establish a new company based on your network connections, Try thinking which of your network connections could fill a position in a new company (sales, development, marketing, finance).

Following Up

Last but not least, when you do make connections, you must bring added value to the new connection between all sides. Don’t just exchange phone numbers or forward emails. Make sure you follow-up on the new connections you made. Phone both sides, get a feedback, explain why you recommended a certain person above all others. Here are a few more words on the importance of follow-ups by Dave Clarke.

Build strong links between your network connections, all sides will benefit in the long run.

Don’t miss opportunities – When does that big opportunity come? You could never know. In order to avoid missing opportunities, there’s only one thing to do. Take part in activities related to your business and personal life as mentioned here before. Any occasion or person you meet, could easily become a great opportunity  for a big client or  a new contract, or finding the perfect candidate for a job your hiring for.

Then again, some meetings just bring up too many bad memories

Don’t force your  business – Your product is great, I’m sure of that. But try to understand the event you’re participating in. Timing is everything (along with a good product,creative  marketing and some luck…). Sometimes you might just have one opportunity to introduce yourself to someone relevant to you -  don’t blow it. If you speak about your business in the wrong place, you might be considered rude and maybe even boring. From my experience, always introduce yourself first as a person, an individual. Don’t talk about your business straight away. People like to connect with people, not companies. Start by a short introduction about yourself. People will remember you but they will seldom remember a company name. If people will remember you it doesn’t matter which business it is, They would be interested in YOU.

Don’t beat yourself when you’re wrong – We all make mistakes, and we learn from them. You tried to introduce your business to a potential investor and failed. Well, these things happen. When you’re unsuccessful, a few things should be done. First of all, go back and trace your moves. What went wrong? Was it the PowerPoint slides? Were you under-prepared? Understand what can be improved for the next time. Now that you are ready to try again, do it as many times as possible. You failed making connections in a convention? Go to a dozen more. You approached potential costumers and it didn’t work, try doing it better, and this time approach a hundred costumers more.

Never, but NEVER, work ‘on the fly’ – It’s nice being spontaneous when it comes to going out, not for your business. Although networking is not a science as accurate as rocket physics, you can plan your moves wisely. Decided on going to a convention to make new connections?  Wonderful! Is this convention in your field of work? Is there a better one soon? How costly is it? You must ask yourself these questions. Otherwise you will be spending more than you can afford of your time and money.

Don’t underestimate the power of online networking – We wrote here about LinkedIn, blogs and other means of social networking. These tools are already important enough for businesses, and will become even more dominant in our lives. Even if your business is completely offline, you need to start changing it. Be sure your competitors are working on it as we speak. Learn where your line of work is exposed on the web. Learn which blogger writes about your industry. Bloggers write almost about everything, from technology to foreign-exchange , Graffiti and even Hummus. Take a few hours a week and find the places interesting for you on the web and be active there, for reputation, costumers, colleagues and in short Networking.