New LinkedIn Subgroups – Uses and How to Set One Up

Last night I received an email from LinkedIn. Here’s part of it.

LinkedIn Subgroups

It’s pretty slick. I logged into my LinkedIn account, went to a group I created and a prominent Subgroups tab appeared right on top.

New Subgroup Tab

Click on the Subgroups tab and you see this.

Subgroups

This gives a good generalization of what makes up a Subgroup. What it doesn’t do is show you how to create one. Luckily, it’s not too hard to figure out but initially takes some digging around.

If you’re on your LinkedIn home page, you can click on the Groups icon. From there, you can over the Actions link which will give you a drop down menu with a link to Create a Subgroup. Note: only managers of the group will show the Subgroup option.

Create a Subgroup

From there, you can then create a Subgroup very similar to how you would create a group itself.

I admittedly don’t do nearly enough with the localmn group itself and don’t see any Subgroups in the near future.

So, what are good examples to create Subgroups? One could be national brands who want to localize their groups. This makes sense. Any other ideas? I’d love to hear your input.

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Google Maps Listings Now Include a Reporting Dashboard

Well, Google definitely did a cool thing a couple days ago. They now offer a reporting dashboard for your local business listings.

Of course, Google provides an intuitive YouTube video tutorial:

Here is a small sample of two different businesses in two different areas:

Status and Statistics

This is slick but it gets better. The lower stats are for a piano instructor in a SE Minnesota city. Google is showing the top impressions.

Top Search Queries

Notice that none of the top 10 search queries included a regional qualifier? This has to do with Google showing local results without showing the local search. In a business such as piano instruction, it looks like they’re showing somewhat relevant stat results. This could be different in other industries.

One small glitch. The instructor doesn’t have a website and Google’s showing 6 clicks to it.

No Actual Website

They also provide where driving directions came from. I could really see this useful for lawyers. Depending on the practice area, if a lawyer from Minneapolis was getting many requests from St. Paul, maybe opening a St. Paul branch would be a good idea.

Keep in mind, this is all totally separate from Google Analytics. The new Google Maps reporting dashboard is for your Google local listing visits.

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Cool Video Testimonial for Clint Danks

I have known Clint since 2005 and can absolutely vouch for his expertise at ThinkSEM. He understands PPC like most others do not.

Don’t take my word for it. Check this out! Two days ago while both of us were in Seattle for SMX, the President of a staffing software company (Gregg) decides to make a YouTube testimonial video. Clint knew he was getting some sort of testimonial, but had no idea it would be via YouTube.

Gregg also embeds the video on his blog. Way to go, Mr. Danks!

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2nd Fun Seattle Morning Run

Again I’m copying the concept of Ed Kohler by mapping out runs… without the mapping. A big reason for this is because of the SMX Seattle conference that just wrapped up. I’m hoping to provide a dedicated post regarding the conference, but face it. If you’re following the conference at all, you’re already receiving enough blog posts and tweets regarding it. I’ll post my thoughts later.

So, before the conference this morning I left the Marriott and started a northbound run at the Bell Street train station on Alaskan Way.

Bell Street Station

Ran up Alaskan Way, turned up some hills and wound up at Olympic Park and found art.

art

Ran up Lower Queen Anne and found a Dick’s Burger location. This rivals the Lions Tap for you fellow Twin Cities readers. I did not stop to eat. It was 7:00am.

Dick's Hamburgers

Took a Mercer Street run and saw the Queen Anne hill. It’s steep. I did not run up the hill.

Queen Anne Hill

Ran back toward Seattle Center and saw where the Sonics used to play. I cannot cheer for the OKC Thunder

Arena once known as the Sonics home

You can’t beat the old VW Bus in the Seattle Center.

VW Bus

You can’t help but taking a pic of the Space Needle

Space Needle

Running back to the hotel I ran across a few very cool shops

Lava Lounge

Get ‘yer local punk and metal at Singles Going Steady

Singles Going Steady

Last picture overlooking Alaskan Way

Alaskan Way

The end. Off to conference. Good sessions represented.

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Pictures of a Fun Seattle Run

Ed Kohler is the king at this and I haven’t registered for MapMyRun.com yet, but figured a tour of Belltown/Downtown Seattle was in order.

Got up early this morning for a quick run before day-one of the 2009 Seattle SMX conference.

Woke up to see this partial Puget Sound view from Alaskan Way and Blanchard.

View from Hotel

There’s a sweet running and biking trail right under the Alaskan Way Vioduct. Driving on it or running below it would be less then stellar if an earthquake happened.

Alaskan Way Vioduct

Wound up running a 1.5 mile or so to SODO and took a picture of a Safeco Field sign.

Safeco Field

Running up 1st Avenue, the Pyramid Ale building across from Safeco was in view. It’s a good brew.

Pyramid Ale

Since I’m by Safeco, it makes sense to run around the Seahawks Quest Stadium, quite possibly the coolest NFL (and soccer) stadium built to-date.

Qwest Stadium

And of course, the Seattle Sounders FC also plays there.

Seattle Sounders - Now Part of the MLS

From there, it’s a run to Pioneer Square. I heart Pioneer Square and spent many nights there during my 20’s.

Pioneer Square

Spent a few late-night dollars back in the day at this Pioneer Square Pizza joint. I’m not sure if it was called Mario’s Pizza at the time.

Mario's Pizza

My old buddy Jim used to work at this magic store in the mid 90’s.

Magic Store

I thought this was a fireman tribute to 9-11 but it appears to have been built before then.

Firefighter Statue

I’m not sure what this was about. It was around 1st avenue and Madison.

1st Ave and Madison

Alley in downtown Seattle. It’s certainly not a bad alley.

Not a Bad Alley

Back to the waterfront. Neat view of West Seattle.

View of West Seattle

Lastly, a quarter-mile from the hotel, Pier 62-63.

Pier 62-63

The run turned into between quite a little jaunt. Very fun. I hope to do the same tomorrow morning in a different neighborhood. I heart Seattle.

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Favorite Posts/Press/Site of the Week

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a “favorites” post.

First, big kudos goes out to David Mihm on his 2nd annual local search ranking factors. 27 prominent people contributed to this.

I’m happy to see that the first factor is claiming your business in places like the Google Local Business Center and others. I’m also happy to see that claiming a PO Box (or a fake UPS address) instead of an actual address is a negative factor. That leads to local search spam. Uncool.

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Next, I’m happy to say that my sis and bro-in-law at BuyOnlineNow has made the Internet Retailers 2009 Top 500 Guide once again.

I know the company all-too-well, and you can take my word that they are all full of awesome. Customer service has always been the key. This is why they are full of awesome.

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Do You Know Who I Am?

Really slick new social portal. Got talent? Feel free to go there and sign up. The talent could be niche acting, musicians, comedians, sports, etc. More to come…

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Bro-Sis Marketing Update – Total Success in Madison

This will be the last Bro-Sis Photography Marketing update for little while. I’m happy to say that the Madison event was beyond successful and we couldn’t be happier! It sounds like we’ll be doing some future workshops for photographer groups as well as more speaking engagements. Special thanks to Lew Everling who spoke the morning session.

It’s tough to present about search marketing, local search and social media in just two hours. There’s no way to present a “how to” session as that would take a whole week. However, we were able to “demystify” the concepts and common fallacies for these smart photographers. @JillWhalen would be proud because we did our part to take the BS out of absolutely everything.

I wish I wrote down their names, but a married couple from Wisconsin Dells came up to me afterward and thanked both Heather and I so very much! They get the big-box sales calls and pitches, they vaguely understand the concepts and now have a clear path of what they need to do in search/social as professional photographers. Thank you!

More thanks goes to Krystal Stankowski from Krystal Images Photography for her help to put this on. After the event, I sat with her at the hotel’s business center computer to show things we talked about including Google Alerts, Facebook Pages and grey-hat anchor text.

Ok, a picture story…

Here’s Heather talking about the difference between Facebook profiles and Facebook Pages.

Explaining Facebook Profiles vs. Facebook Pages

Being pretty passionate on how to easily create your own Google Local Business Center for free while other companies literally charge thousands of dollars to do it for you.

Example for Milwaukee Local 10-Pack Results

Talking about good Twitter examples while Heather’s loading a hilarious cartoon parody video of Twitter. You can see the parody video at Twouble with Twitter.

The Good and Bad of Twitter

Awesome audience during a break

Awesome audience members during a break

Lew Everling in a fantastic morning presentation.

Lew Everling

Fantastic presentation from Lew Everling. The whole day brought some sweet synergy. I look forward to co-presenting with him again.

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Bro-Sis Marketing Update – Another Picture Story and Day One of Madison

This is it! Tomorrow afternoon Heather and I will be presenting an overview of search marketing and social media to a group of professional photographers in Madison. Just earlier today, I saw the official SCPA announcement of it. Also, we met Lew Everling who will be presenting before us. He’s an awesome guy and talented photographer.

Getting close to Madison, I again got sucked in to buy stuff at the MouseHouse CheeseHaus. Both my car and myself were happy.

MouseHouse CheeseHaus

I arrived early to get a chance to walk around downtown Madison. I love this city! From talking to Heather’s friend Mariah, State Street is still a pretty crazy place during Halloween.

State Street - Madison, WI

Turns out it’s also graduation day for the cool 2009 class at UW-Madison.

Congrats 2009 Graduates

There was also a very cool biking event, partly going around the State Capital called Wheels on Willy.

Wheels on Willy

From there, it was to the hotel. I had to hit the Apple Store at the West Towne Mall first because I lost my presentation remote. They had me in and out in under 3 minutes. Thank you!

Apple Store Comes Through Again

Finally, we got together with Lew and a couple of Heather’s friends. Here’s Lew, Heather and I enjoying an after-dinner drink.

Lew, Heather and I

We’re really looking forward to the event. The one thing we’re missing is audio speakers as they’re not provided. We have a few short videos to show so I plan to hit a Best Buy right when they open to buy a cheap 40 dollar set. I’ll unfortunately have to miss part of Lew’s presentation because of it, but he’ll benefit from having speakers as well.

Thanks to all who have been following our updates, and more will most likely come tomorrow after the presentations.

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Bro-Sis Marketing Update – Fun in Rochester and a May 9th Picture Story

This was a fun day. Heather and I presented a dry-run in Rochester for our May 18 presentation in Madison.

First, thank you very much to those who showed up yesterday. Family was present as well as Sara Hobbs Kohrt from Studio Seven Photography. It was a pleasure to speak with her and get her input as a professional photographer. Her talent speaks for itself.

We’re now more than ready for our Madison presentation to professional photographers. Hopefully, it will turn into a speaking circuit across the Midwest and the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Rochester picture story – here’s Heather setting up:

Heather Setting up for our Presentation

Here’s Heather talking about social media:

Heather Presenting

Print book advocates who I won’t mention names would drool over these outdated Yellow Pages books in the library print spam isle:

Print Phone Books from Different Cities

The Mayo Civic Arena is a skyway walk from the Library, and I admittedly saw Bon Jovi and Cinderella play there back in 1987 as well as plenty of other 80’s hair-rock bands:

Mayo Civic Arena

After the presentation, we went to the Rochester Outback Steakhouse to celebrate Mother’s Day. There are 5 awesome mothers in this picture which include my mom, step mom, sister, step sister and niece.

Family with Five Awesome Mothers

Growing up in Rochester, I took some other pictures.

Here’s the house I grew up in.

House I Grew Up In

Church I was baptized and confirmed in.

Zumbro Lutheran Church

John Marshall High School

John Marshall High School

Cheap Charlies – The best greasy spoon ever! Back in the day, there were often blood stains on the exterior due to bar fights started around the corner at the North Star Bar.

Cheap Charlie's

Corn Cob Water Tower. I don’t get it either.

Corn Cob Water Tower

Back to the Outback, it was fun but I think Carver and Alana enjoyed it the most.

Carver and Alana

The end.

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Bro-Sis Photography Marketing Update – May 9th, Rochester – May 18th, Madison

This is coming up quick! Both Heather and I are spending a lot of hours on the PowerPoint presentation, and thanks to all of you that have been following the Bro-Sis Photography Marketing project. It’s finally on! We’re giving a dry-run presentation Saturday, May 9 at the Rochester, MN Public Library and it’s on for May 18 in Madison.

Overall agenda? We’re presenting and demystifying  (basically taking the BS out of) search marketing and social media to groups of professional photographers. They’re very smart, great at what they do and they deserve to know how to embrace search marketing and social media.

One part I’ll be speaking on is using social media as an average consumer. Here are a few user-review examples that are included in the presentation:

Dennis Koslowski – Minneapolis Chiropractor
Google Maps User Review

Family Life Chiropractic – San Jose, CA
Yahoo Local User Review

Northwestern Tire and Auto Repair – Minneapolis, MN
CitySearch User Review + using Facebook Connect

One of the finishing slides is this:

One Word: Trust

I really like this slide. Someone might do a Google search and find you, but does that mean they trust you? Getting to know you from seeing you on Flickr, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Blogs and others can definitely build trust before they view your actual website.

Any thoughts or input?

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