Simple Marketing - Back to Basics

Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide by John Jantsch


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Pretty good "back to basics" book. Got some simple ideas that are effective. Some of the information is highly simple, such as the section on websites. Overall a good, easy read worth the time.

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Use Google Voice to Streamline Your Communications

Google voice is more than a free phone number. It provides a robust way to streamline how you use voice communications everyday. There are a multitude of examples on how Google's service can not only make communication easier, but life as well!

What is Google Voice?
If you're a nut for all products Google like me, then you probably waited the better part of a year to finally get your hands on the latest Google service called Google Voice. Why all the hype? Google Voice finally allows people to have more control over voice and phone services, separate from the phone companies' limited offerings. Users can use the service regardless of their home, work, or wireless service and the best part of all is that it can integrate all three.

So what exactly does Google Voice do? Upon sign-up, users get to choose a phone number from any area code in the United States. regardless of where you actually live. The advantage of this is that you may have people you call more often than not in a certain area code. It essentially gives you a local number. You may be saying, "So what, I can do that with my current phone service?" True, but the power of Google Voice comes into play with the web-enabled features coupled with smart phone applications.

Once you have a Google Voice account, you can easily set rules via the website on how you want your new number routed. You can simply leave this number as a voice mail (which by the way, has its own set of features I'll describe in detail below), you can select another number to forward to based on rules (such as contact type), or you can have it ring multiple numbers in a sequence (such as office number first, then cell, then home based on whether someone picked up). And of course since this is a Google service, all of your existing Google Contacts are automatically synced with Google Voice!

You can use Google Voice with your current number, but this option limits the features available. Below is a list of features that Google Voice offers:

Using Google Voice with your existing number:


* Google voicemail: voicemail like email


* Voicemail transcription: read what your voicemail says


* Custom greetings: vary voicemail greetings by caller


* International calling: low cost calls to the world


* Notifications: read voicemail messages via email or SMS


* Share voicemails: forward, embed, or download voicemails





Additional features with a Google number:


* One number: a single phone number that rings all your phones


* Free SMS: send, receive & store text messages online


* Block calls: send unwanted callers straight to voicemail


* Record calls: record phone calls and store them online


* Conference calls: join several people into a single call


* Screen callers: hear who is calling before you pick up






Taking Advantage of the Service
I have found several great ways to use Google Voice, both for personal and business use:

Moving
First, this year I moved from Oklahoma to North Carolina. I started the job search and wanted a local number for perspective employers so that it seemed like I was readily available for employment (as apposed to half-way around the U.S.). Additionally, I started handing out my new number prior to the move. Once I moved, this was one less number I had to redistribute because I could simply forward it to any phone. When I acquired a new cell phone and new office phone after the move, I simply set Google Voice to forward to those phones.

Starting a Business
I also started a small business this past year. With the power of Google Voice, I have grouped my contacts using the built-in Google Contact functionality and set rules based on those groups. If a business contact calls and I don't answer, they get a different greeting than my wife does if she calls. This also allows me to easily and inexpensively (free!) manage a call desk for my business based on my availability.

Screening Calls
The easy to use settings have allowed me to management my incoming calls more efficiently, specifically using the Call Screening feature. With this feature, I have options to only have calls forwarded to me that are in my contacts or particular group. I can also add in the Call Presentation feature let the caller announce their name prior to me deciding to take the call.

Streamline inbox
I have always hated how efficient I have become with managing emails, instant messages, and social media messages all on my computer and BlackBerry, yet I had to step away from this central method simply to check voice mails. Not anymore! My voicemail arrives in my inbox already transcribed (decently, I may add) as well as an option to play the message from there. Coupled with the BlackBerry app I have installed, I can also listen to the voice mail from there as well with the click of a button.

Forwarding Messages
Finally, I can forward any voice message to any email address. Try that one with standard voicemail! Instead of only being able to forward messages to a phone number or a certain contact within an organization, I can break the barriers of communication and send the message anywhere in the world.


Watch Out!
All of this technology is great, but there are a few things to watch out for. First, Google Voice does not give you free phone service - just free voicemail and forwarding capabilities. If you plan on using the service to make calls, you still need some sort of phone to do so. Secondly, unless you use the mobile app, calls made directly from your cell phone will show up on caller ID as that phone's number, not the Google Voice number. This is something to remember when giving out that new number. Finally, be aware that of your wireless phone carrier offers free mobile-to-mobile calling, any incoming call using Google Voice will be treated as a non-mobile land line, regardless of the type of phone or carrier the call originated from.

Go Get It
All-in-all, I am thrilled with being able to manage my voice communications in a way I have become accustomed to with all other electronic communications. This article really scratches the surface of what can be done with Google Voice. If you are looking to streamline your life, consolidate phone numbers, and have a better, richer voice service, then Google Voice is a must see!

Hero

Who are your heroes? Are they worth following or do they lead to a path of destruction? I really like this new Skillet video because it not only shows great role models, but it is really about how we all need a savior no matter who we are. Who is your savior?

What is your personal brand?

I have been working hard at my job of creating and maintaining a brand at Orchid Ceramics. I have seen many articles about a personal brand recently but really have not paid that much attention to them. Why? Maybe because like many others my "brand" started as simply a profile on Twitter, Facebook, or some other site. Secondly, what is a personal brand anyways and why do I need one.

Well, finally I started realizing that with these many sites I have, I may be portraying a different message on each of them, strictly by the branding that I create. This may be what I want in some cases, but usually I like to think of myself as the same person, no matter what the content, situation, or audience.

In order to streamline my brand a bit, I started with streamlining my profile pictures, colors, and graphics that I use across all sites so that there is some consistency. My next step is to decide on content. This blog for instance, does not really seem to point at one particular audience. I write mostly about technical, geeky things, but tend to confuse the readers with some personal, off-topic posts. I really should have two blogs in this case.

So as I embark on personal branding, what have you done to keep your image consistent, real, and true, while separating relevant content where it belongs? Would love to hear!

Bible Wednesday on Twitter

Do you feel like you are struggling to have time to read the Bible? I have work, school, sports, groups, facebook to keep up with. Isn't this how we all feel? I had this idea a while back about spending just a short amount of time each day on a book (see Time to Read). While waiting for my laptop to boot each morning I spend a short amount of time in a book. I figure I will eventually get through it and otherwise would not have read it.

This idea got me thinking a bit deeper. I need to spend more time in God's Word and really have no excuse. We all make time for other things. In fact, what did we all do with the time we now spend twittering?

So here it is: I challenge everyone to set aside next Wednesday, May 13th as Bible Wednesday. The challenge is that every time you get the urge to twitter or even read tweets, read something in the Bible instead. There is especially no excuse with the availability of the Bible online via YouVersion.com. If you do tweet, then do it after you read a verse and share that as your tweet. Then use the tag #biblewed.

Who's with me?!

Video is back

Another sweet video from Mutemath. Just when I though the art of video was dead, Mutemath brings another creative video to the scene. Not sure it's as cool as the Typical video, but awesome nonetheless.


MUTEMATH - Spotlight

He Is Risen!

Let's all take some time today to remember what Easter is all about.  Sure the egg hunts and chocolate bunnies are nice, but we would be nothing without Jesus Christ!  He gave His life for us, died on the cross, was burried, and rose from the grave!  

Go to church online this morning and celebrate the life!  http://live.lifechurch.tv/