New iPhone app means you only need to print 1 business card.

Apple took out a full page ad in today’s paper to promote a number of their iPhone apps that are good for business.  One application stood out to me, and it could save you a whopping amount in printing.

Possible Scenario at your next meeting:

PROSPECT: “Do you have a business card?”
YOU:  “Sure.”

Then…

• You produce a card (or something glamorous made from long-lasting plastic, platinum etc. with all your details - including your Twitter handle!)
• Your contact takes a photo of it with their iPhone (what else would you use, really?).
• Your details are now in their phone.

No paper, no waste.

The Business Card Reader allows you to take the photo of a business card on your iPhone (or Blackberry). It then ‘reads’ the data and enters the details into your address book.

So, no scanning, data entry, or piles of business cards stashed in drawers.
Now all you need is one business card and friends and colleagues with iPhones.

I’ll be getting the app.

Suzi

Useful resources from Ed Dale’s Internet Marketing Seminar

Last Friday to Sunday I attended an Internet Marketing seminar hosted by Ed Dale of 30 Day Challenge fame. You may know Ed from Internet Marketing this Week, an almost-weekly podcast that I highly recommend if you’re interested in what’s new in new media and technology.

The 200, or so, participants enjoyed both local and international speakers on the subjects of outsourcing, content development (including using video), search engine marketing, business best practise, using offline marketing to drive customers online and blogging. All good, practical, information.

The highlight for me was the ‘hot seats’ where brave participants nominated their website for review by an expert panel.

I was lucky enough to be chosen and as a result got great feedback that I’lll start to implement this week at the Australian Businesswomen’s Network website.

The Twitter tag of the weekend was #30dchome. I thought you may be interested in looking it up - as you’ll find that participants posted highlights from the program as well as some handy links.

The 30 Day Challenge

You may have heard me speak about The 30 Day Challenge before. It’s a free, annual program, that is designed to get you online and doing business. Last year over 30,000 people participated. I’m sure it’s coming again in 2010.

I’ll post something when dates are released but in the meantime you can keep in touch with news by:

• Subscribing to Internet Marketing this Week on itunes
• Following Ed Dale’s page on Facebook
• Following Ed Dale on Twitter

Additional Resources

• Guest speaker Lynn Terry (Affiliate Marketing)
• Guest speaker Leslie Rodhe (SEO)
• The fabulous Market Samurai tool

Cheers,

Suzi

My Top 9 iPhone Social Media Applications for 2009

There are probably a dozen iphone apps that I use regularly. Some are standard and functional e.g. Google Maps (a humdinger when I get lost in the city or need to get directions while overseas), Voicememo (often used to record messages to remind myself to do things) and the weather application.

While I have some fun apps e.g. Shazam (song recognition) and  Check Please (for calculating tips when travelling in the US), most of the apps I use enhance or enable my social media activity.

The applications allow me to post to my blog (and respond to comments), tweet, check my web stats, record an audio blog, instant message my contacts, create a video and post it with one click, add photos to my social networks - to name just a few options.

Here are 9 of my favourite social media related apps. They are not in order. All are in the itunes Applications store but I have included below links to the developers websites. Most apps are free, but a couple have a small (and worthwhile) fee.

Audioboo

This is an iphone audioblogging application. You record a message (up to 5 mins) and host it on the Audioboo site with the click of an icon. You can then use the embed code in blog posts or in statuses on Twitter and Facebook. Here’s a post where I’ve used the AudioBoo app during our 30 Days of Social Media program.

Analytics

The free version is sufficient for me to be able to check the traffic on our blog and website easily.

Tweetie

While I also have TweetDeck and Twitterific, Tweetie is the one that I find easiest to use to track Twitter conversations and add tweets.

What’s App

This is very cool. What’s App is an iphone to iphone messenger without text/SMS costs.

Gorillacam

Just started using this app. Adds great functionality to your iphone camera. Paparazzi (3shot) option, self-timer, time lapse as well as a ‘press anywhere’ option overcomes some of the frustrations of using an iphone camera. Team it with a Gorillapod (a mini tripod for your iphone) and you have a pretty cool camera.

Facebook

You’ve probably got this if you’re on Facebook. It’s improved and easy to use to update status and stay up with news. Could use a little more functionality.

Dragon Dictation

This app provides voice recognition on your iphone. You can record and translate sound and then send to mail or txt. Great for quick memos.  [I have to share this as it made for a good laugh. When I was first using it I was speaking slowly saying "This is Suzi". The translation was coming up as "This is Crazy"… so I guess it needs a little practise to get it working write (or a feined US accent may help)].

Animoto

Select from pics on your iphone, choose a soundtrack from Animoto’s library and click a button - and you have a professional customised video, for free. Fun for holidays and capturing special moments.

FaceMic for Facebook

This is a new one for me and was recommended by Facebook maven Mari Smith. It allows me to record a message and post it to a friend’s Facebook page. Great for birthday messages.

BONUS - CAUSE IT’S WORTH MENTIONING!

CrushIt

You may have heard of Gary Vaynerchuck of Wine Library TV fame.The story goes that he turned a $5 million dollar business into a $50 million and has created fame and fortune online through his video blog. His book - Crush It - has been created as an app that is a vook (a video book). At the start of each chapter you get to see and hear Gary and then you can read the book Kindle-style within the app. It’s a great way for any author to deliver their content and I can see applications for many educators and content creators.

As I said earlier, these are just a few of the tools that help me manage and create social media content and which allow me to keep up with the conversations that I choose to be a part of - while I’m ‘on the go’. (Of course that is today… apps are being created so quickly some of these may be replaced by newer/better ones… in which case I’ll be sure to post any new discoveries.)

Got a great iphone app to share? I’d love to hear about it.

Best wishes,

Suzi

Day 13 - 30 Days of Networking: Your biggest networking issue.

Welcome to Day 13 0f 30 Days of Networking.

I’ve never been a big user of forums. No reason, really. I just haven’t found forums that I wanted to take part in on a regular basis. That’s now changed!

After running a series of business focus groups (her Views Member Advisory Groups) with Australian Businesswomen’s Network members what became apparent is that women in business (especially those working solo, from home) need a place to ask the (as they described) ‘really dumb questions’ about business.

Drum roll…

So, today we announce the launch of the Women in Business Forums, a new help desk for women in business looking for a place to ask questions (to get much-needed answers), provide answers (to share your expertise with other community members) and to network (by promoting yourself and your business while collaborating with other forum members).

I realise it may take a little while to get the buzz going on these forums, but I invite you to start today.

I have set up a 30 Days of Networking forum where you can share your biggest networking issue.

Forums are a great way to network. So, join the Women in Business Forums today.

TODAY’S TASK

Visit the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s Women in Business Forums.

Create a user account. Note: Even if you have an existing ABN account note that you will need to create a new user account for the forums (a drag, I know, but the only way we could ensure that your account history in the ABN database is not compromised in any way).

A couple of forum tips:

• Once you create a user account click on User Control Panel to set up your profile.
• The Profile Link is the 5th link down the list of options. Fill out only the fields that you feel comfortable filling in and that you want to share with other forum visitors.
• If you have any questions check the FAQ section or email our office for help.
• Answers will be provided for all questions, where relevant, by that ABN and (more frequently) by other forum members who have expertise in the area about which you are asking.

Tweet to let us know how you went.

Best wishes,

Suzi

Easy to use time and wages templates for employers

If you employ staff, it makes sense to understand your obligations. Last week, while in a coffee shop, I picked up a postcard promoting www.wo.gov.au - the site for the Australian Workplace Ombudsman. The site has free templates to help employers manage time and wages records and pay slips, as well as employee details. You can also download fact sheets about key workplace relations issues.

What would make your website more effective?

In the May edition of our Women in Business eNewsletter we asked members what the biggest frustrations were about website effectiveness.

In a short survey participants said:

• 25% - Traffic and getting enough targeted visitors
• 37.5% - Conversion
• 0% - Navigation/Structure
• 37.5% - Cost/time to make updates

(Participants could choose more than one option.)

You can read the responses here.

Do you have tools and resources you can suggest to make website management and effectiveness easier for small business? Then please add them here in our blog as comments.

A powerful design resource for small business

Need something designed? 99designs connects clients needing design work such as logo designs, business cards or web sites to a thriving community of 21,899 talented designers. 

Take a look at their innovative business model that allows designers from all over to compete for jobs from anywhere in the world.

The home of this innovative international tool (that I was introduced to at a recent conference in Boston)?

Our very own Melbourne!

Make your own MTV style video clips to promote products and services

This is a fun tool that allows you to make clips to use on your site to promote your products. Animoto is a web application that produces MTV-style videos using the images. Stick them on your Facebook profile or on your website.