Foodie Friday: Grilled Mahi Mahi with Roasted Pepper Sauce and Cilantro Pesto

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Roasted Pepper Sauce and Cilantro Pesto

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
• 4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
2. Place the wine and shallot in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and reduce the liquid down by about half, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Place the Parmesan cheese, garlic, and walnuts into a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add the olive oil, cilantro, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; process until smooth. Remove the cilantro pesto from the food processor and set aside.
4. Place the red peppers into the food processor, pour in the wine reduction, and process until smooth. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the sauce for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season both sides of the mahi mahi fillets with salt and pepper.
5. Cook the mahi mahi on the preheated grill until the fish is golden and flakes easily with a fork, about 4 minutes per side.
6. Whisk the butter, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the red pepper sauce until smooth. Spoon the red pepper sauce onto the bottom of the serving plate, arrange the fish on the sauce, and top with the cilantro pesto to serve.

 

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 341 | Total Fat: 15.2g | Cholesterol: 134mg

 

What to Drink?
	Barbera
	PB Breeze
	Beer

 

More Recipes at AllRecipes.com

#SocialSearch is here NOW @Wajam, yes I'm using it NOW

 

Once upon a time in the land far away.. oops sorry. Seriously, once upon a time when we wanted to find out information we went to the Search Engine at least that's what it was called back in the day before Google dominated search.  At that time there were an abundance of search options, Yahoo, LookSmart, AskJeeves and Dogpile just to name a few. Then there was Google, and nothing would ever be the same again. So, after Google became a HUGE player in the search industry, we no longer used a search engine, we Googled. It was just what was done and how things happened. Notice that I am speaking in past tense.

 
Now, we don't really Google so much. No boo-hoo's for Google, they will survive as they are still hot and have the Internet "It Factor." However, times are a changin' and Facebook is now a truly dominating factor on the Internet. We still Google a bit, after we check our Facebook page, search for companies to LIKE, play Farmville or whatever ville we are playing now and check the news feed of our millions of friends..

 
The game has changed so much.....So what do we have now...We have,  Google search and Social Media by way of Facebook and other channels. Social Media is hot, Google is still pretty hot and serves most of our search needs.  Guess what, there is another avenue that is going to turn Google and Social on its head. Social Search, I've been talking about it forever. I've been saying, "It's Time for Social Search" and "Social Search is happening now." Guess what, Social Search IS HERE and guess what again, I am experiencing it's awesomeness as you read. Wajam, remember that name because I believe it will be what Google is to Search and what Facebook is to Social Media.
 

The combination of traditional Google Search with Social Media becomes Social Search. This allows a person to not only search by interests but it allows them to see what their friends are interested in, right in the Google Search results. HOW huge is that? Take a look at the video and demo below.
 

Just like the video, I started a search on Google.  I searched for the word "Wajam" and not only did I get traditional Google search results, I also got WAJAM search results. This included search results from my Twitter followers and Facebook friends.  My results actually displayed the conversation with my friend Nakeva on Twitter in which she sent the Wajam invite that got this ball rolling.  How awesome is that?

 

 

Amazing stuff and the wave of the future. Remember, you saw it here first. Wajam is still in Beta so make sure you request an invite.
 
 

As usual I welcome any comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. So feel free to leave me a comment or post directly on my Facebook Wall.

 

 

 

 

Is Technology moving to fast? Pt 1

 

As a person that is totally into technology and has embraced it as long as there has been something to embrace. I often wonder if technology is moving faster than people can absorb it. There are many that can and will continue to absorb, embrace and wallow in all of the new things that technology has to offer. However what about those that do NOT? How will they fair? It's not as if there can be a roll back of the clock to allow them to catch up.
 
As individuals that embrace technology should we feel obligated to look back, reach our hand out to ensure that people are with us, or do we keep on moving in our technological haze of newer, faster better technologies?

These questions really prompted me to consider what I should do to help people that have not moved along and grabbed the lightening fast pace of technology growth.  As an Internet Marketer I feel compelled to help and I am moving toward that as we "speak." I will keep you updated on my progress and share an exciting venture that I am working on soon.

What are your thoughts? Do you think that technology has moved to fast? Do you think its possible to catch up if you are one that has been left behind in the super quick advancements of technology?

As usual, I welcome thoughts and comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. So feel free to leave a comment here or directly on my Facebook Wall.

The importance of Social Media: Are you paying attention?

 

Have you been paying attention to the variety of Social Media channels that have been popping up? Are you really paying attention? The amount of Social Media channels that have been popping up could very well be an indication that Social Media is growing and not going away anytime soon. This means that if you have not ventured into it and you have a business, you need to step your game up. YES, I said it! STEP YOUR GAME UP.
 
Once upon a time you could advertise in papers, place a radio ad or even create a TV commercial if your budget permitted. These options are diminishing and can be expensive.  All of the newspapers are going online with blogs and Apps, people go with paid radio so they do not have to listen to your ads and who can even afford a TV commercial in this economy. Also people have cable so who even cares about your TV commercial.  So what's a business to do?

 
Social Media! You can just dip your toe into the Social Media pool slowly. Start with a Facebook Page, not to be confused with your personal Facebook Profile.  Sign up for Twitter account and start Tweeting , then create a blog and start blogging. Then dive in and start talking about your company, what you do, what you love etc. Be like Nike, just do it!

If you need some Tips check out my Blog on Social Media Content and Engagement, if you can't be bothered with any of this madness check out my blog on things to look for when HIRING a Social Media Expert.

As usual, I welcome comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent.  So feel free to comment here or post directly to my Facebook Wall.

If you REALLY LOVE Twitter & InfoGraphics you'll love this

I didn't use to be big on Twitter but I am really starting to LOVE it now. I also LOVE Infographics, I would love to just create all kinds of goofy (and useful) infographics. I had to throw in useful so people won't  think I'm a loser. LOL

 

Well, there is a way to create cool Infographics based on your Twitter stream. ummm YA! COOL! My friends will get a great kick out of this. The image attached is the Infographic that I created based on my conversation stream and people that I talk to most on Twitter.  I say again..ummm YA! Cool!

 

Make one yourself

Social Empire it's no Farmville: Bring your A Game, Heavy hitters are playing

I've been wallowing in my Social Media Addiction for quite a while now and loving every single minute of optimizing Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and my Blogs. Fun..Fun...Fun!  Then my good friend Josepf posted on Facebook, " Everyone's For Sale! see what your Social Media accounts are worth."

 

SAY WHAAT? Empire Avenue, I'm IN! That was a few months ago and I am loving the ride! Empire Avenue is more than just a game, it has become THE BEST way to measure the effectiveness of ones Social Media activity, while having fun. Not just measuring Facebook and Twitter, but your activity across a variety of social media channels and blogs.

Empire Avenue has also opened the door to amazing networking opportunities, friendships and the chance to bond with some of the most amazingly brilliant minds in Social Media, Technology, and a variety of other industries.

In addition to some of the amazing benefits of Empire Avenue, it is responsible for bringing together the minds behind the very popular #/SocialEmpire which is the unofficial social hub of Empire Avenue related activities and is quickly transforming into the mecca of progressive social media activity and brainstorming.

The power of Empire Avenue is being recognized as THE Place To Be! Just take look at the influx of new members.

• Wayne Sutton (e)Wayn
• Tamar Weinberg (e)Tamar
• Brian Solis (e)BrianSolis
• Aaron Lee (e)Ask
• Jeremiah Owyang (e)Jowyang
• Robert Scobel (e)Scbl
• Thomas Power (e)Teep
• Ford Motor Company (e)Ford
• Audi (e)Audi
• Lincoln Vehicles (e)Lincoln

.........And yes #SocialEmpire is there....

Join the elite, Join me &  be a part of Empire Avenue then be a part of #SocialEmpire

As usual, I welcome comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. Feel free to comment here or directly on my Facebook Wall.

Foodie Friday: General Tsao's Chicken

General Tsao's Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup hot chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• 3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups chopped green onions
• 16 chile peppers, sun-dried

Directions

1. To Make Sauce: In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Mix together. Add garlic, ginger, sugar, 1/4 cup soy sauce and white wine vinegar. Then add chicken broth and monosodium glutamate and stir all together until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until needed.
2. To Prepare Chicken: In a separate bowl, combine chicken, 1/2 cup soy sauce and white pepper. Stir in egg. Add 1 cup cornstarch and stir until chicken is evenly coated. Add oil to help separate chicken pieces. Divide chicken into small quantities and deep fry at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
3. To Make Mixture: Place a small amount of oil in wok and heat until wok is hot. Add scallions and dried chile peppers and stir-fry briefly. Remove sauce from refrigerator and stir. Add sauce to wok. Then add fried chicken and cook until sauce thickens (add cornstarch or water as needed until sauce is as thick as you like it).

 

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 843 | Total Fat: 40.6g | Cholesterol: 168mg

More Recipes at AllRecipes.com

What to Drink?
	Riesling
	Beer

 

 

 

Simple Landing page vs Full website landing page

The phasing out of FBML pages in favor of iFrame pages have opened the door to some questions of how complicated we should make the landing page of our Facebook pages.
 
I am sort of in favor of a fancy bells and whistles kind of iframe page, in ADDITION to a simple landing page. This is primarily due to wanting to display some of the company capabilities.

I am very surprised that I am hearing that most people prefer a simple Facebook Landing page as opposed to the bells a whistle page.

What are your thoughts? Have you switch from the FBML page to an iFrame page? If so are you going to keep it simple? Or go with bells and whistles?

 

As usual, I welcome comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. Feel free to comment here or directly on my Facebook Page.

Will technology make my kid stupid?

I've been reading a lot of opinions about technology and the effects on a child's brain.  Some seem to think that Technology will make kids stupid. Personally, I believe lack of parental guidance has a higher chance of effecting a child's intelligence than technology.

Technology and gadgets should be used with parental guidance, which means that as parents we are the boss and we act accordingly. That's old school parenting. :-) As such we determine the amount of technology our kids are exposed to and we take responsibility for the outcome. <sarcasm alert> A rare thing, people actually taking responsibility for their actions anymore. </sarcasm alert>

The goal is to create guidelines and time limits on most things,  technology included so that a kid has a variety of experiences. Some kids can handle more technology use and some can't, so as adults and parents it's our job to determine the right amount of usage for each child.  So I don't believe that technology will effect a child's intelligence as much as lack of parental guidance. Just sayin'

As usual, I welcome comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. Feel free to leave comments here or post directly on my Facebook Page.

To Blog or NOT to Blog

I've had people question the purpose of blogging? Why bother? Who are you talking to? LOL These are some of the questions that I asked myself before I really started blogging.

 

Blogging should be an essential part of a companies marketing strategy and brand exposure. With any organization, big or small if you ARE NOT blogging you are missing an opportunity to expose people to your message and showcase your company capabilities.

 

One of the reasons that blogs have become so very essential is that no one really visits websites as much as they use to. Websites are very static, the information is not refreshed as much as it needs to be in this fast paced information thirsty age of technology. People want the latest, hottest information and a website that is updated every six months (if that) will not provide that information. Blogs on the other hand will continue to provide new, fresh and updated information.

 

So do your company a favor start a blog. I hear that Wordpress is suppose to be THE platform to go with, however I am honestly not all whoo whooo over Wordpress. I have quite a few blogs and my format of choice does not involve farting around with the platform but putting my words down. So my format of choice is Posterous because it allows a very easy avenue of posting because you can post by email. (How cool is that? ) I also use Tumblr as well which is a very social oriented blog format, it allows your blogs to be liked and reblogged easily. Whichever format you chose, just get to crackin' ...start writing that blog.

 

My Posterous Blogs

Anise Smith

Anise Smith: QR Code Marketing

My Tumblr Blogs

Anise Smith

#QRAnise

 

As usual, if you have any comments I am always up for listening, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. So feel free to leave me a comment or post directly to my Facebook Wall.

 

Foodie Friday: Sesame Seared Tuna

Sesame Seared Tuna

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 4 (6 ounce) tuna steaks
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• wasabi paste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, mirin, honey and sesame oil. Divide into two equal parts. Stir the rice vinegar into one part and set aside as a dipping sauce.
2. Spread the sesame seeds out on a plate. Coat the tuna steaks with the remaining soy sauce mixture, then press into the sesame seeds to coat.
3. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Place steaks in the pan, and sear for about 30 seconds on each side. Serve with the dipping sauce and wasabi paste.

 

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 422 | Total Fat: 20.7g | Cholesterol: 77mg

What to Drink?
	Riesling
	Sao Paulo Lime and Vodka
	Beer
	Cherry Limeade I

 

More Recipes at AllRecipes.com

 

 

 

You're using Social Media...So you can stop spamming me now #SocialEmpire

I am very pro- social media and new media marketing strategies, therefore I believe in being very involved in every aspect of social media that interests me. I belong to a variety of Social Networking oriented online groups, some very traditional, some very informal and one is just everything you could imagine from a Networking Group, #SocialEmpire.

The group is Facebook Group based, new and originated from the game Empire Avenue. I am one of the Admins of the group,  I have found it to be one of the most engaged groups that I am involved with and I am Admin of upwards of 15 pretty active Facebook Groups.

So a quick bit about Empire Avenue , it's a game that allows you to put a number, figure and or analytic on your Social Media engagement and activity. Needless to say those that are involved in this are at the top of their social media games.

So, yesterday one of my fellow admins posted a question. It referenced old school marketing techniques and bad habits finding a way into new media marketing platforms. In a nutshell, the question was "Why would someone spam a social media channel?" This opened up an amazing thread of dialogue on new media vs traditional marketing methods. Are we really embracing it as we should? I've found that there are three different types of marketers:

• Old school, spam your message which is equivalent to listening to Charlie Brown's teacher. wwwhhaa..whahh..wha...
  

• New Media, engage your readers, open the door to dialogue and have a conversation with your followers.

• Old school #Fails at New Media, use social media to spam the company message. Can I say #Fail enough on this method.

Which type of marketer are you? Have you embraced New Media Marketing, by opening the door to social media? Are you still doing it old school, cold calls, direct mail? Or are you wallowing in the ultimate #Fail of dragging old school mentalities into New Media and jeopardizing your brands identity by spamming your message?

What are your thoughts? Well, as usual I welcome your opinion, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. Feel free to comment here or post directly on my Facebook Wall.

 

Social Media Content: Does yours suck? Do you hear crickets?

I started dabbling in Social Media a while ago and quite honestly wasn't very good at it. I believe it was primarily because I was blah..blah..blahing about what I wanted to talk about and guess what no one cared what the heck I was talking about. I would create a post and guess what the response was? Click the play button below. LOL

I wrote a post about Good Content that was very popular because I think people really understood what I was talking about and they actually cared about the content that was written. When aspiring to write good content you have to first care about what you are talking about, feel passionate about your message and find an audience that cares about your message. If people don’t care about what you are talking about ..you know what..go click the button above again. Right!

If you are selling shoe laces chances are there is nothing you can do to make that VIRAL. #JustSayin. With that said, there may be a chance that a person could find an audience that is passionate about shoe laces. Jessie Jackson said Keep Hope Alive..so good luck with the viral shoe laces stories. I digressed, but my point is there is an audience for all content, you just have to find yours. Also, while writing ask yourself if you would read your story and if you fall asleep in the middle of asking yourself that question, move on to a different story with more engaging content. SERIOUSLY

People that sell shoe laces please don't write me hate mail, I love you although I ragged on you a bit. I just needed to make a point.

As usual, I welcome comment, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. So feel free to leave a comment or post directly to my Facebook Wall.

Social Media as a means of customer service

 

Social Media is really pushed as a means to promote brand recognition, company awareness and potentially increase sales. It is in fact a great avenue for all of those things as well as others.

 

One of the things that we do not discuss as often is the ability of Social Media to address and increase customer service satisfaction. Think of this, when have we ever had an opportunity in traditional marketing efforts to reach out and have a conversation with our customers as we have with social media.

 

Social Media allows us to find people that are interested in our business, they allow us into their lives by way of following and they give us their valuable attention. That is HUGE!  As a business we have to see this as an opportunity to reach out to them, find out their likes & dislikes and ulitimatley develop a relationship with them.

 

So we should use our social media presence as an opportunity not only to market our company but also as an opportunity to engage customers and address any issues that they may be having with our products or services. I say again, that is HUGE!

 

I say, lets stop viewing social media as something that we must do but lets view it as an opportunity to engage our customers and open the door of communication. 

 

As usual, I welcome any comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. So feel free to leave me a comment here or right on my Facebook Wall

 

Social Media is NOT the Magic Bullet

Social Media is a wonderful thing! I write about it quite often, as I believe it is beneficial on so many levels. Used as an avenue to connect and reconnect with past and present friends, It is quite unparallelled.  As a business tool it stands above anything that I've ever seen because of its ability to reach people in a different way than previous old school methods. As a consumer myself, I LOVE that I can really reach the face behind the business and as a business owner I love offering my visitors, followers, clients and potential clients an avenue to reach me.

 

As wonderful as I believe Social Media to be, I am under no misconception that it is by any means a magic bullet for any business. It seems that companies view social media and other new media technologies, as a avenue to turn their business into a viral hit overnight. Ummm NO.  Social Media is NOT the magic bullet, it does however offer you a channel, if use properly to reach out and meet your clients, get to know them and most importantly have a conversation with them.

 

Social Media is NOT a channel in which to shout your old school sales pitch or shove your lame-o message down the throats of your listeners. #Fail Fast method!  In order to fully understand social media and how it's changed the world and in particular the business world we must first rid of ourselves of old school mentalities on marketing, reaching clients and selling our products. We have to now embrace a New way of marketing and sales by way of engagement. That starts with reaching out to our followers to provide relevant content on our channels, find out what moves them, what they like, what they dislike and most importantly, have that elusive conversation.

 

As usual, I welcome dialogue, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. So, feel free to leave a comment or post your comments on my Facebook Wall.

 

Foodie Friday: Teriyaki and Pineapple Chicken

Teriyaki and Pineapple Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1 1/4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, undrained
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Place the green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, red bell pepper, mushrooms, onion, teriyaki sauce, pineapple chunks with the juice, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper into the wok, and turn the heat to medium. Bring to a simmer, stir in the flour, and continue simmering 15 minutes until thickened.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 187 | Total Fat: 5.5g | Cholesterol: 35mg

What to Drink?
	Riesling

More Recipes at AllRecipes.com

 

Social Media being used to prescreen: Be aware of what you post

Social Media has had a huge impact on our every day lives, it seems as if it touches every aspect of our lives.  Most of these things have been extremely positive and as an advocate of social media I love that!

 

I wrote a post about using  social media in a job search and using social media to create a positive online presence. This is beyond essential in this very tough and competitive job market.

 

I have been reading more and more about the effects of social media on the hiring process. It seems that employers are very willing to use social media as a pre-screening of sorts before a person is even considered a candidate for a position. Under these circumstances there should always be a thought and second thought before posting stories, pictures and videos to any social media channels. The bad post you make today could haunt you tomorrow.

 

There are various ways to create a positive online impression of ones self but it really starts with being aware of your image which should be viewed as your own personal brand. I view my personal brand with the same importance as big corporations and you should as well.

 

As usual, I welcome any thoughts or comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. So feel free to leave a comment or post directly to my Facebook Wall.

 

 

 

 

 

Your Content, good bad or ugly: Can you measure it? #SocialEmpire

I just wrote a post on Social Media & Web Content in which the gist was,  no matter the forum that's selected to write in, you content must be good. The phrase Content is King still stands whether you are blogging, using Facebook or providing content for your website. The goal, after all is to allow an open door for conversation to happen. If conversation is NOT happening with your followers or about your content, Your Content IS NOT KING.  Providing good content can be addressed, but that is indeed another blog post that will happen at another time.

 

So, How do you know the effectiveness of your content? How do you gauge what is good and what is not so good?  How can you place a tangible number or analytic on the effectiveness of your content? It's not as if one of your readers will walk up to you and say " Hey Anise..guess what that last story you posted on The Semantic Web really sucked..what the heck were you really talking about...and guess what Anise..I really don't care about The Semantic Web.." Not to say that I would exactly like my content slammed like that, however that would give an indication that I was just a tad off my mark. Ya' Think?

 

Social Media, Blogging and providing content is an essential part of any business now, so we have to know if we are on target with our audience. Yes we have insights for Facebook, Post counts for blogs and analytics for websites but how about an indication of the effectiveness of your entire social media presence? Umm Yes, there's and App for that, better yet theirs a game for that.  Empire Avenue.

 

Empire Avenue is a game that allows you to purchase shares in your friends, competitor’s, frienemies and foes. Most importantly it gives you and ongoing indication of your effectiveness in your social media efforts. Empire Avenue allows you to sign up, and then attach all of your social media channels to the game and you are given an initial score or rating based on your connections. These scores and ratings fluctuate according to social media activity and that is reflected in your share price or the price that it would cost for someone to purchase a share in your or your company. Yes like stock.  The very HUGE tie in is YOUR CONTENT. If you are seriously on your social media game and YOUR CONTENT IS KING, your Dividends will be high, which means people will want to buy your shares because they will make Eaves or Virtual Money. This leads to more purchases of your shares, which continues to drive your share price up.

 

The big picture is that Empire Avenue allows you to gauge the effectiveness of your content by placing a dollar amount on your dividends.  If your content is effective yoru dividends go up, if you need to work a bit harder on your content, you dividends will go down. For example, if your dividends are $1.00 per share your Content is King; however, if your dividends are $0.12 you know that you need to continue to work toward improvement. 

 

 

The Takeaway:

• Provide good content
• Monitor your contents effectiveness
• Use Empire Avenue to gauge the effectiveness of your contend
• Play the game baby :-)

 

If you choose to play the game, let me know your ticker I will buy your shares. :-) Better yet, sign up using this link and you will get $$ to play with, I will too! Cha-ching baby!

 

With that said, I always welcome comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. So feel free to comment here or directly on my Facebook Wall.

 

 

Social Media, Blogs & Websites: Content is STILL KING

Many people ask, how do you get a post to go viral? A video to go viral? How do I get people to visit my Facebook page? GOOD CONTENT and an audience that is in tune to your message, not just followers. Social Media is after all a conversation and if you have interesting things to say and interested people listening, that is more than half the battle. However if you have dry conversation and followers that you purchased through one of those " I can get you 40 million followers in 40 hours" type of deals...umm yeah..Good Luck with that.

Part of social media is engaging but a huge part of it is providing content worthy of engagement and the right audience that has an interest in your message. For example if you sell pet items you must find an audience that will appreciate your love for pet items. Also most importantly although you may sell pet items you have to offer more than your sales pitch. Supply helpful tips about pets, funny stories, videos etc. The goal with any avenue of Social Media is that you provide content that keeps your followers engaged.

As usual, I welcome comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. So Feel free to comment or post directly to my Facebook Wall.

#QRCodes Vs #NFC (Near Field Communication)

I have been writing about and marketing with QR codes for a while now and people have really started to be very receptive to the idea of QR codes once they realized the value.

Now here comes NFC or Near Field Communication which is similar to QR codes because it allows a person or company to imbed information to be scanned by cell phone. From what I have gathered NFC may have more functionality than QR codes. Companies are exploring avenues of using NFC as a way to replace a debit cards allowing the ability to use an NFC enabled cell phone to be used as a virtual wallet of sorts.

But wait....lets not throw the QR code out with the baby and bath water. I never really understood that statement. Digression. A few points about NFC that may allow an avenue of utilizing both technologies as they can be used to perform different functions.

QR codes can be created easily and for FREE by anyone. NFC uses computer chips instead of a code to scan. Where do we get the chips? How much do they cost? Can we add our own information? I'm sure they are not FREE. These are a few questions that would need to be addressed before I considered elimination of the thoughts of marketing by way of QR codes. I truly believe that there is a marketing avenue for both depending on what kind of budget you have and what kind of campaign you are interested in marketing.

As always, I welcome opinions, comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. So fee free to comment here, on Twitter or directly on my Facebook Wall.

Foodie Friday: Mango Chicken Curry

Mango Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into thin strips
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup chopped peeled mango
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Hot cooked rice

Directions

1. In a large skillet, saute onion and red pepper in oil for 2-4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add the chicken, curry, ginger, garlic, salt and cayenne. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Stir in the mango, coconut milk and tomato paste; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with rice if desired.

What to Drink?
	Riesling
	Smirnoff Moscow Mule
	Beer
	Boston Iced Tea

Recipes at AllRecipes.com