Why Are Some "Social" Sites so Hard to Use?

Why are some social sites so hard to use? Did these people not get the memo about user experience?

It is getting so annoying that I may have to snark about it on Marketing Snark. (I'm sure they live in fear. Not.)

But seriously, if it drives me crazy, and I build blogs all day, it must be driving away casual users in droves. Oh, well. Their problem, not mine.

Oh, wait! It becomes my problem when I have to use those social sites to promote my blogs.

And don't even get me started on the posting/authoring software at Examiner.com. Grrrrrr! (I told you not to.)

Everything Is Marketing

OK, so I'm starting yet another marketing business---and having to market the heck out of that. Does that seem fair?

The chicken-egg essential endlessness of marketing reminds me of a pair of quotes by the brilliant inventors of neurolinguistic programming, Bandler & Grinder. When asked by a student if neurolinguistic programming (NLP) was hypnosis, they responded simultaneously:

"Everything is hypnosis!"

"There's no such thing as hypnosis."

Same thing with politics. Everything is politics. It's everywhere---in clubs and in companies, in schools and churches, temples and mosques, neighborhoods associations and charities---everywhere.

Of course, it is not always called politics. Sometimes it is just called "getting along with people." But it's still politics.

Marketing is everywhere, too. And often it is not thought of as marketing. It's called "making a good impression."

Marketing? What marketing?

Marketing Schmarketing!

Every once in a while I get overcome with marketing weirdness and have to blog about it. I see people do such boneheaded and/or terminally annoying things sometimes.

If you want to read my occasional marketing snarks, you can find them at http://www.marketingsnark.com

To be notified when one appears, you can Follow me on Twitter: marketingsnark

http://www.twitter.com/marketingsnark

Small snarks go straight to Twitter, but then, those often are about Twitter.

So much to snark, so little time.

Feelings on the IM Remarkable Challenge

I was very excited about the IM Remarkable Challenge. I intended to participate fully.

But then I realized that I could not devote full time to it and keep my commitment to launch my new web site, Web Fresh Leads (for another of Howie's inspirations) during that same time period.

I did get that new site on line. I have more to add, and the complicated header-menu thing needs work, but at least Web Fresh Leads is on line for Google to find, and I have already started making links to it. Howie's training was definitely the inspiration for Web Fresh Leads.

Still, I thought I could devote some time to the Challenge, and I made a start with this blog and a new Twitter account, which required a new Gmail account.

The niche choices were tantalizing. I had domains, templates and PLR or readymade sites for several. Indecision strikes deep! Into your mind it will creep (Oops! Old song lyric. Never mind!)

Then a series of events too numerous and weird/boring/both slurped up the extra time. Techno-Hell, car trouble, friend's major problems requiring help, previous commitments, etc. And I had various tasks to complete for clients.

So as far as the Challenge is concerned, I did not accomplish a lot. I never even decided which niche to run with.

But you cannot be even peripherally involved in one of Howie's projects without (A) learning a lot and (B) having fun. And I certainly did.

Maybe not as much as if I could have completed a Challenge project of my own, but more than enough to be worthwhile. I am so hoping that Howie does this again when I can devote (nearly) full time to it.

SUMMARY

The IM Remarkable Challenge itself was fun and inspiring. I love the idea.

Making this blog was fun. I love building blogs, even one as vanilla as this one.

Making a new Twitter account is always fun. And I got started using hash tags, which I had never bothered with before but which will be useful.

I learned a lot from Howie's presentations and feel more confident about choosing niches now. Google and Howie keep making it easier and easier.

I also feel validated. I already had domains and content for several niches out of the 36!

I spent some time reviewing what I already have at hand and thinking about how I want to use what I have. That is a tiny bit of progress.

I still plan to develop those niche businesses and will do a better job with the additional ideas, tools and resources from the IM Remarkable Challenge.

Thanks, Howie. And thanks, everyone else who participated.

Let's do this again!

IM Challenge Wrap-Up

The IM Remarkable Challenge was fun! I wish I had not been so bogged down in fifty-eleven other things that just had to be done.

I'm still trying to get my web site up for local search marketing. And still trying to get my second reference account up to speed. (I think that one is going to be back-burnered.)

I was really torn this time. I did spend some time on it at first, but then I realized the web site had to be my first priority. I still felt that I learned a lot and I really look forward to next time.

I hope we do the IM Remarkable Challenge again sometime. There were several niches I really wanted to try and still will eventually. I already had domain names, ready made sites or templates and PLR articles for some of them.

I would do it again (full strength this time) just for fun.

Thanks, Howie!

Oh. My. Gosh! I'm in!

After only 3 hours of trying, I am finally able to log into this account. Clearly I need to start writing down everything I do.

Who knew I had four gmail accounts? And none was attached to this blog?

Oh, well. I'm here now.

Twitter ID Working. New Gmail Account

Oops! I have so many Twitter accounts that I had used up all my many email accounts.

I couldn't set up Twitter for this project till I created a new gmail account: marketingwhatmarketing.

So that's working, and I've put a background and photo on my new Twitter site (always my favorite part). That's temporary, though. I'll probably go back and do something better later. Or not. Priorities!

Speaking of which, back to work! Still need to select one or more niches. I like and have content for several.

Can't do them all well. Better to concentrate on one. But which one???

So little time, so many niches....

Make Google Love You! Use Ad Sense.

This is strictly nonscientific, but it appears to me that the fastest way to get your site listed is to put Google AdSense ads on it. Mine always seem to appear quickly.

Coincidence? What do you think?

One of my blogs, Art Fun Cheap (http://www.artfuncheap.com) reached a PageRank of 4 in just three weeks. Of course, it also got most of its traffic from Google searches.

Apparently a lot of people were searching for that kind of information. Unfortunately they were not buying affiliate products.

Please comment, especially if you have information and/or a relevant link to share.

Marketing Makes Money? What a Concept!

I'm not sure how many blogs I actually have. They multiply like coat hangers.

I have two other active Blogger blogs and 1.213 zillion self-hosted WordPress blogs. I'm so addicted that I even make blogs for friends.

I started making blogs for marketing, but more often than not they...um...don't really make much money. What money they do make comes from AdSense---except for just enough affiliate sales at the beginning on one of my early blogs, Blog Design Journal (http://www.blogdesignjournal.com), to get one payment from ClickBank.

So I joined a Howie Schwartz challenge, "Who Is the Most Exceptional Marketer?" and I'm going to try to focus on marketing instead of...well...design and fun content.

It's only a 10-day challenge. So neither you nor I have long to wait to find out how this ends on July 9/10.

Meanwhile, you might want to read my snarky remarks about marketing mistakes on one of my other blogs: http://www.marketingsnark.com

And you can follow this project on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/whatmarketing