Leaderboard

LOL... You guys are so right and on point. I typically always have something to add, but not this time. Troy knows how I feel about it all and I think Mel gets it. The only solution is to continue doing what we are doing. When I see Mel's work come across my Twitter feed (What's your Twitter handle?) I will retweet it and if we are linked on Facebook i will reshare it. As long as the content goes back to a place where you benefit I will retweet and reshare it. That's the best we can do. This is how we use social and not be used. For example, Troy posted a great video on Youtube yesterday. I liked it (which automatically tweeted it, which shared it to my Facebook) and then because it fit my online course I'm doing I created a post for it and then tweeted from my site. Now it may only get an additional 5 views from that, but it is now indexed by Google on YT and through my site and through social. That's how we build community.

Social media doesn't build brands and never has! An effective communication program builds a brand. A good communication plan includes using many channels to send a message not just one to achieve the goal. Further, social media websites are part of what communication practitioners, such as me, call New Media. New Media is one channel you use to communicate to and with your audience. There are as many websites in this media channel as there are people. Therefore, to use one website in the channel to reach your market gives you the same odds as playing and winning the powerball jackpot. Dude on the panel that shut you down @Troy was either on payroll or he's incompetent. Even if a billion people visit one website, such as Facebook; the first rule of Marketing 101 indicates everyone in that billion is NOT in your market. Save for impulse buying of teeshirts on facebook through page set up like storefronts (See: Threadless Tees) most people come to facebook to be seen. [Update: I just went to Threadless Tees facebook page and the store is gone!] McDonald serves a billion customers - and they use every channel available to reach them including premium promotional imprint channel. HEADS UP for our resident children book authors/illustrators Sellers are always looking for short cuts and there's always a shill willing to sell it to them. While It is true people buy from people they know; producers have to remember SOCIAL media is for developing and maintaining relationships. In fact, @CDBurns said as much in another thread. He offered access to him here on AALBC. Social = relationships! bots not included. As for marketing and sales, a competent marketing strategist knows it's better to first determine who is in the market for her product. She then determines how best to reach them (communication) and then she employs her media strategy (communication plan) to take her sales message to them. Note: While a producer may have a brand in mind for his/her product, it is the CONSUMERS , in the market, who define the brand for that product. For example, United executives want to brand themselves "flyer friendly" but until recently the market said the airline was anything but friendly. ~ Signed a longtime Marketing/Communication strategist who began her career marketing books for BIg 8 publishing houses (now Big 5)who was fortunate enough to work in Broadcast news both in front of the television camera and behind the mic in Radio.

“I'm motivated to make all these observations because of what is happening in the typical urban environment of Chicago where not a week goes by when a young black person isn't senselessly murdered by other young ………..among those constantly being exposed for using taxpayers money to feather their nests and finance their lavish lifestyles while doing little to serve their constituencies. And, of course, the tension between cops and Blacks is an ongoing situation, pitting irrational, unarmed perpetrators against panic-stricken, trigger-happy cops. “ I know this is a very late response because it's been ages since I have posted here. But regardless, I had to comment about your heart felt and uncompromisingly honest commentary Ms. Cynique. Everything you said was true. You told no lies nor was there any nefarious blather about the sad self destructive Negro culture in Chicago. Your comments about the hubris, greed, fraud, duplicity and outright inexcusable race baiting by so-called Negro leaders and activists -was on point. You know what happened during those years of LBJ’s "The Great Society's" pouring of millions of tax payers’ dollars into the bottomless black holes of urban ghettos. The intent was to uplift, train, educate and steer maligned and rudderless Negroes into a better life. The so-called Negro leaders raided the coffers and freely filled their pockets with that money and the results were nil. The same blight, dysfunction, crime and cultural pathology has remained unchanged (when it comes to violent crime -worse!). I've found it laughable that bogus fringe hucksters like the "Black Lives Matters" mob, have found a home in this chaos. The only time you hear anything from these misguided charlatans is when a black victim is murdered by a “non-black” perpetrator (preferably white and a cop). The seemingly countless body bags that fill the morgues yearly in Chicago (and every other major urban city) are the direct result of black on black fratricide -not the police or whites. But this conversation is kryptonite to Negroes who recoil with hysteria, name calling and histrionics if this stark reality is discussed. How ironic.... “Closer to home, I am totally dismayed by the things that my 23-year-old grandson who is my "street" contact, tells me about the kind of demeaning behavior young black inner city girls are engaging in, aided and abetted by FaceBook. They all seem to be desperate, loved-starved "thots". And too many……… gang warfare perpetuates itself and this complicates things. I hate all those conservative black Republicans saying what their white counterparts want to hear, but I just wish black youngsters wouldn't make it so hard for me to defend them.” Again, not much to say here. Your words are once again factual and irrefutable…unless you are a card carrying member of the “Negroes in Denial Fraternity”. Tragically, we now have a generation that has elevated coonery, buffoonery and self destructive behavior to a science. Their obnoxious and toxic antics documents itself every day. THE FACTS ARE VERIFIABLE AND DEPRESSINGLY OBVIOUS! And I have neither the time nor desire to list nor debate the everyday ongoing self destructive consequences of their deportment. Yeah, I know you cringe when you hear what black republicans publically say. I hate it also. But as painful and embarrassing as it may be –they have told no lies. Their transgression is not fabrications or hyperbole but discussing such racially sensitive matters in front of whites. Sadly, the world is watching as Negroes continue to arrogantly and gleefully actualize every negative belief and stereotype about black people. This I do not understand. If Negroes want to confront and demonize the core cause of their pathology –they should find the closest mirror in their homes! E’nuff said….

I appreciate that of course, but we are already connected through AALBC and anything you want to rap about, you can e-mail or inbox me here. I consider the people on this board extended family and family helps each other.

Followed you on both Twitter accounts and subscribed on YouTube. I'm getting better at Twitter, but I definitely need a tag or something to actually check it. I am doing the YouTube Bootcamp right now, but I will check out the videos as well. This is all really good networking.

Oh this isn't just a referral service - if I were to hire you; I pay Amazon for your service package. Amazon pays you. No haggling. No schedule conflicts.

Ok Alfred Edmonds, Jr is not incompetent but he was getting paid. and he has a website ...too! He ain't slick!

I'm right there with you. I believe Policing definitely has its role. Law Enforcement dances that fine line with criminals; it's the nature of the beast. But during the Dinkins/Giulani years there was no racial profiling. Police had their hands full with Jamaican/Colombian drug trafficking cartel. Law Enforcement targeted the correct individuals back then. We lost a lot of police officers during that time because they went up against armed individuals - my dad included (Koch years). Prior to 9-11, Law Enforcement was better in the neighborhoods because Department of Justice poured a lot of money into community policing... After 9/11- all the money allocated to community policing was moved to the Patriot Act activities and Department of Homeland Security. Shortly thereafter militarize policing began. #Blacklivesmatter is demanding Law Enforcement return to the pre-9/11 community policing protocol. Today, with local Law Enforcement having to "fund" itself. They just park in poor neighborhoods and harass poor black people. Here in Georgia we call it the Law Enforcement Tax - but in the inner cities, it is taxing, harassment and finally displacement in an effort to gentrify the neighborhood. Yes, some neighborhoods are high crime/gang/drug trafficking neighborhoods but when was the last time a police shot a known gang-banger? There's all type of organized crime in Chicago - but police don't even mess with Mexican cartels. It is well known and even the judge my daughter clerked for here told her about the gang drug activity in Illinois. There's Chinese drug cartel operating in San Fran/Oakland - but who do police target? I haven't heard of a chinese "Oscar Grant" and I probably won't. #BlackLivesMatter - may be a small voice but they have a lot of followers who amass in every city when called upon. See what they did at Christmas time in the major cities. I betcha the latest rogue police officer in Chicago was indicted. These young people are tap dancing on a lot of #Whiteestablishment nerves. I applaud them. Reminds me of us when marched on the Board of Education to "save of sports." Betcha we didn't get any sports budget cuts that year ! LOL! As for #Occupy - did you hear about the $15 minimum wage increase in Seattle? Do you know how it happened? An OccupyWallStreeter made it all the way to city council and fought for it.... Movements don't fade away, its members run for government offices and some even get elected. ;-)

Have you checked out Amazon Professional Services? Heh heh heh...;) Actually if you chose for your services to be available Amazon has a deal for you right here...

UiUC=University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign . We lived in Naperville while my daughter was in attendance. I'm all too familiar with that 3 -hour drive -(one way). Btw, I'm familiar with UIC too! My oldest daughter worked in the engineering school there while she was in undergrad. U of I degree is definitely a great value. My daughter was awarded her degree (psychology/statistics) and found enployment at the salary she wanted within 1-month of beginning her job search.

I agree 100 Percent, but I took a few days to set up my online store and then doubled that work by placing all inventory on Square and then pasting the html code into my site so people could buy from me. I put the same shoes on Amazon and the only sell I've gotten through my site was from someone on Facebook going straight to the site. I've had my own shoe line on my site always and without fail, people only try them because they are on Amazon. I'm telling you it's all about convenience and that one click without taking your wallet out.

I agree. I remember when I was a cigarette smoker, I thought, this is "suicide by cigarettes"... Then when I don't eat properly I think "suicide by sweets". Yet, slow-suicide isn't quantifiable. African-American Suicide by (fill in the blank) is prevalent in our community. If we add "suicide-by- (blank) atop the current suicide-rates for all groups ... white males still come out on top. I know it is a reach but I find Dr. Bynum's theory intriguing. Now I just have figure out how, what he calls, the "threatened "return of the repressed" affects African-Americans. Surely, we don't fear our own origin.

This line... it really tickled me! This is a great story - one that you'd see play out in an irreverent type tv comedy. Grace & Frankie (Netflix) comes to mind with Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin... Btw, My middle daughter graduated from UIUC in 2015 ... She says she loved every moment!

I actually wrote about the first store opening on my blog here: http://www.cbpublish.com/business-why-the-amazon-bookstore-helps-legitimize-their-imprints/ I guess I have a deeper perspective on all of the Amazon action because that is where I make my living. Did you also know that Amazon purchased planes and a fleet of trucks to develop their own shipping service ala Fed Ex? What's crazier is a couple of weeks ago Fed Ex's software guys began updating their software to interact with the Amazon Marketplace and Amazon literally removed them as an option for shipping on the marketplace for over a week. This meant that the marketplace stores could only choose UPS or USPS. I spoke to one of the software guys and he said they aren't worried about Amazon and this shipping thing... but why wouldn't they worry? Like I said in my post, it's very disturbing the control Amazon has on the buyer. I literally have shoes on my website at a cheaper price than I do on my Amazon store and people will buy from Amazon almost all of the time. It's all about convenience. I talked about it on this video:

I was a subscriber to BE. One of my virtual mentors, Paul C Brunson just earned the host spot on the Our World syndicated show for BE. With that said, I stopped subscribing to BE because the magazine didn't really speak to me. The various "stories" or examples used to discuss debt or entrepreneurship always seemed to feature people/couple who made six figures and were facing debt around 20-30K at the worst. I kept a lot of those magazines and I still look in there to make a point. There was hardly ever any information for first generation college grads who had done everything right, but through no fault of their own ended up in serious debt from college and from actually attempting to eke out a living. My wife and I eventually got fed up with the lack of advice for starting a business with nothing, which is what I eventually did with my sneaker company and online shop. It doesn't surprise me in the least that they are taking the corporate position. As far as I'm concerned that's what they've always done. They are just staying the course. It's unfortunate that you didn't have a voice, but that pretty much sums up why I no longer subscribe. How is that you end up at the conference and not on the panel? It always seems to me that the people who really need to be heard, aren't given the platform. They have to take the platform or build their own to reach the masses.