Possibly the most important thing about Facebook and Twitter are the status updates. That is, posting content for others to read (and hopefully click, share and consume in some way.) THE most important part to that is having content that people actually want to click, share or consume. The jokes about people posting tweets like “There’s a fly in my room” or “I just made a ham sandwich” actually did (and DO) happen. Those kinds of updates are NOT going to help you get traffic to your page. So, a status update that includes a cool photo or an interesting article will be more interesting.

Other than writing good content (and good status updates), you need to post on a regular basis. That’s where PostCron comes in – it’s a Facebook and Twitter publishing scheduler. That means you can go on vacation, go to work, go to dinner, go to bed – and still be communicating with your subscribers. There are times that you’ll want to post in ‘real-time’, but usually it’s better to have some kind of schedule. PostCron has worked well for me, so I thought I’d share…

After you create some great content, you’ll want to plan out your updates. Sure, you can throw random information out there, but it’s usually more interesting if you post updates that are related to a specific time, date or event. Using Bodie State Historic Park is an easy example. Bodie is inaccessible (for the most part) in winter, since it is around 9,000 feet up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. People who have heard or read about Bodie tend to go during the summer, when the drive up highway 395 is beautiful and the mountains are fresh and clean. So posting more content before the summer months will likely get more traffic by those who are planning their summer road trips. So one post a day may be enough to drive traffic from Facebook and Twitter to Bodie.com.

Varying the times that you post may be important. We know people tend to spend too much time at work browsing the web, so posts in the morning may grab those people who are drinking their coffee and checking in on their favorite subjects. On the other hand, a lot of people slack off towards the end of the work day, so later in the day might be better. You also have to keep in mind the different time zone, depending on your subject. PostCron publishes based on your time zone, so keep that in mind. It’s also useful when trying to build support for an event. Once you create an event on Facebook, post reminders at regular intervals, increasing in frequency as the date comes closer.

Sharing a Status, Link, Photo or Tweet is done easily by selecting what type you want to post. I’ll often post a photo in conjunction with a link and text that goes along with the photo. That means choosing “Photo”, clicking the ‘browse’ button and choosing a photo, then adding text and possibly a shortened link for the content. Then, choose the Facebook page you want to post on and finally, the magic, click the “Schedule” button.

People love their smartphones these days… and with good reason. They can be amazing tools for business and fun distractions from the mundane parts of life – like standing in line at the post office or waiting to be picked up from the airport. There’s a problem though. Those fun and handy apps can be setting you up for embarrassment, failure or good ol’ fashioned identity theft.

If you saw the movie “Live Free or Die Hard”, you’ll recall the premise that one bad guy who sold software to large companies and government agencies had a back door entrance into those same secure systems – allowing him to take control of everything from street lights to phone systems to fire alarms. Yes, that idea is somewhat far-fetched, but that’s because [most] large corporations and government offices pour over software to insure that it’s safe to run in their systems AND that it doesn’t allow for hackers to get in and access private data. But… what if they did that on a smaller, but huge scale? Like… mobile phone users?

Millions of people install and play Angry Birds, but it would be a good guess that 99% of those people did NOT look at the security and permissions needed to enjoy that game. Angry Birds is not one to worry about, but there are PLENTY of others you SHOULD worry about! Today, everyone and their dog now publishes mobile applications. Some let you fake-burn ants with a digital magnifying glass, others record your voice and change it to sound like a chipmunk and some let you track your weight loss or scan barcodes to lookup prices. Simple, fun or useful tools – at least, we hope so. Some apps that are probably installed on your phone right now have access to your address book, emails, photos and text messages – and can very easily download that data to a server in any country in the world. Hopefully they aren’t using it to send spam, or worse… (Remember when Paris Hilton’s phone got hacked? That was just the beginning.)

I recently got a new phone that was better than my ancient one, and I happily started installing apps that I couldn’t run before. This new phone included a flash for the main camera which, as many people are aware, makes a great flashlight when you’re fumbling to get your key in the doorknob or looking for that piece that fell under the couch. The problem is this – WHY does an app that just needs to turn on the light, need access to your precise GPS location? WHY would it need full internet access? WHY would it need the ability to read and write to your memory card or see the phone numbers of incoming/outgoing phone calls?! I am NOT exaggerating! I refused to install at least 8 different flashlight apps because they wanted access to do waaay more with my phone than just turning on the light!

There are NUMEROUS apps out there that ask for these permissions and more, that people just don’t pay attention to when installing that ‘fun game that everyone loves.’ Don’t be fooled – just because it’s available on the the iTunes App Store or Android Marketplace does NOT mean it’s trustworthy! And NO, just because an application has over 2 MILLION downloads also does not mean it’s safe! However, there are plenty of apps that ask for lots of permissions – but they offer more than just a silly game – they’re useful, they can be a great resource and some even come from reputable companies.

The take-away from this is – beware. You wouldn’t hand your phone (or phonebook) to a stranger at Disneyland while you went on a wet ride – so why are you doing it when you install applications without learning more about them (or the company/person who wrote them)?

It’s been a good five years since “social marketing” really took off in a big way. Big, no HUGE corporations use it in one way or another. It likely doesn’t help their bottom line, but Coca-Cola, Microsoft, NASA, General Electric and even Yahoo and Google use Facebook. So WHY don’t small businesses who actually NEED the help? The simple answer is: knowledge.

Most (not all) small business owners are intelligent go-getters who want to succeed in their chosen area of commerce. Those in the retail sector should be the first ones with a Facebook and Twitter accounts, but so many just don’t bother… or, they have the accounts and just don’t use them. As a geek, it’s frustrating to see those entrepreneurs leaving money on the table. If it’s good enough for GE and Coke, why not the local tire shop or tea room? Or for that matter, why not the local artist who sells prints at the weekend sidewalk markets?

Again, “knowledge” is the short answer. Most of these businesses either think it’s a fad or that it wouldn’t bring them much business. Twitter claims more than 50 million daily users and Facebook has over 460 million daily users. That’s Million. Each DAY. If it’s a fad, I think it’s doing better than the pet rock. Businesses who aren’t active with their social media are telling customers (and potential customers) that they do business the old way – so don’t expect online coupons or special discount codes via txt message – just go buy from them because they’re there. The money they’re leaving on the table are the potential sales that are being gently reminded that their business is open and wants to serve their customers.

Savvy small business take advantage of discounts, services and offers that save them money. A six-month discount on phone service could save them a few hundred dollars. $25 off coupons at Office Max adds up. So something that is close to free – such as social marketing – should be a no-brainer. These days, just about every business knows that they have to have even a basic website. Yet sooo many small businesses just don’t want to take the time to understand the basics of Facebook. Sure, getting it setup PROPERLY may cost them a few hundred dollars to up front, but maintaining it themselves costs – $0 – the only real cost is a tiny bit of time each week – as little as two minutes. Yes, 2 minutes.

Two minutes by a business owner once a week means logging onto their Facebook page, clicking in the “What’s on your mind” text box and writing just one sentence that is relevant to the product or service they offer. If you’re a tea room you might write “Got in a fresh order of Caramel Rooibos tea today – stop by and have a cup.” If you’re an artist maybe a link to one of your pictures and a note like “I first had the idea for this image in 1991, but didn’t paint it until last year.” What’s the point of this? It’s engaging. It reminds people that you’re there. It’s short and easy to ‘consume’. Potential customers don’t get slaughtered with a 30 second ad, they don’t have to invest more than a few seconds to read it, and sometimes, people actually pay attention! (Then maybe pay for your product.) If they don’t buy this time, maybe next time – or maybe when a friend says “I’m in a mood for mexican food” and the potential customer says “Hey, I just saw the special today at La Sirena Grill is a Blackened Salmon Burrito… mmmm”. They just might stop in… But if that friendly ‘reminder’ isn’t there, what are they chances they end up at your place?

I’ve been in the software industry and building websites, setting up Facebook, Twitter and many other social media sites for businesses for years. The ones that embrace it and USE it, sometimes enjoy it and always benefit from it.

If you’re a small business or know a small business owner, contact me and let’s get you started. A few hundred dollars and two minutes a week can make a difference.

Everything now has a password. I may have started when the first answering machines came out that let you call home and get your messages remotely. You would call your number and when the message came on you could hit a key which would prompt you for your passcode then listen to the messages people left for you.

Since then passwords have gone crazy. Every website needs not just a password, but also a username. Some people have tricks to remember what their login info is, but most don’t. Instead, they just use the same combination on EVERY website! That’s not really a problem unless someone (a friend or a hacker) figures out your info. Of course lots of people think they’re smart by creating a Word or Excel document that has all of their information – this is even worse than using the same password for everything. If the file get corrupt or stolen or accidentally deleted, you’re screwed.

I happen to use many various and random passwords. For many websites I can remember the user/pass combination, but I deal with many more websites than most people and because of all of the clients I work with I have their usernames, passwords, emails and other information. There is NO WAY I could keep track of all of that information without some form of master list. THEN the problem is trying to keep it secure.

The answer is simple: KeePass. I’ve been using KeePass since about 2005 after someone suggested it to me. There’s even a version for your Android phone so you can always have your passwords with you. One password to get in, then you have access to all of your other information. I even keep all of the information from my wallet in it so that I don’t have to grab my wallet when buying online. I have a record in the KeePass database for each one of my credit/debit card, including the number, expiration date, security code and even the phone number on the card incase I lose my wallet.

Best of all, the .kdb file gets backed up by your Carbonite subscription (yeah, if you don’t know what that is, click the link and email me).

If you’ve gotten this far, DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL KEEPASS!

• Windows: KeePass Classic Edition
• Mac: KeePassX

GPS devices are more popular than ever – whether it’s the GPS driven map in your mobile phone or the one built in to your dashboard or the one suction-cupped to your windshield. The good thing about GPS units is that it makes it quick and easy to get just about anywhere. The bad thing is we’re becoming more and more dependent on them and in a short time, most people won’t know how to read a map or give good directions.

In any case, GPS units are here to stay – and they are rather terrific devices! However, most people still don’t know how to use them. So, here are some tips for those who have them, but don’t use them because they are intimidated.

1. Plug it in and turn it on. I know so many people who get them for Christmas and birthdays, but they never even plug them in when taking a trip. At the very least curl up by a nice fire with a cup of hot chocolate and your GPS device and hit all the buttons, look at all the screens and become familiar with how it works.
2. USE the GPS when you drive somewhere that you already know how to get to. Even if it’s just on your drive to work or to go shopping – search for the address or name of the store and follow the directions. This is a VERY important step. YOU already know where the turns are and what the streets look like – so when the GPS tells you to turn left in 400ft you’ll better understand how it works.
3. Follow the instructions – even if you think they are wrong. Often, the maps will take you the fastest way, based on speed limits, right turns and other data. Right turns are often faster than left turns, because you can turn right on a red light but are forced to wait for left turns. The computer IS smarter than you (usually), so give it a try and do what it tells you.

I’ve had four different GPS units and loved everyone for different reasons. Although, my favorite was my first, when my mobile phone had a built-in infrared (IR) emitter, and the GPS had an IR receiver, so I could pull up an address on my phone and point it at the GPS which would find the address and plan the route.