Want to be Liked? Be engaging!

Everybody wants to be liked – especially in today’s Facebook world, where the thumbs-up “Like” button represents the ultimate stamp of approval from consumers to their networks. But how do you get the “Like” love on Facebook (and other crowd-sourced social media channels)? The key is to engage those within the network, giving them a real reason to opt into your Page. 

Facebook Pages are growing in popularity and importance each day, often serving as a second home page for your business on the Web. Chances are that your customers already have Facebook accounts and spend an average of 25-30 minutes on the social networking site each day. The News Feed they view intersperses updates from the Pages they “Like” among the pictures and status updates from their friends and family, essentially giving you a self-selected audience wanting to hear your advertising for free. It’s a no-brainer to make your business front of mind – but the trick is to do so in a way that adds value for THEM (not just for you).  

So how do you create ways to get them involved with your Page? 

Here are some ideas:

• Create a contest that requires them to “Like” your page. Vivint does this wonderfully each year with their “Vivint Gives Back” contest. They give away $1.5 million dollars to the top-voted charity overall as well as $250,000 to the winners in each of five regions. 
• Most people are willing to click “Like” to support a cause close to their hearts, and it’s a great way for Vivint to get name recognition as people post about the contest on their own Page in order to drum up votes offer coupons and deals for people who Like your page. 
• It’s as simple as posting to your Facebook that anyone who mentions a certain code on a particular day will get a discount. This is a great way to give back to your top fans – after all, if they’ve taken the initiative to opt into your network, they likely merit the recognition.
• Reciprocate the love by interacting with those who write on your wall. It builds the sense of a one-on-one relationship between the consumer and brand, and those are the kind of relationships that foster customer loyalty. 
• When you consider how expensive the conversion process is, taking that next step to make your individual brand evangelists feel like their loyalty is recognized and appreciated is worth every cent spent in time and effort.

Who Are the "Keepers" in Your Life??

One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore". No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute." Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye or say "I love you." 

So while we have our relationships and life, it's best we love, care, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick.. This is true for marriage.....old cars...children with bad report cards, dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Life and death is important...the rest is just details.

Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or nieces and nephews after divorce. There may be relatives not at the top of your list, but love them also and if not love, than at least like them for who they are.  They may be having problems or low self esteem so cut them some slack!  

There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what and no matter when.  Teaching a child something new, helping people especially the elderly, volunteering some time and not just at the holiday times.   Practice random acts of kindness.   Both you and the persons you help will feel amazing. Have you considered that just maybe they have no one left in their life right now?  Be a good human! 

There really is just one race....the human race!  Society needs to get back to the Golden Rule we used to teach our children....Do Unto Others as We Would Have them Do Unto Us.  Can you imagine how just that one rule in your life could change this world for the better??

Smile....just because you can!   I have learned that giving smiles away, (they are free and  in unlimited supply) may just may make someone's day who is having problems.  Positive attitude matters in life.   If you don't believe that, just try it for a month, or even a few weeks and see if your life doesn't change change for the better.  If you want more people in your life, be pleasant!  No one really wants to hang around with a person always saying "woe is me"!  Snap out of it!  Here is just one more good reason to smile...have you ever noticed how as people age if they are always unhappy that frown becomes their wrinkly frown face?  To age gracefully remember to smile.

Life is important.  Work on your connections with the people in your life.  In our crazy too fast paced world we need to remember the most important thing you can spend on someone is your time. That time spent is especially important with children.   In a blink of an eye they are grown and on their own.   There are no do overs in life!  Jackie Kennedy had the correct perspective on this matter, "If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much."  

Sometimes you think you have a "keeper" and you find out you don't.  Now it's your turn to share this with all those people who are "keepers" in your life if you feel that way. Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them?  What will be their last memory of you? Today is the perfect time to let them know.  Tomorrow may be too late.

I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said. Don't be afraid to let people know how you really feel about them.  

Let every one of your friends know you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back, you will be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do. Make peace with your enemies......and just in case I'm gone tomorrow share this.  We need to make this world a better place and as Michael Jackson sang make the change first with the man in the mirror....yourself.

Remember always that tomorrow is Promised to no one.   Appreciate your life and everyone in it because it could be a lot worse.   Be grateful and appreciate not the trinkets and gadgets in your life but the people in your and today is the perfect day to do just that and change your life and this world for the better.

Peace, love, prosperity and gratitude!!

Ciao for now!!

JPKC

Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror

Elegant, Historic Budapest

I was fortunate to come across this stunningly beautiful time lapse of one of my favorite cities.  Since my family hails from Hungary I may be a little prejudiced on that.  I know I will return for the food, the fun, the beauty soon.  The gypsy bands will often serenade you while dining and those gypsy violins and cymbalums will speak to your soul.  It's a land of great history, colorful and most of all it is interesting.  It's been called one of the most livable cities in not only the EU but the world.

Hungary has great style!

Ciao for now!!

JPKC

The Famous Széchenyi Chain Bridge Built 1839 - 1849