Happy Holidays Everyone some Holiday goodies on the blog today for You

Greetings Dear Readers

Wish you all Happy Holidays at this time of the year and wish you a successful 2013.

Here are some gifts and links to sites and videos guaranteed to put a smile on your dial.

1.  A Free Bloggers Editorial Calendar Courtesy of Hubspot

If you are a blogger you will love this free editorial calendar for all your blogs.
Follow the link, fill in your details and download your calendar.

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33911/The-Business-Blog-Editorial-Calendar-Every-Marketer-Needs-Free-Template.aspx

2.  A Great Comedy Video

Watch this hysterical video with comedian Anne Hirsch and Locnville

3.  Leaked texts from Santa's Cellphone


Some funny texts that were leaked from Santa's cellphone.   Enjoy.

http://mashable.com/2012/12/23/texts-to-santa/


4.  A Youtube highlight reel of all the great music videos of 2012

See if you can spot all the stars

5.  A Great Music Video by Lonehill Estate 

Happy Holidays Everyone



Fred Felton
Digital & Social Strategist & Trainer
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
email falconscove@gmail.com

email to book Fred for a talk, workshop or strategy session.

5 Ways To Build Your Speaking Business Using Social Media

Greetings Dear Readers

A couple of weeks back I received an email from someone asking about the speaking business
and asking for some advice on how to start and how to use social media for it.

The advice I sent him has led to this blog post.  I thought I would share these tips with you.
So if you are thinking of becoming a public speaker, here are 5 ways you can use social media
to build your speaking business:

1.  Join a speaking organisation like PSASA in South Africa. 

Not only will this help you learn all about speaking but you will learn from some master speakers
and you can also then tweet them and the other speakers and work as a team to build your speaking businesses.

2.  Make sure you have setup profiles on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and Google Plus.

Post updates on them about where next you are speaking with the hashtag #speaker.  You never know who might be listening.  You might just get your next gig via Social Media.

3.  Make sure your social media profiles are on your business card.

Check when you do the design of your business card that you have all your social media profiles on there as well or if you don't have much space just choose your most popular profile.

4.  Setup events for your next talk and invite people to it.

Setup a event for each of your speaking events and invite a select few people to come.  You never know they might just like what they hear and book you for their next company meeting.

5.  Use Twitter to find speaking gigs. 

Use the power of Twitter to search #speaking or #speakers to see what is on offer in your area or in your country.  You never know you might just find someone who is looking for a speaker for their next big conference.  Don't be shy either.  Tweet some people and start looking for business.  No harm in asking.


Have a wonderful week ahead.


Yours in Social

Fred Felton
Digital & Social Media Strategist & Trainer
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency

Book Fred for a talk, conference or social media strategy & training email him falconscove@gmail.com

5 Tips To Get You Started In Social Media

Greetings Dear Readers

So you have heard about Social Media and want to get on the Bus.   It's a bit late
but I'm sure there is a spot for you.

Here are 5 simple tips to get you started on the Social Media Highway:

1.  Open a Twitter Account

Pop on over to www.twitter.com and open a account for yourself.
It's a very easy to use site where you have 140 characters to express yourself.
Settle in and scope out the environment.  It's full of wonderful people and a great place
to network, find idea's and meet new people.

2.  Open a Facebook Account

Yes you have heard of it and it works, really it does.  Pop by www.facebook.com
and open an account for yourself.  Examine the network and add new friends, old friends
and even school buddies and work mates.  If you have a business this is the perfect spot
to open a Facebook Page for your business and network to get more work.  

3.  Open a Linkedin Account

Pop by www.linkedin.com and open an account for yourself.  This is the place for business
people.  Perfect for entrepreneurs, people looking for jobs, business people looking for
connections.  If you are into networking this is the place for you.  You can also set up
a page for your company here as well.

4.  Open a Youtube account

Hey if it works for Psy, it will work for you.  If you can make fun, viral video's this place is
for you. Set up a simple page on www.youtube.com  add to your profile and start
publishing a video or two.  Who knows you might end up on MTV.

5.  Start a blog 

If you like writing, set up a blog for yourself.  Now this is a powerful vehicle for you
or your business and you can do so much with a blog.  Tell people about what you do,
vent, inspire people, you decide, it's a great way to get your name out there.
Pop by www.blogger.com to set one up.


Well there are 5 simple steps to get you on the Social Media Highway.  Hope to see
you passing by.


Yours in social

Fred Felton
Digital & Social Media Strategist & Trainer
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
email - falconscove@gmail.com

email to book Fred for a talk or strategy session.

Related articles

• 10 Easy-To-Digest Small Business Social Media Tips

That Moment!

Greetings Dear Readers.

Today I thought I would share with you that moment.  What moment am I talking about?
Well we have all done it and every time it happens we normally run for the nearest exit.
In the past at networking meetings or at a conference I used to notice someone of influence,
someone who could help my business big time.  What did I do?  Well normally I ran
for the nearest door, running and screaming to scared to approach them.

That was the old me.  The new me looks for the opportunity constantly.  If I happen
to bump into someone influential or a big businessperson I will introduce myself
and make sure we exchange business cards and follow up.  It has led to many good deals.

It's amazing what goes through your mind.  If you see someone who can help you, your
thoughts start going to the fact that this person could possibly help you out.
So the next time you are in a elevator and Richard Branson walks in, you will know what to do.

Let me tell you, it is indeed worth it and remember it is a two-way street and when you are
big and successful do not forget to help that person out who comes up to you and asks
for help or advice.

Have a great week ahead.

Yours in social

Fred Felton
Digital & Social Media Strategist & Trainer
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
email: falconscove@gmail.com
twitter: @fredfelton

Related articles

• Sir Richard Branson Shares Entrepreneurial Lessons

How to upload a photo for the all-new header photo design in Twitter

Greetings Dear Readers

Here are some tips to get you started with a new header photo for your new Twitter Profile page.
Twitter has just announced the new changes.

This will change what your Twitter Profile page looks like.
You can see a example of this on my page
www.twitter.com/fredfelton

Notice anything different?

So how do you change it for your Profile?

Here are some easy steps for you:

1. Go to your profile page - you can also get there by clicking on the new Me icon at the top of your Twitter page.
2. Click on Edit your Profile - you can find the link by the cogwheel icon
3. Click on the Design option
4. Go down to where it says Customize your own
5. Look for the new Header section and click on Change Header
6. Bear in mind the limits - the picture has to be minimum dimensions of 1252 x 626
7. The maximum file size can be 5MB
8. Select a image from your pc or mobile or iPad
9. Add it
10. First check if you like the new design before you use it
11. Here is a inside trick as well, if you look carefully when you load the pic Twitter gives you the option of allowing you to zoom in or out of the picture which gives you different looks you can play around with.
12. When you are happy with the picture save it and show it off to all your friends.  Direct them to your profile page and sit back and smile.  

There you go Dear Readers those are some interesting new developments.

Now just imagine how you can use that for your Brand, Company or Personal Brand.

The options are limitless.

Here are some more articles about the new changes:

http://blog.twitter.com/2012/09/because-you-have-more-to-show.html

http://mashable.com/2012/09/18/how-to-change-twitter-header-image/#89119Select-an-Image-from-Your-Computer

Off to Jozi later this week to give a keynote at a conference.  They have asked me to give a keynote on 

Marketing, Branding and Social Media.  

You can follow my travels using the hashtag #FredDoesJozi 

Have a wonderful week ahead.

Yours in Social

Fred Felton

Digital & Social Media Strategist & Speaker & Trainer

Falconscove

A Digital Media Agency

Social Media Is Our Biz

email:  falconscove@gmail.com

Related articles

• HOW TO: Update your new Twitter header image
• How to Change Your Twitter Header Image

5 Tips On How To Save Space On Your @Blackberry

Greetings Dear Readers

Last week I noticed that my Blackberry was running out of space.  So I had to take
some files, apps etc off to save space.   Amazing what you pick up as you go along
in this world of tech.

Here are 5 Tips to save you some space on your Blackberry:

1.  Take a look at those Apps.

Yes we all love them don't we.  We get all those articles and our friends corner
us and say we just have to download the latest app.  So we download it
not realizing how much space it takes up.  The rule is if you don't use it
dump it.  So get rid of those Apps you don't use.

2.  Get rid of those pictures.

It's wonderful having a camera on your phone isn't it?  I mean snap, snap, snap
and before you know it you have a complete photo collection that will rival
some Universities.  So if you take photo's transfer them to your computer
and then delete them.  No need to keep them.

3.  Get rid of those calendar entries.

Delete all of those calendar entries you have beyond a month.  If you want to you can
even delete them as the event occurs.  No need to keep them.

4.  Delete those emails.

Take a look at those emails, especially the one's with attachments.  No need to store them
beyond 30 days.  They take up space and can clog your much needed memory.

5.  Taking out the battery always works.

You will be amazed how much space you clear if you take your battery out and put it in again.
This is known as a hard reset and works wonders.

So there you go, 5 tips to help you save space on your Blackberry.

Do you have any other space saving tips for your Blackberry?


Yours in social

Fred Felton
Social Media Strategist & Trainer
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
email: falconscove@gmail.com
twitter - @fredfelton

Social Media Goes To The Movies at @DIFFest

Having just finished,  the Durban International Film Festival (2012) was quite
a wonderful experience.

It was also wonderful to watch how Social Media came alive on Twitter
and Facebook and various Blogs.

Here are some of the interesting Tweets from @DIFFest

               @031cinephile - wrote some wonderful reviews

      @DIFFest - the home of the Festival some wonderful info here

            @Marelie - always an interesting Tweet from this one

       @Moni_R - one of the people behind the scenes at the Festival

           @sharlvers - The Festival Publicist gave us lots of info

                                     
@TriggerfishZA - The Animation Studio that won Best SA Feature Film


For even more info you can check out the Festival on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/DurbanInternationalFilmFestival


Which Tweets Did You Like The Best at @DIFFest  ?


Yours in Social

Fred Felton
Social Media Strategist & Trainer
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
Twitter - @fredfelton
email: falconscove@gmail.com

Tweet or Email to book Fred Felton for your next workshop, talk or conference.

Here is a bonus story on how the 3D Movie Zambezia was featured in CNN


Related articles

• 3D animation puts South Africa film in the picture

5 Blogging Tips

This is icon for social networking website. This is part of Open Icon Library's webpage icon package. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Greetings Dear Readers

Okay I better keep it on the down and low but I'm blogging.  I know shock
horror.  If you want to read about the interesting debate going on
check out Twitter and the hashtag #DMMADebate
The Digital Media and Marketing Association of SA @dmma_sa had a debate
on whether Bloggers should be paid for the content they produce or
should they even have adverts on their blog.

You want my 10 cents well if you are a Blogger and you have a Blog.
It's your Blog you can do with it what you want.  You can use
it to market your business or you can use it to share your idea's
or you can build a Brand and charge people
if they want to be on it or if they want to advertise on it.  Simple.

Anyway if you are even thinking of starting a blog after all of that.

Here are 5 tips to get you started:

1.  Have a catchy title


It all starts with the title of your Blog and your Blog post.  So think it through.  It must be catchy.
A good technique is to use a list title so for example 5 Blogging Tips.  That grabs the attention of the
reader.  So think about catchy titles you can come up with.

2.  Not long now


Try and keep your post short.  You are not writing a novel here.  Just something of interest
that is going to grab the attention of the reader and hopefully they will remember it and
pass it on to their friends.

3.  Have pictures in it


From time to time it also helps if you add images.  No one likes just reading something.
If there are interesting pictures it helps a great deal.

4.  Does your blog have social sharing buttons?


Another good tip is to have social sharing buttons for Twitter, Facebook, Google +
Linkedin and Pinterest.  Make sure they are in different sections of your blog so
if people miss them they will see them later.

5.  Remember your contact details


At the end of your blog do not forget to put your contact details and how people
can contact you.  Do you have a website or online shop, well that is the perfect
spot to drop it in.  People are curious so tell people what you do.

Here is a list of interesting Bloggers from Durban, South Africa on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/#!/fredfelton/durban-bloggers


Yours in Social

Fred Felton
Social Media Strategist & Trainer & Speaker
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
email: falconscove@gmail.com
cell: 076-977-5788
twitter - @fredfelton

Call, Email or Tweet to book Fred for Social Media Workshop or Talk


Below find a interesting article on Blog Conferences enjoy :)

Related articles

• Blog Conference Survival Tips

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5 Tips On How To Use Labels In Your Blog

No Labels (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Greetings Dear Readers.

Do you Blog?  Well if you do here are 5 tips to help you with Labels or Tags.
A Label or Tag helps identify your blog entry so if someone is looking for a topic
like that your blog will pop up.

Here are some tips to get you started with Labels.

1.  A label is better than no label


It is far better to put a label on your blog than to have no label.  I mean how do you expect people
to find you.  A label helps people find you.

2.  Decide on your labels


Before you write your post decide what labels you want to use.  Are you an Actor or Writer
or Musician?   Perhaps use one of those so people remember that you are that Actor or Writer.

3.  Avoid too many labels


As you go you will find yourself experimenting and adding 2,3,4,5 and even more labels to
your posts.  Be careful with this as eventually people will not be able to identify just
exactly what it is you do.

4.  Add in your Geography


People are curious and always want to know about the people they meet and the bloggers
they read.  So it always helps to put the city and country where you are from.
Then people can identify you and who knows someone in that area might spot you
and need your services.

5.  Check your Article for Labels


Sometimes you will find the labels in your article.  So if you are writing about some topic
or about someone or want someone to see it a good way is to add that topic
or that person's name as a label in your blog.

Have fun with those Labels.

Yours in Social

Fred Felton
Social Media Strategist & Speaker & Trainer & Author
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
Social Media Is Our Biz
email falconscove@gmail.com

email to book Fred Felton for a talk or workshop on Social Media or Digital Media countrywide.



Below is a useful article on labels as well.  Enjoy.  

• How To Use Labels & Menus?

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How Crowdsourcing Works

Greetings Dear Readers

Awhile back I sent out a Tweet asking Tweeps to send me Tweets and I compiled them into
a story.  I even got some lines from Facebook Fans.  Each line of the story is from somebody else.

What I did then was edit them into a story and from that The Twitter Story was born.
This is the basis of Crowdsourcing.

Find some people with common interests.  In this case writing.  Get them together.
Brainstorm and come up with idea's and structure them in a way that appeals
to people.

This is what Crowdsourcing is all about.  You will find it in the design of clothing,
in the making of music videos and in many more applications.

So if you have a idea for something why not Crowdsource it.
You will be amazed with the outcome.

Without further ado we present

The Twitter Story by The Tweeps (Edited by @fredfelton)

How does it work?
Any particular topic?
What about?
When do you need it by?
Okay willl see if anything interesting comes to mind.
Here's my tweet :)
Hayden family have a sheep.  One day sheep is stolen by Prince Alex.
Creativity in the toilet at the moment.
Sometimes I really want to use that axe.
Oh dear which one? Should probably learn to tweet less rubbish.
Let's try this again shall we.
Hope I can come up with something better.
I remembered cold, dark mornings on earth but they were nothing like the bitter chill of space ...
Like it




Love to hear what you think of The Twitter Story send me your comments.

What would you use Crowdsourcing for?


Yours in Social

Fred Felton
Social Media Strategist & Speaker & Author
Falconscove
Social Media Is Our Biz
email: falconscove@gmail.com
cell: 076-977-5788

call or email to book Fred Felton for a social media talk or training countrywide.

5 Photo Apps For Photographers For The iPad

Greetings Dear Readers

This week I am looking at 5 Photo Apps worth having on your iPad if you are a Photographer.

1.  Pixlr-o-matic


http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pixlr-o-matic/id450263811?mt=8

My favorite at the moment.  Beautifully designed and when you load it it shows you the latest photo
you were working on.

25 Filters you can run the picture through
30 Effects you can play around with
30 Frames to add to the picture

What that basically means is you can mix the Filters, Effects and Frames in various
combinations and come up with some wonderful combinations.

This is one picture I worked on and ran it through Pixlr-o-matic

               Umhlanga Pier Like You Have Never Seen It Before by @fredfelton

This truly is one of the most amazing pieces of software I have seen out there.
Of course once you have finished you can send it out to all the social media networks
and even email it to friends or save it.

2.  Instagram


http://instagr.am/

Recently bought by Facebook for $1 Billion Dollars and you can see why.
Simple to use but packed full of features, some wonderful filters and added enhancements
such as brightness.  You can even drop the colour if you choose.
Social Sharing is first rate.  Brilliant app.

3. MagicHour


http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/magic-hour-camera-unlimited/id434159268?mt=8

Keep an eye on this one, sometimes it is Free on the App Store

A wonderful photo app,
Simple to use and full of filters.
Here is the difference with this one.
This App gives you the option of making your own filters.
Now that is really interesting.  The idea's are as big as your imagination so go wild with it.

4.  PicShop Lite


http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/picshop-lite-photo-editor/id505766376?mt=8

Another interesting App to look at.  Also gives you the ability to edit, fix up red eye, crop,
rotate, tilt and shift, focal point, and loads of filters.

5.  Vintage Camera


http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vintage-camera/id483959252?mt=8

Has over 5 million users worldwide
It's different.  Does exactly what it says, turns any picture into one of those old photos.
I know it works.
Great little app to play around with.

Update

You will also find that now most Social Media Apps like Tweetcaster and others
that let you upload photo's now let you also add various filters to the pictures before you
upload them.

Quite an interesting new development.

Yours in Social

Fred Felton
Social Media Strategist & Speaker
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
Social Media is Our Biz
email: falconscove@gmail.com
cell 076-977-5788

call or email to book Fred for a workshop or training countrywide.

How To Run A Social Media Marketing Campaign Using Just a @BlackBerry

Greetings Dear Readers

Wolfgang Bonisch @charlotte_niche and @fredfelton at the @psasouthafrica National Convention 2012
                                                           #vocalislekker



This has been a crazy month for me helping out PSASA with some social media marketing
for their National Convention.  My company Falconscove helped them out with some social media
strategy and then the social media marketing at the convention.   Most of this was done using
just a @BlackBerry

Here are ways you too can market a event or convention using just a @BlackBerry

1.  Make sure you have UberSocial installed on your Blackberry


This proved to be my number one tool at the Convention.  Wherever I went I used
my UberSocial which gives you the wonderful options of sharing posts to Twitter, Facebook,
Linkedin and your Black Berry Messenger.

2.   Upload As Many Pics as you can


It has been proven that people look more at pictures than at statements so during your event
try and upload lots of pics.   Make sure you add the hashtag associated with the Event.

3.  Do some live blogging


For this I chose the Tumblr App for Blackberry and I must say it is rock solid, it works everytime
and automatically posts to Twitter and Facebook for you.  So during the event or at the end of the day
do some live blogging about the Speakers or the Event.

4.  Tell your Tweeps what is going on at the Event


People are curious and they want to know what is going on at Events.  So if you hear a gem
or a nugget of wisdom spread it with your Tweeps.  They will remember that.

5.  Make sure your battery is fully charged.


I know it sounds like a stupid thing to say but so many people forget to do this.  So just in case
take another battery with or your power cord and charge when necessary.


Yours in Social


Fred Felton
Social Media Strategist & Speaker
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
email: falconscove@gmail.com

5 Ways To Use A Social Media Hashtag Effectively

Greetings Dear Readers

At Falconscove we are busy helping PSASA with the social media strategy for their National Convention.
They are using the social media hashtag #vocalislekker.   Along the way it dawned on me one must make
sure you use the hashtag correctly along all channels.

Here are 5 tips to ensure you use your social media hashtag effectively.

1.  Select one hashtag across all channels


So many times companies decide on a hashtag and then along the way other people decide to use
a alternative one or something similar.  So if you decide on a hashtag eg #durban that hashtag
must be used in all tweets you send out, all facebook updates you send, all pictures you upload, blogs
you write etc.  It does not help if some people use #durban and some people use #dbn
Remain consistent.

2.  Use the hashtag in everything you share online




It's important to make sure everyone uses that hashtag especially at a conference.  So make sure
the same hashtag is used in all emails, tweets, facebook updates, pictures, videos etc.
Inform people beforehand what the hashtag will be.

3.  Trending topics


If you get it right then that hashtag will start to trend in the trending topics section of Twitter.
As long as everyone for example at a conference uses that hashtag and keeps sharing
info about the event.

4.  Make sure everyone knows


It's important especially at conferences for the MC to be told what the hashtag is and to let them
tell everyone what the hashtag is and that they must use it if they tweet about the conference or
take pictures or blog about it.  This helps that hashtag start to trend.

5.  Make it sound cool


Sit down with your staff and work on that hashtag.  It must have a nice ring to it.
People must want to share it with their tweets.  Make sure everyone knows it and passes it on
to others.  Keep track of the social channels as sometimes Tweeps will ask what the hashtag is.
Perfect time to remind them.  Have fun sharing that hashtag.


Yours in Social

Fred Felton
Social Media Strategist & Keynote Speaker
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
Social Media Management, Strategy, Talks & Workshops
email: falconscove@gmail.com

5 Ways To Get More Followers On Twitter

Greetings Dear Readers.

A great number of my clients and delegates at the workshops I teach at and at the talks I give
keep asking me how do you get more followers on Twitter.

Well here are 5 Tips to help you get more followers, these tips have helped me and hopefully
they will help you as well.

1.  Take a look at your business card


The easiest way is to take a look at your business card.  How many of you have your
twitter username on it?  Do you know how many business cards you give out each day
or when you go to networking meetings?  Well make it work for you.
Simple but effective.

2.  Your email signature


How many emails do you send out daily?  Well once again make it work for you.
Use a powerful tool like Wisestamp and add your Twitter username and profile
into your email signatures.  Helps a great deal.

http://www.wisestamp.com/


3.  Your Website Or Blog


How many of you have a website or blog?  How many of you have your a
Twitter Follow Me Button on your site or blog?  Once again get active and
get a Twitter Follow Me Button and add it to your site or blog.

https://twitter.com/about/resources

4.  Your Company Letterheads and Documents


Once again take a look at all of your Company Letterheads and Documents
you send out to clients.  Do you see your Twitter name on them.  If not
get busy adding it.

5.  Link Your Facebook To Your Twitter Account Same For Linkedin


Twitter also enables you to link your Twitter account to your Facebook account
so your Tweets appear on Facebook.   You can also link your Twitter account
to your Linkedin Feed and your contacts there can see you are on Twitter.

All valuable tools in gaining more followers.

What techniques do you use to gain more followers on Twitter?


Fly high, Fly free

Fred Felton
Social Media Engineer & Keynote Speaker
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
Social Media Talks, Workshops, Training, Branding and Management
'We Will Make You Famous'
email: falconscove@gmail.com

5 Ways To Market Your Event Using Social Media During The Event

Greetings Dear Readers

This week I am giving you 5 ways to market your event using social media during the event.
I am just back from doing a writing workshop with Speaker and Publisher Robin Jackson and
I thought I would share some tips for you on how to use social media to market your event during it.

Sure you have done all the hard work to market it before the event.
During the event is another story.  If you do it right more people will want to come to it next time.

Here are 5 tips to help you get started.

1.  Check in using Foursquare


A great way to create awareness is to use Foursquare to check in to the venue and tell people
why you are there. Include a hashtag as well, we used #IPW.  Make sure your Foursquare
is linked to Twitter and Facebook and even your BBM so you can reach many more people with it.

2.  Use a hashtag and be consistent with it


During the event use the same hashtag.  Do not veer away and use other hashtags.  Decide
beforehand what your hashtag is and stick with it.

3.  Use pictures


People love visual images of events so do not be shy, take some pics of the venue, of the
speakers, of the guests, of what is happening and upload them to Twitter, Facebook, Flickr
and Instagram.

4.  Tell people what is going on


Now your Tweeps will love you for this, so try and Tweet now and again all the great
things you hear at the event and smart advice you hear.  Share it with your Tweeps
and with your friends on Facebook.

5.  Try a live blog


You can even get someone to blog live from the event and create even more awareness.
Use the blog Tumblr and if you are more hands on with a mobile use the app for tumblr
and blog from your mobile.

So there you have it.  5 ways to market your event during it.  Hope you use them in the future
and tell me what you experienced.

Do you have any other tips to market your event using social media?


Fly high, Fly free


Fred Felton
Social Media Engineer & Speaker & Trainer
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
'Social Media Is Our Biz'
email: falconscove@gmail.com

#SocialMedia Advice By Musicians For Musicians

Greetings Dear Readers

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing some musicians and I asked them how
they use social media to market their music.

Let's hear what they had to say.

Leee John


This musician was far ahead of others and in the 90s he already set up his
website.

Check it out at www.leeejohn.com

From there you can find his links on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace

He suggests you build up a huge database of leads and fans.
He sees Facebook as a way to interact with fans.
Twitter is something you check while you are walking on the beach.

The Village People


They use both Twitter and Facebook but use
Facebook more to interact with their fans.

I attended a concert they were at and noticed how live on stage they took a picture
of the audience and posted it directly to their Facebook page and announced to the
audience to check out their Facebook page.  A wonderful concept.

Take a look at what they do on their Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Official-Village-People/202364961024

The band also manages their Facebook page themself.

You have to be in the social media world or otherwise you are nowhere.

Nik Kershaw


He likes Twitter and sees it as a good tool.
Interact with him @NikKershaw on Twitter.

Rick Astley


Another Artist that uses Twitter.  You can find him on @rickastley
He also has a radio show and chats to interesting people on it.

Well hope you learnt some social media tips from the masters.

If you would like to read more about them and a review of the concert they were in
read all about it on Umhlanga Life.

http://umhlangalife.blogspot.com/2012/02/interviews-with-famous-musicians-and.html


Fly high, Fly free


Fred Felton
Social Media Strategist & Speaker
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
'Social Media Is Our Biz'
email: falconscove@gmail.com

email us to book Fred Felton for a talk or training workshop on Social Media

What is Pinterest?

Greetings Dear Readers

www.pinterest.com

Today I am talking about the word that is on everyone's tongues, Pinterest.
So many of my social media clients are asking me What is this Pinterest?

Well here are some tips all about Pinterest.

Pinterest is basically a digital scrap book.  You can post wonderful pictures
and put them into various categories.

Here are some tips to get you started:

Look for images that catch your eye


When you start up on Pinterest you will be bombarded with many images.
Look for one's that catch your eye and are in line with your style or image
and move your cursor over the image you have 3 options there
you can repin it on your own board, like it or comment on it.
I recommend you do all three.  Remember to repin it on a board
that fits in with the image so a picture of a fancy house would go well
in My House for example.  A image of good food would go well
in Food I like etc etc.  If you comment try and ask a question you may
get a reply from somebody and build a relationship.

Add it to your Facebook timeline


Pinterest gives you the option to connect Pinterest to your Facebook timeline.
I suggest you do this as you will benefit from cross marketing and if you are
building a brand it will be seen on both networks.

Start following Pinners


People on Pinterest are called Pinners.  Start looking for Pinners that have the same
style you have or have wonderful images or inspiring images and follow their pins
and connect with them.

Build your own boards


Create boards that you like with your own likes and let your imagination do the rest.
Go wild and put up your own pics, pictures or images that inspire you.

Tips for Writers and Photographers


You can even add pictures of your books on Pinterest to market your books.
The same for images from your book launches and images of your characters
the list is endless.  Photographers can put up images they have taken as a way
to create awareness of what they do and the kinds of photo's they take.

Pinterest is always refreshing


Always remember that as you go down on the screen Pinterest is always uploading
new Images so keep going down the screen you will be amazed at what you find.

Tips on Repinning


When you repin a image you also get the option to share it on Twitter.
Once again another wonderful cross marketing option.

Pinterest also has Videos


You also have the option of uploading Videos to Pinterest.  That means you can
show people what you get up to.  If you are in theatre you could show people your
new show or a excerpt from your show.


Pinterest Goodies

Take a look at the Pinterest Goodies link below which lets you integrate Pinterest into
your browser, your phone and your website or blog

http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/


What Pinterest Has to Say


A useful link is also what Pinterest has to say about the sight.  Worth a read.


http://pinterest.com/about/etiquette/


Learn on the go


Finally like everything else in life you learn on the go.  As you use it you will pick up tricks and of course
watch what others do and learn from them.  However always remember use it as you want to
and share those wonderful images and ideas that are in your head with other Pinners.

Happy Pinning!

Do you have any tips worth sharing about Pinterest?


Fly high, Fly free


Fred Felton
Social Media Engineer & Keynote Speaker & Trainer
Falconscove
email: falconscove@gmail.com
cell: 076-977-5788

call or email to book Fred for a social media talk or consultation

Don't forget to sign up for the #IPW Writing Workshops - tinyurl.com/ipwworkshop

100 Social Media Influencers In South Africa and counting #followsa

Greetings Dear Readers

Been very busy guest blogging for @IdeaBounty and getting some wonderful writing
and social media workshops ready for the near future.

Along the way I came upon a article on the Top 100 Social Media Influencers in the World.
I tweeted it out and the likes of @PoppieSlops and @franki1 tweeted me asking why don't
we have a list of the top 100 Social Media Influencers in South Africa.

So I told them I would start it for South Africa along the way @MelAttree suggested
we make it a wiki file which means that all of South Africa can contribute.

So feel free to contribute and add who you think should be on the list.
It's over 100 people and counting at the moment.
Interesting note, I am getting most of the feedback and suggestions via Twitter.

Top 100 Social Media Influencers In South Africa

Click on the link and see if you or someone you know is on it.

The names you see on the list are their Twitter names so go see who they are and add them
if you don't know them yet and chat to them.  You might just make a good friend.

Tweet me on @fredfelton if you have any suggestions, like it?  hate it?
You can even jump right in and edit it.

At the very worst you can add them all to your twitter account and you will have
a very interesting timeline.

It's an ongoing experiment so keep sending me your suggestions and I will try add
it to the list when I can.

Hopefully we can make it a yearly list.


Fly high, Fly free


Fred Felton
Speaker  & Social Media Engineer & Author
Falconscove
A Digital Media Agency
Social Media Is Our Biz
www.falconscovesa.blogspot.com
email: falconscove@gmail.com
twitter: @fredfelton

5 Tips To Make 2012 Your Best Year Yet

Greetings Dear Readers

By now you are already into the New Year and some of you might still be thinking
what should I do this year?   What are my goals for this year?

Here are 5 Tips to Get You Started.

1.  Do What You Love Doing


Sounds simple does it not.  Most of us find ourselves in a job that pays the rent
and we move from day to day, week to week and before you know it life is over.
What if you decided to start doing the work you love doing.  What do yo love doing?
Think about what kind of work you would love to do and then go and pursue it.
Pretty soon you will become a huge success and the bonus is you will never work a
day in your life because you love what you are doing.

2.  Set 12 Goals


Keep it simple this year and just try to achieve 12 goals this year.  One goal
for each month.  If the goal is a huge one like buying a house or car then break
it down into mini-goals and keep going at it till you achieve it.  Keep your eyes on the prize
and avoid all the negativity.

3.  Surround yourself with positive people


If you want have a great year this year then surround yourself with positive happy people.
No need to be around people who bring you down everyday or people who complain
or people who are negative and give you huge stress.  So just surround yourself with
positive people.

4.  Keep a journal


Get yourself a nice journal and each day write something in it.  Write down your goals in it as well.
Write anything and you will be amazed what pops up like wonderful business ideas, venting, beautiful writing, idea's for a book and the list goes on and on but keep writing in that journal.

5.  Visualize those goals


Now it does not help to just have goals you have to visualize them as well and see it
in your mind, if it's a house, where is it?  What does it look like?  If you are serious
about it then you will know exactly what the inside looks like and keep moving
towards it and one day you will be sitting in that house going Yes!


Bonus Tip For Writers


If you want to write a book this year all you have to write down is this

My goal this year is to publish one book!


Trust me it works :)


Fly high, Fly free


Fred Felton
Social Media Strategist & Speaker & Author
FalconsCove
A Digital Media Agency
email: falconscove@gmail.com
twitter: @fredfelton

10 South African iPad Apps Worth Having

Good day Bloggers and Readers.

First let me say a big thank you to everyone who reads my blog.  The blog
has just passed the big 10 000 visitors milestone.  Thank you so much for your loyal
support.

This week I am carrying on from last week with some more iPad Apps worth having.
Did you know that some of the best of these Apps are South African.
Let's check them out shall we.

1. FNB Banking App


This App is actually designed for the iPhone but you can also use it on the iPad.
It allows you to do your banking on your iPad, make payments, buy prepaid products
like Cellphone airtime, top up your ADSL bundles, apply for new accounts, send and
receive messages, even find your nearest branch or atm.

2.  News24 iPad Edition


Get all your news on your iPad from this App specially designed for the iPad.
From news, views, interviews, pics, sports you name it a great news App.

3.  Vodacom Recharge


This app allows you to top up your Vodacom prepaid account and you
can use your airtime to buy data bundles.  Nifty.

4.  DStv Guide for iPad


Get a guide for your DStv viewing on your iPad, set reminders on your iPad
keep up to date with news and check the highlights and you can even
share it with your friends on Facebook.

5.  Mail&Guardian


A great news app from the Mail and Guardian giving you breaking news,
Zapiro, and snapshots of Africa, The World, Photo's, Opinion, Business,
Arts and Sports.  Allows you to keep a library of old editions.

6.  IOL


A great App from IOL the South African News group which gives
you a great insight into the world.  Also allows you to save newspapers.

7.  Private Property - iPad version


Another great App from the people behind Private Property it allows
you to search for properties around SA and view pics of them, see
maps, prices etc.  Fantastic App.

8. You Magazine


South Africa's favourite magazine can also be found here and gives
you all the highlights from the magazine, news, views, dvd reviews etc.

9.  Yellow Pages SA for iPad


Toss out that cockroach killer you keep by the phone.  You now
have the full edition of the yellow pages on your iPad.  Anything you
are looking for from banks to plumbers you name it.

10.  Vuvuzela 2010


And finally something for everyone.  From the country that gave
you the greatest Soccer World Cup we bring you the App that
everyone wants the Vuvuzela.  It has over 6 million downloads.
Amazing.  Astound your friends go on I dare you.


Well those Apps should keep you very entertained dear readers.

Fly high, Fly free


Fred Felton
Falcon's Cove
Social Media Strategist - Speaker - Author
email: falconscove@gmail.com

email to book Fred for a talk, workshop or your next conference.

10 iPad Apps Worth Having

Greetings Readers

Welcome to 2012.  A New Year already can you believe it.  I wish you and yours
a very successful 2012.

To start off the New Year I thought I would show you some very interesting apps
that I have discovered with getting a new iPad for Xmas.
What an amazing device and the Apps from App Store are truly amazing.

Here are 10 to get you started.

1.  Twitter for iPad


A very impressive app for Twitter.  Works brilliantly and gives you the option to
RT and insert comments in them as well.  You can also upload pics and follow
your timeline in a beautiful display.  Very impressive.

2.  Ambient Soundscapes


One of my favourite apps at the moment.  You can choose between various
ambient sounds such as water, rain, beach, forest, thunder and more and listen
to it if you want to relax or do yoga or fall asleep.  Comes with a timer.
Great app.

3.  Adobe Reader


The PDF Reader from Adobe which lets you read pdf files on your iPad.
Perfect for all those PDF files you get.

4.  Skype for iPad


Skype comes to iPad and lets you do all you do on your computer on your iPad.
Take all your friends and business contacts with you on the go.

5.  PhotoCard Lite


A great app that lets you convert your images into wonderful photo cards
that you can send to all your contacts.

6.  WritersApp Lite


This one is for all the writer's out there.  A great app which lets you work on one
story at a time and helps you work on the synopsis, premise, plot, chapters, characters,
places, notes and so much more.  Perfect for scribes.

7.  Type on PDF 


A very interesting app which lets you insert writing or images onto a pdf on the go.
So if you get that email with a pdf where they ask you to fill in your info on the pdf
this app is for you.

8.  Archie


If you love Archie comics this app is for you,  full of wonderful issues like
Jughead, Archie and more.  Some are even free.  Wonderful design and read.

9.  Wallpapers HD


A wonderful app that lets you pimp your iPad.  Full of amazing high quality
images, updated all the time.  Some wonderful pics in this collection.
As one user commented you will probably have a new image on your iPad each week.

10.  Nightstand


A really interesting app which basically converts your iPad into a souped up
Display Clock with image and alarm and weather.   Quite amazing really
and has pictures that change all the time.

Well hope you enjoy all those Apps dear readers.

What are some of the Apps for the iPad that you love?


Fly high, Fly free


Fred Felton
Social Media Consultant & Keynote Speaker
Falcon's Cove
A Digital Media Agency
email: falconscove@gmail.com
cell: 076-977-5788

Email me to Book me for your next conference or for a social media workshop.

My new book 101 Tips For Twitter is out packed full of useful info for everything about Twitter.
You can buy it here on the blog.