When Playing Games Can Help Save Lives

When immersed in a great game experience, learning, doing and solving problems feels completely effortless- the hours fly by.  The non-game enthusiast may see this as an idle past-time and some may even regard the compulsion to keep playing as a kind of addiction. But the people behind the Internet-Response League view this as an untapped social potential that can drive the accomplishment of enormous feats, the solving of tough problems, and the saving of lives in times of crisis and disaster.

The initiative is headed by Peter Mosur, Patrick Meier and Ahmed Meheina. Peter is a graduate student at the Metropolitan College of New York who studies emergency management. Patrick  is an expert on next generation human technology and has co-directed a Harvard program on Crisis Mapping. Ahmed is an undergraduate at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alexandra who is studying communications and electronics. So what do these three have to do with this untapped potential?

The Internet Response League focuses on mobilizing and leveraging MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) communities. These groups have high numbers of players engaged with online game play where a healthy dose of enthusiasm is needed to solve difficult mission-driven challenges. With the right strategy, this problem-solving energy can be harnessed to produce socially conscious actions.

Continue reading When Playing Games Can Help Save Lives

How to get more Yelp reviews for your business

Local businesses have a love-hate relationship with Yelp.  If you have a 3.5+ rating on Yelp with over 30 reviews, then Yelp is a terrific resource for new customer acquisition. On the other hand, if you have a sub-3 rating on Yelp, then Yelp can destroy your business. The ratings and stars is a good example of gamification, a booming trend. (Click here to see What is Gamification)

It’s therefore important to not only get a lot of reviews on Yelp, but to make sure they’re positive reviews.  This post will cover how to increase your review count, while a future post will cover how to make sure these Yelp reviews are positive.

Who should read this post: local business owner that are looking to increase their Yelp reviews

Why you will learn: how to get customers to leave you more Yelp reviews

Continue reading How to get more Yelp reviews for your business

Hassle Free Steps On How To Setup Pinterest For Your Business

As Pinterest continues to grow in business relevance, a common question is how to setup Pinterest for your business. While a relatively easy process, businesses can benefit from following our easy, hassle free steps on how to setup and how to begin ‘pinning’ on your businesses Pinterest page.

1. Request an Invite

The first step to starting out on Pinterest is to ask for an account invitation.


Invitation waits vary, but most users will receive an invite within the first 24 hours if not sooner. While you wait, you can always explore others pins 🙂 Continue reading Hassle Free Steps On How To Setup Pinterest For Your Business

4 Common Social Media Mistakes Businesses Make

Learning to swim can be a fun and exciting experience. From learning the basics of kicking to the different types of strokes, becoming an expert is not an overnight matter. On the other hand, not all of us learn how to swim through a set process. For some, learning to swim involved being dropped into a pool (or in some cases a large body of water) and ‘improvising.’ Much like the latter, this is how many businesses learn how about social media.

In what can be best described as a trial and error style marketing approach, businesses that jump into the ‘social media’ pool, can find themselves looking for a life vest if they aren’t careful. To help businesses avoid making the same mistakes that others make, we’ve come up with 4 Common Social Media Mistakes Businesses Make: Continue reading 4 Common Social Media Mistakes Businesses Make

Infographic: How to Effectively Market Your Restaurant with Pinterest

Infographic: How to Market Your Restaurant with Pinterest

Restaurants are always looking for new ways to promote their business. From social media to traditional media, restaurants continue to look for new ways to re-invent the wheel. One platform that continues to grow in interest and use is the social platform, Pinterest.

Pinterest, a pinboard-style social photo sharing website has grown quickly as a tool for brands to distribute photos and content relevant to the brand.

Restaurants in particular can benefit from using Pinterest because of both the visual story that images of foods evoke and the ease of sharing that the Pinterest platform allows for.

If you are a restaurant, check out this great infographic on How to Market Your Restaurant with Pinterest: Continue reading Infographic: How to Effectively Market Your Restaurant with Pinterest

Top 4 Reasons Why Retailers Should Use Social Media

Retail-store-complex

Traditional marketing for retailers involved print ads in magazines and newspaper spreads, television ad spots, billboards, and signage within retail centers. Today though, the word ‘traditional’ is slowly starting to become obsolete as the rise of digital and social media grows.

In a recent 2012 joint research project by Shop.orgcomScore, and The Partnering Group, entitled the 2012 Social and Mobile Commerce study, the role of social media and the way it plays into consumers behaviors and buying decisions is apparent by the results which we will discuss below.

To help understand the case study fore mentioned, we have related them to the Top 4 Reasons Why Retailers Should Use Social Media:

1. Don’t ignore your consumers

According to the study, 2 out of 5 online consumers follow retailers through one or more social networking sites. As a retailer, being in front of the consumer at every possible opportunity is key. In the case of social media, the opportunity is huge. With communities that reach into the high millions, retailers that take advantage of the numbers will be able to tap into the consumer that is listening and looking. Continue reading Top 4 Reasons Why Retailers Should Use Social Media

10 Common Social Media Questions from Small Business Owners, Part 2

10 Common Social Media Questions from Small Business Owners, Part 2

In the first part of our two part segment on the 10 Common Social Media Questions from Small Business Owners, we looked at questions such as the following:

  • Facebook, Twitter, or Both?
  • How many Facebook fans or Twitter followers is a good number?
  • Should I reply to all posts from Facebook/Twitter users?
  • Do I need to hire someone to manage my social media presence?
  • How do I get people to find my business?

In the second part, we take a closer look at the basics of social media including questions regarding blogging as well as platforms like Pinterest. Continue reading 10 Common Social Media Questions from Small Business Owners, Part 2