Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Knology Gets Closer To DOCSIS 3.0 - Upgrading network, but no new tiers yet...


Cable overbuilder Knology told attendees of their earnings conference call they're in no rush to reach 100% DOCSIS 3.0 deployment across their network. According to Knology 2640t streamyx Rodger Johnson, business broadband packages internet washer will enable faster DOCSIS 3.0 speeds "when we decide the time is right to push the trigger." If the time isn't right, it usually means a cable carrier isn't seeing substantial competition from telco next-gen services to warrant an upgrade just yet. Still, Knology says they have about 20% of their network footprint upgraded to DOCSIS 3.0, 50% upgraded by the end of the year, with the rest of their markets upgraded sometime in 2010.
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What is social media marketing? What can it do for me and my business? speed test broadband thought it was just a fancy method of chatting with dial up internet access friends...that's what I used to say. The anonymous internet surfing of it all surprised me. Follow me on a journey of learning.

First, let's address the question of what is social media marketing. It boils down to this: it's the art of connecting with your target audience through social networking hotels penang malaysia on the internet. Online social dial up internet have only been around for about ten years. Since then online social networking has grown at the speed of light. Reports show more than 2 million unique visitors to social networking sites in 2008. Folks, this is where your potential customers and clients are. If you're not there, you are missing out on a Lion's share of potential business.

According to an article in pcworld.com, "Last year Comcast started utilizing Twitter to quickly respond to customer complaints, and the company has received significant media attention for this strategy. As a result, Comcast has saved numerous customers on the verge of dropping their service." This is just one example of what social network media marketing can do for a business. In this zone alarm internet security Comcast got a very bad rap because of a video that was posted on YouTube of one of their technician's asleep on a customer's sofa. Comcast quickly got on the social media band wagon to save their reputation, and it worked. Quite simply, social media marketing is an excellent means of getting your message out to the people who matter, that being your target audience.

Next, let's talk about what social media marketing can do for you and your business. For starters, it's an effective means of finding out what your competitors are doing to increase traffic to their websites; what's working for them. It's also a good venue for finding your target audience and connecting and interacting with them. It's an avenue to build your reputation as an expert in your field. You can utilize the social media channels to build brand awareness, increase traffic to your website, and for link building. And then you can track statistics to see which channels or methods are working for you, and which aren't working so well. Does any of this sound intriguing? If so, read on.

Social networking isn't just for teenagers anymore. There are social network sites that were developed specifically for business owners. There are others that are designed for a people in a specific field of interest. And, there are new ones popping up every day. It takes some research to find out which ones might be best for you and your business. The thing to remember is that many business are growing and thriving due to their interaction in the social networking realm.

If it all seems daunting, believe me, I understand. At one time (not too long ago) I wouldn't even go near a social network site. I shunned the whole concept as shallow and meaningless. Not to mention I didn't have a clue as to how to get started, even if I had been inclined to do so. Since I own my own virtual assistant business, I thought it high time I learned. After all, I might need to know about it for a client at some point. So I embarked on a training program, and was very surprised by what I learned. I'm now a believer in the power of social networking in a business environment. I acquired my certification as Social Media Marketing Specialist through The VA Classroom.

There's another fact, and I don't need an expert to tell me this; social marketing is a growing industry. It's not going to go away. On the contrary, it is the new way to connect socially, as well as professionally. The "People" now have control, and they (we) are not about to relinquish it. It started only a few years ago as a means for the younger set to socialize, but has rapidly grown to encompass business as well, and it caters to people of all ages and walks of life. Don't you miss out on it!

So, where do you begin? You'll have the greatest success if you take time to do an assessment of your business objectives; what exactly do you want to accomplish with social marketing? Then, it's time for a brainstorming session; compile a list of thoughts, available options, and so on. Next, develop an action plan and put it to work. Lastly, it's important to track your results, or you won't know if your plan is working.

Bill Gates once said "The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow." I say, tomorrow is here now, and there's no time to waste, because it's moving very fast. Get on board now!

Charly Alexander is the owner of The VA Pro, a virtual assistant business. She is a Certified Internet Marketing Assistant, specializing in Social Media Marketing.