Social Proof Is Real, Robust and Reliable

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Social Proof Is Real, Robust and Reliable
How to Secure and Protect Mobile Devices
The Drop in Lending by Finance Companies
Small Biz Web Hosting: Recent Developments and Options

Posted: 07 May 2012 11:30 AM PDT

For anyone who still has reservations about the effectiveness of social media marketing, blogging, video, content marketing, mobile, texting and online marketing, there is tangible, measurable “social proof” now. Social Proof is credibility and a measurable source of success results and metrics. Why are you still questioning it?

proof

Don’t. Accept it, get with it and be a part of it.

What exactly is social proof? Wikipedia defines it as a:

“. . .psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others reflect correct behavior for a given situation.”

What that all boils down to is basically a herd mentality. More credence is given to an idea if it is stated by multiple sources.

Aileen Lee on Techcrunch gives this example:

“Consider the social proof of a line of people standing behind a velvet rope, waiting to get into a club. The line makes most people walking by want to find out what's worth the wait. The digital equivalent of the velvet rope helped build viral growth for initially invite-only launches like Gmail, Gilt Groupe, Spotify, and Turntable.fm.”

Here are some persuasive statistics, as pointed out on the HubSpot Blog:

70% of Americans now say they look at product reviews before making a purchase (Google)
63% of consumers indicate they are more likely to purchase from a site if it has product ratings and reviews (CompUSA and iPerceptions study)

Squeezed Books calls social proof an “extremely powerful tool.” It goes on to say that social proof is often a good thing because it essentially puts our brain on ‘autopilot’ and keeps us from getting bogged down by the small stuff. And the majority of us are smart enough to know when the message being broadcast has no real basis behind it. When the message is meaningless, we are able to tune it out.

Here are three examples of social proof in action:

Tony Horton’s P90X and Alberto “Beto” Perez’s Zumba – Chances are you’ve seen these infomercials promoted on TV, or you know someone who’s participated in one of these fitness fads. The infomercial spreads the Word of mouth fast and it’s taken these programs and their sales to new heights.
Mashable and Huffington Post: These blog hubs cover everything from business, politics and lifestyle to social media, family and jobs and their articles get some of the most comments, re-posts and engagement of any online blog sites.
Social Media speaker and author Mari Smith Facebook’s page has over 69,000 likes and engages it’s raging fans regularly.

Let’s not forget the social proof of video as demonstrated on Youtube. Here are the Top Youtube Videos of 2012, so far. They are fun, viral, silly, important and compelling.

Social proof is tangible and measurable. Wherever and however people commune, hang out, commiserate and socialize online, there is absolute proof that it works to spread ideas, information and brings people together who purchase .

Are you integrating your marketing and networking in person, online, in the cloud and on the web? Social proof is real, robust and reliable. It will change the outcome and impact of your business, brand and success.

Nike said it best:

“Just do it.”

I’d add, just do it, but please – do it right!

Proof Photo via Shutterstock

From Small Business Trends

Social Proof Is Real, Robust and Reliable

How to Secure and Protect Mobile Devices

Posted: 07 May 2012 08:30 AM PDT

If you missed our Twitter chat on May 2nd on the topic of mobile security and protection … I’ve got good news. We have a recap below.

The topic was “Mobile Devices: Secure and Protect … Now!” We learned some surprising statistics and were pointed to valuable resources during this chat. Among them:

The Honey Stick project report, showing the consequences when mobile phones are lost
Statistics about mobility, including the average loss per mobile security incident for SMBs: $126,000
Steps to keep your SMB mobile safe
Checklist to protect your mobile device

During the chat I was joined by two subject matter experts from Symantec, which sponsored the chat.

SYMANTEC SPEAKERS:

Kevin Haley
Director, Symantec Security Response
Twitter: @kphaley

Andrew Singer
Director, Symantec Product Marketing
Twitter: @SymantecEMM

Here are the questions I posed, and selected discussion around each question.

Q1: Every year we hear "it's the year of mobile." How many SMBs actually use mobile devices in business? #SMBchat

95 percent of mobile workers now have smartphones, up from 85 percent in 2010 (2011 iPass Report) – @KPHaley

Not only are people using mobile for work, but it's all mixed up with their personal stuff #SMBchat - @KPHaley

I use my mobile every day for business (internet mktg). - @robert_brady

At our organization all of upper management and those that travel often use Blackberry (about 50 total) – @Ileane

With smartphone penetration rates growing small business do not escape the trend. — @fjfonseca

Q2: What are the top uses of mobile devices by small businesses? #SMBchat

Symantec research shows email as top use for SMBs and 54% use line-of-business applications on mobile devices — @SymantecEMM

A line of business application for example is a financial reporting tool or a real estate listings application. @SymantecEMM

Don’t forget technologies like Square that empower the SB’s owner to use mobile. — @fjfonseca

Many #smallbusiness owners have asked us to create an app to use their devices to scan inventory ^Matt – @inFlowInventory

Q3: What is the biggest security issue when it comes to small-business mobile usage? #SMBchat

96% of lost phones had the data accessed in our study. Even those returned. — @KPHaley

Lost or stolen, once out of the user's hands a phone must be considered breached. http://t.co/dmnewP7w – @KPHaley

315 new mobile vulnerabilities found in 2011. 90% increase. Opportunity for bad guys is there. — @KPHaley

My guess is the “human factor,” leaving the mobile phone, no keyboard / PIN lock. – @Lyceum

Lost phones are actually the biggest risk for SMBs: http://bit.ly/IjpInI — @KPHaley

Device loss, data leakage, unauthorized access to corporate resources and malware infection are all big security issues. — @KPHaley

Here is a list I put together for protecting your phone. http://t.co/hpjPTfai – @KPHaley

Take a look at this Symantec blogpost on wardriving. Mobile devices, PCs are vulnerable attack http://t.co/Tb5c19P1 — @SymantecEMM

Connect to encryption enabled wifi networks or only use applications that transmit via HTTPS – RT @SymantecEMM @TJMcCue

If you are really dealing with sensitive data, use a VPN. Ask your geek friend to set it up. — @fjfonseca

Remote wipe or encryption, pick the one that works for you. Protect the data on your mobile device. — @KPHaley

Phishing is also harder to detect on smart phones because of the smaller screens.– @KPHaley

Q4: Which presents the bigger security risk to a company: a mobile device or a PC? Why? #SMBchat

Mobile devices are easier to lose and when discovered, curiosity can lead to violation of personal privacy: http://bit.ly/IjpInI — @SymantecEMM

Malware for mobile devices is less common than malware targeting PCs, however we're seeing more Trojanized apps — @SymantecEMM

Both. Need to be secure and protected – @txtnlrn

Don’t use the same password for different accounts, services. #StaySafe – @TJMcCue RT @fjfonseca

Locally stored data isn’t as dangerous as opening portal to data in cloud. Must be just as careful w mobile as PC – @Walter Paley

#Smbchat tonight is a course in security – follow on Twitter and save your biz from hackers — @RamonRay

Q5: In terms of mobile risk, what are the main consequences (losses)? #SMBchat

Losses stem from direct financial expenses, loss of data, and damage to brand or loss of customer trust http://bit.ly/K3LhyP — @KPHaley

This one blows my mind: SMBs averaged $126,000 of loss in the past year due to mobile computing issues http://bit.ly/K3LhyP – @KPHaley

18% of all targeted attacks are directed at businesses with < 250 employees. http://t.co/ldE4bzLr – @SymantecEMM

Q6: Which is more likely: having your mobile device hacked into or losing it and someone accessing private info?#SMBchat

I would guess losing it and someone accessing private info. So many people lose their phones. — @LisaSchulteis

Both are risks. Only 50% of smartphone finders contacted the owner in our smartphone experiment http://bit.ly/IjpInI — @SymantecEMM

This stat is important, 18% of all targeted attacks are directed at businesses with 250 or fewer employees. http://bit.ly/ITfzSq — @SymantecEMM

Not everyone can hack a phone. Everyone has the skills to steal one. — @KPHaley

People are basically good. Just insanely curious. Don’t get down on humanity because of http://t.co/dmnewP7w – @KPHaley

I have heard stories about how the police have found the criminals by GPS location and “find my phone” app. — @Lyceum

Find my phone is a good example. If you lose your phone you know you can secure your data. — @SymantecEMM @Lyceum

Because regular users keep thinking “it only happens to the others” until it happens to them. – @fjfonseca @Mayura

We have the tech now to secure mobile data, so let’s leverage these tools to the max! #CoIT >>> I agree there – @AdrienneSmith40 RT @Nukona_Walt

Q7: What can small businesses do today to reduce risk in mobile computing? #SMBchat

And this will sound familiar: Keep security software up-to-date; encrypt data going to and from the device. — @KPHaley

Save yourself a lot of grief: Only use app marketplaces hosted by well-known and legitimate vendors http://bit.ly/IqJmSB – @KPHaley

Good start: Enforce policies for acceptable use, screen lock, passwords, and application downloads for all users. – @KPHaley

Protect mobile devices with Android Lock passwords and use Apps that can wipe a phone/tablet clean if lost or stolen — @VernessaTaylor RT @jbrath

Pick a vendor that manages the updates for you. Not your job to remember to update. — @KPHaley

For some current statistics on the State of Mobility, download: http://bit.ly/IIDeHh

Note: to make the recap easier to read, tweets above have been edited to remove redundant information, such as hashtags and answer numbers. Obvious misspellings and broken links also were fixed. Tweets may be slightly out of order, for better readability. The above represents only a small portion of the tweets — it is intended to cover key highlights for reader convenience, not serve as a full transcript of the chat.

From Small Business Trends

How to Secure and Protect Mobile Devices

The Drop in Lending by Finance Companies

Posted: 07 May 2012 05:00 AM PDT

Many people have discussed the evaporation of bank credit during the financial crisis and the Great Recession. But few have pointed out how non-bank credit shrank substantially during the same period.

Loans from finance companies are an important source of credit for many small businesses. Next to banks, they provide more credit to small businesses than any other source, the SBA Office of Advocacy explains.

Recently released data tables from the Small Business Administration's annual publication, Small Business Economy, shows the severity of the recent decline in small business loans from finance companies. In the figure below, I present the SBA estimates of the amount of outstanding receivables on business loans from finance companies adjusted for inflation from 1980 to 2010.

Source: Created from data from Small Business Economy 2011

The figure indicates the clear drop off (and lack of recovery) in finance company loans. Between the end of 2007 and the end of 2010, the real dollar amount of outstanding business loans from finance companies fell 28 percent, back to levels not seen since 1998.

This decline has contributed to the difficulty that many small business owners have in obtaining access to credit today. As the SBA’s Office of Advocacy said last fall in “Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business Finance:”

“The recent decline in finance company lending … is a major contributor to the tight condition of today's small business lending market.”

From Small Business Trends

The Drop in Lending by Finance Companies

Small Biz Web Hosting: Recent Developments and Options

Posted: 07 May 2012 02:30 AM PDT

It goes without saying: your small business needs an online presence. But figuring out where to host it and how to choose hosting is easier said than done. Web hosting options are often described in highly technical terms. Figuring out the best choice can feel like making your way through a maze. Services that provide free and low cost Web hosting for small businesses change periodically. Here are some recent developments in the world of Web hosting:

Changing Your Hosting

Microsoft’s Office Live Small Business is closed. While many small business owners have no doubt relocated their Office Live Small Business accounts to Microsoft’s newest product Office 365, the change clearly leaves some small businesses without a home. It’s a good time to carefully consider your next hosting choice. PC World Business Center

A hosting horror story. This is the reason you want to make the right hosting choice. Here’s one small business owner’s harrowing experience only a few weeks ago that should be enough to make your hair stand on end. What will picking the wrong hosting service mean to your business? Computerworld

Choosing Your Service

A checklist for your Web hosting needs. Choosing a Web host is no small decision and could affect your small business for quite some time. Here’s a checklist that should help you find the right option. Bloggers Passion

Who’s on your shortlist of top hosting companies? There are many hosting companies to choose from and, of course, not all are created equal. Fortunately, helpful lists like this one separate the wheat from the chaff. Site Prebuilder

Exploring New Alternatives

Hosting a Website on Blogger or WordPress. The two blog platforms offer their own free hosting too, and though most business advisers would stress the importance of having your own, these are simple solutions for getting something online fast. TC Times

Some hosting solutions offer extras. For example, Yahoo!, which has for some time offered a small business Web hosting option, has just rolled out a marketing dashboard to add to its other online business features. Do these extras appeal to you? Marketing Land

Taking Security Measures

What if the worst happens? One of the problems we never think about, though we certainly should, is the possibility of that catastrophic day when your hosting company shuts down, making all of your lovely content disappear. Don’t think it can’t happen. Fortunately, these guys can help. PC World

How to keep your e-commerce site safe. It’s a popular online business model, but there are also risks. Sometimes mastering online security is the most challenging part of Web hosting for your small business. Here’s an overview to simplify the challenges. Noobpreneur

Getting Started on a Budget

Shopping for great hosting bargains. As in most other areas in business these days, cost is a huge consideration when it comes to Web hosting. It’s important to get the services you need most without paying more than necessary. Host Review

Initiative aims at providing Web hosting and more. Google and Intuit are teaming up to offer small businesses across the country Web hosting and other tools to get online for free. Other partners in the program include the Association of Small Business Development Centers, SCORE, and Meetup. Has your small business gotten online yet? Small Business Trends

From Small Business Trends

Small Biz Web Hosting: Recent Developments and Options