Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Technorati Tip
Don't forget, new bloggers, that any blog you produce should be registered with technorati.com, the most widely used search engine for blogs. Part of the process requires putting their code on your site.
Seattle Law Firm Hits Blogging Paydirt
A few decades ago, lawyers were prohibited from advertising and using the media to solicit business. Ironically, lawyers now are among the pioneers in using emerging Internet tools such as blogging to attract new clients. One of the most creative law firms in this regard is the Marler Clark firm in Seattle, which specializes in food-borne illness cases.
Thanks to today’s Wall Street Journal, executives unsure about the usefulness of corporate blogs can read about the huge blogging ROI reaped by Marler Clark, which now has 33 blogs and web sites covering 14 food-related illnesses.
The firm acted quickly as word spread in the news media recently of tainted spinach causing illness in California. Marler Clark already had an e coli blog and quickly used it to address the spinach issue. In the blogging world, speed and fine targeting can spell success. It certainly worked in this instance. Marler Clark began reeling in queries.
The small (six attorney) law firm with a large history of big cases got amazing results – 76 clients, says the Journal.Web pages are nothing new to law firms, but a technorati search turns up the new lawyer blogs popping up. One blog called Fight the Ticket is similar to sedate lawyer web pages but updated more frequently. This “Liklihood of Confusion” blog from a Big Apple lawyer has the more personal touch characteristic of most blogs.
The Marler Clark e coli page has a clean and easy to access design, with only a few paragraphs of each post presented on the home blog page. If their legal peers are paying attention, Marler Clark will be a blogging role model for law firms around the nation.
Thanks to today’s Wall Street Journal, executives unsure about the usefulness of corporate blogs can read about the huge blogging ROI reaped by Marler Clark, which now has 33 blogs and web sites covering 14 food-related illnesses.
The firm acted quickly as word spread in the news media recently of tainted spinach causing illness in California. Marler Clark already had an e coli blog and quickly used it to address the spinach issue. In the blogging world, speed and fine targeting can spell success. It certainly worked in this instance. Marler Clark began reeling in queries.
The small (six attorney) law firm with a large history of big cases got amazing results – 76 clients, says the Journal.Web pages are nothing new to law firms, but a technorati search turns up the new lawyer blogs popping up. One blog called Fight the Ticket is similar to sedate lawyer web pages but updated more frequently. This “Liklihood of Confusion” blog from a Big Apple lawyer has the more personal touch characteristic of most blogs.
The Marler Clark e coli page has a clean and easy to access design, with only a few paragraphs of each post presented on the home blog page. If their legal peers are paying attention, Marler Clark will be a blogging role model for law firms around the nation.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Coming After You: Put Your Web Fraud Alert on High
As businesses get deep into strategies involving the powerful and sophisticated tools of Web 2.0, it’s important to remember some old and basic principles with roots tracking back to our cave-dwelling ancestors. Within the last few days we got some sharp reminders of one of them – there are some rotten people out there looking to do you dirty.
Before we tell you about a personal encounter with these digital dirtballs, let us suggest that you check out this Thursday the bi-annual Security Threat Report of Symantec Corp., which says that hackers and scammers have stepped up their attacks on e-commerce, the single most-targeted industry.
The fraudulent actions against e-commerce rose from a level of 4 percent of all web attacks six months ago to 16 percent during the most current period.
You need not be a rube to fall for these frauds. One of us, who has been studying the Internet for years and whose name is not Carol, almost got conned into disclosing important credit card information by a clever fraud aimed at PayPal customers. We’re relating this to encourage all businesses that use PayPal to caution their customers about such schemes.
The current scam begins with an email alert, allegedly from PayPal, with a subject heading: “PayPal Notification: Possible Account Theft.”
The body of the email says that securiity questions and answers on your PayPal account were changed that day and if the changes were not authorized, “please contact us immediately.” The message includes an alleged security link to a PayPal-looking URL, which Lou clicked.
Up came an authentic-looking PayPal window, asking for a sign-in, which we fell for and dutifully filled out. When a screen appeared asking for credit card information the smell of fraud fill our nostrils.
A call to PayPal confirmed our suspicion that this was a fraud. Only then did we notice that the original email came from service@paypals.com. Note the plural of “pal.” The remedy was to sign into PayPal and immediately change our password.
Luckily, at that moment there was no balance in our account, so if the would-be thieves did enter the account in the five minutes before we changed passwords, they probably ignored it for greener pastures.
There are all sorts of trickery -- both simple and elaborate – looking to wreck your company. One catalogue shows a simple keystroke catcher, an inch long plug that fits between your computer and keyboard jack, capable of capturing 82 full pages of keystrokes. The cost: $66.
The extra minutes it takes to check for computer and web fraud may look like down time, but caution is both and investment and an insurance policy.
Before we tell you about a personal encounter with these digital dirtballs, let us suggest that you check out this Thursday the bi-annual Security Threat Report of Symantec Corp., which says that hackers and scammers have stepped up their attacks on e-commerce, the single most-targeted industry.
The fraudulent actions against e-commerce rose from a level of 4 percent of all web attacks six months ago to 16 percent during the most current period.
You need not be a rube to fall for these frauds. One of us, who has been studying the Internet for years and whose name is not Carol, almost got conned into disclosing important credit card information by a clever fraud aimed at PayPal customers. We’re relating this to encourage all businesses that use PayPal to caution their customers about such schemes.
The current scam begins with an email alert, allegedly from PayPal, with a subject heading: “PayPal Notification: Possible Account Theft.”
The body of the email says that securiity questions and answers on your PayPal account were changed that day and if the changes were not authorized, “please contact us immediately.” The message includes an alleged security link to a PayPal-looking URL, which Lou clicked.
Up came an authentic-looking PayPal window, asking for a sign-in, which we fell for and dutifully filled out. When a screen appeared asking for credit card information the smell of fraud fill our nostrils.
A call to PayPal confirmed our suspicion that this was a fraud. Only then did we notice that the original email came from service@paypals.com. Note the plural of “pal.” The remedy was to sign into PayPal and immediately change our password.
Luckily, at that moment there was no balance in our account, so if the would-be thieves did enter the account in the five minutes before we changed passwords, they probably ignored it for greener pastures.
There are all sorts of trickery -- both simple and elaborate – looking to wreck your company. One catalogue shows a simple keystroke catcher, an inch long plug that fits between your computer and keyboard jack, capable of capturing 82 full pages of keystrokes. The cost: $66.
The extra minutes it takes to check for computer and web fraud may look like down time, but caution is both and investment and an insurance policy.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
The New PR for Web 2.0: "Fluid Messaging"
With its bulging muscles rippling in places that didn’t exist before, the bold new Web is reshaping the future for business communications. We’re predicting that PR/Communications departments will very quickly have to master what we call the new “fluid messaging” for a business environment overrun with communications channels.
Oh, the old ways will not disappear. Press releases and news conferences will be used to distribute your messages.
But whatever messages your company produces will have to go to a much wider audience. That includes the huge web world and the internet culture that doesn’t particularly like “messages.” The blogging literati prefer the word “story.” And, it soon will be time to take your “story” to the next level.
Example: Thompson Group, a Tampa-based seller of luxury goods ranging from cigars to chi-chi bed linens, recently decided to purchase software that will take its press releases out into the blogosphere and elsewhere. Hey, said a company official, cigar smokers dig blogs and now we’ll reach cigar lovers through blogs.
That software, by Vocus, Inc., is an early sign of the new scramble by a new breed of PR professionals who combine technology and communications strategy to hit the expanded audiences made available via the web and wireless channels.
Just as important as the changing distribution of messages is the business of crafting messages. Gone will be the days of suits and dresses sitting around conferences tables to iron out a single message meant to last for months once it hits the media.
Real time communications is spawning the new Fluid Messaging, which means being fast on your feet to respond to changing situations with information AND explanation. That requires thinking ahead and having in place not messages but an understanding of core values and mission. (Think Google’s “Don’t Be Evil”)
Even in the Fluid Message era, decisions will have to be made when to turn on and off the spigot of information. For example: Would it be better or worse for Hewlett Packard --in real time, right now -- to be answering all of this leaked information that is coming out in the New York Times and Washington Post and other places?
Since all news is all over all the time, it is really imperative that your company get the facts out…fast, accurately, and in a simple style that anyone can understand.
The old consideration was “How Will The Times Play This?” In this new era, add to that: “What Will Bloggers Do With This and How Do We Respond?”
Oh, the old ways will not disappear. Press releases and news conferences will be used to distribute your messages.
But whatever messages your company produces will have to go to a much wider audience. That includes the huge web world and the internet culture that doesn’t particularly like “messages.” The blogging literati prefer the word “story.” And, it soon will be time to take your “story” to the next level.
Example: Thompson Group, a Tampa-based seller of luxury goods ranging from cigars to chi-chi bed linens, recently decided to purchase software that will take its press releases out into the blogosphere and elsewhere. Hey, said a company official, cigar smokers dig blogs and now we’ll reach cigar lovers through blogs.
That software, by Vocus, Inc., is an early sign of the new scramble by a new breed of PR professionals who combine technology and communications strategy to hit the expanded audiences made available via the web and wireless channels.
Just as important as the changing distribution of messages is the business of crafting messages. Gone will be the days of suits and dresses sitting around conferences tables to iron out a single message meant to last for months once it hits the media.
Real time communications is spawning the new Fluid Messaging, which means being fast on your feet to respond to changing situations with information AND explanation. That requires thinking ahead and having in place not messages but an understanding of core values and mission. (Think Google’s “Don’t Be Evil”)
Even in the Fluid Message era, decisions will have to be made when to turn on and off the spigot of information. For example: Would it be better or worse for Hewlett Packard --in real time, right now -- to be answering all of this leaked information that is coming out in the New York Times and Washington Post and other places?
Since all news is all over all the time, it is really imperative that your company get the facts out…fast, accurately, and in a simple style that anyone can understand.
The old consideration was “How Will The Times Play This?” In this new era, add to that: “What Will Bloggers Do With This and How Do We Respond?”
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