Category Archives: Business Blog

I Am Learning How To Blog In Different Ways

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phone with Stylus image

This post is somewhat of a training and review post about the WordPress and JetPack apps.

So, there was a storm brewing outside (while I’m praying that it goes away), and while waiting for it to pass over, I thought I’d just try different tools to create content. 

My desire is to travel–soon.  And, travel a lot.  I am curious about which tools I can use to keep content going.  As they say, if you stay ready, you won’t have to get ready.

This post was done using my bluetooth keyboard and my Samsung tablet using the WordPress Android app.  So far, it hasn’t skipped a beat.  Although, my fingers keep reaching for the finger pad and mouse, lol, but other than that, we rolling.

…Switch up. I actually just switched from the “WordPress” app to the “JetPack” app– mid article. Apparently, Jetpack is taking over the responsibilities that the WordPress app was doing and so, Jetpack it is. It was actually a smooth transition too. I basically downloaded the Jetpack app; it noticed that I had WordPress and asked / informed me that it located my sites and was going to transfer over my settings; then recommended that I delete the WordPress app. Smooth. It was a fabulous handoff. Shoutout to WordPress.

Many of you may already be using apps to do work, because many apps are very robust; however, for those of you who are not–this may be an excellent time to start training. It will free you up.

For this post, I used:

  • my Samsung tablet
  • a mini bluetooth keyboard
  • the JetPack / WordPress app(s)
  • and the internet

Concerns:

  • You may have to save often. I had written a large portion of this article before realizing that it wasn’t saving on line. When I did saive, it took a while.
  • For some reason, it get’s glitchy. So it’s not totally a replacement of the laptop, but it could save you in a pinch.
  • It’s pissing me off at this point, so I’m ending the article. LOL!… see ya’ll the next time.

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…Switch back. Note: I probably could have written this on my phone as well, but I was testing the laptop mimic with the keyboard and tablet. It passed….but…. it’s not getting an “A”–at all.

And also …after further review, I decided to just log in from the browser. The lag is worse, but I have full access to the site. So I guess if you are in a hurry, this is not the way.

Thank you Udacity l OneTen and BIT

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A very cool thing happened to me on Monday. I graduated and received my Digital Marketing Nanodegree from Udacity. It all started when I was awarded a scholarship to attend the online program. I believe the scholarship was a joint venture between Udacity, OneTen, and BIT (Blacks In Technology).

It was a great experience for me because I was able to pick up new skills, and be exposed to new methods concerning marketing, that I was unaware of.  As you may know, I’m a blogger and I write content primarily because I enjoy it.  But, the new knowledge will help me manage and operate my site more efficiently.

The techniques and the Insight that I gained from the program will hopefully help me increase my social media reach so that I can in turn, help others with their awareness campaigns.

Some of the topics we covered, and projects worked on, were data analytics using Google Analytics, scheduling content for posting, creating user personas (to identify your intended audiences), and managing marketing campaigns from start to finish. We also worked on ad creation, and AB Testing. Some of these things I had heard of before, but most I have never used/implemented.  Now, I can put into practice my newly acquired skills and take my site to the next level.

So, shout out and  thank you Udacity and OneTen and BIT for the opportunity.  I appreciate the knowledge and it was time well spent.

#DigitalMarketing #Udacity #OneTen #BIT #BlacksInTechnology #DanielSpeller

“How do you motivate team members to stay productive and motivated while working remotely?” ✏️

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laptop on a brown office desk
Photo by Olena Bohovyk on Pexels.com

“How do you motivate team members to stay productive and motivated while working remotely? ✏️”  I saw this writing prompt from my LinkedIn profile as I was going in to edit a few things. So let’s explore.

My mind filled with many answers to this question and I listed a few responses below.

  1. First, in my opinion the premise of the question is suspect.  The assumption of the question is that people aren’t motivated while working from home.  For many people, working from home is the ideal situation as it helps cut down on the costs associated with work; and helps mesh work into their lifestyle.  So I think corporations and management should keep that same energy that they had when asking people to work during the peak of the pandemic. Having said that –
  2. Management should approach the solution of working from home as an extension to working from the office — even if they never go back to the office again. Communicating with employees using various technologies like phone text, Zoom meetings, Google chat, WhatsApp, and even Skype –can increase  esprit de corps (spirit of the group) among team members.
  3. Assume the motivation is already there… until proven not to be.  Then use conflict/resolution strategies to find out what’s going on just as you would during a counseling session, or a one-on-one session, back in the office.
  4. Ensure everyone is familiar with, and skilled in, the use of applications and technologies being used by the organization. Sometimes, people need additional training when they start working solo, although still remaining part of the team. (Read that again.) Supervisors and management should get to know team members well enough to detect who is good with technology; and how to get those who are not, more comfortable with using it by providing additional training. This holds true in both “in-office” and “work from home” settings. Often, it is assumed people know how to do things that they may not know how to do proficiently. Increasing levels of proficiency in the use of available tools alone, can help improve productivity.
  5. Encourage participation in online group meetings to create synergy. For example, in the office, a  person could give great verbal input on projects –but could be lacking in details or follow up. Someone else would chime in or use their skill set to improve upon the idea.  That same synergy should carry over in a work-from-home environment too, instead of expecting the person with the idea to have all the answers.

These are only a few suggestions but I’m sure there are many other things leaders can take note of that happen in an office environment and use their creativity to implement those things for working at home. As a leader and manager of your team, ensuring the development and success of the team is vital.

Business: Do You Have An SOP? (Standard Operating Procedure)

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Two woment working in ofice setting

An SOP (Standard/Standard Operating Procedure) is a basic guide that gives you information about how an organization or company runs or operates.  I was first introduced to them when I was in the military and word as an administrative support specialist.

The book/guide was a wonderful and useful tool that told you all sorts of information about the organization.  Everything from working hours down to the dress code in some instances.  It culminated much of the information in the guide from other sources and served as a general breakdown about what to do and how it should be done.

When I switched over to the private sector, I sometimes found that a written SOP was not in place.  Sometimes, some of the rules were passed down by word of mouth and at other times, it seemed like they were being made up on the spot or real time as a solution was being contrived.

Do you have an SOP for your organization?  If not—it might be helpful to develop one, even if you are a one man/person operation.  It may help save time and resources should your organization grow, or you bring in subcontractors or temporary workers to supplement your workforce.  They could quickly learn the basic operation of your organization and get familiar with expectations.

SOPs can be simple or complex.  In either case, a few inclusions should be considered.

  1. Brief Background about the Organization
  2. Principals of the Organization
  3. Organizational Chart
  4. Nearest Exit; Where to go in case of evacuations; and where to meet.
  5. Hours of Operation
  6. Emergency Contact Numbers
  7. How to handle customer calls and complaints

These are a few things to consider, but there are many other things that could be included.   However, just having these few items available for your staff could save time and assist in the flow and smoother operation of your business.  Would you like an eBook expounding on this topic or help putting an SOP together?  Let me know!

Consider a Mixed-Marketing Strategy for Your Organization

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Daniel Speller.info tag

A mixed marketing strategy might be just what you need for your organization. And, what do I mean by that? I mean diversifying your marketing dollars to included various forms of social media.  Some of which are very affordable.

Ads or posts on Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram and the like are fine, however, they normally require you and your potential client or customer to have an account on those types of platforms for you to be seen.  Google ads are cool too and if you have the budget to sustain campaigns –that’s great.

I’d like to suggest that you also consider adding bloggers to your mix.  Many like me, at https://dhspeller.com, have their own spaces on the internet and can use our platforms to help you get visibility for your organization, service or product very affordably.  Often other services can be added to the mix at a fraction of the cost.

Although bloggers, are not necessarily marketers or ad agencies, we are somewhat familiar with content creation, search engine optimization, and a consistent presence online with a growing audience.  We can assist by helping with supplemental marketing needs.  And, many won’t mind working with you by placing an ad on their site for you.

How does it work?

Normally, bloggers write content about topics they want to talk about.  They either let their reads and audience know about their content through subscriptions or by putting out excerpts on social media platforms they use.  Visitors come to their site to read about the topics they’ve written and get to see other content they have while on the site.

ad for 60 dollar yearly subscription

For instance, on my site, I have a whole directory dedicated just for that purpose.  For clients not familiar with the internet or social media, I offer assistance and even design their ad space to serve as a mini website to help them get their message out!

How are bloggers different?

In most cases, bloggers have more control over their website or blog.  In most cases anyone can just go to the site and see the content without having to have an account to log into as with Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Would you like to know more?   Let’s talk about getting something started today!