Online Scams Proliferating - Economic Hard Times Make People More Vulnerable

WorldClass Brand Management can Protect Your Reputation

I'm certain you all have been inundated with classical Nigerian email scams, and I hope you are all staying alert with respect to new and ingenious variations on a variety of scams.  These scams can impact your online reputation so please consider this free information about protecting your online reputation with simple reputation management solutions.

As I have two college-age kids, I am trying to teach them how to protect themselves from online predators. Not just sexual predators, but financial predators who will stop at nothing to extract both dollars and information in any way possible.

I was asked recently what advice I would give to friends and family about protecting reputations online, so here's what I recommended. The SocialSphere is a whole new world with all kinds of opportunities and benefits, as well as some serious challenges. There are really three major pieces of advice I'd give:

1. Don't ever put ANYTHING on the Internet that you're not absolutely sure you're willing to have the entire world see. Words or pictures. Once it's on the net it is NEVER coming off. Assume that everything you post is eventually going to be read in front of a judge and a jury, that should keep you out of trouble.

2. Don't trust ANYONE on the Internet. It sounds cynical, but you have to start from a baseline that NO ONE is telling the truth and that everything should be suspect. There are so many crooks and fraudsters who are very bright and they are constantly coming up with ways to trick, cheat and steal.

3. Monitor your Name: setup a Google alert with every variation of your name you can think of, "firstname middlename lastname", "firstname lastname", "firstname", "lastname", "marriedname", "maidenname", "nickname." Make sure to look at all the alerts and link through to each one, it could save your reputation.

I monitor my kids names, and recently got an alert saying that their name had been found in a U.S. Court system. As I researched it, it was a Hungarian marketing company acting as a reseller for an Oregon based data company who basically uses this strategy to get you to sign up for their service so you can supposedly see what the U.S. Court has on you. This is a serious offense which I'm pursuing with my attorney...akin to the newest version of cyber-identity theft...but worse, reputation theft and character assassination by implication. They are using psychological intimidation and veiled threats of the U.S. Court system to try and induce unsuspecting or naive individuals (in this case, my kids...who don't know any better) to sign up for their so-called "service" for a fee. They are hoping that the kids will be so scared and worried about what might be on the court records (whether or not there's anything there) that they'll sign up and pay the fee just to answer a question that in the case of my kids doesn't need an answer.

I am dead serious on this issue and am now an unbelievably ticked off dad who is going to take these guys to the mat. They now know that I'm a dog and they are the bone. Stay tuned and I'll keep you posted about how this turns out.

Another recent example is an email I got as follows:

r u doing okay ? Kendell‏
From: Mariam Gabriel (hello_strawberry@hotmail.com)
Sent: Thu 1/28/10 5:00 AM
To: virtualcio@hotmail.com

where have you been Kendell

thought about you the other day, i thought that i saw you over by taco bell.

can u please give me your opinion on this it's set up over here, http://www.theknifecardpro2.com/8564447/Kendell

u know who
===============
Even though this was in my spam folder and even though I know it's a scam, I decided to explore what they were promoting so I could share with you what's going on. Now, when you click through to www.theknifecardpro2.com it appears to be a legitimate ecard site, interestingly titled "Crush Greetings." If you click on the "Contact Us" or any other link on the site, the URL auto-rotates to www.adorecards.com.

Here is the registration information for the Netherlands-based company behind the URL of www.theknifecardpro2.com:

Owner Contact:
Emile Aarts emile.aarst@yahoo.com

Keislagen 76
Breda, 4823 KM, NL

Punycode Name: theknifecardpro2.com
Unicode Name: theknifecardpro2.com

Admin Contact
Emile Aarts


Keislagen 76
Breda, 4823 KM, NL
phone: +31 768884191

Technical Contact
Hostmaster Strato Rechenzentrum hostmaster@cronon-isp.net
Cronon AG Professional IT-Services

Emmy-Noether-Str. 10
Karlsruhe, D-76131, DE
phone: +49 72166320305

Zone Contact
Hostmaster Strato Rechenzentrum
Cronon AG Professional IT-Services

Emmy-Noether-Str. 10
Karlsruhe, D-76131, DE
phone: +49 72166320305

Record expires on: 2011-01-19 22:30:20

Domain servers in listed order:

shades10.rzone.de
docks16.rzone.de

Registrant Search:"Emile Aarts" owns about 295 other domains and his Email is associated with about 291 domains.

Here is the registration information for the URL of www.adorecards.com:

Registration Service Provided By: APM
Contact: +305.3205512

Domain Name: ADORECARDS.COM

Registrant:
Brandon Debois
Brandon Debois (skrilled@gmail.com)
437 P Dotnis Rd
Orlando
Florida,32835
US
Tel. +407.5551782

Creation Date: 04-Mar-2009
Expiration Date: 04-Mar-2010

Domain servers in listed order:
ns2.adorecards.com
ns1.adorecards.com

Administrative Contact:
Brandon Debois
Brandon Debois ()
437 P Dotnis Rd
Orlando
Florida,32835
US
Tel. +407.5551782

Technical Contact:
Brandon Debois
Brandon Debois ()
437 P Dotnis Rd
Orlando
Florida,32835
US
Tel. +407.5551782

Billing Contact:
Brandon Debois
Brandon Debois ()
437 P Dotnis Rd
Orlando
Florida,32835
US
Tel. +407.5551782

Status:ACTIVE

========================================

When I input the Pickup Code included in the email, here's what I find:

E-Card
Message:

Kendell,

This is difficult for me to do because I'm shy.. but I have a crush on you. I've
never been able to tell you for reasons which you would quickly identify as
obvious if you knew who this was. With that said, I want you to guess who I am,
and approach me yourself.

To help you out with your guessing I made a few pictures and videos with ''Kendell''
written on my body. They're kind of risque photos so I had to make a profile at
CAM SPACE ONLINE dot COM and post them there. I made my username on the site
''KendellandME09''. (It's a free website but you might need a CC or Debit to
verify your age because I had to. Sigh.)

But anyway sign up at
CAM SPACE ONLINE dot COM and once you are inside search for ''KendellandME09''. I
want you to guess who I am and then approach me yourself. I'm shy and this is
the bravest thing I've probably ever done, but you need to do the rest.

Kisses,
Secret Admirer?
haha. Bye

=====================

Here is the registration information for the URL of http://www.cam space online dot com:

Registrant:

None
Long Matt
4200 Castle Cove
Kissimmee, FL 34746
US
+1.4072010555

Administrative Contact:
None
Long Matt
4200 Castle Cove
Kissimmee, FL 34746
US
+1.4072010555

Technical Contact:
None
Long Matt
4200 Castle Cove
Kissimmee, FL 34746
US
+1.4072010555

Billing Contact
None
Long Matt
4200 Castle Cove
Kissimmee, FL 34746
US
+1.4072010555

Registrar..: gkg.net (http://register.gkg.net/)
Domain Name: CAMSPACEONLINE.COM
Created on..............: 06-JAN-2010
Expires on..............: 06-JAN-2011
Record last updated on..: 06-JAN-2010
Status..................: ACTIVE
Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.CAMSPACEONLINE dot COM
NS2.CAMSPACEONLINE dot COM

Of course this leads to pornography website which tries to entice you to sign up for a "FREE" membership which only requires that you give them either a credit card number or a check.  Yea RIGHT!

This all may be technically legal...but it's just not right.  Although I doubt there's going to be any pursuit of these shady operators, I have filed a complaint with the Florida Attorney General at:

Office of the Attorney General

PL-01 The Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1050
Telephone: (850) 414-3990
Toll Free within Florida: 1-866-966-7226
They have an online complaint submission form at http://myfloridalegal.com/Contact.nsf/Contact?OpenForm&Section=Economic_Crimes
I have included below a link to the Florida Attorney General Website at http://myfloridalegal.com/, and it is interesting to note that they highlight the following scams:

Protecting Yourself from Consumer Fraud

This page will guide you to useful tools and tips for protecting yourself from consumer fraud.

• Advance Fee Loans
• Art Fraud
• Auto Repair Fraud
• Automobile Repossession
• Business Opportunities
• Buying A New Car
• Buying A Used Car
• Car Ads
• Car Financing
• Car Leasing
• Car Rental
• Carpet Cleaners
• Caskets and Burial Vaults
• Charitable Solicitations
• Checking Account Numbers
• Chronic and Persistent Car Trouble
• Cool-Off Rule
• Cosigning A Loan
• Cosmetic Surgery
• Credit Card Bills
• Credit Card Fraud
• Credit Repair and Debt Relief Services
• Dance Studios
• Debt Collection
• Electronic Equipment and Repair
• Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses
• Fair Credit Reporting
• Food Advertising/Labeling
• Foreign Lottery
• "Gas Saving" Products
• Gemstone Investment Schemes
• Going Out of Business
• "Gold" Credit Cards
• Health Studios
• Health Fraud
• Holiday Buying
• Identity Theft
• Infomercials
• Internet Email
• Internet Shopping
  Investing In Precious Metals
  Investing in Wireless Cable
  Invention Promotion Firms
  Job Listing and Job Search Firms
  Land Sales Scams
  Lawn Service Contracts
  Lottery Fraud
  Mortgage Foreclosures
  Movers
  Multilevel Marketing
  Negative Option Marketing Plans
  Nigerian 419
  Odometer Fraud
  Overpayment Scams
  Overseas Job Firms
  Phishing
  Price Gouging After A Hurricane
  Rain Checks
  Rare Coin Investment Schemes
  Real Estate Brokers
  Recovery Room Scams
  Service Contracts
  Small Business Scams
  Sweepstakes
  Shopping By Mail Or Phone
  Smoking Cures
  SPAM
  Tax Evasion Schemes
  Telemarketing
  Title Loans
  Toy Ads On TV
  Timeshare Sales and Resales
  Unordered Merchandise
  Unsolicited Facsimile Transmissions
  Vacation Certificates
  Varicose Vein Treatments
  Water Treatment Devices
  Weight Loss Programs
  Work-At-Home Schemes
  Worthless Bank Checks
  Yellow Pages Invoice Scam
  "800" Prefix Telephone Services
  "900" Prefix Telephone Services

For additional information on protecting yourself from consumer fraud please visit our Consumer Links page.

Hopefully you find this information useful and if you are interested in professional reputation protection and online reputation management, please contact me at 760.445.3315.

Personal Brand Management - Finding a Job in a Tough Economy

In a recent article titled, "Job Makeover: Find a job in a tough economy" by Money Magazine contributing writer Paul Keegan, he shares a story about three out-of-work professionals who get makeovers from a team of four top career experts. Result: One master plan for each, full of smart strategies to find a job in a tough market. Their advice can boost your prospects too, but there is a significant piece which isn't addressed by any of their advice.  That piece is Personal Brand Management.

Branding (take a lesson from big brands) is well understood by big companies and traditional creative agencies. At a time when the individual is becoming more the focus, you have to develop and manage your personal brand.  If you are competing for a limited number of jobs in a crowded market, how are you going to differentiate and stand out from the crowd.  It’s a brand new social networking world and you’ve got to be branded. Branding will give you what it takes to stand out and prosper in the new social network.
WorldClass Personal Brand Management

Personal Brand Management is the process whereby a person’s name, their career and their work are marked as a brand. Personal Brand Management is a success when it is driven from self-packaging. Self-packaging can be done both through individual effort, as well as through guided professional assistance. WorldClass Brand Management is state-of-the-art approach to providing professional Brand Management in a hyper-competitive online world.

When you think about Personal Brand Management, you must consider the whole package; the person, the clothing, the appearance, the knowledge, the service, the expertise, the deliverables, the still and moving images – all building to an indelible impression that is uniquely distinguishable as your personal brand.

Personal branding, self-branding, self-positioning and all individual branding by whatever name are really about positioning yourself and your career. You can benefit by using positioning strategy to advance your own career. In a world that is fiercely competitive, whether you develop your own personal brand or retain the services of a professional brand manager, you need to have a strategic plan to manage your personal brand.

Defending your reputation is a must in a connected world. We defend your reputation and proactively manage your online reputation.

Here are the major areas you will need to include in your strategic plan, and we are excited about the possibility of assisting you if you want a professional team to build and manage your online reputation.

Facebook in the SocialSphere

In April 2008 FaceBook hit a huge milestone: they officially caught up to MySpace in terms of unique monthly worldwide visitors! This means you need to have a presence here, but do you have time to regularly post updates, respond to requests, produce a fan page, make a business connection? If you've previously had a MySpace, do you keep it or delete it? Can you manage both?

FaceBook is one of the most effective ways to connect with people on the internet IF you know what you're doing. Sadly, most marketers will hop on FaceBook and shoot themselves in the foot before they even get started! If you make just one of these critical mistakes you will not be able to leverage FaceBook to build your business.

Our team has the experience, skills and tools to DOMINATE on FaceBook. The hidden tactics we use as part of your overall Brand Strategy alone are worth $1000's of dollars in PROFIT for your business.

Twitter in the SocialSphere

Twitter has been one of the fastest growing social networking websites in recent years. What this means is that Twitter's an absolute goldmine for educated online business owners & network marketers!  This is a great way to expand your network and you may even find employers using this to identify candidates.

Our Twitter experts know exactly how to create, manage and promote your Brand using Twitter. Our Twitter team leverages a handful of cutting-edge marketing tools to generate leads using this amazing new social marketing community!

If you aren't familiar with Twitter, don't know how to create a tweet, what it means to be followed or be a follower, or how to retweet...don't worry, we'll take care of all the details for you. Your kids will be amazed that you've got this handled.

Video Marketing in the SocialSphere

Video marketing is one of the fastest ways to get indexed on organic search engines, which is 100% FREE TRAFFIC! However, 90% of internet marketers think that since YouTube is the biggest video hosting site on the internet, that it's the ONLY site. BIG MISTAKE.

Yes, YouTube is definitely the largest video hosting site on the internet, but you're leaving THOUSANDS of dollars on the table if you're not implementing strategies that put your videos on 40+ different video hosting sites, social bookmarking sites, podcasts, blogsites, etc. with the click of a button. Our team achieves 9 out of the top 10 Google positions for certain keywords in a 48 hour period. THIS IS KILLER!

We'll also work with you to develop your own Branded Video, what to say in a video, how to say it, and how to position yourself so that your videos convert even if you've never been in front of a camera before... ;)

Blogging in the SocialSphere

Your blog is your central nerve center. A professional looking blog can boost your Brand and improve your business profits 100-fold IF you know how to drive serious traffic to it. That's where we come in...

The blogging experts on our team are some of the most advanced bloggers on the internet. Do you want to personally spend the time to learn how to use just the top 6 blogging websites? Each one is different and each one has unique technology aspects which you can certainly learn. As our client we will set-up your very own wordpress blog and two other blog sites. Then we will work to turn your blog into a lethal weapon that can generate new leads on a daily on complete autopilot.

In order to do what we do, each site must install specific wordpress widgets & plug-ins, tricks & tools, but our team has got you covered and will take care of all the technical details.

Web 2.0 in the SocialSphere

Our Team includes MASTERS of every single form of Web2.0 marketing, which is basically any marketing platform where users can interact with one another and share information. It's not just FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, and MySpace... Far from it.

Some of the most profitable Web2.0 sites include things like Hubpages, Squidoo, and LinkedIn along with countless others. Our team is going to implement for you all the leading edge Web 2.0 technologies to leverage ALL FORMS of WEB2.0 marketing so that we can assist you to generate an endless amount of laser-targeted leads to your business or for your jobhunt... favorite social networks and social bookmarking sites like Google Bookmarks, Del.icio.us, Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Technorati, Facebook, Twitter and others are the easy ones.

But, have you heard of some of the supported providers in our solution? Providers like: Netaddress, 5Fm, Uk2, Wp.pt, AOL, KataMail, Terra, Hushmail, Mynet.com, Nz11, GMX.net, Libero, Mail.com, Gawab, Azet, IndiaTimes, Yandex, Inbox.com, Doramail, Sapo.pt, Lycos, Interia, Abv, Rambler, Yahoo!, Popstarmail, FastMail, Rediff, Mail.ru, Live/Hotmail, Care2, Mail.in, Bigstring, Clevergo, OperaMail, Evite, Walla, Apropo, Zapakmail, GMail, Web.de or social portals like Kincafe, Multiply, Hi5, Last.fm, Motortopia, Twitter, Famiva, Plaxo, Xanga, Xing, Meinvz, Friendster, Plurk, Friendfeed, Eons, Skyrock, Vimeo, Xuqa, Facebook, Lovento, Orkut, Konnects, Cyworld, Mevio, Brazencareerist, Perfspot, Mycatspace, Flickr, Mydogspace, Livejournal, Badoo, Hyves, Tagged, MySpace, Flixster, Bebo, Faces, Flingr, Plazes, Fdcareer, LinkedIn.
The rapidly-rising popularity of social networks have changed the rules of customer interaction.

Using Web 2.0 social networks effectively requires some basic knowledge and a framework that will keep things running smoothly. That is the value added aspect of our Brand Management service.

Keyword Research in the SocialSphere

Our team is also going to walk you through exactly how we've been able to choose keywords and scientifically know before we even start marketing whether or not that keyword is going to MAKE MONEY or help you find the Career Opportunity you most desire. Can you say POWERFUL? We will guide you through a Keyword Validation study which is a very productive exercise and will give us the basic information around which the balance of your Brand Management program will be implemented.

It is generally accepted in the SEO industry that trying to rank a homepage for anywhere near 100 keywords is unrealistic, so including that many keywords can actually be a negative. We recommend a strategy to break up the keywords across your homepage and other subpages across your website and social sites which are all focused on increments of other keywords. Optimal ranking occurs when you limit the keywords to one (1) per page, so we implement a strategy which maximizes the ranking for each specific keyword.

Articles and Press Releases in the SocialSphere

Using effectively written Press Releases and industry-specific articles positioning our clients as subject matter experts is one of the most overlooked marketing strategies on the Internet. To prove this for yourself, just Google ANY keyword... there's a 90% chance that at least one of the top 10 positions on Google is an article or press release!

However, most internet marketers don't dig deep into article marketing as a serious lead generation source. We extensively use our network of hundreds of distribution outlets for rapid and effective publication of articles and press releases which get immediate distribution across this network. We have spent years compiling, managing, updating and maintaining our list of the most effective distribution outlets and we make all of that work and research available for the benefit of our clients.

This means big results for you! As a member of our elite client team you will be the beneficiary of some of the most advanced article marketing strategies that will put you on the first page of Google FAST.

MySpace in the SocialSphere

In 2006 MySpace hit the 100,000,000 account status... it is now 2010... you do the math. MySpace can be just as powerful as FaceBook if you learn some of the tips and tricks our team knows how to implement for you.

MySpace was the marketing platform that some of the biggest internet superstars on our team started with just a few years ago.

Imagine all of the knowledge you could learn from self-made millionaires about MySpace who initially got their big push from leveraging MySpace...

Open the flood gates to an endless amount of traffic!

List Builders in the SocialSphere

Leveraging list builders is hands-down the simplest way to generate your very first lead online.

Our professional copywriting team produces PROVEN letters for our clients which we can start using for your benefit TODAY. Although other internet marketers will tell you to simply copy, paste, insert a link for your website, and then shoot it out to some list builders, an effective use of List Builders is more sophisticated than this. Our solution is much more customized than a copy & paste solution, and our customized approach for you can generate leads with this strategy TODAY. As with anything worth doing, if it were easy...everyone would be doing it.

If you don't even know what list builders are then quit reading this webpage, scroll to the bottom, and join our elite client team today... It's time to get you into our fold!

Ezines in the SocialSphere

Ezines are online newsletters, and they can be EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE for branding your business. However, you can't just throw up a solo ad in a newsletter and hope that it makes you money.

We're going to take your content and leverage ezines the right way, how to find the money-makers before you even spend a dime, and give you the EXACT ads we recommend you let us post on your behalf so that YOU get as much traffic as possible.

Classified Ads and Forums in the SocialSphere

There are literally THOUSANDS of online forums and online newspapers / classifieds that get a good amount of traffic. With online classifieds you can get the benefit of our team's proven 3-line advertisements, which will entice the reader to click on your ad and learn more. With online forums you can engage in conversations with other users who are interested in the same topics that you're interested in.

Our team has uncovered a few key elements to both Classified ads and Forum Marketing so that we can make them both PROFITABLE for your benefit.

If you'd like some assistance creating your own Personal Brand Strategy, please contact us at:

Lead Brand Manager
WorldClass Brand Management
1155 Camino del Mar, Suite 521
Del Mar, California 92014
http://www.worldclass.com/
(+01) 760.445.3315
(e) Contact@WorldClass.com

WorldClass Personal Brand Management

Personal Brand Management

by Kendell R. Lang

When talking about personal brand management, I am talking about my personal brand, my executive brand, my intellectual brand, my brand statement, and my personal value proposition. As a technologist, writer and change management specialist, there is a tried and true methodology which I've personally used many times in the past which I believe applies to this phase of my personal brand assessment.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, yes...the old SWOT analysis is an ideal way to understand your strengths and weaknesses, and where the opportunities and threats lie with regard to selling my, my brand.

In this post I'm talking about using the SWOT analysis to help me address the ever-present question of strengths and weaknesses, but if you think about it, it’s the perfect way to identify some very personal areas of opportunity.

Of course there is also the definition of insanity by trying to get a different result by doing the same thing. In this case I am seeking a specific outcome so I have to be willing to get outside my box and use proven tools in a new way. When I go about performing this self-analysis, the most difficult task is going to be realistically, as independently and as honestly as possible consider my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in light of my objectives, my experience, my circumstances, my sphere of influence, my chosen vertical market and the technical skills of my chosen profession.

I am thinking about this not purely from a competitive position, but I'm think about this as war. Psychological Warfare. The Art of War put into the form of a Thought War. In my personal brand continuum "space", who is vying for the same results, the same objective, the same partnership, the same engagement or the same job? I have to so fundamentally shift my thinking to be radically focused on and genuinely most interested in the needs of the target, partner or hiring company. What makes me stand out to solve their problems? Here’s how I am using the SWOT assessment process to define my personal brand and find my next book agent, production company, joint venture partner or maybe even a job :)

Strengths:
· What advantages do I have?
· What do I do better than anyone else?
· What unique or low-cost resources do I have to offer?
· What do others see as my strengths?
· How do I help close the sale or reduce overhead?

Weaknesses:
· What areas can I improve?
· What areas should I avoid?
· What do peers in my market see as weaknesses?
· Where do I fail when trying to close a sale or reduce costs?

Opportunities:
· What opportunities am I seeing?
· What interesting trends can I identify and take advantage of, such as changes in technology, regulations, social patterns, etc.?
· What is happening in my market that can promote new business development?

Threats:
· What obstacles do I face?
· What interesting trends can I identify which I should be worried about?
· Are the required specifications for my project, my venture, my job, products or services changing?
· Is changing technology threatening my personal brand position?
· Do I have bad debt or cash-flow problems?
· Could any of my weaknesses seriously threaten my business?

Once I actually complete my SWOT analysis I expect to have a clear picture of how I fit in my target market, my strengths and weaknesses, and what will differentiate me from the competition.

Now I can then get to work on distilling my findings into a succinct pitch that really shows my strengths and why someone will seek me out.

WorldClass Branding for Small Business

Realities of Online Brand Development and Search Engine Optimization for Small Business

 

 

In a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, Cyndia Zwahlen writes;

The small business was funded in part by venture capitalist Peter Rogers and his Dry Creek Ventures, which targets clean energy, water and food businesses.

Such small local food outfits, especially those that are gentle on the environment, are key to the long-term health of the economy but need formal access to local investors to succeed, says social venture-capitalist and entrepreneur Woody Tasch.

Shifting capital to organic farmers, independent food entrepreneurs, farmers markets and restaurateurs will pay off in stronger local economies, a healthier environment and improved supplies of affordable, healthful food, Tasch said.

He founded Slow Money Alliance last year to spearhead the creation of regional networks of local investors that want to put their money into local enterprises.

"We've had the life sucked out of our society and economy by financial markets run amok and globalism run to extremes," Tasch said. Slow Money is "part of a network emerging of people who want to repair the damage."

Chapter 4 - THE SETUP

THE SETUP

The perfect setup is the one where no one, not politicians, not lobbyists, not lawyers or human rights activists…no one, can imagine that the perfect set of circumstances will be brought into play where all the elements of the perfect plan will be played out with such precision that it would defy explanation. It would appear too grand, too contrived, too spectacular for any single person or entity to have orchestrated the perfect setup. Think about some of the great events that have marked time and space. The Cuban missile crisis, the falling of the Berlin wall, the implosion of the Savings and Loan Associations, the Stock Market crash, the Patriot Act, Sarbanes-Oxley. All seem to be driven by a confluence of factors that would defy control or influence by one individual. Yet that is the perfect setup. To have an event at the magnitude of a perfect economic storm, something that affects everyone, yet seems uncontrollable by the power of men. Just like a perfect storm, the perfect setup combines forces that are propelling and buffeting the outcome just like a series of interrelated and interconnected weather systems. The perfect setup will bring about seemingly unrelated disturbances, swift and global. As the clouds gather and the wind stiffens, the world sails onward in oblivion, with no apparent adjustment in course, full steam ahead. All without realizing that they’ve just experienced the perfect setup. While many are willing to imagine in detail what a perfect economic storm would look like, virtually none will forecast precisely when - or if - it will start. And so it remains a vague and distant possibility. Precisely the environment that supports the ability to achieve the perfect setup.

Chapter 3 - THE BACKGROUND

Chapter 3

THE BACKGROUND

To lay out the perfect plan, you have to understand a few things. First, it is all about relationships. Everything in life, no matter how you frame it, boils down to relationships. If you could take human nature out of whatever equation you’re dealing with, you could do it perfect every time. I could have been a multi-billionaire several times if it weren’t for human nature. Unfortunately, that’s not the world in which we live, so you have to deal with people. The beauty of the perfect plan is that I did it completely in isolation. If you bring one other person into the equation, it won’t be perfect. If you tell anyone about it, it will be foiled. One of the keys to the perfect plan is to create a vacuum from which it can be launched without any dependency on another human being.


That isn’t to say the perfect plan can’t include people, it just has to be done without them knowing about it. How perfect is that? Using peoples time, skills and motivations to help me accomplish the perfect plan. All without them knowing they are accomplishing a piece in a fabric of events woven together in a way that they fulfill their part of the plan just by going about their daily routine.

In my life, there have been many instances where human nature has failed me. I’m not interested in going down any path of psycho-babble analysis of my life, but it is interesting to see how various individuals have helped shape the perfect plan. The culmination of our character is significantly shaped by external influences, in most cases that is contact with other people. The contacts that most influenced my development of the perfect plan are an interesting sample of the broad spectrum of characters.

I find human nature fascinating, probably from the earliest experiences of seeing human failures and being impacted by poor choices. The perfect plan assumes that you can’t be impacted by other peoples choices, good or bad, so you have to anticipate at a level of 5th dimensional chess what possible alternatives could come from various influences. The beauty of the perfect plan is that it anticipates the incongruities of human nature and the absolute certainty that people will screw up.

Internet Marketing 101 - Personal Brand Development Components

Internet Marketing 101

Personal Brand Development Components

In a recent article titled "Personal Brand Management: The Secret to Career Mobility" by Todd Rhoad he states, "Developing personal brand equity is a key element to establishing and maintaining your career mobility. Increasing manager equity is the quickest method for improving and selling your brand throughout the organization. It requires an understanding of what managers like, how to measure your changes and how to influence their perceptions with less effort."


Developing a compelling personal brand image still remains essential to positioning yourself. Everyone is overworked and unable to focus entirely on any one thing, so your ability to have someone managing your personal brand is essential. Professional development in the corporation has morphed into the reality that you have to manage your own personal development. In other words, management doesn't have time to help you develop your career. Sure, they'll take a few minutes to help you jot down your goals but it won't go much further than that. Employees don't get the kind of attention nowadays that helps develop careers. The best way to promote yourself is to promote your personal brand and that is what I deliver for my clients, personal brand management.

Personal brand management has a variety of components and you should carefully consider how to integrate all of the following into your personal brand strategy.

Internet Marketing

Methodology. Strategy. Technology. Execution.

These elements are the foundation to delivering powerful results. Having the ability to do a 360 degree evaluation and to seamlessly implement all aspects of an Internet marketing plan provides my clients a single source solution when partnering with me.

Pay Per Click Management

Pay Per Click Management (PPC) - My personal brand management implements a pay per click strategy which has a solid track record of delivering superior ROI.  My results are certified by Google, Yahoo!, and MSN.

Search Engine Optimization Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - My experience as an SEO analyst provides my clients with efficient, high ROI producing organic search engine optimization campaigns that are part of a fully integrated Internet marketing strategy.

Paid Inclusion (SSP)

Paid Inclusion - I help businesses extend their Internet marketing reach at a low and controllable cost through paid inclusion marketing also known as Yahoo SSP.

Content Advertising

Content Advertising - My Interactive marketing expertise continuously maximizes content advertising opportunities for my clients and refines a placement strategy to give my clients new leads, eCommerce sales, and millions of impressions.

Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing - My targeted social media marketing will help you personally or your business control, protect, and grow your brand.  There is a huge brand awareness developed through social network marketing and you need someone with my experience to help you protect your personal brand.

Website Design Website Design & Development - As a full service Internet marketing specialist, my ability to create custom websites and landing pages that blend visual appeal with usability for the end goal of conversions is part of the overall personal branding strategy.

Online Video Marketing

Video Marketing - I cannot underestimate the importance of developing compelling, rich media content to effectively communicate your value proposition and convert visitors into customers. I spend a great deal of time getting my customers into the studio to produce effective video interviews to share their personal brand via video.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate Marketing - I have broad experience managing affiliate programs in various industries, including one of Commission Junction's top 10 affiliate marketing programs. If you are providing a service and are looking to leverage your solution, you must have an affiliate marketing strategy and I can help you accomplish this.

Discovering your personal brand is the most challenging part because it takes the most thought. I can help you find yourself.  Once you understand that, it is time to create your brand. Once the creation process completed, you are now able to deliver this content, both verbally and electronically, to whoever you want to understand who you are and what value you provide.

Even with a strong Personal Brand, over time it may decay or be out-of-date. That is why the third strategy is to maintain your Personal Brand over time. The brand must be updated with the latest technical competencies, attire, and feel in order to survive. The market changes rapidly and corporations transition, forcing you to evolve in the same fashion. It's all about knowing where you are, who you want to be, and strategizing how to get there.

 

Top 5 Personal Branding Tips for Success

1. 
   
   Start by letting me help you discover your personal brand.
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Ensure your skills, competencies, interests, and personality match your objectives.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   Network with peers, professionals in your field, and family members.
   
   
   
4. 
   
   Create all tangible pieces simultaneously with your intangible core message for maximum consistency.
   
   
   
5. 
   
   Send out as many invitations to network as you can, with the strongest content you have.
   
   
   

Career development is dead and Personal Branding is in. There are far too many job applicants for you not to take into account the entire personal brand management issue. Personal Branding is about differentiation, positioning, and creativity. It allows you to have a better insight into what you're interested in, your career, and your pursuit of happiness. Ask yourself this: Do I want to be like everyone else? If you do, then you will not be chosen for a competitive position. Those who aren't distinct are known, in marketing, as commodities. Commodities have to battle on price and you want to be compensated for your value, so stick with Personal Branding. Commodities are easily replaceable and unrecognizable by the target audience.

There is an even bigger picture with Personal Branding and that is life. Those who have strong brands will not only succeed at their profession, but will also have a better life experience because they will gain confidence in their skills and feel unique in a world where there are billions of people. Career development was only the beginning and now Personal Branding has taken over and you must brand yourself!

Let me help you, so call me at 760.445.3315 or email me at kendell.lang@gmail.com

Personal Web Marketing and Internet Marketing Coach

Personal Web Marketing

There is an approach to personal web marketing, or personal internet marketing, which I provide for my clients which is very sophisticated, very technically detailed and very effective.  This strategy is not for everyone, but for anyone who wants to be perceived as a rock star in their profession, you must develop a personal web marketing strategy.  I have honed my skills over two decades and have developed a unique and proprietary solution to provide maximum impact to my clients for their Personal Brand development.

In a recent article in Dental Economics, author Bill Blatchford talks about the reality that, "Life is moving so fast, we can barely keep up. Business practices and marketing ideas are happening on the Internet at a speed we cannot comprehend. Called Web 2.0, social networking is the idea of bringing people together for friendship and business."

Bill goes on to say, "The importance to me for people and businesses (dentistry) to be involved in social networking is so we can have an opportunity to direct our brand or offer services instantly and uniquely. If we have no presence, our marketing still happens but could take a negative turn such as, “Dr. Smith doesn't listen and her hygienist hurt me.” You can't be on every site every minute, but part of your marketing effort is to be present and put a positive spin on yourself personally and professionally."

So how can you translate Personal Brand and personal web marketing into a way to grow your business and impact your wealth?  That is what a Personal Brand Continuum Plan is all about.

The average perception is that high profile athletes who get paid huge contracts for their physical abilities make up a large percentage of millionaires in America.  The reality is; athletes, musicians, actors and actresses make up less than 1% of the millionaires in America.  Here is something you probably didn't know!  99% of self made millionaires in America come from these four categories.

Self Owned Business = 74%
Senior Executive Positions = 10%
Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers = 10%
Salespeople and Consultants = 5%

Being a self-owned business is what has made America great and it is the small business owner who has been the driving force behind every economic recovery and/or growth in our economy.  Yet your success or lack of success is determined by the following.
40% - Genealogy = This is your thoughts, culture, instincts and beliefs.
20% - Environment = Where you were born, and raised, and how many resources you had growing up.
40% - You

Social networking is huge and this is something you need to understand if you intend to compete in this economy. Daily, 450,000 people join Facebook.  But that is just one small tip of the iceberg in terms of a total strategic Personal Web Marketing Plan.  Of course you're familiar with YouTube, Flickr, MySpace and Twitter, but did you know that;

• There are more than 200 major social networking websites
• There are more than 50 major photo sharing websites
•  
• There are more than 200 Free Press Release websites
•  
• There are more than 200 Video Sharing websites

The challenge is knowing how to maximize your online presence across some/all/none of these sites, as well as to protect your Personal Brand from being diminished by the link farm robots that grab your personal information and repost without your permission or control.  If you haven't Googled your personal or business name recently, you should make it a regular habit to periodically check on your Personal Brand.  You may be surprised by what you find.  You can setup a Google alert to keep track of your personal brand with periodic updates if anything comes across the web relating to your name.

A Personal Brand Continuum Plan will put you in the drivers seat to proactively manage your online presence and you will have me as your personal internet marketing coach to make sure your image and personal brand is both protected and presented in the most impactful way.

It all starts with a need.  Do you need a Personal Brand Strategy?  Call me today at 760.445.3315 to discuss how I can help you build your Personal Brand into a powerful online marketing tool to generate more leads, build market credibility or just help you find your next gig.  You can email me at kendell.lang@gmail.com

Personal Brand Continuum

Personal Brand Continuum

Kendell Lang, new media consultant, presents to the San Diego City Council

This Presentation was made by Kendell Lang, new media consultant who was the CEO of SensorWave Technology at the time, given to the San Diego City Council as part of the Amerland Review of Sea Breeze Gardens, a project of The Amerland Group.

Personal Brand Continuum

The Personal Brand Continuum

by Kendell R. Lang

When talking about my personal brand continuum, I am talking about my personal brand, my executive brand, my intellectual brand, my brand statement, and my personal value proposition. As a technologist, writer and change management specialist, there is a tried and true methodology which I've personally used many times in the past which I believe applies to this phase of my personal brand assessment.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, yes...the old SWOT analysis is an ideal way to understand your strengths and weaknesses, and where the opportunities and threats lie with regard to selling my, my brand.

In this post I'm talking about using the SWOT analysis to help me address the ever-present question of strengths and weaknesses, but if you think about it, it’s the perfect way to identify some very personal areas of opportunity.

Of course there is also the definition of insanity by trying to get a different result by doing the same thing. In this case I am seeking a specific outcome so I have to be willing to get outside my box and use proven tools in a new way. When I go about performing this self-analysis, the most difficult task is going to be realistically, as independently and as honestly as possible consider my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in light of my objectives, my experience, my circumstances, my sphere of influence, my chosen vertical market and the technical skills of my chosen profession.

I am thinking about this not purely from a competitive position, but I'm think about this as war. Psychological Warfare. The Art of War put into the form of a Thought War. In my personal brand continuum "space", who is vying for the same results, the same objective, the same partnership, the same engagement or the same job? I have to so fundamentally shift my thinking to be radically focused on and genuinely most interested in the needs of the target, partner or hiring company. What makes me stand out to solve their problems? Here’s how I am using the SWOT assessment process to define my personal brand and find my next book agent, production company, joint venture partner or maybe even a job :)

Strengths:
· What advantages do I have?
· What do I do better than anyone else?
· What unique or low-cost resources do I have to offer?
· What do others see as my strengths?
· How do I help close the sale or reduce overhead?

Weaknesses:
· What areas can I improve?
· What areas should I avoid?
· What do peers in my market see as weaknesses?
· Where do I fail when trying to close a sale or reduce costs?

Opportunities:
· What opportunities am I seeing?
· What interesting trends can I identify and take advantage of, such as changes in technology, regulations, social patterns, etc.?
· What is happening in my market that can promote new business development?

Threats:
· What obstacles do I face?
· What interesting trends can I identify which I should be worried about?
· Are the required specifications for my project, my venture, my job, products or services changing?
· Is changing technology threatening my personal brand position?
· Do I have bad debt or cash-flow problems?
· Could any of my weaknesses seriously threaten my business?

Once I actually complete my SWOT analysis I expect to have a clear picture of how I fit in my target market, my strengths and weaknesses, and what will differentiate me from the competition.

Now I can then get to work on distilling my findings into a succinct pitch that really shows my strengths and why someone will seek me out.