Doodle for Google Contest!

We all use Google everyday to look for information. Every now and then, there is a new link on the main Google page which catches my eye. If you haven’t done so yet, follow the Doodle for Google Contest link. The theme of this year’s contest is “What I Wish for the World.” The drawings which I previewed are all absolutely delightful but the originations of the young people who created them are what I found most compelling.

Here’s a YouTube video with some animated Google Doodles which is promoting the contest.

Every internet marketer has access to the entire world to promote their businesses. Not everyone is guaranteed visitors to their website daily, however. We all know that Google has this sort of leverage. To see a huge company like that use their advantage in such a selfless way warmed my heart.

Community involvement is not a new business idea. Engaging our prospects or existing customers through being present in a non-threatening way is a great method to get to know these people as people. Initiating a contest can permit you to attract targeted traffic to your site and it can be a lot of fun for you and your staff too. You are only limited by your imagination.

As internet marketers, we often overlook things that are not trendy. Leaving our desks to actually interact with our local community is something we rarely do. This could be due to the fact that we have an “online” business but I don’t think we should use that as an excuse. Getting involved with our regional and local communities can only stand to facilitate meetings with other like-minded entrepreneurs and expand our circle of influence.

If you haven’t done so already, cast your vote at Doodle for Google Contest. If you are inspired, try to think up a way to use this great promotional tool in your business too.

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Seth Godin Speaks at Google

Although this is a lengthy video, Seth Godin is a grizzled and respected internet veteran with immense influence. If you have not visited his blog, you could benefit from acquainting yourself with him there.

Are You Swarming Upstream?

As a person involved with internet marketing, I hear about new programs every day of the week. Always, there is the first wave of notification via Skype broadcasting tools for immediate attention. Next are the emails from affiliate marketers or internet marketers whose lists I have opted into. I’ve mentioned before that my initial reaction to these sorts of offers is to Google the opportunity name and see what is out there to read, as well as analyze how many people have jumped on it already. I have no statistical analysis to offer but it is crystal clear that there is a huge group of people involved by the time any information reaches my inbox.

Recently, a colleague of mine explained a mindset of success that included being part of the group who created the hype surrounding new business launches and moving forward quickly, from new business opportunity to new business opportunity as part of an entourage as a means of creating wealth. The first metaphor that came to mind was killer bees. Then I started wondering: How Many People are Swarming Upstream?

I’d like to explain the entire thought process of my associate. By their explanation, the people who made the most money in any business opportunity were those who got in early, attracted the first round of initiates and moved on quickly to the next launch to promote it. I knew folks who joined a program early made the most money but it had not occurred to me that they moved in swarms. I confess to having a visceral reaction. Following it through, I could only imagine a lifestyle of promotion mania and capitalistic avarice.

I’m a retired hippy, for goodness sakes! My generation shunned materialism!

I acknowledge that the success or failure of any business venture rests with the person who decides to join it. However, I firmly believe that those who are swarming and hyping the business venture must assume some responsibility for its ultimate longevity and success. If the founders are swarming forward to the next thing as soon as they’ve made their millions, are they creating wealth or havoc?

Sadly, the mindless pursuit of money and distance from the masses who join these programs seem to make some top guns calloused. Like a salmon swimming upstream, a new marketer who is caught up in the hype can become nothing more than a tasty snack for the bear that waits upstream.