by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jul 25, 2013 | Entrepreneur, Small Business, Virtual Assistant
A code of ethics and honor exists amongst most Virtual Assistants, at least with the tremendous women in my network. As entrepreneurs we pride ourselves with strong character and morals, not just because we are business owners and great human beings, but we are also trusted with managing our client’s business. We are privy to logins, credit cards, proprietary information and other business “secrets.” We treat these components with the utmost confidentiality, similar to HIPAA.
I recently discovered another Virtual Assistant who copied some content from one of my blog posts. I was irate of course. I labor over my blog posts, hoping they are rich and valuable to you, the audience. I immediately became incensed with anger and frustration. Those were not her words I was reading, but mine. Her title was even taken from a different post and she also stated the upcoming content of her next post, which of course can found on my blog. Maybe it was her idea, all fresh and new, but it certainly appears a little suspect. She is even a “Certified VA” with a badge on her website and a link to their code of ethics.
VAs are trusted with so much and if one is going to steal another’s content, what else may she consider? I feel very strongly about my industry and the trust from my client base. It is always an honor when Ace is chosen as remote business manager. My reputation stands for itself as does the other Virtual Assistants I know and follow. We work hard and earn our place in the business world. When I see something like this, it just makes me question someone’s business sense and character.
“Character is the firm foundation stone upon which one must build to win respect. Just as no worthy building can be erected on a weak foundation, so no lasting reputation worthy of respect can be built on a weak character.”— R. C. Samselat
As soon as you publish original content, it is protected by the copyright law, even without the symbol. This translates into the fact that people can’t repurpose or publish your content without consent.
- If you want to do a little research about your site and content, try CopyScape. It is a simple tool I discovered many years ago which will clearly display what content has been copied.
- Using Google Authorship also helps to reaffirm what is owned and protected by you.
- Make sure you take screenshots of the offending content.
- Email the perpetrator with the exact details, including the images, requesting that all copyrighted content is removed.
- If your correspondence is not successful, you can also contact the search engines directly under the DMCA Law or Digital Millennium Copyright Act
A little permission goes a long way. Ask. Give credit. Share honestly and professionally.
Know the laws and your rights.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jul 18, 2013 | Guest Blogger
The question came up on Twitter the other day. How does one find great content?
AllTop – The Alltop website has been around for years (since 2008) and what I like best about this site is you can search for your topics alphabetically. It is easy and quick to find topics of interest to you. It is an awesome way to find great content for your niche.
New Feeds – Since the Google Reader is now dead, there are several new feeds that folks are using to keep on top of their favorite websites blogs and updates. Most of them are free to use. There is Feedly, NewsBlur – With a $24 charge per year for this one. The Old Reader, Digg Reader, Newsvibe. Pulse, AOL Reader and Fever RSS – This one is not free but it is self-hosted. You can read more on Tim Bonners Blog on this RSS feeder. There are a few other options too out there.
Google News – They have added more topics since dropping the reader and it’s another great way to find the latest news. They offer 4 ways for you to view news: Modern, Headlines, Compact or Classic. They offer many editions via country. They also offer editors picks from top news sites.
Bing News – Bing is a great option and they offer news in text like Google but they also offer it via images. Bing is always a step ahead on the visuals I believe over Google. You can check in-depth coverage and images with Bing News. Sign in with Bing and get rewards too.
Triberr – Triberr is awesome to follow your favorite blogs once you build up a tribe and are a member of many tribes. I really love Triberr. I usually share many posts a day of bloggers I know and trust and some I will check out their post before sharing. But then later I can go back and read through the sent posts so I can further share and comment on. It’s becoming my own Feed!
So don’t sweat it looking for great content on the net, check out these 5 great ways to find that content for your next share, information, read, or ideas.
How do you find great content on the web now? Have you used any or all 5 of the above?
Guest Author: Lisa Buben
Lisa loves helping others to thrive online through Social Media, Blogging and SEO. What good is knowledge if you cannot share it with others? She has 20+ years experience in marketing/advertising with 3 years experience blogging, social media and SEO.
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by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jul 11, 2013 | Toolbox
Backlinks, also known as inbound links are building blocks of your SEO. Search engines calculate the relevance of a keyword and the QUALITY of your backlinks.
- Inbound URLs link directly to your site
- Search engines consider them quality when those sites have content relevant to yours and of course;
- It is from a respected site
- The directing site is not a linkfarm
- Backlinks will give you a greater opportunity for higher conversion and click through rates
I was on a mission for a client to find out who was linking back to his membership directory site. I had some basic knowledge and tools for the metrics such as inputting “site:www.yoursite.com” into the search bar. I also found a few other sites that permitted me to put in the client’s URL and it would provide me with either a short list for free or we could pay for the full report. One of the sites counted 41,800 backlinks.
Search for Backlinks:
- Rapid becomes Searchmetrics Essentials: SEO Tools and Link Popularity
- Linkvendor – Professional SEO Tools
- Backlink Checker
- Get Email Alerts for New Backlinks with Open Site Explorer
- Backlinks Checker Tool – Backlink Watch
- Page2RSS will let you create an RSS feed for any web page. Thanks to Moz for this free option to create an RSS Feed for backlinks or pages that do NOT offer RSS Feeds.
BONUS: I loved the last option: Page2RSS for checking new backlinks and providing me with an immediate update via Feedly.
What about you?
Image Credit
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jul 8, 2013 | VZWBuzz Lifestyle Blogger
Smartphones: the choices can be daunting, almost overwhelming, worse than a candy store. For years I was a staunch Blackberry fan because I felt as though I needed the strength of their platform for my virtual assistant business. While the world enjoyed a host of apps and “shiny” toys, I was busy managing about 10 different email accounts at times and had no interest or need for the fun stuff. Soon enough, my two year contract had come to a close and the old BB was starting to malfunction.
Enter the REAL Smartphone which opened up a whole new world of apps, tools and opportunities to connect. I didn’t know what I had been missing all those years. I did not opt for the new BB models at the time because they did not offer many of the applications that I use for business communications and social media management.
I am now using the Nokia Lumia 928 from Verizon as you may have read in a previous post. I continue to discover more exhaustive uses and likes each day. Aside from the podcasts and In Tune Radio, I am a huge fan of the Nokia Music. Toting my new toy to the gym, I acquired their Wi-Fi and cranked up the tunes for an invigorating workout. There are many genre options from top hits, workout music, and rock, to pop charts, country and hip hop. You will find your style and mood. A bonus of Nokia Music is the ability to make it all available offline without a paid download. I have my music where ever I go, whenever I want.
I cannot say enough about the camera! I tested the clarity and crispness using my other Smartphone and the Nokia. If you are a big camera buff, then this is the phone for you. There was a remarkable difference in color, sharpness and tone. If you want to tweak your artsy side and make some very creative images there are many free photo editing apps as well. Find your inner artist.
Bonus tip: We all love to share our memories! Since your Windows based devices use cloud storage called Skydrive, sending your images from your Lumia 928 to your Skydrive ensures you always have accessibility to your creative works. It is fast and efficient. There is no need to email, text or connect a USB to transfer your creative memories. Any tool or application that saves me time or provides increased organization gets two thumbs up!!
How do you use your Smartphone to mirror your lifestyle needs?
Disclaimer: I do participate in the VZWBuzz Community offers and opportunities for devices from Verizon Insider.
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Jul 2, 2013 | Customer Service, Small Business
Having been in business since 2002, I have had the great fortune of partnering with some tremendous clients – thought leaders in their respective industries. I must say that I am always honored and so grateful when chosen as their virtual assistant. It isn’t easy to give up what you have always done, put your business in the hands of someone else, or to develop a level of trust and comfort in the online world.
I base my business on long time partnerships – relationships where we get to know one another, work closely, brainstorm and truly develop the dynamics for a strong foundation. It is a mutual give and take. Some clients have called just to talk and share some good news, about family, personal matters and business. This is the gift of my business and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. This type of rapport and trust is my driver. The real payoff which far exceeds a dollar value.
To exemplify the daily rewards of owning my own virtual assistant company, I receive wonderful messages and accolades as shown below. These are excerpts from a project discussion with one client.
- I’m very much enjoying what you’re contributing here. Each step, each item, each suggestion.
- I’m glad, impressed, you thought of it and to send it. Your note ( slogan is way-y-y-y too crass), and I love it, is how can I serve you? You already answered your question by doing this. Thank you.
- Your service-centered approach continues to surprise and delight.
- Clarity and precision. Two of the many things I like about you. Thanks.
- Organized is another quality I like about you.
Gratitude and appreciation is important for every business, partner, friend, vendor, family member and colleague. Remember to share your positive thoughts and encouragements. They only serve the strengthen the bonds and provide incentive to continue on the same path.
Share the love.
Image credit: Microsoft
