My Thoughts on the Kansas City Google Fiber/Gigabit City Project
I (along with my friends Aaron Deacon and Mike Brown) was interviewed by Michelle Stinson Ross for SEO Journal about the exciting new Google Fiber “Gigabit City” project here in our hometown of Kansas City.
What is it? Check out this brief video:
Click here for a link to the main article…
…and here are some excerpts:
Alex Greenwood is a Kansas City resident of a fiberhood slated for construction sometime next spring. He is also the owner of AlexanderG Public Relations and Caroline Street Press.
What do you see as the greatest potential impact of becoming a Gigabit City?
If Kansas City can take this opportunity—this massive technological head start over the rest of the nation—and channel it into the right things, it will mean significant employment and quality of life changes. There are several “ifs” in that statement, but I think KC has the brainpower and creativity to make it happen.
What about the impact this could have on the daily life of residents in a fiberhood?
Google Fiber has refocused Kansas City on the value of the Internet. The registration process for fiberhoods shone light on pockets of the city that don’t have access to the Internet; thus those people don’t have access to the potential for financial, personal, and community growth it represents.
For example, the majority of my firm’s clientele can be directly or indirectly attributed to my Internet presence. When I think about starting my business in 2010, I sincerely doubt I would have made it without Internet access. The Internet opened me up to a world of prospective customers. I suspect Google Fiber will inspire many other Kansas City entrepreneurs and small business people to start their own businesses.
Mike Brown echoed Greenwood’s thoughts and said:
Entrepreneurs and financial people should be taking a look at Kansas City, if they aren’t already. With the Google Fiber roll-out, this area is primed to go through a development, expansion, and growth push that is unique within the United States, and perhaps globally.
All in all, we live in exciting times!
–Alex Greenwood
Kansas City: America’s Most Entrepreneurial City
Our recent posts about the Gigabit City ideation activities conducted in part by our client The Brainzooming Group (download the free report here) have us keeping an eye on Kansas City’s new economic thrust:
As entrepreneurs ourselves, this is a fantastic affirmation. You see, less than two years ago in the darkest depths of the Great Recession–equipped with little cash, a few connections and the tremendous knowledge and encouragement we received from graduating the Kauffman FastTrac GrowthVenture program–we started AlexanderG PR.
Since then our revenues have more than tripled and our client load (local, regional and national) is quickly approaching the point where a dedicated part-time staffer will need to be hired…not to mention the fact that our job satisfaction has never been better.
It’s great living in a city that respects and encourages entrepreneurs. Most of all, it’s exciting that with Google fiber technology, the rest of the world will know about it very soon. The possibilities are endless.
Brainzooming Group and SMCKC Releases KC Google Fiber Report Today
In the spirit of broad Kansas City community efforts to brainstorm ideas for how the introduction of Google Fiber can change lives in Kansas City, The Brainzooming Group was excited to partner with Social Media Club of Kansas City to create “Building the Gigabit City: Brainzooming a Google Fiber Roadmap.”
“We conducted the large-scale brainstorming session on October 3 with a diverse cross-community group of nearly 90 people,” said Mike Brown, founder of Brainzooming. ” Today, we’re releasing the 120-page Google Fiber brainstorming report via free download on the Brainzooming website at brainzooming.com/googlefiberkc (download will be available after 10 a.m. central time on November 10).”
Listen In Friday: PR Aspects of Super Bowl Ads
Think the Super Bowl ads were a dud this year or were you blown away by their brilliance? If nothing else, did you pick up some ideas that may apply to your own business?
That will be the topic this Friday on the Smart Companies Radio show on Hot Talk 1510 KCTE, guest hosted by Mike Brown of Brainzooming. Mike and the Brainzooming team conducted the second annual #BZBowl on Twitter during the Super Bowl. On the radio show Mike and his guests (including yours truly) will cover lessons growing businesses can take away (both the do’s and the don’ts) from Super Bowl ads to incorporate into their own marketing and PR efforts.
If you read my guest post Tuesday, you know I’ll be talking more about the Groupon debacle, and I’m sure the other great guests will challenge my assertions. I hope you’ll listen live in the KC area, or stream it from the KCTE website (just click on the yellow “Listen Live” link at the top of the page). The show starts at 9 a.m. I hope you’ll listen in.
Three Easy Ways to Get Your Business Noticed
I’m not a big list maker and definitely not the only one who’s pretty sick of the “Top Three This” or the “Ten Things That” type of blog posts. However, just like ordering “Combo Meal #3″ is faster than saying “I’ll have a single cheese, chili instead of fries, medium Sprite and hold the fingertip,” I’ll break my own rule and offer three easy (once you get the hang of it) things you can do to get your business noticed.
Before I commence, I should add that these three suggestions aren’t one size fits all. Your business may not benefit from all, some or any of these three things. If that is the case, well, sorry–but at least it’s only a list of three rather than ten and I only wasted a third of your time by comparison.
1. Blog. Yep. Blog. As in Weblog. You’re reading one now. But don’t set one up and then never write in it. You need to blog everyday–okay at least every business day. I try to blog everyday (don’t always, but I try). If I do a weekend post, I try to make it a little lighter–as in more fun than a weekday post which for some reason I feel has to be more serious. Write about what you know and how it effects your business or clients/customers. If you’re a Realtor, talk about what’s going on in your sales territory. My buddy Mary Hutchison excels at this on her blog. She’s like (hell, she is) a reporter–blogging about neighborhood association meetings, school happenings, etc. She even does restaurant reviews! People know that Mary knows her stuff, and that gets her noticed. Note: if you aren’t going to blog often, don’t blog at all. Nothing worse than a blog tab on your site with precisely two entries, like it’s some abandoned car you left on the side of the information superhighway.
2. Social Media. Specifically, Twitter. I know, I know. I thought it was all bullshit myself only a short time ago. (Please spare me the “It’s people telling you what they had for lunch.” It isn’t.) If you do it right, it pays dividends in many ways. How do you do it right? First, follow people who are ethical and good at it. Like my pal Shelly Kramer or the Orange Sock King himself, Mike Brown. They don’t just broadcast or sell. They interact in a positive way. They form communities that share information and encouragement. They’re human. And kinda funny (looking.) Kidding. They are funny and informative and you should follow them and their example. As in #1, if you don’t intend to stick with it and contribute, don’t do it. It’s worse to have a Twitter account that sits idle than it is to go without. (Also instructional is Redhead Writing–she drills down deeper into whether you should be on Twitter or not here.)
3. Do Good. Do the right thing, even when nobody’s looking. I assure you that even if you don’t get caught doing the right thing. eventually somebody’s going to notice. Maybe you’ll hire a PR guy who knows how to get your good deeds front and center without being obnoxious (ahem). Or just maybe somebody will read about it in a modest, humble post on your blog (see #1). Perhaps they will Tweet about it (see #2) and you will become an international sensation. Getting noticed often comes with doing good. Ask these guys. (And okay, if nobody finds out but you and your employees or family, what have you lost?)
That’s my three. I confess that none of this stuff is “easy” right off the bat. It takes effort. But anything worthwhile does, right? Now get out there and get noticed. If you need a PR firm to help, you can find us right here, trying to do good. Or on Twitter. Whichever.
The aRT of the RT: Enthusiasm Levels
Mike Brown has nice handwriting. RT that.
I often meet my friend Mike Brown, the guru over at the Brainzooming Group, for coffee. Actually, Mike doesn’t drink coffee and cannot abide a place that smells like coffee, yet somehow we manage to meet at a local coffee spot every now and again to talk business, collaboration, creativity and the absurdities of life in general.
Speaking of absurdities, Mike is pretty active on Twitter (as am I) and a while back we were discussing the Art of the Retweet, or “RT” as it’s known on Twitter. If you’re into Twitter, you know that when you see something pretty cool that might be of interest to your Tweeps (readers, followers, etc.) you “retweet” it.
Example:
RT: @PRWeekUS Poll: Did Ricky Gervais misrepresent the Golden Globes as a host? http://www.prweekus.com/online-polls/section/990/
RT @MEAndersFit Looking at Pilate’s Cross by J. Alexander Greenwood @A_Greenwood at #smashwords http://smashwords.com/b/6806 Cannot wait to read this book! <This rocks! Thanks!>
RT @Brainzooming Blogging Challenges? Ideas for When You Find Blogging Difficult http://bit.ly/hLCaHJ #blogging #sm #writing #creativity <snarky>
