Identity proof in six handshakes — starting with Why

by Dannie-walkerWhy

I have a vision of a blockchain project. It is an identity proof system based on direct social contacts (your friends prove your identity).

It is a very ambitious and huge goal and I don't know how to get there. I decided to start exploring my way by thinking online in a series of posts. And then squeeze these posts and discussions into project's whitepaper. This way I hope to learn best, gain followers, get help and maybe some material support. I also hope that articles will be the best (and the only) marketing.

This is the first article in the series. It describes the main concept shortly, but mostly it is devoted to my motivation.

I've organized the article in connecting-the-dots fashion. So you won't get too bored.

Dot number 1 — The mission

Once upon a time during my elementary school my grammar and literature teacher asked us to write an essay on our 3 wishes. In a couple of days there was a discussion on the essays. The last essay was mine. My wishes were: a car, a big house and peace in the world.

The last wish is the reason why she left my essay to be the last. Nobody wished anything except for themselves or their family.

There is a similar episode in The Final Circle of Paradise by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Elementary school teacher asks his students to write the same essay on 3 wishes. He says there are only 20–30 people out of 1000 who wishes something for the world or for other people.

Reading this episode around 4 years ago I remembered my own school wishes. It made me think. Until then I had my personal mission stated as "moving the world towards peace by nourishing creativity and inspiring people to do what they like".

I thought, why so long? And why mixing mission and means of executing it? So I've cut it to just "move the world towards peace".

Dot number 2 — The means

Still at school I heard about 6 handshakes theory (Six degrees of separation). This theory states that every person knows any other person in the world in just 6 handshakes. Meaning I know somebody, who knows somebody, who knows somebody, who knows somebody, who knows somebody, who knows you. Yes you, the one reading these lines. There are just 6 direct social contacts between us.

This blows my mind every time I think about it since I was 14. And I was always experimenting with this theory. I used to sell cosmetics through affiliate marketing, get clients and employees for a web development company, find customers for my own blockchain project — all using 6-handshakes approach.

But the use-case which I remember the best is my experience at Seliger Entrepreneurs Camp in 2009. That year there were around 4000 people. Most of them gathered every morning for a huge open-air meeting and exercises, led by officials and celebrities from stage.

One day I started my way through the crowd giving away little notes printed on business-cards. The messages were "A sign from above: You gonna make it! Do it now!" and "Pass it forward" on the reverse side.

Translation: "A sign from above: You gonna make it! Do it now!". Reverse side: "Pass it forward"

I had 100 of these. I started to move away from the stage. I gave cards to random people on the go. And by the time I gave half of my cards away I began to meet people who showed them to me. Though I was moving as fast as I could my cards were moving faster than me! And people were so happy to meet the one who started the spread. I was happy too!

And happy to realize that an idea may spread much faster than expected.

Dot number 3 — The technology

In 2016 I heard about Ethereum blockchain. Reading just one 15-min article was enough to fire me up for a long time. The same day I was reading Ethereum Whitepaper. A couple of days later I started to make my first blockchain project.

The project itself is an old idea of selling pixels. I just put it on blockchain and added some cool functionality. It is a webpage with 1000x1000 pixels field. Anyone can buy pixels and place their ads.

Blockchain also allowed me to add 6 handshakes functionality. So the only way to participate was to receive an invitation link from somebody already in the project. And if an advertiser buys pixels, the payment is sent to those who invited them and to charity.

The project earned $11000 for charity. But I considered it a failure because I merely sold 1% of pixels. So I rebuilt it.

Dot number 4 — The split

Analyzing the project I concluded that the failure was due to the 6 handshakes model. I thought people were afraid to participate as it resembled a pyramid or other form of scam.

Whether it was so or not, I decided to launch a new version. Without the 6 handshakes scheme and with even more cool blockchain functionality, like being able to trade pixels through 3-party decentralized exchanges.

With the new shiny version of The Glorious Million Ether Homepage (MEH) I made no sales at all!

But now I have 6 handshakes concept separated. And it turned out to be a value in itself!

Dot number 5 — The awakening

I tended to think that MEH is a failure. I thought 6 handshakes is the reason of this failure. After I separated the two I came to the conclusion, that none of them is a failure. The concepts just needed a view from another angle.

I thought. MEH is not an independent project. There is no need to promote it on purpose. Let it be what it is — an advertising page. I can write useful articles and mention Million Ether Homepage from time to time. I can mention MEH in all my profiles. This way anything I do will drive traffic to MEH. Hopefully one day it will become viral.

6 handshakes concept is not a part of MEH. It is an independent project. And it is probably the most important project of my life!

This is it! My mission. I can move the world towards peace by connecting people. I already have a sprout of code which makes possible to do it through borders, governments, religions and everything that separates our loving beings from each other.

Why it took years to realize?

Connecting the dots

Actually I made this conclusion two mouths ago. But I was (and still am) so afraid! So afraid it paralyzes me. I'm afraid I have not enough coding skills. I have no team. No plan. No funds.

But isn't it a perfect situation for a new endeavor? Screw it! Let the path reveal itself. As I said I decided to think online. This is the sixth dot.

And It seems to work! Not only I have now more confidence in what I do, I already know what to do next. The next step is still "just" writing. But I've already got several paths to chose from.

My next post is about goals, more thorough 6 handshakes description, or … something that will strike me the most.

Thank you very much for reading. Even seeing article reading stats is a huge support! If you feel you would like to give more support, clap, share your thoughts, have a look at my advertising project.

This story is published in The Startup, Medium's largest entrepreneurship publication followed by +412,714 people. Subscribe to receive our top stories here.

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Ty Law opens up in letter to his younger self on 'Players' Tribune'

Ty Law is already a Patriots Hall of Famer, and this year he is nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ty's historic career in the NFL and New England is one Patriots fans know well, and in an essay for "The Players' Tribune," Ty addresses his younger self and reflects on the path that led him to the NFL.

Here are some things we learned about Ty from his essay.

Growing up in Aliquippa, Penn.The streets were tough. Ty writes about one night in particular when a verbal fight turned into something more. Though the guy puts a gun to Ty's head, he walks away from the incident, but instead of just going home, he goes back to find the man who wronged him.

"That night, you'll do some real soul-searching. It'll be clear that the streets are no place for you. You ain't cut out for that life."

Critics and grandmas of AlquippaThe people in town took football seriously, and Ty says after being heckled by grandmothers while walking home from a tough loss, he could take criticism from anyone.

"But that's good. It's gonna prepare you for the next level, and eventually, the highest level," Ty writes. "Because when coaches start using four-letter words and fans are throwing things at you, you'll be like, Man, y'all ain't got nothin' on the grandmas back in Aliquippa!"

Betting on yourselfWhen Ty got to Michigan and saw his name far down on the wide receiver depth chart, he barged into the meeting with defensive backs and made himself at home.

"You'll ride that chip on your shoulder to a starting spot as a true freshman and all the way to the All-Big Ten team as a sophomore and earning All-America honors your junior year. You'll be one of the best cornerbacks in the country."

PapTy's grandfather raised him, and throughout the essay it is clear just how much of an impact Pap left on his grandson. He is someone Ty looked up to, and when he found out that Pap might lose the house he worked so hard for, Ty made a decision. He was going to declare for the NFL draft in his junior year and make some money to help his Pap.

"Opportunity doesn't just come knocking, like they say it does. You gotta create that s*. Anyone who's ever gotten out of Aliquippa knows that."

Getting to New EnglandDrafted in the first round, Ty made a name and home in New England.

"New England is … well, it's basically Boston. And the fans are no joke. They won't give a damn that you're a first-round pick. They'll boo the s* out of you. And you know what? You'll love them for it. They'll constantly remind you that you gotta earn every last bit of respect in this league, and you gotta earn it every day."

And that new quarterback?

"Well, when the starter, Drew Bledsoe, gets injured early in the season, Tom will take over. And since your defense is stacked and this dude has barely played a down in the league, you'll basically tell him, 'We got this, kid. Just don't mess it up for us,'" he writes. "But I'm telling you: Pretty boy is a competitor."

Super Bowl XXXVINo one believed the Patriots could take on "The Greatest Show on Turf," but the scrappy team believed in itself. Ultimately, that team defeated the Rams, and in his second Super Bowl appearance, Ty had himself a game.

"You'll have a pick-six in that game. Your family and friends will be there to see it. It'll be one of the best nights of your life. You'll be on top of the world."

One RegretDespite a great run with the Patriots, Ty eventually moved on to the Jets and Chiefs, but in 2008, he came close to coming home to Foxborough. He met with Coach Bill Belichick, and they talked about a potential deal. Coach Belichick called him after returning to Foxborough and said the numbers didn't work.

"Now, I need you to listen to me close right here. See, when people get older and they've had time to reflect like I have, most say they have no regrets. Like, if they could go back, they wouldn't change a damn thing, because it's all part of their story and it made them who they are today and this and that. For the most part, I'm like that, too," he writes. "But if I could go back to that phone conversation with Coach Belichick, I would say, 'Well, tell me what you can make work and let's do the deal.' But you won't do that."

Even though that deal fell through and Ty ended his career outside of New England, he has been welcomed warmly back to Foxborough. And as a Patriot Hall of Famer, he is certainly a Patriot for life.

His whole essay is worth the read for any Patriots fan. Check it out on The Players' Tribune.

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What to consider when choosing an essay service

Essay is a paper containing an opinion or idea from the author about an object of the problem. This paper is not a work of fiction that can be based only on mere imagination. Instead, this paper based itself on the object of real problems by expressing opinions or ideas that can be accounted for in accordance with the relevant disciplines.

Unfortunately, essays are often regarded as an annoying compulsory paper. Many students feel trapped when they are ordered to make an essay. But they can't go anywhere since the essay is one of the main academic duties that greatly affect their graduation. Therefore they need help and along with the progress brought by the Internet, they can buy essay. Are you one of them? If so, you need to know the reasons why you need a personalized writing service!

Source: essaycustomwritingservice.com

Why you need a personalized writing service:

– Maybe you ran out of time and do not know how to write an essay, or just do not feel comfortable with literature or creative writing?

– Are school tasks very complicated and confusing you?

– You can choose the writer you liked to complete your future orders.

– Any delivery time is possible. You can place your order before you go to sleep and get an essay, made especially for you by a professional writer, when you wake up in the morning!

– You can get an original document that will satisfy you.

Of course choosing an essay-making service can't be done carelessly. There are several factors to consider before choosing. Here are some of these factors:

– Reputation of the service

You can check the reputation of a service by searching for testimonials from people who have used the service. Try to find it in neutral places so that you will only get neutral testimonials that can be accounted for.

Source: Essay Writing Expert

– Choose a service that employs many authors

Some amateur services employ only a few authors. That means they are required to write on a variety of topics and tend to produce general essays. To note, writing is not an easy job and writing on a variety of topics is often impossible. If you really want your essay to be perfectly written, choose a service that provides writers who are specialized in certain topics.

– Do not always look for the cheapest

Cheap service is certainly a dream for every client but often, the price is proportional to the quality. Essay is not a work that can be done carelessly, therefore must be done with high seriousness. For that, you may have to pay more and you will get a fair result.

How to write an essay about what motivated your career choice

You have chosen a career. You have been asked to write why you chose it. Where do you start? This can be a fun assignment, since it is an opportunity for you to reflect and look forward. Choosing a career means giving you a direction and a way to set specific goals. Similarly, it can give you a test structure.

Source: writemyessayonline.com

Think again about the first time you considered your chosen career or when you first enjoyed an activity related to it. Think about how it made you feel, why you changed your mind or how it showed you a new way of thinking about your future. Think about your skills and affinities, and how they fit with what is necessary for your career. I experienced some confusion in the past and in the end I was aware of how an should be made. The following are the key points I got from "my journey" to create an essay that can reflect the things that motivate me to choose my career.

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How parents are helping one another through the furloughs

By Madeleine Deliee

January 18 at 6:00 AM

Sophie Geyer, a mom of one who lives in Springfield, Va., belongs to a running group that includes many women whose families are being affected, financially and otherwise, by the federal government shutdown. She wanted to do something to help, and after seeing an article about sisters who were baking to generate temporary income, she considered purchasing a cheesecake.

"I remembered I'm on a diet and trying not to spend money right now," she says. "So then I started thinking of other ways I could help."

She remembered a bundle of gift cards her family received for the holidays last month, and Geyer, a government employee whose agency is not affected by the shutdown, hatched an idea.

"I figured they could be of better use to someone furloughed," she says, so she posted an offer on the Facebook page for the running group, Springfield Moms Run This Town. "I hoped that others were in the same situation and decided to see if the thread would take off."

Within hours of her offer, Geyer's post drew more than 30 others extending coupons, rewards certificates and gift cards for gas, groceries, restaurants, movies and more. It also bore messages of heartfelt thanks from those affected by the shutdown. "Thank you so much for this! My husband and I are both furloughed [from the Census Bureau] and I'm kind of in denial still, but it's starting to get really stressful! You all are amazing!" wrote Tina Choe, a mother of two.

Meg Nelson, who has been a co-chapter leader for Springfield Moms Run This Town for almost six years, was not surprised by the outpouring of support within the group. MRTT has a history of taking care and giving back, both inside and outside the group, she says.

"We've supported people through deployment with meal trains, family death with memorials, unexpected snow days by watching each other's kids or making sure they could get picked up if the parents couldn't get there, school supplies for students in need, runs and raffles to raise supplies for ECHO. It's crazy to list it out," she says.

Geyer says MRTT's culture establishes trust. It's hard to admit you're struggling, but it might be a little easier to open up to someone when you're both reaching for that last mile. "I think I've talked about the shutdown at every run I've been to," Geyer says. "It's a safe place for us to vent our frustrations and discuss the things stressing us out."

[Why stressed-out parents should make time to see Marie Kondo's new show]

That includes the shutdown. Many employees are expected to continue to work without compensation, meaning they still have child-care and transportation expenses, but no money coming in. There are other anxieties as well. "I have never felt so alone or worthless as a public servant," Heather Selig wrote on Geyer's post; she and her husband, the parents of twins, are furloughed and working without pay.

Group members continue to reach out, helping each other through this difficult time. Moms continue to post on Facebook, offering each other diapers and formula — two other hard-to-avoid expenses. And Kristinn Sharpe, a furloughed EPA employee and mother of six, found her temp job through another MRTT member.

"The moms in this running group are amazing and super supportive," she says. A friend tagged her on the gift card giveaway, which she appreciated. Her husband is still working at the Office of Personnel Management, but she's nervous about what a continued furlough will mean for their family.

Lisa Hull, a DHS/ICE employee and mom of three, is furloughed, and her husband was laid off five months ago. She used one of the cards she was given to make 12 pans of stuffed shells, which she offered to other affected families. All were claimed within three hours. Paurenia Patrick, another mom in the group, brought Costco gift cards to give to the families picking up their shells, along with an envelope for Hull. It contained $100 and a note, which told Hull to consider the money "a grant of kindness" for thinking of others, even when she is in need herself. Hull followed the shells with a round of tamales that were claimed just as quickly.

The kindness goes beyond this group, of course: free meals from restaurants, free food from grocery stores, free access from work spaces, free tickets from movie theaters. Banks are offering loans to help until paychecks resume. Hull says the overwhelming response has given her greater faith in humanity. But amid the reassurance and renewed optimism, news that the shutdown may continue into February provokes a fresh round of dread from families facing more furloughs, many of them nearing the breaking point for already-stretched finances.

Meanwhile, Geyer paid another group member to run errands for her and is attempting the gift card giveaway in another online community. "I'm just trying to see how people need help in the next couple of weeks," she says. Some MRTT members say that the aimlessness of being home is as difficult as the financial burden.

Nelson sees the material support as "amazing," but points out that people also emotional support. "Check on them — take them out for coffee, offer to meet for a walk, take their kids for a play date," she says. "Not just their finances are being affected — their routines are turned upside down too. There are lots of ways to help."

Madeleine Deliee is a freelance writer and a teacher, mom and recovering actor. She lives in Northern Virginia. Find her on Twitter @MMDeliee.

Follow On Parenting on Facebook for more essays, news and updates, and join our discussion group here to talk about parenting and balancing a career. You can sign up here for our weekly newsletter.

More reading:

7 things to keep in mind when talking to kids about tough subjects

Un-birthday, anyone? Celebrating the little things can help kids become happier adults.

How mindfulness helped my postpartum anxiety

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How Redesigning You Habits Can Change Your Life

7 Gate Ventures, 68 Water Street, Vancouver

Whether it's procrastination, nail-biting, skipping the gym or constantly surfing social media, we all have one or two bad habits we'd like to kick.Join this highly interactive two-part series of The Habit Workshop led by life coach and facilitator Joanne Randle and learn how to kick-starting great habits, and kick the others to the curb

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The ancient Romans knew how to handle Twitter better than we do

"Pusili hominis et miseri cum est repetere mordentem," Seneca writes, in his essay on anger. "It is a petty and sorry person who will bite back when he is bitten."

That's a little strong. While I hesitate to disagree with the master, I have to. Yes, smallness and sorriness define retribution, as they define much of the anthill we call human existence.

But there is also a strength to biting back. Someone flips you the bird, you automatically return the gesture. Laudable? No. But it does show pride.

Standing your ground is a reflex, no doubt traced back to baboons on the savanna fluffing their fur to look bigger. The question is: Is it a reflex we can afford to indulge in our social media age? Because we certainly do, big time. The biters and the bitten, toe-to-toe, blasting away.

Consider how much human effort, brainwork, emotional frisson, not to mention typing, is spent in online disputes. Billions of times a day, total strangers conducting their snarling, personal-yet-anonymous broomstick sword fights.Toward what end? Are we debating? Having a conversation? Or merely flailing at each other?

Who benefits? Twitter, Facebook and the social media companies certainly do. We, not so much. We are unpaid gladiators performing our tiny verbal combats for their profit, so others can read the advertisements between our spats.Writing for a daily metropolitan newspaper, I receive blowback continually on all platforms. Letters and phone calls, Facebook posts and email and Twitter.

That's good. I want reaction. I used to read them all, reply to them all. But lately that practice is starting to seem antique, like a 19th century president meeting with whoever turns up at the White House and asks to see him.

My motto used to be Warren Zevon's line, "The name of the game is be hit and hit back." Now my mantra is: Don't let the poison in. Don't read negative emails, never mind react. Bail out as soon as the language sours. Block and forget. It isn't as if the person writing is open to persuasion. That's so 1980s.

With emails, my approach is similar to how the law treats dogs: the first bite is free. I read everything new. People who bring up valid points, who identify actual mistakes, who disagree without an excess of contempt, are responded to in kind.

Well, at least the first line of everything new. People who start with a blast of scorn don't merit further consideration. Why waste the time? I don't write for people who hate me; as to why people who hate it keep reading, well, who knows?Silence is an answer, often the best answer. Shutting up, I like to say, is an art form. You have to practice to get good at it.

Somewhere along the line, ignoring nastiness online got a bad rap. Twitter trolls created the notion that to be a vibrant person you need to crawl into the mud with any stranger who invites you. That's ridiculous. You don't do that in life.  Someone flips you off in traffic, you don't both pull over so you can exchange obscene gestures for 20 minutes, at least not, if you're smart. Why do it online? Besides, there are too many of them and only one of me. I block everyone on Twitter the moment they turn ugly. If they consider that a triumph, great, they probably need one.

If you don't believe Seneca about the smallness of biting back, read Donald Trump's twitter feed. Pouring contempt on whoever is in the headlines and not his fan — Jeff Bezos getting divorced ("So sorry to hear the news about Jeff Bozo being taken down…"). No target is too big or too small for the president of the United States to ridicule.

That's not a sign of power, but evidence of enormous weakness.

In his essay, Seneca mentions mice and ants, which bite if you reach for them.

"Feeble creatures think they are hurt if they are only touched."

That describes a lot of people nowadays, doesn't it?

Don't be like mice and ants, but men and women. Don't lash out at those lashing at you.

"He is the better man who first withdraws; the vanquished is the one who wins," writes Seneca. "If some one strikes you, step back."

That's a plan.

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7 Steps to Success: Marketing Psychology for Small Business

The Psychology of Marketing Doesn't Change

Fundamental marketing theory was developed from psychology, and the human mind hasn't changed much in the last 50,000 years. Before we run after the newest social media or mobile marketing solution, let's make sure that we've got the basics in place.

In Marketing, the Customer Changes: We Don't

The most fundamental fact of marketing is easy to miss: It's all up to the customers. No matter what we do, finally, our success all comes down to the customer making a choice. If enough customers buy at a reasonable price, we succeed. Otherwise, we don't.

All marketing activities should be based on that one simple fact. We can't decide to buy our products or services ourselves. Each customer must decide.

Successful marketing is all about creating an environment that keeps the customer focused on the decision, and then guiding them through the steps of making that decision.

Source: Thrive Global

Human decision-making is part of the study of psychology. To help our customers choose to buy essay and services, we must understand how they decide what to do. Then we can encourage the purchase decision. The fundamental facts of human psychology are essential to all successful marketing – whether you use the Internet, social media, mobile marketing, or a billboard!

When my small business clients want a good marketing plan, they usually come in expecting to hear about SEO or selling on Facebook or Mobile Marketing. They're surprised when I tell them that that's not where to start. But then they get it – if you want customers, start with understanding the customer!

If you want customers, start with the customer, not the technology.

Customers Make the Decision to Buy

Customers make the decision to buy in seven steps. These steps cannot be skipped, and they cannot go out of order. Every successful sale is these seven steps occurring in order. Even the so-called "impulse decision" to buy actually is just all seven steps happening very rapidly.

Source: Dynamic Business

Also, each of the seven steps is both emotional and logical. The seven steps are:

The prospective client does not know your product or service exists. Our job is to make the ma ware.

The customer knows the name of our product or service, and has some sense of what it does. Ourjobistogettheminterested.

The customer makes a connection between some desire, or some problem to be solved, and our product or service. We help them learn more, and want to learn more.

The customer is making the connection between his or her desire or need and our product or service. We help the customer understand.

The customer has begun a decision process: Do I really want to solve my problem or meet my need? Will this product do it? Is it the best choice among available solutions? Is it worth the cost? We encourage the customer, keep him or her focused, and answer the customers questions.

Inwardly, the prospect has made the decision to buy. But there is one more step. We wait.

The customer takes the step(s): buying the item and paying for it; moving through the shopping cart on the web site; signing the contract. We guide the closing process.

This seven-step process is everything each customer does every time a sales occurs. And when a prospect does not become a customer, and there is no sale, then that prospect went off in a different direction at some point in the seven steps.

If we can reach the right people (our target market) and guide them through the seven steps so that we close the deal, then we have a working marketing and sales process. The customers and money roll in!

Source: Digital Marketing Institute

Two Simpler Models

Most businesses don't want to deal with seven-step processes. So they think in two simpler versions.

The Two Step Model: Marketing and Sales

In this model, marketing covers Steps 1 through 3, moving the client from Unaware to Interested. Sales starts with an interested prospective client and moves through steps 4 through 7, the close on the deal.

In a well-run organization, marketing professionals plan and do steps 1, 2, and 3 really well, and salespeople are well trained and get good support so that they can succeed in steps 4 through 7.

The Four Step Model

Robert Middleton, in his Infoguru Marketing System, which is one of the best tools available for small business and one-person business marketing for professional services, offers a four-step system. He compares it to baseball. I've slightly changed his model, as he talks about you (the business owner and salesperson) running the bases. As I see it, we're coaching our clients to run the bases.

At bat to first base– getting the client interested – steps 1 to 3.

First base to second base– the client moves from interested through comprehending, and he understands what you have to offer.

Second base to third base– The client moves from comprehending to evaluating, and is ready to make his final decision.

Third base to home run –Traditionally called the close, where the client makes the final decision to purchase and makes the purchase or signs the contract.

Note that the focus is on the client moving forward from one base to the next, until the client makes the right choice for himself or herself, which we hope will be a yes!

Source: The News Minute

This four-step model is an excellent tool for creating a small business marketing plan and creating a successful marketing and sales system for your business. It is also very useful for training in sales skills. Many salesmen and women make the mistake of not identifying where the client is. They are using all the right techniques, but in the wrong order, and the sale fails! For example, suppose that a salesman is with a client, and the client is at Step 6, convinced. The right thing to do is wait, be silent, create a space the client can fall into. Asking a question like, "What do you want to do?" or "Do you prefer Option A or Option B?" and letting the client decide is the right action. But an inexperienced or anxious salesperson is likely to push things too fast, and say, "Sign here." In pushing to close (Acting, Step 7), the salesperson may trigger a reaction in the prospect who pulls back and says, "No, this just doesn't feel right." And the sale is lost.

Marketing and Sales – Internet and Social Media Methods

The two-step process of marketing and sales is obvious on the Internet. Internet marketing is what gets people to our website. Internet sales is the design of the web site that gets them to put items in the shopping cart and buy them.

Marketing, that is, bringing people to our website, includes:

Organic SEO (Search Engine Optimization), that is, things we do on our site and off our site to get our web page on page 1 of Google for relevant search terms.

Online advertising – paying for advertising – such as Google's Adwords and Pay-Per-Click to drive traffic to our site.

General advertising – putting the name of our web site on everything from business cards to billboards.

Web site sales has everything to do with site design:

Website concept

Navigation – where do people come into the site (landing pages) and how do they move to the shopping cart and through it?

Text

Graphics

Audio, music, and video

Methods of customer contact: For example, for high-end or custom items, you may want customers to request a phone call, rather than close the deal on the website itself.

Marketing and sales for social media is much the same as marketing and sales on the Internet. Let's take a look at social media marketing next.

Source: Salesforce.com

Social Media

Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, are tools for communication that can be used for marketing purposes. But we need to be very careful in how we do step 1, that is, how we make people aware of our existence and what we offer. People come to these locations to be social, not to have ads thrown in their face. When the phone rings, people expect to hear a friend, not a cold-call salesman. The same is true with tweets, Facebook posts, and Pinterest pictures. We can very quickly turn prospective customers into people who never want to hear from us again if we assume that social media are just like advertising billboards. We have to be social and give people what we want. We have to earn the right to let them know what we offer.

Once we do that, though, the social media process is very much like the Internet process. Through social media, we bring people to our website or Facebook page. At that point, the sales process begins, as above.

What about mobile media? Well, that's a whole different story!

Mobile Marketing

The seven fundamental steps of marketing and sales apply to Mobile Marketing, but in a very different way. Mobile means that our customers are on the move. We want to catch them as they fly by.

Imagine two people in a car. The driver says, "I'm hungry." The passenger pulls out her iPad or Android and gets to work. If you've done your mobile marketing well, then they see you and head for your restaurant to fill their bellies.

Source: Richtopia

Even when it goes this fast, all seven steps happened. The customers had a need – and didn't know I existed. They were at level 1) unaware. My mobile marketing presence got them: 2) Aware and 3) Interested by the time our co-pilot said, "Wow!" Seeing a photo of a pizza piled with a mountain of toppings got them to 4) Comprehending. "You up for pizza, sweetie" was step 5) Evaluating. "Sure, let's do it" was the sign of 6) Convinced. Following the GPS was the beginning of 7) Acting.

Marketing – It's the Same Everywhere

As you can see, the fundamental process of marketing is the same on the Internet and in Mobile Marketing as it is for traditional brick & mortar marketing and advertising. It has to be, because it all comes down to the prospect deciding to buy and becoming a customer. The mediamaychange, but the peopledon't.

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