I have been in the throws of redesigning my “baby” (AKA - http://acousticvids.com) for the past couple of days.

I changed the theme, created all new custom graphics, and am switching all the content over to a new, more search-engine and visitor friendly navigation system that more closely resembles a silo structure.

It’s exciting, check it out!

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Zivity, a softcore adult social network, and Hi5, your standard run-of-the-mill social network, have both announced job cuts this week.

Zivity is poised to cut a full third of its staff.  They’ve tried to spin it as a positive, presenting it as a preventative measure put in place to ensure long-term profitability.  But still.  No matter how you slice it, when you’re firing one out of every three people that works for you, no es bueno.

Hi5, which - depending on which metric you’re looking at - ranks anywhere from the world’s third largest to sixth largest social network, is cutting 15 percent of its employees.

*sigh*

They’re not the first cuts the tech industry has seen this recession, and they won’t be the last. :/

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One of the best uses of social networks - aside from getting back in touch with people you haven’t seen since third grade, obviously - is to garner exposure for yourself, your brand, or your website.

There are all kinds of ways and all kinds of networks that you can utilize for this purpose.

For instance - you can have a presence on straightforward social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook.  These sites allow you to have profiles and to communicate with friends and fans through a variety of methods, including inviting people to be on your friends list, messaging, public profile commenting, and blogs and bulletins.

In addition to straight social networking sites, there are themed social networking sites.  Business-themed sites include LinkedIn and Gather.  Music-themed sites include Virb and MOG.  There are themed social networks for whatever your passion might be!

Next, try media sharing social networks.  Video sharing sites don’t end with YouTube, there are many others.  Some, like Revver and Metacafe, will pay you for your efforts.  Others, like Current TV and Vimeo, have a very strong identity and community that you can participate it.  Photo sharing sites like Flickr can be great for propagating your visual images across the web and throughout the social aspect of the site itself, as well.

Microblogging sites like Twitter and Tumblr are great for keeping your admirers filled in with small, frequent updates, and for keeping up with them, as well.

Lastly, there is the mother of all types of social networks - forums. :)  Yes, I know no one thinks of them as social networks, but they were the inception of the internet (bbs) and they were the original way that people created an online persona and interacted with others.  Don’t count them out as being “too web 1.0.”

The one thing that is of paramount importance is that you participate in each site only after having clicked around, read, absorbed, and gotten a good idea of what the atmosphere is like in each place.  You don’t want to be considered spammy in any way, and each site will have its own culture and way of doing things, and set of behaviors that are considered fine or faux paus.  Get to know them!

If you participate in each type of site with enthusiasm, energy, consideration, and a sincere desire to give more than you get, you will come away with invaluable exposure for yourself, your brand or your website.

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I’m starting a new series on Internet Marketing Chick.

One of my philosophies about making money online is that it should be FUN! And what’s more fun than a good ol’ celebrity crush?

So the new series I’m starting is about my Cyber-Crushes, guys that are…well…WAY too hott to be on the internet, basically. Haha.

It will be updated semi-bi-annually, or whenever I feel like it.

Number one in said series, and number one in my cyber-crush heart, is the delectable Pete Cashmore.

Reasons why he is hott -

1) He created, in Mashable!, basically my favorite blog, and the only one that gets it’s own spot on my google reader instead of being part of a feed widget.

Like how I Perez Hilton’ed that for ya?

2) The accent. Oh, dear GOD, the accent!

3) The dry, sarcastic wit.

4) Let’s be real. The boy is good-looking.

Here’s some videos that prove my point. Watch how the wine chick is so flustered she can barely string a sentence together. HILARIOUS!

Popularity: 6% [?]

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For a lot of people, building themselves as a brand includes expanding their presence across the web, among many and varies social networking, media, and sharing sites. However, learning about these sites, going to them, finding out if your preferred username is available, and registering can be time consuming.

Don’t get too excited, it still is.

But, with the aid of UsernameCheck.com, combined with a tool by Jeffrey Palm, it’s less so.

With UsernameCheck, you enter your desired username in the top box, and it runs a screen on 63 different websites to tell you if it’s available -

Then, you use Jeffrey’s tool to turn all of the “available” links to sign-up links that go directly to registration pages -

Like I said, still time consuming, but significantly less so!

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Check it out!

And I’m not special (well, yes I am, but not for this…). You can get one too, at Widgetbox. The coolest site. EVER!

Popularity: 7% [?]

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So, embedding Kina’s Digg song last week got me thinking about other songs I’ve heard that are about websites.

Not to brag or anything, but I’m KIND of the Queen of the Theme mixtape. For instance, I have managed to collect 27 songs that are all either called “Melanie” or feature a major character named “Melanie” - I call that one “Narcissism.” My masterpiece to date, though, is “Rockin’ While Stalkin’” - songs about stalking or being stalked.

This mix I’ve put together here, I have to say, is pretty cool and I’m kinda proud of it, even though it only features 6 songs.

Enjoy!

Kina Grannis - Gotta Digg Here’s the song that gave me the idea in the first place.

Alana Taylor - The Twitter Song It talks about Twitter AND Facebook, and even mentions Mahalo Daily Triple Threat

IM Love - Raining Jane This song doesn’t talk about a specific website, but…how can you not include Raning Jane? IMPOSSIBLE! God, I hope you’re not my Dad. That’s all I’m sayin’.

The Myspace Song - Good Clean Fun They know how Emo kids feel.

I’m a Warrior - Steven Wagenheim Only song on the list dedicated to an IM forum. Come on eWealthers - catch up! Nebula/Jamie? Nothing?

YouTube (A Love Song) - David Choi A lot of people claim they see a little smile at the end. I don’t.

Ebay - Weird Al Yankovic (contributed by xmx)

Facebook Anthem - LLP81 (I don’t think this is a band, just people that make funny videos, but it’s DAMN funny! ) (contributed by Ian Wilcox)

Coming Soon, hopefully, will be The Internet Killed Bookmobile by ColinSick.

Did I Forget Any? Leave Them In The Comments, I’ll Amend the List!

Popularity: 13% [?]

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In a follow up to what is (quite awesomely or quite sadly, depending on how you look at it) by FAR the most popular post on my blog, here is CollegeHumor’s follow-up to the HILARIOUS Forum Commenter’s Business Meeting.

I have to say, I prefer the first, but the sequel is damn funny too.

Same warning as the last time - if you have delicate sensibilities, don’t even THINK about hitting play. If you do…PWN3D!

Popularity: 9% [?]

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This doesn’t really have to do with internet marketing at all, unless you count the fact that I ran across it while I was monitoring internal YouTube search results for an artist for whom I do Social Media Consulting.

At any rate, as I was doing said monitoring for said artist (namely, Jd Webb :D), I ran across this video of the Christmas song, “Mary, Did You Know?” that I actually forgot that he had covered for one of my websites, http://acousticvids.com, last Christmas.

I know it’s only October, but I’ve seen some Christmas decorations up already….actually, I’m just justifying. The truth is, it’s so beautiful that I just had to share.

ENJOY!

Popularity: 9% [?]

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22 year old Johns Wu has sold his blog, Bankaholic.com, to Bankrate.com for $15 million. He is also being paid a handsome bonus to stay on as chief blogger for a year.

I really hope everybody out there who is starting to feel a little discouraged about the success of their blogging efforts can take this as a huge motivator. Blogging still works!

Congrats, Johns!

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