If you’re interested in learning more about the evolving social media industry in San Antonio and how it may impact your business, be sure and check out today’s column in the San Antonio Express-News by Alan Weinkrantz.

From analytics, to content (thanks Alan for the visit and for mentioning Content Developer), to vlogging, Alan delivers a quick exploration of a cross section of companies and individuals that are helping to shape the San Antonio Social Media Ecosystem.

Even if you follow social media closely, chances are you might learn about something or someone new in the article — I did.

…The software architect behind TED lives here in San Antonio.

And in a nice multi-platform example of how to build your digital brand by using traditional print media content to drive traffic to your new media content, Alan’s following up this column with a series of video interviews with some of the people mentioned in his newspaper piece.

You can watch those interviews as they’re published over on Alan’s public relations blog and his YouTube Channel.

Good work Alan.

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technorati tags: Blog Catalog; Social Media Club San Antonio; Pear Analytics; Bar Camp San Antonio; IdeaGin; PodCamp San Antonio; FireCat Studio; PRSA;

Some food for thought for those using the new year as a time to evaluate how satisfied you are with the structure and size of your company, or the company you work for.

graphic from wsj.com

As we try to map out the online distribution strategy for some of our content projects, the subject of how to getter a better ranking in your favorite search engine has come up again. No matter what kind of content you are developing, or business you are running for that matter, this topic has never really gone away.

The evolution of page ranking is interesting. Back in the day, your keywords and description metatags were the holy grail. They pretty much have been kicked to the curb right along with the Netscape browser. It’s now all about how many pages link to your site, and the value of those sites that link to you.

While the juicy details of exactly how sites are ranked are kept locked up pretty tight, Google does offer some limited explanation here.

Some nice history (is it urban myth that google trademark term pagerank is play on larry page?), explanation and some sample formulas on the topic as well found on WikiPedia.

from wikipedia

Well then, that should clear up any confusion.

Earlier this year in San Antonio, a new talk radio station came on the air, KAHL AM.

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The new GOP Social Security plan looks familiar. It doesn’t fix everything, but it is tough to see a downside for the retiree or the taxpayer.

While suffering from writer’s block on another project, I figured why not try to solve some of the world’s problems in the mean time. That is the genesis of The Content Developer’s Plan to “Save” Social Security. (version 1.2)

Ask yourself what would happen if we put a portion of our Social Security money into private accounts and invested it, not in the stock market, but strictly in US Government bonds?

First, we could double the rate of return our Social Security money is earning without adding any additional risk. Second, we would allow the creation of private accounts in such a way that provides the benefits those accounts produce while adding none of the risk. Third, we would leave the existing Social Security system in place while changing the structure just enough to force a more effective accounting of the numbers.

The devil is in the details, so let’s dig a little deeper.

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Developing content shares many of the same challenges that any business does — one of the biggest being finding an effective way to provide affordable health insurance for you and your employees.

We got incorporated in 1995 but I didn’t quit my day job until 1999 so I was able to put off this challenge for a while.

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Finding the right mix between the art and the business side of a creative venture is tough, but the business model has to be sound or we will be out of business and back on somebody else’s payroll soon.

If we’re not generating a required rate of return on our ventures, then we have a hobby — nothing more. That holds true for any business.

With that harsh bit of reality in mind, am setting up a new “small business” category today to archive topics that can apply to any business.

For example — how are we going to handle our retirement? The retirement of our employees?

Now that you mention it, how are social security benefits calculated anyway?

With the debate focusing on reforming social security moving to the forefront, found an article that gives an easy to understand overview of how social security works.

On a related note, read an Op-Ed by Paul O’Neil which put forth an interesting idea that involves funding every newborn with a Personal Account in the amount of $2000 a year for the first 18 years of their life and then locking that money away till they retire.

An original idea. At first glance, we like it.