The Lodging Resource Newsletter Mid Summer Issue

Hello again Lovely Innkeepers!

Two things of interest that have happened in the last couple of months that should be of interest to innkeepers.

Linkedin got hacked and Google+ has merged with Google Places.

Linkedin: Many Linkedin passwords got compromised. As a result of this many other accounts of people who had Linkedin accounts got hacked as well. The reason? They all used the same password for multiple online accounts.

Many people have created Linkedin accounts and then don’t use them. Regardless of whether you as innkeepers find Linkedin useful or not, if you have an account, there is a good possibility that your password may have been compromised. I would suggest still logging and changing it, even if you didn’t receive a notification about it, as this still seems to be an ongoing issue with accounts that may have been affected.

It appears that profile information as well as passwords were also pulled in from Linkedin profiles, as yahoo, aol, twitter, Facebook, domain name email account information and in one case a bank account information has been accessed. I am still getting reports that additional accounts are being hacked as well.

I strongly suggest if you use the same passwords for any online account, login to the important ones and change them pronto to different ones each. Many people complain about having to keep track of multiple passwords. There are quite a few solutions to this issue (a post for another time) but one of the easiest is a small address book which is kept in a secure location. Keep in mind most online venues let you reset your password by sending you a reset link to your email. But the caveat is, you need to be careful not to let your email get hacked.

Google+/Google Places: In the beginning of June, Google Places merged with Google+. You can still go in and administrate your Google Places account but it will look a bit different. If you created a Google+ account for business, don’t panic, they are planning on merging the two, but it’s been slow going with a very limited number of businesses actually going through the process as of yet. The original Google Places (now Google+) has some new options. The most dramatic change has been the reviews/rating change to a new format.

This post is helpful if you want to tackle the merge ahead of time, instead of waiting around for Google to get around to it. (I have yet to see any pages that have submitted this information merged as of this yet though)

Step by Step Guide to the Google+ Business/Local Merge Verification Process
http://blumenthals.com/blog/2012/08/03/step-by-step-guide-to-the-google-businesslocal-merge-verification-process/

AND

If you’ve seen the latest meme going around………………………(with a few changes 🙂

Recent Blog Posts From our Blog that may be of interest to innkeepers:

Bed and Breakfast Email Scam Alert
https://chefforfeng.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/bed-and-breakfast-email-scam-alert/

Seven Things You Might Find in a Hotel, but You’ll Never Find at a B&B
https://chefforfeng.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/seven-things-you-might-find-in-a-hotel-but-youll-never-find-at-a-bb/

The 3 Golden Rules of Twitter for Lodging
https://chefforfeng.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/the-3-golden-rules-of-twitter-for-lodging/

Twitter for Business Checklist Worksheet
https://chefforfeng.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/twitter-for-business-checklist-worksheet/

Helpful Blog Posts and Other Information.

I commonly get this question from people:
How do I clear my web browser’s cache, cookies, and history?
http://kb.iu.edu/data/ahic.html

5 Ways to Build a Pinterest Following With Facebook
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/build-a-pinterest-following-with-facebook/

How to Make Images Stand Out on Pinterest [INFOGRAPHIC]
http://mashable.com/2012/03/26/optimize-images-pinterest/

Pinterest finally drops invites in favor of open registration
http://venturebeat.com/2012/08/09/pinterest-open-registration/

7 Ways To Hack Your Promotions Into Facebook Timeline
http://allfacebook.com/facebook-timeline-hack_b82897

8 Creative Ways to Use Embeddable Tweets
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/8-creative-ways-to-use-embeddable-tweets/

12 Essential Social Media Cheat Sheets
http://mashable.com/2012/07/09/social-media-cheatsheets/

Are You Spamming People And Don’t Even Know It?
http://www.v3im.com/2012/05/are-you-spamming-people-and-dont-even-know-it/#axzz1uwyQa4Yw

You Call That Hospitality? Your House, Your Rules? Really?
http://www.abouttheinn.com/2012/07/you-call-that-hospitality-your-house-rules-really/

How to use great customer service to trigger social media attention [15 TIPS]
http://www.tnooz.com/2012/07/25/how-to/how-to-use-great-customer-service-to-trigger-social-media-attention-15-tips/

Is your social media damaging your brand?
http://www.wordtracker.com/academy/social-media-branding?

10 LinkedIn Shortcuts For A Post-Twitter World
http://marketingland.com/10-linkedin-shortcuts-for-a-post-twitter-world-16733

Why Tomorrow Is Too Late When It Comes To Social Media Training
http://topdogsocialmedia.com/why-tomorrow-is-too-late-for-social-media-training/

50 Blogging Benefits that Will Change Your Business Forever
http://www.thesaleslion.com/business-blogging-benefits/

Targeting Facebook Posts: The Good, Bad, and Intrusive
http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/10473-targeting-facebook-posts-the-good-bad-and-intrusive

A Look At The Dark Side Of Twitter Popularity: The Paid Follower Economy
http://marketingland.com/a-look-at-the-dark-side-of-twitter-popularity-the-paid-follower-economy-18382

This has nothing to do with marketing but quite an amazing video, if you need a break for a minute. Courtesy of Claiborne House Bed and Breakfast (the end is bit odd, but well worth the watch for some amazing animation: Now for something completely different
http://blog.claibornehouse.net/2012/07/now-for-something-completely-different.html

—————————————-
**If you have been forwarded this newsletter by a friend or have gotten here by other means and you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, please visit
http://www.forfengdesigns.com/newsletters/
(the newsletter is a double opt in, so please make sure you confirm your subscription
when you get a follow up email about it)
or email me at forfengdesigns@gmail.com with the email address you would like to use.