Lighting a fire under the Valley with Ignite Phoenix

Coming up in about a month is a somewhat new event in the Phoenix area known as Ignite Phoenix. Ignite Phoenix is an information exchange organized as a way to help foster and inspire Phoenix’s creative community. At the event, you hear 18 passionate speakers talking about their favorite topics or projects for just 5 minutes each. The lineup of presenters for each event is unique, and presentations will educate and inspire you, not to mention maybe make you laugh.

This event is for anyone who wants to hear new ideas and gain a new insight on what is going on in the minds of your fellow Phoenix residents. The presentations are informative for companies and entertaining for individuals. This event is an opportunity to hea ideas from outside of your normal sphere of influence. By mixing it up, new and exciting things can happen to not only you, but Phoenix as a whole.

Our Chief Nerd at Brice Cheddarn Development, Bret, has submitted a topic to Ignite Phoenix in the hopes of being selected as a presenter at the upcoming Ignite 4. His topic: The Nerd Hierarchy. With any luck, Bret will help Phoenix see the web through the eyes of a nerd.

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5 Ways to Use LinkedIn like a Nerd Would

LinkedIn is a popular social network of over 35,000,000+ experienced professionals from around the world. It is a social media tool that allows individuals and businesses a ways to find and collaborate with other qualified professionals. LinkedIn allows users to build a profile that summarizes their experience and expertise, and then share it with other users. Simply put, Linked in is a very powerful tool to inform the world about your own brand of Nerdness.

There are many ways that companies can use LinkedIn to help their cause. Several Entrepreneurs like Guy Kawasaki and Chris Pirillo have written several articles about the benefits and ways to use LinkedIn. The site even features a blog dedicated to the success stories of its users on how they made it work for them. So, we decided to come up with our own list of reasons individuals and companies should use and embrace the powerful online networking tool. Here are 5 ways to use LinkedIn like a nerd would:

1. To Brand Yourself or Your Business. Having a strong brand goes a long way, but it takes a lot to build up a brand and get it strong. A company has to develop credibility in its field and appear to have a strong presence. Having a strong network helps promote your brand. LinkedIn only reinforces the branding you’re doing elsewhere and helps increase your visibility.

2. Market Analysis and Research. Doing research is common for nerds. Every company and individual would benefit from doing more nerd-like research. And LinkedIn is a network that provides a plethora of information to research. It is a great way to analyze and benmark the markert. It is a great way to get to know a company or client and gauge its health. Not to mention, it is a great way to see what competitors are doing. On top of getting valid factual information, you also get other people's opinions through answers and recommendations. Use the vast amounts of information LinkedIn provides to your benefit.

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