Nine percent of the Western Hemisphere’s mammals—and up to 40 percent in some regions—may not be able to outpace climate change. “I think it’s important to point out that in the past when climates have changed—between glacial and interglacial periods when species ranges contracted and expanded—the landscape wasn’t covered with agricultural fields, four-lane highways and parking lots, so species could move much more freely across the landscape,” says Joshua Lawler, associate professor of environmental and forest sciences at University of…
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Most Topular Stories
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Mammals may not get to cool climates in time
Holy Kaw!16 May 2012 | 12:09 pm -
The Facebook IPO Timeline
Mashable!16 May 2012 | 12:32 pmIf the Facebook IPO were a real person, we certainly wouldn’t blame it for posting braggy status updates. This infographic, created by our friends at mbaonline.com, imagines the road leading up to the decade’s most-anticipated initial public offering, as if it were documented on its own Facebook Timeline. As a Facebook user, give yourself a pat on the back for helping the company make it this far. You are one of 900 million, and you spend an average of 20 minutes per day surfing the network. That means Facebook’s usership logs 16,000 years of combined time on the platform… -
Create a Setting and Connect With Emotions
chrisbrogan.com13 May 2012 | 10:26 pmI recently moved the delivery time of my beloved newsletter to be Sunday morning (well, that’s when it launches here, though my New Zealander and Australian friends all get it on Monday). In the process, I talked to people about sharing this information over breakfast, and with a “second cup of coffee” sometimes. I basically set a scene in the reader’s head that we were having a personal chat over breakfast. Ask yourself this: in trying to reach others for whatever your goal may be, is it facts or emotions that will win them over? Which do you think plays the bigger… -
Google Goes Back to What It Does Well: Finding Things
ReadWriteWeb16 May 2012 | 10:00 amSurprise! Google has completely transformed the way search works again. But this time, it's a kind of search that would have made the old Google proud. Today, starting with U.S., English-language users, Google unveils the Knowledge Graph. Search now looks at the words of your query and identifies the things in it. You're not just searching the Web anymore. You're searching the world. From Words to Things Most of Google users' queries are ambiguous. In the old Google, when you searched for "kings," Google didn't know whether you meant actual monarchs, the hockey team,… -
Introducing The Rebel’s Guide To Email Marketing
Social Media Explorer16 May 2012 | 10:20 amIf you joined DJ Waldow and me today for our 22-minute webinar on five secrets to email marketing, you learned that one of the secrets was that he and I have written a book. I’m proud to tell all of you that The Rebel’s Guide To Email Marketing is now available for pre-order on Amazon and will be in your local book stores late this summer. This is my second book (thanks to all of you who have supported No Bullshit Social Media: The All-Business, No-Hype Guide To Social Media Marketing) but DJ’s first. And if you know both me and DJ, you know he’s truly the subject…
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Holy Kaw!
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Mammals may not get to cool climates in time
16 May 2012 | 12:09 pmNine percent of the Western Hemisphere’s mammals—and up to 40 percent in some regions—may not be able to outpace climate change. “I think it’s important to point out that in the past when climates have changed—between glacial and interglacial periods when species ranges contracted and expanded—the landscape wasn’t covered with agricultural fields, four-lane highways and parking lots, so species could move much more freely across the landscape,” says Joshua Lawler, associate professor of environmental and forest sciences at University of… -
Time of year matters for vitamin D risk
16 May 2012 | 12:08 pmWhen considering a patient’s blood vitamin D levels, it may be best to consider a lower threshold for concern, as well as the time of year. "In evaluating health risk," the University of Washington researchers conclude, "season-specific targets for Vitamin D blood concentration may be more appropriate than a static target when evaluating patients health risk." Full story at Futurity. More research news from top universities. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
The (not so correct) anatomy of sea life
16 May 2012 | 11:52 amMarine biology, scharine schiology. Pleated Jeans skips scientific facts for its series of sea life diagrams. Via Pleated Jeans. (H/T @laughingsquid) Laughing is good for you. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
The mechanics of eclipses [infographic]
16 May 2012 | 9:11 amWhen the moon passes in front of sun, as viewed from Earth, the eclipse that occurs is visible from a narrow path on Earth that corresponds to the location of the moon's shadow. During a total solar eclipse, this path is known as the path of totality. WARNING: Never look directly at the sun during an eclipse with a telescope or your unaided eye. Severe eye damage can result and scientists use special filters to safely view the sun. Via Space. The view from space. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Clean air improves heart health, Olympics show
16 May 2012 | 8:39 amUsing the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a lab, researchers found evidence that even short-term reduction in air pollution exposure improves a person’s cardiovascular health. “Beijing is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and the Chinese government had proposed to reduce pollution levels to be comparable to other Olympic host cities,” says USC Professor Junfeng (Jim) Zhang. “We wanted to take advantage of such a huge intervention and look at what happens to people biologically.” Full story at Futurity. More research news from top universities. Permalink |…
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Mashable!
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The Facebook IPO Timeline
16 May 2012 | 12:32 pmIf the Facebook IPO were a real person, we certainly wouldn’t blame it for posting braggy status updates. This infographic, created by our friends at mbaonline.com, imagines the road leading up to the decade’s most-anticipated initial public offering, as if it were documented on its own Facebook Timeline. As a Facebook user, give yourself a pat on the back for helping the company make it this far. You are one of 900 million, and you spend an average of 20 minutes per day surfing the network. That means Facebook’s usership logs 16,000 years of combined time on the platform… -
Facebook Fans Get to Pick Bonus Levels in ‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD’
16 May 2012 | 12:06 pmActivision is polling fans via Facebook on which levels will be included as additional downloadable content on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD is a rebuilt version of the classic games. It features seven levels from the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, released in 1999, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, which came out in 2000. Players will be able to skate all over classic levels such as “Warehouse” and “Mall” that have been rebuilt using the old maps. Starting Wednesday afternoon, fans will be asked to pick which of their favorite Tony… -
Facebook IPO Gets a Boost: 84 Million More Shares For Sale
16 May 2012 | 11:15 amJust days away from launch, Facebook is continuing to make last-minute changes in its IPO plans. On Wednesday, Facebook announced that an extra 84 million shares will be added to its stock pool for sale. The extra shares will come entirely from insiders and early investors, according to the Associated Press. Facebook and its current stockholders will offer more than 421 million shares in the IPO. The company has raised the price range of its stocks to $34 to $38, up from $28 to $35. If the shares trade on the higher end, Facebook could raise $16 billion when it goes public. Some of the early… -
18 Mashable Family Photos
16 May 2012 | 10:47 amWhat does a family portrait look like when it represents a community of millions of people? For our photo challenge this week, Mashable readers sent us their photos, helping us to create a family portrait of our community. This past Sunday was Mother’s Day in the U.S. Sons and daughters found time to pick up the phone and call their moms, and many families enjoyed the day together. In honor of Mother’s Day, we asked you to show us a photo that represents family to you. At Mashable, we loved seeing your photos of family outings, newborn family members and canine best friends. -
Behind the Launch: A Promising, Yet Controversial Job Candidate
16 May 2012 | 10:31 amDiscuss the show on Twitter: #BehindTheLaunch In Mashable‘s new video series, Behind the Launch, we’re taking cameras behind the scenes at Vungle, an in-app video advertising startup. Last week, we met the the founders and saw them bring on Colin Behr to head up business development. This week, they courted big-name startup investors, such as 500 Startups‘ Dave McClure, DFJ Esprit‘s Krishna Visvanathan and AOL Ventures‘ Adam Smith. But Vungle needs to focus more on the core — developing the product instead of fleshing out press releases and a website…
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chrisbrogan.com
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Create a Setting and Connect With Emotions
13 May 2012 | 10:26 pmI recently moved the delivery time of my beloved newsletter to be Sunday morning (well, that’s when it launches here, though my New Zealander and Australian friends all get it on Monday). In the process, I talked to people about sharing this information over breakfast, and with a “second cup of coffee” sometimes. I basically set a scene in the reader’s head that we were having a personal chat over breakfast. Ask yourself this: in trying to reach others for whatever your goal may be, is it facts or emotions that will win them over? Which do you think plays the bigger… -
Nobody Reads Agency Blogs- Or Why You Need Skin in the Game
7 May 2012 | 6:57 amThanks to Jason Falls, I just read this post about how many marketing agencies are closing down their blogs and tweeting and Facebooking instead. “Nobody reads agency blogs, and there are so many out there it’s impossible for people to keep up anyway,” said Sam Weston, director of communications at digital agency Huge. Nobody Reads ANY Blogs- If They’re Boring I’ll tell you without even having to look why nobody reads a blog: because it’s boring. Because it’s poorly written. Because it’s utterly self-referential. Nobody has time to read junk. Why would you? -
Constraints
5 May 2012 | 9:43 amI was at a live performance the other night where Jacq sang and played with Girish, and I had a great conversation with Reggie, the drummer for the night. (I am SO sorry that I don’t know your last name, Reggie.) We talked about the fact that his typical drum kit for events is usually like 30 or so pieces, but that he decided to go minimal for the event. He had a kick drum, a snare, a tom, two cymbals, and a cowbell. What Reggie said was something like this, “I really enjoy this, because it means I really have to use what I have to get the expression I’m aiming for. I… -
Pattern Break
2 May 2012 | 9:17 pmWhen you wake up in the morning, you check your emails, probably from your phone. First thing. Yes? Why? There’s no good answer to why. Even brain surgeons can wait until they’ve done other things before checking in on the world outside of your immediate proximity. So why do you do it? Because it’s a habit, a pattern. Do you read the top tech and marketing blogs? Why? Why do you read this blog? Because you’re subscribed? Are you getting something from it? If no, then why are you still doing it? Twitter and Facebook are hugely pattern-driven. They thrive off the same… -
Where Should You Put Your Content?
30 Apr 2012 | 7:44 amI’ve been asked by subscribers of my personal newsletter how I decide what goes on my blog and what goes into my newsletter. I think the answer differs depending on your strategy, but I’m more than happy to tell you how I view it. I put information that sells on my blog, and information that nurtures in my newsletter. Information that Sells My job, because people seem confused these days as to what exactly it is I do or am selling, is to help mid-sized to larger companies build business (revenue and growth) by improving their use of the human digital channel (social media, email…
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ReadWriteWeb
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Google Goes Back to What It Does Well: Finding Things
16 May 2012 | 10:00 amSurprise! Google has completely transformed the way search works again. But this time, it's a kind of search that would have made the old Google proud. Today, starting with U.S., English-language users, Google unveils the Knowledge Graph. Search now looks at the words of your query and identifies the things in it. You're not just searching the Web anymore. You're searching the world. From Words to Things Most of Google users' queries are ambiguous. In the old Google, when you searched for "kings," Google didn't know whether you meant actual monarchs, the hockey team,… -
Read/Write Daily: Bionic Eyes That Can See Clearly
16 May 2012 | 9:45 amToday's theme is improving on life. Nature did a pretty good job of engineering some hardy life forms. But now we're able to tinker with life ourselves. We're further along than you might think. Researchers have lifted the lid on turtle evolution, a perfect demonstration that technology is natural. But now we have our own genetic ideas. We're able to triple the physical endurance of mice in the lab. This paper shows that high-resolution prosthetic human eyes are possible! Here are slightly and greatly more accessible articles about these bionic eyes. We've also developed low-cost artificial… -
Why the iPad Works for Writing
16 May 2012 | 8:02 amWhen the first iPad launched in 2010, critics were quick to lampoon the device for being geared too heavily toward content consumption. The criticisms weren't entirely without merit, especially considering that the first-generation iPad didn't even have a camera, and external media slots are still nowhere to be found. Over time, the iPad has evolved into something that's much more creation-friendly. It still doesn't compare to a desktop or laptop computer for many things, but it's great for quite a few others. Writing is one of them. I happen to write things for a living, but the… -
The Truth About Why Yahoo's CEO Got Fired
16 May 2012 | 7:02 amWhat's the takeaway from Yahoo's recent CEO fiasco? Don't lie on your corporate bio, for one, and make sure no one else has lied on your behalf. But the real lesson has nothing to do with falsified credentials. Sure, the world will remember Scott Thompson as the Yahoo CEO who got fired over a fake computer science degree, but the context is crucial: A battle with Yahoo shareholder Dan Loeb for control of the company. If not for Loeb, we may never have found out about Thompson's juiced resume, and he might still be CEO. The real lesson is: Beware the activist investor. Four months… -
Loomio: Making Better Decisions Remotely Possible
16 May 2012 | 6:33 amEmail, instant messaging, forums, code forges and other collaboration tools make it possible for distributed teams to get work done - but they're not great tools for making decisions. The team behind Loomio wants to solve that with a new Web-based tool for focused, concise discussions that allow all team members to be heard. If you've ever worked with a distributed team, you know how difficult it can be to make decisions as a group. Discussions are unstructured, rambling affairs with dozens of messages flying about and no good way to track consensus. Even worse, requests for feedback…
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Social Media Explorer
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Introducing The Rebel’s Guide To Email Marketing
16 May 2012 | 10:20 amIf you joined DJ Waldow and me today for our 22-minute webinar on five secrets to email marketing, you learned that one of the secrets was that he and I have written a book. I’m proud to tell all of you that The Rebel’s Guide To Email Marketing is now available for pre-order on Amazon and will be in your local book stores late this summer. This is my second book (thanks to all of you who have supported No Bullshit Social Media: The All-Business, No-Hype Guide To Social Media Marketing) but DJ’s first. And if you know both me and DJ, you know he’s truly the subject… -
Social Media Sucks for Businesses and Here’s Why
16 May 2012 | 6:00 amLet’s just get straight to the point… social media sucks. Plain and simple. For years it’s been “business as usual” and then suddenly everyone is bouncing around words like “social”, “engage”, “community” and all kinds of other blather. Some of the biggest companies in the world such as Ford, Starbucks, Dell, American Express and many others have fallen for the trap. I’m here to warn you before you do anything stupid. Social media sucks and here’s a few reasons why … Social media shifts the limelight from… -
Choosing and Weaving Social Within a Multichannel Marketing Program
15 May 2012 | 6:00 amEditor’s Note: Today’s post is of the guest variety and offered up by my friends Gini Dietrich and Geoff Livingston. Their new book, Marketing in the Round, is out and available. They are smart. It is good. Pay attention. The world of marketing in small and large businesses is a siloed one. Companies have ad campaigns, PR plans, social media strategies, and websites built independently and bolted together in a haphazard manner. It’s surprising how rarely these disciplines work together to achieve corporate objectives like establishing a second vertical for a product, or… -
The Irony Of Measuring Marketing Now
14 May 2012 | 6:00 amI once provided counsel for a company that had little confidence in social media marketing. It begrudgingly decided it would hire a consultant, go through some strategic exercises and probably prove that social media was bullshit and it would be better off sticking with its traditional guns. The brand’s insistence with my work, as is with most clients I’ve dealt with, was that we measure everything as infinitely as possible. Skeptics are like that. They want to know how many clicks, how many re-tweets, how many milliseconds the time-on-site number increases each month, even if… -
How To Engage In Online Forums For Your Brand
11 May 2012 | 6:00 amEditor’s Note: In light of our recent affirmation that forums and message boards are a bountiful home for consumer interaction and engagement around brands and products, I thought it appropriate to invite some solid expertise here to help advise us on how to proceed in exploring online forums for marketing purposes. Today’s guest post is by the person I regard as the foremost expert on managing online forums in the U.S., if not the world, Patrick O’Keefe. I regularly find myself in the position of having to defend online forums, without actually wanting to be put into that…
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Andy Sernovitz | Damn, I Wish I\'d Thought of That!
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A name with a bug, part 2
16 May 2012 | 7:00 amLast week we had an amazing conference called the Word of Mouth Crash Course. It was a fantastic day, the third in a series. But it wasn’t as big as we expected, and we discovered a critical reason why: We changed the name of the event — it used to be called Word of Mouth Supergenius — without any testing. Here’s what happened — people thought that it was an online course instead of a live conference. The word course implied online training to many people. We also failed to use certain trigger words that indicate that something is a live event: Summit, Expo,… -
A name with a bug, part 1
15 May 2012 | 7:00 amWe were going to launch a site called WordofMouthMarketing.org. During the few months we were planning it, everyone kept saying WordofMouth.org — they kept dropping the word marketing. Even employees and contractors who were working on the project. That was a problem. If our own team couldn’t get the name right, how would our customers find the site? So we killed the project until we could get ownership of WordofMouth.org. It was incredibly lucky that we caught the problem before we launched. We would have sent all of our confused customers to someone else’s site. Lesson:… -
Give them an experience they’ll never stop talking about — and a reminder to re-start the talk
14 May 2012 | 7:00 amThe Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, TX invites school and scout groups to spend the night camping in the zoo. It’s an amazing behind-the-scenes experience. More that just the camping, which is remarkable, you also get to feed a giraffe, pet a rhino, and hold a giant cockroach. Just as important: Every kid gets a free shirt with the Zoo Snooze logo on it. And everyone other kid in school finds out about the Zoo every time the shirt is worn. (And because it was a Cub Scout trip, dozens of kids in the same grade all have the shirt.) Lesson: Don’t just think about the experience. Think… -
What’s the simplest thing you can do to create a remarkable experience?
13 May 2012 | 7:00 amSubway gave us a kids meal in this nice reusable bag. We talked about it, we told people, we kept it, and we tell more people when our daughter carries it around. Probably cost them 30 cents — which is about 10 cents more than a throw-away box. But the conversations it starts are priceless word of mouth advertising moments. -
35 ways to improve sales
12 May 2012 | 7:00 amClassic advice from e-commerce master Sam Decker, now CEO of Mass Relevance, originally published in 2004 and still relevant: Can I find that item I’m looking for? Tune your internal search engine to match top search terms to product pages. Put top sellers on home page. People buy on impulse or recommendation. Match the landing page to the marketing campaign. Use vanity urls for offline advertising. Test your categories, naming and navigation with customers. They’re less intuitive than you think. Can I find something that interests me? Put top sellers on home page. Add related items to a…
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Ignite Social Media
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Will Social Gaming Help or Hurt Your Business?
15 May 2012 | 8:09 amThere are a number of social games out there on a variety of platforms – although the most popular seem to be those played on Facebook and smartphones. If you’re reading this, chances are you play at least one of them: Words with Friends, Scramble with Friends, Hanging with Friends, Draw Something, The Sims Social, Gardens of Time, Diamond Dash, Bubble Island…the list goes on. But do you play those games with only friends and family, or have you reached out to business contacts on your quest to challenge new competitors? Do you play only at home or during “free… -
20 Men Worth Following on Pinterest
8 May 2012 | 6:00 amPinterest has a reputation for being popular with the ladies. I suppose there’s a reason for that; Forbes reported that 97% of Pinterest users are women, and that 47% of women who use social media have made purchases based on Pinterest recommendations. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t men on Pinterest. They may make up only 3% of the population, but men make up a minority worth paying attention to. Many of them are far more popular than most of us women. Is it the novelty of having a man in a “woman’s world?” (That’s tongue in cheek, folks. Not… -
After Timeline, Top 50 Brands See Facebook Comments Dip 11%, Likes Rise 11%
3 May 2012 | 6:58 amOn February 29th, Facebook introduced Timeline for Brands, allowing brands to have a nifty cover photo but also eliminating their ability to have a default landing tab (something I would still very much like back). By March 30, all brands had to switch over to Timeline. Since I’ve been tracking the 50 largest branded Facebook fan pages for more than two years, and since I’ve done previous analysis on how they perform relative to which have the most active fans, how often they post, the impressions they generate and their value, even if certain brands attract more outgoing fans… -
Ignite Social Media Hiring 20+ New Employees in Many Disciplines
2 May 2012 | 2:24 pmWe’re growing again. Since three of us opened our doors in 2007, we’ve grown to roughly 75 employees, but we still need more to meet growing demand from our clients new and old. Are you looking for a chance to really enjoy your job? To work in social media marketing in a place that values (and expects) everyone’s contribution? To work on some of the world’s best brands as your clients? To never have the same day at work twice? If so, we may be looking for you. (If you’re not looking, but know someone who is, please forward this along to them.) Wide Array of… -
Top 50 Branded Facebook Fan Pages, April 2012: 8.3m fans and up make the list
1 May 2012 | 11:50 amThe bar to make it on the Top 50 Branded Facebook Fan Pages list this month is only getting higher, as the 50th brand on the list (Sprite) has an impressive 8.3m fans. Facebook continues to be the giant of pages, coming in at over 64.5m fans and adding 1.5m fans in April alone. The rich getting richer. At the same time, Converse made an interesting move, apparently shutting down the Converse All Stars page, despite the face that it had over 23.3m fans. Perhaps as part of a transition plan, Converse did manage to add 5 million fans to their main page, shooting them up 23% and helping them move…
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Danny Brown
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Your Value
15 May 2012 | 12:44 pmElectricity is free, but we pay energy companies to harness it. Water is free, but we pay for the privilege of filtering. Air is free, but we pay for the solution of conditioning it for summers in our homes. Natural gas is free, but we pay for the importance of safety in its use. Oil is free, but we pay for the welling and distribution. When we get down to it, all the things we could have for free we’re willing to pay for, because where needs are met, value is gained. If you meet the needs of your audience, why would the value you bring be free? Your Value originally appeared on Danny… -
Join @GaryVee and @AmberMac in Toronto July 26 for Social Mix 2012 #SoMix2012
14 May 2012 | 8:02 amIf you’re in the Toronto, Ontario area on July 26, make sure you keep the day free for what promises to be one of the city’s leading social media and business events this year. Top business and marketing folks Gary Vaynerchuk and Amber Mac will be keynoting at the inaugural Social Mix, presented by Jugnoo (hey, that’s where I work!). They’ll be sharing their insights and expertise on what it takes to succeed both online and offline, and how to build your business for long-term success. Alongside Gary and Amber, we’ll also be bringing the highly respected Gini… -
Everything Is Dead
12 May 2012 | 6:29 pmThe print industry is dead, yet we still use a version of ink for the ebooks that killed print. The news release is dead, yet we still count print publication mentions as a measure of success. Advertising is dead, yet we still spend almost $120 billion every three months. Blogging is dead, even though the platforms reporting this are built on blogs. PR is dead, despite it pervading every part of a business from customer service to branding to HR and more. Seems everything is dead, even though we continue to use all of these corpses today. Great to be alive, eh? Everything Is Dead originally… -
Social Media, Self-Proclamation and the Wanky Word
10 May 2012 | 7:45 pmWe all want to be famous, whether we admit it or not. We all want the glory of recognition for our work; our media; our creations; our results. To say otherwise is to lie. Of course, the thing is, there are different levels of what we want and how we want it. Thankfully for those that want it, whether it’s deserved or not, social media allows us to live out our narcissistic fantasies and be as famous as we believe we should be. Fame, though, can come in many forms. There’s the type of fame that Mike talks about; but that’s where we seek fame but don’t really say as much. Then… -
27 Highly Recommended WordPress PlugIns As Used on Here
9 May 2012 | 6:39 amOne of the great things about self-hosted WordPress blogging is the amount of plugins available to help you make your blog just the way you want it. For anyone not on WordPress, plugins are additional solutions that you can install to your site’s admin area, and they then offer extra functionality to your blog and how your readers interact with it. These can range from social sharing options, design tools, subscription options, e-commerce solutions and much more. In my last post, I spoke about the process that went into the redesign here, and Ken Mueller (an awesome part of…
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@ProBlogger
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5 Effective Tricks to Create a Killer Call to Action
16 May 2012 | 7:04 amThis guest post is by Greg Digneo of Sales Leads in Thirty Days. Here’s the dirty little secret: there are actually two steps to building an extremely popular blog. The first and most popular step is to drive traffic by guest posting, social media, and SEO. The far less sexy step is to convert that traffic into loyal readers who will become the backbone of your community. Who will share every piece of content you produce with their friends. And who will ensure that every post sparks an engaging discussion. But most of all, they will be the first to buy your products and services. The… -
Get Obsessed with Your Message
15 May 2012 | 1:01 pmThis guest post is by Danielle LaPorte of DanielleLaPorte.com. Blog = up? Posts = rolling? It’s time to get obsessed with your message. A quick dictionary moment, to differentiate between your voice, your topics and your message. Your voice is what makes your writing distinctive, compelling, unmistakably you. You’ll carry your voice from your blog, right into your book. Seamless, identifiable. Individual. Your topics are the categories or subjects you write about (Eco-luxe weddings on a shoestring budget! Savvy corporate management, with heart and soul! Thrifty vegan recipes!) Your… -
On the Elusive “Next Level” of Blogging
15 May 2012 | 7:04 amWe’ve all heard of it—the elusive “next level” that so many bloggers talk about online. But what is the next level? How many levels are there? Is there an end point in leveling up? These are all worthwhile questions—especially for more experienced bloggers who have spent a lot of time and energy in reaching the level they’re already at. For these bloggers, trying to reach the next level can involve a degree of risk, so the steps that get us toward the next level might be taken slowly and with care. On the other hand, the web isn’t exactly undersupplied with… -
Grab Your BWE Virtual Ticket for $100 Off—24 Hours Left
14 May 2012 | 5:09 pmWish you could get to Blog World Expo this year, but can’t make it to New York? Me too. I’ll be in Queensland with the winners of my blogging competition, but I know there are plenty of bloggers from other countries, as well as within the States, who won’t be able to attend Blog World this year. Fortunately, you and I don’t need to miss out on the information and fun of the Expo (and if the speaker list for this year is anything to go by, the conference is going to be really impressive). We “remote” bloggers can still “attend” on a BWE virtual… -
Install Your First WordPress Theme
14 May 2012 | 7:09 amThis guest post is by Karol K of ThemeFuse. Seeing a headline like “How to Install a WordPress Theme” on ProBlogger might seem strange at first. This doesn’t sound like a “pro”-thing at all, right? If you’ve been dealing with WordPress for a while then this is probably even more than obvious to you. However, everyone starts somewhere, and there are plenty of experienced bloggers who haven’t ever installed a WordPress theme—but would like to give it a try. Maybe you’re installing your first theme right now, and you’re searching for a…
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Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
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5 Reasons Why Landing Pages Are a Must
16 May 2012 | 5:25 amOnline marketers have used the term “landing page” for many years to describe a sales tactic focused on getting people to take one, specific action. Today, landing pages have simply become a required element in the marketing toolbox for every imaginable business, including local brick and mortar types. Example of a personalized lead capture landing page A landing page is just the page people land on because an ad or email directed them to that specific page as opposed to your site’s homepage. Effective landing pages make it very clear what a visitor is going to get from a page and how… -
13 Questions That Will Lead You To Your Perfect Marketing Strategy
15 May 2012 | 5:54 amPlenty of startups try to determine the perfect business model to take to market only to find that the market doesn’t need, want or understand what they are presenting. The fact is most books or courses on business models take this into consideration by suggesting trial and error scenarios and market hypothesizes prior to launch. Any business model, or plan for that matter, is little more than a guess and I believe that your best chance for getting that guess right is to build your business model based on a marketing strategy. This assumes the role a fully developed marketing strategy… -
5 Non Spammy Ways To Get a Blogger’s Attention
14 May 2012 | 5:28 amEveryone, from PR firms to individuals with a product to sell, pitches bloggers these days. Getting coverage or exposure for your business by way of a number of highly read blogs should be a foundational element of your PR approach. So, I thought I would share of few of my thoughts on the most effective ways to get a blogger’s attention and stand out in a way that gives your pitch a far better chance of garnering coverage. Sadly, it would much easier to write a post on what not to do, but I like to stay on the positive side here. Whether your goal is to land a guest post, get a review of… -
Weekend Favs May Twelve
12 May 2012 | 5:39 amMy weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week. I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from Flickr or one that I took out there on the road. New Duct Tape Marketing t-shirt design via Hugh MacLeod Gapingvoid Good stuff I found this week: Ming.ly – A personal relationship manager that aggregates your contacts from Gmail, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter into a searchable merged address book that allows… -
Engaging Your Macro Metric As a True Measure of Success
11 May 2012 | 5:59 amBusiness owners and marketers are told to measure and quantify everything. The problem is this practice alone can lead to false assumptions and a fixation on things that simply don’t matter that much. lollipolluza via FlickrAre website visits, Facebook Likes, newsletter signups or even revenue the true measure of success for your business? Perhaps, but how so? When we simply create a list of what we might call key performance indicators without the proper focus with which to weight them, it all simply becomes an exercise in collecting. It’s a lot like having a bunch of puzzle pieces…
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Influential Marketing
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Yahoo's CEO And The Modern Believability Crisis
15 May 2012 | 4:02 pmI don't actually have a degree in Irish Poetry. I share this because recently at a few events I may have mistakenly mentioned that I did. See, I studied English literature at Emory University in the late 90s. While there, I took exactly two elective classes specifically on Irish literature and as most people who study that field already know - Emory has one of the best collections of Irish literature and poetry in the world. So I did focus on Irish Poetry, but the degree that I earned in 1997 was a BA in English Literature. Why am I telling you all this? Well, you can hardly blame me for… -
Why I Don't Want You To Buy Likeonomics (And This Isn't A Marketing Trick)
6 May 2012 | 8:36 amA few days ago I got the first shipment of my new book Likeonomics to my house. Right now the book is sitting in front of me and I really want to ask each of you to go out and buy it - but I can't. In fact, it really helps me if you DO NOT buy it yet - and the reason why explains a lot about the nature of timing, business, and what is broken with the publishing industry itself. Book sales, like movie sales, are reported on a weekly basis through a reporting system called called Bookscan. The Bookscan number is a key factor in helping to determine which books make "the lists" (NY Times… -
5 Marketing Lessons From Uber (The World's Best Travel App)
3 May 2012 | 9:28 pmSeveral weeks ago I was standing on a street corner in New York. (This is not the sentence I thought I'd start this post with, but go with me ...) After unsuccessfully trying to hail a cab, I decided to try out an app I had heard about called Uber. I had heard it was useful for those kinds of situations. From the moment of signup - a process which took way less time than I expected, to the actual act of immediately booking a car and heading happily on my way to LaGuardia Airport just 15 minutes later - the experience transformed my NY trip. Experience itself is getting lots of great media… -
Greensurfing - The Rise Of Voluntary Social Media Jealousy
1 May 2012 | 7:03 amThe idea that Facebook causes jealousy isn't new. A study back in 2009 essentially demonstrated that romantic relationships were often suffering from jealousy induced by Facebook. The same study is still being referenced today. Unfortunately, there are a few signs that this is becoming a much bigger trend than something driven by the insecurity of dating. For the first time in human history, there is a place where any of us can go to be surrounded by only good news. Despite the troubles in the world, or your personal struggles - Facebook offers a nearly pain free bubble. Every status… -
The Ultimate Business Question: Are We Having Fun?
23 Apr 2012 | 9:53 amThis weekend I found myself glued to a two hour piece of promotional television that I usually avoid desperately. The FOX network was having a special recap of their 25th Anniversary of producing entertainment programming. Amidst the 120 minute recap of over 140,000 hours of programming hosted by Ryan Seacrest (of course!) - there were a few moments when they brought actors of long running programs back into the studio and interviewed them. In some cases, they created a "cast reunion" to bring actors back together (like the casts of In Living Color or Married with Children) while in others…
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Marketing Practice
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Marketing Funda : Indian Ingredient Brands
13 May 2012 | 12:23 pmMarketing Guru Kevin Lane Keller defines Ingredient Branding as a special case of co-branding which involves creating brand equity for materials component or parts that are necessarily contained in other branded products. Prof. John Quelch of Harvard defines ingredient branding as putting the brand of an ingredient out of the product to increase its appeal. Ingredient branding concept started as a co-branding where the brand owners of ingredient and product brands are different. In my opinion, the strategy has evolved where firms have started branding their own ingredients in order… -
Brand Update : Does Limca Really Needs Kareena ?
7 May 2012 | 10:48 amThe summer of 2012 belongs to lemon based beverages. Marketers are all out to woo consumers through high decibel promotions for lemon based beverage brands. These brands ( once neglected) started to be considered as high growth brands. In BCG metrics terms,Question Marks suddenly became Stars ! The reason is the late realization that Indians have a soft-corner for lemon flavor which was long neglected by maverick marketers who wanted the Cola to rule the market.Now lemon flavored segment is growing at 17-20% annually compared to single digit growth for the Cola brands.The new Star of the… -
Chaze Mobiles : Ye Hui na Baat
30 Apr 2012 | 11:24 amBrand : ChazeCompany : Chaze MobilesBrand Analysis Count : 510Some marketers will do anything to get their brand eyeballs. Chaze Mobile, which is yet to launch their products recently got million dollar worth exposure in most of the media through one celebrity endorsement announcement. The brand roped in the " upcoming " bollywood actress Sunny Leone as the brand ambassador.huh ! -
Out of Action
25 Apr 2012 | 10:04 amDear Readers,I had a severe relapse of Inter vertebral disc prolapse and was out of action for last two weeks. I am on the recovery path and will be back soon.LoveHarish -
Herbs & Berries : Branding Ayurveda
3 Apr 2012 | 12:08 amBrand : Herbs & BerriesCompany : Hindustan Lifecare LtdBrand Analysis Count : # 509Herbs & Berries is Hindustan Lifecare Ltd ( makers of Moods Condoms) foray into the Ayurvedic OTC market in India. Indian OTC market is huge worth around Rs 15,000 crore ( including both ayurvedic and allopathic drugs). Ayurvedic OTC products are growing at around 15-20% per annum. But the market is highly competitive. Since the regulatory framework for herbal and ayurvedic products are less stringent compared to modern medicine, there is a huge rush of local players into this segment. A…
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Understanding Marketing
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Search Engine Optimization for Small Business
18 Apr 2012 | 2:51 pmSearch Engine Optimization or SEO isn’t a one time thing. Many companies hire someone to design a website for their business and then have the site added to the search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN. Some may even make sure to be listed with directories, like DMOZ. Possibly they’ll create a profile on Google Places, to describe their business for people in their area. Then they stop. If this sounds like what you have done, then you are probably wondering where is all the traffic? Why didn’t it work. Just having your information included within the search engines or… -
Market Your Business By Getting Free Press
15 Apr 2012 | 8:39 amFree press can help your business stand out. Following is a guest post by Samantha Peters Entrepreneurs these days often try to freely market their business by focusing on social media and SEO. They set up accounts on Facebook and Twitter, look to maximize their site’s search engine reputation management, and create a system of backlinks and content to boost traffic and exposure. These approaches can certainly work for the modern-day small business, but this single-minded focus on virtual marketing avenues causes many entrepreneurs to forget a different, traditional, and effective one: free… -
How Small Business PR Handles PR Crisis
2 Apr 2012 | 7:07 pmPhoto credit: Food Enthusiasts Unite Disclaimer: the author has no relationship whatsoever with the beef council, nor any group opposing the beef council in the current “pink slime” PR crisis. By now there is a good chance most everyone has a thought and emotion that runs through their head when they hear the phrase, “pink slime.” But what can small business PR learn from the pink slime fiasco? What lessons are to be learned in understanding what has taken place, how did the pink slime crisis get out of control and how is the beef industry handling the PR crisis? For… -
Visual Marketing Tips For Small Business
28 Mar 2012 | 7:24 pmVisual Marketing Tips For Small Business How do you tell your story visually? How do you use images and design to market your small business? There is a new book out now that answers all your questions on this topic, and shows you through wonderful, eye-opening examples. By authors David Langton and Anita Campbell (of Small Business Trends), the new book is “Visual Marketing: 99 Proven Ways For Small Businesses To Market With Images And Design.” The book offers brilliant examples of visual marketing tips for small business that are easy to digest for any entrepreneur that needs… -
How To Write A Press Release Subject Line
27 Mar 2012 | 5:42 pmHow to Write A Press Release Subject Line Part 2 of the How To Write A Press Release series – the subject line and headline. Here is the second of a five-part comprehensive series on how to write a press release. Part one of the series discussed how to write a press release strategy. From knowing your audience to thinking about your goals and objectives, the strategy is a critical element of every press release. In the second part, we will focus on the subject line and the headline. You may ask why a subject line is part of a press release. After all, subject lines are for emails.
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News from SMP
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How people spend time online
7 May 2012 | 5:00 pmHow people spend time onlineEver wondered how many people are online, where they hang out and what they do? Well, this ‘How people spend their time online infographic’ by go-gulf takes a shot at cutting through the statistics. Jammed p... -
Figaro Digital Social Media Marketing Conference April 2012 fast approaching
2 Apr 2012 | 5:00 pmFigaro Digital Social Media Marketing Conference April 2012 fast approachingThese days, it seems there are more UK-based social media events that you can shake a stick at. As we approach the Easter weekend, Figaro Digital kicks off its Social Medi... -
Social Media World Forum (SMWF) Europe arrives in London
26 Mar 2012 | 5:00 pmSocial Media World Forum (SMWF) Europe arrives in LondonLondon welcomes the Social Media World Forum (SMWF) Europe for the next two days (27-28 March). Pitched as the leading social media marketing event by it organisers Six Degrees, it's on... -
Updated Facebook Pages – How ready is your Timeline?
5 Mar 2012 | 4:00 pmUpdated Facebook Pages – How ready is your Timeline?In case you’ve been on holiday somewhere without access to the internet, you probably haven’t read the many stories about Facebook Pages being implemented. 30 March 2012 is the date to put ... -
SES London 2012 hits London next week
15 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pmSearch Engine Strategies: SES London 2012 hits London next weekThe four-day long search engine event SES London 2012 Conference and Exhibition hits London next week from 20-24 February. Known for being primarily a search event, SES con...
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Big Marketing For Small Business
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4 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Content Marketing
16 May 2012 | 10:07 amContent marketing has changed drastically over the last few years. In the early days of content marketing, you could get away with creating off-the-cuff content. Today, there’s a lot of competition and it’s important that your content stands out. Here are four simple ways to supercharge your content marketing efforts. 1. Develop a Comprehensive Strategy for Long-term Success Without a comprehensive plan your content marketing efforts are doomed to failure. Beyond doing the necessary keyword research it’s important to think about the style and tone of your content. Will it be serious… -
SEO 101: The Do’s and Don’ts of Search Engine Optimization
11 May 2012 | 12:41 pmSearch engine optimization, also known as SEO is a volatile industry. Google changes can come at any moment and some are worse than others. It doesn’t help they name their updates after cute animals like pandas and penguins (honestly who doesn’t like to see a cute panda?). Anyway, I digress, SEO might be a roller coaster, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t do’s and don’ts you can live by. Do—Stay Current on Industry News No matter if you have been doing SEO since the beginning of it’s inception, or just started today, you have to stay current on new trends. Google is fickle, and… -
7 Free Ways to Market a New Small Business
9 May 2012 | 9:00 amFor obvious reasons, all new small businesses need to do what they can to market themselves. Not every owner can afford to utilize the best marketing and advertising tactics though. These services and strategies can cost quite a lot of money to employ in the long run. Too many businesses overstretch their budget trying to roll out a huge campaign and wind up suffering financially. With that in mind, there are various free methods that can be employed at any time. 1. Harnessing the Power of Social Media Perhaps the best option is starting a few social media accounts on sites like Twitter and… -
Common Small Business Mistakes Made Online
9 Apr 2012 | 1:39 pmIn the online world, it is far too easy to make a mistake and have it available for countless eyes to see. While most businesses might think accidentally sending an email to the wrong recipient or posting something questionable on a social network are going to be the biggest faults to avoid, there are other mistakes businesses make online that make them look unprofessional, or even foolish. The following are some examples of mistakes businesses, especially new business owners, make online and how to avoid them. Email Addresses Not on the Company’s Domain If you have a website up and… -
Remarketing Increases Paid Advertising Conversion
2 Apr 2012 | 11:04 amWhen small firms think about paid advertising online, 99.9% of them think about one thing: Google AdWords. Not to speak negatively of this venerable platform, but AdWords isn’t always (or even often) the answer: It takes a substantial monthly ad budget to generate enough conversions to move the dial. In some niches, keywords are too expensive for small firms to compete. In other niches, search volume is too low to generate ROI. If you’re looking for an advertising model with a higher probability of success, look to one of the best-kept secrets in Internet marketing: Remarketing. How…
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The Content Marketing Revolution
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An Essential Resource for Building and Managing an Online Community [NEW BOOK]
14 May 2012 | 5:49 pmI have always believed that a focus on truly unique and incredibly relevant content, shared in the right channels with the right customers and prospects, was the core to most corporate content marketing strategies. I’ve never focused (as much as I have needed to) on how important building and managing an online community is to an overall content marketing strategy. Two events have opened my eyes to the idea that online communities can take your content marketing and put it on steroids. First, I spoke with Todd Wheatland, VP of Thought Leadership for Kelly Services. Todd showed me how… -
10 Ways to Optimize Your Enewsletter Landing Page
9 May 2012 | 7:19 pmI had the pleasure of presenting at the Enewsletter World workshop this week with Jeanne Jennings and Ryan Dorhn (two amazing, first-class media experts). In one of our breakout sessions, Jeanne broke down 10 specific ways to optimize an enewsletter landing page. In our new social media world, email assets are more important than ever before. As content marketers, it is critical that we develop our audiences and build our channels, with a primary emphasis on email in conjunction with social channels like Facebook and Twitter. Why? Theoretically (and legally) the customer names that sign up to… -
3 Ways to Extract Brand Stories from Inside the Company
30 Apr 2012 | 12:43 pmYou’ve done it. You’ve developed why you need the content, created and vetted the buyer personas, and identified the buying stages where this essential content will have impact on the business. As you start to dig into your content marketing channel and workflow strategy, you realize that you simply don’t have enough brand stories to meet the demands of the content marketing initiative. In many content marketing programs, the core brand stories have to deal with transforming an employee’s, customer’s or stakeholder’s passion and expertise into one or… -
6 Amazing Retail Content Marketing Examples
26 Apr 2012 | 11:18 amIn doing some research for a retail-oriented content marketing workshop, I learned one thing: retail content marketing case studies and examples are hard to find. That said, I was able to find a number of print and digital content marketing examples that impressed me. Here are six of them. …and, if you have some you’d like to share, please add them to the comments below. Lifetime Fitness – Experience Life Experience Life is the lifestyle print and online magazine developed by Lifetime Fitness, the billion dollar health and fitness company with over 100 centers around the… -
Optimizing Social, Search and Content: A Q&A with Lee Odden
18 Apr 2012 | 6:18 amI’ve had the distinct pleasure of knowing Lee Odden for more than four years now. I first started following his blog back in 2007/2008 when we launched the Junta42 Top Content Marketing blogs. During the 11 times we released the top content marketing blogs from around the world, Lee’s blog ranked #1 three times. Quite an accomplishment and a testament to Lee’s expertise around content marketing. Better yet, I’ve had the opportunity to run into Lee at dozens of events around the country (Lee will also be speaking at Content Marketing World). He is truly one of…
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Small Business News, Tips, Advice - Small Business Trends
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Does Flextime Benefit You More Than Your Employees?
16 May 2012 | 11:30 amAre you resisting offering employees at your small business flexible working hours because you think it’ll give them an excuse to slack off? Well, some new research should convince you otherwise. It seems flextime may actually be less flexible than a regular schedule. The 2012 National Study of Employers, released by the Families and Work Institute (FWI) andthe Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), found that U.S. employers are offering employees more options for managing when and where they work. The tradeoff for the employees, however, is that employers offering more flexibility… -
Navigating the Recruiting Maze
16 May 2012 | 8:30 amFor a lot of hiring managers and small business leaders, hiring remains the most crucial pain point. If you magically get the right people, stuff just gets executed. However, we never make the perfect hiring decisions all the time. Sometimes we are in a hurry to fill the role, and the options available seem more attractive than the list of skills and qualities we carefully created. Of course, every manager has a different outlook – some of us “hire fast, learn fast and fail fast,” whereas some of us passively look at many resumes and only make an addition to the team when it feels… -
New Bulk Listing Management Tool From Google Places
16 May 2012 | 6:00 amBusinesses with multiple locations should be breathing a heavy sigh of relief now that Google has introduced a new and improved bulk listing management tool designed to make the whole process easier and faster for business owners. Google revealed several new changes last week which have been implemented to help SMBs and enable the follow actions: Edit one or more of your listings’ data at once Search through your listings, filtering by specific information or for listings with errors Upload new listings using a data file or by adding them individually within the interface Tell us how we can… -
All Eyes Are on Facebook With Multibillion-Dollar IPO
16 May 2012 | 2:30 amFacebook is a big deal these days, not just because of its multibillion IPO, but also because of the impact the social networking giant has on the 900 million who use its tools. Some of those are small business owners who depend upon FaceBook to provide services they cannot do without. That’s why today all eyes are on Facebook. Facebook in the News Facebook raises its IPO range to meet demand. The price range on the social network’s public offering rises from $34 to $38 per share, targeting a valuation exceeding $100 billion. As big as it has become, Facebook started from humble… -
Judgment Marketplace: Turning Uncollected Judgments Into Cash
15 May 2012 | 8:23 pmHas your business ever gotten a judgment in a court, only to find it was worthless because you didn’t have the time or the know-how to collect it? Judgment Marketplace aims to solve that problem for you. JudgmentMarketplace.com is a website for selling and buying judgments. Small business owners, corporations and consumers who have won a court judgment against another party can list the judgment for sale. Collection agencies and law firms that specialize in skip tracing debtors and collecting on judgments, can negotiate to buy your judgment or, just like on eBay, can “buy it…
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Small Business Technology
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The Phenomenon of Email Overload: What You Can Do to Control The Damage
16 May 2012 | 11:00 amEmail was a wonderful invention, perhaps more so in the 1990s than it is today. Today, even the average Joe finds himself troubled by having to respond to emails. The average business owner is hit the hardest, though, with an average of 112 emails sent and received per day. If you’re one of those people that keeps getting flooded by emails, aside from the occasional spam, you’re in for a tough awakening, starting with one question: How many hours per day do you spend actually reading and replying to emails you receive? If you take the time to think about it, the number can be… -
5 Things Windows 8 Consumer Preview Already Says About Its Benefits
16 May 2012 | 5:00 amOK, so Microsoft recently released a consumer preview to its new operating system – Windows 8. While this doesn’t depict what we’re expecting to see in the Enterprise Edition, we’re sure that the business version of the OS will have at least most of the features and capabilities that the Enterprise Edition has. Assuming that all this is correct, it would mean that you probably wouldn’t have to use Enterprise for a small business environment. Usually, most businesses can get along just fine with Windows 7 Professional today. This brings forth an important… -
What We’ve Learned from Small Businesses: Insight From NY Times Writers
15 May 2012 | 1:00 pmThe 7th Annual Small Business Summit (http://www.smallbiztechsummit.com) may be over but the insight and wisdom is still here! Check out all of our videos on the Summit video page at http://www.smallbiztechsummit.com/2012_videos.php . In the session, ‘What We’ve Learned from Small Business’, the Summit was given insight to highlights of best practices and challenges as seen by NY Times writers covering small business. Speakers of this session included: Loren Feldman, New York Times Gene Marks, Marks Group and NY Times Writer A big… -
How Does Having Your Own Cloud-Based Phone System Sound?
15 May 2012 | 7:00 amIf you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to complete all of the work you have to do, you’re not alone. One of the biggest problems the majority of business owners have is managing their time while playing multiple separate roles. In recent years, Cloud technology has become more accessible to SMBs, but not quite as much at the level that it should be. There are companies that are trying to change this, and as they do, the amount of time juggling you have to do goes down significantly. According to eVoice, a company that provides Cloud-based mobile business phone… -
Listening to Customers and Hiring Smarter: A Lesson in Success
14 May 2012 | 1:00 pmThe 7th Annual Small Business Summit (http://www.smallbiztechsummit.com) may be over but the insight and wisdom is still here! Check out all of our videos on the Summit video page at http://www.smallbiztechsummit.com/2012_videos.php . In the session, ‘Listening to Customers and Hiring Smarter: A Lesson in Success’, the Summit learned some great secrets from a successful entrepreneur…one of which is humility! Speakers of this session included: Scott Hintz, TripIt A big thanks to Dell for being a major sponsor of the Summit. For more information on how…
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Custom Software
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Entrance: BBB Business Technology Pinnacle Award Winner 2012!
2 May 2012 | 6:12 amShare We received the Pinnacle Award in the Business Technology category from the BBB for surpassing the standards put forth by the Better Business Bureau. We distinguished ourselves by showing dedication to exceeding client expectations, recruiting and retaining the best talent, answering ethical challenges in the industry and bettering our community. Here are some areas highlighted by answers from our winning application. Client Satisfaction: “It is extremely important to us to build a valuable working relationship with our customers where we find a place… -
Engineering Intelligence for Pipeline Safety
26 Apr 2012 | 3:37 amShare At a recent industry breakfast, a panel of speakers from Embridge, TerraFina, Plains All American, and the Bauer College of Business discussed their perspectives on both the boom and the coming challenges for the midstream sector. With the introduction of fracking and horizontal drilling, production has increased beyond the transportation infrastructure’s ability to move those hydrocarbons to factories and the market. And with the market flooded with natural gas, both Plains All American and Terrafina are pushing to export. All of this remains good news for the Midstream, because… -
Risk mitigation through strategic technology
13 Apr 2012 | 2:12 amShare Risks are a part of daily life in the oil and gas industry. And because they are many, varied and unpredictable, software product companies cannot keep up with industry needs. We specialize in creating custom business solutions that respond to changes impacting the Oil and Gas industry long before anyone else comes to the table. We believe that preparation, visibility, and communication are vital to mitigating risk – and are all aspects that can be improved with good data. Early warning through Notifications Are you prepared? Rosetta is! When faced with regulatory changes and… -
Oil and Gas Spotlight - Geology and Geophysics (G&G) Software
7 Apr 2012 | 10:07 amShare Custom Software and SharePoint Consulting for Oil and Gas Software is an unsung hero when it comes to the Energy Market and the Oil and Gas Industry. Custom software plays a key role at crucial moments throughout industry decision making. Here at Entrance, industry insight drives the custom solutions we develop. We have over a decade of experience tailoring our software to solve complex problems, whether they are broad in scope like helping smooth out large mergers or deep in detail like processing sensor data. We have industry experience from upstream geology and geophysics all… -
Nate Richards on Technology Debt and Custom Software Modernization
5 Apr 2012 | 1:57 amShare "As we’re getting to know them and talking about building new applications or modernizing old applications, clients are surprised at how much this will cost. For years they’ve had one or two support or freelance developers, or even specialized engineers coding on the side. And it’s just worked for the last ten years. The question is 'Why, all of a sudden, do we need to change everything and rewrite? Why have we reached the end of the road?' And the answer to that is that while they’ve been designing and building the application only looking at what…
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123 Social Media
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Building a Social Media Dashboard
9 May 2012 | 9:08 amWarning: fopen(http://su.pr/api/simpleshorten?url=http://123socialmedia.com/building-a-social-media-dashboard/&login=barryhurd&apiKey=R_5908e1757bbb2d6bc0b88f47a59d3403) [function.fopen]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 503 Service Unavailable in /home/executiv/public_html/123socialmedia.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-tweetbox/wp-tweetbox.php on line 109 Warning: fread(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /home/executiv/public_html/123socialmedia.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-tweetbox/wp-tweetbox.php on line 112 Warning: fclose(): supplied argument is not… -
Social Media Policy & Employee Rights with National Labor Board
12 Mar 2012 | 5:14 pmWhile there are many social media policy documents floating around and we’ve covered the topic in-depth here many times before (see related articles below) - it is always interesting when social media policy is viewed strictly from a legal and labor relations perspective. On that note I want to draw your attention to cases from the acting general counsel of the U.S. National Labors Relations Board. While the NLRB has a very broad goal, its various rulings regarding existing social media policy and regulation is interesting. The most recent report (dated January 25, 2012) covers 14… -
Corporate Social Media Training, cookie cutter = bad
9 Mar 2012 | 2:27 pmOn a daily basis we receive inquiries for social media training via webinar and on-demand platforms. The reality of the request is that most of the people want a “canned solution.” The general reasoning goes like this: They have a problem. They need it fixed. They want to buy something off the shelf to fix it. Unfortunately when it comes to corporate social media training, nothing exist on the shelf. There isn’t a single cookie-cutter item that can be universally applied to a corporate footprint that doesn’t cause more problems than it is worth. Typical examples… -
Social Media Training, a guide to no nonsense education
13 Feb 2012 | 11:21 amTo help some of our readers I’ve collected a list of training articles that I have written over at BarryHurd.com that detail some of the core elements around types of media and how the interact in both the offline and online world. I typically add an additional article about once a month to this list in an effort to create a holistic resource to raise the common understanding of what ‘social media’ is and is not. This series of social media training documents is also a go-to list of ideas when I am researching client projects or developing tactical plans. If a ‘social… -
Social Media Training – 40 Questions for the Corporate Team
6 Feb 2012 | 6:26 pmThere are a lot of questions regarding social media training and how it ties into a larger organization. To help with that I’ve collected some of my thoughts in a free whitepaper that highlights some of the critical areas of impact you should be thinking about. You can read through the list of questions I’ve covered below… but will need to download the whitepaper to get some of my value-added thoughts. Some questions to think about… How much does this cost? What forms of social media will reach our business goals? Are there any “low cost” benefits? What are…
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Mobile Marketing Watch
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U.S. Postal Service Promotes Mobile Marketing Integration
16 May 2012 | 12:33 pmThe U.S. Post Office is a big supporter of mobile marketing and the digital tools of the modern trade. To that end, the post office is offering the 2012 Mobile Commerce and Personalization Promotion to encourage commercial mailers to use mobile marketing tools such as QR codes on their mail. The move comes just as the post office itself clings to solvency as dwindling revenue continues to hinder the institution. During July and August, the Postal Service is offering an upfront 2 percent postage discount on Standard Mail and First-Class Mail letters, flats and cards (presort and automation)… -
Acquity Group Expands Into Canada
16 May 2012 | 12:16 pmCanada and eCommerce haven’t exactly had the best relationship. But that may change in the months and years ahead. Just this week, Acquity Group Limited, a global Brand eCommerce and digital marketing company, confirmed plans to expand into Canada. “With online consumption in Canada expected to reach $51 billion by 2016,” said Acquity Group in its announcement, “major North American retailers and B2B brands serving the Canadian market have engaged Acquity Group to design elegant yet functional experiences integrated across all digital channels, including web, mobile… -
Facebook Makes One Last Pre-IPO Acquisition
16 May 2012 | 11:48 amWith only hours to go before Facebook becomes a publicly traded company, the social networking giant has what could be it’s final acquisition before debuting on NASDAQ. According to Tech Crunch, Facebook has “just closed a deal to hire the full team of seven employees from Android photosharing app developer Lightbox.” The latest acquisition comes just one month after Facebook gobbled up Instagram for $1 billion. Along with the Instagram buy, the last-minute-before-IPO Lightbox hires will help assure investors that Facebook will do what it takes to win the very mobile-centric… -
Was The iPhone a Smart Move for Sprint?
16 May 2012 | 10:57 amAs the most recent major U.S. carrier to get the iPhone on its network, one would expect the globe’s most popular smartphone to instantly make a splash – and some big bucks – for the third largest mobile operator in the United States. But given the huge subsidy Apple charges its carrier partners for access to the device, it can take some time for the iPhone to bring in the green. A long time. In fact, just this week, All Things D published comments from Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, who says it could take another three years for the iPhone to become profitable for his company. -
Zumobi Creating Mobile Buzz in Partnership with Starbucks
16 May 2012 | 10:02 amWith coffee in one hand and a mobile device in the other, this is how millions of Americans start their day every day. And that’s exactly why Zumobi has partnered with java giant Starbucks for a more sophisticated mobile endeavor. Zumobi today announced an extension to its partnership with Ology Inc., a social discovery and networking company, launching the site’s first app for Android devices. And Starbucks is coming along for the ride. Through a partnership with Starbucks, Ology has released their new app on the Zumobi Brand Integration (ZBi) platform. Now users can skim through…
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The AppGap
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State of CRM Customer Data Integration in 2012
11 May 2012 | 1:57 amIn February 2012, Scribe Software surveyed 300 business leaders and channel partners to uncover opportunities and challenges associated with customer data integration. “The State of Customer Data Integration in 2012” report contains input from C-level executives, business analysts and IT engineers, and systems integrators and consultants who design and implement data integration for their enterprise clients. In summary, Customer data integration can play a critical role in addressing operational challenges in sales, marketing and customer service. It increases CRM systems’ adoption and… -
TIBCO Enhances tibbr with GEO and Other New Capabilities
7 May 2012 | 1:03 amI have reviewed TIBCO before (see: TIBCO Spotfire Brings Self-Service Data Analysis to the Enterprise with a Social Twist). Recently I spoke with Ram Menon, TIBCO President of Social Computing about their upgraded social business offering. TIBCO has been a leader in making the digital world connect for quite some time. So when they turned to social business software connectivity was naturally a sweet spot for them. It is also essential for social business to work as I have written several times (see for example, Maybe Enterprise 2.0 Is About the Technology). So Ram and I were of the same… -
Convo Moves to the Web and Enhances Features
2 May 2012 | 1:43 amI have written about Convo before under its old name (see – Convofy Enables Comprehensive Collaboration Through Enterprise Social Networking) and am also a user at both Darwin Ecosystems and the Merced Group. Convo builds on the activity stream but adds additional features to enable more comprehensive collaboration. I recently spoke with Tad Staley about their latest moves. One of these is to simplify the brand name from Convofy to Convo and that I certainly applaud. It was simply a matter of securing the Convo domain. Convo has also upgraded it user interface to both simplify it and… -
eXo Offers Cloud Workspaces Enabing Flexible Social Intranets
25 Apr 2012 | 1:15 amI have covered eXo before (see Benjamin Mestrallet, eXo CEO, Looks at the Social Enterprise). Recently, I had a chance to speak with Benjamin again about their latest offering. He said that the goal with eXo Cloud Workspaces is to provide an easy-to-use social intranet so work teams can start to collaborate in a fully functional space. He feels that there is a gap between simple activity stream-based tools and the full-function enterprise collaboration platforms, including their own eXo Platform 3.5. So they are now offering eXo Cloud Workspaces to fill this gap. Here is a sample home page… -
Badgeville Provides Cloud-based Gamification Behavior Platform™ and Expertise
20 Apr 2012 | 1:20 amBadgeville provides the Behavior Platform™ a cloud-based gamification platform that allows organizations to build custom gamification programs for their employees, business partners, and customers. I recently spoke with Kevin Akeroryd, SVP Field Operations of Badgeville, about their offering. My first question was why there is so much buzz today over a concept that has been around for decades. Like many others I was involved in creating incentive programs for employee participation in learning efforts in the 80s and knowledge management programs in the 90s. Kevin said that he sees four main…
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Small Business Blog
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Good marketing or highway robbery?
19 Apr 2012 | 9:18 amHow far will gas stations go to try to benefit from the current high price of gasoline? One gas station on Long Island has lowered its price on regular gas to $3.59, but only for cash customers.. Look at the unbelievably large surcharge credit card customers have to pay.... -
SBA Nationwide Impact Investment Fund
8 Mar 2012 | 8:44 amLooking for funding to grow your business? If your business is a high-growth company in the clean tech or technology fields, you''ll want to look into SJF Ventures III, LP.SJF Ventures is the first nationally-focused Impact Investment Fund licensed by the SBA under Startup America Initiative. -
New Keyword Tool From Microsoft
1 Mar 2012 | 7:42 amThere's a new tool from Bing for doing keyword research. It's gives you a peak at the what Bing searchers look for, but while it's still in beta, you might get some suprising and humorous results. -
Update Copyright Notice
5 Jan 2012 | 10:47 amIs the copyright notice on your website up-to-date? Don't let an outdated copyright date make your site look outdated or abandoned. -
Resolutions That Will Never See the Light of Day
22 Dec 2011 | 9:27 amResolutions are nothing more than a wish list (or maybe a laundry list) of bad habits and shortcomings we'd like to change. But everyone knows that most resolutions are forgotten faster than they are made. So, instead of making resolutions of our own, here are a few resolutions we'd like to see others make.
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Uncover the missing formula in your web design and marketing | exceler8 the web
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LocalNa8ion is moving Home to Exceler8.com
3 May 2012 | 4:47 pmWe’re moving LocalNa8ion.com back home to our mother ship at exceler8.com in the next 48 hours. You’ll be able to view all of our LocalNa8ion.com content at exceler8.com. We plan on continuing and expanding our local Internet marketing services and web design business – just under our original exceler8 shingle. exceler8.com will feature our consolidated content from LocalNa8ion.com and Exceler8ion.com We’re getting back to routine publishing. We need one voice to do that with as busy as we are. Not three. Expect to see a range of written and video content ranging from… -
exceler8ion.com moving home to exceler8
3 May 2012 | 11:24 amAll our original content on exceler8ion.com is moving to exceler8.com (don’t bother going there now, nothing to see yet). You’ll still be able to read any exceler8ion post by selecting it as a category on the new site (once exceler8.com is setup in a couple of days). Thanks for the learning, the sharing and the great memories! First Overall Post Shannon Seery Gude December 16, 2005 Title “Google Base, Optimized Job Postings and the Candidate Experience” Julian Seery Gude’s First Post: December 16, 2005 Title: “The MySpace Generation |… -
How to find traffic-generating topics to blog about for your small business
22 Mar 2012 | 6:16 amTwo great ideas from a blogging master on how you can write compelling blog posts that generate traffic Two great tips to generate popular blog posts straight from the lips of a blogging master. Like you I run a small business. We share several things in common. no extra time almost all our actions must be tied directly back to revenue goals we’re probably the ones responsible for writing our own blog posts and posting social media updates Here are two great ideas from Chris Brogan that I heard on CopyBlogger’s podcast called Internet Marketing for Smart People: Chris… -
iPad 2 – Get One For Recognizing a Recruiter – Ends Monday
10 Sep 2011 | 8:58 amHeadline: Submit a nomination to RecruitingAwards.com and you earn a chance to win an iPad 2. And you make the person you nominated feel great. How’s that for a worthwhile weekend chore? In the spirit of actually rewarding the act of recognition, The inaugural Recruiting Awards from TalentHQ.com is giving you a chance to nominate a recruiter or Talent Managent Pro and be entered in a drawing to win the illustrious iPad 2. You can even nominate an entire recruiting team or organization. You don’t have to dance or sell your soul. But feel free to do either, especially dancing. -
DigMyData Business Dashboard Beta (freebie today)
6 Sep 2011 | 4:23 pmNote: The beta is free until the end of 2011 if you sign up today September 6, 2011. Are you interested in the stories people tell? How about the stories data tell? You’ve probably heard the saying, ‘lies, damned lies and statistics!’ and a chief reason for that is that it’s easy to miss the real story behind the numbers. While truth in statistics for politics aren’t likely to improve, the same can’t be said for Business Intelligence Dashboards. Business intelligence (in business speak “B.I.”) may well be two of the most important keywords…
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LJ Jones's Blog
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When I was a kid......
3 May 2012 | 5:49 pmWhen I was a kid........ vital Nintendo knowledge, like how to beat a boss or a cool cheat code, was passed from one kid to another at school. You couldn't look it up on the internet when you got stuck. You just figured it out and it worked pretty well. Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Select Start..... you kept a tape in your "BOOM Box", ready to hit record when your favorite song came on the radio so that you could savor that song over and over again. Sometimes you waited for days just so you could get the entire song..... you had to rewind and fast forward things. Cassette tapes. -
Scientist Identify Geek Gene
26 Apr 2012 | 1:49 pmGeek GeneScientists have finally identified the geek gene. That all important part of our DNA that makes us love things like Star Wars, Comic Books, Sci-Fi and Video Games. It explains why full grown men are willing to dress up in red tights and pretend they have Super Speed.Scientist theorize that this gene is also responsible for most social awkwardness and also inhibits men and the occasional woman from talking to the opposite sex.Geek ChromosomeOften large chains of the geek gene are woven together to form an actual geek chromosome, creating super geeks. Geeks so geeky, they rarely see… -
Math With Friends
27 Feb 2012 | 12:42 pmI have never been very good with word based games like Scrabble, so I came up with a game that is a little more my speed and one I can beat my wife at. I call it Math With Friends. It's more fun than a spelling bee. It's based on word games like Scrabble but way more fun because it uses math. -
Brick Website
23 Feb 2012 | 2:29 pmI have had this blog for a long time, but haven't had anything on www.ljjones.com as an actual site. So I decided to build something. Its inspired by LEGOs and the idea that you can build or create anything you want out of life. I made the whole thing out of bricks. If you like LEGOs then check out my site.I have no affiliation with LEGO. I do however, think they are a great toy for both kids and adults. -
Agencies: How to land new business.
9 Feb 2012 | 12:54 pmAs a marketing manager, I am the gate keeper. The person that holds the keys to the budget and the person who decides what campaigns we run. As the gate keeper, everyone wants to talk to me. I'm a popular guy. (But only because I have money).So here's a little bit of advice when you pitch me a campaign. Help me grow my business. Don't help me grow yours.They don't say it out loud, but when a person is pitching me, in the back of their mind I can hear them thinking: "He's got money. If we could just get him to sign this one year contract, it will help grow our business."Before they pitch me,…
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SocialTimes
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Casablanca To Stream Free Tonight On Facebook At 7PM
16 May 2012 | 8:31 amCasablanca, the classic 1942 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, turns 70 this year. To celebrate, Warner Bros. will be screening the film for free tonight, Wednesday May 16, 2012, on Facebook. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
Turner Broadcasting Invests In Funny Or Die To “Give People a Laugh Anywhere, Anytime and on Any Device”
16 May 2012 | 7:24 amToday Turner Broadcasting, home of TBS and Adult Swim, is announcing a strategic partnership with social video site Funny Or Die. Lost Remote’s Cory Bergman reports that Turner has made a minority investment in the company, which was co-founded by Will Ferrell in 2007. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
Roundtable: The Future of the App Economy
16 May 2012 | 6:13 amNEW YORK – Sustainable revenue was on everyone’s mind at the APPNATION NYC Mobile + TV 3.0 Summit in SoHo this morning. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
Pinsanity Makes Fun of Pinterest [Video]
16 May 2012 | 4:27 amImagine someone stole your cupcake or scarf, and then pinned it on their wall. Imagine they took your quotes, shoes or gardening ideas and pinned them to a literal wall. Well, you don’t have to, just check out what happens when a Pinterest obsessive goes looney in this new Pinterest video by Comediva. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
How imgur Reached 2 Billion Page Views [Infographic]
16 May 2012 | 3:41 amHave you ever used Reddit? If so — and I hope you have — you’ve probably clicked on an image here or there. A few years ago, those image links would have pointed to all sorts of different hosting services like imageshack and tinyimage, but those sites didn’t seem to do the trick for Reddit users. Some weren’t fast enough, some had too many ads. Whatever the reason, a Redditor named Alan Schaaf decided to put together a site to service Reddit better. That site was imgur, and it now serves over 2 Billion monthly page views. Check out the infographic to see…
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CrackBerry.com blogs
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RIM preparing update for the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device
16 May 2012 | 11:10 amFor all you lucky developers out there with a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha in your hands, RIM has now confirmed via the @BlackBerryDev Twitter account that an update for the device is nearing. The device, which was given out to developers during the recent BlackBerry 10 Jam has, as of yet, never received an update so it will be interesting to see what RIM adds in. We're getting the update for BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha ready - make sure your requests are in the issue tracker - http://bbry.lv/m9szVj ^AK As we saw recently, RIM has been showing off aspects of BlackBerry 10 OS using the device… -
RIM patents charging holster for phones
16 May 2012 | 10:49 amRIM seems to be on a bit of a patent kick lately (more than normal at least) and this time around has landed one for a phone-charging holster. The device is pretty much a standard phone holster that has a second battery for charging your phone. When your phone is in the holster, it would be charged from a second battery so you would always have some extra juice on the go -- of course that means charging two devices instead of one before you head out. We've seen some third party options that are very similar, but this could be something cool in the RIM arsenal. Source: USPTO Via: Engadget… -
And the winner of CrackBerry Kevin's Porsche Design BlackBerry is....
16 May 2012 | 8:31 amOK CrackBerry Nation. This is it. Today is my birthday... I just hit the big THREE TWO... and this year, instead of me getting a birthday present I wanted to give an awesome gift to one of our readers. The present? My slightly used but never abused $2,000 Porsche Design P'9981 Smartphone from BlackBerry. It's exclusive. It's expensive. It's hawt. Heck, it even won an award this past weekend for 2012 Smartphone of the Year. We gave everybody three ways to enter in the Win CrackBerry Kevin's Porsche Design BlackBerry Contest - you could either leave a comment to that blog post, follow… -
Week one with the BlackBerry Curve 9320 - Initial thoughts
16 May 2012 | 8:27 amIn preparation for the full review of the new BlackBerry Curve 9320 here at CrackBerry, we thought we would give you a little teaser of what's to come. Although I am not doing the full review myself, I felt that a UK perspective on RIM's latest creation wouldn't do any harm. Let's face it, here in Great Britain the BlackBerry has been the country's best selling smartphone for the last two consecutive years, and a big part of those sales are due to the Curve lineup of the 8520 and 9300. The 8520 is pretty ancient now and although the 9300 was upgradable to BlackBerry 6 that too is now running… -
Vampire vs Hunter on sale for just $1.99 for a limited time
16 May 2012 | 7:45 amIf you're at all a fan of tower defense style games and haven't yet tried Vampire vs Hunter, you won't want to miss this. For a limited time, Vampire vs Hunter is on sale for just $1.99 -- over 60% off. The game lets you play the hunter while you fight off vampires, zombies and werewolves through various levels and difficulties. This one makes for a great time killer and will keep you busy for hours. Features: Engaging audio and visual experience 3 unique game boards 45 levels of intense vampire hunting gameplay Progress and earn new weapons and defences to fend off more challenging enemies…
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Life On My Mobile
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Apple Releases iOS 5.1.1 Update
7 May 2012 | 10:53 amApple has released an update for iOS 5.1.1. If you are jailbroken you will want to avoid this update. This is a fairly minor update to address some bug and does not include any new functionality. Improves reliability of using HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut. Addresses bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks. Fixes bugs that affected AirPlay video playback in some circumstances. Improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List. Fixes an issue where Unable to purchase alert could be displayed after successful… -
T-Mobile Introduces The Affortable Prism Android Smartphone
6 May 2012 | 1:08 pmThe T-Mobile Prism is available starting today at Best Buy stores, followed by availability May 9th through Wal-Mart and finally being available May 23rd at T-Mobile stores. The Prism comes equipped with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), 3.5″ HVGA display, 3.2 megapixel camera with digital zoom and video recorder. The Prism is priced at $19.99 after $50 mail-in rebate and qualifying two-year agreement and data plan or by it outright for $149.99. T-Mobile Introduces Its Latest Budget-Friendly Smartphone: T-Mobile Prism Built for first-time smartphone customers, the new Android… -
BlackBerry 10 Developer Debut
1 May 2012 | 10:52 amBlackBerry World 2012 and BlackBerry 10 Jam have taken off today in Orlando, Florida. RIM wasted no time showing off what they have in store for us as the company unveiled its vision for the BlackBerry 10 platform and released the initial developer toolkit for the native QNX based operating system and HTML5 software development. Focusing on RIM’s vision of the BlackBerry 10 platform the company showed off the BlackBerry 10 developer alpha device, which will be RIM’s first handset to run the same OS as the BlackBerry PlayBook. The device has a 4.2-inch display with 1280 x 768… -
BlackBerry 10 Sneak Peek – Video
1 May 2012 | 9:36 amHere is a “Sneak Peek” video presented at the BlackBerry World Keynote -
BlackBerry 10 Alpha Device Photos Leak
30 Apr 2012 | 12:40 pmCrackBerry got their hands on some nice photos of a BlackBerry 10 device being used by developers to test their apps on RIM’s next to be released device. As CrackBerry has stated and we will reiterate this is an alpha device meaning it is not of the build quality or potentially even the design to be released. If you take a close look at the photos you can see a very rough, rubberized material. This could be in place to hide the actual BlackBerry design from prying cameras. As it stands now this looks like a standard issue 2012 full touch screen device. Lets hope RIM has made huge…
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McBuzz Communications | Mark McLaren
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Online Marketing Secrets: Driving Traffic to Your Website is Only the Beginning
14 May 2012 | 2:49 pmRecently I received a question about driving traffic to a website in order to increase sales. Specifically, the question was, what do the “big boys” use to generate sales and leads on their sites? The big boys (and girls) like to use big advertising budgets of anywhere from $100,000 to $1,000,000 or more per month. Want to learn to play the piano? You'll be more successful with an instructor. Online marketing is the same. Hire a consultant if you want to do it right. They spend this on traditional advertising, of course, like TV, magazines and newspaper ads. Online they spend… -
Five Keys to Generating New Business with Online Marketing
8 May 2012 | 9:59 amOn Wednesday, March 9 at 8:00 AM Pacific Time (11:00 AM Eastern), I’m giving an online seminar on Five Keys to Generating New Business with Online Marketing. The seminar is FREE. Here’s an outline of what we will be covering. Call in and ask a question! We’ll be giving away a free one-hour consultation from McBuzz Communications. Click here to attend. 1. Your Value Proposition and Your Business Goals What is Your Value Proposition? You need to be able to say what your business does, why people need it, and how it is different from competitors. Use % and $ to make this clear. This is… -
SEO 101: When Bad Title Tags Happen to Good Websites
1 Mar 2012 | 2:15 pmSome search engine optimization techniques are difficult. Others are not. It’s easy to find otherwise well-built, engaging websites with really bad SEO. By “really bad”, I just mean completely neglected or overlooked. HTML title tags are a frequently neglected aspect of SEO that, when fixed, can have an immediate impact on search rankings. On most sites built with content management systems like WordPress, fixing a bad title tag takes 2 minutes and a little keyword research. Here’s an example. Smashing Ideas is a cutting edge digital media agency that makes smartphone… -
WordPress Developer and Contributing Author Jeremy Green of Endo Creative
10 Feb 2012 | 2:13 pmJeremy Green WordPress Enthusiast Owner of Endo Creative Custom Website Designs NOTE FROM MCBUZZ: Jeremy Green will be answering WordPress questions on our Free WordPress Help pages. I began hand coding websites in my bedroom back when Geocities and Angelfire were cool. Thankfully the web has come a long way since then. A couple years ago I began diving into the wonderful world of WordPress and now I use it everyday, whether on my own sites or on my client’s sites at Endo Creative. We are a Fort Collins based company specializing in custom web design and development, utilizing WordPress… -
Even More Free WordPress Help
8 Feb 2012 | 10:07 amLooking for Free WordPress Help? This is the place! You can ask a question about WordPress in the comments on this page, and we will answer as soon as we can. For FREE! Remember, this service is free. If we can’t get to your question right away, please be patient, or try the WordPress support forums. Mark McLaren and McBuzz Communications have been offering Free WordPress Help and Free and Easy WordPress Tutorials for many years. And now we are extremely pleased to have assistance from WordPress Developer Jeremy Green at Endo Creative. (Please note that McBuzz Communications,…
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Geek.com
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Kylo browser for HDTVs goes open source
16 May 2012 | 10:23 amIt’s quite likely that you’ve never heard of Kylo, but the big-screen browser made by Hillcrest Labs has been providing a great living room surfing experience for more than two years. Now, the company has announced that they’re open sourcing Kylo under the Mozilla Public License (MPL 2.0). Going open is a logical move by [...] -
The used game problem
16 May 2012 | 9:26 amUsed games are a contentious issue for almost everyone. Gamers loathe seeing their trade-ins being resold for several times what they received, but find it hard to pass up a new title for $10 off the retail price, or a bargain bin where some rare gem might be hiding between copies of Gun and things [...] -
HTC Ville C specs leaked
16 May 2012 | 8:25 amJust days ago, HTC outed the humble-but-attractive Desire C, one of their first truly low-end devices revealed since CEO Peter Chou said the days of pumping out handset after handset were over. The company has certainly turned back the dial slightly on launches so far in 2012 — but we’ve already seen the One X, [...] -
WSJ: 2012 iPhone will have at least a 4-inch display
16 May 2012 | 7:28 amWhen the 6th generation iPhone launches — probably some time this year — there is a good chance that it will have a larger display. The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has started to order parts for the device, including a display that is larger then the 3.5-inch one that the iPhone has used [...] -
Touchcode aims to kill the QR code with invisible, printed multitouch commands
16 May 2012 | 6:30 amIn a world where mobile technology permeates almost every corner of our culture, there have been many attempts to create novel interaction with our devices and to add value to the experience they offer. Armed with smartphones and tablet devices, consumers are always looking for a new way to interact with technology but have been [...]
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Coolest Gadgets
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iDermal – The Latest in High Tech Body Modification
16 May 2012 | 7:37 amOkay, so in case you missed it, I just did a post on wearable technology, but what if you didn’t want to wait till the end of this year, or simply didn’t want to shell out the big bucks to have a computer contained within your eyeglass lens, or neatly strapped to your wrist? Well, there is another option. Check out hardcore technology lover Dave Hurban, mild mannered tattoo artist and piercer by day who has gone one step beyond in order to have the ultimate in wearable tech. Mr Hurban recently pierced his wrist and then surgically implanted four super strength magnets in the… -
Google’s Project Glass – Welcome to the Future
16 May 2012 | 6:32 amImagine this if you will, you’re walking down the street engaged in a video chat with your friend, who is 6000 miles away, taking pictures and planning your day when you realize you don’t know where you are, as you look up and to the right a computer screen appears in your line of vision, and you ask it to find the nearest subway station, and it does. The coolest part of this story is that this technology is out on our streets, right now. Welcome Google’s foray into augmented reality glasses, housed in a pair of sleek and uber-cool glasses is a clear display that sits above… -
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the lightest Ultrabook in the market
16 May 2012 | 6:30 amWe all know that Ultrabooks came about as a response to the Apple MacBook Air, where the latter was amazingly thin, so much so that there were reports online that some people tossed out their MacBook Air alongside a stack of newspapers simply because it was too thin to be noticed. Well, Ultrabooks have come some way since it was introduced not too long ago, and the thin form factor remains a prevalent design theme that is set to stay. What needs to change, however, is the type of hardware that is stashed inside, and Lenovo has just offered the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, touting it to be the lightest… -
LG Optimus 4X HD to arrive in Europe soon
16 May 2012 | 6:00 amLG has announced that its Optimus 4X HD, first revealed to the world at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, in February this year, is finally about to make its debut in the world markets – starting with Western Europe first. Just what kind of hardware does the LG Optimus 4X HD carry? Let us go through a little bit of a refresher here – you will, of course, get the uber speedy NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, not to mention the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system right out of the box so that you need not wait for any software update after that. The LG… -
Air Guitar lets you shred maniacally
16 May 2012 | 5:30 amThere are some awesome moments in life when you share it with your best friend(s) over a cup of your favorite drinks as well as some pizza, and you are able to let your hair down, acting whatever way you like without receiving a shred of despise. Well, the $19.99 Air Guitar would definitely be the tool for the moment if you are musically inclined, as you can go jumping around your room, smashing an imaginary guitar and yet using it to crank out some really wicked tunes in the process. Yes sir, the Air Guitar will merge design and style into a single handheld device, letting you create music…
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Brian Solis
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The Fallacy of Information Overload
15 May 2012 | 6:50 amSome of you know me through my work in studying how social media and disruptive technology impact business and culture. Others have worked with me in translating insights into action and change within the enterprise. Every now and then, I share another side of myself that evokes the aspiring social scientist in me as I explore how all of this is affecting us as individuals and human beings. Not a day goes by when I’m not asked about whether or not the social media bubble will finally burst. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Foursquare, Pinterest, this all has to be too much right? More… -
Music, Film, TV: How social media changed the entertainment experience
10 May 2012 | 7:56 amSocial media is more than a digital water cooler for TV and movies. The global conversation that takes place around events and the experiences people share based on what they watch teaches us about consumer preferences. More importantly, their activity influences behavior. Behavior counts for everything. Studying it is just the beginning of course. In order to understand and eventually steer behavior, we must translate activity into insights and in turn, translate insights into actionable strategies and programs. The Hollywood Reporter recently published an exclusive poll about social media… -
The future of TV is more than social, it’s a multi-screen experience that needs design
7 May 2012 | 11:19 amThe future of television is much more than social; much in the same way that the future of media is too, more than social. Social is a fabric; it connects the individual nodes that make up the human network. But, social however, is not a means to an end. And, as such, the same is true about the working theories driving Social TV. Understanding the role social plays in how viewers connect with programs and other people is essential to defining the future of television. Over the years, I’ve written much about my vision for the long overdue convergence of not only web and TV, but also how the… -
The Path from a Social Brand to a Social Business
2 May 2012 | 9:17 amI’ve been a long-time supporter of MediaTemple’s (MT)Residence program along with Gary Vaynerchuk, Neil Patel, and many others whom I respect. I wanted to share my “7 questions to answer to become a social business” with you here.. Social Media is pervasive and is becoming the new normal in corporate marketing. Brands who get this right are starting to build their own media networks rich with customer connections numbering in the millions. Right now, Coca-Cola has over 34 million fans on Facebook, but they’re hardly alone. Disney follows just behind with 29 million… -
Do Customers Really Matter to Your Business? Prove it.
30 Apr 2012 | 8:21 amFrank Eliason and I have known each other for many years. We’ve shared the stage on many occasions, he’s made an appearance on Revolution, and most importantly, I’m proud to call him a personal friend. Frank has championed the adaption and transformation of customer service during his time at Comcast and at CITI. Never one to shy away from sharing his opinions, he’s certainly bullish on where service needs to be as a function and a philosophy versus where it is today. In fact, he’s gone so far as to call out social media customer service as being a…
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MarketingProfs Daily Fix Blog
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Should Your Marketing Message Require Reading Between the Lines?
16 May 2012 | 10:28 amYears ago, the political philosopher Leo Strauss wrote an essay entitled, “Persecution and the Art of Writing,” in which he advocated reading some philosophers “between the lines.” For a host of reasons, the philosopher felt that the truth he had to speak could only be spoken surreptitiously or “by means of brief indication.” Of course, one can run into a lot of trouble scholastically when arguing that a philosopher meant to say something other than what he explicitly stated. I mean, how are you supposed to prove that? Strauss insists that a “between… -
Learn These Four Classic Approaches to Marketing Campaigns
16 May 2012 | 7:03 amA guest blog post by Geoff Livingston and Gini Dietrich. A classic marketing strategy mistake is to select tools because they are new or talked about frequently in the media. Fascinated with the latest tool, marketing rounds (what we like to call your team) forget to select media and methods to achieve an objective. Measurable objectives, however, often require selecting a primary approach towards the customer, after which tools are selected based on budget, time, and other resources. There are four common approaches to marketing campaigns today. Direct Community Interaction With… -
Four Tips for Breaking Out of Your Slump Just Like Albert Pujols Did
15 May 2012 | 7:03 amA guest blog post by Maranda Gibson of AccuConference. Former St. Louis Cardinals powerhouse first baseman Albert Pujols traded the Midwest for the West Coast when he accepted a record-breaking deal from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. His start for the Angels was highly anticipated, so many people were shocked that Pujols had done more striking out than anything else since the beginning of the season. That’s right. A lot of money was invested in a man who could hit a home run off any pitcher in either league, but all he had managed to do lately was strike out—until May 6,… -
What the Evolution of Marketing Automation Looks Like [Infographic]
14 May 2012 | 7:03 amA guest post by Irv Shapiro of Ifbyphone. The term “marketing automation” often conjures up images of people waiting on hold or receiving out-of-office responses. However, smart business owners know that marketing automation equals measured results. The term “marketing automation” includes lead management, Web analytics, email marketing, voice-based measurement, inbound marketing, and social media. And marketing automation contains a wealth of opportunities for businesses to… Measure ROI and lead quality Streamline the leads-to-sales process Enhance user interaction… -
Content Management for Marketers: What’s the Difference Between Open Source and Cloud Platforms?
11 May 2012 | 10:49 amA guest post by Roland Benedetti of Nuxeo. Ten years ago, if you asked a group of marketing professionals which content management systems (CMS) they encountered most often, you would probably get a few blank stares. Nowadays, however, everyone knows what a content management system is because marketers use them nearly every day to create content, edit websites, and manage projects. But is there only one type of CMS? Do they all operate the same? Which type is best for which function? One of the biggest differences in CMS solutions is what is called open source vs. cloud-based solutions. Do…
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Quick Online Tips
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How to Buy One Share of Any Company Easily
16 May 2012 | 9:35 amHome > Tips Do you want to buy one share of any company like Apple, Facebook, Dell, Adobe etc. in a few minutes with a credit card! Some web services make it easy for you to buy stock of any reputed company from the stock market without going into the paperwork hassles, and actually owning real company stock in a few minutes. Buy One Share Give a Share and One Share are stock buying services which can help you to buy one stock certificate easily. If you are a shareholder with even one share of the company, you form part of the ownership of the company and have all the shareholder… -
Free Download: Norton Antivirus 2013, Norton Internet Security 2013
15 May 2012 | 9:18 amHome > Downloads > Security Want free antivirus? Now you can download Norton Antivirus 2013 free as well as Norton Internet Security 2013 for free as Symantec has released the beta version of these security software for free trial for public use – to find bugs, get feature suggestions and to help improve the Norton Security software before paid release into the market. Free Norton Antivirus 2013 Download Download Norton 2013 beta software now – available for free download exclusively at the Symantec website. All the three versions of the security software – Norton… -
The Best Way to Gift Amazon Kindle
12 May 2012 | 11:01 pmHome > Gadgets > Tutorials » Kindle What is the best way to Gift Amazon Kindle? Don’t just buy it and present it to your friend. Instead it is a great idea to ship directly from Amazon.com since there are several options which make the deal better that way. The usual way is that you order an Amazon Kindle, get it delivered to your shipping address and then gift warp it to present it. However, note that Amazon customizes the Kindle with your Amazon login details and account. Gift Kindle There are many advantages if you choose to gift Amazon Kindle directly by shipping… -
Your Blog NEEDS an Awesome Logo
12 May 2012 | 7:18 amHome > Blogging > Guest Posts Your blog’s logo is one thing that your readers will never forget if you have a great one (or a really bad one). If done right, a logo can become a symbol that is universally recognizable and represents your blog to the world. A blog can either just be a content source, or it can become a brand; a content source is boring, but a brand is exciting. Having an awesome logo is pivotal to building a brand, but how does one build an “awesome” logo? Follow a few simple guidelines and you’ll end up with a cool brand – not just another blog. Keep It… -
Reputation Management: SEO on Steroids
11 May 2012 | 10:51 amHome > Blogging > Guest Posts > SEO Online reputation management (ORM) emerged as a natural evolution of search engine optimization—and to this day, reputation management makes heavy use of leading search engine optimization (SEO) principles. It’s almost enough to make the novice think ORM and SEO are just two sides of the same coin—but of course, that’s a major oversimplification. Really, online reputation management can better be described as SEO on steroids. Yes, many of the tools and techniques used are the same. But ORM takes everything about standard SEO and pumps…
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Drew's Marketing Minute
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Are you falling behind when it comes to mobile?
13 May 2012 | 12:04 pmI think it is fascinating in a “I don’t get it” sort of way. We all know that mobile is where digital is headed. We’ve all repeated the “by 2015, the #1 way we will access the internet is through our smart phones” and yet… it seems like most people are lollygagging along when it comes to getting onto the mobile train. Is your website mobile optimized? Are you learning more about mobile ads? Are you thinking about how you’re going to accept mobile payments? Or do you look like this infographic? Browse more infographics. You might… -
Going viral = out of your control
8 May 2012 | 5:38 amIt seems like one of the goals I hear more and more is… “and we want it to go viral.” I translate that to mean — we want a lot of people to see it. But rarely when someone says they want something to go viral, do they really understand the implications of that. The biggest one is — the minute it begins to go viral, it begins to take on a life of its own and it is beyond your control. Let me give you a very tangible example. My daughter and several of her college friends decided that they wanted to jump into the Sh*t People Say meme that was started in… -
9 Keys to Wicked Awesome Landing Pages
5 May 2012 | 10:21 amNote from Drew: Every once in awhile I like to open up the blog to a guest with a depth of expertise that I think you’ll benefit from. Here’s Jason Well’s take on landing pages. A few weeks ago I spoke at SES New York about mobile PPC and SEO. I touched briefly on mobile landing pages. After the presentation one of the attendees walked up to me and said, “thanks for covering mobile landing pages, but most people still need help on their standard landing pages.” He was right. Especially in the B2B world, ‘regular’ landing pages are still critical. While keeping in… -
What can you learn from a small town?
30 Apr 2012 | 4:20 amTurns out, quite a bit. The whole concept of having a marketplace is blurry today. It used to be — you sold stuff to your neighbors because they were the only ones close enough to buy from you. But today the world is one “global small town” where all your customers can talk directly to each other and every one of them can buy from you or from the guy on the other side of the planet. In their book Small Town Rules (click to buy it on Amazon*) authors Becky McCray and Barry Moltz take a look at what works in a small town and help us understand how those same rules apply to us,… -
What is the next step?
25 Apr 2012 | 4:31 amThat’s the question you should ask yourself as you create any marketing piece. ”What is the next step I want the prospect to take?” Whether it’s a Facebook fan page, an enewsletter, a TV spot or a blimp with your logo on it — you have earned their momentary attention. What are you going to do with it? Where do you want to take the conversation/connection from here? Do you want to give them the opportunity to contact you? Do you want them to share your content? Do you want them to ask you a question? Do you want them to laugh so hard that they have to tell…
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Free WP Themes
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New theme: boldness2
29 Apr 2012 | 11:53 pmAdded boldness2, a new fixed WordPress theme. -
New theme: boldness
21 Apr 2012 | 1:36 pmAdded boldness, a new fixed WordPress theme. -
New theme: officememo
16 Apr 2012 | 12:44 amAdded officememo, a new fixed WordPress theme. -
New theme: handcrafted
1 Apr 2012 | 9:55 pmAdded handcrafted, a new fixed WordPress theme. -
New theme: refillable
26 Mar 2012 | 1:01 amAdded refillable, a new fixed WordPress theme.
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Free Wordpress themes
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Ultimate Magazine Theme
16 May 2012 | 12:19 pmUltimate Magazine Theme is a minimalist WordPress theme suited for businesses, designers, photographers or any type of profession. It’s built upon a super back and front end experience which makes it really easy to use and customize DEMO DOWNLOAD License: Use free with footer intact. -
EstateAgent
16 May 2012 | 12:17 pmEstateAgent is excellent solution for your realty or other blog. This WordPress theme supports and comes with custom widgets, drop-down menus, javascript slideshow and lots of other useful features. The theme is absolutely free! DEMO DOWNLOAD License: Use free with footer intact. -
My Diet Magazine
16 May 2012 | 12:16 pmMy Diet Magazine is a Free WordPress Theme. This theme is wonderful addition for those who love to make their own website related to food and health. This wonderful theme completely transform your website into a great looking health and diet blog. This theme is suitable for any niches, especially for food, health and diet [...] -
SparkMagazine
16 May 2012 | 12:15 pmSparkMagazine is a Free WordPress Magazine theme, with White and Dark Gray colors, Right sidebar, Footer Columns, SEO optimized, featured slider, slider Manager, Compatible with Latest WordPress Version, WordPress Navigation menus, Ads Management,Custom Widgets, Post thumbnails, twitter, social icons, breadcrumbs & more. This theme is Ideal for Technology, News, Magazine, General WordPress Blogs and Sites. [...] -
Einsteiniumist Free WordPress Themes
16 May 2012 | 9:26 amWith stylish slider design, muted color palette and custom typography – Einsteiniumist WordPress Theme transforms your basic blog into a stunning portfolio website! Demo | Download Features: WordPress MU Compatible Stylish Jquery Slider Multiple Background Color Custom Font Integration Spread the articles via Social bookmarks (TweetMeme, Delicious, Digg, Newsvine, RSS, Stumbleupon, Technorati, Twitter) Separation of [...]
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Webinar Marketing & Marketing Success With Webinars for Business
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Help My Testis Grow? (testimonials)
14 May 2012 | 10:45 amI need your help… If I have provided any value, info, entertainment etc at all over the past 6 years or so, could you please help me out by sharing your thoughts with me? I put together this video to explain more, and a short summary below the vid. Thankyou. Summary: Could you provide [...] -
The Most Difficult Path My Actually Be The Easiest Path
5 Apr 2012 | 3:11 pmImagine this… you are looking for success, and you look at your options, there are two clear paths in front of you: Path A is the difficult path, it requires bravery, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and seems more likely to end in failure. Just the prospect of following this path terrifies you. Path [...] -
Comfort Zones are like Coffee
22 Mar 2012 | 11:16 amHave you ever wished you could do something that you are scared of doing? Ever wondered what you are capable of achieving if only that voice in your head didn’t keep talking you out of it? Today I had coffee for the first time in a few months… it hit me hard, my head feels [...] -
Never Up Never In
15 Mar 2012 | 9:28 amI can hear thousands of people saying “that’s what she said” as they read this…. (you cheeky readers)… Here is the thing though… I used to play a LOT of golf, I was even trained by some PGA professionals, and they always had a saying when it came to the art of putting… “Never [...] -
How to Adapt to a New Culture or Country
14 Mar 2012 | 8:00 amIn the past 5 years alone I have lived in 3 different countries and 7 different houses, I have lived in Spain (Madrid), northern and southern England, Nashville, and near the beach in Florida… What have I learned? What did I do completely wrong? What differences have I noticed? Let’s dive into all of this [...]
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Social Media Clubhouse
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General Motors Pulls $10 Million in Facebook Ad Spend
16 May 2012 | 11:40 amJust days away from the much anticipated Facebook IPO, General Motors reported they were pulling their $10 million dollar Facebook ad spend after seeing little to no results. Of the nearly $40 million per year GM spends on Facebook advertising, approximately $10 million of that is paid ads. read more -
LinkedIn & Slideshare - a Delightful Marriage for the Online Professional & Company
16 May 2012 | 7:45 amSocial media platforms on the web are somewhat schizophrenic - some are focused on consumers, some are focused on business and some just do not seem to know what they want to do when they grow up. We typically acknowledge Facebook as ever focused on the consumer and their pages for businesses, local merchants, brands and products were added as kind of an afterthought believing that consumers had a desire to connect to their favorite brands. While consumers have ‘Liked’ their favorite brands in big numbers, studies suggest that this kind of behavior is not always an indication of brand… -
Netherlands Now World's Second Net Neutrality Nation
15 May 2012 | 8:00 amNet neutrality was a hot topic in 2010, when the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was deciding on whether to allow internet providers the ability to prevent or slow access to certain content, sites or VOIP providers in an effort to give preferential access to their own services and/or to slow the access of their competitors. It was reported last week that Netherlands just became the second country to legally become a "Net Neutrality" nation, read more -
Social Media Industry Report 2012 Highlights
11 May 2012 | 7:00 amPassionate people all have something that they enjoy looking forward to. Football fans love Super Bowl Sunday, music lovers are already planning for next year’s Coachella Festival and social media marketers can’t wait to read the annual Social Media Industry Report. The Social Media Examiner published the 2012 Social Media Industry Report on April 3, 2012. This year’s report surveyed over 3800 marketers of all ages employed in a variety of different industries including agencies, small businesses and B2B/B2C companies. Didn’t catch the report? Here’s what you missed:… -
Social Media Clubhouse Newsletter (5/9/12)
10 May 2012 | 1:45 pmEXPANDING PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS We're excited to expand our membership benefits with the launch of the members-only webinar series, which will be hosted by, and attended by, Social Media Club Professional* members. The Social Media Club community represents all industries and level of expertise, but the key component is that all seek ways to improve their knowledge around social media tools and best practices. These members-only webinars will provide excellent content and extend visibility to Professionals in our community that are creating innovative campaigns and have advanced…
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wordpress-news « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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Do Not Delete Comment Spam. Mark Spam as Spam.
10 May 2012 | 3:16 pmIs comment spam one of the things that gets you down? Are you taking it personally? Are you confused
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Social Media Mom
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Top Online Masters Programs for Women’s Studies Explain What Women Want
11 May 2012 | 12:28 pmReading time: 4 – 6 minutes Credit In colleges and universities across the nation, women’s studies programs allow students to investigate issues of gender and sexuality through scholarly research and debate. These programs first began to emerge in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the rise of the women’s liberation movement, and many feel this relatively new field of study is well suited toward new types of degrees, like distance learning programs. Women’s studies programs have flourished in American institutions of higher learning, taking root almost everywhere. The… -
A Mother’s Day Infographic
10 May 2012 | 11:05 amReading time: < 1 minute It is that time of year, for those of you who don't know: Mother's Day is Sunday, May 13. In honor of this special day, we are featuring a new infographic from Internet Exposure. Here you will see just how tech savvy moms have become, as well as what they really want for Mother's Day. Not Yo Mama’s Mama – a Digital Mom Infographic by Internet Exposure -
Online Graduate Certificate Programs That Will Teach You To Be A Leader
8 May 2012 | 7:34 amReading time: 3 – 5 minutes Credit There are few things more valuable in life than being a good leader. With this skill, you can rise to the top of your profession, take charge in difficult situations and be admired by friends and peers alike. Many people feel that leadership is an innate quality – in other words, something that you are born with. This is true in some ways. Extroverted, gregarious people are somewhat more likely to become leaders. But it is also true that you can learn to be a leader. Like anything else, leadership is a skill that can be improved, often times with… -
The Internet’s Role in Your Personal Privacy
27 Apr 2012 | 8:33 amReading time: 4 – 6 minutes As people use the Internet more frequently and provide more personal information via social media sites such as: Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter, there is an increasing tension between a United States citizen’s right to privacy and freedom of speech, and the government’s desire to monitor its citizenry to protect against unlawful actions. With this tension only growing, those in the legal field must be aware of these concerns and prepared for future instances where public sentiments and proposed government legislation could potentially clash. With… -
A Quick Guide to Pinterest for Families
2 Apr 2012 | 8:38 amReading time: 4 – 6 minutes If you haven’t heard, Pinterest is the latest internet hit. Part social media, part photo swapping – the new social sharing site has the potential to go strong for quite some time. But what should parents know about Pinterest? Is it harmless for children? Teens? What does Pinterest really do? What is it for? I will attempt to give you some understanding into the new and exhilarating world of pinning. To begin with, you can’t just sign up for Pinterest. You have to either be invited or request an invite. At this early stage, neither one is…
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Blonde 2.0's Blog
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Get Ready for the First Ever LeWeb London! 50% Discount For Blonde 2.0 Peeps!
14 May 2012 | 8:57 amI go to tech conferences all over the world. One conference that I never miss is LeWeb Paris. Why? Because this conference has all that one could ask for – amazing lineup of speakers and panels, great networking crowd, the coolest parties, incredible food and the most wonderful ambiance. This year Geraldine and Loic have really outdone themselves and have added LeWeb London to the mix as well. I am excited for the first ever LeWeb London and am certain that the Le Meurs will bring all the best elements of the Parisian conference to the UK while in addition giving it extra British spice. -
Why I Can’t Unplug
9 May 2012 | 8:45 amI remember my first computer, 75 Megahertz processor and 250 megabyte hard drive; I now have a disk on key that has 30 times that amount of space. I remember that horrible sound of AOL trying to connect to the internet through a 24.4 k modem. We thought we were so technologically advanced back then; I don’t think anyone could have imagined what it would be like in a few years. Today, we have iPhones, iPads, iPods, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and god knows what other new chachki that will come out in the near future. The point is, you can never be anywhere and not be reachable. I was having… -
It’s as if Google doesn’t have product managers.
1 May 2012 | 9:06 amGet it together Google. Get it together Samsung, HTC, Sony, LG and everyone else! I am sick and tired of phones that don’t work. How hard can it be? Simply said, I’m a loyal Android user and fanboy of the OS for about two years now. I stood by the OS through thick and thin for one reason specifically – I believe in openness. I like the fact you can put Android on whichever device you like. I like that if you’re an app creator your apps do not need to be approved. I like how everyone can be a part of it. But seriously though, philosophy and belief can only take you so far. How… -
New Journalism is Decadent and not Deprived
24 Apr 2012 | 9:23 amTom Wolfe, the esteemed writer of the groundbreaking and seminal work of non-fiction of the 1970’s, The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test, decided in 1973 to put together a book, or better said, an anthology, which curated the changing face of non-fiction journalism. He aptly titled the book, The New Journalism, in order to define what he saw as the best, new journalism that was being printed at the time. Wolfe self-described this endeavor as aiming to gather the most “absorbing and gripping” long-form writing into one volume so as to identify (for university students in particular) new… -
Is the Bubble About to Burst Again?
17 Apr 2012 | 8:20 amJust over a year ago Microsoft shelled out a whopping $8.5 billion dollars to buy Skype. Then last week Facebook broke the bank to spend $1 billion on purchasing Instagram. Add to that the sale of Tweetdeck to Twitter for $30 million and Zynga spending $180 million on OMGPOP . These stories have dominated the news over the last few weeks. Opinions, for both sides, have been published, counter-opinions have been posted and amongst all the media frenzy, one thing seems to have gone unnoticed – in the last year alone over $10 billion has been spent on social media platforms and applications.
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(Anti) Social Development
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Facebook FBML Ends June 1, 2012
7 May 2012 | 9:01 pmIt’s amazing how fast 6 months can go by! Last October I wrote an article about when FBML would completely end and we would now longer be able to use it. We knew last Fall that this would happen in June, but now we have an exact date. FBML will no longer exist after June 1, 2012. If you are using FBML or have custom tabs powered by FBML they will need to be converted to iframes or a 3rd party application. After June 1st, they will no longer be accessible and they won’t work. If you need assistance converting your FBML tabs, please contact me for a quote. photo credit:… -
10 Upcoming Features in WordPress 3.4
30 Apr 2012 | 9:01 pmThe release of WordPress 3.4 is not imminent and will probably be ready this summer but I thought it would be a good time to discuss some of the planned features in the new version. Many of the changes are related to themes, theme options, and searching for themes as well as many bug fixes. Otherwise, I don’t see anything too exciting but there are some useful features. Upcoming Features Admin Bar Trick – As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a big fan of the Admin bar. I don’t use it but I also don’t really notice it anymore either. In WordPress 3.4, clicking… -
How to Display Different WordPress Sidebar Widgets on Different Pages with the Widget Logic Visual Plugin
25 Apr 2012 | 9:01 pmI am frequently asked how different widgets can be used on different pages of a WordPress site. For example, someone might want a Facebook like box to show up on the Home page but not on other pages of the site. I usually set up the Widget Logic plugin but that plugin does require some understanding of simple code and it’s not easy for all users. Recently I discovered that there is a similar plugin, called Widget Logic Visual, which is much easier to use and does require knowing any code. How to use Widget Logic Visual Once the plugin is installed and activated, each widget will have a… -
Please Use Useful and Descriptive Email Subject Lines
23 Apr 2012 | 9:01 pmI think people should pay more attention to the subject line used in emails. When someone gets a lot of email the sender is, of course, important but so is the subject line in determining which emails should take priority. It’s helpful when they are descriptive and give the receiver an indication of what the message is about or what it may contain. And, it’s amazing at the number of emails that have useless subject lines or even ones that make me want to never open and read it. A Sample of Useless Subject Lines Here are some recent subject lines in my email that are absolutely not… -
Do You Ever Feel Like This? Trying to Open a Package Like Larry David
16 Apr 2012 | 9:01 pmI’ve been busier than usual lately with a number of really big projects. So, I haven’t had a much time to write up posts. I have topics that I want to write about but they are more in depth and will take longer than I have right now. I used to write posts in advance for times like this but that just hasn’t seemed to happen lately. So, if you don’t have anything prepared, it doesn’t really make much sense to bother posting, does it? But, for fun I thought I would share this video of Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasmtrying to open one of those awful plastic boxes…
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WordPress.com News
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Stay In The Conversation
15 May 2012 | 4:01 pmIt’s now much easier for you and your commenters to keep track of the conversations you’re involved in across WordPress.com. Some recent tests have shown that by subscribing commenters to new comments by default, they are more likely to stay engaged and come back and comment more on your blog. With that knowledge, we’ve changed the default comment following behavior to help you get more conversations going on your blog. We made the initial changes last week and after great feedback from you we just launched an update. Here’s how it works: By default, posting a comment… -
Look at These Gorgeous Blogs
15 May 2012 | 11:05 amWe’ve added a user showcase where you can view stunning customizations made by people just like you. From complete redesigns with CSS to adding pizzazz with Custom Fonts to clever use of options like background and header, this showcase will spark your imagination and inspire creativity. Discover details about what each showcase blog is doing with WordPress.com themes and customizations by clicking a thumbnail to see a colophon-style list of credits on the left. We’ve also updated footer links so blog owners can show off the types of customizations they’ve made and visitors can… -
Photo Blogging 101, Part 1
14 May 2012 | 8:00 amSpring is in the air. With the weather warming up, now is a great time to get started on a photo blog. Creating a photo blog is a wonderful introduction to blogging on WordPress.com or an opportunity to refresh your current site. Ready to get started? You can sign up for a new blog right over here. Getting started Photo blogs, sometimes called phlogs, use pictures instead of words. While many photo bloggers choose a type of photo that they want to focus on, such as portraits, others use their photo blog to document their life’s events. Photo blogs come in a variety of styles, including… -
New Themes: Just Desserts and Oxygen
10 May 2012 | 6:11 amHappy Thursday! We’ve added some exciting new themes to our ever-growing collection, and we’re happy to tell you all about them. First out of the oven is…Just Desserts. Yep, that’s a theme! Designed by Andy Rutledge, Just Desserts is a deliciously stylish premium theme that’s perfect for blogs centered on food. With its responsive, single-column layout and unique presentation of images and posts on the front page, Just Desserts gives you a delectable canvas on which your mouthwatering photos and text can really shine — even when viewed on smaller mobile devices… -
Find Friends Who Use WordPress
1 May 2012 | 12:32 pmAre you curious to see how your friends are using WordPress? Give the new and improved Friend Finder a try to connect with your Twitter, Facebook, and Google contacts who have WordPress sites! After authorizing WordPress.com to use your Twitter, Facebook, or Google account to find your friends (don’t worry — none of this account information is saved!) you’ll see a list of people you know who have WordPress sites. Click Follow and each time your friend publishes a new post it will show up in your Reader under Blogs I Follow. If you have multiple blogs, make sure to set the…
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Socialmedia.biz
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3 steps to a successful mobile website
16 May 2012 | 6:01 amImage by rzymu on BigStockPhoto.com Plan for a mobile site that meets your strategic needs This is the first of a two-part series on the mobile Web. Tomorrow: • The ultimate infographic on the mobile Web Target audience: Mid-size and small businesses, Web publishers, mobile developers, entrepreneurs, educators, journalists, general public. As we’ve been saying, [...] -
UppSite: Turn your website into an app in minutes
10 May 2012 | 6:01 amAfew days ago I sat down with Gal Brill, the founder and CEO of UppSite, an Israel-based start-up that can turn your website into an app in just minutes. At top is a video UppSite produced about their service, and at bottom is my interview with Gal. As the Web turns increasingly mobile — with [...] -
Big Data in the visual age
7 May 2012 | 10:19 amHow Mobli can take virtual experiences to a new level As we all know, there’s a huge amount of data on the internet– the biggest challenge is sorting it all and finding what’s relevant for you. This is such a big challenge that there’s a whole branch of the tech industry, called Big Data, that [...] -
12 blogging mistakes to avoid at all costs
3 May 2012 | 6:01 amImage by Vlue on BigStockPhoto.com Or, surefire ways to sabotage your blog posts & jeopardize your reputation Target audience: Businesses, brands, bloggers, social media marketers, SEO marketers, Web publishers, educators, journalists. Guest post by Neil Patel Co-founder, KISSmetrics Blogging is a lot like fishing. Some people do it all the time and never catch anything, [...] -
Social media, tech & marketing events: May 2012
1 May 2012 | 5:43 amA scene from last year’s CMS Expo. (Photo by Chris Hammond on Flickr) Guide to events & conferences for the coming month May brings us another month chock-a-block with conferences on social media, technology and marketing. Which events listed below will you be attending? I’ll be traveling to four conferences (speaking at three of [...]
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Widgets Lab
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HTC One Crash Test… Good Luck!
21 Apr 2012 | 3:08 pmThe HTC One is a serious super phone contender. The spec list out and appearance of the HTC One is definitely on par with other offerings that are current available or will shortly be released. (Samsung Galaxy S III)Related posts:Fact Checkers Unit answer “Who is Heavy Mustache?”Galaxy S II vs. iPhone 4S comparison gridCelebrate In Style with the Samsung Galaxy S II -
Samsung Galaxy S III Images
20 Apr 2012 | 10:36 amSource:engadget.comVietnamese site Tinhte, which has past form on these kind of things, has got its hands on the GT-I9300 — purportedly the Galaxy S III if Samsung decides to follow its own naming convention. According to the specifications leaked, Tinhte reckons the phone houses a 4.6-inch display at 720 x 1184 resolution (roughly 320 DPI, picking up Android’s XHDPI classification — thanks Rawat), while a quad-core 1.4 GHz processor works on keeping the Ice Cream Sandwich OS running smoothly. Other hardware mentions include 1GB of RAM, 8-megapixel camera, 16GB of storage… -
[Sponsored Video] Samsung Galaxy Note gets Android 4.0 ICS
18 Apr 2012 | 5:24 pmSoftware upgrade for GALAXY Note offers exclusive S Pen optimized applications, enhanced multimedia features and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.S Note, an unique tool that combines your notes and sketches with other digital content, giving you a new way to create your own stories. Also includes innovative shape- and formula-match functions, instant digitization of tables and grids, and knowledge search engines.Along with a new look and feel, the Ice Cream Sandwich update provides a more intuitive user interface, faster performance, Face Unlock, Snapshot, Photo Editor and other features.Plus,… -
ASUS Transformer Pad 300 Appears On Amazon, Lists For $399
18 Apr 2012 | 4:39 amsource: Androidpolice.comInfo about the Transformer Pad 300′s availability has been slowly showing up more and more often over the past few weeks. Now, thanks to Amazon, we have all of the last bits of information that we needed about this powerhouse-in-a-plastic-body device, including price and release date.Spec sheet:10.1-inch 1280×800 IPS display 1.2Ghz quad-core Tegra 3 processor 1GB RAM 32GB built-in storage Plastic chassis Android 4.0Related posts:ASUS Transformer Prime [video]Asus Expected To Launch 7″ Tablet At CES 2012 » Android Phones, Android Tablets, News, Tech,… -
Netflix app for Android see minor update with small UI changes
10 Apr 2012 | 2:26 pmNetflix is the cat’s meow!When the app gets updated, millions sit up and take notice.With this update you will see a new volume control UI that makes adjusting the volume a bit easier during playback. There are also various other bug fixes and stability improvements that aren’t immediately noticeable.source: phandroid.comRelated posts:Dropbox update in the works, brings bulk upload, Android 4.0 support and much More | AndroidSPINCatch The Berries…A new game for AndroidNetflix updates to support Ice Cream Sandwich | AndroidSPIN
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linkedin « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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Employers need to "walk the talk" with job applicants
15 May 2012 | 2:26 pmCommunication, professionalism, integrity, respect. These are just a few of the qualities that organizations expect from job applicants, and rightly so. Unfortunately, however, too many organizations don’t reciprocate. I’m currently coaching a graduating senior who is in the midst of a job search. She had a 2nd interview with a particular company, and was told that she would be informed of their hiring decision by a certain date. When that date came and went and she hadn’t heard form them, she automatically assumed the worst. This is an all too familiar scenario that… -
To Blog or Not to Blog
15 May 2012 | 2:23 pmIt’s been a rough couple of weeks for blogging, or business blogging at least. First came the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth study that delivered these findings, among others: Blogging declines for the first time among the Inc. 500. Fifty percent of the 2010 Inc. 500 had a corporate blog, up from 45% in 2009 and 39% in 2008. In this new 2011 study, the use of blogging dropped to 37%. Companies in the Advertising/Marketing industry are most likely to blog while companies in Government Services and Construction make very little use of this tool. This decline mirrors a trend in… -
@LinkedIn: RT @brikis98: At a LinkedIn Tech Talk: "The Online Revolution: High-Quality Education for Everyone" by Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng. http ...
15 May 2012 | 2:20 pmRT @brikis98: At a LinkedIn Tech Talk: “The Online Revolution: High-Quality Education for Everyone” by Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng. http … http://twitter.com/LinkedIn http://twitter.com/LinkedIn/status/202506716909289473 -
@LinkedIn: RT @dtunkelang: Daphne Koller & Andrew Ng about to get started here at LinkedIn. Streaming at http://t.co/4Z3bnIi5 http://t.co/JRLK0vpY
15 May 2012 | 2:20 pmRT @dtunkelang: Daphne Koller & Andrew Ng about to get started here at LinkedIn. Streaming at http://t.co/4Z3bnIi5 http://t.co/JRLK0vpY http://twitter.com/LinkedIn http://twitter.com/LinkedIn/status/202505765909565441 -
BNI Kent Number One Chapter - Gravesend Team
15 May 2012 | 2:19 pmWe started early and everyone joined in for the Team Photo. Well, it is something to be proud of isn’t it – being number one Chapter in Kent! The education slot was taken this week by Steve Kennedy of Paymentsense. Steve pointed out that we are a collection of totally different people within the Chapter, with nothing much in common except the desire to get more work and earn more money. This is achieved by working as a team to find and pass referrals to each other, something Gravesend Chapter is very good at and gets us to number 1.This lead can be maintained if members use one to…
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Social Media Darwinism
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There is NO Passive Marketing with Social!
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmTraditionally, marketers think of outcomes like they think of the weather – you sit back and see what happens. Suffering from the lack of true and authentic knowledge of their audiences, or any provision for real-time data or analytics, they are consigned to a passive role: spend money and hope it creates the intended outcome. Well “hope” isn’t a strategy. Not so with Social Media. With Social, there is no passive tense. Social media allows the marketer to jump into the fray and to CREATE outcomes instead of being a victim. Take for instance the example of TV. In the… -
The Emotion found in Social Data
9 May 2012 | 12:00 pmLet’s be clear. Most people who write on social media outlets don’t do so just for the sake of doing it. Some might, but the vast majority of people who share content, post comments, or offer sentiments and opinions online do so because they are in what Andrew Jeavons of Survey Analytics calls “the point of emotion.” In other words, they are emotionally invested in the product, service or experience about which they are opining. As Jeavons points out, most feedback is conducted via traditional methods that suffer from huge structural deficits. Surveys – break-down for four… -
CMOs: Shedding light on marketing performance
18 Apr 2012 | 8:19 amBusinesses use enterprise data and metrics to manage business performance and drive efficiencies across the organization. But when it comes to marketing, there has always been a bit of the “black box” effect. Marketing is the one major budget item that traditionally has been the hardest to understand and measure from a traditional business performance standpoint. Quarterly and annual reviews provide some idea of how the money is being spent, and frequency, reach, target rating points, media impressions and clip counting are among the longstanding measures of marketing… -
NASCAR appeals to more than just Sports Fans!
4 Apr 2012 | 9:34 amAs fans of the movie Talladega Nights would know, stock car racing in the United States has its origins in bootlegging during Prohibition, when drivers ran bootleg whiskey made primarily in the Appalachian region of the United States. Bootleggers needed to distribute their illicit products, and they typically used small, fast vehicles to better evade the police. Many of the drivers would modify their cars for speed and handling, as well as increased cargo capacity, and some of them came to love the fast-paced driving down twisty mountain roads. The repeal of Prohibition in 1933 largely dried… -
More B2B Marketing on Mad Marketing TV — The After Party
7 Mar 2012 | 7:00 amAfter last weeks show, guest host Jeff Ogden and B2B marketing expert, Paul Dunay discuss: - Marketing at a small company versus a larger company - Buyer personas and the importance of knowing your buyers - Approaches for creating engaging content - How writing a book can help generate awareness and build reputation MadMarketingTV is sponsored by Act-On Software: Marketing Automation for the Fortune 5 Million. Visit http://actonsoftware.com to learn more. Related posts: Changes in B2B Marketing — Mad Marketing TV Ep 13 Join guest host Jeff Ogden and special guest Paul... Related posts…
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Digital Trends
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Recording police with your smartphone is a Constitutional right, says DoJ
16 May 2012 | 12:05 pmShooting photos or video of police officers is a Constitutionally protected right, says the U.S. Department of Justice. -
Edgar Wright hopes to film both The World’s End and Ant-Man this year
16 May 2012 | 11:35 amDirector Edgar Wright has tentatively expressed interest in directing both his long-anticipated Ant-Man adaptation and his latest Simon Pegg/Nick Frost collaboration as soon as possible. -
Halo 4 to offer weekly multiplayer ‘episodic adventures’ and more
16 May 2012 | 11:27 amMicrosoft and 343 Industries’ Halo 4 announce the “Halo Infinity Multiplayer,” a new online hub that will feature weekly content updates, plus more multiplayer details. -
Best Electric Cars: A roundup of all EVs out now and coming soon
16 May 2012 | 11:15 amWith electric cars slowly becoming more commonplace on the roads, we've gone ahead and compiled a comprehensive roundup of all the best electric cars that are available now or rolling out soon. -
THQ dropping Ninja Gaiden creator’s third-person shooter, Devil’s Third
16 May 2012 | 11:15 amTwo years on from its E3 debut, Devil's Third is in development limbo as publisher THQ looks to drop the game due to its "profitability profile."
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Online Marketing Blog
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Interview: The Future of Cloud Marketing Software with Vocus CMO Jason Jue
16 May 2012 | 4:50 amAt TopRank Online Marketing, we are fortunate to provide consulting to quite a few innovative B2B companies that serve other marketers. A great example of that is PRWeb and parent company, Vocus, both long standing clients. In late 2011 Vocus welcomed Jason Jue as Chief Marketing Officer. As Vocus & PRWeb’s Account Manager at TopRank, I was keenly interested in getting to know Jason better and learning his plans for the future – and what better way than through an interview for all readers of Online Marketing Blog to see? In this interview Jason talks about the undeniable… -
Channel Your Internal Marketing Warrior: 4 Tips for Strengthening Your Marketing Plan
15 May 2012 | 3:25 amRelease Your Internal Marketing Warrior In March of this year I made a decision: I wanted to get healthier. The problem I have always faced is that I didn’t see the point of exercise, just for the sake of exercise. Treadmills and stationary bicycles never did much for me, but I was looking for a way to regain some focus and start down a healthier path. About a month ago I spoke with my good friend Ali who had recently started a training program to become a yoga instructor. She convinced me to attend a class with her and I even though I’ve done yoga before, this was an entirely new… -
5 Ways to Optimize the Business Value of Attending Conferences
14 May 2012 | 9:37 amAre you optimizing your conference experience? TopRank receives a lot of value from having me speak at conferences but you don’t have to be a speaker to realize a positive return from events. Small, large online or offline, there are numerous ways to optimize and maximize your return on conference involvment both in the short and long term. If your company is considering whether to send you to events because of uncertain return or benefits, show them the following list. In fact, if I were running a conference, I’d make sure these tips are shared with attendees, sponsors and… -
Online Marketing News: Take Action on Social Data, LinkedIn Gets the Scoop, Google Reigns Supreme, Google & Big Data for SEO
11 May 2012 | 3:35 amActionable Social Analytics This recent infographic by awareness takes a dive into social analytics. In an era where virtually every brand is online, it is essential that action is being taken off of the data we are collecting from social networks. This infographic provides not only some of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that your company should be tracking, but how to calculate these numbers as well. Examples of the KPI’s your company should be tracking: Brand Awareness & Reputation Marketing Program Effectiveness Lead Generation Effectiveness Use LinkedIn to Get Juicy… -
Holistic Optimization Across the Sales Cycle: Optimize Speaking Events May & June
10 May 2012 | 8:08 amWhen you have a business that relies on attracting new business online the sheer volume of options can be confusing. Should offline advertising efforts transfer to online? Maybe email marketing? What about SEO or the hot topic, social media? So much focus is placed on tactics and channels, that a lot of misplaced digital marketing budget gets wasted or spent inefficiently. To bring some clarity to the myriad online marketing options available, I think it’s worth marketers taking a holistic approach that starts with an essential understanding of goals and customers. Who are your best…
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FUEL LINES Fueling Ad Agency New Business Through Social Media
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Ad Agencies: Independence does not mean having to go it alone
15 May 2012 | 1:56 pmAd Agency networks offer many benefits for small to midsize independent advertising agencies. This is a guest post written by my friend, Peter Gerritsen, president of Transworld Advertising Agency Network better known as TAAN, the oldest and among the largest ad agency networks in the world, with 52 member agencies operating in 32 different countries. Peter Gerritsen, president of TAAN Not a single person in this business can truly say they do it all by themselves. We all work with many different resources, vendors, staff, clients, media, consultants, friends, mentors,… -
Why ad agencies should learn about Springpad
14 May 2012 | 7:54 amIf you are a regular reader of Fuel Lines, you know that I am a big fan of Edward Boches, Chief Innovation Officer (formerly Chief Creative Officer and Chief Social Media Officer) at Mullen. Edward was among the few creatives to understand the importance of social media as an active practitioner. He has led his agency by example. I’m honored to have Edward share a new social media platform through this guest post that will help your agency and your clients. Over the last five plus years we’ve seen the emergence of numerous new social platforms change how we market, distribute… -
AMC’s The Pitch: Chemistry with the TV audience is different than with the potential client
13 May 2012 | 4:52 amProspective clients are looking for chemistry and likability in their ad agency partners and it doesn’t have to be a crap shoot. BooneOakley, a small 20 person ad agency in Charlotte, NC, showcased its unusual chemistry on “The Pitch” before a nationally televised audience. They were competing against a New York agency, Conversation, to be selected to develop an ad campaign for the popchips company. BooneOakley didn’t win the client, but evidently they won over the television audience. According to the initial results of AMC’s The Pitch Poll – “Who… -
Nobody Reads Ad Agency Blogs
8 May 2012 | 9:32 pmWhy most agencies may be ready to ditch their blog and why they shouldn’t. Jack Marshall, a staff writer for Digiday wrote an article that is creating lots of buzz entitled, “Agencies Ditch Blogs.” He points to a study conducted by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, that reveals that only 37% of Fortune 500 companies now maintain a blog. That is down from 50% that was reported in 2010. Jack makes an assumption that this is that this is probably true of advertising agencies: “It seems there’s a similar trend among agencies. Though many sporadically… -
Lessons from AMCs ‘The Pitch’ on How to Motivate Your Ad Agency After A Loss
7 May 2012 | 8:06 amTracy Wong, The Mirren New Business Conference How to lose a pitch in front of millions of television views and the entire ad industry and still come out as the winner. A good number of agencies depend upon the pitch as the primary way they win new business and grow. Some national attention and industry buzz has been brought upon the pitch process due to AMC’s new show simply called, ‘The Pitch,’ where two opposing ad agencies compete against each other for work for a nationally recognized brand. ‘The Pitch’ demonstrates the flaws in the pitch-for-business…
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SmartBrief on Social Media
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Study: More Brits contact brands via social media
16 May 2012 | 9:28 amUp to 18 million Web users in the U.K. -More- -
Developer plans to build underwater hotel in Dubai
16 May 2012 | 9:28 amA hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will guarantee an ocean view to every guest -- because the hotel itself will built on -More- Bloomberg Government Marketing Analyst Bloomberg -
We still like Facebook, Ford exec says:
16 May 2012 | 9:28 amFacebook is a "growing and critical part" of Ford's marketing, says Matt VanDyke, the automaker's director of marketing commu -More- 7 Whiteboard Sessions for every social strategist. Learn how to implement & scale a social program across your enterprise company with this 36-page framework by Spredfast by delivering good customer experience, adopting social media company-wide, gaining insight into your social customer, & showing an ROI on social. Download 7 Whiteboard Sessions. -
Does your company archive its social media activities?
16 May 2012 | 9:28 am-More- -
Analysis: Google+ needs to leverage search to catch Facebook
16 May 2012 | 9:28 amIf Google can harness an "integrated socially enhanced search engine," it has a shot of activating all those inorganically gr -More-
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Social Business Advisor: Social CRM and Enterprise 2.0
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Free Webinar: Common Collaboration Problems with the CIO of Pabst Brewing Company
15 May 2012 | 12:28 amThis Wednesday the 16th at 10am PST Ben Haines, the CIO of Pabst Brewing Company will be joining me on a webinar to discuss some of the common collaboration problems that organizations face today. We’re going to try to have a casual discussion around what obstacles organizations are running up against and how they are overcoming these obstacles. The event is being powered by Cisco which is allowing us to host the event on their platform. Here are the details taken from the event site: Collaboration is not new. In fact, we have collaborated for thousands of years. However,… -
What Would Happen if Your Organization Didn’t Invest in Collaboration?
10 May 2012 | 11:40 amI (and many others) have spent a great deal of time talking about why organizations should invest their resources in collaboration tools and strategies. But let’s assume for a moment that you didn’t. How long do you realistically see your organization going on without making this investment; 1 year, 2 years, 3 years? Do you really see your organization waiting this long? At this point I have probably worked with, spoken with, and researched hundreds of companies and it’s rare to come across an organization that nothing in place when it comes to collaboration. At the… -
Implementing Enterprise 2.0 at IBM
8 May 2012 | 1:06 amI had the opportunity to have several in-depth conversations with John Rooney (CIO of Technical Strategy) and Ethan McCarty (Senior Manager, Digital and Social Strategy) of IBM. The conversations resulted in our recently released case study on Implementing Enterprise 2.0 at IBM. Here is an overview of that case study. With over 420,000 employees in over 70 countries, IBM is one of the largest and most recognized companies in the world today. A company of this size needs to be able to coordinate and collaborate, share business processes, and respond to market demands. In order to make… -
The Twelve Principles of Collaboration
3 May 2012 | 10:41 am1. Individual benefit is just as important as the overall corporate benefit (if not more important) Don’t focus on the overall corporate value and benefit when communicating collaboration to employees. Employees care about how this will impact them on an individual basis. How will this make their jobs and lives easier? 2. Strategy before technology Before rushing to pick that shiny new collaboration platform focus on developing a strategy which will help you understand the “why” before the “how.” This is crucial for the success of any… -
New Study: Only 10 Percent of Employees are Engaged
1 May 2012 | 11:52 amI don’t like reading things like this, I really don’t. But today I came across a report released by Modern Survey which found that we have a lot of work to do around engaging our employees. Modern Survey isn’t the first firm to report low engagement numbers, Gallup and Blessing White (along with others) have all found low engagement rates within our organizations. The questions, approaches, methodology, and data that all of these firms get is different but the trend and overall findings remains the same. I don’t think we realize how crucial employee engagement…
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Social Gears
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New Follr Features – Improved Contact Finder and Networking!
9 May 2012 | 7:00 amWe are pleased to announce a significant change that will allow you to connect with with people far more easily! Simply log into your Follr account and click the ‘Tags & Contacts’ link: You’ll see lot’s of suggested contacts: Click any ‘Connect’ button and your invitation is sent! Alternatively you can click the ‘Contact Finder’ link: and then search by member tags or last name. Every connection improves your Follr score. Is that important? YES! Search results on Follr list people with the highest Follr score first. So if you want to… -
Will You Take The Blue Pill or The Red Pill?
26 Apr 2012 | 7:00 amWhether you love or loath science fiction you have to give it credit for preempting technological advances. So here’s a quick quiz using a sci-fi stalwart; Star Trek. Can you name the modern day equivalent for these four Star Trek gadgets? If you said mobile phone (‘Handheld communicator’), GPS (‘Transporter Console’), Bluetooth (‘Communications Earpiece’) and iPad (‘PADD’ or ‘Personal Access Display Device’) you get full marks! You have to love the app that makes your iPad look like a PADD. Now that’s backward… -
You Have 6 Seconds To Get a Job. Are Your Ready? Go!
18 Apr 2012 | 7:00 amThis month we’ve been told that the unemployment rate is going up. Change that, it’s going down. Sorry, I meant it’s going up and down! No matter where you get your news the most important job related information, the information about you, is in your resume. But according to job-matching service TheLadders you have six, yes six, seconds to make an impact with your resume. If you think about it that’s less time than it took to read this paragraph… Are recruiters suffering from ADD? Are CEO’s and brokers sick of the normal “I’m the perfect… -
Follr Releases New Digital Identity Management Platform
15 Mar 2012 | 4:00 amCompletely redesigned software product replaces Follr Digital Identity Websites administration system and rolls out significant feature enhancements. Emeryville, CA (March 14th, 2012) Follr, Inc., today announced the release of a new version of their digital identity management product, a free Web based SaaS (Software as a Service) platform. The announcement follows a record increase in registrations, up 78% in February versus January and initial first quarter registrations up 51% versus the fourth quarter 2011. The enhanced platform is available across all three company products; Follr Solo,… -
Follr Releases Free Digital Identity Management Community Platform
14 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amSoftware product extends use of Follr Digital Identity Websites to communities, associations, professional bodies, membership groups and societies. Emeryville, CA (February 13th, 2012) Follr, Inc., today announced the release of “Follr Community”, a free Web based SaaS (Software as a Service) product aimed at helping communities, associations, professional bodies, membership groups and societies to help them better serve participants, grow member base and generate revenue. The announcement follows the recent release of Follr Business, which alongside Follr Solo, makes this the company’s…
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Convince and Convert Blog: Social Media Strategy and Social Media Consulting
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6 Great Conferences to Attend Before the End of 2012
15 May 2012 | 6:00 amAmy Schmittauer is the Founder & Face of Savvy Sexy Social. She is a “social media frenzy” working in social relations consulting, blogging, and, of course, vlogging about life on her YouTube channel. Connect with her on Twitter. If there’s anything I’ve learned throughout this crazy ride of working in digital marketing, it’s that reading all the blog posts ever written, staying up-to-date on all the latest news, and watching all the how-to YouTube videos you can find is still not enough. There’s no doubt that all the information you need to learn about… -
6 Reasons to Make Your Big Idea Small
12 May 2012 | 1:20 pmBrad Van Orden is the most interesting man in the world. It’s not the Dos Equis guy, it’s Brad. Sheena Navigates the Market in Nebaj, Guatemala A former product engineer for WL Gore & Associates, Brad is an expert telemark skier, mountain biker, mechanic, cook, humorist, and explorer. I got to know Brad and his wife Sheena when I lived in Flagstaff, AZ (where they’re from). I met Brad and helped him with some Web strategy when he took an interest in sustainable energy (as a hobby) and taught himself C++ and a bunch of other programming languages to build a company called… -
Social Pros 15 – Marcus Sheridan, The Sales Lion
10 May 2012 | 9:05 amThis is Episode 15 of the Social Pros Podcast : Real People Doing Real Work in Social Media. This episode features Marcus Sheridan of The Sales Lion. Read on for insights from Marcus, and our Social Media Stat of the Week (this week: email opens on smartphones and tablets have grown by 82% in the last year). Listen Now Click the play button to listen here: Download the audio file: http://socialpros.podbean.com/mf/web/ic763t/SocialProsEpisode15.mp3 The RSS feed is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/socialprospodcast Find us on iTunes:… -
The Rise of the T-Shaped Agency Model
9 May 2012 | 3:00 amDaniel Lemin is Strategy & Analytics Lead at Convince & Convert. He also runs the consulting firm Social Studio where he provides analytics, PR and integrated marketing strategy to his clients. Agency owners, take note: your traditional team structure – the one that divides your agency into “digital”, “account management” and “creative,” among others – may be restraining capacity to innovate and expand your client capabilities. We work with a lot of agencies and have come to recognize the challenges that leaders are facing in… -
The Five Reasons Why Most Facebook Brand Pages Aren’t True Communities
8 May 2012 | 3:00 amJessica Malnik is a PR/marketing coordinator, social media specialist, videographer and an avid blogger. Visit her blog for social media, technology, public relations and marketing ramblings. What are the defining characteristics of a community? It’s a topic I’ve been pondering more and more lately. Is it about geography, common interests, socio-economic similarities, or similar viewpoints? The list goes on and on. To get to this point, it becomes necessary to define what a community is. According to dictionary.com, a community is…
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Direct Marketing Observations
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How Do We Get Duped By SEO [Infographic]
14 May 2012 | 8:54 amIt all starts with a title. The better the title, the stickier the title, the more likely you’ll suck us in. -
How Digital is Changing the Consumer Experience
2 May 2012 | 2:02 pmLet me give you a few real world examples that happen every day. You’re at a stop light for all of 30 seconds and you start to get antsy because the light hasn’t changed. You are going to make a right on red and there is someone in front of you who does not turn right away, and you lay on the horn. You’re in line at the store waiting to check out and it’s taking forever. Forever being about 3-4 minutes. Why are we so impatient? Maybe these examples will help. You’re surfing the web and a page doesn’t load quick enough so you try another website. You want to buy a product… -
Social Media and The Olympics
20 Apr 2012 | 1:44 pmTwo things for you to check out. First check out the infographic below and second, check out this link: http://hub.olympic.org/ -
A Need to Redefine Brand Lift
13 Apr 2012 | 6:22 amAccording to a recent survey published by eMarketer, four in five North American brand marketers considered brand lift to be the most important metric for evaluating the success of their online branding efforts. But is brand lift the right metric at all? Vizu which partnered with DIGIDAY on the survey defines brand lift as the following: Brand Lift is defined as the percentage increase in the primary marketing objective of a brand advertising campaign But does that definition correlate to digital correctly? Should it? Marketers consider it to be the one worthy metric. Given its pure… -
On Social Media Tools, Noise, and Experience
12 Apr 2012 | 8:00 amI was driving through the Florida Everglades last week when I thought, “How in the hell does someone survive and get around out here in this vast expanse of nothingness?” Which made me immediately draw a relation to the water that surrounds the glades being the internet so to speak, and the wispy reeds of sea grass or whatever the hell it is, being your customers or users of the internet. I then thought, “There’s a lot of noise out there now, was it, or is it now because of social media? Did social media create the noise?” Is social responsible for this?
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Social Networking for Newbies
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Is the LinkedIn premium service worth it?
24 Apr 2012 | 10:33 pmLet me start by offering an analogy. Premium vs. regular gasoline (petrol.) Fact is that some vehicles really benefit from the Premium grade gasoline. However for many others, it is a waste of money. So as far as the premium LinkedIn service, it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish. The premium version offers more options than the free version but the fact of the matter is that most people fail to fully utilize the free version and therefore waste their money on the premium. In my opinion the premium version works when you need to have specific searches that only the premium… -
Should we connect with strangers on LinkedIn?
20 Apr 2012 | 8:01 amI recently wrote this article on the topic. I’m curious if you would vote differently after reading it. Please vote and comment. -
How to change your LinkedIn Group’s name
18 Apr 2012 | 2:46 pmPlease watch the video below if you need to change your Group’s name. One caveat: you are limited to making five changes in the group description. So plan accordingly. -
Which of these three things are you doing with your LinkedIn recommendation?
11 Apr 2012 | 8:15 pmReceiving a LinkedIn recommendation is exciting! However unless you take some steps, it will remain hidden from the world. This video shows you the three things you can do with a LinkedIn recommendation- including how to make it visible for the rest of the world to see. -
Who has viewed my LinkedIn profile?
9 Apr 2012 | 7:03 pmOne of my clients recently sent me the following question: Is a person notified each time I view their profile? I often look to see who has viewed mine and wonder each time I view a profile if it’s relayed to that person. The info is not relayed to the person but they can see in their home page. The free version allows you to see the last five people who viewed your profile. The paid version allows you to see most of the folks who have seen your profile. The only ones you can’t see are those that are surfing LinkedIn anonymously. An effective LinkedIn profile will encourage…
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Social Media Bird Brain
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To Mobile or Not To Mobile, Part 3
9 May 2012 | 10:56 pmImage from whatsyourdigitaliq.com We've looked at what's involved with evolving your social communication by making your website either Mobile Friendly or Mobile Optimized in Parts 1 and 2 of this blog post. Now let's see if evolution is imminently required or can be put off for a while. Smartphone Adoption Rates Remember that Google/Ipsos report from Part I? Smartphones have penetrated the -
To Mobile or Not to Mobile? Part 2
30 Apr 2012 | 7:10 pmImage from whatsyourdigitaliq.com So let's pick up where we left off last time, looking at what's involved in either creating a separate mobile website or redesigning your site to be mobile-friendly or optimized for mobile. Separate Mobile Site One of the reasons a separate mobile site can be problematic is that most non-mobile optimized sites have a lot of content. When you have a lot of -
Facebook Profile Image Change
25 Apr 2012 | 2:22 pmFacebook is changing the size of profile pictures from 120x120 to 160x160 pixels. If you incorporate your profile pic as part of your Timeline Cover photo, this can affect your layout: Image via digitalwizdom This guy's head might be placed differently at 160px and look a leeettle strange... If your profile pic and timeline cover aren't integrated, then don't worry about it. That is all. -
The Continuing Saga of: "To Mobile or Not to Mobile" Pt. 1
20 Apr 2012 | 5:20 pmimage via what's your digital IQ Adoption of Smart Phones is rapid. People in my age group are probably some of the last hold-outs, but most of us will likely adopt them, because it will make sense. If I didn't work from home, I imagine I would already have one. So is it time for your small nonprofit to get a mobile website? I'm afraid that - for me - the answer is once again yes and no. -
Mining Newsletters for Fun and Nonprofit
11 Apr 2012 | 12:00 amImage from History of Pala Mining If you're like me, you are getting a boatload of e-letters in your inbox. Half the time, I scan their headlines for anything that seems worthwhile, and if I don't see it - BANG - into the round file. I don't do this with everything, of course. Some groups have given me so much good content in the past, that even if the preview pane doesn't look promising, I'll
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Marketing Conversation
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The Unique Marketing Qualities of Social Media
10 May 2012 | 4:38 pmThe controversial though common aphorism that “corporations are people” applies well to the social media landscape, where entrepreneurial individuals are branding themselves just as readily as a transnational company. Social media is at its heart a communal arrangement where online entities are judged more for their transparency than they are their content. This bodes well [...] The controversial though common aphorism that “corporations are people” applies well to the social media landscape, where entrepreneurial individuals are branding themselves just as readily as a transnational… -
Mastering The Two-Way Nature Of Social Media Marketing
30 Apr 2012 | 6:47 pmWhen describing the difference between social media marketing and traditional techniques, experts will often focus on the interactive nature that the former offers. With social media, consumers can promote a brand by discussing it and by posting on a product page. Businesses and consumers can communicate back and forth as peers, even within the confines [...] When describing the difference between social media marketing and traditional techniques, experts will often focus on the interactive nature that the former offers. With social media, consumers can promote a brand by discussing it and by… -
The U.S. Census: Then & Now
11 Apr 2012 | 3:19 pmVia: Home Insurance Guide Via: Home Insurance Guide -
How to use Google+ for business extended video tutorial
9 Apr 2012 | 8:40 amI really felt like I needed to rush it through my recent free 30-minute How to Use Google+ for Business webinar, and that made me sad. There is so much ground to cover. So I sat down and used my trusty copy of Camtasia to record just about everything I know in this 80 minutes [...] I really felt like I needed to rush it through my recent free 30-minute How to Use Google+ for Business webinar, and that made me sad. There is so much ground to cover. So I sat down and used my trusty copy of Camtasia to record just about everything I know in this 80 minutes of (obviously unscripted) tutorial on… -
Forget the Bear, Outrun Your Competition
6 Apr 2012 | 7:00 amThe best thing about social media marketing is that you don’t have to be the most popular, have the most followers, or be the most sophisticated, you just have to do a better job than all your direct competitors. You don’t have to be the fastest, the biggest, or the strongest in order to win [...] Image via Wikipedia The best thing about social media marketing is that you don’t have to be the most popular, have the most followers, or be the most sophisticated, you just have to do a better job than all your direct competitors. You don’t have to be the fastest, the…
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Smashing Magazine Feed
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Zocial Button Set: 72 CSS3 Buttons
15 May 2012 | 5:39 amThe idea behind this project was to produce a consistent set of buttons that could be used for the range of social actions frequently taken in Web applications. These actions are often important goals for users, such as connecting third-party accounts or sharing content to third-party platforms, so their appearance has to be attractive and clear. The standard buttons provided by third parties (such as Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud) vary in size, style and interactivity. A consistent button set could reduce a lot of that visual noise and inconsistency. Furthermore, having it in… -
Smashing Daily #1: Mobile Device Lab, Browsers and Animated GIFs
15 May 2012 | 2:24 amEditor’s Note: This post is the first in the new Smashing Daily series on Smashing Magazine, where we highlight items to help you stay on the top of what’s going on in the industry. Vasilis van Gemert will carefully pick the most interesting discussions, tools, techniques and articles that were published recently and present them in a nice compact overview. Vasilis goes through dozens of RSS feeds and hundreds of tweets so that you don’t have to. Do you find the new series interesting? What would you like to have? And what wouldn’t you like to see? Let us… -
The Font Wars: A Story On Rivalry Between Type Foundries
14 May 2012 | 7:09 amI had thought terms like “intellectual property” and “intellectual theft” were of fairly recent provenance, so my eye was caught by the latter’s use in a headline of a 1930 edition of the US trade journal The American Printer. The article it headed proved to be equally intriguing, a response by the president of American Type Founders (ATF) to a June 1929 article in the German journal Gebrauchsgraphik by the designer Rudolf Koch, calling the ATF a “highway robber of German intellectual property.” At issue was a typeface marketed by the ATF earlier in 1929 called… -
Taming The Wild Mind
11 May 2012 | 8:32 amMyths have developed around and researchers have studied how the human brain juggles creativity and organization. Popular theory tells us that the left brain is structured and logical, while the right brain is artistic and imaginative, and that all human beings use predominantly one side of the other. Working in a creative field means challenging that theory, or else challenging the schedules and deadlines that managers impose on writers, designers and other creatives. As a project manager in a UX design agency, as well as a writer, I believe it is necessary to challenge both the… -
Interaction Design In The Cloud
10 May 2012 | 6:05 amInteraction designers create wireframes in tools such as Adobe Illustrator, OmniGraffle and Microsoft Visio. Originally, these wireframes were primitive shapes drawn to represent various UI elements. Many of us cannot imagine life without them. There are, however, reasons to consider moving to the cloud to do interaction design. In short, today’s cloud-based tools are: Optimized for collaboration, Editable anywhere, Interactive, Published in real time, Self-maintaing (the user doesn’t need to update software), Payable monthly, Emailing your old static designs will feel old…
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Netvibes Blog
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Add Instagram & Photostreams To Your Netvibes Dashboard
3 May 2012 | 9:08 amNowadays a lot of social networks revolve around sharing pictures, like Flickr or Instagram for instance. A couple of weeks ago, we brought the whole Netvibes experience to our iPad users in a move towards a unified experience. Now seems like a good time to demonstrate the power of our dashboards with one simple visual example. And what better way to do so than with adding an Instagram photostream in Netvibes? It’s easy! Create: Add Content > Add a Feed Paste: http://instagr.am/tags/[any tag]/feed/recent.rss Edit: Change [any tag] into whatever tag you want to search for Voila! -
A New Netvibes for iPad: Towards a Unified User Experience
17 Apr 2012 | 7:27 amUntil now, iPad users were automatically redirected to the mobile version of Netvibes — which works great on any mobile device. But we wanted to go a step further to offer a version specifically designed for the iPad, optimized with a smooth touch experience and even more features. Grab your iPad, log on to www.netvibes.com and see for yourself. We made a lot of code & cosmetic improvements to allow our iPad users to enjoy the full power of our dashboards: Drag & drop apps or tabs easily with the touch of your finger Personalize your dashboard design and layouts, just like on your… -
Netvibes Insights – Financial Services: The New Social Ticker
3 Apr 2012 | 5:31 amUpdate: the full Insights video is now online, watch it for free! This Thursday, join us for Financial Services: The New Social Ticker. We will explore how both institutional and retail financial services can accelerate their product innovation processes by identifying opportunities in social media, emerging regulations and collaborative knowledge sharing. Examples include: State Street, Fidelity, Hartford Life, Metlife, AXA, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, HSBC. When? April 5th 2012 US time: 10am PT, 1pm ET EU time: 10am CET (Paris time) Every month, Netvibes Insights takes you behind the scenes… -
Listen & Learn from Twitter, Facebook & Forums with our new 3-in-1 Social Search App
30 Mar 2012 | 1:36 amWouldn’t it be great if you could keep an eye on social chatter and discussion boards in real-time, all in one app? Now you can with our new 3-in-1 Social Search app. It combines 3 indispensable social monitoring tools together: Facebook Twitter BoardReader Social Search lets you search for any topic across all 3 services and delivers results to you in one merged stream, all in real-time. Just type a keyword, click and go. It’s easy. What’s more: See search streams immediately in any view, including SmartReader or Netvibes Mobile Mark search results as read or not read,… -
Netvibes Premium 1.3: New Visual Reporting and Exporting
13 Mar 2012 | 8:22 amEver wish you could save time and automate reports to your team or clients? Want to quickly export social analytics from Netvibes Premium to your spreadsheet or presentation? Now it’s easy with our new visual reporting and exporting features for Netvibes Premium. Now you can get automated, custom designed reports sent to your team, clients or yourself – including your latest social analytics charts. Here’s how: Add everything you want reported to a New Tab (RSS, social apps and SmartFilters). Go to NPD Manager > Reports and select the New Tab to be reported, insert…
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Daily Blog Tips
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Burn the Bridges
16 May 2012 | 6:37 amFirst of all keep in mind I don’t support or see as a positive thing the massacres that happened in Central and South America when Spain, Portugal and other European nations started colonizing the continent. Quite the opposite. That being said we can still learn from their strategic and military choices, and that is what this post is about. Hernán Cortés was the Spanish general who was responsible for the fall of the Aztec Empire and sub-sequent colonization of the Americas by Spain. His military technology was far superior, but the Aztec outnumbered his men, and they were fighting… -
The Verge Slams Internet Marketing Gurus
14 May 2012 | 9:17 pmIf you still haven’t seen the piece on The Verge where they slam some Internet marketing gurus pretty hard, well, grab some popcorn and visit the link below, cause you are in for a treat (whether you agree with the opinions of the article or not). The post is titled Scamworld: ‘Get rich quick’ schemes mutate into an online monster, and it runs for thousands of words with a very comprehensive view on the matter. Just to give you an idea on how they didn’t hold any punches: there are pictures and videos of some pretty famous Internet marketers (e.g., Frank Kern and Mike… -
How to Structure Your Posts (and Why You Need To)
14 May 2012 | 4:30 amDo your posts seem to be a loose collection of ideas, in no particular order? When I’m coaching bloggers, one common problem that comes up is a lack of structure. During the drafting process, many writers simply sit down and type whatever comes into their head. That’s fine for a warm-up … but it’s not a very efficient way to create a blog post. Think of structure as the underlying framework for your posts. With a strong frame in place, your post won’t sag in the middle or have bits falling off at the edges: it’ll be easy for you to create, and easy for your readers to take in. -
Make Money On YouTube with Affiliate Marketing
11 May 2012 | 7:52 amA couple of weeks ago I published a post explaining the basic process you need to go through if you want to become a YouTube partner, which allows you to display ads and monetize your uploaded videos. My buddy John Chow followed that post up with an explanation of his approach to YouTube monetization, which is quite different. In his post titled How to Make Money on YouTube John explains that in addition to the money he makes from the ad impressions on the video he also earns by placing affiliate links in the description of the videos. In fact he mentions that the affiliate links earn much… -
First Impressions on Websites Can Be Misleading
9 May 2012 | 7:02 pmOne thing that makes online marketing particularly complex (and interesting) is the fact that you can never be sure about what’s going on behind the scenes of a certain website. That is, you can’t know how many visitors the site has, how much it makes per month and so on. In fact sometimes the first impression you’ll get can be quite misleading, and here are some examples: Number of Comments Until a couple of years ago the average number of comments a blog would get per post was a good indicator of its traffic. Today, however, I don’t think this rule holds true. For…
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Blogging Tips
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05 WordPress Plugins for Social Media Promotions
16 May 2012 | 11:00 amThe use of plugins is the best thing I like about WordPress. The WordPress plugins are easy to install and they really enrich the usability and scalability of any self-hosted WordPress blog/website.This post will list some of the best WordPress plugins for social media promotions. In a previous post, Zac also lists few social media centered WordPress plugins as part of the BloggingTips.com Complete Guide to Blogging series. Consider my list as an extension of Zac’s list.Here we go:05 WordPress Plugins for Social Media Promotions(1) Sexy BookmarksIf you want massive social media exposure and… -
Finding Blog Success, then Rinse and Repeat
16 May 2012 | 8:45 amNow that you’ve followed along this entire series of articles from Blogging Tips, you are in a great position to launch and run a fantastic blog of your own. You’ve learned how to register your domain, set up WordPress, customize your blog, outsource your work, and market your blog through social media, among several other lessons.So, what is the next logical step?If It Works Once, It’ll Work AgainWho says you have to stop now? If you walked through all the steps outlined in this series of articles, then you are in a great position to have a well-oiled machine. Your blog… -
30 Awesome Single Page WordPress Themes
15 May 2012 | 1:00 pmSometimes all you want or need is simplicity. Nothing says simple like a single page portfolio or blog on WordPress. The following 30 designs are just that, single page WordPress themes for the blogger, artist, or business who just want to keep it simple. Some of these themes accomplish their single page design through sliders, others through auto-scrolling, and still others by pure minimalism. No matter how it’s accomplished though a single page theme stands out from the crowd and can give your website a truly unique look and feel. Let us know if you like the themes in this roundup and… -
Write Better, Blog Better: 3 Essential Writing Tips for Bloggers
15 May 2012 | 12:55 pmWhile web traffic and search engine optimization tips are absolutely useful for a blogger hoping to gain in popularity throughout the web, there are many basic elements of blogging and writing that can also help significantly with this pursuit. Oftentimes, it seems that bloggers today get so caught up in SEO, traffic, and social media marketing that they forget about the writing element of blogging. After all, the cruxes of blogging are the posts that you write. If you want to be a truly successful blogger (a challenging feat at that), you have to consider important things like SEO, web… -
Building a Product or Service Off Your Blog
15 May 2012 | 9:31 amAs your blog continues to grow and mature, you’ll likely start looking for other ways that you can expand this online business. After all, your blog is a legitimate business, even if it may have started out as a personal interest or hobby. When you’ve built up an audience and developed a sizable mailing list, it’s time to capitalize on that reach by building a product or service off your blog.Release an E-Book or Digital ProductYou might remember an earlier article in this series where we talked about writing an e-book to accompany your blog. There are two main ways that you…
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WordPress News
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Calling All Contributors: Community Summit 2012
15 May 2012 | 3:36 pmEach year, the WordPress core development team meets in person for a week to work together and discuss the vision for WordPress in the coming year. As annual events go, it’s easily my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, I love attending WordCamps and local WordPress meetups (which are awesome and you should try to attend if you are able), but at the core team meetup, the focus on working together and getting things done is unique, as is the experience of every person in the room being so highly qualified. This year, instead of just planning a core team meetup, I’m aiming a little… -
WordPress 3.4 Beta 4
2 May 2012 | 7:52 pmLess bugs, more polish, the same beta disclaimers. Download, test, report bugs. Thanks much. /ryan #thewholebrevitything -
WordPress 3.3.2 (and WordPress 3.4 Beta 3)
20 Apr 2012 | 8:10 amWordPress 3.3.2 is available now and is a security update for all previous versions. Three external libraries included in WordPress received security updates: Plupload (version 1.5.4), which WordPress uses for uploading media. SWFUpload, which WordPress previously used for uploading media, and may still be in use by plugins. SWFObject, which WordPress previously used to embed Flash content, and may still be in use by plugins and themes. Thanks to Neal Poole and Nathan Partlan for responsibly disclosing the bugs in Plupload and SWFUpload, and Szymon Gruszecki for a separate bug in SWFUpload. -
WordPress 3.4 Beta 2
11 Apr 2012 | 8:52 pmHowdy, folks! Another week, another beta. Since we released Beta 1 last week, we’ve committed more than 60 bug fixes and feature adjustments based on testing and feedback. If you’ve been testing Beta 1, please update to Beta 2 to make sure things are still working for you. If you are a theme or plugin author and have not yet started testing your code against the 3.4 beta, now’s the perfect time to start. And as always, if you find any bugs, let us know! Full details on testing and bug reporting can be found in last week’s Beta 1 post. Download WordPress 3.4 Beta 2 -
WordPress 3.4 Beta 1
4 Apr 2012 | 7:07 pmWordPress 3.4 is ready for beta testers! As always, this is software still in development and we don’t recommend that you run it on a production site — set up a test site just to play with the new version. If you break it (find a bug), please report it, and if you’re a developer, try to help us fix it. If all goes well, we hope to release WordPress 3.4 in May. The more help we get with testing and fixing bugs, the sooner we will be able to release the final version. If you want to be a beta tester, you should check out the Codex article on how to report bugs. Here’s some of…
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tins ::: Rick Klau's weblog
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Livestreaming Google+ Hangouts
10 May 2012 | 9:16 amOne of my responsibilities at Google Ventures is to plan the growing number of workshops that we offer to our portfolio companies. In the last several months, we’ve offered workshops on a variety of topics, including SEO, AdWords, latency, technical recruiting and candidate sourcing, A/B testing, and business development. With each new workshop announcement earlier this year, I received several replies from portfolio company employees outside the Bay Area: “What about us?!” It was a fair complaint: as we ramped up the pace of Startup Lab workshops in Mountain View, the unfortunate… -
Adding Bluetooth to my car stereo
11 Mar 2012 | 1:28 pmA few months ago, I flirted with buying a new car. I've driven a Subaru B9 Tribeca for nearly 6 years, and I was attracted to a sedan that would get better mileage. The Tribeca's a fine vehicle, and since my commute has mostly involved driving to transportation (train in Illinois, the Google shuttle in California) instead of driving to work, it has very few miles on it (fewer than 50,000 miles). But I took a few cars for a test drive, and came close to pulling the trigger. In the end, I didn't. A paid-for car is a beautiful thing, even if it doesn't get fantastic gas mileage. In deciding to… -
Taking passwords seriously
17 Jan 2012 | 10:30 amI used to use the same password everywhere. In 1993, I crashed a Clinton inauguration party at a restaurant in DC, and for years my password was a derivative of that restaurant's name. I'd read somewhere that it was a good idea to include numbers in your passwords, so I picked a number and my "standard" password became "restaurant#name". Sometime a few years later, I read that symbols were good too - so the stand-by became "restaurant[number]name[symbol]". Every time I set that as my password, the password strength meters measured off the charts: it used a number and a symbol, wasn't in the… -
New year's resolution: get a job!
4 Jan 2012 | 2:20 pmWelcome to the new year. If your current job isn't thrilling you and you resolved to find a job you love in 2012, be sure to visit the Google Ventures job board. Our growing portfolio of start-ups are hiring - as of this writing, there are 371 jobs waiting to be filled. Whether you're looking for a job in California, Colorado, DC, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Texas, or Washington, there are engineering, HR, bizdev, marketing, sales, design and ops roles that need to be filled. (Not in the US? Our portfolio companies are hiring in Germany, China, Brazil,… -
Businesses who don't trust customers
3 Jan 2012 | 12:37 pmComcastic image from barbariangroup.com. Last month I contemplated something unthinkable (for me): I thought about breaking up with TiVo. I started my relationship with TiVo 11 years ago, with a Sony DirecTiVo box that I still consider among the best consumer electronics purchases I've ever made. Since then, I've gone through several TiVo boxes, as we moved from DirecTV to Comcast, from standard def to HD. So why consider leaving? In short, my wife and I (not to mention our kids) are watching less and less broadcast TV, opting instead for what we can get on demand. Netflix Instant is great…
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GadgeTell
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GadgeTell Review: DecalGirl Skins, protection for your gadgets
16 May 2012 | 11:12 amWhat is being reviewed?Up for review today are a pair of skins from DecalGirl. DecalGirl offers skins for a wide variety of devices including notebooks, tablets, phones, game devices, ereaders and more. In this case, we are getting to check out a matte finish skin for the MacBook Air and a glossy finish skin for the iPad. The DecalGirl skins range in price depending on what you are looking to protect. Just to give an example, the Composition skin (in matte) for the MacBook Air will set you back $24.99 and the Tree of Books skin (in glossy) for the iPad will set you back $19.99.Disclaimer:… -
Macbook Pro update rumors – SSD, Retina Display, Ivy Bridge, USB 3.0
16 May 2012 | 10:01 amRumors and speculation regarding the updates to Apple’s line of Macbook Pro laptops continue to builds up as the inevitable refresh of Apple Macbook line starts getting closer. Some believe that Apple will eliminate the 17 inch model from their line up. Others believe that Apple will consolidate their line entirely blurring the line between the Macbook Air line and the Pro line. A completely redesigned exterior, complete with eliminated ports and a much slimmer case is also making the rumor rounds. Here is a consolidated list of rumors:1. Retina Display: ABC News is reporting that Apple… -
HTC EVO 4G LTE will reportedly miss its scheduled launch on Friday due to U.S Customs delay
16 May 2012 | 9:46 amRecent patent violations of the HTC EVO 4G LTE are causing an ITC review for the device and the HTC One X before it can be sold legally in the United States. The news of the delay was recently announced by HTC a couple of days ago, but now the WSJ is reporting that the EVO 4G LTE will miss its scheduled launch on Friday, May 18. Sprint has yet to officially confirm this information, but seeing as U.S. Customs has the shipment of the EVO 4G LTE on lockdown, I doubt it will sell on time.In addition, the HTC One X for AT&T has recently been plagued by an out of stock notice online. The… -
HTC One S coming to Telus on May 17 for $569.99 sans contract
16 May 2012 | 8:51 amTelus Canada is about to bring in a new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone starting May 17. This is the new HTC One S which shall be up for grabs for as low as $99.99 with a new 3-year contract agreement. If you don’t want to get tied up with a 3-year contract, Telus is also giving you a chance to own this smartphone contract-free, provided that you’re willing to pay $569.99. You can also opt to get the phone with 2-year contract for $469.99 or 1-year contract for $519.99. Is the price of the contract-less deal worth your bucks? You decide with these given features of the… -
Facebook co-founder renounces citizenship to avoid taxes
16 May 2012 | 7:40 amFacebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin has given up his U.S. citizenship and moved to Singapore, all in the name of avoiding taxes. Saverin, who received a share of the social network after a court fight, is expected to receive several billion dollars once Facebook goes public. He was born in Brazil but moved to the U.S. as a child. Now he’s given up that citizenship so he won’t have to pay as much taxes on his fortune.Critics are denouncing his actions calling them shady, ungrateful and reprehensible. How do you feel? Do you think what he did was wrong, or do you have no problem…
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Lifehacker: Gadgets
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Checkbox Syndrome: Why We Spend Money on Things We Don't Need (and How to Avoid It)
15 May 2012 | 4:00 amMore » -
Most Popular Fitness Tracking Appliance: Your Smartphone
8 May 2012 | 2:15 pmMore » -
Five Best Fitness Tracking Appliances
6 May 2012 | 8:00 amMore » -
Best Fitness Tracking Appliance?
3 May 2012 | 4:30 pmMore » -
Top 10 Highly-Desired Skills You Can Teach Yourself
28 Apr 2012 | 8:00 amMore »
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Geek News Central
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Opinion Time: What Do You Think of the New Bing?
16 May 2012 | 9:00 amBing has rolled out their brand new interface, at least to U.S. users, and it has met with mixed reviews. While the new interface feels faster and Microsoft claims gives better results, the social aspects, mainly Facebook results in the right column, are a big change that takes some getting used to and also feel vaguely like a privacy invasion. Paul Thurrott, writing over at WinSupersite, said he had problems getting the service to work and had to try three different browsers before being successful. Using Chrome I had no problems with the new Bing on the first try, but your results may… -
Charge Your Cell Phone With a Virus?
15 May 2012 | 10:07 pmUsually, when you see the words “virus” and “phone” in the same sentence, it indicates that something bad may have happened. This time, though, the virus is one that can actually be helpful. Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have been studying a special virus that can generate electricity. The virus is called M13 bacteriophage. As the name implies, it only “eats” or attacks, bacteria. It is not able to cause harm to humans. It is a genetically engineered virus that can manufacture more of itself when water is added to it. How many more? According to Professor… -
Bing Gains Market Share, Yahoo Loses Again
15 May 2012 | 5:27 pmThe latest search market share numbers have been released and two trends have continued – Bing is up and Yahoo is down. The numbers have been posted by both Compete and ComScore and the trends shown by both are very similar. Unfortunately for Microsoft, while Bing is gaining share on Yahoo, they are not getting anywhere in their battle against Google, who continue to be the 600 pound gorilla in the room. Google, while maintaining their strangle-hold, has not seen an increase since late 2011, but that changed between March and April when their market share increased from 65.5% to… -
GNC-2012-05-14 #765 Final Checkout is Complete
15 May 2012 | 1:06 amCongrats to Michael and his winning of a iPod Nano.. Listed to win in contest #5.. We had a great mothers day weekend with a stay cation where we stayed in Waikiki for a night. Hung out at the p0ol and just relaxed. Sunday afternoon while my wife relaxed. I did a final checkout of the HD Mobile Broadcast Studio and got it ready for my trip to Washington DC next week where I will put it through it’s paces. The portable green screen has not arrived yet so we will be playing that one by ear. In this show I have a great variety of tech news and information to share with your enjoy the… -
The Counting Crows Bring Their Music to BitTorrent
14 May 2012 | 4:31 pmThe popular rock band Counting Crows are going BitTorrent. The band has made four songs off of their latest release available for free download in an effort to attract new fans. The album, titled Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation), was released last month and features15 tracks. In a departure from their past, the Crows have made this CD a collection of all cover songs. The BitTorrent release features not only the audio files, but also liner notes, and artwork from the album. Frontman Adam Duritz, during an interview with Mashable, said “I don’t…
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ZDNet | Social Business Blog RSS
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Facebook IPO: Risk Factors and growth
16 May 2012 | 10:23 amFacebook’s IPO filing with the SEC warns potential investors of the chance that the value of their investment may go down as well as up. This post looks at growth and why you might think twice about investing. -
Twitter reaches 10 million active accounts in the UK
15 May 2012 | 11:14 amTwitter UK is celebrating its first year of operation over here and has announced that it has 10 million active users in the UK who log on each month -
Draw Something rapidly declines in popularity after Zynga acquisition
14 May 2012 | 9:02 amPerhaps Zynga was seduced by the meteoric rise of the over simplistic Draw Something and did not stop to analyse whether the newest addition would have any staying power over its other games. -
Why the FBI should be worried about Bitcoin
11 May 2012 | 8:23 amA leaked document from the FBI shows concern that cyber criminals treat Bitcoin as just another payment option alongside established virtual currencies. With no centralised authority, detecting suspicious activity can be problematic. -
Domino's tracks your pizzas with new Facebook Ordering app
10 May 2012 | 12:16 pmDomino’s has been leading the way with mobile and social initiatives such as the ‘Social Pizza’ application. Now you can use Facebook Ordering to order and track your pizza without ever leaving Facebook
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TechCrunch » Gadgets
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This Won’t End Well: Toyota Connects With Nintendo DS For In-Car Navigation Interface
16 May 2012 | 11:31 amFor some inexplicable reason, Nintendo and Toyota have teamed up to turn the Nintendo DS into a navigational remote control, thereby allowing drivers (although I hope passengers do most of the fiddling) to set their routes using their game consoles. The service, called Kuruma de DS lets you see map and destination info as well as tour information as you drive through town. The service slightly gamifies the experience by adding a POI saving option. The compatible Toyota Smart Navi system costs about $3,000 while the game itself costs $92 – quite a bit of cash to simulate the map screens… -
Review: Samson Carbon 49 USB MIDI Controller
16 May 2012 | 8:39 amIf you are looking for Piano or Rhodes-like feel for serious playing, Samson’s Carbon 49 USB MIDI Controller may not be right for you. However, if you need a keyboard for some light playing or sample triggering, why not keep the expensive Kronos at home and bring the Carbon 49 out for the dangerous outdoor gigs that require expendable equipment? (I have seen many an expensive keyboard dragged end over end behind a golf cart after a show, or dropped or had beer spilled all over it while it was being underutilized at a gig as a mere MIDI controller). Don’t get me wrong, the… -
Ogmento Lets You Shoot Like Jordan Or Fire Like A Tank Commander Thanks To Augmented Reality
15 May 2012 | 1:09 pmOgmento is a gaming company dedicated to the creation of high-quality augmented reality games. Although AR games aren’t that rare – the 3DS does a few quite well and there are a number available on mobile phones – Ogmento is focusing on higher-end experiences. The demo above shows how they’re able to track targets in real time and, with a few button presses, have a tank fire into a crowd of luminaries including Will Wright and Bruce Sterling. The company currently sells an AR game called NBA: King of the Court. The tank game, above, is a prototype. The company is using… -
Yer A Wizard, Reader: Kickstarter Game Uses A Real “Magic” Wand
15 May 2012 | 12:43 pmIf you’ve ever wanted to swing a magic wand around and make things happen (besides encouraging the cool kids to give you a swirly, that is), here’s your chance. A new game on Kickstarter called Incantor promises some real-live olde timey majicke fun for your iPhone. Built by a Rhode Island company, Movable Code, the game will allow you to cast spells and plan tactics by waving your wand around. The wand is actually a motion control device with haptic feedback and you can “shape” spells in the air to cast them. You can also use the wand to lock onto targets on the… -
Ask Forgiveness, Not Permission: Why Dish “Ad-Skipping” Tech Irks TV Execs
15 May 2012 | 10:32 amWhen Dish announced their new ad-skipping tech, response was fairly muted. Sure it was some cool technology – the experience is seamless in that you notice maybe the first second of a commercial and then a little notification pops you over the commercials entirely – but TV execs are reportedly upset by Dish’s unilateral decision. Fox’s Peter Rice said it was “a strange thing to do” and NBC is still evaluating it. However, what is really interesting is that Dish decided to go ahead with the service at all. The system works because Dish is currently recording…
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Techie Buzz
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Block Unblocked Websites in FlashBlock Extension for Chrome
16 May 2012 | 9:28 amI don’t hate Flash like Steve Jobs, but it does slow the browsing experience at times and can get annoying. There are several extensions and tools which allow you to block Flash in browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox but most of the times Flash blocking extensions are heavy on memory usage and can slow down the browser. This is why I prefer to use a lightweight and versatile extension called FlashBlock for Google Chrome, which does the job very well without using up lot of memory.One of the problems I have faced with this extension though is the lack of support for… -
5 Free and Useful Law-Related iPhone Apps
16 May 2012 | 5:00 amThe best thing about mobile gadgets is that, with them, you can obtain all necessary data even when you are far away from your PC. Looking back just five years ago, all you could apply to your phone was a set of useful apps limited to a weather forecast tool, email, and an instant messenger client. By contrast, up-to-date iPhones and iPads offer their users a fully organized virtual workplace with the ability to fulfill any tasks they wish. It can be difficult to describe all of the ways in which these Smartphones and tablets are handy whenever one needs to find any sort of information via… -
The Latest Firefox Beta for Android is Beyond Impressive!
16 May 2012 | 12:31 amMozilla had been attempting to create a perfect mobile browser for Android for too long now. Its Firefox for Android has always been sloppy with a laggy user interface and bugs all over it. For this reason, I have always preferred Opera Mobile on my Android phone, though, the latest Firefox beta for Android is set to change this. It is snappier, extremely responsive and it will blow your mind. It is a vast improvement over the default featureless Android browser and finally, it looks like Firefox is geared up to compete with leading Android browsers like Opera Mini, Chrome and Dolphin HD.This… -
Tim Cook Meets with Speaker of the House John Boehner
15 May 2012 | 11:53 pmApple’s CEO Tim Cook today met with the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner. The reason for the meeting is still uknown, but it is possible that Cook was lobbying Boehner to pass a tax holiday that would allow Apple and other companies with large overseas tax holdings to bring back their earnings at a lower corporate tax rate.The picture shows the official Speaker of the House and Cook having a conversation with form attire in Washington, D.C. The photo came with no details and it is unknown what the two were discussing.Boehner is an outspoken opponent of a… -
Aaron Sorkin To Script “Steve Jobs”
15 May 2012 | 11:29 pmLast year, we reported that Aaron Sorkin has been approached by Sony to write a movie about Steve Jobs. Today, Sony Pictures has announced that Aaron Sorkin will indeed serve as the screenwriter for the studio’s upcoming film adaptation of Walter Isaacson’s authorized biography of Steve Jobs.Sorkin is well know for his work on The West Wing, The Social Network, Moneyball, and A Few Good Men. The cast for the film has not been determined yet, but rumors have suggested that George Clooney and Noah Wyle may be the top choices for the role of Jobs. Wyle is famous for portraying…
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Spot Cool Stuff: Tech
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Canon EOS 5D Mark III vs Mark II
10 May 2012 | 11:57 amFor years now, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II has been a favorite mid-range digital SLR among serious photographers. The workhorse of a camera took professional-quality images and offered a huge feature set—and did so for a relatively low price. Then, two things happened: First, Canon came out with an updated version of the Mark II—the EOS 5D Mark III. Second, Canon reduced the price of the Mark II by $500. Both the 5D Mark II and 5D Mark III are, inarguably, excellent full-feature SLR cameras. But now that there’s a serious 5D choice, which of the two is the better option for you? Spot… -
Take a Google Street View Tour of the Amazon
10 May 2012 | 11:47 amYou might think of Google Street View as that feature of Google Maps that let’s you look at ground level photographs of your childhood home, a new restaurant you are trying to locate or some other street-side destination. But for several years now, Google has been expanding Street View to all sorts of locations that, well, don’t have any streets. You can use Street View to climb up the Swiss Alps, trek in Antarctica or tour some of the world’s greatest art museums. And, now, you can also use Google Street View to explore along the Amazon River. Read the rest on our cool… -
The Samsung Galaxy Note: Phone or Tablet?
28 Apr 2012 | 12:50 pmIs it a tablet? Or is it a phone? That’s the tagline on billboards advertising the new Samsung Galaxy Note. When the company selling a product expresses uncertainly about what exactly their product is, you know you are dealing with something different. Indeed, the Samsung Note really is something different—a new hybrid product that’s both an oversized phone and an undersized tablet. The phonelet weighs 6.3 ounces (178 grams) and has a 5.3-inch display—more than the largest smartphone and less than the smallest tablet. The Android operating system, powered by 1.4GHz dual-core… -
Scam or Deal? SatelliteDirect TV On Your Computer
13 Apr 2012 | 11:05 amIt’s becoming increasingly easy to ditch your monthly cable or satellite bill and watch television over the internet instead. Several networks stream their television shows directly on their own websites. In addition, you can watch television through services like Cracked and Hulu, and stream movies on a computer, smart TV or portable media player via Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. Of course, none of those offer an array of live television channels over the internet. But there is a software product that claims to: SatelliteDirect. But does the service really deliver 3,500 channels of… -
Face Wash Is Now an Appcessory
5 Apr 2012 | 9:06 amSpot Cool Stuff wakes up cranky. We are not morning people.† This is why we depend upon caffeine. And why we are fans of Chief’s Energizing Face Wash for men. Dabbing it onto your skin, then splashing water onto your face, it’s hard to not feel like you’re in a York Peppermint Patty commercial. Indeed, there’s a fair amount of peppermint in Chief’s Face Wash. There’s eucalyptus too. And ginseng and menthol and a hint of rosemary. Altogether, it wallops you with a refreshing minty morning pick-me-up. So what’s a review of a face wash doing on a…
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tech2all.com
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An Easy Guide to How In-Car GPS Navigation Works
4 May 2012 | 2:20 amBut do you know how GPS actually works in getting you from A to B? Read our simple guide to satellite navigation so you have all the answers at hand the next time someone asks “how does that work?” -
Galaxy Ace Plus is a Great Budget Smartphone
25 Apr 2012 | 2:33 amThere are plenty of features and awesome specifications in the newly released Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus S7500. Now this Smartphone is available in India also which indicates that the company, Samsung Electronics has had a customer-centric approach, targeting towards the middle class society. This phone has obviously got the excellent Android platform and comes packed with 3G facility. -
Criticisms of the Internet (That Are Older Than The Internet)
20 Apr 2012 | 12:39 amThe internet is getting its fair share of bad press these days. We take a look at some of the most popular criticisms and see if there is any basis behind the bashing. -
A Breakdown of the Important Data Categories in Employee Monitoring Software
15 Apr 2012 | 8:58 amAs we have been shown a hundred times already in spying software advertisements, computer monitoring software are used to observe and see the minute changes done to a PC unit by a user for a specific period of time. In a corporate setting, this relates to actively monitoring your employees to see if they are actually doing their jobs correctly. -
History of Headphones (1919-2012) [Infographic]
10 Apr 2012 | 1:53 amDid you know that in the first years of creation, a headphones weighed up to 3 pounds? A headphone is now an everyday part of our digital life.
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twitter - Google News
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Bahrain seeks arrest of 20 over homemade bombs - Chicago Tribune
16 May 2012 | 12:13 pmBahrain seeks arrest of 20 over homemade bombsChicago TribuneIn another sign of a crackdown on dissent, well known activist Nabeel Rajab appeared in court charged with using the online messaging service Twitter to insult authorities, his lawyer said. Related Bahrain seeks arrest of 20 over homemade bombs Riot and more » -
Patent Infringement In 140 Characters Or Less: The Twitter Way. - Forbes
16 May 2012 | 11:50 amPatent Infringement In 140 Characters Or Less: The Twitter Way.ForbesThe folks at Twitter think that if you can't say it in a short phrase, it ain't worth saying. It works. Millions of users worldwide can't be wrong. If Twitter could play a role in the revolutionary Arab Spring, why not in the complex universe we call and more » -
Forget Twitter's (useless) weekly digest, check out News.me - CNET (blog)
16 May 2012 | 11:35 amFirstpostForget Twitter's (useless) weekly digest, check out News.meCNET (blog)For most, Twitter's weekly digest will be nothing more than a redundant summary of week-old events. Unsubscribe from the service and check out better options like News.me instead. by Sharon Vaknin May 16, 2012 11:16 AM PDT Follow @sharonvak Twitter Twitter Rolling Out New Email Digest FeaturePC MagazineTwitter's Weekly E-Mail Digest to Feature Popular Tweets, Trending StoriesPCWorld (blog)Twitter announces email digest featureLos Angeles TimesComputerworld -Firstpost -Hindustan Timesall 89… -
Bing's Social Search: A Hands-On Tour - PCWorld (blog)
16 May 2012 | 9:29 amBrisbane TimesBing's Social Search: A Hands-On TourPCWorld (blog)By Jared Newman, PCWorld May 16, 2012 9:27 AM A new Bing sidebar, rolling out to all users now, suggests Facebook friends who might know about a given topic, and shows activity from high-profile people on other social networks such as Twitter.Bing To Duel Google with Facebook-Friendly FormatNewsFactor NetworkMicrosoft Gives Bing a MakeoverMarketWatchall 188 news articles » -
You Can't Use Twitter to Predict Election Results - The Atlantic
16 May 2012 | 7:51 amThe AtlanticYou Can't Use Twitter to Predict Election ResultsThe AtlanticBy Alexander Furnas Twitter may provide useful clues for detecting a spike in influenza, but its users are too different from the population at large for counting votes before they're cast. President Barack Obama on his Blackberry, no doubt thinking and more »
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Twitter Backgrounds Gallery: Daily Features
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@SamsungMobileUS
3 May 2012 | 9:43 amThe Official Samsung Mobile USA channel. Do you have questions about our US phones? Go here – http://bit.ly/ELanO or reach out to @SamsungSupport for help! -
@justinbieber
3 May 2012 | 9:42 amBOYFRIEND on ITUNES NOW! – I GOT SO MUCH LOVE FOR THE FANS…you are always there for me and I will always be there for you. MUCH LOVE. thanks -
@HopkinsCreative
3 May 2012 | 9:41 amDesigner, illustrator and exuberant lover of the Chipotle burrito. -
@dooce
3 May 2012 | 9:39 amMommyblogger, tyrant, snugglebunny -
@geekgirlworld
1 May 2012 | 6:08 amGeeky Girls and Girly Geeks in one place!
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Twitdom
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TwitBrain
16 May 2012 | 4:14 amTwitBrain is a Twitter based game which throws up mathematical calculations at you to answer. If you are the first to answer it correctly, you will gain points. The aim is to make it to the leaderboard at TwitBrain! You need to follow@TwitBrain to play the game. Post from Twitdom - Twitter Apps Directory :: TwitBrain Tags: Games, TwitBrain -
twt.fm
15 May 2012 | 4:14 pmtwt.fm allows you to generate a track page for you for a particular song. You need to enter the artists names, track and your Twitter user name. It will redirect you back to your Twitter page to post the link to the song. The short URL created looks like a Twitter page with the exception that it has a link to play the MP3 version of the song. The twt.fm home page: A sample track page: Post from Twitdom - Twitter Apps Directory :: twt.fm Tags: Mashup, music, twt.fm -
Twit2do
15 May 2012 | 4:14 amTwit2do is a simple to-do manager for Twitter. You can login to the Twit2do website to create To-do entries or can send a tweet to @twit2do with the to-do. The website presents all the tweets with options to mark it as completed. To-do lists created using Twit2do are public. Tweets are sent @ replies to Twit2do. Also, visitors to the Twit2do website can browse all to-do lists! Post from Twitdom - Twitter Apps Directory :: Twit2do Tags: Mashup, task management, Twit2do -
TweetParty
14 May 2012 | 4:14 pmTweetParty allows you to create groups on Twitter. Once you have a group created, and have invited friends to join the group, all you need to do is to send a direct message to @tweetparty in the following format: #group <message> The message will be delivered to all the group members. Post from Twitdom - Twitter Apps Directory :: TweetParty Tags: Groups, TweetParty, Web -
TwittAd
14 May 2012 | 4:14 amTwittAd was formed to give Twitter users and advertisers the opportunity to meet for product placement & website promotion on a Twitter user profile. TwittAd gives advertisers templates and ideas to help keep the integrity of Twitter background images. Users can quote a price for a specified period (e.g., 7 days, 1 month, etc.) and if advertisers are interested you will need to set your profile background to what the advertiser providers. You get paid based on your quoted price. Some of the recent enhancements to TwittAd include: Full disclosure on all campaigns; this includes a publisher…
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AllTwitter
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Finding Great Deals On Twitter Is Easy When You Follow @CheapChick
16 May 2012 | 8:00 amLesley Mitchell is one cheap chick. This isn’t an insult, it’s a moniker she wears proudly as the voice behind both the blog and Twitter handle, One Cheap Chick. And if you want to find the latest and greatest deals retailers are offering online, you’ll want to check out both! continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
This Is One Type Of Trending Topic You Don’t Want To See When You Launch A Product
16 May 2012 | 5:00 amThe much-anticipated video game Diablo III was released on Tuesday. But most players haven’t been able to actually play the game yet – and they’re voicing their complaints on Twitter. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
CFO Fired For His Tweets
16 May 2012 | 3:00 amThis is a cautionary tale for any of your “over-sharers” on Twitter or Facebook: A CFO of a major fashion company lost his six- to seven- figure job over company-related tweets. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
U.S. Social Ad Spend To Reach Almost $10 Billion By 2016, Says Report
16 May 2012 | 1:00 amThe overall spend on social advertising is on track to reach $9.8 billion by 2016, says a new forecast from media research firm BIA/Kelsey. $3.8 billion was spent on social advertising in 2011, which indicates overall growth in this space of some 250 percent over the next five years. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
Men, Women Want Different Things On Social Media Than In “Real Life”, Says Study [INFOGRAPHIC]
15 May 2012 | 11:00 pmWhat do women want? Ah, the age-old question. And the answer, of course, is everything. Or is it? Back in March, we took a look at research from NetBase that analysed the things that men and women say that they want according to their posts on social media sites, noting that the study reached an interesting conclusion. Namely, that both genders mostly want the exact same things – ice cream, cars and pizza – albeit in a different order of preference. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
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Brains On Fire Blog
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Stories vs. Slogans
16 May 2012 | 8:55 am<em>Stories live forever. Slogans live until the ad agency gets tired of them. Stories are real. Slogans are made up. Stories pull you in. Slogans push out a message. Stories are deep. Slogans are shallow. Stories are personal. Slogans are impersonal. Stories are passed on by word of mouth. Slogans are forced on us by ads. Stories are part of who we are. After all, you don’t share slogans about your grandfather, how your parents met or even how you were treated at a restaurant. Brains on Fire Book, page 32 The proof is in the pudding story… -
Is All of That ‘Noise’ a Bad Thing?
15 May 2012 | 7:37 amHow many times have you heard talk about the dreaded ‘noise’? The other day a friend of mine lamented about how digital camera prices have dropped to a point where ‘everyone’ is calling themselves a ‘professional photographer’ and its creating so much ‘noise’ in the industry. But it seems to be everywhere – from startups releasing a product, to companies exploring social media, to ‘content strategy,’ to hundreds of people applying for the same job opening. Everyone seems to be asking, “how in the world are we going to… -
Nostalgia, Mad Men and Emotions
14 May 2012 | 6:32 amYours truly at a Brains on Fire Mad Men Christmas party a few years back. I’ve never gotten caught up watching the show, Mad Men. But the other day someone showed me a short clip that got stuck in my heart for many reasons. Take a minute and watch it. Don’t you love that? The definition of nostalgia as a pain of or ache is wonderful. Even happy memories can create that tug. Since we’re in the word of mouth marketing business, we think a lot about the role of emotions in igniting conversation. We know that brands and organizations that evoke strong emotions and storytelling… -
The End User is Not the Only User
10 May 2012 | 6:38 amI am not a product designer. I’m not even a designer. But I noticed something recently that made me think hard about the process of developing products and experiences. My wife and I were eating at a burrito chain where one of the new Coca-Cola “Freestyle” drink machines was installed (1). I’m not a soda drinker, so I didn’t experience it for myself, but I could tell that other restaurant patrons were really enjoying the futuristic interface and the impossibly broad number of drink choices available from one machine. (I read later that the number of available… -
Hello (and some photos) From Chicago
9 May 2012 | 5:50 amWe’re at the WIT. Love the little brilliant details in this hotel, like birds quietly chirping in the halls. I’m in Chicago this week at Womma‘s womm-u with Cordell and Geno. And I’m so glad we all came. Honestly, I wish everyone from Brains on Fire could attend. Yesterday’s keynote speaker Steve Knox is shiny brilliant (he spoke at the FIRE session two years ago and was a huge hit). Every time I get the chance to be in Steve’s company, I take it. And every time I hear him speak, I learn something new. Here are just a couple of things that stuck in my mind:…
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Unbound Edition
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Nielsen: U.S. Consumers App Downloads Up 28% To 41
16 May 2012 | 6:36 amAccording to a new report from Nielsen, mobile consumers are downloading more apps than ever before, with the average number of apps owned by a smartphone user now at 41 — a rise of 28 percent on the 32 apps owned on average last year. -
Transparency: The Key to Collecting and Using Customer Data
16 May 2012 | 6:33 amIf customers suspect you’re using their data in less-than-desirable ways, they may lash out and possibly stop using your product. What’s a data-driven business owner to do? -
Data Points: Online, There Are No Crowds [Infographic]
16 May 2012 | 6:24 amOnline, men are shopping more and at rates higher than before, according to an iProspect study of men with a household income of $100,000 plus. -
For Brands, The Need To Rethink Everything
16 May 2012 | 6:20 amAs the marketplace undergoes a rapid transformation, it’s forcing leading brands to rethink everything—from where and how they compete to what capabilities they will need to thrive in this new world order. The fast-changing world of consumer products is at the confluence of a number of significant trends. -
Strategy, Context, and the Decline of Sony
14 May 2012 | 3:00 amThe strategy address recently delivered by the corporation's new CEO, Kazuo Hirai, earned press coverage that verged on mocking, with The Wall Street Journal noting that the brand's "once-sterling cachet has deteriorated," and The New York Times going further, placing Sony in "a fight for its life," and accusing it of "an astonishing lack of ideas." Both observations are correct, but they only hint at the underlying question: why is the strategy that once served Sony so well now failing so badly?
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BrandSTOKE
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Time for Swiss watches to strengthen their brand?
9 May 2012 | 6:25 amLuxury watches tell more about the wearer than about the time of day. And the best watches, as everyone knows, are made in Switzerland. Just like Scotch whiskey, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Bordeaux wine, “Swiss-made” is a place-of-origin brand. It’s not a Swiss-made watch unless the assembly work and testing of the movement take place in Switzerland. Swiss law also requires at least 50% of the components of the movement be manufactured in Switzerland. Some well-known Swiss-made watches include Breitling, Patek Philippe, Hublot, Victorinox Swiss Army, Tissot, Rolex, TAG… -
You are your furniture
3 May 2012 | 11:52 amMarketing would have us believe we are defined by what we consume. What we wear, what we drink, what we drive. And what we sit on. In furniture retailer Havertys‘ new TV spot (below), a customer expresses her “oneness” with her customized chair. Although the commercial cleverly promotes Havertys’ customization program, it does not differentiate the brand. The option to select fabrics and colors is commonplace within the category. Nor is Havertys an affinity brand, the gold standard in marketing. The spot does, however, support the theory that the brands we choose are… -
Is Mr. Peanut man enough?
26 Apr 2012 | 6:26 amLet’s say you want to sell more nuts to men. Let’s say you obtained a rare Men’s Health endorsement. Let’s say you are Planters. What do you do with your fop of a spokes-character? You know, that cane-twirling, white-gloved, top-hatted dandy? What Planters did was introduce him to a rough crowd (a pistachio and an almond) to toughen up his image. The three comprise Planters NUT-rition Men’s Health Recommended Mix, “the manliest mix we’ve ever assembled.” (Watch TV spot below.) “Men are grocery shopping more, and they want a healthy snack… -
Branding’s dirty little secret: Not everyone cares
19 Apr 2012 | 10:44 amDespite the multitude of branding consultants, theories, philosophies, processes, diagrams, white papers, and, of course, books, not all consumers care about brands. For a variety of reasons, they may remain oblivious or choose to ignore a brand’s best efforts to engage them. Specifically: • They may not care about a particular brand category. For example, they may not need home insurance. Marketing directed to them is wasted. At least, for now. • Or they may not distinguish between the brands within a category. They may believe all brands of gasoline are identical. To them, gas is… -
Oreo: A brand reminds us it is eternal
12 Apr 2012 | 6:27 amYour grandparents probably ate Oreos. So did their grandparents. Oreo, “Milk’s Favorite Cookie,” just turned one-hundred years old. Since the first batch was delivered by the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) in 1912, Oreo has become the world’s top-selling cookie with sales of $2 billion. In celebration of the century mark, Oreo’s current owner, Kraft Foods, launched a print campaign featuring various cultural milestones from the last hundred years, such as prohibition, the peace movement, World Cup Soccer, etc. See some of the ads here. Not only has the brand…
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Executive Resume Branding
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Self-Google! Don’t Jeopardize Your Executive Job Search
16 May 2012 | 5:00 amSelf-Google! Don’t Jeopardize Your Executive Job Search is a post from: Executive Resume Branding Do you know what the people who have a hand in hiring you are finding when they Google “your name”? Trust me, you’re being Googled by recruiters, employers and hiring decision makers if they come upon you when they’re sourcing talent, or if they’re considering whether to interview you. In fact, I do the same thing right before I speak with potential clients of mine for the first time. Typically, they’ll have a minimal online footprint on the most… -
Executive Recruiters and Your Job Search
10 May 2012 | 5:39 amExecutive Recruiters and Your Job Search is a post from: Executive Resume Branding If you’re a senior or c-level executive, you’ve probably worked with executive recruiters because they reached out and connected with you. In the past, top executives could expect to be in demand, constantly pursued by numerous recruiters when they weren’t looking for a job. Unless you’re lucky, executive job search doesn’t work quite so easily these days. You can’t count on recruiters offering you your pick of jobs and seamlessly sliding into a new position whenever… -
10 Pivotal Personal Branding Principles
2 May 2012 | 5:37 am10 Pivotal Personal Branding Principles is a post from: Executive Resume Branding You read a lot about personal branding these days. If you’re facing a job search and doing some research on how to find a job in this market, you’re hard pressed to click anywhere without being inundated by content covering all the ins and outs of branding. So you probably think you know what it’s all about. You “get” what branding is. Or do you? After all, the concept is pretty straightforward: Define, differentiate and communicate the unique ROI (return on investment) value you… -
Job Search Misfiring? Revisit Your Executive Resume
25 Apr 2012 | 4:50 amJob Search Misfiring? Revisit Your Executive Resume is a post from: Executive Resume Branding See this nice looking fellow? A buddy of his has been pecking at my office window for the past month. Every morning, he sits on a branch of a shrub next to the window, picks up steam and smashes into the glass. He plays this game for hours at a time. Does he see his reflection and think another bird is coming at him, or does he see an open space to fly into? Either way, he’s getting nowhere. But he keeps banging against that window, day after day. I’m sure you’ve heard… -
Executive Job Search Stress – Distract and Refocus
18 Apr 2012 | 4:48 amExecutive Job Search Stress – Distract and Refocus is a post from: Executive Resume Branding If you’re knee-deep in job search, you’ve probably found that stress comes with the territory. Disappointments, delays, frustrations and fear are unfortunate parts of the process. Accept it. Stress will hover about you . . . receding when things are going well and accelerating when they’re not. It creeps up in little ways, at first. Then the anxiety can become so overwhelming, it immobilizes you. That’s not good when you need to focus on getting a job. A high stress…
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Unbound Edition
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Nielsen: U.S. Consumers App Downloads Up 28% To 41
16 May 2012 | 6:36 amAccording to a new report from Nielsen, mobile consumers are downloading more apps than ever before, with the average number of apps owned by a smartphone user now at 41 — a rise of 28 percent on the 32 apps owned on average last year. -
Transparency: The Key to Collecting and Using Customer Data
16 May 2012 | 6:33 amIf customers suspect you’re using their data in less-than-desirable ways, they may lash out and possibly stop using your product. What’s a data-driven business owner to do? -
Data Points: Online, There Are No Crowds [Infographic]
16 May 2012 | 6:24 amOnline, men are shopping more and at rates higher than before, according to an iProspect study of men with a household income of $100,000 plus. -
For Brands, The Need To Rethink Everything
16 May 2012 | 6:20 amAs the marketplace undergoes a rapid transformation, it’s forcing leading brands to rethink everything—from where and how they compete to what capabilities they will need to thrive in this new world order. The fast-changing world of consumer products is at the confluence of a number of significant trends. -
Strategy, Context, and the Decline of Sony
14 May 2012 | 3:00 amThe strategy address recently delivered by the corporation's new CEO, Kazuo Hirai, earned press coverage that verged on mocking, with The Wall Street Journal noting that the brand's "once-sterling cachet has deteriorated," and The New York Times going further, placing Sony in "a fight for its life," and accusing it of "an astonishing lack of ideas." Both observations are correct, but they only hint at the underlying question: why is the strategy that once served Sony so well now failing so badly?
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Online Marketing Blog
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Interview: The Future of Cloud Marketing Software with Vocus CMO Jason Jue
16 May 2012 | 4:50 amAt TopRank Online Marketing, we are fortunate to provide consulting to quite a few innovative B2B companies that serve other marketers. A great example of that is PRWeb and parent company, Vocus, both long standing clients. In late 2011 Vocus welcomed Jason Jue as Chief Marketing Officer. As Vocus & PRWeb’s Account Manager at TopRank, I was keenly interested in getting to know Jason better and learning his plans for the future – and what better way than through an interview for all readers of Online Marketing Blog to see? In this interview Jason talks about the undeniable… -
Channel Your Internal Marketing Warrior: 4 Tips for Strengthening Your Marketing Plan
15 May 2012 | 3:25 amRelease Your Internal Marketing Warrior In March of this year I made a decision: I wanted to get healthier. The problem I have always faced is that I didn’t see the point of exercise, just for the sake of exercise. Treadmills and stationary bicycles never did much for me, but I was looking for a way to regain some focus and start down a healthier path. About a month ago I spoke with my good friend Ali who had recently started a training program to become a yoga instructor. She convinced me to attend a class with her and I even though I’ve done yoga before, this was an entirely new… -
5 Ways to Optimize the Business Value of Attending Conferences
14 May 2012 | 9:37 amAre you optimizing your conference experience? TopRank receives a lot of value from having me speak at conferences but you don’t have to be a speaker to realize a positive return from events. Small, large online or offline, there are numerous ways to optimize and maximize your return on conference involvment both in the short and long term. If your company is considering whether to send you to events because of uncertain return or benefits, show them the following list. In fact, if I were running a conference, I’d make sure these tips are shared with attendees, sponsors and… -
Online Marketing News: Take Action on Social Data, LinkedIn Gets the Scoop, Google Reigns Supreme, Google & Big Data for SEO
11 May 2012 | 3:35 amActionable Social Analytics This recent infographic by awareness takes a dive into social analytics. In an era where virtually every brand is online, it is essential that action is being taken off of the data we are collecting from social networks. This infographic provides not only some of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that your company should be tracking, but how to calculate these numbers as well. Examples of the KPI’s your company should be tracking: Brand Awareness & Reputation Marketing Program Effectiveness Lead Generation Effectiveness Use LinkedIn to Get Juicy… -
Holistic Optimization Across the Sales Cycle: Optimize Speaking Events May & June
10 May 2012 | 8:08 amWhen you have a business that relies on attracting new business online the sheer volume of options can be confusing. Should offline advertising efforts transfer to online? Maybe email marketing? What about SEO or the hot topic, social media? So much focus is placed on tactics and channels, that a lot of misplaced digital marketing budget gets wasted or spent inefficiently. To bring some clarity to the myriad online marketing options available, I think it’s worth marketers taking a holistic approach that starts with an essential understanding of goals and customers. Who are your best…
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Brian Solis
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The Fallacy of Information Overload
15 May 2012 | 6:50 amSome of you know me through my work in studying how social media and disruptive technology impact business and culture. Others have worked with me in translating insights into action and change within the enterprise. Every now and then, I share another side of myself that evokes the aspiring social scientist in me as I explore how all of this is affecting us as individuals and human beings. Not a day goes by when I’m not asked about whether or not the social media bubble will finally burst. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Foursquare, Pinterest, this all has to be too much right? More… -
Music, Film, TV: How social media changed the entertainment experience
10 May 2012 | 7:56 amSocial media is more than a digital water cooler for TV and movies. The global conversation that takes place around events and the experiences people share based on what they watch teaches us about consumer preferences. More importantly, their activity influences behavior. Behavior counts for everything. Studying it is just the beginning of course. In order to understand and eventually steer behavior, we must translate activity into insights and in turn, translate insights into actionable strategies and programs. The Hollywood Reporter recently published an exclusive poll about social media… -
The future of TV is more than social, it’s a multi-screen experience that needs design
7 May 2012 | 11:19 amThe future of television is much more than social; much in the same way that the future of media is too, more than social. Social is a fabric; it connects the individual nodes that make up the human network. But, social however, is not a means to an end. And, as such, the same is true about the working theories driving Social TV. Understanding the role social plays in how viewers connect with programs and other people is essential to defining the future of television. Over the years, I’ve written much about my vision for the long overdue convergence of not only web and TV, but also how the… -
The Path from a Social Brand to a Social Business
2 May 2012 | 9:17 amI’ve been a long-time supporter of MediaTemple’s (MT)Residence program along with Gary Vaynerchuk, Neil Patel, and many others whom I respect. I wanted to share my “7 questions to answer to become a social business” with you here.. Social Media is pervasive and is becoming the new normal in corporate marketing. Brands who get this right are starting to build their own media networks rich with customer connections numbering in the millions. Right now, Coca-Cola has over 34 million fans on Facebook, but they’re hardly alone. Disney follows just behind with 29 million… -
Do Customers Really Matter to Your Business? Prove it.
30 Apr 2012 | 8:21 amFrank Eliason and I have known each other for many years. We’ve shared the stage on many occasions, he’s made an appearance on Revolution, and most importantly, I’m proud to call him a personal friend. Frank has championed the adaption and transformation of customer service during his time at Comcast and at CITI. Never one to shy away from sharing his opinions, he’s certainly bullish on where service needs to be as a function and a philosophy versus where it is today. In fact, he’s gone so far as to call out social media customer service as being a…
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Web Strategy by Jeremiah
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Keynote: Three Future Trends of Social Business (Slides)
16 May 2012 | 8:33 amI’m presenting here at Webcom in Montreal, sharing the State and Future of Social BUsiness. In fact, I think the Cluetrain as we know it, while right for many years, needs modification to represent how the social web is changing. I took the first three theses of the mainfesto and translated it to represent how I see advertising integrating with social as well as optimization and Social Performance software. The three trends that I see impacting the social business space include (but are not limited to): Trend 1: Corporate Websites Reborn. I asset that corporate websites as we know them… -
Video: Scaling your Social Business
13 May 2012 | 6:34 pmA few days before the hectic 2012 SXSW storm (my analysis here), The Dachis Group hosted the Social Business Summit (catch one in your city) with some of the world’s top brands to discuss social business. Kicking off the day, I shared Altimeter’s research on how advanced companies are scaling their programs –and avoiding programs that will slow them down. A few key points we iterated: Being prepared in advanced with: the proper policies, teams, roles, and education programs. These are the foundation needed to build a Center of Excellence. Advanced corporations have… -
People on the Move in the Social Business Industry, May 11, 2012
11 May 2012 | 4:00 amBoth the submissions on this job announcement board, as well as available social media positions at corporations continue to pour in. In this continued digest of job changes, I like to salute those that continue to join the industry in roles focused on social media, see the archives, which I’ve been tracking since Q4, 2007. People on the Move in the Social Business Industry: Although I’m a few months behind this, first of all, congrats to Mia Dand (twitter, linkedin) is Director, Global Social Media at Symantec, focused on building and leading social media strategy for… -
A New Category Defined: Social Performance Software
4 May 2012 | 6:32 amA new software category has emerged to bring performance marketing to social channels. After interviewing over 10 software companies and 10 agencies, a new trend has emerged that will change the social business landscape. What is this trend? The marketing performance techniques to refine TV, Radio, SEO and other marketing mediums are now moving to the social space. Read my definitive post on Mashable to learn how this impacts not only brands, but also Facebook and my long term predictions on how this will play out. Market Needs Companies are struggling to scale to keep up with all the… -
Podcast: Why The Term “Social Media Agency of Record” Will Dissolve
30 Apr 2012 | 7:08 pmI’m honored to be a guest on Mitch Joel‘s famed podcast, Six Pixels of Separation, to discuss my latest post that’s caught the Industry’s attention how Social Media Agencies are Turning to Ads. Mitch invited me on the podcast to discuss this further. One of the assertions I make is the term “Social Media Agency of Record” (aka SMaoR) will eventually go by the wayside, as those pure play agencies are starting to move into advertising (starting with social ads), digital, interactive, and more. My take? We’ll just have a broader focus as social becomes…
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Greg Verdino's Marketing Blog
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The Road to the Future is Paved with Gold (AmEx Cards)
16 May 2012 | 8:28 amFor at least a few years, American Express has been leading its category in marketing innovation. OPEN Forum turned the card you carry into a robust social system membership. Members Project was social before social was hot. By putting the reigns in cardmembers' hands this program redefined corporate giving and, I'd argue, provided the blueprint for later entrants like Chase Community Giving. While many other issuers still rely on tactical promotions to bump-up fan counts, AmEx is forging deep partnerships with social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare and inventing new ways to… -
Five For Friday: May 11, 2012
11 May 2012 | 6:47 amWhat’s keeping you from moving forward? According to Forrester, it might be confusion, politics and the shock of the new. Get past that and you’re faced with a world of opportunity — to reinvent pieces of your business that haven’t traditionally been considered “marketing”, to rethink your approach to audiences and new markets, and to get creative in involving your customers in all sorts of innovation. This week’s Five For Friday is all about making change happen. Here are The Five for the week ending May 11th: How to Cure Social Media Paralysis CMOs and Marketing VPs agree that… -
Five For Friday: May 4, 2012
4 May 2012 | 5:53 amThis year, April showers aren't just bringing us May flowers. They've also brought us our first May edition of Five for Friday -- or Cinco para Viernes if I remember any of our high school Spanish. This week, we're talking about social, social and more social. What it means for entertainment and media companies. Why you may not want to get too attached to Facebook. How Google might be botching it (again). And some practical advice and provocative questions for marketers still struggling to get social right. Enjoy this week's Five for Friday. And then get out there and enjoy Cinco de Mayo. -
Five For Friday: April 27, 2012
27 Apr 2012 | 4:50 amIn this week's Five for Friday, let's take a look at social media from the perspectives of a member of traditional media's old guard, a B2B marketer, a media futurist, and a media buyer. Plus we'll look at an interesting take on why companies should focus less on what's next and do a better job of handling what's now. Put it all together, and you've got "marketing through the looking glass" -- everything looks kinda familiar but nothing is quite what it seems. Here are some of my favorite reads and interesting ideas for the week ending April 27th, 2012. Inside the AP’s Social Strategy Great… -
Chirpify Disrupts The Music Business All Over Again
24 Apr 2012 | 8:44 amMy client Chirpify is having a damn good day, today. The company, which "turns tweets into transactions" by letting any organization or individual link their Twitter and PayPal accounts to conduct super simple social commerce in 140-characters or less, just closed a $1.3 million Series A round. If that's not enough, they're also rolling out a new solution that allows entertainment companies and independent artists to use Chirpify to offer digital downloads of songs and electronic tickets straight over Twitter too. So now labels and artists can come up with all sorts of creative ways to…
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HubSpot's Inbound Internet Marketing Blog
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7 Enlightening Infographics About Email Deliverability
16 May 2012 | 8:55 amI've said it before, and I'll say it again. It doesn't matter how great your email marketing is if nobody can see it. And getting hundreds of thousands of eyes on your amazing email marketing campaigns begins with email deliverability. There's actually quite a lot to take into account to ensure your emails actually get delivered to a recipient's inbox. Your list has to be healthy (if you're curious what makes up a healthy email list, take this 5-question test we developed); you need to develop and maintain a high Sender Score; you need to segment your email list like a pro; and the list goes… -
20 Clues Your Marketing Stinks, Straight From the Horse's Mouth
16 May 2012 | 6:00 amIf there's one thing that makes our toes tingle (other than inbound marketing, of course), it's seeing examples of marketing done right. Great marketing makes us excited to be working in a trailblazing industry where other marketers are doing seriously innovative things to make marketing people actually like. But to get so excited about awesome marketing means there's another end of the spectrum. A dark side where email spammers, poor segmenters, and keyword stuffers live trying to pass off their activities as marketing. Those guys give legitimate marketers a bad name, and the worst part of… -
Twitter Launches Weekly Email Digest to Aid Content Discovery
15 May 2012 | 1:30 pmLooks like Twitter is putting its January acquisition of social news startup Summify to good use! Yesterday, the official Twitter blog announced that it will start sending users a weekly email digest featuring relevant tweets and stories shared by the people they're connected with on Twitter. This just several days after news of Twitter's "acqui-hire" of personalized email marketing service RestEngine. Similar to the updated design of the Twitter Discover tab we covered earlier this month, the summary highlights which of the users you're connected to on Twitter shared the featured stories and… -
10 Simply Awesome Examples of Email Marketing
15 May 2012 | 8:48 amAs the Boston Globe highlighted eloquently on our behalf to announce today's launch of HubSpot's new email tools, email marketing is not dead! But over the years, some less than savory email marketing behaviors by brands -- whether they knew better or not -- have soured many recipients to the email messages filling up their inboxes. On the other hand, it has also made consumers jump for joy when they actually do get an email that is helpful, interesting, or innovative. And that's the kind of email marketing we like to celebrate! We've written about fantastic ecommerce retargeting campaigns,… -
Why List Segmentation Matters in Email Marketing
15 May 2012 | 5:50 amBy now, most marketers understand the importance of email to their overall marketing strategy and recognize that it's not dying in the wake of other emerging marketing tactics like social media. But while most marketers realize that email is here to stay, unfortunately, that doesn't exactly mean certain email marketing best practices have caught on. Segmentation is one such best practices. Segmenting your communications can improve your email marketing campaigns by leaps and bounds (read on -- we have the data to prove it!). Luckily, marketers are at least starting to realize the importance…
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All Booz Allen Reports & Studies
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Application Managed Services Overview
14 May 2012 | 10:00 pmApplication Managed Services Overview Video -
Hazard Mitigation Today: Perspectives from Industry Professionals
8 May 2012 | 10:00 pmA comprehensive review and understanding of response policy doctrine is an ongoing priority to ensure efficient and effective response and recovery efforts to national disasters and emergencies. -
The Cloud as a Shroud: Fraud in a Digital Age
23 Apr 2012 | 9:00 pmAs more organizations move data to the cloud to reduce costs and take advantage of massive analytics, the opportunity for criminal exploitation and fraud also increases. This expert panel discusses how to prevent, detect, and investigate fraud in the cloud. Aired April 24, 2012 -
Discovery is a Team Sport
15 Apr 2012 | 10:00 pmSpeech given by Booz Allen Chief Executive Officer Dr. Ralph W. Shrader in acceptance of ARCS Foundation Eagle award on April 14th, 2012. -
The Fire Within
13 Apr 2012 | 10:00 pmBooz Allen Executive Vice President Mark Gerencser articulates methods graduates can use to ignite their careers with passion and imagination in a commencement address to UMUC on April 14 th , 2012.
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comScore Voices
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Social Media Delivers Valuable Exposure for Presidential Campaigns
10 May 2012 | 5:37 amIn case you missed it, comScore recently released a report entitled The Digital Politico: 5 Ways Digital Media is Shaping the 2012 Presidential Election. The report analyzes key digital campaign elements that have impacted the primaries, with an eye to how these will affect the general election. -
Despite its Declining Importance for Many Display Campaigns, the Click Remains Important for Pharma Marketers
8 May 2012 | 1:29 amOver the years, comScore has published several studies – including one this past week – that illustrate how the click is often the wrong metric for measuring the effectiveness of online display advertising. We have also shown that simply being exposed to an online ad, even when a click does not happen, often drives meaningful lifts in site visitation, purchase behavior and other key performance metrics. These findings continue to change how success is perceived and measured in digital advertising. Just as with other media such as television, radio and print, marketers are beginning to… -
comScore Introduces Mobile Metrix 2.0: The Next Generation of Mobile Behavioral Measurement
7 May 2012 | 2:03 amToday comScore is excited to announce the U.S. launch of Mobile Metrix 2.0, the next generation of mobile audience measurement. Mobile Metrix 2.0 provides mission critical insights into the behavior of the most active mobile media consumers: smartphone owners. Mobile Metrix 2.0 is based on passive behavioral data collected from a 10,000+ person panel (whose members have agreed to install comScore’s measurement software on their mobile devices). When combined with data from comScore’s census network of tagged sites and apps, Mobile Metrix 2.0 delivers our clients an unprecedented view of… -
Digital Advertising Develops Presidential Candidate Brands and Engages Voter Groups
1 May 2012 | 1:28 amYesterday, comScore released a new report entitled The Digital Politico: 5 Ways Digital Media is Shaping the 2012 Presidential Election, which highlights the key elements of the U.S. Presidential campaigns’ digital strategies – such as online advertising, online fundraising, social media, and search – and how they are being leveraged to improve their chances of victory in November. -
Web TV Shows Promise, But Lack of Paid Search Strategy is Puzzling
30 Apr 2012 | 9:29 amThe online video market has been predominantly characterized by two fundamentally different types of content: user generated content (UGC) and professionally-produced premium content. The former has incredible reach, but due to a variety of factors such as potentially unsafe brand environments and lower production values it does not command the same high CPMs as the latter. Premium video content, which more closely resembles the TV environment, offers a more premium ad placement and CPM.
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PCI SmartBrief
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Floods prompt S.D. city residents to seek mitigation project
16 May 2012 | 5:15 amResidents of Madison, S.D., intend to call on city officials to possibly add a water-retention area to mitigate flooding afte -More- -
House measure would provide a one-month NFIP extension
16 May 2012 | 5:15 amThe House is expected to approve a bill to extend the National Flood Insurance Program until June 30 so the Senate will have -More- Combat fraud and improve pricing accuracy. Significant premium is paid in fraudulent claims or lost to rate evasion. Identify potentially deceptive claims early: TransUnion Risk Verification Platform uses comprehensive data that delivers actionable results at point-of-quote. Reduce fraud. Price policies more accurately. See how. >> -
NTSB: U.S. needs new effort to curb deaths from drunken driving
16 May 2012 | 5:15 amThe National Transportation Safety Board is looking to step up efforts to reduce fatalities related to drunken and drugged dr -More- -
Workers' comp bill clears Mo. General Assembly
16 May 2012 | 5:15 amThe Missouri General Assembly has approved a workers' compensation measure that would prevent workers from filing lawsuits ag -More- -
3 new car models receive IIHS Top Safety Pick designation
16 May 2012 | 5:15 amThe Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the 2012 Hyundai Azera, 2012 Toyota Prius c and 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Ec -More-
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Yahoo! Finance: Property & Casualty Insurance Industry News
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ACE Safeguards Against Fraud
16 May 2012 | 12:25 pm -
AIG to sell AIA shares after lock-up ends in September
16 May 2012 | 11:59 am -
Allstate Insurance Company Files $14 Million Insurance Fraud Case
16 May 2012 | 11:17 am[PR Newswire] - HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Allstate Insurance Company is seeking to recover $14 million against 111 New York area defendants in its 4th insurance fraud lawsuit of 2012. The complaint, ... -
The Hartford Announces Results of 2012 Annual Meeting
16 May 2012 | 11:10 am[Business Wire] - At its annual shareholder meeting today, The Hartford announced that shareholders reelected the company's board of directors, ratified the selection of the company’s independent re -
Employers Holdings, Inc. Announces Upcoming Schedule of Events with the Financial Community
16 May 2012 | 11:04 am[Business Wire] - Employers Holdings, Inc. today announced its scheduled participation in the following events with the financial community:
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Articles - Online Auto Insurance
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The Three Stages of Auto Insurance Needs
16 May 2012 | 9:00 amAs people drive down the road of life, they need auto insurance to cover their assets. But over time a person’s priorities change, and often the same policy won’t always offer the best protection. Consumers should review their policies on an annual basis, but, at the very least, there are three distinct moments when coverage needs drastically change, and drivers need to stop and shop for a new plan. Young, First-Time Buyers: The first time that the thought of car coverage enters a person’s mind is when they get their license. Ambitions are high, assets are low, and the best insurance… -
Modern Technology That Can Cut Insurance Costs
15 May 2012 | 9:00 amMotorists around the world are in the middle of a technological renaissance focused on keeping drivers safe while they cruise the open road. But safer cars with futuristic features means more than fewer accidents and injuries behind the wheel: It can also translate into cheaper car insurance. Producers rate applicants based on their accident risk, so if people are less likely to file a claim because of highly regulated safety features, policy prices might be lower. State and federal government has made it a priority to ensure that all vehicle owners are as safe as possible while driving. To… -
Imagining a World without Automobile Insurance
14 May 2012 | 10:00 amAs automobile technology makes leaps and bounds forward, the number of car accidents and fatalities steadily declines. And with fewer claims being filed, the need for and price of auto insurance begins to decline as well. Over time, insurers may begin to experience a considerable decrease in revenue, which impacts the industry as a whole. This is the scenario proposed by Donald Light, a senior analyst for Celent, a division of Oliver Wyman, a global consulting firm. Light and thorough Celent research suggests that the steady decline of private and commercial auto insurance premiums (and… -
The Cheapest States to Buy Auto Insurance
11 May 2012 | 9:00 amAlmost every state requires motorists to be insured before driving, but each state has a unique range of prices for vehicle coverage. Insurance costs are dependent on many different things, like population density, crime rate, uninsured motorist percentage, required coverages, and many other facts that are unique for every location. As a result, there are some areas in the U.S. that are more affordable than others. The average cost of vehicle coverage is likely to change every year, but several states have consistently remained among the cheapest. Data produced by the National Association of… -
Gender Matters: Why Men Pay More for Car Insurance
10 May 2012 | 9:00 amPeople strive for gender equality in most facets of life, but in the auto insurance world, it’s a commonly known fact that men usually end up paying more. Data provided by California regulators, for example, shows men could expect to pay an average of about 13 percent more for the same coverage. Gender-based pricing differences are based on extensive statistical information that shows male drivers file more claims than female drivers. Although crash data usually comes out in a woman’s favor, gender can’t always be used to set rates. Debates have raged for years between men and…
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Business Insurance - Web News
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AIG to sell AIA shares after lock-up ends in Sept.
16 May 2012 | 10:56 am(Reuters)—Bailed-out insurer American International Group Inc. will sell its shares in Asian insurer AIA Group Ltd. after a lock-up period expires in early September, CEO Bob Benmosche said on Wednesday. -
Midwest sees heavier, more frequent extreme storms: Study
16 May 2012 | 10:46 amA new study suggests that the number of extreme rain storms—those producing three inches or more of rain per day—have more than doubled in the Midwest over the past half century, often resulting in worsened flooding. -
Skechers reaches $50M settlement over toning shoe advertising claims
16 May 2012 | 10:35 amMANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.—Skechers USA Inc. said Wednesday it has reached a $50 million settlement of all domestic legal proceedings relating to advertising claims it made in connection with its rocker-bottom toning shoe products. -
Missouri lawmakers pass bill that would prevent injured workers from suing colleagues
16 May 2012 | 9:37 amCOLUMBIA, Mo.—Missouri legislators have passed a workers compensation bill that aims to prevent injured workers from suing their co-workers over workplace accidents. -
OFF BEAT: Groundskeeper turns in found gun, fired for possession
16 May 2012 | 9:34 amClassify this one under no good deed goes unpunished: A Detroit groundskeeper who turned into police a loaded gun he found was fired by his bosses for gun possession.
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Specialty Insurance Blog
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Insurance Coverage for Hiring Illegal Aliens
14 May 2012 | 8:00 pmWe were recently asked if we had ever come across coverage for unintentionally hiring illegal aliens. Our client had been approached by a customer that hires employees in different locations on short notice, and typically has high turnover. The employment procedures are designed to prevent this, but errors in the employment process were possible. We have a number of markets that will provide coverage for immigration claims on a limited basis via endorsement on Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPL). The idea is to provide limited coverage for unintentional employment errors, such as… -
Escrow Exposure & Cyber Risk Insurance
2 May 2012 | 8:00 pm Title & escrow companies face Cyber exposures and should be buying Cyber Risk Insurance for protection. While the cost of Cyber Risk insurance is not high, the consequences of being without can be. Most Cyber Risk commentary focuses on the risk of data breach, which is a real exposure for many organizations including real estate companies. However, a data breach is not the only risk. Two recent lawsuits involving the theft of money from escrow companies using online banking systems demonstrate the threat and need for coverage: Choice Escrow recently fell victim to the Zeus virus, and lost… -
D&O and Professional Services
16 Apr 2012 | 8:00 pmWe have covered the role of the professional services exclusion in both General Liability (GL) and Directors & Officers (D&O) insurance policies previously (see here, here and here), but a recent client interaction demonstrates the importance of not taking client education for granted. The insured was not sure why professional services were excluded from the D&O policies they were reviewing, and actually thought there were defects in the policy forms. As part of our support of our retail insurance agent client, we pointed out: D&O policies have a professional services exclusion for a reason,… -
Risk Management in the Cloud
8 Mar 2012 | 10:37 amGood post on risk management considerations when using cloud services from CyberInquirer – The Dos and Don’ts of Navigating The Cloud: A Business Guide For Cloud Computing. Note that the suggestion of changing vendor contracts with more favorable terms may not be available for smaller businesses. Related, all companies with confidential data should be purchasing Cyber Risk insurance with limits adequate for the exposure and coverage matching the type of account. Cyber Risk & Encryption: see our prior post and special information on our web site (here) on encryption and underwriters’… -
The For-Benefit Corporation
23 Jan 2012 | 8:00 pmThere is a new corporate form gaining acceptance, and insurance agents & brokers should be aware of this, particularly when applying for directors & officers (D&O) liability insurance. Wikipedia provides a definition (see here, here, here & here): A benefit corporation is a class of corporation required by law to create general benefit for society as well as for shareholders. This new form of corporate entity is called a variety of names, including for-benefit corporation, benefit corporations and B corp. These entities are not to be confused with public benefit corporations, which are…
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Work Comp Roundup - Reduce Your Workers Compensation Insurance Coverage Costs with Timely Information for Employers
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10 Tips to Improve Your Return to Work Program
16 May 2012 | 6:30 amEmployers who successfully manage their workers compensation cost understand the importance of a strong Return to Work program. When an employee returns to work as soon as he is medically able, the indemnity payments are decreased, the medical and rehabilitation cost are lower and there is less of a productivity drop for the employer. Returning to work sooner also benefits the employee by restoring a higher level of income, providing a faster physical recovery and promoting the emotional health of the employee. All of the following suggestions may not apply if you already have a… -
Health Promotion Efforts Keep Employees On The Job
16 May 2012 | 6:00 amWorkers participating in a "comprehensive" workplace health promotion program had a one-fifth reduction in absenteeism during the first year, according to a study in the April Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) Led by Maurice Niessen of the NDDO Institute for Prevention and Early Diagnostics, Amsterdam, the researchers evaluated a web-based worksite health promotion project at a large Dutch financial services company. The program used a "computerized knowledge-based… -
Nearly 5 Dozen Workers Perish on the Job in Massachusetts
15 May 2012 | 7:44 amAccording to a new report from several Massachusetts agencies, nearly five dozen workers died on the job during the last year in the commonwealth. The 2012 Dying for Work in Massachusetts: The Loss of Life and Limb in Massachusetts Workplaces report notes that 58 workers died on the job in the commonwealth in 2011; an estimated 580 additional workers died from occupational disease.[WCx] The report, a collaboration of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) and the Western Massachusetts Coalition… -
Skills, Qualifications, and Support, Critical in Selecting TPA
15 May 2012 | 7:27 amThe selection of a third party administrator (TPA) is critical to the success of the claims operation. With the wide variety of TPAs available for self-insured workers compensation insurance programs, determining the best TPA for a program will require an understanding of the difference between TPAs. When issuing a Request For a Proposal (RFP), it is possible to receive numerous proposals from TPAs that differ extensively in skills, qualifications, support services, and price. Skills The large national TPAs with an office in every state, or even every large city, may… -
Workers Comp Tidbits of News You Can Use
14 May 2012 | 7:22 amWorkers Comp this week provided a lot of fodder for discussion. Here’s a review: Bison Jam Delays Dr. Glimp at Medcor Remote medical support may hold down WC costs, but it does invite some interesting circumstances. In early May, Thomas Glimp, MD, Chief Medical Officer, at Medcor, was late to an important meeting due to a "bison jam" in Yellowstone National Park. Executive Vice President Curtis Smith said "We were waiting for our Medcor doctor, Thomas Glimp, to join us on a conference call last week while he was doing some training at the three Medcor-run…
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www.Artemis.bm The Alternative Risk Transfer, Catastrophe Bond, Insurance-Linked Securities and Weather Risk Management Blog
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Catastrophe bond risk capital outstanding could grow to $16 billion by end of 2012
16 May 2012 | 8:04 amNot only was April a record-breaking month in terms of the amount of risk capital issued in catastrophe bond transaction, as we wrote the other day, it also saw the amount of cat bond and ILS risk capital outstanding rise to $14.7 billion according to Swiss insurance-linked securities investment manager Plenum Investments. When Artemis last reported on the amount of risk capital outstanding in the market we had the number at $14.2 billion at the end of March thanks to data from Aon Benfield. As well as strong issuance in April of $1.245 billion there were also maturities to take into account,… -
Wells Fargo bring insurance trust products to the UK and EU
16 May 2012 | 5:12 amWells Fargo & Company, the massive financial services group headquartered in the U.S., have announced that they are bringing their successful range of insurance trust products to the UK and EU. To date these insurance trust products have only been available in the U.S. where they are used in place of letters of credit and as a way to provide collateral for various types of insurance and reinsurance transactions, including for insurance-linked securities and catastrophe bonds. “We are excited to be able to offer UK-based corporate insurers a lower-cost, more efficient alternative to… -
PERILS AG industry loss data used for over $4 billion of risk transfer capacity
16 May 2012 | 1:50 amPERILS AG, the independent Zurich-based company providing industry-wide European catastrophe insurance data and loss indices,has published their latest newsletter today updating the market on the events of 2011 and the progress that PERILS have made. The last time we reported on PERILS progress they had just reached $3.18 billion of risk transfer capacity placed using their loss data and index. Now, after a number of further catastrophe bonds have come to market using PERILS they reached $4.039 billion of capacity placed at the 31st March 2012. In the first quarter of 2012 PERILS data and… -
Capital market shows significant and growing appetite for catastrophe risk: Guy Carpenter
15 May 2012 | 5:54 amAfter a record first quarter for the catastrophe bond market, which featured a diverse mix of old and new perils, new structures and new capital providers the capital market continues to demonstrate significant and growing appetite for catastrophe risk, says intermediary Guy Carpenter‘s GC Securities division in their end of Q1 2012 cat bond market report. The report says that the successes seen in Q1′s cat bond issuance illustrates the continued growth and maturation of the catastrophe risk asset class. Guy Carpenters report, Catastrophe Bond Update: First Quarter 2012, takes a… -
April a record-breaking month for catastrophe bond risk capital issued
15 May 2012 | 1:50 amThe huge Everglades Re Ltd. catastrophe bond which completed in April at a record $750m for a single cat bond helped the month become the strongest single month for volume of catastrophe bonds issued since the market began, according to the latest report from Swiss insurance-linked securities investment manager Plenum Investments. Four cat bonds completed during the month of April, bringing an additional $1.245 billion to insurance-linked securities investors. So April broke records for both deal size with Everglades Re and total issuance. April saw a diverse mix of perils coming to market…
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Innovation in Practice
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The Curse of Innovation
14 May 2012 | 12:00 amThe Financial Times featured an article last week calling the patent system the curse of innovation. Patents have become weapons of mass destruction in certain industries, most recently in the smartphone category. "Escalating courtroom battles over intellectual property – whether evidence of an efficient market in ideas or a sign of a broken patent system – are placing a mounting burden on the (technology) sector…In smartphones alone, an estimated $15 to $20 billion has been spent buying patents for both defensive and offensive strategies. Legal bills are conservatively estimated at… -
Marketing Innovation: The Extreme Consequence Tool
7 May 2012 | 12:00 amCommercials that show the benefits of using the product are likely to be ignored because consumers expect it. The message becomes cliche. If the advertiser shows how the consumer is transformed by using the product, consumers become skeptical. Telling viewers they will become young and adventurous by drinking a soft drink lacks credibility. It is wishful thinking, but unrealistic. The ad is tossed aside. But show these same product benefits in an extreme, unrealistic way and the advertisement is likely to be more memorable. The message sinks in. That is the goal of the Extreme… -
The LAB: Innovating a Membership Club with S.I.T. (April 2012)
30 Apr 2012 | 12:00 amHow do you attract new customers while retaining current ones? For many categories, you attract new customers by showing high satisfaction with current customers. Put the current customer first and you will increase your appeal to new customers. The challenge is when you have to change your product to meet the different demands of new customers at the risk of alienating existing customers. For example, imagine you owned a prestigious, members-only dinner club with a strong following of older, traditional patrons. They are fiercely loyal and attached to the various details such as the… -
Making it Sustainable: Innovation Suite No. 9
22 Apr 2012 | 11:23 pmMaking innovation sustainable means: 1. learning how to innovate, 2. getting results from innovation workshops, and 3. building the internal support systems to keep it going. Join Idit Biton and Yoni Stern from SIT in New York City, June 18-20, 2012 for Innovation Suite No. 9, an intensive learning experience with a focus on making innovation sustainable in your ogranization. Listen to Gilles Bertherin from Shell explain his takeaway from attending Innovation Suite: The three day event teaches new-comers how to use the method, while the more experienced SIT users and innovation managers… -
Innovation Sighting: Yahoo's e-Book Advertising
16 Apr 2012 | 12:00 amYahoo's recent patent filings suggest it is entering the e-Book market, a move that will pit it against Amazon, Apple, and other content providers. But given the nature of the patent filings, Yahoo seeks to leap over the competition with a potentially more innovative approach. Yahoo's concepts conform to the Attribute Dependency technique, one of five in the SIT Method. Research shows that new products that conform to one of the five SIT techniques tend to be more successful in the marketplace.* The first concept calls for a variable pricing approach. The price paid for an e-book varies…
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FOLDEN eMedia Blog
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The 16th Webby Awards
7 May 2012 | 2:56 pm(With this post a holiday break occurs until end of May.) Each year the Webby Awards elect the best and most exiting, the most innovative and promising services on the internet and meanwhile as well the best services on the mobile internet. The winners are already announce, the ceremony will take place on the 21th [...] -
Twitter News in Context to Websites
7 May 2012 | 12:03 pmTwitter often provides the fastest news and a broader view of occurences worldwide is an enrichment as well and at all. To get this experience on websites mon.ki has realized a great tool to associate Twitter news aka status updates and profiles to the context of website. This works by a browser addon, which is [...] -
Universal Address Books and Organizers
26 Apr 2012 | 4:06 pmCloud services and api interfaces are making it possible, the aggregation of various data at one place and accessible by any devices. This has started with social media aggregators delivering information about social networking activities to one single interface. What has started with the aggregation of social media activities now becomes available to address books [...] -
Google launches Google Drive
24 Apr 2012 | 2:33 pmGoogle has launched an already rumoured cloud storage service to host files and access them from anywhere. Being just launched the services already is equipped with a lot of features. By integrating Google Docs exemplarily the service enables to collaborate on documents and furthermore typical sharing functionality is integrated. Further features are expected to be [...] -
Sony has a Smartwatch
12 Apr 2012 | 1:08 pmA couple of smartwatches already exist on the market and now one of the largest manufacturers of home entertainment devices has launched one. It is Sony with the SmartWatch. What it is able to do is already viewable on its screen. The watch has social networking facilities, email and text messaging features as well as [...]
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Infused Web | Print | Design
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Cover Art for John Taglieri Lucky #9 Digital Music Release Designed by Infused Web
20 Apr 2012 | 12:13 pmThe new music release Lucky #9 from John Taglieri just made its debut this week, breaking in at #2 on Hot New Releases and #20 on Adult Alternative Amazon.com charts. This is John’s 9th CD release of his music career. He had a really good feeling about its release, which hints as to why it is entitled Lucky #9. If the Amazon chart debut is any indication of its success, he was right on target! The cover art for the release was designed by Joe Duhamel, Co-Owner & Art Director of Infused Web. Joe has extensive experience in graphic design (22 years), including 20 years as a design… -
#KeepItCountry with Joe Bachman
21 Mar 2012 | 10:22 amIf you’ve been following us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+, you may have noticed that we’ve recently partnered with emerging Modern Country/Pop Music Artist, Joe Bachman. Joe takes his performance to stages up and down the East Coast (from Joe’s 2nd home, Key West, FL to Killington VT)… as well as in Chicago, Ohio, San Francisco, the Bahamas and beyond! Averaging an astounding 200-250 shows per year throughout his amazing career, Joe’s high-energy live show captivates audiences from ages 7 thru 70 wherever he performs. With the recent release of his debut album…
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thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World
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Beware of an Old People Culture
16 May 2012 | 10:03 amToday’s guest post is from Bob Herbold, the long-time Chief Operating Officer of Microsoft Corporation and author of What’s Holding You Back: 10 Bold Steps that Define Gutsy Leaders (CLICK HERE to buy your copy). You can read more about Bob at the end of this post. The stories we’ve been reading these past few [...] This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more. -
Why Product Simplicity Always Wins
14 May 2012 | 4:02 amWe humans love to complicate things. The more crap we hang off of a product, the better we think it is. The more engineering that goes into it, the more we can sell, right? Wrong. Simplicity wins. Every time. (iPod, anyone?) As an entrepreneur, I get to hang out with other entrepreneurs (and we act [...] This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more. -
The Road to Value – Part 2
9 May 2012 | 10:02 amToday’s post is by Thomas Butta, Founder and CEO of 21 Weeks. You can read more about him at the end of the post. Here’s Thomas: In The Road to Value (Part 1) I revealed a powerful way to lead a changing or emerging industry by developing a roadmap that delineates the way to create and [...] This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more. -
The 7 Deadly Sins of Leadership
7 May 2012 | 4:02 amYes, I recently wrote about the 7 deadly sins of entrepreneurship. This is the same construct but instead on the topic of leadership. Hey, don’t judge me – if Hollywood can take a good concept and reuse it with a different angle, so can I. Leadership is perilous territory. People’s lives are at stake (sometimes [...] This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more. -
The Balancing Act – Self versus Collective Leadership
2 May 2012 | 10:02 amToday’s post is by Jan Rutherford – author of The Littlest Green Beret. You can learn more about Jan at the end of the post. The thing about leadership development is that it all starts with everyone’s favorite subject – themselves. Self awareness is the starting point for effective leadership, and it’s always interesting to [...] This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
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Women in the LEAD
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BEING a Leader: Learning from One Another
4 May 2012 | 4:51 pmWhen I was a young aspiring leader at IBM, I was fortunate to have been mentored in the distance by Frances Hesselbein, who at the time was the CEO for the Girl Scouts of America. I had seen her in a classic film by Warren Bennis called THE LEADER WITHIN. At the time, there weren't a lot of women in leadership roles to emulate. We were just making our way. What I remember about seeing her in this film in one of my early Management Development classes at IBM was that she was so human in her way of engaging people and interacting. She also seemed to have a classic beauty about how she… -
WOMEN: Is it me you're looking for?
1 May 2012 | 5:51 pmOnce in a while we unexpectedly are reminded that our most reliable mentor is inside of us. This weekend, by chance, I ran across the quote from a little book of "pearls and gems" from Richard Bach. It's a keeper. "If you want to meet someone who can fix any situation you don't like, who can bring you happiness in spite of what other people say or believe, look in the mirror, then say this magic word: "Hello." How will you use this precious gift? Warm regards,Debbe Debbe KennedyFounder, Global Dialogue CenterHome of Women in the Leadauthor, Putting Our… -
CHANGE, PATIENCE, and REINVENTING Ourselves
19 Apr 2012 | 7:34 amIt seems the best of us are impatient for results in our lives. Whether it is the urgent pressures we feel to create life for our families, reaching for our career goals, dreaming of financial stability, finding peace within a busy life, wishing unexpected troubles would disapper or sometimes, finding the love and personal security we long for as women. Oh, we want so much for things to happen that sometimes we disturb the process. We push our timetable on things sometimes forcing a premature birth before its time has come. As I write, a few memorable disappointments come to mind when I… -
WOMEN: Leadership Lessons from Rosa Parks
14 Feb 2012 | 9:25 amSome leaders teach us lessons that transcend time, situation, and distance. It is as if they show up, creating opportunities for us to become more ourselves, if we are willing to listen and learn from their journeys and contributions.As I've been watching recent reactions to change in many directions, I've thought many times of Mrs. Rosa Parks' example, as the well-known Mother of the Civil Rights Movement in the US. Her remarkable contribution that unknowingly was the catalyst that opened the way for people of color, women and all people, shines brightly on us all. So what… -
Remembering My Mother's Gifts
7 May 2011 | 10:42 amMaydelle had a unique spirit all her own. She was a little over five feet tall. She developed her own "style of beauty" as she called it and it came with her share of complexities. Outwardly, she had an sense of OPTIMISM that was often infectious --- and she did have a way of brightening a room that needed it. A friend's first impression of her at a gathering one time in her mid-life always stayed with me. He said, "I watched your mother floating around tonight in her BLUE dress. I felt sure any minute, she would be bursting out to say, "Life is a BIG balloon!"…
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MarketingVox News & Trends
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Google Updates/Re-Launches "Our Mobile Planet" Consumer Data Source
16 May 2012 | 8:46 amGoogle yesterday, along with the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), announced an update/relaunch of "Our Mobile Planet," the mobile consumer data resource that provides free access to powerful data across 40 countries in 22 languages. "Understanding the mobile consumer is absolutely critical for marketers, and 'Our Mobile Planet puts an invaluable resource in their hands," said [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/marketingvox/rss/~4/txstWXm5fuI" height="1" width="1"/> -
Freemium Creates "Happy To Pay" Customers for Video, Radio, Services
16 May 2012 | 8:29 amPandora lets you try it out. So does Audible.com for audiobooks, Norton for security, the New York Times with its 10 articles per month paywall. This is "freemium," aimed at tempting paid subscribers with free content, and it works. A new study conducted by iYogi Insights, the research division of the on-demand remote tech support [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/marketingvox/rss/~4/U614NguT9tc" height="1" width="1"/> -
Squatters Seize, Control Brand Names On Pinterest
16 May 2012 | 7:48 amPinterest squatters are snatching up brand identities, the way that cybersquatters grabbed names like Madonna.com and Lufthansa.com. Whether or not a major brand has any interest in Pinterest, it behooves them to protect their identities with a Pinterest usernames. Pinterest is the social image bookmarking site that lets users "pin" their favorite images from around [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/marketingvox/rss/~4/E7UjszEDxOw" height="1" width="1"/> -
Top News: GM Quits Facebook | Agencies After Accenture, Deloitte | Ebook Suit Forward | Mobile Shoppers Like Text
16 May 2012 | 7:10 amAd Technology: What the Evolution of Marketing Automation Looks Like [Infographic] Agency News: Agencies Going After Accenture, Deloitte IT Business Strategies: Demand for digital marketing freelancers soars: trends Campaigns of Note: AAMCO Launches 50th Anniversary Campaign Demographics: Study: Not All Digital Moms Are Created Equal Ebooks: Judge Allows Class-Action Lawsuit on E-Book Pricing to Go Ahead Mobile Computing: Mobile Phone Shoppers Show Growing Preference for Text [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/marketingvox/rss/~4/hpJwzBY4Ycs" height="1"…
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JasonKeath.com
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Is it possible to remove hatred from politics?
10 May 2012 | 7:36 am“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” — Winston Churchill You may or may not know that I am against the amendment to ban gay marriage in the state of North Carolina, my home state. But I am also against the ugliness, insults and divisiveness that originates from both sides of issues like these. It is misplaced passion and unchecked anger. Neither of which do well to solve America’s deep bench of problems. I have fallen victim to this misplaced passion and… -
Every Person Has A Story, Epic Chick-fil-a Video
13 Apr 2012 | 9:40 am -
Who uses the word “chalice”?
12 Apr 2012 | 9:00 am -
Forget the Easy Button, TNT Creates An ‘Add Live Action Drama Button’
11 Apr 2012 | 1:01 pm -
A 9 year old boy who built an elaborate cardboard arcade
10 Apr 2012 | 7:22 amUPDATE: Caine’s Scholarship fund has already raised $111,000. His original goal was set at $25,000. A 9 year old boy who built an elaborate cardboard arcade in his dad’s used auto parts store is about to have the best day of his life. Give this kid a woodshop class and watch out. Help Caine’s Scholarship Fund: CainesArcade.com Caines Arcade – YouTube. Hat tip @simonjcole
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Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
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5 Reasons Why Landing Pages Are a Must
16 May 2012 | 5:25 amOnline marketers have used the term “landing page” for many years to describe a sales tactic focused on getting people to take one, specific action. Today, landing pages have simply become a required element in the marketing toolbox for every imaginable business, including local brick and mortar types. Example of a personalized lead capture landing page A landing page is just the page people land on because an ad or email directed them to that specific page as opposed to your site’s homepage. Effective landing pages make it very clear what a visitor is going to get from a page and how… -
13 Questions That Will Lead You To Your Perfect Marketing Strategy
15 May 2012 | 5:54 amPlenty of startups try to determine the perfect business model to take to market only to find that the market doesn’t need, want or understand what they are presenting. The fact is most books or courses on business models take this into consideration by suggesting trial and error scenarios and market hypothesizes prior to launch. Any business model, or plan for that matter, is little more than a guess and I believe that your best chance for getting that guess right is to build your business model based on a marketing strategy. This assumes the role a fully developed marketing strategy… -
5 Non Spammy Ways To Get a Blogger’s Attention
14 May 2012 | 5:28 amEveryone, from PR firms to individuals with a product to sell, pitches bloggers these days. Getting coverage or exposure for your business by way of a number of highly read blogs should be a foundational element of your PR approach. So, I thought I would share of few of my thoughts on the most effective ways to get a blogger’s attention and stand out in a way that gives your pitch a far better chance of garnering coverage. Sadly, it would much easier to write a post on what not to do, but I like to stay on the positive side here. Whether your goal is to land a guest post, get a review of… -
Weekend Favs May Twelve
12 May 2012 | 5:39 amMy weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week. I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from Flickr or one that I took out there on the road. New Duct Tape Marketing t-shirt design via Hugh MacLeod Gapingvoid Good stuff I found this week: Ming.ly – A personal relationship manager that aggregates your contacts from Gmail, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter into a searchable merged address book that allows… -
Engaging Your Macro Metric As a True Measure of Success
11 May 2012 | 5:59 amBusiness owners and marketers are told to measure and quantify everything. The problem is this practice alone can lead to false assumptions and a fixation on things that simply don’t matter that much. lollipolluza via FlickrAre website visits, Facebook Likes, newsletter signups or even revenue the true measure of success for your business? Perhaps, but how so? When we simply create a list of what we might call key performance indicators without the proper focus with which to weight them, it all simply becomes an exercise in collecting. It’s a lot like having a bunch of puzzle pieces…
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Strategic Public Relations
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Will Facebook Unveil a Mobile Device?
14 May 2012 | 5:49 amBased on Facebook's recent app store news and a string of mobile acquisitions, I'm wondering when it will launch its own device?It's something I predicted yesterday during the weekly BraveAdWorld podcast. My colleague Taylor Wiegert and I discuss it during the weekly news items. It's probably my first prediction. That may tell you how strongly I feel about it. But it's not like I'm going out on a limb.The prediction is based on my last post with CNET's overview of the need for digital ecosystems for certain brands to succeed in the future. A digital ecosystem includes the device, a… -
The Power of Unassuming Brands (a lesson from Signal P&G)
6 May 2012 | 11:25 amThe Signal P&G event brought together brands we see in the news almost daily -- from Twitter and Facebook to Coca-Cola and more. But the brands on Procter & Gamble's dais getting less media attention, or perhaps less positive media attention, were more interesting that day. Presentations from Amazon, AOL and Nokia taught me to reconsider the power of unassuming brands.These companies are not startups or unknowns. But news coverage can suggest that new brands may "kill" more established brands. Stories with only one clear winner, atop a pile of competitors, make for shareable… -
TidyCat's Social Media Team Stops a Stink Over Its #lifestinks Campaign
8 Apr 2012 | 9:58 amTidyCats latest ad campaign spans online and offline to get consumers sharing about what stinks in their lives. But one of their ads created its own stink. To the brands' credit, they were listening and responded in less than 24 hours to stop a possible catfight with consumers.Billboards localize the campaign by referencing what stinks in each market. I'm imagining traffic in Los Angeles, rain in Seattle and there are plenty of opportunities for the NYC subway. These examples are all harmless, even humorous, locally relevant and make TidyCats' point that #lifestinks.Don't Trash the the… -
Instagram's Android Launch Complete's the Picture for Brands
4 Apr 2012 | 5:37 amWith 1 million downloads made in the first 24 hours of its release, Instagram's long-awaited Android app has clearly been well-received.The Android release was a bit of a tidal wave as you can only access the platform via its mobile app or using your app login to use web-based options that tap into the Instagram API.More users mean more potential for your audience being on the platform. So here's a quick recap of Instacontent, from here and elsewhere, to help users get their sea legs with an app that's gotten a serious second-wind. Watch How Brands Do: There are a variety of brands with an… -
Hunger Games' Social Media Lesson? The Need for Real-Time (Data) and Longer Lead Time
26 Mar 2012 | 11:36 amThe word of mouth and promotional frenzy around Lionsgates' Hunger Games has been deafening. It helped the film break box office records -- before it even opened it seemed.While I may never see the movie (I'm not the target audience), one thing I'm first to admit is that I really like how the movie was marketed.According to this article in Forbes, the key to The Hunger Games' social media success can be attributed to the use of real-time input from fans and a healthy lead time to build momentum for the film."Lionsgate adopted a ongoing continuous process for improvement based upon user data…
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Other Side Group » Thoughts
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Pinterest Use Case: Live coverage of a university graduation
15 May 2012 | 11:03 amThis weekend was Graduation Weekend at Syracuse University, so our team had a few things up our sleeves for the festivities. One of them was live Pinning of Commencement. Inspired by last month’s live Pinning of a bridal show by Oscar de la Renta, we were able to capture a lot of the day’s memorable moments. While our team didn’t have as much backstage coverage as the la Renta team did, we were able to achieve the following: Used photos from many of our platforms. There were streams of photos being taken and shared on multiple platforms. We centralized them, and shared… -
Infographic of the Week: 12 things to do after you write a new blog post
11 May 2012 | 10:05 amThere’s still work to do after you get the writing done on a new blog post. Afterall, you want to get this in the hands of as many people as possible, right? Divvy HQ (by way of Ragan Communications) provide us with a quick checklist of to-dos to get through before publishing blog posts. -
Stats to think about when putting together a great tweet
7 May 2012 | 1:50 pmI was plowing through the May issue of Harvard Business Review and came across some good statistics on Twitter that can help us all make better tweets. The full article is worth a read (it’s a quick one, so why not!), here are a few highlights: New Twitter accounts are being added at a rate of 11 per second! (Significance: This stat actually has nothing to do with improving your tweets, but was pretty significant anyway, and demonstrates the increasing need to provide value on the platform) 36% of tweets are “Worth Reading.” (Significance: We all can do better) Random… -
How to generate revenue from blogging and content marketing [Infographic of the Week] #infographic
1 May 2012 | 5:05 amWe do a ton of writing around here for clients – blogging, eBooks, white papers, press releases, etc – and we know the value it brings, both tangible and intangible. But it’s nice to put some numbers behind content marketing, which includes not only writing, but video, photos and other types of rich media. A few numbers, not to be ignored: Companies that blog get up to 55% more traffic They also get up to 97% more inbound links (which search engines like!) They can get up to 434% more indexed pages in search engines Blogging companies get up to 25x times more business leads… -
Infographic of the Week: Social Networking Bill of Rights #infographic
27 Apr 2012 | 10:52 amI don’t know about you, but we’ve been hearing a lot more about privacy and legal issues when it comes to personal social media accounts and employers. Check out the infographic below for some insight: Via: Online Background Check Resource
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Internet Marketing for Business - Jim Kukral - Small Business Web Consultant
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How To Write A Best-Selling Book Training
15 May 2012 | 10:25 amThe Great Big Publishing Lie… When I wrote my first book for a big name publishing house, I foolishly believed that the book would sell tons of copies and I’d see my book featured in bookstores all around the world. I also believed that my publisher would market my book for me and help me make it a best-seller. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that that’s not how the book business works for the majority of new authors. More importantly, I learned the most valuable lesson that I never expected. You don’t write a business or industry book to sell millions of copies. You write it to… -
Don’t Fall Into The Trap
17 Apr 2012 | 10:44 amThe trap of trying to emulate other people’s successes. The trap of spending so much time looking at what others have done that you don’t do anything on your own. Otherwise known as paralysis by analysis. The trap of changing YOUR brilliant idea because you saw someone else do it differently successfully. I’ve written about this before in my post here. There’s a severe disadvantage when you have too much influence. Sure, having smart and successful people around you is VERY important. However, when you begin to let their influence overwhelm your gut ideas and thoughts and… -
I’m Not Super Rich Because…
16 Apr 2012 | 11:35 amBecause I refuse to lie to people. I’m not going to create a product that promises you can make your book a “best-seller” and you can make millions from it, because you probably won’t/can’t. Very few authors will be able to do that. But there are twenty “gurus” behind me who will sell you that rubbish. Most of us will have amazing levels of success and do very well with our books, but we’re not going to be the next huge overnight success story. Because I refuse to lie and tell you that you can make money overnight. I will not create a… -
All My Books Free Today Only (April 12, 2012)
12 Apr 2012 | 3:19 amAll of my books are free today only. Grab a copy of each one for your Kindle or Kindle app here. So far my books have been downloaded over 30,000 times on Amazon. Please enjoy, and consider writing a review on Amazon when you’re done? Also, go ahead and share this post via Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or any other way you wish. Thank you. Note: You DO NOT have to have a Kindle to view the books. Did you know you can download a Kindle app for free on your phone, or iPad, or even your Mac or PC. Yep, free! You could be reading books in minutes. -
Free Book Marketing Training Videos
9 Apr 2012 | 10:17 amEver wanted to write and market a book? As I said in my guest post, The Secret to Overnight Book Marketing Success, it’s not that easy. Having overnight success of your book would be like winning the lottery; the odds aren’t great to say the least. Just like in life and in business, there are a very few select group of people who “hit the winning ticket” by accident or luck. As I wrote in my book Business Around a Lifestyle, Volume 1, “Some people are born into money and success. Some just get lucky. The rest of us, well, we all have to work to get where we want…
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She-conomy
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Do Women Talk Themselves Out of a Job?
27 Apr 2012 | 9:03 amI talk a great deal about how few women there are in certain professional roles and how this affects marketing. For instance only 3% of creative directors at US ad agencies are women, resulting in advertising that does not communicate effectively with the female audience. And with only 25% of IT jobs being held by women we can only assume that the digital world is heading down the same path. But Tara Mohr, author of “10 Rules for Brilliant Women,” suggests that women could be partly responsible for the low numbers, simply due to the way we talk. Mohr recently appeared on two… -
Fewer Women in Tech Impacts Marketing to Women
5 Apr 2012 | 11:20 pmAs the world rapidly becomes more and more digital, the technology will continue to define products and services as well has how they are marketed. The low number of females being involved as leaders or during the conceptual and developmental processes will surely result in delivering less marketable products and services for women. And similar to the disproportionate number of female creative directors within the advertising industry, this will impair connecting effectively with the very powerful and viable female audience. Although 3 of the 10 best-paying jobs for women are in the tech… -
When Marketing to Women, Citibank® Climbs to the Top
23 Mar 2012 | 6:58 amI love this rock climbing Citibank commercial! But every time I watched it, I kept wondering: Is it REAL?, and WHO in the world is singing that song? So, I finally looked it up. Yes, it is real. It’s filmed on a rock called “Ancient Art.” Located just outside of Moab, Utah, the single rock formation is shaped from hundreds of years of wind blowing sand across and around the spire in the desert. The commercial features two real-life professional climbers: Katie Brown and Alex Honnold. They are not “actors” nor “stunt” people. They’re both accomplished in the sport of… -
Guys, When Marketing to the Female, Don’t Dumb it Down for Women, Man Up For Men
20 Mar 2012 | 9:13 amKathy Oneto, Vice President of Brand Strategy at Anthem Worldwide will be speaking at the M2W (Marketing to Women) Conference in Chicago in late April. You do not want to miss it. She will be presenting findings from a study recently conducted by Anthem about: Marketing to the True Motivations of 3 Genrations of Women Below is one of the thought provoking papers she has drafted from the findings, titled “Who’s ‘Manning’ the House: Bridging the Gender Divide,” that she was willing to share exclusivly with us. In it Kathy explores the possibility that to solve… -
Marketers, 80 Percent of Pinterest Users Are Female. Is Your Brand There?
15 Mar 2012 | 1:21 amPinterest, the incredibly popular online bulletin board/scrapbook/inspiration organizer now has more than 11 million unique monthly users. And according to recent numbers from Internet-monitoring firm comScore, it has more than doubled its audience over the past six months. So, who’s using it? You guessed it. WOMEN. Eighty percent of Pinterest users are female and they are spending more time on there than Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ combined. The rapid growth can certainly be attributed somewhat to a higher acceptance of social networks now. But keep in mind, there are thousands of…
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the i.d.e.a. brand
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Lessons Brands can Learn from Mobile Apps and Gaming
14 May 2012 | 4:17 pmDon’t we all just want to be entertained? Might just be the reason both mobile apps and social engagement continue to grow like crazy. Chew on these stats: Angry Birds has hit one billion downloads, increasing Rovio’s revenues more than ten fold in 2011, soaring to $106 million Sales in the mobile phone/tablet gaming market in the U.S. more than doubled between 2005 and 2010 reaching $898 million, and according to Mintel are expected to reach $1.6 billion by 2015 Although ... -
Are You Answering Your Customer’s Questions?
11 May 2012 | 4:30 amEvery year I return from the PRSA Counselors Academy Spring Conference all fired up with inspiration and new ideas. This year is no different. I need to tell you about Marcus Sheridan. Right now. Marcus, aka The Sales Lion, sells pools (well not that much anymore, but that was, and on some level still is, his business), but I would wager he knows more about content marketing than 75% of the people taking up space at agencies across the country. ... -
HangTen #281: Kick-off May With Movement
8 May 2012 | 11:02 am‘Keeping our toes on the nose of refreshingly current trends, ideas and guerrilla tactics.’ To advance, progress, prompt, arouse, excite. These are just a few of the many definitions for the word “move,” the verb noticeably in the minds of marketers this month. This week we’ve noticed brands spark movement emotionally and others have taken a more physical approach. Get moved, moving, or move someone, it’s our challenge for you this month. 10 Must Text While Driving? We have all ... -
The Power of Children in Video
28 Apr 2012 | 2:57 pmHave you heard of Kony 2012? Of course you have. What about Caine’s Arcade? Or Niños Incómodos? These three videos have each hit a nerve resulting in strong viewership, pass along value and media coverage. What is the thread that binds these videos? Children. Each video had a very different goal but ultimately tapped into a common global reaction to the concept of hope. It is human nature to hope for the future of our children. Perhaps mixed with that ... -
HangTen #280: Harnessing Happiness
26 Apr 2012 | 2:25 pm‘Keeping our toes on the nose of refreshingly current trends, ideas and guerrilla tactics.’ Whether in the form of subtle contentment or intense joy, we all demand a daily dose of happiness to maintain our sanity and achieve optimum health. Luckily, a number of businesses, brands and bosses are catching on and chipping in on our quests. They’re tackling the problems and shortcomings that often hinder, and or squash, our state of happiness. Check out the epic office morale boosting ...
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Posts about Social Media from the Econsultancy blog
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18m UK consumers have used social media for customer service
16 May 2012 | 3:17 amMore than a third of UK consumers (36%) have engaged with brands through social media, according to a survey from Fishburn Hedges. This has doubled from 19% since August 2011 and equates to around 18m people. The increased interaction appears to be driven by the widespread belief among respondents (40%) that social media improves customer service, compared to only 7% who feared it would harm service. In fact 68% of those who have engaged with brands through social media believe that it “allowed them to find their voice.”More than two-thirds (65%) also believe that it is a better… -
GM ditching paid Facebook ads: report
16 May 2012 | 1:11 amFacebook apparently hasn't experienced any problems convincing investors to put their money into its IPO, but while the social network focuses its attention on Wall Street, it might do well to pay more attention to a nearby street: Madison Avenue.That's because, according to a Wall Street Journal report, GM, the world's largest car maker, apparently isn't hot on Facebook's paid ads.In fact, it's so unimpressed that the Wall Street Journal's sources say that the once-troubled automaker "plans to stop advertising on Facebook after the company's marketing executives determined their paid ads had… -
Twitter hits 10m UK users, 80% use mobile
15 May 2012 | 12:42 pmFacebook may be the subject of all of the headlines with its public debut looming this Friday, but another major player in the social networking space is reminding the world that it's still growing too. Twitter, which has built a company that one day might go public too on the back of 140 character messages, has waived its hands in the air by announcing that it has surpassed 140m users worldwide.As reported by The Guardian, 10m of those users are in the UK. That's good enough to make the UK Twitter's fourth largest audience behind the US, Brazil and Japan, and explains why the company has a… -
Facebook's vulnerability could make it the most interesting IPO ever
15 May 2012 | 8:24 amIn what may be the most anticipated IPO ever, Facebook, will go public this Friday. Mark Zuckerberg, the hoodie-wearing 28 year-old CEO of the world's largest social network won't be in New York to ring the NASDAQ opening bell. Instead, he'll be at his company's Menlo Park headquarters ringing it in virtually.When Facebook goes public on Friday, it will be selling 50.6m shares more than it originally planned to, and at $34 to $38 per share, the company's stock will debut in a higher-than-anticipated price range. All told, Facebook could raise nearly $15bn in its offering and hit the… -
Start Me Up! A profile of Achoo
15 May 2012 | 5:06 amAchoo is a social network which allows its users to brag about their achievements and build up a profile which will help attract future employers. The site was launched by Andrus Purde, and I've been asking him about Achoo, its business model, the challenges of launching, and his future plans. In one sentence, what is Achoo? A professional social network where marketers and other professionals can build their network, share their accomplishments and find new opportunities. What problems does Achoo solve? The traditional résumé and services built around it,…
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TechCrunch
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Viacom Gives Up Fight Against Time Warner Cable, Adds Channels to TWC iPad App
16 May 2012 | 12:35 pmCustomers of Time Warner Cable have some reason to rejoice today, as the cable company has gotten the go-ahead to add channels like MTV, VH1, and Comedy Central to its live streaming iPad app. The addition comes after the channels’ owner Viacom has settled its differences and resolved litigation with Time Warner Cable. The legal fight erupted last year, after Time Warner Cable released its iPad app, which lets subscribers stream live shows to tablets inside their homes. While many networks grumbled about the app, Viacom was most vocal in rejecting the app, taking its distribution… -
How Many Daily Downloads Does It Take To Reach The Top Of The App Store?
16 May 2012 | 12:01 pmIt’s hard to underestimate how important ranking in Apple’s top 25 in the iTunes store is for mobile app developers. After all, the top 25 is probably the single most important app discovery mechanism for most iOS users. But how many downloads does it take to rank in the top 25? Mobile app store analytics firm Distimo today published some interesting data that answers just this question. Turns out, in the U.S. store, the answer currently is about 38,400 daily downloads for free iPhone apps and 3,530 for paid iPhone apps. To rank in the top 25 per category, of course, takes… -
Third Pivot’s The Charm? Events Site Ravn Becomes Flash Sales Site Touch Of Modern
16 May 2012 | 11:34 amNo one ever called a limit on the number pivots a company can do, right? So here’s the latest at a company we’ve been watching for a while now. RAVN, an event planning and sharing app that itself was the product of a pivot from the developers behind “experiences marketplace” Skyara, has sent a letter out to its users telling them that the app is getting shut down at the end of this month. In RAVN’s place, the founders are starting up yet another business — their third — also loosely based around events but with a decidedly more commercial bent: a… -
This Won’t End Well: Toyota Connects With Nintendo DS For In-Car Navigation Interface
16 May 2012 | 11:31 amFor some inexplicable reason, Nintendo and Toyota have teamed up to turn the Nintendo DS into a navigational remote control, thereby allowing drivers (although I hope passengers do most of the fiddling) to set their routes using their game consoles. The service, called Kuruma de DS lets you see map and destination info as well as tour information as you drive through town. The service slightly gamifies the experience by adding a POI saving option. The compatible Toyota Smart Navi system costs about $3,000 while the game itself costs $92 – quite a bit of cash to simulate the map screens… -
Forrester: 32.1 Million U.S. Households Now Access Online Video On Their TVs
16 May 2012 | 11:04 amAlmost 115 million households in the U.S. currently own at least one TV set and 36 million own four or more. That’s a huge market and as Apple, Google and Microsoft try to wrestle more of this business away from the traditional content and hardware players, the old-school cable and satellite providers now suddenly have to content with this new group of challengers that, until now, barely registered on their radars. According to Forrester analyst James McQuivey, it’s Microsoft that’s winning this platform war so far. Why? Microsoft, MCquivey argues, currently has a massive…
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Big Marketing For Small Business
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4 Simple Ways to Supercharge Your Content Marketing
16 May 2012 | 10:07 amContent marketing has changed drastically over the last few years. In the early days of content marketing, you could get away with creating off-the-cuff content. Today, there’s a lot of competition and it’s important that your content stands out. Here are four simple ways to supercharge your content marketing efforts. 1. Develop a Comprehensive Strategy for Long-term Success Without a comprehensive plan your content marketing efforts are doomed to failure. Beyond doing the necessary keyword research it’s important to think about the style and tone of your content. Will it be serious… -
SEO 101: The Do’s and Don’ts of Search Engine Optimization
11 May 2012 | 12:41 pmSearch engine optimization, also known as SEO is a volatile industry. Google changes can come at any moment and some are worse than others. It doesn’t help they name their updates after cute animals like pandas and penguins (honestly who doesn’t like to see a cute panda?). Anyway, I digress, SEO might be a roller coaster, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t do’s and don’ts you can live by. Do—Stay Current on Industry News No matter if you have been doing SEO since the beginning of it’s inception, or just started today, you have to stay current on new trends. Google is fickle, and… -
7 Free Ways to Market a New Small Business
9 May 2012 | 9:00 amFor obvious reasons, all new small businesses need to do what they can to market themselves. Not every owner can afford to utilize the best marketing and advertising tactics though. These services and strategies can cost quite a lot of money to employ in the long run. Too many businesses overstretch their budget trying to roll out a huge campaign and wind up suffering financially. With that in mind, there are various free methods that can be employed at any time. 1. Harnessing the Power of Social Media Perhaps the best option is starting a few social media accounts on sites like Twitter and… -
Common Small Business Mistakes Made Online
9 Apr 2012 | 1:39 pmIn the online world, it is far too easy to make a mistake and have it available for countless eyes to see. While most businesses might think accidentally sending an email to the wrong recipient or posting something questionable on a social network are going to be the biggest faults to avoid, there are other mistakes businesses make online that make them look unprofessional, or even foolish. The following are some examples of mistakes businesses, especially new business owners, make online and how to avoid them. Email Addresses Not on the Company’s Domain If you have a website up and… -
Remarketing Increases Paid Advertising Conversion
2 Apr 2012 | 11:04 amWhen small firms think about paid advertising online, 99.9% of them think about one thing: Google AdWords. Not to speak negatively of this venerable platform, but AdWords isn’t always (or even often) the answer: It takes a substantial monthly ad budget to generate enough conversions to move the dial. In some niches, keywords are too expensive for small firms to compete. In other niches, search volume is too low to generate ROI. If you’re looking for an advertising model with a higher probability of success, look to one of the best-kept secrets in Internet marketing: Remarketing. How…
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Brian Solis
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The Fallacy of Information Overload
15 May 2012 | 6:50 amSome of you know me through my work in studying how social media and disruptive technology impact business and culture. Others have worked with me in translating insights into action and change within the enterprise. Every now and then, I share another side of myself that evokes the aspiring social scientist in me as I explore how all of this is affecting us as individuals and human beings. Not a day goes by when I’m not asked about whether or not the social media bubble will finally burst. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Foursquare, Pinterest, this all has to be too much right? More… -
Music, Film, TV: How social media changed the entertainment experience
10 May 2012 | 7:56 amSocial media is more than a digital water cooler for TV and movies. The global conversation that takes place around events and the experiences people share based on what they watch teaches us about consumer preferences. More importantly, their activity influences behavior. Behavior counts for everything. Studying it is just the beginning of course. In order to understand and eventually steer behavior, we must translate activity into insights and in turn, translate insights into actionable strategies and programs. The Hollywood Reporter recently published an exclusive poll about social media… -
The future of TV is more than social, it’s a multi-screen experience that needs design
7 May 2012 | 11:19 amThe future of television is much more than social; much in the same way that the future of media is too, more than social. Social is a fabric; it connects the individual nodes that make up the human network. But, social however, is not a means to an end. And, as such, the same is true about the working theories driving Social TV. Understanding the role social plays in how viewers connect with programs and other people is essential to defining the future of television. Over the years, I’ve written much about my vision for the long overdue convergence of not only web and TV, but also how the… -
The Path from a Social Brand to a Social Business
2 May 2012 | 9:17 amI’ve been a long-time supporter of MediaTemple’s (MT)Residence program along with Gary Vaynerchuk, Neil Patel, and many others whom I respect. I wanted to share my “7 questions to answer to become a social business” with you here.. Social Media is pervasive and is becoming the new normal in corporate marketing. Brands who get this right are starting to build their own media networks rich with customer connections numbering in the millions. Right now, Coca-Cola has over 34 million fans on Facebook, but they’re hardly alone. Disney follows just behind with 29 million… -
Do Customers Really Matter to Your Business? Prove it.
30 Apr 2012 | 8:21 amFrank Eliason and I have known each other for many years. We’ve shared the stage on many occasions, he’s made an appearance on Revolution, and most importantly, I’m proud to call him a personal friend. Frank has championed the adaption and transformation of customer service during his time at Comcast and at CITI. Never one to shy away from sharing his opinions, he’s certainly bullish on where service needs to be as a function and a philosophy versus where it is today. In fact, he’s gone so far as to call out social media customer service as being a…
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Being Peter Kim
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Sharing "Social Business By Design" #SBBD
1 May 2012 | 5:01 amToday is the official publication date of Social Business By Design. It's been a whirlwind three-year journey from the original blog post that introduced the world to "social business" to a full book describing how to make strategy and tactics succeed. If you're starting on your social business journey, this book will provide you with a roadmap explaining the whys and hows. Last week, Dion explained why we wrote the book and outlined its key features. If you're a seasoned social business practitioner, you'll find value in the frameworks, outlines, and visual thinking. As one early…
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Advertising Lab
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A Cheat Code in Halo 4 Box Art Puzzle
15 May 2012 | 4:00 pmMicrosoft unveiled the box art for the upcoming Halo 4 game by emailing Xbox community members one of the 32 pieces of puzzle that when assembled together reveal the image. The puzzle was cracked in about an hour, probably helped by the fact that the remaining 31 pieces could be seen by changing the last two digits of the image URL before the ".jpg" part, a fact that wasn't lost on the fans: http://image.engage.xbox.com/lib/feca167070610c7c/m/4/12993-H4_02.jpg -
Google's Screenwise Project Listens To TV Habits
10 May 2012 | 11:30 pmGoogle's Screenwise research project announced back in February is designed to collect data on more than just Internet behavior. In addition to custom wireless routers that gather information on participants' browsing and downloading habits, the recently mailed recruiting brochure describes a device "a little bigger than a smartphone" called Screenwise TV Tab. TV Tab "captures audio signals that enables the study to identify which TV programs are being viewed." The information TV Tab collects includes: Identity of person logging into the Screenwise TV Tab Timestamps indicating time of log-in… -
In Case of Emergency, Eat This Book
10 May 2012 | 11:13 amLand Rover in the United Arab Emirates printed 5,000 edible copies of a desert survival guide. Twenty-eight pages of potato-based starch paper have a slightly sugary taste from the glycerin-based ink and are bound by a spiral that can be used as skewers. The book comes in a reflective cover that can be used to send help signals. -- Y&R Dubai; thank you, Guillaume -
Pinnable Ads
8 May 2012 | 12:11 amSaw this page on AdKeeper, the company that is trying to make online advertising bookmarkable. This could be an interesting way for Pinterest itself to make money: becoming a network for ads that people will want to hold on to. Won't be a huge stretch for them, most of the pins are already very ad like. You will easily find pins for a book, iPhone app, music, movie posters and trailers, and even payday loans. And I already see people pinning coupons. Here's one from Jiffy Lube someone has pinned after filing out a satisfaction survey. -
Do People Hear Ads When They Are In a Coma?
27 Apr 2012 | 3:44 pm"...when they run to the bathroom" is what I meant to ask. In case you are wondering, some studies show that people in a coma can hear.
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Marketing & Strategy Innovation Blog
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The Cleanweb: Green Energy Meets Moore's Law
16 May 2012 | 9:18 amBy embracing new Web and mobile technologies, green energy companies are creating a new Cleanweb movement in which formerly expensive alternative energy sources - such as solar power - are suddenly accessible to the masses at a significantly lower price point. Think of the Cleanweb as what happens when green energy meets Moore's Law. read more -
The Science of Social Media ROI
16 May 2012 | 9:16 amLast week I presented at a webinar as part of a series looking at the science of social, focusing on social media ROI and demystifying the confusion that surround it. The problem with social media ROI is that it is so easy to measure so many things that we become overwhelmed by measures. We think that everything is important and that everything is a measure of ROI. It isn’t. And it isn’t. Followers and Likes do not make ROI; moreover they stop us from thinking about the bigger business benefit of social.read more -
Is Eliminating the Bargaining Power of Customers More Important Than Working On the Customer Experience?
16 May 2012 | 9:12 amListening to the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson I am left with the impression that nothing was more important to Steve Jobs then using technology to produce great products that delivered a great user experience. Good enough was good enough, even great, for many in the computer industry. Only insanely great was good enough for Steve Jobs. Anything less was simply not good enough, it was not ‘art’ and not ‘worthy of artists”; great artists don’t want to put their names on good enough art. read more -
Apple Loses A Customer
16 May 2012 | 9:06 amI know I’m dim, and I know that customers suffer glitches with every tech brand so my complaint isn’t news. But I want to explore it in the broader scheme of brand integrity and business strategy. read more -
Video Interview: Social Media at Orange in a Nutshell
16 May 2012 | 3:08 amI prepared this series of video interviews in order to prepare myself for the Ronewmedia conference in Bucharest, Romania. In those 3 interviews, I describe what I do at Orange,our philosophy and where we think the wold of Corporate social media is going.read more
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PR-Squared - Social Media Marketing and Public Relations
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Seven Principles of Content Marketing
14 May 2012 | 11:20 amNow that we’ve all agreed that “Content is King (Again),” and Content Marketing is all the rage, maybe it is time to think about some easy-to-follow tenets. Let’s keep this simple. Follow a 70/30 Rule – 70% of content curated, 30% branded. Why? Because the rest-of-the-world is at least 70% more interesting than your brand; and, promoting external content builds social capital, makes grateful fans of influencers. All content should be SHAREWORTHY. Don’t publish junk. Better to be quiet than to queer the signal-to-noise ratio. All content should benefit… -
Seriously, This Is Gonna Be Cool: The Corporate Social Media Summit
4 May 2012 | 7:05 amNext month I’ll be moderating a panel at the Corporate Social Media Summit, which is being held June 13-14 at the New Yorker Hotel in NYC. It’s gonna be a great time, with an impressive list of corporate attendees, including SHIFT clients such as McDonalds and H&R Block, among many others (Whole Foods! Dell! Lego! Mercedes!). I’ll be moderating the panel on “Reputation preservation and enhancement: Use social media to maximize the impact of your brand.” I’ll be joined by McDonald’s Heather Oldani, Director of U.S. -
Never Give Up, Never Surrender!
29 Apr 2012 | 5:22 am -
SHIFT Communications Named Digital/Social Agency of the Year
24 Apr 2012 | 9:00 amShameless self promotion time. Hang on. Wow, wow, wow. We are busting at the seams over here. Today the Holmes Group named SHIFT Communications the 2012 Digital/Social Agency of the Year – with “honorable mentions” in the category going to behemoths like Edelman, Ogilvy and Weber Shandwick. This marks the 3rd time in the last few years that SHIFT has nabbed “agency of the year” honors. We were the “Agency of the Year” according to the American Business Awards, and the “New Media Agency of the Year” (again via Holmes) back in 2008. Both times we were psyched. But this… -
What’s Old is New Again: Earned Media Can Be Your Hub
23 Apr 2012 | 6:17 amI was catching up with a former client recently. We launched their company a coupla years ago, and by almost any measure, it is now considered a hot commodity. They have tons of social media fans, lots of inbound media requests, do a lot of great content marketing, etc. We originally parted ways, very amicably, because they had reached a degree of success that no longer warranted as much proactive effort (and, being a startup, they were wisely watching their burn rate). During our catch-up session, this company representative described a newfound fever within the company to get more…
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Marketing Technology Blog
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Infographic: Evolution of Marketing Automation
16 May 2012 | 4:49 amThis year there’s been a virtual explosion in the marketing automation industry. Where marketing automation systems used to only be affordable to large enterprise, required many resources to implement and manage, and were complex to use… today’s marketing automation systems are simple, elegant, and optimized for companies both large and small. Our Marketing Automation sponsors at Right On Interactive have been helping us understand the industry, the benefits and the incredible changes that are occurring. Ifbyphone is a leader in voice-based marketing automation. Systems like… -
Michael Brito of Edelman Digital on MTB Radio
15 May 2012 | 7:15 pmWe are happy to announce that we will be having Michael Brito of Edelman Digital on the Marketing Tech Blog Radio Show this Friday, May 18, at 3 p.m. EST. On the show, we will be discussing the differences between social brand and social business, the value of social business, and the differences and similarities between advocates and influencers. Michael works for Edelman Digital as the Senior Vice President of Social Business Planning. Basically, he helps clients transform their organizations to be more open, collaborative and socially proficient; with the end result of creating shared… -
MTB Save 10% on Blog World New York 2012
15 May 2012 | 5:42 pmBlogWorld offers Bloggers, Podcasters, Internet Radio and TV Broadcasters, Businesses & Entrepreneurs more New Media Education, Networking and Business Opportunities in one place than any other single event. With 200+ Speakers, 3 Days of Education and a Tradeshow Exploding with New Media Innovations, this is one of my favorite conferences in the industry. Save an additional 10% NOW on your Early Bird Blog World New York 2012 registration with the code “BWAPVIP10“! Register now to save! This offer expires on 5/20/2012. Content Creation: Learn how to create Blogs, Podcasts and… -
Eyequant: Heatmapping on the Fly
15 May 2012 | 1:24 pmEyeQuant is a predictive eye-tracking model that specifically looks at what users see on a page within the first 3-5 seconds. The idea is simple: within 5 seconds a user should be able to see who you are, what your value proposition is, and what to do next. EyeQuant allows for optimizing the design of a page to ensure this is the case. Here are the free results of our EyeQuant demo… I’m quite happy with where the attention is being placed on our home page! What separates EyeQuant from other services is the fact that it just takes a few minutes to get the results. The results also… -
18 Must-Know Inbound Marketing Experts
14 May 2012 | 5:55 pmColleague Dave Morse of Delta Faucet passed on a congratulations to me today for making a list of 18 Must-Know Inbound Marketing Experts in Marketo’s Whitepaper: Amplify Your Impact: How to Multiply the Effects of Your Inbound Marketing Program. Wow – that’s quite an honor… especially having my name alongside this list of amazingly talented marketers: Michael Brito – Follow @Britopian Paul Gillin – Follow @pgillin Adam Metz – Follow @theMetz Ann Handley – Follow @MarketingProfs C.C. Chapman – Follow @cc_chapman Chris Brogan – Follow…
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The LEADSExplorer Blog: Lead generation - Website visitors - CRM - B2B
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The Boom and the Bust Salesmen
14 May 2012 | 11:13 amWhen there is more demand than available then the seller can set the pricing. When there is more on offer than demand then the customer can set the pricing if he really needs it. The Boom Salesmen Some salesmen start out in the business when there is more demand than available which gives them a bad attitude for their further business life as they are not used to negotiate on the service and pricing. This is typical for boom years where people get big commissions hardly without any effort or reason. They will become big spenders as the money is too easily earned. Due to the fact it is that… -
Just like a pop star salesmen need to reinvent themselves
10 May 2012 | 11:47 amPopstars Madonna has sustained her music stardom and success for over 25 years by reinventing herself. Most pop stars are one day hit wonders or have maximal 2 or 3 hits. Then their success, fame and income fade away. Taste, culture and demand have changed and so does the success of most pop stars. Taste, culture and demand are changing continuously. Changes in society and business As a successful salesman you believe your sales skills will last for ever as you can turn anything into gold while being successful. However times, culture, attitudes and demand are changing too in business. -
Why Trade Show Freebies and Giveaways are a Waste
6 May 2012 | 10:48 amTypes of Freebies and Giveaways Whenever visiting a business trade show, you easily can have enough pencils for the next 6 months which you collect from the desks of the booths. At the same time you end up with several freebies which are given after a conversation with a sales rep on the booth. These are in most cases toys and in a few exceptional cases really useful products. There are four types of freebies: - Office supplies: pens, calendars, clocks, mouse pads, mugs, etc. - Apparel: T-shirts, baseball caps, golf shirts, socks, etc. - Fun stuff: toys, games, gag gifts, electronics, etc. -… -
Stop Selling or Pitching – Start Serving
3 May 2012 | 10:48 amSales techniques During the last century many selling techniques and methods have been developed like Feature-Advantage-Benefit Selling, Spin-Selling, Hard-Selling, Soft-Selling, Up-Selling, Consultative Selling, … Nowadays people have had it with all these sales methods as they don’t want to be sold or pitched. Instead they need a solution for their problem which is the main thing they are interested in and will remember afterwards. Listen instead of selling Instead of selling or pitching you should be adding value for the customer. In the end the customer needs to sell… -
Business during Third World War of Debt
1 May 2012 | 12:36 pmThe War on Debt Throughout history wars have been about power and resources. In all previous wars physical or even chemical weapons have been used. Currently the weapon used for the current Third World War is debt. Countries (bonds, funds and loans), companies (loans and bonds) and people (mortgages and credit) rely upon loans and most are heavily indebted. This debt has strangled growth and prosperity for both people and companies as austerity seems to become the new rule. The good thing about this Third World War is that no blood is being shed and no people are being killed physically.
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60 Second Marketer | @AskJamieTurner
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Know Your Mobile Audience
16 May 2012 | 12:00 amThink you've got your mobile audience covered with an Apple-focused strategy? Think again - a majority of users are on Android devices. By now, you’ve probably seen the MorganStanley graphic that shows mobile Internet users surpassing desktop users by 2014. The mobile train has arrived and it’s blowing right through the station, but how much do you actually know about your growing mobile audience? When it comes to mobile research, one can easily blink and miss the double-digit growth trend of the day. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some current research to get a… -
10 Essential Tips You Can Use to Convert More of Your Visitors into Customers
9 May 2012 | 12:57 amOnline business is all about conversion. Naturally, if your conversion rate is low, it makes no difference how high you’re ranked on Google. Ultimately, your success or failure will be determined by your conversion rate, which means you should focus as much energy on converting your traffic as you do on getting the traffic to your site in the first place. Here are some simple techniques that can help you improve your conversion rate. 1. Build trust through quick response You may have your email address and your phone number listed on your website, but how quickly do you respond to an… -
8 DIY Services for Building a Website on a Budget
8 May 2012 | 12:47 amYour company’s online presence begins and ends with your website. However, hiring a design company can be expensive. Fortunately, with do-it-yourself options, it is easier than ever to create a high-impact website without breaking the bank. Squarespace is just one of many web development tools that can be used to build a website on a budget. Check out these 8 services to help you create your website at little to no cost: Squarespace: Squarespace has subscription prices ranging from $12 to $36 per month with accounts including hosting, the Squarespace content management system, the… -
How to Run a Social Media Contest for Your Business
3 May 2012 | 12:40 amLooking for a relatively non-laborious and inexpensive tactic to grow your brand and your sales online? Consider the phenomenon of social media contests. They can be an effective strategy for increasing followers on social media sites. However, if not done correctly and under the right circumstances, these new followers are less likely to engage with the page again. Here are 4 tips to help ensure that doesn’t happen: Set a clearly defined goal that doesn’t involve simply increasing the number of your followers. A more efficient approach is to take your actual ROI into account in terms of… -
10 Mobile Apps You Can Use to Improve Your Productivity
2 May 2012 | 12:38 amSmartphones and tablets have changed the way that we do business. Not only do they provide real-time access to common Internet functions like email and web browsing, they can also provide access to important documents and other files via cloud-based storage providers. In fact, it’s becoming increasingly easy to do business using only your mobile devices. Given that, here are some of the best mobile apps for business on the market today: Dropbox. In the past year or so, online storage solutions have boomed. These solutions allow you to access files anywhere, any time. Leading the pack…
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Marketing and Public Relations
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How to Design Internet Newsletters
9 May 2012 | 4:21 pmInternet newsletters are simple to set up and make it easy for you to stay in contact with your internet followers. -
Inside Keyword Research-An Efficient Approach for Maximum Results
24 Apr 2012 | 1:37 amKeyword research can be time-consuming, when all you want to do is create! using with free tools, and multi-faceted research, you can boost productivity. -
Creating a Green Marketing and Eco-Friendly Business Strategy
19 Apr 2012 | 11:18 amSustainable business practices combined with a green marketing focus can be an effective way to attract customers seeking environmentally friendly products. -
Improve Your Business through Marketing, PR and Events
10 Apr 2012 | 6:33 pmThis article provides an overview of the importance of marketing your business to increase revenue and stimulate growth. -
Marketing Strategies to keep Clients in your Circle
8 Apr 2012 | 3:01 pmIt is important to have marketing strategies that keep potential clients consistently thinking about your business.
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About.com Marketing
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Rebate Marketing Program: Still a Valid Marketing Method?
12 May 2012 | 10:00 pmI recently received a question about rebate marketing, and it reminded me that many companies still wonder if rebate marketing is a good method for attracting consumers. Question: "Laura, do companies offer smaller rebates, knowing that people won't take time to fill out the forms as opposed to the larger rebates? Also, do you think that the smaller rebates are geared towards lower income consumers, as opposed to more wealthy consumers?" - Tim...Read Full Post -
Online Branding - One of the Biggest Mistakes I See
5 May 2012 | 10:00 pmI do a lot of writing on branding from branding basics to the more advanced things like creating a brand persona. I am often surprised how many times people ...Read Full Post -
Marketing Internships - Land the One You Want
28 Apr 2012 | 10:00 pmIn a recent discussion with a friend she shared with me that her son was graduating college with a marketing degree, but had not done an internships or landed an entry-level job. She was concerned and I can understand why. In today's economy there are many experienced marketing professionals that have been laid off and are looking to reestablish their marketing career by re-entering the workforce....Read Full Post -
Why You Need a Media Plan
26 Apr 2012 | 10:00 pmA media plan is not an option, it's a necessity. It doesn't matter whether you do all of the public relations yourself or you are just part of a big organization. The biggest mistake when it comes to a media plan is that we tend to focus on internal aspects, processes and technical details. While these things are important, it's not the core of a successful media plan....Read Full Post -
Social Media Marketing - Is There a Line Between Personal and Professional?
24 Apr 2012 | 10:00 pmI'm a big proponent of social media marketing and I believe it will continue to play a large role in marketing as we continue move through the next decade. However, with that being said I also know that companies fear social media in general....Read Full Post
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Cracking the Code of Internet Marketing Strategies
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Search Engine Marketing: ROI vs. Profits
6 May 2012 | 11:20 pmIn SEM (Search Engine Marketing) ROI is a safer metric, at the end of the day, than profit. The pros of going with ROI outweigh profit in the immediacy. Profit is almost always the primary goal in the long term, but marketers have a lot more control over ROI so programs are designed around this KPI first. This is a guest post from my good friend David Chung, who used to work with me in Search Marketing and now works for Google in Korea: Everyone’s getting smarter. Everything’s getting smarter, too. I recently swapped out my Android mobile device for a traditional flip phone and it took… -
9 Keys to Increase Website Conversion Rate and Turn Visitors into Customers
20 Jul 2011 | 12:28 amIf you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you might remember a post I wrote recently called Why Attention is the New Currency Online. When I wrote it, I had been working to create a process to audit website conversions. Ultimately it turned into an article about capturing attention online because without attention there would be nobody looking at your links, images, videos and compelling content. And without people reading your content, you certainly won’t get any clicks. When people read your content online, links and clicks follow. However; you don’t want just any… -
Beyond Search: Social Customer, Social Commerce, Social Media
1 Jul 2011 | 2:15 amIt seems as if all the talk in web marketing these days center on algorithm updates, social signals, mobile and display opportunities. Marketers and brands are eager to make adjustments trying new strategies to drive sales and increase profits. I think it’s important to know the difference between a sales channel and how sales are made. Search engine marketing (SEM), search engine optimization (SEO) and social media are all channels to engage and carry out your message with prospects and customers. Simply put, the medium is not the message. It’s a venue for you to generate demand… -
Learn to Extract Marketing Insights from Data
15 Jun 2011 | 2:00 amIn working with many smart business people and analysts in the past few months, I came to appreciate the ease of accessing web analytics. Who knew that math and data would become a main revenue driving force for businesses big and small? Every business is fast becoming a data-generating machine. From upstream to downstream, data rewards us with actionable insights to make profitable decisions via controlled experiments allowing us to advance our business models. And yet, this is just the beginning as the number of people connected to the web continues to grow, so too does the vast amount of… -
A Holistic Approach to Marketing: Integrating Social, Search and People
29 Apr 2011 | 1:02 amAs the dust begins to settle on the endless possibilities of social media, marketers are gearing up for the next wave of digital growth. From Google’s report on mobile is finally making an impact on search to how social media is used by 25% of the companies worldwide, I’ve always focused on opportunities that align with business objectives. Especially if there is a win win situation for both consumers and brands. As the demand for businesses to be more transparent and social media becomes mainstream so has the technology that supports it. This is happening both in B2C (business…
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On Social Marketing and Social Change
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Social Objects: Sharing Devices of Object-Centered Sociality
13 May 2012 | 8:07 amThe most important asset you can have in a social media marketing program is something worth talking about - not a “message” to listen to, read or watch. There are no markets for messages, or to paraphrase the Introduction to the Institute of Medicine (2000, p.5-6) Promoting Health report, people in the health and social change communities have “messages” while the individuals they are targeting in communities have “lives.” Having lives means, among other things, that people are talking to each other as opposed to talking to someone else (that might mean you). Why do they choose… -
Improving Arthritis Outcomes in Communities
30 Mar 2012 | 9:39 amA recent grant announcement from the CDC seeks to "build, support, and enhance state arthritis programs to substantially expand the access, availability and use of arthritis-appropriate evidence-based interventions...Furthermore, this announcement is designed to develop and maintain partnerships focused on: intervention dissemination and implementation, policy development and implementation, communications, and coordination with other chronic disease prevention/health promotion programs to further arthritis program goals." So let me see, if we think about this as social marketers: they want… -
Reporting from the World Marketing Summit
9 Mar 2012 | 10:56 amThe 1st World Marketing Summit held in Bangladesh this past week provided a platform for sharing ideas among representatives from corporate, government and development agencies about how marketing can create a better world. Though I never received an official count, I estimate there were upwards of 3,000 marketing experts and students representing a variety of countries in Asia, the Middle East and the West. The 2 ½ day agenda was filled with over 50 presentations and more panel discussions that ranged from "Demarketing as a tool for social mobilization" to "Fostering sustainable behaviour"… -
Creating a Better World Through Marketing: The World Marketing Summit
1 Mar 2012 | 10:18 amToday I was among several thousand participants in Dhaka, Bangladesh for the first event of its kind. The World Marketing Summit brings together global leaders in marketing to discuss how marketing philosophies, approaches and insights can help discover innovative solutions to global challenges. The summit is an initiative of the marketing guru (yes, that’s how they refer to him) Phillip Kotler with the full support of the Bangladesh government. This level of support was notable by the attendance and opening speech given by Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister. The opening… -
Walmart: Marketing Foods That Are Better For You
8 Feb 2012 | 3:05 amCorporations can do responsible marketing to improve people's nutrition behaviors (or call it social marketing). Walmart announces a new point-of-choice food labeling program that will add 'Great for You' on many of its own products and at the fruit and vegetable counter; it will also be made available for free to other brands - though I would not expect a stampede to that offer. In the NYT article today, the usual suspects are herded to proclaim that "the label will only go on a fifth of their products" and "in the midst of all this clutter of competing [food labeling] systems, how helpful…
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Social Media Minute with @EHayen
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#columbiasc #iphone4s #iphonography #ignation #ig #instagram #colors #statigram #nature #flowers #trees #green #instanature #igaddict #instago #instagramhub #instagood #webstagram #igers #iphoneonly #instamood #iphonesia #tweegram #instagrammers #in
14 May 2012 | 5:25 pmTaken at iPhone 4s Posted via email from Social Media Made -
#columbiasc #iphone4s #iphonography #ignation #ig #instagram #colors #statigram #nature #flowers #trees #green #instanature #igaddict #instago #instagramhub #instagood #webstagram #igers #iphoneonly #instamood #iphonesia #tweegram #instagrammers #in
14 May 2012 | 5:25 pmTaken at iPhone 4s Posted via email from Social Media Made -
Grass: #columbiasc #iphone4s #iphonography #ignation #ig #instagram #colors #statigram #igaddict #instago #instagramhub #instagood #webstagram #igdaily #igers #iphoneonly #instamood #iphonesia #tweegram #instagrammers #photo #instahub #iphonegraphy #may #
14 May 2012 | 3:15 pmTaken at iPhone 4s Posted via email from Social Media Made -
#famouslyhot #sc #southcarolina #columbiasc #iphone4s #iphonography #ignation #ig #instagram #colors #statigram #nature #flowers #trees #green #instanature #igaddict #instago #instagramhub #instagood #webstagram #igers #iphoneonly #instamood #iphones
13 May 2012 | 6:45 pmTaken at iPhone 4s Posted via email from Social Media Made -
Love this bench my mom and stepdad put in the yard in memory o his first wife and my dad. Makes me smile. #family #dad #bench
13 May 2012 | 5:57 pmTaken at iPhone 4s Posted via email from Social Media Made
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SociableBlog
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Facebook Vs Pinterest: 5 Things We’ve Learned
16 May 2012 | 12:17 pmBoticca is an e-commerce platform who display and help sell the wears of international jewelry design trail blazers. It’s no surprise that these leaders of internet trade have slipped easily into the sphere of social media and continue to provide their designers with a well cultivated online stage on which to dance. After a short [...] -
7 Companies Using Social Media to Better Customer Service Outside the Office
15 May 2012 | 12:24 pmIt’s no secret that a lot of companies these days have gone into full-court press code when it comes to media. In fact, just about every company with wide brand recognition has a social media presence of some sort, whether it’s Taco Bell’s goofy Twitter presence or Nike pushing shareable videos online. But what many [...] -
14 Ways Social Media May Soon Change Your Doctor’s Visit
15 May 2012 | 7:50 amIn 2006, Pew Research Forum discovered that 80% of American adults used the Internet to research medical information. By 2011, data (separately) compiled by Frost and Sullivan and QuantiaMD showed between 87% to 90% of physicians used at least one social media site for personal reasons, with a further 67% to 75% opting for more [...] -
Calling Facebook: Why the Company Shouldn’t Make a Smartphone
15 May 2012 | 5:55 amThere are rumors, yet again, that Facebook is teaming up with HTC to make its own phone. It’s rumored that the device will have an Android design with deeply integrated Facebook features and will be released later this year. This is a bad idea for both consumers and the company. But first, let’s do some [...] -
SEO Audit Yourself Against the Google Penguin (INFOGRAPHICS)
14 May 2012 | 10:49 pmGoogle strikes again! However Good SEO practices will always ring true for those who were unaffected. Here’s a handy Audit guide you can go through and make sure the common sense SEO applies to your website: Web Browser Test See the way Google see’s your pages. Disable your java script and cookies, and test to [...]
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Social Media University, Global
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Taking (Triple) Aim with ICSI
7 May 2012 | 4:59 amI’m delighted to be working with Dr. Gary Oftedahl of the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement to present a pre-symposium workshop this afternoon. We’re going to be exploring how social media can support the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s “Triple Aim” : The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) believes that new designs can and must be developed to simultaneously accomplish three critical objectives, or what we call the “Triple Aim”: Improve the health of the population; Enhance the patient experience of care (including quality, access, and… -
A Chancellor Sabbatical
17 Mar 2012 | 8:41 pmI know the new curriculum posts have been infrequent lately, but those following my Twitter stream know the main reason: it’s basketball season, and my son Joe and nephew Tom are two of the key players on our Austin High School basketball team. They’re both juniors and both were named first-team all-conference, along with a sophomore teammate, Zach Wessels. I’ll have some posts in the coming days about how I’m applying the SMUG curriculum and the four basic food groups of social media in support of their team. But first, I want to share some news coverage about a major… -
A Revolutionary Opportunity
5 Mar 2012 | 5:25 amI received a call last November from a writer with Minnesota Monthly, the magazine Minnesota Public Radio sends to its donors, saying that its editors had been brainstorming an article idea for February’s issue and wanted to include me. The feature was to include a dozen Minnesotans they called “The Revolutionaries” and would involve a professional photo shoot, which they scheduled for December. The February issue was sent to subscribers and available on newsstands in mid-January, but the articles weren’t online until last week. Here’s the lead-in to the… -
An Aase State of Mind
2 Feb 2012 | 11:34 amThat’s the headline from this story in today’s Austin Daily Herald about basketball in my hometown, and about our family’s history (and hopefully future) of participating in Minnesota’s state high school basketball tournament. Here’s an excerpt: Austin center Joe Aase knows all about his dad Lee’s history on the basketball court. He knows he went to the state basketball tournament in 1981 with the Packers and he knows he played in the title game. Joe also knows about his sister Rebekah. He knows she played in the state basketball tournament in 2008 because he… -
Teachers Tweeting for Support and Inspiration
21 Jan 2012 | 4:29 pmToday’s Washington Post has a nice story about how teachers are using Twitter to connect with each other and get just-in-time training. Here’s an excerpt: After her first year teaching history in a public high school in the District, Jamie Josephson was exhausted and plagued by self-doubt. Teaching had been more grueling than she ever expected. Law school began to sound appealing. Then she stumbled onto Twitter. In the vast social network on the Web, she discovered a community of mentors offering inspiration, commiseration and classroom-tested lesson plans. “Twitter essentially…
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Ben Foster
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Ketchum Digital Job Listings
27 Apr 2012 | 9:11 amI love working at Ketchum, recently named Agency of the Year by PR Week. Our Digital group is hiring and you should come work for us. Ketchum Digital Job Listings Title Location User Experience/Information Architect US-NY-New York Senior Vice President-(Digital Strategist) US-NY-New York Producer US-NY-New York Digital Coordinator US-DC-Washington Web Designer US-NY-New York Search [...] -
Social Media Strategy Class Reading List
26 Sep 2011 | 2:48 pmI recently taught a class at DePaul University on Social Media Strategy to Graduate Students in Public Relations and Advertising. Below is the reading list I compiled with tech sources, interesting articles, and relevant case studies that helped guide our class discussion. Technology and Social Media Blogs Mashable ReadWriteWeb TechCrunch The Next Web AllFacebook [...] -
42 Tactics for Content – Content Toolkit Playbook by Content Management Institute
19 Aug 2011 | 9:44 amThis is a good guide written by Joe Pulizzi at Junta 42 containing 42 different tactics (with case studies) on content marketing. Sure, some of these are obvious…but what is really great about this is that it’s a list of everything in one place that you can easily use and reference. 2011 CMI [...] -
Interesting – Nicorette uses Promoted Tweets to Direct to A Facebook Page?
4 Jan 2011 | 8:58 pmWhen Twitter announced their Promoted Suite product late last year, it was easy to see how brands could use this to inject a trend into the conversation. Using a Promoted Trend on the day the DVD release of Inception to promote the BluRay version was a great example. I saw Nicorette using this Promoted Trend [...] -
Highly recommended video satire of Social Media Experts by @bajillionhits . Or maybe it’s not satire and he knows his strat.
8 Oct 2010 | 1:12 pmvia youtube.com Alex Blagg of Bajillion Hits (http://bajillionhits.biz/) is a genius. I am likely one of the people his satire is intended to highlight, and that’s cool. He is pointing out the problems with our industry and that will only serve to make the internet better in the end. I now look through every email, [...]
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Jeff Korhan
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Want to Be Luckier, Smarter, and Happier? Connect the Dots
13 May 2012 | 3:55 amWhat could happen if you made a commitment to reconnecting with just a few of your former prospects or customers every day? If your experience is anything like mine, you will get luckier, smarter, and happier. I’ve recently been building a daily habit of reaching out to at least 3 prospects or customers – all randomly chosen. What I’m discovering is simple. When you start connecting (or reconnecting) the dots of your relationships, the past, present, and future magically merge together into one productive ecosystem. And it is one that readily gets everything in your… -
Say Hi in 15 Languages
7 May 2012 | 8:52 pmOnce in a while a mobile app comes along that really delivers, and that is the reason for this recomendation about SayHi – a remarkably accurate translation app that I recently discovered. Having studied several different dialects of the Spanish language as a green industry professional, I can attest that SayHi does an excellent job of translating Spanish into traditional Castilian (textbook) Spanish. In other words, for the majority of Spanish speakers the translations with SayHi are spot on. I shared this app with my colleague in Quebec, who in turn shared it with her friends. The… -
Auspicious Occasions
6 May 2012 | 6:42 pmWhen you celebrate any occasion you feed it, giving it your full attention - and thereby capturing its most essential value. This weekend I attended the commencement ceremony for the 2012 Class of Indiana University, of which my daughter is a proud member. The commencement speaker, IU alumnus, and honorary doctorate recipient was Booker T. Jones, a four time Grammy winner and founder of the soul band Booker T and the MG’s, which recorded a hit while Booker T was still in high school. Despite his commercially successful track record as a young musician, Booker T made the decision to… -
The Crowded Bar Test
3 May 2012 | 6:37 pmThe crowded bar test is a simple method for determining the best words or phrasing to communicate an essential message – especially in distracting environments or circumstances where attention spans are short, which of course is most of the time in our fast-paced business environment. Memorable is More Important Than Meaning Whether you are launching a new venture or repositioning your business for changing market conditions, you may be wondering how to choose the right domain name for your new website. Believe it or not, the meaning attributed to your domain is less relevant than it… -
Specific Solutions are Better
26 Apr 2012 | 7:50 pmHas your company lost business to one whose solutions are inferior to yours? We have all experienced this frustration, and the truth is it is our own fault. The only reason anyone settles for a lesser solution is because they are not aware of what is better. When this happens, the problem is usually the result of your failed marketing efforts. Everyone wants the best, or at least better. Your job is to ensure your success by clearly and consistently communicating those qualities that differentiate your offerings from those that appear to be similar. And that means focusing on specifics that…
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building43
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Ask Ziggy: Phone a Friend Hands Free
16 May 2012 | 9:03 amThe Ask Ziggy app for Windows Phone 7 platform is a free program that translates human speech into transcribed text. Use Ask Ziggy to call contacts, send texts, emails and tweets, get local weather, and update your social networks. The app can also switch from female to male voice as well. “Natural language processing is a big part of this. What we try to do is take natural language, and we break it down into different parts of speech,” explains Shai Leib, Ask Ziggy founder & CEO. “The parts of speech like the nouns, the verbs, the adjectives and the different phrases that they… -
AngelPad: Building Great Startups!
8 May 2012 | 8:36 amAngelPad is a mentorship program founded by Thomas Korte with a team of ex-Google employees to help technology startups build better products, attract seed funding and grow more successful businesses. AngelPad provides founders with funding, mentorship and the chance to work alongside other great founders at the AngelPad office in San Francisco. “AngelPad is in the business of taking companies from a very early stage, anytime from idea to some prototyping, all the way through fundraising and beyond as they become part of the network of companies in AngelPad,” explains Thomas Korte,… -
Firebase: Syncing Data between Clients
7 May 2012 | 7:17 amFirebase is a cloud service that automatically synchronizes data between clients and with their cloud servers. It frees developers from worrying about how their data will be communicated and stored, and allows them to focus on their own application logic. Apps built with Firebase can be written entirely with client-side JavaScript, update in real-time out-of-the-box, are inherently scalable, and interoperate well with existing services. “Firebase is a scalable real-time backend. What that means in layman terms is it’s like Dropbox for your applications data. It really let you build great… -
BoostCTR: Improving Online Ad Copy
7 May 2012 | 6:25 amBoostCTR powers leading advertisers and agencies to optimize ad content across search and social networks. It is the first comprehensive and systematic approach to optimizing ad content. The Boost Method combines proprietary technology with its network of 500+ expert copywriters to deliver highly effective, performance-driven online ad copy at scale. Founded three and a half years ago in Miami, BoostCTR is now headquartered in San Francisco. David Greenbaum, CEO of BoostCTR says, “BoostCTR is a service that is focused and dedicated on one thing – which is improving pay-per-click (PPC) ad… -
Podio: Managing Your Work Better & Smarter
4 May 2012 | 5:27 amPodio is an online work platform. It allows people to manage their work better, smarter and in their own way. Podio is currently based in Copenhagen, with a multinational team of German, French, British, and Danish employees. You can work with everyone on Podio – your co-workers or your clients, contractors and suppliers. Podio adds structure to any type of work. Pick an app to fit your specific needs and start to work the way you want. More than 45,000 apps have been built or modified by Podio users. Or you can build your own app on Podio, without technical skills. Apps have been built…
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Copyblogger
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What Does it Take to Write a Billion-Dollar Marketing Story?
16 May 2012 | 4:00 amIn 1984, two artists used a simple process to create a story that captivated an audience for years and generated billions of dollars in revenue. That same process is being used today by a master copywriter to attract hundreds of thousands of paying subscribers. With companies creating millions of web pages of content marketing, finding an untold story or a new angle can feel like an impossible task. Especially when you want to avoid creating a story so unique nobody understands it … or wants to pay for it. So how do you create a story that cuts through the noise and strikes at the heart… -
How to be a World-Changing Writer
15 May 2012 | 4:00 amAs a copywriter, you know that words have power. You know words can influence, inform, and inspire. They can persuade your fellow humans to do some amazing things (or to do the wrong things, but we won’t go there today). What you may not realize is that your words can change the world. Here’s something else that’s really cool that you might not have realized … The keys to world-changing writing are also the keys to damn good copywriting. But as you know, good writing doesn’t happen all by itself. So let’s talk about what it takes to be damned good …… -
WordPress Hosting That Means Business
14 May 2012 | 8:00 amDid you know Copyblogger Media has a WordPress hosting division? Many people don’t, because it’s been a bit under-the-radar. The whole thing started with our frustration with web hosting in general. Specifically, the fact that a lot of “WordPress hosting” amounts to generic one-click installation of the CMS on a standardly-configured box — which simply doesn’t cut it for optimal performance and security. So, last year we decided to manage our high-traffic network of content and product sites ourselves. We did this by bringing into the family a team of people who themselves… -
The Truth About Making Money While You Sleep
14 May 2012 | 4:00 amWant to hear about the day in the life of a so-called “successful entrepreneur?” Yesterday, I stayed in bed until about 2 PM. I watched the last few episodes of Mad Men. Around sunset, I took a leisurely stroll down the beach. When I got back, I hung out with a friend for a couple of hours, ate dinner, and went to bed. In other words … I goofed off. And while I was goofing off, my business generated a pretty decent chunk of revenue. You want to know the coolest part? I did absolutely nothing to “earn” it. I didn’t check my email. I didn’t talk to… -
7 Instructive Content Marketing Links
12 May 2012 | 6:00 amThis week on The Lede … Are Content Publishers Waking Up from Their App Dreams Nightmares? An Email Marketing Autoresponder Schedule that Sells 3 Quick Tips To Conquering Your Fear of Public Speaking Does Your Domain Say “Trust Me?” Why “Freemium” Fails for Startups: 3 Business Lessons from the Band New Order 5 Basic SEO Truths We Can Learn from Star Wars Peter Shankman on the Value of an Audience If you want to grab more useful links (than the seven we highlight here) every week, follow @copyblogger on Twitter. Are Content Publishers Waking Up from Their App Dreams…
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Macworld
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HTC One X, Evo 4G LTE imports blocked by patent dispute
16 May 2012 | 11:30 amU.S. Customs is holding up imports of HTC's One X and Evo 4G LTE Android phones because of HTC's ongoing legal battle with Apple. -
Google to incorporate 'knowledge graph' into search results
16 May 2012 | 10:45 amGoogle will begin in the next few days to incorporate the "knowledge graph" it has been building for two years into its search results. -
Mozilla readies app marketplace for public beta
16 May 2012 | 8:30 amMozilla Marketplace will be online in a few weeks to take on Apple App Store and Google Play Store -
Google releases Chrome 19 with tab sync and bug fixes
16 May 2012 | 8:00 amGoogle released Chrome 19, patched 20 vulnerabilities in the browser, and doled out $16,500 in bug bounties and rewards to independent researchers. -
(Insider) The Macalope Daily: Survey says
16 May 2012 | 7:30 amSmartphone survey confirms what we already knew! (This story is viewable exclusively by Macworld Insider members.)
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Smashing Magazine Feed
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Zocial Button Set: 72 CSS3 Buttons
15 May 2012 | 5:39 amThe idea behind this project was to produce a consistent set of buttons that could be used for the range of social actions frequently taken in Web applications. These actions are often important goals for users, such as connecting third-party accounts or sharing content to third-party platforms, so their appearance has to be attractive and clear. The standard buttons provided by third parties (such as Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud) vary in size, style and interactivity. A consistent button set could reduce a lot of that visual noise and inconsistency. Furthermore, having it in… -
Smashing Daily #1: Mobile Device Lab, Browsers and Animated GIFs
15 May 2012 | 2:24 amEditor’s Note: This post is the first in the new Smashing Daily series on Smashing Magazine, where we highlight items to help you stay on the top of what’s going on in the industry. Vasilis van Gemert will carefully pick the most interesting discussions, tools, techniques and articles that were published recently and present them in a nice compact overview. Vasilis goes through dozens of RSS feeds and hundreds of tweets so that you don’t have to. Do you find the new series interesting? What would you like to have? And what wouldn’t you like to see? Let us… -
The Font Wars: A Story On Rivalry Between Type Foundries
14 May 2012 | 7:09 amI had thought terms like “intellectual property” and “intellectual theft” were of fairly recent provenance, so my eye was caught by the latter’s use in a headline of a 1930 edition of the US trade journal The American Printer. The article it headed proved to be equally intriguing, a response by the president of American Type Founders (ATF) to a June 1929 article in the German journal Gebrauchsgraphik by the designer Rudolf Koch, calling the ATF a “highway robber of German intellectual property.” At issue was a typeface marketed by the ATF earlier in 1929 called… -
Taming The Wild Mind
11 May 2012 | 8:32 amMyths have developed around and researchers have studied how the human brain juggles creativity and organization. Popular theory tells us that the left brain is structured and logical, while the right brain is artistic and imaginative, and that all human beings use predominantly one side of the other. Working in a creative field means challenging that theory, or else challenging the schedules and deadlines that managers impose on writers, designers and other creatives. As a project manager in a UX design agency, as well as a writer, I believe it is necessary to challenge both the… -
Interaction Design In The Cloud
10 May 2012 | 6:05 amInteraction designers create wireframes in tools such as Adobe Illustrator, OmniGraffle and Microsoft Visio. Originally, these wireframes were primitive shapes drawn to represent various UI elements. Many of us cannot imagine life without them. There are, however, reasons to consider moving to the cloud to do interaction design. In short, today’s cloud-based tools are: Optimized for collaboration, Editable anywhere, Interactive, Published in real time, Self-maintaing (the user doesn’t need to update software), Payable monthly, Emailing your old static designs will feel old…
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TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog
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How to distribute Kickstarter apps: Ask Apple
16 May 2012 | 12:45 pmRepublique is an upcoming iOS title that's made a lot of noise by getting funded on Kickstarter recently, to the tune of half a million dollars, but I've had one nagging question about it: How exactly are they going to distribute the app to all of their backers? The most obvious solution would be to put a password gate inside of an app, but Apple doesn't allow that. If you have to lock content in your app, then you're clearly selling it outside of the App Store, which means you're dodging Apple's 30% cut. So what's their plan? Republique hasn't yet said, only that it's still being decided. -
TUAW TV Live at 5 PM EDT
16 May 2012 | 12:15 pmJust a reminder that our live streaming video show, TUAW TV Live, will be polluting the Interwebz at 5 PM EDT today. Although we have some rumors to talk about, most of today's show is up to those of you who are in the chat room so bring your best ideas. As usual, I'll be starting the show at 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT / 10 PM BST) sharp, and we'll take a few minutes to chat before the demos start. To join in on the chat and watch the live streaming video, drop by TUAW about five minutes before the start time to get your instructions on how to participate. If you're unable to join us for the show,… -
China Mobile reportedly in talks to carry iPhone officially
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmReuters reports that China Mobile is talking with Apple about selling the iPhone. China Mobile is the world's largest telecom carrier by subscribers. It claimed over 600 million users at the end of September, 2011 and, interestingly, 10 million iPhone users. Those customers either converted from China Telecom (which does sell iPhones), or bought an iPhone from an Apple Store or the black market. China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua recently told shareholders, "We've been actively talking to Apple on how we can cooperate," further saying that "both sides" hope for increased cooperation. Recent… -
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me sort iTunes Music by Apple ID
16 May 2012 | 11:30 amDear Aunt TUAW, Ah, the problems of modern romance. Since I broke up with "her" (and yes, I know you were saying she wasn't right for me) getting rid of all the remants of the relationship has not been easy, especially "her" digital footprint. She loved her music. So she would bring her iPod to my house and sync it leaving a whole bunch of songs I'll NEVER play again that were purchased under her Apple ID. How can I find them, delete them and finally be ready to move on with my life? Your favorite but knucklehead nephew, Mark Dear Mark, When in doubt, there's usually an AppleScript solution… -
iBook Lessons: Using Book Proofer to preview EPUB files
16 May 2012 | 11:00 amiBooks Author is an amazing tool for laying out and publishing ebooks to iTunes. Unfortunately, the application creates books that are only readable on iPads. You trade off fantastic page design (via Apple's proprietary .iBooks format) for a much smaller potential reading audience. When you want readers to be able to peruse your book on iPhone, you'll need to go with EPUB format instead. For all its faults, Pages still offers the best tool for creating compliant iTunes EPUB submissions that pass submission validation. Steve and I have been hard at work on a couple of books, preparing them for…
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CNN.com
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Newlywed hero's 1970 sacrifice honored
16 May 2012 | 10:50 amRose Mary Sabo Brown spent just 30 days with her new husband, Army Spec. Leslie Sabo Jr., before he shipped out to fight in Vietnam. But from that month together in 1969 grew a lifetime of love. -
Google search to become more human
16 May 2012 | 10:35 amSo, let's say you're doing a Google search for "Kings." Did you mean the L.A. hockey team or the Sacramento basketball team? Maybe the TV show? Or maybe you actually wanted to know something about monarchs. -
Defense rests in John Edwards trial
16 May 2012 | 9:03 amThe defense team for John Edwards rested its case Wednesday without calling the former Democratic presidential candidate's ex-mistress to testify at his corruption trial. -
Mobster's body exhumed from Vatican
16 May 2012 | 8:26 amThe body of a mobster buried among cardinals and bishops on a Vatican property has been exhumed in an investigation into a teenage girl's disappearance. -
Doctor: Zimmerman's nose was broken
16 May 2012 | 7:09 amThe report also said George Zimmerman had black eyes and cuts on his head a day after fatally shooting unarmed teen Trayvon Martin. An autopsy showed Martin's knuckles were injured, a CNN affiliate reports.
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MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - iOS Blog
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China Mobile Again Confirms iPhone Talks with Apple
16 May 2012 | 6:26 amReuters reports that China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua has once again publicly stated that the world's largest mobile phone carrier is engaged in talks with Apple about offering the iPhone to its customers."We've been actively talking to Apple on how we can cooperate," China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua, who assumed the post in March, told a shareholders meeting. "I can't give you too many details, but I'd like to repeat that both sides do hope to boost our cooperation," Xi added after the meeting.China Unicom was Apple's launch partner for the iPhone in China, and availability expanded to China… -
In Lawsuit Over Siri, Apple Says the Technology is "Cutting Edge"
15 May 2012 | 11:29 amApple has filed a motion to dismiss in a case filed by customers over alleged misleading advertising depicting the Siri technology in the iPhone 4S. The lawsuit, filed in March, alleges that Apple's advertising of Siri doesn't reflect real-world usage. When asked for directions or to locate a store, "Siri either did not understand what Plaintiff was asking, or, after a very long wait time, responded with the wrong answer." In a motion to dismiss (via Scribd), Apple attempts to shoot down the Plaintiff's arguments, reports the Wall Street Journal: They offer only general descriptions of… -
iPhone a 'Game Changer' for Customer Satisfaction
15 May 2012 | 10:44 amThe American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) today released its latest rankings of customer satisfaction in the United States for mobile phones and a number of products and services, with the new mobile phone rankings being expanded to include Apple, Research in Motion, LG, and HTC for the first time. In its first appearance in the rankings, Apple easily topped the list with a score of 83, outdistancing Nokia, LG, and HTC in a tie for second place at 75. Apple's performance marks the first time a mobile phone company scored above 77 in any of the group's surveys dating back to 2004.For… -
Google Chrome Browser Coming to iOS?
15 May 2012 | 8:57 amBusiness Insider reports on a new research note from Macquarie analyst Ben Schacter, who claims that Google is working to bring a version of its Chrome browser to iOS devices. According to the report, Apple "may already be reviewing" the app, which could debut before the end of the quarter. Google Chrome browser for Android Google currently splits ad revenue share with Apple for Google searches performed through Safari, a deal that currently sees Google paying Apple roughly $1 billion per year. With a potential Chrome browser for iOS leading to Google keeping all revenue for searches… -
Book Pricing Lawsuit Reveals More Details of Apple's Negotiations, Including Steve Jobs Email
14 May 2012 | 2:04 pmSeventeen more states have joined the antitrust lawsuit against Apple and several book publishing houses over the pricing of ebooks. Perhaps more interesting are certain details released in the latest filing that were previously redacted, including one from Steve Jobs. Portions of this email have been seen before, but this is the first chance the public has had to see a major negotiation written by the former CEO. As reported by PaidContent, Steve Jobs became directly involved in the pricing negotiations after Apple executive "Eddy Cue could not secure one of the Conspiring Publisher’s…
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Seth's Blog
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Digital analogs are no longer sufficient
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amThe parking meter was rebooting. I guess we're supposed to walk to the other end of the garage and find one that's working. We're seeing digital awareness coming to just about everything. In this case, it was the parking meter near the library. Of course, it's not really a parking meter, it's a centralized fee collection system that saves the town a lot of money. It's easier to collect from, certainly, it doesn't waste the time of meter readers (who get alerted as to what spaces aren't paid for, as opposed to checking them all) plus it doesn't let a new parker enjoy a few minutes of the last… -
Hard work on the right things
15 May 2012 | 2:00 amI don't think winners beat the competition because they work harder. And it's not even clear that they win because they have more creativity. The secret, I think, is in understanding what matters. It's not obvious, and it changes. It changes by culture, by buyer, by product and even by the day of the week. But those that manage to capture the imagination, make sales and grow are doing it by perfecting the things that matter and ignoring the rest. Both parts are difficult, particularly when you are surrounded by people who insist on fretting about and working on the stuff that makes no… -
Worldliness
14 May 2012 | 2:41 amIntelligence is the combination of knowing a lot about a little while you also know a little about a lot. Deep domain understanding helps you create analyses. Your ability to understand how a particular system (no matter how small) works allows you apply a confident analysis to new systems you encounter. Once you know everything there is to know about nuclear physics, soccer or the praying mantis, it makes it easier to understand new systems. At the same time, it's impossible to be smart without also being aware of the wider world. That's because it's the random interactions and the… -
The reason the customer is always right...
14 May 2012 | 2:08 amIf you insist that they are wrong, they stop being your customer* (if given half a chance). People spend their time and attention and money in places that make them feel valued. *There's nothing wrong with asking customers who are wrong to leave. Just be sure you do it on purpose. -
Dedicating the merit
13 May 2012 | 2:02 amFor an author, one of the nicest parts of the traditional book is the dedication page. The dedication is far more than an acknowledgement to someone who helped you write the book, it's a permanent signpost, a capstone to the work of a year or more. Even if the person you've dedicated the book to can't read it, the writer benefits from the knowledge that a connection was made and that a memory was preserved. Here's the thing: you can dedicate just about anything. A project, a meeting, a tweet. You don't have to tell anyone but yourself. This blog post, like all the posts before it, has a…
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socialmouths
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Why Small Business Have A Huge Advantage Over Brands In Social Media
10 May 2012 | 10:18 amI currently have the fortune to experience two different fronts of digital marketing. Under Plural, I work with brands and, with SocialMouths I mostly jam with small business, personal brands, and bloggers. One of the reasons I absolutely love this setup is that they are two different worlds in how the social web is approached, how it’s handled and how success is measured. So I’m here to tell you that, despite the ridiculous budgets and unlimited resources, small business has a huuuge advantage over brands when it come to social media. Here are my thoughts: Strategy. Or Not? This… -
How to Display Social Media Buttons
8 May 2012 | 10:05 amGuest post by Brad Shorr from Straight North. Effective display of social media buttons on your blog and website becomes more critical every day: On the people side, social media for business has gone mainstream, so building a community around your company pages opens up huge opportunities for sales, leads and referrals. On the SEO side, social shares are being given more weight by Google and other search engines. Content that is liked, tweeted and +1’d will perform better in SERPs than lonely, unloved blog posts and web pages. This post includes several suggestions for displaying social… -
The 4 Economic Reasons to Rebrand Your Business
4 May 2012 | 7:41 amThis is a guest post by Sookie Shuen from Tomorrow People. How much can your company benefit from a timely rebranding and revitalization? When considering this question, one must keep in mind that rebranding does not necessarily address the wants and needs of the company directly, but rather speaks to the wants and needs of that company’s current and prospective customers. Therefore, the important factors to consider when assessing the value of a rebrand include equity measurement; market differentiation and accessibility; brand awareness, relevance and vitality; and consumer personality,… -
10 Blog Conversion Tips From Derek Halpern
2 May 2012 | 7:28 amThis week I want to talk about blog conversion, the art of making your visitors take action whether that means spending more time reading your content, buying one of your products or subscribing to your email list. There is plenty of content out there on how to convert your readers to subscribers and buyers and, if you take your blogging seriously as an integral part of your marketing, you’ve probably read tens or even hundreds of posts about the topic. Me? I went to Derek Halpern for advice on how to improve SocialMouths. Derek is the author of SocialTriggers, where he writes about… -
Video Blogging As A Powerful Lead Generation Tool
26 Apr 2012 | 8:56 amThis is a guest post from Ryan Critchett from RMC Tech. Editor’s note: I usually don’t do this but in this case I thought it was important to point out that, the intention behind this type of content is to showcase real entrepreneurs and their stories of successful use of social media marketing, rather than presenting the usual suspects nobody can relate to, like Redbull or Starbucks. These are real examples you can put into action. The story is told by Ryan and, if you have something similar going on, share it with me. Here goes… It’s no secret, video blogging is a…
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Social Media Marketing
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4 Reasons Facebook Timeline Isn’t Working For Your Business
28 Apr 2012 | 6:07 pmPhoto Credit: My Facebook Page Do you want to know why the new Facebook timeline isn’t working for your business? Not sure why your fans are not interacting on your page despite posting at different times? Here are 4 reasons and I will share solutions for you: 1. Facebook Edgerank EdgeRank is an algorithm developed by Facebook to govern what is displayed (and how high) on the News Feed. This score represents how people interact… -
7 Year Old Girl Scout Sold 353 Cookies in 2 Weeks & What That Means In Your Business
9 Feb 2012 | 11:02 amMany people thought this story would be about my daughter and although she is a fiesty rockstar, this is about another fiery little red-haired gal that is in my daughter’s girl scout troop. We all know that this gal will eventually be a powerhouse CEO or a super Real Estate mogul one day. So you would think that her parents took her girl scout brochure to their workplace & sold like crazy for her… **WRONG** She took the majority of the initiative by herself with her sales. Here are the key components to her success and how it relates to your business. Innovative New Product… -
Free Webinar: 2012 Social Media Strategies For Real Estate & Mortgage
19 Jan 2012 | 9:41 pmClick Here for Full View Social Media Strategies in 2012 for Mortgage and Real Estate Professionals– Tuesday, January 24, 2012 Discover How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Make More Money in 2012 Social media can be an inexpensive – yet lucrative means– to generate leads and grow your business. Join us for an in-depth look at how to implement Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media to excel in a “people-driven” economy this year. Join us for a free webinar hosted by Trevor Hammond, Founder and CEO of MFIC Pro:Social Media Strategies in 2012 for Mortgage… -
6 Most Popular Real Estate Social Media Posts
1 Jan 2012 | 7:09 amI hope 2012 brings you much success in all of your endeavors. I want to share with you the top blog posts that received the most shares, interactions and comments throughout the past year along with a few of my favorite new year pictures. photo credit: Shutterstock 12 Essential iPad Apps For Your Small Biz 10 Rockin’ Real Estate iPad Apps photo credit: Shutterstock HOW TO: Setup a Self-Hosted WordPress Blog Top 10 Real Estate Social Media Resources photo credit: Shutterstock Top 7 Famous Failures 7 Tips To Market Your Real Estate Biz w/Social Media in 30 min / Day Here’s… -
7 Tips To Market Your Real Estate Business with Social Media in 30 min / Day
9 Dec 2011 | 10:06 amI know your story…As a real estate or mortgage professional you just don’t have the time to deal with social media. I hear this every day – in fact I’m receiving many requests to start a company that manages social media profiles specifically for real estate and mortgage professionals. Here are 7 Tips To Market Your Real Estate Business with Social Media in 30 Minutes / Day Tip #1 Find Your Clients Favorite Social Media Sites As you attend events or meet new clients be sure to look them up on social networks to connect with them. This will allow you to maintain…
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Dan Zarrella
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Using Twitter Data to Map Emotions Geographically
6 May 2012 | 9:30 pmA few weeks ago, I spoke at a federal agency conference in Arlington, VA and one of the most interesting topics was the potential use of social media, by intelligence agencies, to map out and predict social unrest. So I decided to start experimenting with the concept on my own. By combining the linguistic analysis systems of TweetPsych with Twitter’s geo tagging data (which isn’t great yet) and the Google Maps API, I was able to plot tweets on specific latitude and longitude codes based on their emotional content. Below you’ll see 6 maps of various kinds of psychological… -
Introducing TweetCharts: Get The Twitter Data You Need
29 Apr 2012 | 10:15 pmIt used to be that if you wanted to get data on a certain industry, keyword, hashtag or Twitter user you had to wait for a geeky, social media scientist type to write the scripts and run the reports for you. With my new tool TweetCharts.com that’s no longer the case. Enter any word, phrase, hashtag, URL or username and TweetCharts will return a comprehensive report, including data on reply, retweet, and link percentages as well as the most common words, most mentioned users, most used hashtags and more. I began working on TweetCharts a few weeks ago actually on a plane. I did some… -
[Infographic] How to Get More Pins and Repins on Pinterest
10 Apr 2012 | 11:11 pmData about Pinterest is sparse because they’ve been slow to release their API, but I was able to utilize search engine APIs to pull some data about the trendy new social site. I gathered information on over 11,000 pinned images and did some analysis to create the infographic below. This data should be useful for Pinterest users who’d like to get more repins on the images they’ve pinned, as well as content producers who want their content pinned and repinned more. I hope to be able to do more research into Pinterest, especially as they release their API. Let me know what data… -
[Infographic] How to Get More Clicks on Twitter
24 Jan 2012 | 9:18 pmI’ve often said that the best use of Twitter is as a broadcast medium. You should be creating a ton of interesting content and sharing it with your followers. To that end I’ve done a bunch of research on how to optimize the clickthrough rate (CTR) of the links you’re tweeting. For the purposes of this data, I’ve calculated CTR as the number of clicks on a tweeted link divided by the number of followers the account had when it tweeted that link. Below is an infographic presenting some of my past findings as well as some entirely new data I’ve found about… -
[Infographic] What are the Best Times to Blog?
22 Jan 2012 | 10:54 pmOne of the most popular webinars I’ve ever worked on, The Science of Timing was also one of my favorite. If you haven’t seen it, go check out the on-demand recording now. In it, I present data I’ve collected over three years about the effect timing has on a variety of online marketing activities, including blogging. Below is an infographic that represents a collection of the three most important stats I have about when to publish blog posts. In the webinar, I also make the point that my results are based on huge aggregates of thousands, millions, or even in some cases,…
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Soshable | Social Media Blog
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Online University Courses Incorporate Mobile Applications
15 May 2012 | 9:33 amGetting your education on the go is now possible. With mobile education applications, it is now easy to take online university courses and stay updated using your smartphone. You can use your smartphone in a variety of ways. You can check your class’s message board, you can email your professor, or you can delve into the world of applications. In fact, eSchool News, an online publication for education professionals, lists ten of the best available online applications. One of them is called “Molecules,” and it allows the user to toggle three-dimensional images of molecules, in order to… -
Speaking at the Automotive Boot Camp in Vegas this Week
14 May 2012 | 8:24 pmThere’s good and bad about speaking engagements in Vegas. The good part is that the city is ideal with plenty of hotel rooms and conference space to make anyone comfortable and productive. The bad part is that it’s Las “Stays In” Vegas and attendees are often distracted from the business at hand. That won’t be the case at the PCG Event tomorrow through Thursday. The attendees are there for learning and the presenters are professionals. I have been to the previous two and both were high on education, low on distractions. The only bad part is that I won’t be… -
Video Marketing: Going Viral with Your Company
14 May 2012 | 7:22 pmWe’ve done it, just like most of our friends have done it to us. We’ve come across a viral video that either made us laugh out loud, cry like a baby or think about something we’d never really considered before; and we’ve passed it on – usually with a comment like “lmao” or “This is going to make you cry.” And some of them are just so simple: a little kid getting his finger bitten by his younger brother or a three second symphonic clip introducing a wide-eyed gerbil. These videos are getting millions and millions of views and it seems like… -
Turning Back the Clock on the Eternal September: What the Brouhaha over Mark Zuckerberg’s Hoodie Tells Us about Social Media
14 May 2012 | 7:04 pmSo, a large number of the cognoscenti have gone downright apoplectic about Mark Zuckerberg daring to wear a hoodie to all-so-serious meeting of business bigwigs. The scandal. What’s next? White after labor day? Red shoes on a Thursday? How can our society survive without our sumptuary laws? Perhaps the Mayans were right: the end is nigh! Sarcasm aside, it really does show an interesting moment about social media and its place in society and Mark Zuckerberg—for good or for ill—is its personification. Social media is not businesslike; it is not Chanel and it is not Brooks… -
Apple Ping: A Social Media “Genius” Idea
14 May 2012 | 3:38 pmJust so we are all on the same page, Apple Ping is a social media platform for music. Ping is an underestimated platform that really has an incredible amount of possibilities for those who really love music. Not only does it allow for people to share what is in their libraries, but it also allows for people to see updates about a specific artist and even concert updates. It imports their Tweets and you can see what everyone is saying and listening to. It’s not so much a platform like Facebook where you can comment on people’s walls and such, but you can comment on songs and albums that…
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Bare Feet Blog
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Bare Feet Studios on the Web
14 May 2012 | 2:54 amOur company was started in 1996 by Shane Robinson and a previous partner. In 2000 the partnership dissolved and Roxanne Darling joined Shane to rebrand the entreprise as Bare Feet Studios. At that time we had the hardest time with a new name as – don’t laugh! – all of the good web addresses were taken. So as we sat around the desk of 6 people in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the winter, we noticed that no one was wearing shoes. And that the URL www.barefeetstudios.com was available! So our new name grew of a very simple attribute, yet it represented so many aspects of our core… -
Shane Robinson, Digital Artist
14 May 2012 | 2:52 amShane has toggled back and forth between art and technology since high school. He programmed on a Commodore 64 yet was also nick-named “copy machine” for his ability to draw virtually anything he saw – accurately and down to the finest details. He ended up graduating from the University of Iowa with a Bachelors in Fine Arts. And yet one of his first jobs was at Kinko’s where he taught himself how to use Adobe Illustrator over the weekend in order to sail through a job interview the following Monday! H continued bouncing back between database programming and owning an… -
Roxanne Darling, Quantum Coach
14 May 2012 | 2:35 amRoxanne is a lifelong learner and her favorite topic is consciousness. For all, all roads lead to the big C! Being conscious means having less stress, being a more artful and compassionate communicator, heading off problems before they fester, and finding the humanity in each person regardless of their quirks, their shortcomings, and even their demands. Go explore Divine Openings with Rox. | Like Rox’s page on Facebook. In April 2009, Roxanne was initiated as a facilitator of enlightenment via a week long process. It used to take much longer, but like most everything else these days,… -
Beach Walks with Rox, an Online Video Pioneer
14 May 2012 | 2:00 amBack in late 2004, Shane was podcaster #32 in the universe. Always one to be on the front lines if seeing what the internet is up to, he had an audio show called “None of This Matters.” Surprisingly, it has a lot of overlap with the business philosophy we have developed over the years, and which is now available (on steroids!) over at my coaching site, Divine Openings with Rox. But I digress – as I often do – as so much of our lives are interconnected now. It has become virtually impossible to discern fixed starting points and pure examples of cause-effect! Visit… -
Giving Back: A Core Part of Our Sharing Nature
13 May 2012 | 4:24 pmBack in the spring of 2000, while we were still based in Santa Fe, NM, there was a huge forest fire that broke out and endangered the entire community of Los Alamos, home to the birth if the nuclear bomb and one of the largest nuclear research facilities in the world. As a founder of the New Mexico Internet Professionals Association (NMIPA) Shane knew that online would be the best place to coordinate emergency communications. He and his team of fellow employees and other NMIPA members rapidly launched a web site to funnel emergency messages that ranged from fire department updates to…
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Janet Fouts - Social Media Coach
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Do It Yourself Social Media Audit
13 May 2012 | 9:04 pmWe tend to create the social media presence for our businesses in an organic fashion, which is the natural way to grow relationships right? New tools pop up we just HAVE to try, or our network of connections asks us to join a new network in order to communicate with them. The problem is; as you explore new tools and meet new people who invite you to join them on other networks, your messaging and your social media presence overall can easily get confused. That’s why it’s a good idea to conduct a social media audit every so often to step back and get a 10K foot level. This allows you to… -
Social Media Efficiency for Nonprofits
8 May 2012 | 11:10 pmI talk to nonprofits about various aspects of social media just about every day. By and large people get the value of building community around their cause. They get the relatively manageable expense of leveraging social media to raise visibility for their nonprofit, find funders, advocates, and volunteers when compared to more traditional marketing channels. They WANT to use social media effectively. They know it works and they’ve seen the success cases. So what’s stopping them from diving in? Two things are the biggest issues. 1. The learning curve to get up to speed on the… -
Getting real engagement on your Facebook page
18 Apr 2012 | 2:58 pmMany Facebook page owners are disappointed with the results they are getting from their Facebook pages. Why? Sometimes because they think they’ll put up a page and their fan base will flock to the site, dynamically post content on their own and discuss it with their peers, all without much effort from the community manager (if there is one). Hooey. This just doesn’t happen unless you’ve got a vibrant community and are expanding it to Facebook. So what do you do? Quit broadcasting If you tell me everything I need to know through your Facebook page, and it reads like your email… -
What is your Reach on Facebook? (Any why you shouldn’t care)
5 Apr 2012 | 3:29 pmA client contacted me this morning, upset because her “reach” seems to be seriously declining on Facebook. For some reason Facebook chooses Reach to be the metric graphed on the insights page, and it’s little understood, so here’s the long and the short of it. Here’s how Facebook defines reach “The reach chart shows how many people have seen any content about your Page, and where applicable, whether these people were reached through an organic, paid or viral channel. People might see your content through more than one of these channels. As a result, the sum of your organic,… -
Managing Facebook Pages Just Got a Lot Easier
29 Mar 2012 | 7:00 amPart of what I do as a social media coach is help businesses large and small manage their facebook pages.Our social media management team is frequently asked to go to a client’s event and help live-tweet, take photos or video and post them live during the event to share with their fans. Most of us have iPhones, so we get good pictures, but we can’t upload in batches to a Facebook page from the phone. Frankly, Facebook’s iPhone app simply sucks at photo management. We can only upload images one by one, which is seriously painful when you’ve got 20-30 images to upload.
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Stay N Alive
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Why do I Think Marketers That Don't Embrace Google+ Will be Out of Business in a Year?
8 May 2012 | 12:23 pm(Want to skip all this and get the courses right now? Go to http://www.pluralsight-training.net/microsoft/TwitterOffer and sign up now!)As I mentioned earlier on Google+ (where you'll always hear tech news first from me!), I recently just finished a course on Pluralsight all about how you or your friends can embrace Google+ better for your business or clients (you can see what this course covers at http://www.pluralsight-training.net/microsoft/Courses/TableOfContents?courseName=googleplus-business). In a new series for businesses provided by the video training site, Pluralsight,… -
Custom Tailoring 2.0 - "Dress Code" is Set to Become the Zappos of Tailoring
2 May 2012 | 9:00 amBack in October I had the opportunity to visit Hong Kong for business. While I was there I decided to get a custom suit made. I'm a sucker for a good suit! While Hong Kong is certainly not as cheap as Thailand when it comes to custom-made suits, it is generally much cheaper than the typical run-of-the-mill tailor in the United States. In the United States it's typically "go cheap (as in poorly designed) or go broke (as in way too expensive for the 99% to afford)". In Hong Kong for about $300 I can get a pretty nice suit that is completely custom-tailored for my body type and size, something… -
You'll Always Hear it First on Google+
1 May 2012 | 7:38 pmI'm starting a new experiment. From now on every post I make to StayNAlive.com will originate on Google+. This goes in line with my earlier post where I suggested that the Blogging landscape is significantly changing, and the blogs that want to survive will need to embrace social means of publishing and discovery. You'll recognize this trend immediately as you visit my blog and see the ability to automatically share the articles you read on StayNAlive.com to Facebook, and today I'm going to continue that trend with the strengths that Google+ provides.The Power of Google+ CirclesOne of… -
Wanna Learn Facebook Development? Check Out My New Video Series
19 Mar 2012 | 8:38 amFacebook application development isn't just a skill, and it's not just for developers either - it's a mindset and a culture that you have to understand to truly understand and implement its value. It's something both marketers, business owners, as well as developers should understand to fully have a grasp against the competition in this increasingly social world. That's why I jumped at the chance to work with the popular online learning site, Pluralsight, to do a new series on Facebook application development. My first video went live yesterday, and I hope will be the first in a line of… -
Still Think Facebook's Not Threatened by Google+? Facebook Now Supports "+" Tagging
7 Mar 2012 | 10:23 pmAs a Google+ user (Author of Google+ For Dummies), and also avid Facebook user (Author of Facebook Application Development For Dummies), I often find myself getting my keys mixed up going back and forth from Google+ to Facebook. This is particularly frustrating for tagging friends. When Google+ launched, I found myself constantly putting in the "+" button to tag friends on Facebook, only to realize Facebook's form of tagging was the "@" symbol. It appears some time in the recent past Facebook has now adopted the "+" (plus) sign to allow tagging in status updates. From the start, Google+…
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Techipedia | Tamar Weinberg
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The New Model: How Google+ “Gets” Content
15 May 2012 | 6:25 amThis is a guest post by Joel Harrison. The way content is shared today changes online marketing, putting content to the forefront of what users, companies, brands and products are about. Google+ has just won the People’s Choice award for social media at The Webby Awards presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. This may come as a surprise, since Google+ isn’t as popular as was first expected. It’s trying to reverse that situation though and bind everything together into a huge social network, always faithful to its mission ‘to organize the world’s… -
How to Build Better [Business] Habits
8 May 2012 | 6:47 amThis is a guest post from Christopher Wallace. It’s 2 p.m. on a Wednesday and that fully loaded triple-decker sandwich from the nearby deli has you wondering how long you can get away with catching some z’s under your desk, or if that drawing-eyes-on-your-eyelids thing really works. Whether or not you plowed down a big meal or have the mid-week blues, those last few hours of the work day or week can be some of the most unproductive. So how do you pick yourself up and get back into the swing of things? The answer is in creating good habits. While taking a swig of an energy drink… -
How to Make Your Facebook Ads Convert
1 May 2012 | 6:45 amThis is a guest post from Craig Robinson. Getting proper return on investment for Facebook advertising can be tricky. First, you need to create an ad that attracts clicks, which usually is the easy part, and then you need a decent percentage of the people clicking through to be potential customers. The last thing is a bit harder to control but has a huge impact on the end result. When the wrong people click, your conversion goes down and you have to pay Facebook for nothing. There are, however, a few tips you can follow that might increase your performance. If your Facebook-advertising… -
Web Lead Tracking Explained: How to Get High Quality Leads with the Internet
24 Apr 2012 | 6:39 amThis is a guest post from Brad Shorr. A lot of entrepreneurs and midsize firms say they “get a lot of web leads.” However, when asked if they know the source of the leads, they have only a vague idea – and sometimes, no idea at all. How can you tell where to direct your marketing efforts if you don’t know where your leads are coming from? You can’t. This post will talk about how to set up lead tracking on your site, take the guesswork out of your marketing, and help you get more, high quality leads. Phone Conversions A lot phone inquires are never even identified as web leads! -
How to Create a Video Marketing Strategy for Your Business
17 Apr 2012 | 6:41 amThis is a guest post from Neil Davidson. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of video people watch on the Internet. Any forward thinking business will do well to take note and use video to their advantage. But where do you start? Surely, video marketing must be really expensive, time consuming, and technical? Actually, none of those concerns are necessarily worth the worry. The growth of affordable, digital technology means that anyone can make a video and put it online, instantly widening their audience base beyond anything we could have imagined 10 years ago.
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Biz Growth News - branding, business development and new media tips to attract more clients in less time
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Free Webinar: Customer Centricity – is it a Panacea or a Pipe-Dream?
22 Apr 2012 | 10:22 pmUPDATED 7 MAY 2012 – If you missed our recent webinar about the importance of developing a customer centric organisation to succeed in today’s challenging market place you can access the webinar recording as a video, the slides and an MP3 of the event below. In October 2011, IBM released a global chief marketing officer study. Over 1,700 CMOs were interviewed and the research identified four major challenges that they are facing: - The adoption of social media - The proliferation of channels and devices - Shifting consumer demographics - The explosion of data. I am… -
7 Irish Facebook Timeline Cover Images Celebrating St Patricks Day
18 Mar 2012 | 8:17 amIf you joined me for one of my Facebook Timeline webinars in the last couple of weeks, you will know how impactful your Facebook cover image can be in sharing your brand story. I thought I would explore how Irish Facebook Pages have celebrated St Patrick’s Day this year using their cover photo (and in two cases changing their Profile image) in the hope this may give you some inspiration for the next public holiday you celebrate wherever you are in the world. If there are other Facebook Timelines that you think did a great job in celebrating St Patrick’s Day through their Timeline cover… -
Win A Ticket To Attend The Techovate Conference, Wexford 21-22 March 2012
17 Mar 2012 | 2:30 pmIf you have not already heard about the terrific conference that is taking place this week in Wexford for small and medium enterprises looking for guidance on how to accelerate your business using technology, you will want to check out the Techovate conference website. There is an impressive line up of speakers including Cisco, Eircom, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, IBM, Microsoft and PwC. As I reference in my recent article about recommended conferences for 2012, the event is especially relevant for small and medium enterprises who are looking for guidance on how to improve their business… -
Recommended Marketing And Social Media Conferences For Leaders And Entrepreneurs 2012
17 Mar 2012 | 1:11 pmI often get asked what conferences I recommend people attend so if you are based in Ireland or the UK I thought I would curate a list of events that I recommend you consider attending if you are an executive or leader interested in social media and integrated marketing. I will update this list during the course of the year so if you have a suggestion that you think should be added do leave a message in the comments or through our support desk. For some of the later events the speakers have not been announced so I have added Twitter profiles were they are available so you can follow them to… -
The St Patrick’s Day Google Doodle 2012 Inspired By The Book Of Kells
17 Mar 2012 | 2:04 amIf you check into Google’s search engine today in some countries today including including Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Denmark, the UK, and of course Ireland you will find the Google Doodle celebrates St Patrick’s Day. The Google Doodle was drawn by Chinese American artist Jennifer Hom who is based in New York. and is inspired by the Book of Kells. The Washington Post reports that Hom worked on the Google St Patrick’s Day 2012 doodle for 40 hours over four days. Hom comments that she had to zoom in by 300 percent to render the precise Celtic knots which is closer than the…
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PR-Squared - Social Media Marketing and Public Relations
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Seven Principles of Content Marketing
14 May 2012 | 11:20 amNow that we’ve all agreed that “Content is King (Again),” and Content Marketing is all the rage, maybe it is time to think about some easy-to-follow tenets. Let’s keep this simple. Follow a 70/30 Rule – 70% of content curated, 30% branded. Why? Because the rest-of-the-world is at least 70% more interesting than your brand; and, promoting external content builds social capital, makes grateful fans of influencers. All content should be SHAREWORTHY. Don’t publish junk. Better to be quiet than to queer the signal-to-noise ratio. All content should benefit… -
Seriously, This Is Gonna Be Cool: The Corporate Social Media Summit
4 May 2012 | 7:05 amNext month I’ll be moderating a panel at the Corporate Social Media Summit, which is being held June 13-14 at the New Yorker Hotel in NYC. It’s gonna be a great time, with an impressive list of corporate attendees, including SHIFT clients such as McDonalds and H&R Block, among many others (Whole Foods! Dell! Lego! Mercedes!). I’ll be moderating the panel on “Reputation preservation and enhancement: Use social media to maximize the impact of your brand.” I’ll be joined by McDonald’s Heather Oldani, Director of U.S. -
Never Give Up, Never Surrender!
29 Apr 2012 | 5:22 am -
SHIFT Communications Named Digital/Social Agency of the Year
24 Apr 2012 | 9:00 amShameless self promotion time. Hang on. Wow, wow, wow. We are busting at the seams over here. Today the Holmes Group named SHIFT Communications the 2012 Digital/Social Agency of the Year – with “honorable mentions” in the category going to behemoths like Edelman, Ogilvy and Weber Shandwick. This marks the 3rd time in the last few years that SHIFT has nabbed “agency of the year” honors. We were the “Agency of the Year” according to the American Business Awards, and the “New Media Agency of the Year” (again via Holmes) back in 2008. Both times we were psyched. But this… -
What’s Old is New Again: Earned Media Can Be Your Hub
23 Apr 2012 | 6:17 amI was catching up with a former client recently. We launched their company a coupla years ago, and by almost any measure, it is now considered a hot commodity. They have tons of social media fans, lots of inbound media requests, do a lot of great content marketing, etc. We originally parted ways, very amicably, because they had reached a degree of success that no longer warranted as much proactive effort (and, being a startup, they were wisely watching their burn rate). During our catch-up session, this company representative described a newfound fever within the company to get more…
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Des Walsh dot Com
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Testing the Social Media Engagement Management Tool Sprout Social – Part 2
24 Apr 2012 | 11:59 pmIn March I posted about my exercise of evaluating the social media engagement tool Sprout Social. In this second post on the topic, I’m focusing on some of the reports generated by Sprout Social. By the way, these posts are not intended as a comprehensive review: more by way of sharing my exploration of the tool. Also, the information and comments are still based on using the basic Pro version. I’m hoping to make the time in the next couple of days to check out the other offerings – Small Biz, Deluxe and Premium. Group Trends The first graphic on the dashboard home page… -
Not Everyone Likes LinkedIn but with 120 Million Users Can You Afford to Ignore It?
11 Apr 2012 | 3:36 amGetting the Point About LinkedIn Whenever I get up to speak to a group about LinkedIn, I’m conscious that there will almost certainly be some people in the group who have decided they don’t like the platform and others who may not feel strongly for or against it, but just don’t see the point. Because let’s face it, for many people, the word “LinkedIn” just conjures up the image of messages, including from people they may not even recall having met, declaring they would like to add the recipient to their “professional network”. Those people… -
Six Key Social Platforms for Busy Professionals
2 Apr 2012 | 1:30 amToo many platforms, too little time Long ago I lost count of all the possible social media platforms and tools a business might reasonably use. And in my email and on various newsfeeds I see more new ones being announced or talked about every day. That proliferation of possibilities probably helps explain why for many professionals the topic of social media brings on an immediate sense of overwhelm. There’s just too much going on, with too many different social platforms. The temptation is to just put off or ignore the whole topic and maybe hope things will settle down enough one day to… -
Interview About Wacky Gift Site Helps Me Explain Media Curation
27 Mar 2012 | 1:30 amSometimes it’s the quirky projects that can best help us explain serious business concepts and processes. I watched a very entertaining interview yesterday on the Sunrise breakfast TV show with David Mancherje, founder of a quirky new online site, Me Wanty! Spending as much time as I do in earnest examination of and discussion about such topics as the ROI of social media and the measurement of online influence, the interview was for me enlightening and even inspirational. I felt that I could be watching the beginning of a significant, maybe highly successful online business, within a… -
Law Firms and Social Media Success Stories 1
26 Mar 2012 | 1:17 amI’ve long maintained that there are some serious challenges for professional services firms wanting to engage effectively with and through social media, as I wrote about earlier this year in relation to financial advisers. The flipside is that there is a lot of opportunity for those professional services that make the effort to develop a good understanding of the social media sphere, create a workable strategy and take action determinedly and consistently. But it’s not easy to find appropriate case studies against which to benchmark, as I discovered when I went looking for some in…
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SocialFish
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Associations are More Advanced Than You Think!
16 May 2012 | 10:37 am…. Ha. This includes all the associations we’re working with (and those we aren’t) who are working on their Social CRM. So there!! (Source) -
Social Business for B2B in Healthcare [case study]
16 May 2012 | 5:00 amThis short and sweet B2B case study discussed by Sandy Carter of IBM shows us some numbers on how Premier, an alliance of 2500 community hospitals, leverages their online community. Awesome. -
Human Motivation: The Forgotten Element in Our Theories and Practices
16 May 2012 | 5:00 am“Companies that are afraid to commit to goals that lie outside the range of planning,” Gary Hamel and C.K Prahalad conclude in their booklet, Strategic Intent,“are unlikely to become global leaders.” The authors argue that strategic planning fetters companies to the present and filters their views of possibility through the limiting lens of their current assumptions and limitations.Their alternative to strategic planning is Strategic Intent: harnessing resources and human motivation to an all-consuming, shared ambition, such as beating competitors or innovating far beyond their… -
Got E-learning?
15 May 2012 | 11:51 amNeed your feedback please! Does your organization rely on e-learning to drive revenue or member retention? Are you managing multiple e-learning platforms and software to deliver webinars, hybrid events, virtual conferences and more? Association Forum wants to give you access to the professional development you need to maximize the impact of e-learning. Complete this brief survey by 11:59 p.m. CT on Tuesday, May 22, to tell us whether you’re using e-learning, how and why, and you’ll receive the survey results and an executive summary report. Your feedback will allow us to design… -
Tracing the Path of the Digital Learner
15 May 2012 | 5:00 amCheck out this Google Insights study about Education Trends Through the Eyes of Your Customer. In a fast-changing world, education is still in high demand online. Google looked at internal search query data, Compete clickstream data and commissioned a brand perceptions study with Ipsos OTX to understand the 2012 landscape and found: 80% of education search query paths end without a conversion. 1 in 4 education researchers never even look outside the web. 9 in 10 don’t know which school they want to attend at the onset of the journey. 2 out of every 3 researchers who use video do so to…
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Christopher S. Penn : Awaken Your Superhero
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2 stories about thinking outside the box
16 May 2012 | 6:41 amI’ve spent the last two days at the Riverside Company’s annual summit and have been getting my head filled with truly unique perspectives about how businesses operate. Talk about an eye opening experience. While I can’t share any of the specifics of participants’ stories here, there are two generic stories that were shared that are examples of thinking far, far outside the box. A manufacturer of a durable good (I can’t remember which company it was) apparently was facing a plant closure due to environmental concerns. They were faced with having to close the plant… -
Changing the game may not be improving it
15 May 2012 | 5:05 amThink carefully about the overused term “game-changing”. Let’s say you’re playing tennis, and the game isn’t going so well. You decide that you need a “game-changing move”, pull out a shotgun, and blast the ball out of the air. Have you changed the game? Absolutely. Have you changed it for the better? No, not to mention likely injuring the other player. The game has not improved, but it has changed. Business folks who use the term game-changing are indicating that the way they’re playing the game isn’t working right now, so they’re… -
The 4 kinds of numbers I look at daily
14 May 2012 | 4:14 amIn my daily routine, I’ve plotted out 4 kinds of numbers that I look at daily to see how things are going and give me an instant read on what I need to be focusing on. 1. Conversions: I look at the end results first. I look to see whether anything of value is being generated or not. Examples in your world might include sales, donors, or contributors. 2. Key performance indicators: These are the numbers that are directly connected to my end results. If sales are the end result, qualified leads are a key performance indicator because they’re directly connected, one step away. -
Book reviews: Influence, Deadly Sunset, Ninja Apprentice
11 May 2012 | 4:23 amI’ve had a chance to read more than a few books I’ve bought or received lately, and I owe those authors reviews, so let’s dig in. If it weren’t obvious, I’m stuffing this post with affiliate links to Amazon, too. Just so we understand each other. Mark W. Schaefer’s Return on Influence I enjoyed Mark’s book quite a bit as I think he did a great job of looking at influence overall. He did his homework for sure, interviewing dozens of people and getting different perspectives on what constitutes influence in the digital age. He also explores Klout and… -
How to keep up with too many social networks
10 May 2012 | 3:55 amDJ Waldow, Loren McDonald, Cassie Witt, and a few others asked the interesting question yesterday: “Are the growing demands of social media/networks weighing you down? At some point (I think) you have to choose those you get the most juice out of. What’s your take?” Here’s my take. Again, same disclaimer as my post the other day on content sharing: this is not “the right way” or a “best practice”. This is only how I handle it based on my limited time available each day and peculiar workflow. You should test and analyze for yourself. I take a…
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Brent Csutoras
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Reddit Gets a CEO, Kills Site Search, and Adds ‘All’ View
23 Apr 2012 | 6:59 amReddit, one of the largest social aggregation sites on the web, has been making a few changes as of late. JD Rucker wrote an interesting post early 2011 questioning whether Conde Nast even knew what they had in Reddit and if they were in effect holding Reddit back from really growing. Later in September of 2011, Reddit [...] -
LinkedIn Boot Camp (Infographic)
29 Mar 2012 | 7:00 amAlthough I have found LinkedIn’s ad system a bit of a disappointment, I am still a fan of the site in general. So when I saw this infographic that Mindflash put out, I had to share it with you all too. Click on the graphic below to see a larger version if you are unable [...] -
12+ Million Views and Counting.. How Content Marketing Goes Viral
26 Mar 2012 | 6:25 amI have spoken for years about the merits of using content marketing to help quality content get a lot of visibility, social signals, and possibly go viral. Recently I wrote an article about the success that content marketing can have, explaining that even with the decline of Digg, which was one of the largest social [...] -
Google’s Love / Hate Relationship With Affiliates
6 Mar 2012 | 11:24 amIt is clear that Google has a strong Love / Hate relationship with Affiliates, which typically boils down to whether you are using their services and how large a volume you are generating in sales. Here is a really interesting Infographic that Aaron Wall put out, which details some of the love, and of course [...] -
Social Media Career Advice
14 Feb 2012 | 7:34 amI was recently invited to take part in a collaborative effort that Onward Search put together, offering advice from some of the top social media marketing minds to anyone thinking about a career in social media marketing. I was quite impressed with many of the suggestions made, and wanted to share it with you all. [...]
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louisgray.com
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The "Archive" Button Can be Your In Box's Best Friend
30 Apr 2012 | 2:39 pmYou practically can't open your RSS reader or spend a day on a social network of your choice without running into complaints about email. Nobody likes it. Everybody says they have too much of it. People gloat over mass deletions of unread items, or sporting a full in box four or five figures deep. Some people take vacations from it or swear they'll pound through their to-read list in what could be an eventually futile journey toward the improbable in box zero. But for many of those people, it's likely the impenetrable in box is symptomatic of something else - the inability to make a decision… -
Private Companies, Stock Splits and Taxes
14 Apr 2012 | 11:33 pmFrom 2001 to 2009, I worked at a private company in various roles, from marketing manager to director. Over my eight years there, I gained stock options from my hire date in January of 2001, to my last option grant in the fall of 2008. In addition, I purchased stock as an individual in 2005 and 2006. While we filed to go public in 2007, we eventually had to withdraw this plan, and the company never did see those options become public. Last fall, after I joined Google, the company was finally acquired, for cash. I was given some payout from my time there, and separate investing, but due to… -
Measuring Up at Life's Checkpoints
8 Apr 2012 | 11:36 pmAccording to my blog history, I turned 30 years old five years ago. So that correspondingly means that today marked my hitting 35. When I got the somewhat congratulatory call from a high school best friend this morning, I asked what in the world could possibly be different at 35 than 34, aside from being qualified to run for president. He quickly said that when you hit 35, your back goes out... you become incontinent... so yeah, not great stuff.Any time life passes an arbitrary number, it becomes second nature to do a self-evaluation and compare where you are against life goals, or where… -
Writing for Social, Defending for Court
30 Mar 2012 | 10:39 amEarlier this month, I had an interesting experience, being asked to participate in a deposition, taking questions from a legal team as part of an ongoing case. While I’ll skip the details out of deference for confidentiality, there were aspects of the morning that serve as a reminder for those of us who participate online that often, content we post is permanent, and it can be discovered and used for means far beyond those we originally intended.For those unfamiliar with the process of a deposition, it’s essentially when an individual is called as part of a fact-finding mission, to bring… -
Fitbit: Virtual Badges Influence Real Behavior
9 Mar 2012 | 5:27 pmI am not going on a diet - and I have no interest in going to the gym, even if Google makes it incredibly easy to eat healthy on campus, and gym membership is free with equipment abundant. It's just not me. But despite this clear disinterest in my making any kind of physical life change, I have been wearing a Fitbit the last week, obsessively counting my steps, climbing the stairs and tracking how many miles I make on foot. I've even been wearing the lightweight tracker at night to see how long and how well I sleep - working to optimize that as well.So why would I resort to such silliness?
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ConverStations
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Should Your Lists be Bullets or Numbered?
16 May 2012 | 3:00 amoriginally posted on Dialing8 Using lists in your content is a great way to gift readers by providing “eye rests” and making your content easier to read and share. Is there a difference between using bullets or numbers? Yes. Think of a numbered list as a step-by-step order and a bulleted list as unordered. In fact, these two types of lists are called “Ordered Lists” and “Unordered Lists”. An unordered list might include things you would pick up at the grocery store: Eggs Green Onions Bread Bell Pepper Orange Juice An ordered list might be the instructions… -
Whistle Stops – 5/13/12
13 May 2012 | 7:53 amWhistle Stops are conversations, eye-openers, or tools representing the brain train discovered while traveling along the Conversphere. From business to education, life hacks to giving back, these are the posts and links that have in some way grabbed my attention this week! The 6-Step SEO Audit Every Marketer Should Conduct via Hubspot 99% Conference 2012: Key Takeaways on Making Ideas Happen from Behance 26 Tips for Success With Location-Based Marketing from Social Media Examiner Why Small Business Have A Huge Advantage Over Brands In Social Media on SocialMouths 5 Creative Uses of… -
Stepping Up
10 May 2012 | 4:41 amMaybe it’s no longer about Catching Up or Keeping Up – but about Stepping Up. Are you Up for change? Can't see the video in your RSS reader or email? Click Here! more here Stepping Up is a post from: ConverStations You just finished reading Stepping Up! Consider leaving a comment!Follow Mike Sansone on Twitter or Facebook or on Google+ -
Second Question: “How do you want it cooked?”
9 May 2012 | 2:52 amThe server comes to our table and asks my breakfast companion what he would like. “Two Eggs, please,” he said. Guess the next question. If the question doesn’t get asked, what will the resulting breakfast be? Even though there’s over a dozen ways to cook eggs, we know what success will look like and taste like before we crack shells. Shouldn’t it be similar with social media? “I’ll have a Facebook with a side of Pinterest,” he thinks. There’s probably over a dozen ways to use Facebook and Pinterest together. What will success look like? -
Preparing for Social Media: For Times When There is No Time
4 May 2012 | 3:50 amYou will find there are times when there is no time for social media. Let’s hope so. Hopefully, you’re busy on your core business: project work, client meetings, billing & invoicing, display merchandising, inventory – all that other stuff that is part of doing business successfully. I have one of those days today. Thankfully, with careful planning and preparation, I’ll get the things which need to be done – done. And I prepare for the social media stuff too. Using my RSS reader and Twitter list, I’ve scheduled a few tweets. I didn’t find a lot…
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RyanSpoon.com
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Nike Basketball’s Beautiful Facebook Timeline In Time for NBA Playoffs
15 May 2012 | 8:28 amJust a terrific, creative and well-timed use of the Facebook Timeline by Nike Basketball. Coinciding with the NBA Playoffs – and a handful of new sneakers for top stars like Lebron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant – Nike Basketball is releasing a series of basketball rules: “Every EPIC moment has a story. And every story has a lesson. Lesson No. 1: The deeper the bench. The stronger the squad.” Each rule is placed atop a basketball poster that ties into the playoffs and relevant players. Two or three rules are posted a day (so far, 38 rules and posters have been… -
Facebook Offers In The River Promotion
14 May 2012 | 10:22 amTwo trends within Facebook that I have written frequently about: - Facebook Offers: which has morphed from a Groupon-like platform to an extension of their sponsored ad format - In the River Marketing: which is particularly important for large products / platforms like Facebook (examples here: New Facebook Photos and Facebook Places) Combine those and you have the following series of screenshots: Facebook’s In the River promotion of their new Facebook Offers product. When you visit your Facebook page, you are prompted with a takeover atop the status box: “Welcome to Facebook… -
Amazon Brings All 7 Harry Potter Books to Kindle Lending Club
10 May 2012 | 12:51 pmThis is pretty significant news out of Amazon: all seven Harry Potter books are now available in the Kindle Lending Club. It is the all-time bestselling book series and is a testament to Amazon’s willingness to put marketing muscle behind Kindle and the Lending Club. And considering the reach and popularity of the Harry Potter franchise – it is a win for Kindle owners, Harry Potter fans, and Amazon users. It is also worth noting that it is a couple days from Mother’s Day and Amazon’s merchandising exists (upper right corner) but is far smaller than the Harry Potter… -
NYTimes Mobile Paywall
9 May 2012 | 5:39 pmNot a ton to say here except that: - I reached the New York Times paywall - And it is visually very bold / intrusive - But while it is disruptive – and that’s the goal of course – it is really not very actionable: The only part of the entire screen that is clickable are the two orange buttons.That is -
#TrendingOnGoogle+
8 May 2012 | 3:07 pmI haven’t logged into Google Plus in a little, so I cannot tell if this is a new feature or a result of my infrequent usage – nevertheless, I was taken aback by Google’s new Trending on Google+ module… which looks exactly like Twitter’s. While it is interesting to see that the topics are related (ie Junior Seau, NFL), I was most interested by the use of hashtags on Google. Within my Google+ network, I have not seen hashtags used with any regularity (whereas they obviously are part of the Twitter culture) – I also would have assumed they would relied on…
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Brass Tack Thinking
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9 Ways To Be An Expert Without Being An Ass
14 May 2012 | 4:15 pmI know many of you hate the term “expert”. It’s like the frustration-filled cry of the internet, second only to “down with Comic Sans”. But we all strive to excel at something, and be perceived as doing so. The trick is how you demonstrate expertise and accomplishment without being christened with titles like “douchebag”. If you’re good at what you do, there are ways to communicate and exemplify your good work without having to rely on a flashy few words and adjectives to convey it. And when you do it right, you won’t need to call yourself an expert, because… -
When To Go Ahead And Have Your Brain Picked
8 May 2012 | 11:56 amOkay, professionals. We get it. No one really likes to work for free. And yes, it’s really important to set boundaries for yourself and for your business so that you don’t undervalue the work that you do, or undermine the qualifications you have as a professional. Anyone who has been in business for any length of time will tell you that you have to value your time and expertise and be willing to draw the line at giving away too much for free. Enter the “No you can’t pick my brain” theme across the internet. Undoubtedly you’ve read one of those posts or… -
Read This Book: The $100 Startup
3 May 2012 | 9:31 amAs a matter of practice, I don’t do book reviews. There are a bunch of reasons for that, but I just don’t do them. And I’m totally breaking that “rule” because I think each and every one of you reading this can get something out of Chris Guillebeau’s new book, The $100 Startup. [Full disclosure: Chris sent me an early copy to read. He didn't ask for a review. He didn't send me a pony or even a cup of coffee. There was absolutely no quid pro quo, it was just here's my new book, hope you like it. I know Chris from the online world, but we've never spent time…
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PsyBlog
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How To Encourage People To Change Their Own Minds
9 May 2012 | 8:08 amSelf-persuasion: let people talk themselves around to your point of view. Changing people's minds is hard. We resist having our attitudes adjusted by others, especially when the message isn't directly relevant to us and we aren't paying that much attention. But what if you could get people to change their own minds? People will listen to themselves and will automatically generate arguments that have personal relevance for them. It's not as crazy as it sounds. Actually people are being encouraged to persuade themselves all the time. Here are a few examples: When a parent wants to change a… -
Five Effortless Postures that Foster Creative Thinking
27 Apr 2012 | 2:28 amLiterally sitting outside a box, rather than in it, makes you more creative, according to new psychological research. There are lots of metaphors floating around in creativity. We talk about 'thinking outside the box', 'putting two and two together' and 'seeing both sides of the problem'. But are these only metaphors or can we boost our creativity by taking them literally? We know our minds interact in all sorts of interesting ways with our bodies, so what if we enacted these metaphors physically? That's the question Leung et al. (2012) examine in a new study published in the journal… -
What “The Love Bridge” Tells Us About How Thoughts and Emotions Interact
17 Apr 2012 | 10:11 amHow much control do you have over your emotions? Have you ever wondered why one person can speak in public without apparent nerves while another crumples under pressure? Or why one elite athlete can shake off their nerves to win Olympic gold while another chokes? Even with ample experience some people never seem to learn to cope with their emotions. A key insight comes from a controversial psychology study carried out on a rickety bridge by Dutton and Aron (1973). The love bridge Men crossing the bridge were approached by an attractive woman who asked them to fill out a survey. The men were… -
Do Posh People Cheat More Than the Lower Classes?
3 Apr 2012 | 10:24 amWho cheats more: the lower classes to escape poverty or the upper classes because they feel entitled? Imagine two people: one from the upper classes and one from the lower classes. Let's say our lower class individual works in a factory, lives in a small house in an average area and receives a relatively small salary. Our upper class individual, though, has inherited money, lives in a large house in a beautiful area and doesn't need to work for money. Now let's say both these individuals are driving along in their cars (one cheap, one expensive), when they approach a pedestrian crossing… -
Want to Improve Your Attention? Wear a White Coat
30 Mar 2012 | 9:39 amThe power of 'enclothed cognition': how what you wear affects how you think. It's surprising how much simple movements of the body can affect the way we think. Using expansive gestures with open limbs makes us feel more powerful, crossing your arms makes you more persistent and lying down can bring more insights (read more here: 10 Simple Postures That Boost Performance). So if moving the body can have these effects, what about the clothes we wear? We're all well aware of how dressing up in different ways can make us feel more attractive, sporty or professional, depending on the outfit, but…
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NTEN
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Sharing Our Way toward Equality: Social Media and Gay Rights
15 May 2012 | 6:56 amBy John Hoffman, Director of New Markets, ZeroDivide Since the moment that President Obama stated that he supports same-sex marriage, there’s been a flurry of social media activity, both pro and con, on the issue. It’s obvious by now that social media has played a huge role in shaping Americans’ attitudes toward LGBT issues. But I would go a step further. Despite the unavoidable struggles and setbacks that lay ahead, the inherent qualities of social media make the passage of same-sex marriage and equal rights for LGBT individuals and families inevitable. Here’s why: 1. Social media is… -
Google Drive: Does It Matter?
14 May 2012 | 10:48 amTJ Rainsford Chief Technology Officer 501cTECH Google Drive is still brand new and not without limitations, but its capabilities are pretty hard to ignore. On April 24, Google announced the much anticipated Google Drive service, a cloud-based "disk drive" where individuals and organizations can store there documents, spreadsheets and a host of other electronic files. That may sound like a big deal but organizations and individuals with Google accounts could do that already using Google Docs. So does Google Drive really matter? In short, the answer is yes! -
Member Round Up: Change and Opportunities!
11 May 2012 | 2:23 pmFlickr:MarkusramWe can feel it - the season is changing! How do we know? NTEN members are providing more educational opportunities, asking for more help on amazing projects, and announcing even more technology tools than ever before. With all the change going on, make sure you learn about all the ways NTEN members are making a difference in the world. Have more news to share? Drop us a line or include your links in the comments!Women rule! And Women Who Tech just created an awesome infographic that details exactly why women rule. For example, did you know that women represent 56% of the… -
Engaging Volunteers in Technical Roles
11 May 2012 | 11:54 amWould you trust a volunteer to help maintain your organization's servers? Okay, probably not, but what about taking out an iPad to collect constituent data? Or setting up wi-fi hot spots after a disaster. Volunteers are the lifeblood of many a nonprofit, and there are many ways you can engage them in technical roles – but it requires a special skill set to manage them. We'll explore the pros and cons of a volunteer workforce supporting technology at our upcoming webinar, "Engaging Volunteers in Technical Roles". Learn more and register today >> In this webinar, you'll learn: How to… -
Developing a Cloud Migration Strategy, Part 2: Process, Costs & Things to Consider
10 May 2012 | 2:57 pmMatthew Eshleman Director of Professional Network Services Community IT Innovators The promise of the cloud is that you don't have to worry about servers anymore. The reality of the cloud is that you have a lot of other things to think about. We may have jumped the gun a little by discussing what systems to migrate in part 1 of this look at developing a cloud migration strategy, but now we're going to ask and answer the question of How to Migrate. Migrating to a cloud based application or service is different from installing some software or server in your office. It is imperative that…
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Mizz Information
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Why I Doubt Associations Will Become Filters for Digital Overload
9 May 2012 | 5:00 amI admit, I was surprised but happy to see the headline "Will Associations Become Filters for Digital Overload?" in the Huffington Post. Happy because I'm always glad to read things pertaining to associations outside the association bubble--or maybe I just don't read the Huffington Post regularly and they always post about associations. Regardless, if you read this blog you probably know what my first thought was when I read the headline: of course I do not think associations will become filters for digital overload! Why not? Here are but a handful of the reasons: Associations care about their… -
Facebook Fails are Mounting
8 May 2012 | 6:27 amDespite the media frenzy over Facebook's impending IPO, all isn't 100% rosy for Facebook. Two things I've recently read highlight what I consider to be pretty big fails on Facebook's part, and, were I considering investing in Facebook (which I never in a million years would do), would give me pause: Social Readers are collapsing. Wow, "frictionless sharing" is annoying people and backfiring? Who could have called that one? To me, the bigger story here is that people do not have infinite patience for just accepting whatever Facebook throws at them. Facebook is notorious for… -
31% of Associations Have Online Communities. Where are the Association Community Managers?
30 Apr 2012 | 7:08 amI just read a post about an upcoming membership marketing benchmarking report, specifically detailing the part of the report that addresses social media use by associations. The report surveyed 700 associations and, according to the summary of the upcoming report, among associations with over 20,000 members, 31% reported having a private social network. Hm, I thought--that's a lot of private social networks....yet, as far as I know, there are still very, very few community managers in the association world. I've blogged about this before--this is an aspect of associations that I simply… -
Why Facebook Timeline Will Continue to be Bad For Brands
24 Apr 2012 | 9:19 amWhat--Facebook Timeline hasn't performed as well for brands as Facebook led them to believe it would? Say it isn't so! I am not at all surprised--here's why: Timeline is a UI nightmare. Where the hell are you supposed to look? With so much emphasis on images, pages take forever to load. There are two columns--except when there aren't when an image spans both columns. And don't even get me started on the way the admin panel takes up an entire screen. My eyes don't even know where to look when a page finally loads; apparently I'm not the only one who is confused.Timeline totally discourages… -
What Does a Washington Post Blogger Resigning Say About the State of Digital Publishing?
23 Apr 2012 | 4:55 amWhile reading Sunday's Washington Post, I came across the headline "The Post fails a young blogger." This should be interesting, I thought, and read it. It was not only interesting but scarily familiar to me. The article describes how the Post blogger responsible for blogPost just resigned because of the no-win nature of her job. Her job entailed writing an average of 5.9 blog posts per day approximating 500 words each with a goal of attaining 1-2 million "hits" a month (don't get me started on the term "hits"). She was a one-person operation, presumably making far less than "seasoned"…
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THE BLOGGER'S BULLETIN
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How to Become a Person Who Takes Action
8 May 2012 | 12:11 pmAre you someone who spends more time thinking than doing? You’re not the only one. There are a lot of people who are more thought-oriented than action-oriented. This is not a personality trait that is set in stone. With some work, you can become a person who takes action instead of one who sits on the sidelines. When you find the methods that work best for you, stick with them. You might dwell in chaos and disorganization while more action-oriented people have it together and maintain their organization for anything-work, school, life, kids. Action people typically have more energy at the… -
How to Stay Positive When You’re Surrounded by Negativity
11 Apr 2012 | 12:28 pmIf someone were to ask you, you would probably say that you were a pretty happy person. You try to keep a positive frame of mind and stay upbeat. It can be difficult, though, to maintain a positive mindset when you find yourself surrounded by negativity. Here are a few ways you can help keep your positive attitude whenever you look around and find that everyone else is being negative. It’s nothing personal. People can often get into the bad habit of talking negatively. It can be aimed directly at you or simply be about a myriad of other things that are going on in that person’s life. -
Submitting Your Articles Successfully
11 Apr 2012 | 7:20 amAfter you have written a few articles that you are proud to attach your name to, it is time for you to start submitting them to a few different article directories. There are hundreds of different online article directories that you can choose from. These can be either paid sites or free. Find article directories that are highly ranked in order to build traffic and enhance your notoriety. Selecting a few well-respected directories will allow you to reach the widest possible audience. Here are just a few of the best article directories to consider when you get ready to submit your articles:… -
Structuring Your Articles for Article Marketing Campaigns
30 Mar 2012 | 4:04 pmAs soon as you figure out exactly what it is that article directories expect from your content, it is much simpler for you to structure your articles to meet those expectations. You will be able to get into a routine and follow a pattern for your articles, which will make it faster and easier for you to complete for submission. For the most part, article directories have very similar requirements in their submission guidelines. Each will require you to use proper grammar and spelling. Your content has to be unique and informative. The article lengths must typically be at least 400 words… -
10 Quick Tips for Life Rejuvenation
30 Mar 2012 | 3:18 pmYou’re in a rut. We’ve all been there. The only way to get out of it is to shake things up! Add some of that zest and exhilaration to your life that you’ve heard other people talking about. It doesn’t have to be anything drastic. Just find a few ways to bring some simple changes to your life and you will be amazed at how great you feel! Even one small change to your typical routine can make a world of difference in your attitude and your outlook on life. Here are ten ways that you can spice up your life right now: 1. Plan a special “renew and restore” day! Find a date on your…
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Twitterrati
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Frrole: What’s Happening on Twitter in Your City?
6 May 2012 | 4:21 amIdea: Looking to see what’s happening on Twitter in your city? Frrole delivers a “social newspaper” of 20 cities. My take: An interesting and easy way to get a snapshot of the local TwitterSphere. Utility Grade: 6/10 -
A Whois for Twitter Users
27 Dec 2011 | 7:00 amOne of Twitter’s shortcoming is how little information it provides about users, other than a short bio and a URL. So how do you quickly get more insight about particular users? The answer could be Twho is This, which offers up an extensive list of a person’s social/digital presence, along with their Twitter bio and a link to follow them. It’s not the prettiest service and it could benefit from offering more information but it’s better than what Twitter offers. An example below is Mathew Ingram (aka @mathewi). By doing a query on his username, it shows 14 different… -
$300 Million of Twitter, Please
19 Dec 2011 | 12:40 pmTwitter may not have a vibrant business model but it sure has no problem attracting heavyweight investors. The latest person to step up in a major way is Prince Walid bin Talal of Saudi Arabia, who bought a $300 million stake from an early Twitter investor as part a strategy “to invest in promising, high-growth businesses with a global impact.” (More details on the New York Times) You figure with so much interest, Twitter could do an IPO. Of course, an IPO means you have to disclose your financials, which Twitter may not want to do given it’s probably spend a lot more money than its… -
Postpost Streamlines Twitter
15 Dec 2011 | 9:00 pmA fact of life about Twitter is the more people you follow, the noisier your live stream becomes. As much as the live stream is a parade in which a new “float” comes along on a regular basis, there can be times when you want a way to have a more focused or narrow slice of what’s happening with our live stream. An interesting tool to take control of your live stream is Postpost, which drills down into it so that people can do searches for particular keywords. For example, if I was interested in tweets about “startups”, Postpost would generate the following results… -
So How is Twitter Making Money?
14 Dec 2011 | 10:05 amCurious about how Twitter makes money? Henry Blodget did an interview recently at the Insight conference with Adam Bain, Twitter’s chief revenue officer, which I suppose is the guy responsible for helping turn Twitter into a business big enough to support its sky-high valuation and growing workforce (800 and counting!)
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Mike's Lifestream
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The digital lives of American moms. Pinterest is their most frequented site.
16 May 2012 | 2:07 amvia simplyzesty.com -
Can Facebook Advertising Ever Beat Google?
16 May 2012 | 2:02 amvia mashable.com -
How to spot an Instagram junkie
16 May 2012 | 1:52 amvia dailyinfographic.com -
Facebook: Behind the IPO everyone is talking about
16 May 2012 | 1:47 amvia mbaonline.com -
The State of the Internet
15 May 2012 | 7:51 amvia onlineuniversities.com
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Social Networking Watch: News on the Social Networking and Social Media Industry
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Twitter Touts U.K. Growth Figures
15 May 2012 | 3:48 pmCNET NEWS - May 15 - 80% of Twitter's users in the U.K. are also active on mobile devices, easily besting the global average of 55%. 10M people across the U.K. are actively using Twitter, placing it in fourth place behind the U.S., Brazil, and Japan. Twitter now has 140M active users around the world. by Don ReisingerSee full article at CNet News See all posts on Twitter -
Facebook Files New S-1, Pricing $34-38 Per Share, Raising $14.7B
15 May 2012 | 3:44 pmTECH CRUNCH - May 15 - Facebook will offer underwriters the right to purchase up to an additional 50,612,302 shares of Class A common stock to cover over-allotments. Facebook anticipates that the IPO price will be $34-$38 per share. In total there will be 337.5M shares offered, plus the 50.6M additional shares (so up to 388M shares sold), and it wants to raise $14.7 billion. The stock will be trading under FB. by Ingrid LundenSee full article at Tech Crunch See all posts on Facebook -
Japan's Mixi Mulls Putting Itself Up For Sale
15 May 2012 | 3:32 pmMARKET WATCH - May 15 - Japanese social network mixi is considering putting itself up for sale. Mixi, which began operating in 2004 and quickly became Japan's leading social network, has struggled to maintain or grow its user base in recent years as Facebook has made a concerted push into the Japanese market and as mobile phone gaming sites have grown in popularity. Mixi's net profit fell 45.8% last year. See full article at MarketWatch See all posts on Mixi -
Chinese Social Network Renren Sees Losses Increase
15 May 2012 | 3:05 pmBBC.CO.UK - May 15 - Renren posted a loss of $13.6M compared to $2.6M in losses YOY. The firm runs one of the biggest social network in China, as well as a daily deals site. Renren said it had to raise expenditure on marketing to $17.4M, a 78% increase from last year, mainly on its daily deals site Nuomi.com. However online gaming has proven to be a good alternate source of revenue for the company. See full article at BBC.co.uk See all posts on Renren -
OMMA Mobile Conference Takeaways
14 May 2012 | 3:43 pmMARK BROOKS - May 14 - I checked out OMMA Mobile today, which is part of New York City Internet Week. Here's the top takeaways. Get with the program! Within 2 years 50% of all internet consumption will come from mobile devices. Buy now, and establish your ad partners, while costs are reasonable. Less than 1% of online ad spends are on mobile. Put mobile at the core of your marketing efforts and don't silo your mobile ad budget. For more takeaways see the Courtland Brooks blog.
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Tech in Asia
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Leading By Example
16 May 2012 | 7:40 amIn Bandung, Indonesia I recently had a few opportunities to share my journey as an entrepreneur. Now note that I’m far from the term “successful.” But I believe I do know a thing or two about starting and leading a company. From young crowds of student-entrepreneurs, one of the most commonly asked questions is interestingly about leadership and management. Or specifically – “How can a young entrepreneur actually lead a team?” More often than not, the folks who you work with are older than the founders. And you know, in Asia, age matters and people see that… -
China Mobile CEO on 4G Plans: Not Going to Engage in Price War
16 May 2012 | 6:30 amChina Mobile CEO Li Yue announced in a shareholders meeting that China Mobile will not be engaging in price war when it comes to introducing 4G network services, and aims to pilot test them in up to 10 cities. This strategic is intended to allow them to acquire a larger market share and provide better quality 4G services. According to Li Yue, China Mobile’s monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) in the first quarter fell by three percent, and will be focusing its upcoming efforts on developments in new businesses, in order to offset the negative growth rates. On development efforts of… -
Chinese Vacation Home Rental Service Tujia Receives Series A Investment
16 May 2012 | 5:35 amReaders may recall back in January when we looked at Chinese startup Tujia, a vacation home rental service which offers hotel-like online booking for your home if you’re on holiday. And now this evening there’s word from venture capital firm Lightspeed China Partners that it has made a series A investment in Tujia, along with CDH Investments and Ctrip International. Interestingly, HomeAway, the American site which is supposedly the inspiration behind Tujia is joining those investors, purchasing a minority stake in Tujia. According to the announcement, the new cash will be used to… -
Docomo Rolls Out New Phone Lineup, Heralds New ‘Docomo Cloud’
16 May 2012 | 2:35 amActress Maki Horikita, Docomo's Ryuji Yamada, Actor Ken Watanabe After KDDI (TYO:9433) rolled out its new summer smartphone lineup yesterday, rival carrier NTT Docomo unveiled its own repertoire of handsets today. The entire lineup includes 16 smartphones, all of which will run Android 4.0, the most notable among them being the Samsung’s Galaxy III and the flashy Sharp Evangelion phone. The company also announced that it will be supporting its new lineup with what it’s calling ‘Docomo Cloud.’ Among the many services included will be its very impressive Shabette… -
Kaifu Lee: Why Most Internet Companies Fail at Mobile
16 May 2012 | 12:45 amAt first glance, it might seem that PC internet and mobile internet endeavors are similar enough that they’d be almost interchangable. Not so, says Kaifu Lee, who I’m pretty sure I don’t need to even bother writing an introductory blurb about at this point. This morning on his Sina Weibo account, Lee wrote that most internet companies fail at mobile. Why? He listed five reasons: The mobile and internet industries are too different, requiring different “genes” from companies. Most internet brands aren’t adding anything to the experience on mobile, and…
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AdamVincenzini.com
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Tick tock! 10 'real-time' photo search engines
14 May 2012 | 6:02 amThanks to services like Twitter and Instagram, and the global 'smartphone saturation' phenomenon, live reporting from big events has never been easier. No longer do we have to rely on professionals delivering content and images from these events, we have our extended social networks doing this for us. And, because so many of these updates get fired into the 'public' timeline, virtually any update from anywhere can be found and shared in a matter of seconds. But, with all of this content creation happening, who is making sense of it, giving it some order and structure? You, of course. But,… -
10 Mandatory Ingredients of Online Video Content (Part One)
12 May 2012 | 3:55 pmThis definition of 'great online video content' has to be one of the most subjective definitions in existence. How many times have you heard someone say: "We've produced some great video content for our client." And then you watch it and shake your head (until it nearly falls off). Is this 'great video content' claim simply based on personal preference and / or original client buy-in? Probably (sadly). Who ultimately decides? The public, of course, but how can you predict performance before hitting publish? Side note: If you only use video in an ad hoc manner (as opposed to treating it… -
Report: Soccer Rules Australian Football Leagues On Facebook*
9 May 2012 | 12:05 pmSport is a huge part of Australian culture. I was privileged enough to experience this as a marketer of Australia's favourite sport, Cricket, for a number of years (at Cricket Australia). It has filled me with great pride to see the way in which Cricket (in Australia) has embraced (and pioneered) social and digital media under the direction of some old colleagues of mine. Naturally, I've also kept an eye on Australia's three most popular Football 'codes' - AFL (Aussie Rules), NRL (Rugby League) and The A-League (Football / Soccer). And, while there are several HUGE caveats in what you're… -
10 Innovative Examples of Traditional Media Using Social Media
6 May 2012 | 12:00 amTraditional media outlets are often criticised for not having embraced social media in the way other organisations have around the world. There's a pretty simple explanation for this - the fundamental purpose of traditional media outlets/ brands is to sell advertising space in exchange for exposure to an audience (via content). When that isn't your main source of income, 'giving away' content is a lot easier to swallow which is why automotive, drinks and fashion brands are so fond of social. However, the smarter operators have realised that they can use social media channels and tools,… -
Using the New 'Engagement Rate' Formula to Measure Facebook Page Performance
5 May 2012 | 6:07 amThere is still A LOT of confusion out there about what constitutes a 'good' Facebook page. Sure, 'likes' are an obvious popularity metric and a powerful 'trust mark' - if you visit a page with big 'like' numbers you are more inclined to join that page and be receptive to the content being shared. But (and it's a good 'un), this doesn't tell you ANYTHING about how well the page is being managed or how the community interacting with the content being provided. Facebook have tried to make this more obvious with metrics like 'talking about this' (the number of people who have actively…
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BlueGlass
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Mastering Google Product Feeds and Product Listing Ads – Part 4
15 May 2012 | 12:27 pmIn part one of this series we covered setting up Google product feeds. In part two we covered setting up Product Listing Ads in AdWords. In part three we covered properly tracking product search performance. In this post we will cover optimizing product feeds, product listing ads, and product extensions. Optimizing Product Search One of the great things about Google’s Product Listing Ads is that there is less to optimize than with traditional AdWords ads. You don’t have to choose specific keywords or even write ads; you just have to set up your feed properly, choose good images,… -
6 Steps for Writing Content Your Audience Wants to Read
10 May 2012 | 10:58 amGreat content rests on a solid foundation, which includes writing style, research, and plenty of editing. The differences in sharability and engagement between normal content and the kind that explodes virally are huge, but the differences in how the content is created can be subtle. Is your content not receiving enough engagement or retaining an audience, despite brilliant ideas and promotions? Maybe your writing is to blame. How can you tailor your writing to improve engagement and keep your audience coming back? Below we’ll examine the elements that comprise the foundation of… -
The Right Way to Use Social Media for Outreach
9 May 2012 | 6:00 amSocial media cuts down walls and increases your ability to become a relationship-building all star. But, social media shouldn’t be used to actually send a pitch (and if you can send a pitch in 140 characters, more power to you!) or for one-time communication. Rather, social media should be used to help get your foot in the door and get to know a contact on a more personal level. From there, you can use social media to manage and maintain relationships with your outreach contacts. While there are now countless social networks to choose from, Twitter and LinkedIn remain two of the best… -
SEOpen House at BlueGlass
7 May 2012 | 11:35 pmWhen you think of Tampa, chances are you don’t think “strong SEO community.” We want to change that. It’s about time we rounded up the local online marketing talent for a great time, so we’ll be hosting our first SEOpen House at our Tampa office on May 30 from 6pm – 9 pm. In addition to the BlueGlass team, we’re opening our doors to the first 50 people to register. The only requirement? You have to be passionate about online marketing. And here’s the best part… it’s FREE to attend! Here’s the Plan Icebreaker… -
13 Ways to Revive a Content Promotion Campaign
2 May 2012 | 4:00 amUnfortunately, not every content promotion you attempt will go as well as you expected. The good news is most content promotion fails are salvageable if you can pinpoint what went wrong and then take the necessary steps. Ask yourself these questions to help determine how you can save your promotion: Did you start your promotion during a holiday week or was there a huge news event that day? Did you submit to the right social sites? Was your content factually accurate? Just because your content marketing campaign is struggling, you don’t need to give up and move on to something…
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SocialTimes
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Casablanca To Stream Free Tonight On Facebook At 7PM
16 May 2012 | 8:31 amCasablanca, the classic 1942 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, turns 70 this year. To celebrate, Warner Bros. will be screening the film for free tonight, Wednesday May 16, 2012, on Facebook. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
Turner Broadcasting Invests In Funny Or Die To “Give People a Laugh Anywhere, Anytime and on Any Device”
16 May 2012 | 7:24 amToday Turner Broadcasting, home of TBS and Adult Swim, is announcing a strategic partnership with social video site Funny Or Die. Lost Remote’s Cory Bergman reports that Turner has made a minority investment in the company, which was co-founded by Will Ferrell in 2007. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
Roundtable: The Future of the App Economy
16 May 2012 | 6:13 amNEW YORK – Sustainable revenue was on everyone’s mind at the APPNATION NYC Mobile + TV 3.0 Summit in SoHo this morning. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
Pinsanity Makes Fun of Pinterest [Video]
16 May 2012 | 4:27 amImagine someone stole your cupcake or scarf, and then pinned it on their wall. Imagine they took your quotes, shoes or gardening ideas and pinned them to a literal wall. Well, you don’t have to, just check out what happens when a Pinterest obsessive goes looney in this new Pinterest video by Comediva. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
How imgur Reached 2 Billion Page Views [Infographic]
16 May 2012 | 3:41 amHave you ever used Reddit? If so — and I hope you have — you’ve probably clicked on an image here or there. A few years ago, those image links would have pointed to all sorts of different hosting services like imageshack and tinyimage, but those sites didn’t seem to do the trick for Reddit users. Some weren’t fast enough, some had too many ads. Whatever the reason, a Redditor named Alan Schaaf decided to put together a site to service Reddit better. That site was imgur, and it now serves over 2 Billion monthly page views. Check out the infographic to see…
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3net Search Engine Marketing Blog by Social Media Systems
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1000000 USD Buys US Citizenship Easily and Legally
13 May 2012 | 8:48 am1000000 USD Buys US Citizenship Easily and Legally 1000000 USD Buys US Citizenship Easily and Legally – 206-766-9288 NT GROUP, INC Tish Johnson, Designated Broker. TCB Properties (a wholly owned subsidiary of NT Group, Inc.) NTGroup Inc. (A commercial real estate holding company owned by Patricia ‘Tish’ Johnson of TCBProperties.com) will be presenting a series of real estate investment and jobs creation opportunities here to allow foreign investors (Japanese and Chinese specifically) to invest in distressed real estate and/or certain zones the US and create American jobs and… -
Featured Blogger Sharon Koziel | Corona California Community Business News
9 May 2012 | 4:23 amFeatured Blogger Sharon Koziel | Corona California Community Business News Featured Blogger Sharon Koziel Corona California Community Business News Sharon is our featured blogger this week. We have rolled out a new program to fix up some of our original bloggers’ blogs: Sharon has been with us since the beginning of uplog.org in 2010, so we upgraded, fixed up, and featured her blog this week for only $121.00 in recognition of our gratitude for being with us all this time. -
2012 Checklist for Automated Website or Blog Audit
7 May 2012 | 10:54 amThis list for a successful automated website that grows and has search engine optimization keeps changing: here is the third annual edition: Is it built in self hosted WordPress CMS (content management system)? WordPress is open source (free) and is the worlds most elaborate and still user friendly, most supported and supportable, most widely used content management system: it allows the website to grow and be easily optimized so that all you must do is post something new at least weekly and you will achieve rankings and traffic (related: 7-best-2012-websites-to-post-content-on-how-and-why)… -
How to promote any local business with a local news blog
2 May 2012 | 5:02 amFull-Auto:Engine-repair, transmission-repair, suspensions, brakes, tires: *Free-ac-or-heater-performance-check SERVICE We service everything Audi, Alfa Romeo, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ferrari, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, KIA, Lamborghini, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Volvo, Toyota, Volkswagen, Porsche,Aston Martin, Hummer,Lexus . Our ASE certified technicians will care for you vehicle with the highest level of integrity. That’s why Full Services Master Car Care offers an industry leading 12 months or 12,000 mile warranty on most repairs “We… -
May15 2012 B2B Home Business Network News
29 Apr 2012 | 6:30 amOur double-opt-in circulation is over 145,000 and growing! The latest from the guide: How to Promote a Real Estate Agent-Broker with a Local News and Information Resource 101 How to raise money for a start-up under SEC Rule 506 of Regulation D (As seen at Yahoo Voices) Affinity Marketing 101 | How to cross link a niche and GEO targeted website for lead capture Featured: What Does It Take to Be a Social Media Manager from Home? The essential tools to be a social media manager working from home are fairly basic. To get started, all you need is a computer, a phone (especially for…
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VIRALBLOG.COM » Viral ideas.Trends. Inspiration
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11 Incredible Mobile Marketing Statistics
16 May 2012 | 8:08 amMobile marketing is changing the way marketers, brands, agencies and consumers think about marketing. Smart phones have changed the dynamic forever. No matter whether marketers care about social media, local marketing, email marketing, e-commerce, phone calls or web traffic—mobile marketing is changing them all. If you don’t believe that mobile is changing marketing forever…you’re wrong. Hopefully a few of these stats will open your eyes. There are 7 billion people on Earth. 5.1 billion own a cell phone. 4.2 billion own a toothbrush. (Mobile Marketing Association Asia, 2011) It takes… -
Boobstagram: The Instagram Of Boobs
15 May 2012 | 6:00 amCreative concepts with the objective to raise awareness around Breast Cancer are always interesting, not just only for the good cause. Normally October is the month when these concepts pop-up on the net. But thanks to the efforts of two Frenchmen, awareness of the cause is coming throughout the whole year. In October 2011, the two created this super simple Tumblr website filled with Instagram boob shots: Boobstagram. It’s all becoming much clearer to me now why Facebook bought Instagram… The more experienced Instagram users might have noticed a few times: boobs and asses may… -
Weekly Recap #19
14 May 2012 | 1:52 amTime flies and since it’s not easy to follow, read and catch-up with everything, we bring you a Weekly Recap from ViralBlog: all of the past week in one place. Last week on ViralBlog among others “Infographic&Video: Instagram By The Numbers”, “A Marketer’s Guide To Pinterest” and “Email Productivity: How To Get Shit Done”. A Marketer’s Guide To Pinterest All eyes are still on Pinterest, the social network that lets users collect and share images found on the Web by “pinning” them on virtual pinboards. This great infographic video shows how… -
Email Productivity: How To Get Shit Done
13 May 2012 | 9:38 amImproving productivity is a never-ending discussion among the business community. Employers want to know how to make their team more efficient and employees want to get more done in less time (so they can work less). There are countless resources out there – everything from tools and articles to actual productivity coaches. Simply Business culled together these resources into an interactive graphic that covers productivity in five different time-sucking areas: Collaboration Travel Email Meetings Workload Click image to open interactive version What I found to be the most useful guide was… -
The Crisis Brings Out The Best In Us
12 May 2012 | 7:18 amLast weekend I wandered across the Utrechtsestraat in Amsterdam. Unfortunately the street is broken up by road works, but nevertheless the street has something peaceful. At this street you will find no branches of the large chains, but only small and self-employed stores. The stores vary from travel shop to mini market (really, the last time I saw such a shop was is Marrakech, where they sell groceries from garage boxes). It is striking how much supply of organic, fair-trade and second-hand there are these days. For years there is research in the coherence between economy and individuality.
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pamorama
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Does Social Media Improve Google Organic Search Ranking?
12 May 2012 | 3:55 pmIf you manage a website, you know the importance of search engine rankings. Since more than 90% of all online traffic is driven by search results, search engine optimization can be vital to businesses. If your site appears on the first page of Google results, it can make a huge difference in brand recognition, sales, and [...] -
Using Google+ for Business [Infographic]
28 Apr 2012 | 3:55 pmI have to admit that I’ve had misgivings about Google+ since it launched last September. How many other social media initiatives has Google rolled out, only to have them die on the vine because of poor execution, lousy interfaces, and decreasing attention from Google developers? Wave and Buzz come to mind, among others. And it’s yet another silo for social [...] -
Top 12 Social Media Insights for Nonprofits in 2012
15 Apr 2012 | 4:42 pmBlackbaud, NTEN, and Common Knowledge have released their fourth annual Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report, a yearly analysis of how nonprofits are using social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. This year’s report highlights 12 key social media insights for nonprofits that are intended to help the sector become more effective at using social media [...] -
Inbound Marketing vs. Outbound Marketing [Infographic]
31 Mar 2012 | 2:28 pmThe Web has empowered consumers in many ways, giving them new methods for finding, researching, and buying products. Marketing communication as a two-way dialogue emerged in response to these changes in behavior. People no longer rely solely on TV/newspaper/magazine ads, billboards, direct mail, email, banner ads, and other traditional outbound marketing channels to learn about new products. [...] -
Using Facebook’s Timeline for Business [Infographic]
20 Mar 2012 | 2:58 pmAll Facebook Timelines will convert to the new format on March 30th, so it’s time to take charge of your business page to get the best results. Facebook has many resources to help you, including: The Pages Overview Guide (PDF) The full Pages Product Guide (PDF) The Pages Learning video, a walk-through with Facebook’s product experts Social [...]
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Social Media Examiner
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How to Use Facebook Apps to Improve Fan Engagement
16 May 2012 | 5:00 amAre you looking for easy ways to engage new Facebook fans using Timeline?Keep reading to learn how free apps can provide enormous opportunities for your business.Why Facebook Timeline Apps?Now that the new Timeline layout is mandatory for all page owners, we’re all beginning to find our way around the new layout.For many, especially those who just started seeing traction with the old layout, Timeline presents brand-new challenges (and opportunities!) for staying top-of-mind.Sure, the layout is beautiful, with lots of room for high-res video and photo. But with all the rules and changes… -
6 Ways to Grow YouTube Subscribers and Your Exposure
15 May 2012 | 5:00 amAre you seeking more visibility for your YouTube videos?Are you wondering how others do it?If you want the massive views, exposure and targeted traffic that YouTube offers, you need to focus on first building an audience—or as YouTube calls them, subscribers.Why YouTube Subscribers?A YouTube subscriber is someone who has chosen to “follow” your channel and your content so they can stay updated with your latest videos. In essence, a subscriber can become a raving fan who watches, comments and shares your videos with others. Building up a strong subscriber base is essential for… -
6 Tips for Using Pinterest for Business
14 May 2012 | 5:00 amAre you wondering how Pinterest could help your business?Pinterest is one of the hottest social media sites at the moment. Pinterest was the fastest stand alone site ever to reach 10 million monthly unique visitors.One study shows how Pinterest has been bringing in more traffic to websites than LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube put together.Brands are benefiting with Pinterest in generating traffic and sales.So if you’d like to attract a lot of traffic to your website using Pinterest, check out these 6 tips.#1: Use Original Pictures to Drive TrafficIf you visit the Popular Section of… -
Google+ Hangouts On Air for Everyone: This Week in Social Media
12 May 2012 | 5:00 amWelcome to our weekly edition of what’s hot in social media news. To help you stay up-to-date with social media, here are some of the news items that caught our attention.What’s New This Week?Google+ Hangouts On Air Now Available Worldwide: Google+ Hangouts On Air was launched last September to a limited number of broadcasters and is now rolling out to the rest of the world. This means “you can now go live in front of a global audience.” Here’s a reminder of what you can do:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pmSWh2BQcoFacebook Announces The App Center: The App… -
How Online Video Can Grow Your Business and Your Brand
11 May 2012 | 5:00 amIn this video I interview Steve Garfield, who is the author of the book Get Seen: Online Video Secrets to Building Your Business.Steve shares insights into how video can give your company a competitive advantage. He also shares tips on how to get started and what to look out for in the future.Be sure to check out the takeaways below after you watch the video.Here are some of the things you’ll learn in this video:Why you should consider using video for your businessHow you can use video to create a competitive advantageAdvice on how you can create quality video on a small budgetHow to…
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Dental Care Tips & News from The Dental Heroes
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How to Hire Great Dental Staff: Part III – The Onsite 30 Minute Interview
10 May 2012 | 10:55 pmThe following is a guest post by Jill Nesbitt of dentalpracticecoaching.com. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here. A quick review of our hiring process so far: In Part 1: Where to place ads? – We reviewed how to attract candidates for your dental position. In Part 2: Telephone interview – I shared the questions and approach to eliminating unqualified candidates. Today, we will discuss how to do an onsite ½ hour interview. Give Candidate Patient Brochure When your candidate arrives, give them your patient brochure or some information about… -
5 Things You Must Do to Create a Friendly Dental Office
24 Apr 2012 | 10:10 pmThe following is a guest post by Dr. Louis P. Bosse, of Greenspoint Dental. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here. The word “dentist” brings fear and trembling to many people. That’s why it’s vital to have a welcoming office, so that your clients will feel safe and want to return. Here are some tips to make your patients feel at ease in your office. 1. Hire a Friendly Office Manager The person sitting at the front desk will give patients the first impression of your entire office. Interview as many candidates as you can and choose the one who… -
Dental Marketing Fundamentals – The Preplanning Stage
15 Apr 2012 | 1:20 amThe following is a guest post by Elliot Pearson of Dentistidentity.com. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here. Before you understand how to approach a pre-plan for your marketing efforts, it’s important to understand if your practice is ready for such an effort. Take a look at a previous post we wrote to help you make this analysis: How do you know if your practice is ready for marketing. Before another word is uttered, let’s get one fact out in the open. Dentistry is an industry and dental offices are a business. If it weren’t, the… -
The Top Droid Dental Apps of 2012 (So Far)
5 Apr 2012 | 7:09 pmThe following is a guest post by Jane Johnson of AndGeeks, a site providing Android News, commentary and reviews of smartphones such as T-Mobile LG Phones. If you are interested in guest posting for Dental Heroes, please sign up here. Are you an iPhone user? Check out a recent post highlighting the top free dental iPhone apps of 2012. Whether you want to be a dental genius—or just have the knowhow to care for your pearly whites like one—there are a ton of mobile tools that can help you stay on top of oral hygiene. The good news, is that regardless of if you’re brushing up for dental… -
Dental Marketing Strategies: Loyalty Marketing
25 Mar 2012 | 1:32 amIn the service industry, loyalty may never be coerced, only earned. This is especially true in a dental practice. It has been observed, and reference to this can be gleaned across the net from a simple search, that loyalty of a customer and patient to keep retuning is based steadfastly in the level of service and professionalism that is displayed. This way, loyalty is earned. Bonus programs, loyalty reward programs and complex promotions will not amount to anything if the customer is not comfortable to visit your chair. Trust There is a level of familiarity and comfort a patient must feel for…
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Dentistry News
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Queens Schoolchildren Protest Added Fluoride In City Water
16 May 2012 | 11:23 amNY1 VIDEO: Dozens of fifth graders from P.S. 122 in Astoria are leading the battle against the city adding fluoride to tap water since the 1960s, as the children and Queens Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. -
Can Too Much Sugar Make You Stupid?
16 May 2012 | 10:10 amDentists have long warned that too much sugar can rot a person's teeth, but scientists at UCLA have discovered evidence that too much soda and candy could also rot a person's brain. -
Bridgwater dentist surgery ordered to improveUpdated 1:30pm Wednesday ...
16 May 2012 | 5:55 amThe Care Quality Commission has ordered the ADP Dental Company Ltd to improve the care given at its surgery on East Quay following an inspection. -
Council will hear views on fluoride
16 May 2012 | 2:06 amThe Everett City Council will hold a fluoride hearing at the council meeting at 6:30 p.m. June 6. Please study the information on our web site, write or call your favorite council members, and attend the June 6 meeting. -
There's Fluoride in Rice
16 May 2012 | 1:41 amThe USA Rice Federation objects to EPA officials' proposed ban on sulfuryl fluoride. Currently, 45 parts per million fluoride are allowed "in or on" rice flour after fumigation with sulfuryl fluoride. Rice is just one hidden source of fluoride that should be considered by dentists when determining a child's daily fluoride intake before administering or prescribing more fluoride in water, as a supplement or in office procedures.
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About.com Dental Care
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Who's Most Afraid of the Dentist?
14 May 2012 | 7:10 amWho's most afraid of the dentist? According to new research, it's not the who you'd most expect. It's women in their 40s. Ongoing research from the University of Sydney suggests that this demographic is more likely than other age groups to have felt trauma, abuse or oro-facial trauma. These people are also more likely to be depressed, anxious or stressed, researchers found....Read Full Post -
Bottled Water Linked To Tooth Decay
8 May 2012 | 2:44 amAccording to spokesman on pediatric dentistry for the ADA (American Dental Association), Jonathan D. Shenkin, fluoride is an extremely important ingredient that promotes a healthy smile. It is important to brush the teeth at last twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste, visit the dentist every six months for a fluoride treatment and drink water that is fluoridated....Read Full Post -
Let Your Smile Shine this Spring Because May is National Smile Month
3 May 2012 | 7:08 amWith May being National Smile Month there is even more of a reason to show-off bright smiles for making great first impressions! Gleaming white teeth and a wide smile convey an air of confidence that is important in any situation, from first dates to job interviews. Teeth whitening procedures are certainly effective, but small daily steps can also be helpful and less expensive. Dr. Margaret Mitchell, DDS of the Mitchell Dental Spa in Chicago offers the following tips: WEAR LIPSTICKS THAT CONTAIN A HINT OF BLUE-Blue tones around the mouth can make teeth appear whiter, so when shopping for new… -
Free Dental Work?
1 May 2012 | 5:10 amMany people are finding themselves putting off dental treatment due to lack of insurance and funds. Fortunately, there is an option that more people are turning to for help with their dental care. More and more people are turning to dental schools to have their dental work done and often for free....Read Full Post -
A New Dental App?
26 Apr 2012 | 2:22 amDentist Ben Underwood has developed a unique free toothbrush timer app called Brush DJ to make brushing less boring! The app plays 2 minutes of a song taken at random from the music library stored on the user's device. This encourages people to brush for an effective length of time while listening to their music collection....Read Full Post
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TeethRemoval.com
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Dental Cleanings May Reduce Stroke and Heart Attack Risk
12 May 2012 | 12:22 amA study in Taiwan looked at those who have had professional tooth scraping and cleaning performed and found that they had reduced risks of stroke and heart attack. The study showed that more frequent scraping/cleaning was associated with more reduced risk compared to never having teeth cleaned/scraped or occasionally having it performed. The study looked at over 100,000 people and found that if either a dentist or dental hygienist scraped and cleaned teeth those people in that group had a 24% lower risk of a heart attack and a 13% lower risk of a stroke when compared to those who never had a… -
Cluster Headache Features and Therapeutic Options
5 May 2012 | 12:20 amA review article titled “Cluster Headache: Clinical Features and Therapeutic Options” written by Charly Gaul, Hans-Christoph Diener, and Oliver M. Muller published in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (vol. 108, issue 33, pages 543-549, 2011) provides an interesting look on new options for those with a chronic refractory cluster headache. The article discusses how 120,000 people in Germany are affected by cluster headache. The attacks are in the periorbital area on one side and last 90 minutes on average. The attacks often posses a circadian and seasonal rhythm. The author lists… -
Headaches after Traumatic Brain Injury Highest in Adolescents and Girls
28 Apr 2012 | 11:02 pmA recent study has been conducted by the Seattle Children’s Research Institute and appeared in Pediatrics, vol 129, number 1, January 2012, pages 1 to 9, titled Headache After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: A Cohort Study, wirtten by Heidi K. Blume and et al. The article discusses how in the adult population 18% to 33% of those who suffer from traumatic brain injury suffer from headaches 1 year after the injury. In the child population most of the investigations conducted have been small, retrospective, lacked a control, or involved only short term follow up. Chronic headaches with… -
Alveolar Expansion Technique for Extraction of Third Molars (Wisdom Teeth)
21 Apr 2012 | 10:42 pmAn interesting study titled “Comparison of an alveolar expansion technique and buccal guttering technique in the extraction of mandibular third molar. A pilot study,” appeared in the Open Journal of Stomatology (vol 1, pages 103-108, 2011) written by Babatunde O. Akinbami and Lukcy I. Ofomala from Nigeria. As stated in the abstract the background for this study was “The over-ambitious use of surgical drills for almost every case of third molar impaction is on the increase in most established oral surgery centers. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the… -
Decode Medical Bills
14 Apr 2012 | 12:33 pmHere is an interesting info-graphic about health care in the U.S. Created by: Medical Billing and Coding Certification Copyright © TeethRemoval.comDecode Medical Bills Related posts: Haggling With Doctors: Lower the Cost of Your Medical Bills Consumer Reports has recently put out an article... Medical School Student Costs in the U.S. are Affecting Mental Health A research letter titled “U.S. Medical Students’ Health... Tips to Prevent Medical Errors – AHRQ The largely ineffective Agency for Healthcare Research and...
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Amnesia Blog
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Touch me and I can see
7 May 2012 | 4:27 pmThat is the basic model behind the wearable camera that blinds a user until he is touched by someone else. The project was created by Artist Eric Siu and is called Touchy. With Touchy, Siu wants to highlight social anxiety, which he believes is caused by the increased reliance on communication mediums like Facebook and Twitter. He says that the helmet emulates the isolating experience of over-reliance on social networks, and turns the wearer into a social device. Touchy has two giant shutters that remain closed without human contact. Once the helmet’s sensors detect touch, the shutters… -
Everything will be touchable with Touché
6 May 2012 | 11:08 pmDisney Research is always working on some cool stuff and now they are showing off a pretty cool and quite sophisticated touch-sensing technology called touché. Compared to capacitive touch screens that measure 1 frequency this new technology is measuring a range of them which means it not only can detect multi touch and gestures, but also distinguish between different objects or parts of the body. It will also add touch to non-traditional surfaces, like liquid. Check out the video below and see some of the examples on how Disney sees this technology being implemented in the future. @maniac13 -
So you want to shoot some video?
2 May 2012 | 7:30 pmSo you want to shoot some video? No problem. I have a degree in Television producing, so surely we can figure something out. I know a friend whose parents still smother him with gifts (instead of love) and he just got a new Canon 5D – he probably knows how to use it by now too. While everyone else was studying Economics, another friend and I spent our senior high-school years ‘learning’ Film & TV. He used to have a pirated copy of Final Cut on his laptop, so he can probably edit some stuff to look real sexy. Yeh, we can make you a video alright. Maybe it’ll even go viral – why… -
The birds and the city
23 Apr 2012 | 11:46 pmHeiko, our German development guru found a passion for the birds in Sydney and he wasn’t alone. Here is the story of Wingtags told in his own words: “Ever since my fiancée and I arrived in Sydney two years ago, there was something we particularly liked about this city. It’s probably because we both grew up in Germany, not a place exactly famous for abundance of wildlife, but we were always delighted to see these large, noisy, sulphur-crested cockatoos flying low across our heads, chasing tourists in parks and stirring up the CBD area with their distinctive raucous calls. Having had… -
First Timer
22 Apr 2012 | 9:52 pmLast week provided a couple of firsts – both different but equally as exciting from the perspective of a Junior. I am currently completing my rotation within the Creative Team, which has seen my copy skills exercised within an agency for the first time. Back in Brisbane I was fortunate to have a few scripts shot and aired during my stint in children’s television. It was exciting at the time, but I like to think I’m playing with the big boys now. And so, having my first bit of copy approved by a Razorfish client was a great feeling. Worth celebrating even… As if on cue, last…
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CNET News - Internet & Media
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King Zuck's reign weakens, albeit slightly
16 May 2012 | 11:57 amInsiders are selling more of their shares in Facebook's IPO, meaning Mark Zuckerberg will see his control slip. -
Google exec to Facebook: Uh, your users aren't really shoppers
16 May 2012 | 11:48 amFollowing GM's decision to drop its Facebook ads, a Google advertising guy tweaks-by-tweet, noting that Facebook users aren't, y'know, really there to go shopping. He's got a point -- but maybe not for long. -
It's a Facebook backlash. Wow, that was quick!
16 May 2012 | 11:05 amcommentary GM cancels an ad campaign, a national opinion poll is vaguely negative, and a co-founder swears off America to avoid taxes right before the long-awaited IPO. Welcome to Facebook's crazy week. -
Bing gets social, but it's too quiet in here
16 May 2012 | 10:26 amBing gets Facebook social smarts and a great design to find people related to users' searches, but the new engine yields surprisingly sparse social results. -
Facebook's latest filing: Insiders are cashing in
16 May 2012 | 10:04 amThe company's latest S-1 Registration Statement reveals that the increase in available shares will come from investors and early shareholders, and not Facebook.
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digital media - Yahoo! News Search Results
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Migratory Music Launches Digital Music Distribution and HD Advertising Kiosks, the Ovation Towers, for Artists, Live ...
16 May 2012 | 7:30 amThe Ovation Tower, the music industry’s first live digital media distribution kiosk and HD digital advertising platform, developed for major music venues, today announced deals with Nederlander Concerts, MediaNet, Abbey Road Live, SeePoint Technology, Aderra Media Technologies and YCD Multimedia. -
IAB Launches Digital Media Sales Certification to Set New Professional Benchmark for the Interactive Advertising ...
16 May 2012 | 6:15 amUntil now, the digital advertising field has lacked professional benchmarks such as the legal world’s Bar Exam and Wall Street’s Series 7. That situation changes with today’s annou -
Digital Air Strike Releases First Automotive Study to Include Both Consumer and Dealership Activity on Social Media ...
16 May 2012 | 1:07 amDigital Air Strike™, the nation’s leading full-service automotive social media and online reputation management company, today announced the publication of the industry’s first 2012 Automotive Dealership Social Media and Online Reputation Study. -
Hearst Digital Media to Integrate Meebo Across 13 Premium Properties
15 May 2012 | 12:00 pmMeebo, a consumer Internet company that drives user engagement and reaches almost half the U.S. Internet population, announced a partnership with Hearst Digital Media , a unit of Hearst Magazines, and on Twitter @Hearst_Digital, to integrate the Meebo Bar across 13 of Hearst’s premium digital properties. -
Digital media firm Trivone picks up two more portals
15 May 2012 | 6:31 amBangalore, May 15 (IANS) Emerging digital media and content firm Trivone Digital Services has acquired two more niche portals in entertainment and automobile segments for an unspecified amount to diversify its presence in the web world.
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MediaPost | Online Media Daily
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Ask.com Answers Call Of Seattle Residents
16 May 2012 | 11:25 amGranting three wishes of Seattle residents this summer could pay off in clicks and searches on Ask.com's question and answer site. The "You Asked, We Answered" campaign polled residents in and around Seattle, asking them to vote on the one thing they most want to change about the city. -
IAB Debuts Digal Sales Certification Program
16 May 2012 | 11:22 amThe digital advertising world now has its answer to the legal profession's bar exam and Wall Street's Series 7 certification, courtesy of the Interactive Advertising Bureau. The trade group will offer an official certification for digital media sales executives starting next month. -
YouToo's Facebook App Uploads Video For TV Watchers
16 May 2012 | 11:10 amBlurring the lines between old and new media, Youtoo just debuted a Facebook app, which encourages users to upload videos for TV consumption. Formerly AmericanLife TV Network, Youtoo TV can now be seen in 177 domestic cable markets; social-media platform Youtoo.com have been around since late 2011. -
Mobile Phone Sales Fall, Samsung Tops Nokia
16 May 2012 | 8:29 amSales of mobile phones to end users declined in the first quarter for the first time in three years as a result of slowing demand in the Asia-Pacific region. Total worldwide sales reached 419.1 million units -- a 2% drop from the first quarter of 2011, according to Gartner. Samsung became the world's top manufacturer during the quarter, ending Nokia's 14-year reign as No. 1. -
Barcode Scanning Up 157% In First Quarter
16 May 2012 | 6:00 amMobile barcode scanning continued to climb at a brisk pace in the first quarter, according to the latest data from Scanbuy. Total scans through its ScanLife barcode app and third-party apps in the first three months of 2012 reached 13 million, up 157% from less than 5 million a year ago.
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digital media - Bing News
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IMPORTANT: Bing News RSS feed has moved!
16 May 2012 | 5:46 amGo to the new RSS page and renew your subscription. -
David Armano: The future of
CHICAGO, May 16, 2012 — David Armano is one of the most respected voices in . Six months ago, he listed the "Six Social Trends for 2012" in Harvard Business Review. All six are becoming increasingly more relevant. Airing ... -
Hearst to Integrate Meebo Across 13 Premium Properties
Meebo, a consumer Internet company that drives user engagement and reaches almost half the U.S. Internet population, announced a partnership with Hearst (HDM), a unit of Hearst Magazines, and on Twitter (News - Alert) @Hearst ... -
Domain Group Closes $35 Million Financing
Domain Group (NYSE: DDMG - News) has completed a $35 million senior convertible note offering to a group of institutional investors led by Tenor Capital and issued an $8 million subordinated convertible note to Comvest Capital to ... -
ValueClick Beefs Up Video Offerings
ValueClick , a division of ValueClick, Inc. (NASDAQ:VCLK - News), today announced the launch of its new video ad platform, ValueClick Video. Armed with industry leading targeting capabilities and optimization technology, ValueClick ...
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Ries' Pieces
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Visual Hammers speak to consumers
10 May 2012 | 12:12 pmA visual hammer is so effective because it says something about your brand. The “lime” that says Corona is the authentic Mexican beer. The “contour bottle” that says Coca-Cola is the original cola. The “cowboy” that says Marlboro is the masculine cigarette. A company makes a major mistake when it develops a verbal strategy without considering what visual hammer might help hammer that idea into consumers' minds. In the year 2010, General Motors spent $1.1 billion advertising its Chevrolet brand. The verbal strategy? -
Audi's Visual Hammer. An opportunity missed.
18 Apr 2012 | 11:26 amIn 1986, CBS broadcast a 60 Minutes segment about Audi entitled "Out of Control." The show chronicled the tendency of the Audi 5000 model to suffer from "unintended acceleration." (Three years later, the culprit was discovered. “The major cause," according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "appears to have been drivers unknowingly… -
NEW BOOK: Visual Hammer
12 Mar 2012 | 8:38 amForty years ago, Advertising Age published a series of articles by my father, Al Ries, and Jack Trout titled "The Positioning Era Cometh." Nine years later, McGraw-Hill published their book "Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind." In the years that followed, "positioning" became one of the most talked-about concepts in the marketing community. In its 75th anniversary edition, Advertising Age selected positioning as one of its 75 “top ad moments.” But as revolutionary as positioning… -
Super Bowl of Advertising - 2012
6 Feb 2012 | 11:37 amWhile the gridiron battle between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots was close, the advertising battle on the tube was not. The Super Bowl battle for commercial success might better be described as a mixture of the old classics, the new stuff, the overly sexy and the over the top. Here is my brief recap on the best/worst ads of the night. The Old Classics The Super Bowl isn’t for also-rans. The big game is best served by big brands that are category leaders and that support the game year after year with consistent themes. Coca-Cola The three polar bear ads… -
Tim Tebow, the brand
16 Dec 2011 | 10:07 amTim Tebow is the hottest story in sports. While the Green Bay Packers are charging ahead with an undefeated record, everybody is talking about the Mile High Messiah and Tebowing. How did this happen? What can you learn from it? The Keys to Tebow’s brand success: 1. Be Different. While there is nothing new about the collision of faith and football, Tim Tebow went out of his way to show PDF – public displays of faith. He also lives the life of a church going goodie-goodie. No alcohol, no smoking, no drugs, no sex (he is staying celibate til marriage.) His outspoken and open…
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Personal Branding Blog - Dan Schawbel
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Flexibility Steers You Toward Increased Sales
16 May 2012 | 2:30 amPutting a professional foot forward each and every time we conduct business is certainly ideal. But one of the best things you can do for yourself is to recognize everyone is human and we all make errors; yes, even us. Have you ever been late to show up at a meeting or phone someone, or even worse, double booked and needed to reschedule. Mistakes happen Should we be the one making the error, the best strategy is to quickly apologize to get past the embarrassment and heal the wound. The next step is to then ask for forgiveness. In the case where you recognize ahead of time you will be late,… -
Be My Guest: Hosting Guest Bloggers
15 May 2012 | 10:30 amIf you are an expert in your field, chances are you are taking advantage of commenting on other blogs in your area, searching for opportunities to write for other outlets, and posting links to your blog to every possible social network in your name. Each of these strategies aims for one goal: to build your personal brand by increasing online traffic. A reversal to the common approach of building brand awareness by seeking out opportunities to be featured as a guest blogger for other sites within your area of expertise may be one to reflect on. Guest blogging has been proven to build brand… -
Why Fear Leads To Career Fouls
15 May 2012 | 2:30 amAt Pegasus Media World, I publish an author who deals with the silent killer of success: FEAR. It’s the stealth nature of fear that makes it so dangerous. You don’t typically recognize the majority of times when the deadliest emotion you can have in business is exactly what’s behind the self-sabotaging actions (or lack of actions) you take. Fear is often hard to recognize, because you think fear should feel like quaking in your boots – like how most people feel about public speaking. People who fear speaking to groups, feel this hair-raising, gut wrenching, dry mouth, heart pounding… -
How To Get Clients From A Conference Or Trade-show
14 May 2012 | 12:00 pmOver the course of a year, my company spent over $25,000 on conferences and trade-shows. Quite a lot of money for a start-up, but something that we found to be absolutely necessary to generate enterprise-level client leads and expand our pipeline. To see a return on our investment, we would need to generate over $25,000 worth of deals from these conferences. A feat that we achieved with flying colors. My company has built recognition in the franchise restaurant world because my team and I hustled extremely hard at each conference. We didn’t let the business come to us; instead, we… -
Creating Good Karma For Your Personal Brand
14 May 2012 | 2:30 amManaging your personal brand is essential to your success. You want to stand out among the crowd, be noticed, be invaluable. You don’t want to be someone who is easily replaced and easily forgotten. You want to be someone who people will listen to, look up to, and most importantly be remembered. To be a strong and successful personal brand, one of the most important things you need to have is a network of contacts. And it’s essential that you manage your relationship with those contacts well, to ensure that you have a smooth and hassle-free working relationship. As your brand or small…
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Lies, damned lies and statistics
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The importance of the ‘visual web’ – some stats
8 May 2012 | 3:19 pmRecently, Read Write Web’s Richard McManus penned a series of articles around ‘The Visual Web’, “meaning that images and video are becoming an increasingly important part of what we consume online.” I couldn’t agree more. Speaking personally, Instagram started replacing Twitter as my social network of choice about a year ago. More to the point, there is now a wealth of statistics to underpin what Richard is talking about. This is specially when you consider that many of the biggest social media stories of the past year – Tumblr,… -
Stats that show why you need a mobile first approach now
2 May 2012 | 1:54 pmThe other week someone asked me what an agency such as Rabbit (where I work) should be focusing on going forward. My reply, was previously organisations have been talking about a digital first approach. In other words, concentrate on online channels and content 1st, which then filters into the offline world. However now the priority has to be mobile first, you cater in the 1st instance for people who may be consuming your content via their smartphones. Sounds obvious enough, but some recent stats demonstrate the need to move from theory to practice: In February 2012,… -
If Instagram will be like YouTube, which photo-network will be like Vimeo? Tadaa is one possibility
29 Apr 2012 | 12:57 pmIn the wake of Facebook’s $1billion Instagram buy earlier in the month, one comparison that did the rounds is that Instagram will be to Facebook like YouTube is to Google. A stand-alone (ish) network, that is the clear leader in what it does (so for YouTube online video, for Instagram mobile photography). However, while YouTube may be the 800lb gorilla of video sharing, a few networks have managed to carve out their own roles – on positioning as opposed to numbers. Vimeo for example, is a fraction the size of YouTube, but a lot of creative industry professionals prefer it… -
How technology has changed childhood – ten stats
26 Apr 2012 | 1:30 pmOver the past eighteen months Internet security company AVG (disclosure – Rabbit client) has been carrying out research to see how technology has changed childhood, beyond recognition from someone who grew up twenty or thirty years ago. With five waves looking at kids from birth across eleven countries, the end result is a fairly extensive piece of research. Ten key stats are as follows: 1 – 81% of children under two currently have some kind of digital dossier or footprint, with images of them posted online. In the US that rises to 92% 2 – Though the average… -
Less than half of European airports have customer focused social channels
26 Apr 2012 | 9:34 amAnyone who knows a bit about what we do at Rabbit (where I work), will know that a lot of it is in the aviation sector. As a result, I was interested to see this infographic that Shashank Nigham of SimpliFlying shared the other day. Accompanying a report by the Airports Council International (the airport trade body ), it shows that 77% of travellers pass through European airports that are active on social media. So far so good, but actually once you delve into the report a little bit further you find that European airports are less progressive than you might first think. First of all,…
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Razor Branding Blog
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Developing Digital Citizens
16 May 2012 | 6:03 amI will be speaking today at Our Lady of Fatima school (for safe environment certification for the 2012-13 school year) on raising a cyber smart kid. With parents who are digital immigrants raising kids who are digital natives, there is a gulf that is getting wider every day. The goal is to inform parents so they can raise their kids to be cyber smart. Although most of the online activity happens after 3pm, it is critical for schools to work with parents to train the kids properly. It takes a village. -
Brand Buzz: Changing Media Habits
14 May 2012 | 6:46 amKPEL 96.5 and The Russo Group team up every Monday at 5:15pm to present Brand Buzz. Each week, we share tools you can use to build your brand and grow your business. Be sure to subscribe to receive the weekly ebook and daily tips via email. Download the ebook on Media Management and learn more about how to adapt to the changing media landscape. There are three elements to building a brand: Focus defines that one differentiating and powerfully compelling quality that makes your brand razor sharp, cutting through the clutter while making your brand known and remembered. -
American Airlines Attacks Brand
9 May 2012 | 6:53 amIn the early 1980's, with rising interest rates and a need to raise capital, someone in the American Airlines marketing department decided to launch a campaign raise a few million dollars quickly. For $250,000, travelers could buy an unlimited first class ticket and for $150,000 more they could add a companion ticket. So, for just $400,000, you and a friend could fly anywhere, anytime for free for the rest of your life. As the Los Angeles Times reports, The Frequent Fliers Who Flew Too Much, the airline decided the AAirpass tickets that they sold were actually being… -
Brand Buzz: Social Media for Customer Service
7 May 2012 | 6:46 amTune in to KPEL 96.5 at 5:15pm every Monday for Brand Buzz. Each week we discuss what it takes to build a brand, why it's important, and how to use social media to your advantage. This week we will be discussing the most important connection you can make online, Customer Service. Download the ebook, How to Use Social Media to Improve Customer Service, to learn more. Social Media provides powerful tools to connect with your consumers. One of the strengths is listening to how consumers talk about you and your competition. Knowing what they think will provide the… -
Brandom Thoughts: Lady Gaga And Her Brand
3 May 2012 | 5:52 amOne of the best Brandom Thoughts videos of all time. In Ashley's absence, Andy interviews Lady Gaga to talk about her brand. And, of course, hilarity ensues.
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Guerrilla Marketing defined
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Hellmann's
15 May 2012 | 6:30 pmDo you ever look closer at your receipt when you return from the grocery store? Folks in Brazil who studied their receipt recently noticed some interesting additional info. A recipe that matched most of their items purchased and connected to the Hellmann's mayonnaise they also just bought. But Hellmann's already had those customers. Now how is this effort supposed to attract new ones? -
First In Bigotry
9 May 2012 | 5:02 amAfter last night's election in North Carolina and the embarrassing approval of Amendment 1, it is time for folks here to share their pride and attitude on their tags. So we propose a change from "First In Flight" to "First in Bigotry." -
Shadow QR code work
4 May 2012 | 8:03 amEmart in Korea did some very clever work with a QR code that is only visible around lunch time through sunlight and shadows. Emart called this effort Sunny Sale with the hope to boost sale numbers around noon, and they did that and more. Let us just hope there won't be too many rainy days. -
+Giant Art Project
30 Apr 2012 | 10:56 amA big Art billboard in the West End neighborhood of Winston-Salem recently caught our eye and with a QR code below we quickly stumbled upon the Facebook page of the +Giant Art Project. The billboard is really art and not so much marketing, but to some degree it is of course a nice marketing effort for itself and of course The Variable agency associated with it, or better said - working attached to it. -
COURAGE US
24 Apr 2012 | 4:53 pmYou need indeed courage to Face the Boogie Man. In Winston-Salem, NC a cute little guerrilla marketing effort leads folks to the Cancer Services short film "Facing the Boogie Man." But you did not have to simply remember the link, there was also a QR code for smart phones. Below is the video:
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Advertising Age - Blog Posts
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Why Facebook Isn't Screwed When It Comes to Auto Marketing
16 May 2012 | 8:04 amThe real questions we should be asking ourselves, before we blame Facebook for GM's marketing effectiveness, are were they doing it right and were they measuring it right? -
Social Sharing Data Vampires: They Vant to Suck Your Data
16 May 2012 | 6:15 amWith social sharing tools, publishers are bleeding themselves dry, giving up the very customer data that hold the promise of their continued relevance -
Will Facebook be an Internet Behemoth in 10 Years?
15 May 2012 | 8:00 amFacebook will need to fight a constant battle if it wants to maintain its dominant position amid ever-shifting consumer preferences and changing technologies. -
Six Things You Need to Know About Real-Time Bidding
9 May 2012 | 7:28 amReal-time bidding campaigns perform well when executed correctly. But many assumptions about RTB 1.0 are incorrect. An integrated approach is essential. -
Hey Publishers, Time to Increase Your Video Ad Load
8 May 2012 | 7:45 amTraditional TV found a model that works, but online publishers refuse to fully replicate the TV ad load model in their long-form content.
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Advertising Age - Digital
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Turner Takes Stake in Funny or Die, Will Manage Site's Ad Sales
16 May 2012 | 9:50 amFunny or Die CEO Dick Glover said the site has done well but still doesn't have big enough reach. -
Siri, Why Don't You Speak Spanish?
16 May 2012 | 6:00 amWith the voice-activated assistant its big selling point, the iPhone 4S has flown off the shelves, despite putting off the U.S. ethnic group most gaga for smartphones: Hispanics. -
Intel Launches Employee-Curated Digital Magazine
16 May 2012 | 3:55 amIt looks like Flipboard, aggregates and posts like Reddit, and presents news like Newsmap. Intel iQ, launching today, is the tech giant's latest content-marketing experiment. -
GM Cuts Facebook Ad Spending, But Ford Steps on the Gas
15 May 2012 | 2:39 pmThe pullout points to Facebook's biggest challenge: Though most consumer brands see the social network as a way to connect with consumers, opinions are mixed on the value of advertising there. -
Ross Levinsohn Lays Out His Vision for Yahoo (Before He Became CEO)
15 May 2012 | 12:30 pmWant to know what Mr. Levinsohn thinks Yahoo should become? He explained it pretty well, in November.
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Conversation Agent
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Most Marketers Still Not Making Data-Driven Decisions Surveys Find
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amHow do large corporate marketers collect and use data? Are practices in marketing measurement and ROI changing? How about the integration of digital and traditional marketing? Has the excitement around big data brought about a shift in how marketers conduct their business? These are some of the topics for investigation in a recent study conducted by Columbia Business School’s Center on Global Brand Leadership and the New York American Marketing Association (NYAMA). The short answer: there is still a big gap between where organizations would like to be and where they actually are in… -
Answering Common Inquiries About Content
15 May 2012 | 2:00 amThree kinds of inquiries I receive regularly: write about us give us your content allow us to post Many of you find the contact form for consulting work. In that case, I'm happy to provide a quote and scope of work. If that's not what you're after, the quickest way to find out what is accepted for review and publication is by following the link to -- submit your question on the top menu. In all cases, the best outcomes come when the ask is appropriate. Note the term "pro" is part of the word. Making the ask Don't know how to ask? Here's how to write an email that stands out for your review. -
Why Experience is Key to Customer Loyalty
14 May 2012 | 2:00 amWhenever I travel, I'm reminded of the many amazing opportunities that come from being able to reach many parts of the world relatively easily. Let's face it, things can go wrong with the weather and with technology. It is how an airline -- or any company, for that matter -- handles customer fairness that will make a big difference to its bottom line. Will they have to discount fares more deeply so people will do business with them again next time? There is plenty of room left for improving customer experience in the travel industry -- airlines, hotels, car services, even airports, with a few… -
Business Lessons I Learned from my Mother
13 May 2012 | 3:00 amMy mother was Miss Romagna. Her name is Anna Laura. I wanted to have her purple blue eyes and ready smile. She has the welcoming spirit of a woman always ahead of the times and comfortable in her own skin. In addition to being a mother of three (all girls), she has had multiple careers -- accounting, sales, public office, geriatric care, and beautician; some overlapping for years. Mother really gets communications -- the listening part especially -- the organization of work, along with the care of the individual. Whether she negotiated credit rates or the recovery of the elderly, she made… -
Fair Pay, Participation Value, and The Intention Economy
12 May 2012 | 3:00 amDo you know the pay scale for your industry? I'm not talking about the job wanted ads -- those may mislead you and take you down the generic path. You're not generic, you have specific skills, and you should be able to calculate market value. Just like with salary, where you don't have a cut and dry answer, interaction and involvement are not exactly the same thing. Community participation has highs and lows, and they may not follow the touted 1% route. How active are people online? Has it changed in the last couple of years? Marketers can optimize campaigns and programs only so far. Without…
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Ogilvy Blog Aggregator
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Yahoo's CEO And The Modern Believability Crisis
15 May 2012 | 4:02 pmI don't actually have a degree in Irish Poetry. I share this because recently at a few events I may have mistakenly mentioned that I did. See, I studied English literature at Emory University in the late 90s. While there, I took exactly two elective classes specifically on Irish literature and as most people who study that field already know - Emory has one of the best collections of Irish literature and poetry in the world. So I did focus on Irish Poetry, but the degree that I earned in 1997 was a BA in English Literature. Why am I telling you all this? Well, you can hardly blame me for… -
Google’s mobile minefield
15 May 2012 | 6:21 amWhen the media landscape changes, there are inevitably casualties. The once mighty print publishers have learnt that lesson to their cost as they struggle to manage the transition from print pounds to digital pennies. The media landscape is changing once more and the existing players are heading for a shake up. As we head from a digital landscape dominated by PCs to one controlled by mobile, the company with the most to lose is Google. Google may be massive in online search – excluding China it has around 90% of the market and in Europe (excluding Russia) the figure is closer to 98%– but… -
Game Change – How TV stole Film’s Spotlight
15 May 2012 | 2:14 amIn a belated – and very un-zeitgeisty – move, Zeitgeist only got around to seeing HBO’s Game Change this past weekend. The film, which first aired in the US in March, is based on the book by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. While the film has attracted its fair share of controversy, it has been deemed “very accurate” by those on the campaign trail at the time. Zeitgeist thoroughly enjoyed it; HBO had done it again. HBO have had a remarkable run of success, producing some of the most daring, innovative and enjoyable TV shows of the past 20 years, from Curb Your Enthusiasm and Dexter… -
The Quality of the Conversation on Facebook Matters
14 May 2012 | 8:51 amLast September Michael Scissons, president-CEO of Syncapse, used data to reveal that “Engagement on the Facebook walls of leading brands is down 22%.” He plotted engagement metrics on the top 300 brand pages. His hypothesis is that brands are not delivering long term value in favor of quick bumps from overuse of coupons and offers. More recently the Facebook Timeline innovations seemed to improve overall engagement. According to Simply Measured, the change brought a 14% Increase in Fan Engagement. The format and the much industry-discussed launch called for lots more pictures and video… -
THIS IS ANALOGUE LONDON. CALLING AT ALL STATIONS TO NOTTING HILL.
14 May 2012 | 4:10 amIt’s nice to see that ambient media is back. I haven’t encountered a branded tube train for years. I applaud this return to retro, late ’90′s media innovation. Branded curry lids and urinal stickers will be this summer’s media planning must-haves. But then, your options are limited with these unconnected audiences. So, hop on board the DigitalUK train, currently traversing the Central Line, and ride along the future of 1010100011110 broadcasting, which hammered its final nail in the analogue coffin at the end of last month. However, the arrival of the train has…
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The Future Buzz
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7 Lessons Digital Marketers Can Learn from Martha Stewart
10 May 2012 | 8:09 amThe following is a guest post by Future Buzz community memeber Matt Gratt. While many people see Martha Stewart as just another craft and cooking show host, she’s actually a brilliant marketer, founder, and executive. She’s in an exclusive club: not too many people found a company and manage to take it public while staying CEO, putting her in the company of entrepreneurs like Michael Dell, Steve Jobs, Marc Benioff, and Howard Schultz. This success is not unwarranted. In addition to being a gifted maker, Martha is a brilliant marketer. The company name alone – Martha Stewart OmniMedia… -
3 Creative Professionals Who Went Beyond The Resume
9 May 2012 | 8:11 amFor many industries it’s a tough job market out there. Everyone knows this. Rather than complain about it, some enterprising individuals are using their creativity to stand out and get positions they want. Thought I’d share 3 stories that stand out (2 recent, one from a bit ago) to inspire you to go beyond a resume next time you’re seeking a job. 1. Jeanne Hwang creatively uses the platform she wants to work for The Next Web shares the story that Jeanne put together a visual resume on Pinterest. I won’t comment on her pins about increasing Twitter followers and her… -
The Meta Factor Is Still Alive And Kicking
8 May 2012 | 7:53 amThe web has always enjoyed talking about, well, the web. That’s nothing new. It was true in the days of forums and boards, in fact some of the most heated threads stemmed from meta discussions. Back when Digg was popular the most popular submissions on Digg were about Digg. This is true on Reddit today. Several of the blogs about blogging still receive a huge amount of attention. So I especially enjoyed that the New Yorker published a humorous story on the web’s continued obsession with meta threads in today’s social platforms: First, I take a sort of new angle on… -
Be Curious, Not Dismissive
30 Apr 2012 | 8:58 amI recall a situation in 2007 (while in the consulting space) when most businesses were barely scratching the surface with digital marketing. The story goes like this: one of my clients, a national brand that is a household name was reticent to participate in social. What was interesting is very smart people were running the company. But even after we explained the situation, shared research and outlined the benefits of embracing social marketing, they still seemed ambivalent. Or perhaps a better word: dismissive. “Why would anyone want to do that?” was a common response to what we… -
On Being Creative
26 Apr 2012 | 8:08 amThis week, I traveled to LA to speak on a panel with Sonia Simone and Peter Shankman (pictured above) at the BlueGlass internet marketing conference. Our session was on the future of public relations – you can read a summary here. I wanted to bring up one part of our discussion that was particularly interesting and something I’ve been thinking about lately. We got on the subject of creativity as an audience member asked the question how to consistently come up with creative ideas. Peter and Sonia responded with some good tips on how to come up with something creative, fast. For…
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MediaPost | Marketing Daily
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Brands As Publishers - Finding Your Voice
16 May 2012 | 7:20 amConsumers and brands have spent their first few years on social media finding their voice -- who they are, what they want to say, and to whom. Here are three interesting paths a brand can take to establish a voice in social content marketing: content creator, content curator, and content cultivator. -
GM Slams Brakes On Facebook Advertising
16 May 2012 | 7:20 amGeneral Motors' decision to pull its advertising on Facebook comes as a blow to the social network on the eve of its initial public offering and will likely heighten skepticism about the effectiveness of advertising on the site as its business model comes under increased scrutiny. The automaker confirmed a report by The Wall Street Journal Wednesday that GM's marketing executives had halted $10 million in ad spending on Facebook because it found the ads had little impact on consumers. The company will still maintain its brand page on Facebook, but end the use of paid advertising. -
Jaguar First In Europe To Launch New Vibrant Lightbox Ads
16 May 2012 | 5:15 amJaguar Cars is launching a digital campaign in Europe using Vibrant Lightbox Video, a rich-media contextual ad product The effort, through Jaguar's media agency Mindshare, puts video in usually-static contextual ads (those boxes that leap up when you mouse over highlighted text.) -
AAMCO Launches 50th Anniversary Campaign
16 May 2012 | 5:15 amTransmission service chain AAMCO is launching an advertising campaign touting its 50th anniversary. The effort comprises two humorous television spots showing vintage images to tout the company's 50 years doing total car care. The ads break May 21. -
When Data Gathering Gets Creepy
15 May 2012 | 7:17 pmAt MediaPost's OMMA Social conference Tuesday, panelists discussed the creepy factor: It's all about etiquette when it comes to where and how to gather data. But as John Montgomery, COO of GroupM Interaction, North America pointed out, the real problem is that people are largely ignorant about what marketers and agencies are doing.
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The eMarketer Blog
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May 11, 2012: eMarketer in the News
14 May 2012 | 2:43 pmHere are a few of the top stories in which eMarketer data has been featured in the past week or so: Financial Times – Chief Calls AOL Undervalued After Patent [...] -
May 4, 2012: eMarketer in the News
8 May 2012 | 1:22 pmHere are a few of the top stories in which eMarketer data has been featured in the past week or so: Marketplace – Target vs. Amazon: A Battle Over ‘Showrooming’ [...] -
April 27, 2012: eMarketer in the News
1 May 2012 | 3:11 pmHere are a few of the top stories in which eMarketer data has been featured in the past week or so: The Wall Street Journal – Facebook’s Growth Slows as [...] -
eMarketer Webinar: How & Why B2B Marketers Are Turning to Social Media
1 May 2012 | 8:01 amMore business-to-business companies are using social media as part of their marketing mix. Some have found that LinkedIn is an effective way to generate leads, while more casual social media [...] -
April 20, 2012: eMarketer in the News
23 Apr 2012 | 9:32 amHere are a few of the top stories in which eMarketer data has been featured in the past week or so: The New York Times – An Online TV Site [...]
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Marketing Company in Phoenix, Arizona, Marketing Planning, Publicity, Social Media Marketing
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7 Ways You Can Generate Word-of-Mouth for Your Business
11 May 2012 | 8:28 pmThere is no question that when it comes to marketing your small business, there is no strategy that is more cost-effective than positive word-of-mouth marketing. Here are 7 ways you can generate word-of-mouth for your business. -
Free May 2012 Desktop Calendar Wallpaper
7 May 2012 | 4:45 pmMay 2012 Free Desktop Calendar Wallpaper 1920x1080 -
I’m Fed Up With Mean
24 Apr 2012 | 5:34 amThis weekend I went to a marketing conference put on by Glazer Kennedy Insiders’ Circle, where one of the keynote speakers was one of them. This speaker is known for his brashness and “in your face” attitude. To but it bluntly, he's mean!
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The Official Google Blog
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Introducing the Knowledge Graph: things, not strings
16 May 2012 | 10:00 amCross-posted on the Inside Search Blog Search is a lot about discovery—the basic human need to learn and broaden your horizons. But searching still requires a lot of hard work by you, the user. So today I’m really excited to launch the Knowledge Graph, which will help you discover new information quickly and easily. Take a query like [taj mahal]. For more than four decades, search has essentially been about matching keywords to queries. To a search engine the words [taj mahal] have been just that—two words. But we all know that [taj mahal] has a much richer meaning. You might think of… -
New research shows smartphone growth is global
15 May 2012 | 11:20 amLast October, we launched Our Mobile Planet, a resource enabling anyone to visualize the ways smartphones are transforming how people connect with information, each other and the places around them. Today, we're releasing new 2012 research data, and the findings are clear—smartphone adoption has gone global. Today, Australia, U.K., Sweden, Norway, Saudi Arabia and UAE each have more than 50 percent of their population on smartphones. An additional seven countries—U.S., New Zealand, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland—now have greater than 40 percent smartphone… -
Follow an email’s journey with Story of Send
15 May 2012 | 3:00 amIf you’re anything like me, you send and receive a lot of emails every day. But have you ever wondered where your message goes after you hit “send?” How does an email travel from your computer to your friend’s smartphone across the country or around the world? We’re answering those questions with Story of Send, a new site that gives you a behind-the-scenes look into how all that virtual information makes its journey through the real world—from your Internet service provider to our data centers and beyond. Along the way, you’ll discover everything from where we filter for spam… -
Think Insights now includes research from 21 countries
15 May 2012 | 12:00 amWhether you’re a marketer in Milan or a planner in Pretoria, you can now get your hands on more Google research and tools to help you better understand your audience and how consumer behavior is changing. Our Think Insights website has just expanded to cover 21 different countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Think Insights can help you understand your customers better, develop your digital strategy, find data to support a business case, stay on top of the latest consumer and industry trends and get insights directly from industry thought leaders. Here are just a few… -
Celebrating our super-mom users
10 May 2012 | 8:06 amThese days, moms use technology in a ton of creative and resourceful ways to keep their families running smoothly. As a working mom myself, I use Google Calendar to keep track of our three busy kids and all their different activities, sports and schools. Technology also keeps us connected—I’m always amazed at how a Google+ Hangout between my kids in California and their grandparents in France can make the distance between them feel so small. In celebration of Mother’s Day this weekend, we thought we’d applaud the many tech-savvy super-moms out there by sharing a few of their stories.
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Bubble Meter
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Why did America's housing bubble decline more than in other countries?
27 Apr 2012 | 9:52 pmMuch of the developed world (especially America and Europe) had a housing bubble. The Economist asks why America's fell so much faster than the bubbles in Europe:Perhaps the difference is institutional. American banks had poorer lending standards and have been quicker to foreclose on properties; borrowers have been readier to walk away from their homes. In European countries, owners have been able to sit tight in the hope that prices will recover. European markets are certainly a lot less liquid. Irish transaction volumes dropped by 83% from their peak and Spanish ones by 64%, but American… -
Updated housing graphs
19 Apr 2012 | 4:02 amI have updated my national housing bubble graphs to reflect the latest data available. It covers home prices from 1970-2011. It looks like U.S. home prices are fairly valued, although it varies by metro area. As I said in the past, I don't expect any significant overshooting nationally. I stick by that prediction.Here, the red line represents inflation-adjusted housing prices, and the blue line reflects nominal housing prices: The graph below compares the change in home prices to the change in owner-equivalent rents over time. Without any bubbles, they should increase at roughly the same rate… -
S&P/Case-Shiller national HPI shows 4% fall in home prices
28 Feb 2012 | 10:05 amU.S. home prices fell 4.0% during 2011:Data through December 2011, released today by S&P Indices for its S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices, showed that all three headline composites ended 2011 at new index lows. The national composite fell by 3.8% during the fourth quarter of 2011 and was down 4.0% versus the fourth quarter of 2010. Both the 10- and 20-City Composites fell by 1.1% in December over November, and posted annual returns of -3.9% and -4.0% versus December 2010, respectively. These are worse than the -3.8% respective annual rates… -
Warren Buffett is a housing bull
27 Feb 2012 | 8:51 amBillionaire investor Warren Buffett believes housing is a better investment than stocks right now:Warren Buffett says along with equities, single-family homes are a very attractive investment right now.Appearing live on CNBC's Squawk Box, Buffett tells Becky Quick he'd buy up "millions" of single family homes if it were practical to do so.If held for a long period of time and purchased at low rates, Buffett says houses are even better than stocks. He advises buyers to take out a 30-year mortgage and refinance if rates go down.His housing recommendation is likely based on the fact that… -
Happy Valentine's Day, renters!
14 Feb 2012 | 3:22 amWe get no respect, no respect at all:In a survey of 1,000 single people, more than a third of women and 18% of men said they would much rather date a homeowner than a renter.Ouch!Only 2% of women said they preferred to date a man who rents, while only 3% of men said they would choose a woman who rents over one that owns her home, according to the survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive for real estate site Trulia.Both sexes also clearly prefer it when there's no roommate in the picture; 62% of survey respondents, men and women, prefer to date singles who live alone. ...Trulia also…
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Today's Real Estate News
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Prudential California Realty accepting bids online
16 May 2012 | 10:47 amFirm may get both sides of deal when buyer is unrepresentedread more -
Appraisals are lagging behind the market
16 May 2012 | 10:37 amLetter to the Editorread more -
Your time is worth nothing until you close
16 May 2012 | 8:29 amMake every action contribute to your bottom line, and beneficial to your clientread more -
6 tools for recruiting Gen Y agents
16 May 2012 | 7:01 amERA study looks at demographic challenges facing real estate brokerage industryread more -
Mega-brokers take smaller slice of real estate pie
16 May 2012 | 6:24 amReal Trends 500 grew 2011 transaction sides, sales volumeread more
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The Real Estate Marketing Blog
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Top Twitter Real Estate Marketing Tools
24 Apr 2012 | 7:26 amTwitter can be a fantastic real estate marketing tool. It’s cost-effective and helps you maintain and build your sphere of influence. If you’re not already using Twitter, check out this guide to get started. If you’re already actively tweeting, read on to learn about four of the most useful tools to improve your Twitter real [...] -
Real Estate Link Building with Pinterest
29 Nov 2011 | 10:24 amOne of the most tedious forms of SEO is link building. Getting a good amount of high quality, relevant links from other authoritative websites takes creativity, patience and a lot of trial and error. Fortunately, as new websites and trends pop up, so do opportunities for new ways to build links. Enter Pinterest. What is [...] -
LinkedIn Real Estate Marketing
18 Feb 2011 | 7:45 amAs one of the most under appreciated social networks around, LinkedIn continues to quietly grow and become more useful to businesses of all sizes. Now is as good a time as any for you to learn the ins and outs of the most popular “business focused” social network so that you too can generate leads [...] -
Twitter Real Estate Marketing
27 Apr 2010 | 6:36 amUnless you have not watched television or been on the Internet in the past 12 months, then you most likely know, or have at least heard of, Twitter. Whether you have embraced Twitter just recently, have been using it for months now or are yet to “tweet”, this post is dedicated to explaining the value [...] -
Single Property Real Estate Websites
14 Apr 2010 | 6:25 amEffective real estate marketing revolves around two main objectives, (1) to acquire new listings and (2) to sell existing listings. To achieve these objectives it is important to properly display your inventory and prove to prospective sellers that your marketing efforts are second to none. One of the best tools to help you meet these [...]
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Inman News Headlines
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Prudential California Realty accepting bids online
16 May 2012 | 10:47 amFirm may get both sides of deal when buyer is unrepresentedread more -
Appraisals are lagging behind the market
16 May 2012 | 10:37 amLetter to the Editorread more -
Home staging on a budget
16 May 2012 | 8:59 amKnow which items to pack away and when to leave the shower curtain openread more -
Your time is worth nothing until you close
16 May 2012 | 8:29 amMake every action contribute to your bottom line, and beneficial to your clientread more -
Pros' tips for installing grab bars
16 May 2012 | 8:09 amNever rip them out of the wall againread more
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Realty Times Real Estate News Channel
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Ask the HOA Expert
15 May 2012 | 11:00 pmWe have a complete board turnover coming at the upcoming Annual Meeting. Some owners want to self-manage because our management company is not performing. Does this group, assuming they are elected, have the right to fire the manager and just take over with self-managing our 64 units? Does this require the vote of the entire membership? -
Mortgage Applications Increasing as Mortgage Rates Fall Again
15 May 2012 | 11:00 pmith the Euro-zone back in the news, it was inevitable that mortgage rates would fall again. Investors have become quite uncertain about austerity measures in Europe, especially with Greece, where opposition continues to grow. Here in the U.S., the Mortgage Banker's Association reported that mortgage applications increased 1.7% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending May 4th. -
Why Spring Listings Blossom
15 May 2012 | 11:00 pmNature is in full bloom across the nation. Many of today’s homeowners are unaware that Spring can be the ultimate time to list a home for sale. From beautiful lawns to temperate weather it’s prime time to lure in buyers.
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WSJ.com Video - Real Estate
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Ryan Seacrest Buys Ellen DeGeneres's Home for $37M
16 May 2012 | 9:34 amRyan Seacrest is in escrow to purchase Ellen DeGeneres's Beverly Hills estate for $37 million. Lauren Schuker has details on Lunch Break. Photo: Celebrityhomephotos/Newscom. -
Mortgage Delinquencies Decline
16 May 2012 | 9:30 amThe percentage of homeowners delinquent on their mortgages in the first quarter fell to the lowest level since the end of 2008, but the share of loans in the foreclosure process remains high. Dawn Wotapka has details on Lunch Break. Photo: AP. -
Malls Look to Play Areas to Lure Shoppers
15 May 2012 | 9:45 amShopping-mall designers see indoor shopping mall playscapes as a way to lure in more shoppers and get them to stay longer. Kris Hudson on Lunch Break looks at the most innovative playscapes in malls across the U.S. and what's next. -
The House That Kayaking Built
11 May 2012 | 9:44 amTao Berman has made enough money as a professional whitewater kayaker to build a 3,500-square-foot contemporary house, perched above the Columbia River Gorge. Nancy Keates has details on Lunch Break. Photo: Wiqan Ang for The Wall Street Journal. -
Is Bel Air Home the Next WSJ House of the Week?
11 May 2012 | 9:38 amStefanos Chen on Lunch Break shows us the four properties vying to be the next WSJ House of the Week, including a Manhattan duplex condo, a Bel Air Midcentury home, modern traditional in Sag Harbor and old Europe on the Upper East Side.
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iPhoneHelp
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Apple Sues Samsung Over Evidence Destruction in Ongoing Lawsuit
16 May 2012 | 9:20 amIn yet another case of its kind, Apple has pulled guns on Samsung, accusing the Korean electronics giant of destroying evidence. The motion, filed by Apple Inc. on May 1, 2012, in the Northern District of California for “spoilation of evidence” by Samsung Electronics Co. in the ongoing lawsuit of patent infringement. The motion implied [...] -
The New iPhone With A Larger 4″ Screen? Arguments For and Against
16 May 2012 | 7:03 amSo far we have seen a lot of rumors, arguments for and against an iPhone with a larger screen. Back in 2007 when the first iPhone was introduced, Steve Jobs remarked that is a full touchscreen with a giant screen. Back then, it sure was and that too with an awesome capacitive touch-screen. Fast forward [...] -
HTC One X, EVO 4G LTE shipments stopped by US Customs for review at border
16 May 2012 | 4:04 amA fresh controversy involving HTC and, not surprisingly, Apple Inc., has surfaced and this time round, it’s the new next-generation Android flagship HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE handsets that may be in for some trouble in US. Shipments of the two models have reportedly been halted at US borders in compliance with [...] -
My Expectations From The Upcoming MacBook Pro Refresh
14 May 2012 | 1:34 pmThe 2012 MacBook Pro line-up is yet to be unveiled and it is expected that they would be out at WWDC along with an OS X update. This WWDC would also be roughly two years since I got my first and only MacBook Pro. Since then I have edited and uploaded hundreds of videos, thousands [...] -
New iPad Wifi+4G is Now Called Wifi+Cellular, Apple Changes Branding All Over The World
14 May 2012 | 3:29 amFrom sometime, Apple had been facing accusation about misleading their customers about the branding of new iPad with Wifi + 4G LTE when 4G is supported in limited countries. Now, Apple has changed the branding all over the world, calling their new iPad Wifi + 4G as Wifi + Cellular. At first, the change was [...]
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Apple - Support - Most Recent - iPod
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About the security content of iOS 5.1.1 Software Update
7 May 2012 | 11:27 amThis document describes the security content of iOS 5.1.1 Software Update, which can be downloaded and installed using iTunes. For the protection of our customers, Apple does not disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until a full investigation has occurred and any necessary patches or releases are available. To learn more about Apple Product Security, see the Apple Product Security website. For information about the Apple Product Security PGP Key, see "How to use the Apple Product Security PGP Key." Where possible, CVE IDs are used to reference the vulnerabilities for… -
iPod for Windows: Connecting multiple iPod devices to iTunes
7 May 2012 | 9:01 amWhile iTunes for Windows allows you to connect multiple iPod devices simultaneously to the same computer for charging, you cannot sync your data from the computer to all the iPod devices at the same time. -
Using AirPlay
18 Mar 2012 | 8:50 pmLearn how to use AirPlay to stream videos, music, and photos wirelessly from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or iTunes on your computer, to your HDTV and speakers via Apple TV (2nd and 3rd generation), or to your AirPlay speakers or receivers, including AirPort Express. -
Troubleshooting AirPlay and AirPlay Mirroring
16 Mar 2012 | 11:09 amUse these steps if: The AirPlay icon doesn't appear on your iOS device, or iTunes on your computer, after following instructions about how to use AirPlay or AirPlay Mirroring. or There are performance issues while using AirPlay streaming or AirPlay Mirroring. -
About the security content of iOS 5.1 Software Update
7 Mar 2012 | 12:53 pmThis document describes the security content of iOS 5.1 Software Update, which can be downloaded and installed using iTunes. For the protection of our customers, Apple does not disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until a full investigation has occurred and any necessary patches or releases are available. To learn more about Apple Product Security, see the Apple Product Security website. For information about the Apple Product Security PGP Key, see "How to use the Apple Product Security PGP Key." Where possible, CVE IDs are used to reference the vulnerabilities for further…
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Digital Trends
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Recording police with your smartphone is a Constitutional right, says DoJ
16 May 2012 | 12:05 pmShooting photos or video of police officers is a Constitutionally protected right, says the U.S. Department of Justice. -
Edgar Wright hopes to film both The World’s End and Ant-Man this year
16 May 2012 | 11:35 amDirector Edgar Wright has tentatively expressed interest in directing both his long-anticipated Ant-Man adaptation and his latest Simon Pegg/Nick Frost collaboration as soon as possible. -
Halo 4 to offer weekly multiplayer ‘episodic adventures’ and more
16 May 2012 | 11:27 amMicrosoft and 343 Industries’ Halo 4 announce the “Halo Infinity Multiplayer,” a new online hub that will feature weekly content updates, plus more multiplayer details. -
Best Electric Cars: A roundup of all EVs out now and coming soon
16 May 2012 | 11:15 amWith electric cars slowly becoming more commonplace on the roads, we've gone ahead and compiled a comprehensive roundup of all the best electric cars that are available now or rolling out soon. -
THQ dropping Ninja Gaiden creator’s third-person shooter, Devil’s Third
16 May 2012 | 11:15 amTwo years on from its E3 debut, Devil's Third is in development limbo as publisher THQ looks to drop the game due to its "profitability profile."
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msnbc.com: Technology & Science
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We may not trust Facebook, but we don't quit it either, shows poll
16 May 2012 | 12:27 pmWe've long known more than a few Facebook users don't trust the social network to keep their personal information private. A new poll shows that many who don't trust Facebook stay anyway. -
What’d that dolphin say? New speaker will help find out
16 May 2012 | 11:40 amDolphins are among the most intelligent animals on Earth, able to communicate with each other and navigate the seas with a mouthful of sounds, whistles, and clicks. A new high-tech speaker could help decipher the meaning of all the various dolphin vocalizations. -
'Jesus' vs 'Diablo': Games battle for your soul
16 May 2012 | 11:01 amIt's been a big week in video game land. Not only did the decade-long wait for the launch of "Diablo 3" finally come to a (rather bumpy) end, but the world also saw its first Jesus video game. -
The five best fitness tracking appliances
16 May 2012 | 10:17 amIf you're thinking about heading outside or to the gym to get some exercise now that the weather is turning warm, you may benefit from an appliance you can wear on your wrist or in your pocket that keeps an eye on your activity level and gives you feedback on how well you're doing. Here are five of the best. -
Google Search basically reads your mind now
16 May 2012 | 10:06 amSometimes the queries you enter into Google have multiple meanings. Wouldn't it be nice if Google could simply guess what you really want results for? It now can.
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Mobile and Social Media
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Volkswagen Does it Again! Who Knew A Car Ad Could Stir Up So Much Emotion?
15 May 2012 | 10:12 pmTweetBy: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld) You have to hand it to Volkswagen and its advertising department. They have released some of the best ads the world has ever seen over the past few years. The most famous one is of course the Darth Vader kid, which you can and MUST watch here. Then came the sequel in Superbowl 2012. You can watch that one here. Don’t forget to look at the view count of both those videos. Can you say “Wow”? Anyway, here is the latest Volkswagen ad for the Polo and it is truly fantastic. Enjoy. -
You Finally Started Tweeting? Great! Here is the Only Tip You Need to Know
14 May 2012 | 10:23 pmTweetBy: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld) Seeing someone join Twitter and watching them make the same mistakes so many others have made is often painful. I am referring to spamming celebrities in the hopes that they will get a response (and more followers, as a result). I am talking about misusing hashtags on every word in the tweet, in the hope to show up in people’s searches (and get more followers, as a result). And those are just two of the many things you see new Twitter users doing. That is why I find myself sending people this guide at least once a day. It is a lot of reading but it… -
An Interview with Google’s Senior VP Engineering, Vic Gundotra about Google+ and Misconceptions
11 Mar 2012 | 10:31 pmTweetBy: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld) The tech space is so ironic sometimes. While pundits refuse to believe that anyone can compete with Android’s market share and are quick to dismiss Windows Phone with the claim “They are just too late to the game”, the same is happening to Google in the social space. Google+ is under constant fire, which reached its climax with Comscore’s latest report. The data presented showed that users spend a mere three minutes a month on Google+. Then MG Siegler continued to say that “The only people I know that use Google+ regularly are people who work at… -
Yes, I Tweet and Share the Same Post More than Once, Get Over it. In Fact, You Should Do the Same
22 Feb 2012 | 2:14 amTweetBy: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld) As I spend more time on the social Web, some enlightening facts become apparent daily. For example, I know I hang out on Twitter and Google+ way too much, but most normal people do not. I know, it is hard to believe, but some people have lives outside of Twitter and Google+. What that means is that when I share a blog post I wrote, a cute picture, or any other type of content on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or any other platform, there are going to be many people who do not see that content. These people are either in another time zone, doing something way more… -
The Thought Process that Should Go into Writing a Title for your Blog Post
21 Feb 2012 | 6:29 amTweetBy: Hillel Fuld (@hilzfuld) Now that we established that everyone needs a blog, the question remains, where does one start? Well, there is the platform and topic you choose, of course, but those are topics for another time. Before writing a post, or perhaps once you finish writing the post, you are going to have to choose a title wisely. Why does the title matter? Well, the tweet below says it best. @HilzFuld well, most people actually read the title only nowadays, so it could be interesting — Luca Filigheddu (@filos) February 21, 2012 The title is super important because at the very…
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Engadget
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X-mini KAI capsule Bluetooth speaker review
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmSpeakers these days! They are everywhere, in constantly evolving iterations, smaller and more versatile than ever before. Singaporean manufacturer X-mini has a pretty good foothold in this game with a consistent brand message of "Sound Beyond Size." That indicates the portability, mass, and reproductive capacity of its products in a pretty nebulous fashion, so we decided to grab its latest offering, the Bluetooth-toting KAI, and place it in our real lives for a few months. It's available now for $99, which will take it off the table for many casual listeners, but those who crave what's next… -
Motorola Droid 4 gets leaked ICS build, official Android 4.0.4 may soon follow
16 May 2012 | 11:51 amWe've known for quite some time that Motorola intended to push Ice Cream Sandwich to the Droid 4, but until now the waiting game continued, with no end in sight. It now appears that the smartphone maker is making serious progress on its own Motoblur-infused flavor of ICS, with a stock version of the upgrade making the rounds since last night. According to early adopters, the build seems to enable complete functionality, but upgrading early will leave your device locked to 4.0.4, with no option for future updates. So, for now, it makes sense to hang tight, but it'd be reasonable to assume that… -
RunCore InVincible SSD wipes data away with the click of a button
16 May 2012 | 11:43 amThis one goes out to all the Bonds in the world. RunCore, a Chinese company specializing in the production of solid state drives, has cooked up a SATA II solution that should satisfy even the most guarded of privacy fanatics. Living up to its grandiose InVincible moniker, this aptly-named SSD's built to endure extreme temperatures ranging from -45 to 95 degrees Celsius (or -49 to 203 degrees Fahrenheit), read / write data at speeds up to 240Mbps / 140Mbps and protect your 1s and 0s from prying, less-than-reputable eyes. How so? Well, the drive's actual pièce de espionnite aiguë… -
Motorola Motosmart Mix XT550 masks its middling specs with a set of nice headphones
16 May 2012 | 11:27 amHTC may be over the idea of including premium earbuds with its smartphones, but Motorola is stepping up to give it the ol' college try with its Motosmart Mix XT550. The phone will sell in China for ¥1,699 and is targeted at "people who really care about music." Along with the bundled set of headphones, you'll also discover a dedicated button to open the Sina Micro Music application. Beyond these selling points, however, the handset is a bit behind the curve. The XT550 features Android 2.3.6, a Qualcomm MSM7255A SoC with an 800MHz CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 3-megapixel camera and a 4-inch, HVGA… -
Comcast switches on Skype on Xfinity in Boston and Seattle today, eight more metros this week
16 May 2012 | 11:01 amNow you can Skype on Xfinity, and beyond. Comcast's re-branded cable arm is touting a new trick beginning today, with customers in Boston and Seattle among the first to have access to the new Skype on Xfinity videoconferencing service (Atlanta, Augusta, Ga., Chicago, Detroit, Harrisburg, Pa., Indianapolis, Miami and Pittsburgh will be online by the end of the week). Interested parties can add a $9.95 monthly fee to their Triple Play service to take advantage, enabling "free" (read: $10-per-month) instant messaging and video chatting services. That monthly fee will presumably cover the…
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Gizmodo
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Brain Tapeworms Are Real, And They're Disgusting [Health]
16 May 2012 | 12:20 pm -
Anyone Using a Flip Phone Is Probably a Serial Murderer or a Drug Dealer [Video]
16 May 2012 | 12:12 pmAre we entering a new age when a flip-phone is the mark of either drug trafficking or hired assassination? Are we there already? Maybe we've all just been watching too many episodes of The Wire. More » -
This Pistol Wall Safe Is Your International-Person-Of-Mystery Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pm -
Google Knowledge Graph: Search Results Packed With Worlds of Information [Video]
16 May 2012 | 11:41 amGoogle search has always been about connecting you to information. The new Google Knowledge Graph makes the process faster than ever by delivering a summary of important info on your search results page. More » -
These Clutter-Saving Locks Open With Your Car Keys [Locks]
16 May 2012 | 11:40 am
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Twitter / tweetmeme
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tweetmeme: Twitter / Because I'm a Guy: Hell yeah.. http://t.co/2l ... http://t.co/zqsrpuMl (via @Paul_Somers003)
16 May 2012 | 10:57 amtweetmeme: Twitter / Because I'm a Guy: Hell yeah.. http://t.co/2l ... http://t.co/zqsrpuMl (via @Paul_Somers003) -
tweetmeme: Security Check Required | Facebook http://t.co/nrxmjv3G (via @OficiaICarminha)
16 May 2012 | 10:42 amtweetmeme: Security Check Required | Facebook http://t.co/nrxmjv3G (via @OficiaICarminha) -
tweetmeme: Angels beat A's, 4-0, then fire hitting coach Mickey Hatcher - http://t.co/wQZKuvyF http://t.co/GVcYFl5o (via @Alford908)
16 May 2012 | 10:32 amtweetmeme: Angels beat A's, 4-0, then fire hitting coach Mickey Hatcher - http://t.co/wQZKuvyF http://t.co/GVcYFl5o (via @Alford908) -
tweetmeme: Twitter / Daniel Wishart: "I hate my face" everyone ... http://t.co/lWyew8wf (via @SophiieePX)
16 May 2012 | 6:43 amtweetmeme: Twitter / Daniel Wishart: "I hate my face" everyone ... http://t.co/lWyew8wf (via @SophiieePX) -
tweetmeme: detikHot : hiburan digital anda | Adu Panco, Taecyeon '2PM' Patah Tulang? http://t.co/Yib6xXp8 (via @0423yes)
16 May 2012 | 6:13 amtweetmeme: detikHot : hiburan digital anda | Adu Panco, Taecyeon '2PM' Patah Tulang? http://t.co/Yib6xXp8 (via @0423yes)
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Healthcare - TweetMeme
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Healthcare Leaders’ Latest Book Examines Keys to IT Governance Success - Yahoo! News
16 May 2012 | 5:22 amHealthcare Leaders’ Latest Book Examines Keys to IT Governance Success http://t.co/449UXnsq0 comments -
Health Tip: When Should I Wash My Hands? - Yahoo! News
16 May 2012 | 3:19 am#Health #News Health Tip: When Should I Wash My Hands?: (HealthDay News) -- Washing your hands is among the best... http://t.co/lIEDEVcN0 comments -
Health Tip: When Physical Therapy Ends - Yahoo! News
16 May 2012 | 3:19 am#Health #News Health Tip: When Physical Therapy Ends: (HealthDay News) -- Don't become a couch potato just becau... http://t.co/zMlkxwCQ0 comments -
Scientists map the way MRSA superbugs spread - Health News - NHS Choices
16 May 2012 | 2:44 amRT @amcunningham: MRSA has spread by transferring patients: New research has mapped t way MRSA superbug bacteria spread http://t.co/zJltHcnY0 comments -
WHO warns of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity - chicagotribune.com
16 May 2012 | 12:25 amVemma Team WHO warns of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity - Chicago Tribune: WHO warns of high blood pressu... http://t.co/Rn3ymnZ30 comments
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Twitter Status
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Profile/Background Image Upload Issues
9 May 2012 | 12:19 pmSome users may be experiencing an issue when uploading a profile or background image; our engineers are looking into this issue. Update: this issue has been resolved. -
TweetDeck Planned Maintenance
8 May 2012 | 10:13 amTweetDeck will be temporarily unavailable due to a planned maintenance starting at 6am BST/ 1AM EDT / 10PM PDT. UPDATE: TweetDeck maintenance has been successfully completed. -
Twitter Site Issue
5 May 2012 | 11:50 amSome users may currently be experiencing site issues; our engineers are working on resolving this issue. Update: this issue has been resolved. -
Twitter Site Issue- Resolved
1 May 2012 | 1:17 amSome users may currently be experiencing site issues; our engineers are working on resolving this issue. Update: Resolved. -
Profile Settings Issue
18 Apr 2012 | 6:32 pmUpdated: This issue has been resolved. Some users may be experiencing issues when accessing profile settings. Our engineers are currently working on this issue.
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Most Retweeted TS Tweets
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Quick checklist to make sure your business is making the most of Twitter: http://t.co/aH7ywMl5
16 May 2012 | 10:00 amQuick checklist to make sure your business is making the most of Twitter: http://t.co/aH7ywMl5
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Adobe Digital Marketing Blog
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Using Dependent Code: Adding the Twitter Handle Name to Your Referring Traffic
15 May 2012 | 7:32 amA common request I hear from customers is the desire to integrate 3rd party data inside the online marketing suite. There are a few approaches to do this. SAINT classifications allow you to add metadata to a particular data point. Generally, we see this tool used to give campaigns friendly names or make an unfriendly product SKU readable. Another option to bring in data as a data source. Data sources come in many forms but are most commonly implemented to import aggregated pre-click data (such as email or display advertising data) with the online marketing suite. Both of these… -
Take the Adobe Digital Marketing Social Media Survey
14 May 2012 | 11:32 amDo you follow @AdobeDigMktg on Twitter? Keep up with us on Facebook? What about YouTube? Do you turn to our channel for the latest sneak peeks? However you keep in touch, we want to make sure our social media channels are the best possible resource for you, as well as a great forum for you to ask questions and leave feedback. To this end, we’re conducting a survey this week to better understand your interests and preferences on social media. Insights from your answers will help us improve how we connect with you and the content you see on our social channels. We encourage you to take the… -
Why we do what we do: Why “why?” Doesn’t Matter — the Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy
14 May 2012 | 9:30 amWhen choosing the next fallacy to cover, I faced a tough choice as there are so many different fallacies that describe the same human behavior: The belief that we know or can answer things we can’t by assigning pattern or reason to things without actual cause. We are wired to want to explain why things happen, but in order to accomplish that task, we ignore or use only data we want and we supplant our own points of view as the core reason things happen. We believe that the world is far more established and easy to understand then it really is. My favorite fallacy that covers this behavior… -
Learn Why Prospects Ignore Your Headlines and How To Fix Them Now
11 May 2012 | 1:11 pmUse the Right Bait to Land the Most Profitable Prospects I have seen cases where changing a headline alone can produce over 100% lift. Sure, this isn’t typical, but it does illustrate how using the right headline can make a world of difference to your bottom line. Some optimization gurus will tell you that they have tested headlines before, and it never made a difference to their conversion rate. It’s true that if you test one ineffective headline against another ineffective headline, you probably won’t see much improvement. So, the question is, how do you determine if… -
Big Data + Digital Marketing = Adobe Insight
11 May 2012 | 8:55 amWhat do you mean by “Big Data”? How is it relevant to Digital Marketing? Over the last year, there has been a lot of buzz regarding “Big Data” analytical tools. There is an excellent article by McKinsey - Big data: The next frontier for innovation, competition, and productivity that summarizes the opportunity and challenge of big data. There is no clear technical definition of what big data is, but the best framework to think about big data is in terms of four V’s. Volume: The volume of data collected by digital marketers is upwards of 10’s of TB. Any and every solution…
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Web Analytics World: Online Marketing & Analytics
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Targeting Marketing
16 May 2012 | 2:45 amTargeting and Marketing [Infographic] Let’s consider two simple words – “Targeting” and “Marketing” . Two words that are combined in conversation a million times a day and yet I wonder how often the combination really hits that “sweet spot” with advertisers and willing consumers joined in one seamless and easy connection? The guys at Wordstream [...] Click on the title to view the entire article in Web Analytics World -
Video Marketing Engagement
15 May 2012 | 7:10 amHow to make Online Videos Engaging – Masterclass Series In the first of a series of short videos (just 90 seconds of rapid fire tips!) our featured blogger Andy Havard of Skeleton Productions gives a white board intro to making your online videos engaging. Like all things on the internet there are great examples as [...] Click on the title to view the entire article in Web Analytics World -
The Internet Economy
11 May 2012 | 5:09 amInternet connection – the key to economic growth? Many years ago, I visited Portugal on vacation and was pleasantly surprised to find that their banking and telephone networks were “state of the art” and further advanced than what I had experienced in many parts of the USA and UK. Why? … my friend who lives [...] Click on the title to view the entire article in Web Analytics World -
Predictive Analytics World Conference
10 May 2012 | 6:20 amPredictive Analytics World, June 25-26, 2012 in Chicago - 15% Discount code for our Readers Want to: discover new ways to apply predictive analytics, learn what companies at the leading edge of predictive analytics are doing, meet colleagues faced with the same challenges, get to know the predictive analytics solution providers Predictive Analytics World in Chicago this June is [...] Click on the title to view the entire article in Web Analytics World -
Link Building
8 May 2012 | 6:20 amLink Building Tips VIDEO Remember the phrase “you can tell a man by the company he keeps” (and yes, it probably also applies to women)… well to me, effective link building is the search engine equivalent! Get this right and you should be rewarded , get it wrong and your site pages could well be [...] Click on the title to view the entire article in Web Analytics World
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Google Analytics Blog
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Two new Analytics webinars -- for advanced and beginning users
15 May 2012 | 10:30 amInterested in learning how to use Analytics to make better decisions for your business? Here’s your chance; join us next week for two webinars. We’re partnering with the Learn with Google team to present an introductory session on Getting started with Analytics, and a more advanced session covering one of the most requested topics - Digital Attribution & Conversion. Here’s a little more detail on what we’ll cover: Getting Started with Google Analytics Level of content: Beginner Covers the basics you need to get started with Analytics. Highlights the most helpful reports for… -
Looking Ahead at Next Generation Measurement
14 May 2012 | 1:36 pmMarketers today have no shortage of data. In fact, there are more than 40 million online touch points measured every minute by Google Analytics. Technology advancements are helping marketers understand their customers more across channels and devices, and better analysis tools are finally making that massive amount of data accessible and actionable. This is fueling what we see as next generation measurement. Today I spoke at the Federated Media Conversational Marketing Summit about the most important trends that every CMO needs to know. Here's what I told them: Next generation brand… -
How Nissan Uses Ecommerce Tracking Without Directly Selling Online
11 May 2012 | 9:04 amThis post originally appeared on the Google Analytics Japan blog Google Analytics’ e-commerce tracking allows online merchants to measure items sold and tie those results back to their digital marketing activities. But did you know that it can also be used to track non e-commerce activity? Nissan Motor Company does just this. Nissan operates in the automobile industry, and owns a network of websites designed to help consumers around the world decide which Nissan vehicle they would like to purchase. Nissan uses e-commerce tracking whenever a visitor submits a request for a test drive or a… -
Reminder: Migrate to the new Core Reporting API
10 May 2012 | 10:13 amAt the end of 2011 we announced the Google Analytics Core Reporting API as a replacement for the Data Export API. We also announced a 6 month deprecation period for the Data Export API version 2.3, after which all v2.3 queries will return a v2.4 response. Well, it's almost been 6 months since the announcement was made. If you haven't already moved to our shiny new APIs, and we know there are quite a few of you out there who haven't, we urge you to get movin' or risk your application not working come June. The good news is that we published a new, easy to follow migration guide to help you… -
New Google Analytics Easy Dashboard Library
9 May 2012 | 10:19 amMany developers save time by using the Google Analytics API to automate Analytics reporting tasks. For example, you can use the API to create a dashboard to report data across multiple profiles. The Google Analytics App Gallery includes many 3rd party solutions that do this. What if you want to build something quickly that’s custom-tailored to your business? You would typically have to spend time learning the API, figuring out how to handle authorization, then deciding how to integrate this data with a visualization library. You could build a custom solution, but it took a lot of…
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QuestionPro Blog
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Assuring Your Online Survey is Secure
16 May 2012 | 6:14 amMore and more companies are using online surveys to gather data from their customers. While this is a great way gauge the pulse of consumers, it is critical to assure the surveys are safe and the data that is given is protected. QuestionPro has two survey software features that will help keep the data safe and your reputation intact. Password Protection One way to assure surveys are secure is to enable password protection for your surveys. Global Password Protect gives one common password for respondents to which only they will have access. This tool works with survey respondent tracking and… -
How to Optimize Your Survey for Mobile
14 May 2012 | 6:03 amMobile technology is more popular than ever before, as we have no doubt all noticed from the ever-present mobile phones and tablets on our possession at all times. According to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index, global traffic to mobile devices is expected to increase 18-fold by 2016. Smartphone use tripled in 2011, and it’s expected that mobile devices will use 2.6GB of data per month. What does all this mean for online survey creation? Quite simply, you must be optimizing your online surveys for mobile devices since that’s where people are accessing their email and browsing the web. To… -
Ways to Use Data Segmentation in the Survey Process
9 May 2012 | 4:38 amData segmentation is one of the most useful tools when creating online surveys. The process helps your business identify opportunities for growth, target communication toward specific audiences, and reduce costs from having multiple survey campaigns. QuestionPro has different types of data segmentation grouping options available, including Custom Variable Based and Time Based. Lets look at data segmentation and what it can do for your survey research. Segmentation lets you sort responses based on parameters such as question responses, custom variables or time frames. You can access the data… -
How to Integrate External Variables Into Your Survey
7 May 2012 | 4:38 amExternal variables are useful tools that will make your survey even more powerful. Specifically, the variables are additional information about your customers or survey respondents that is then integrated within the survey. This can result in even more accurate responses. QuestionPro makes it easy to include external (or custom, as it is also known) variables into your survey creation. Lets take a look at custom variables and how they are best used. External variables may be used in the Questions / Answer Options on the survey as well as within the email invitation to take the survey. Within… -
Stopping Respondents from Dropping Out of Surveys
2 May 2012 | 7:29 amWhat’s one of the most challenging components of survey research? More than likely, it’s the people that start to complete a survey and then stop mid-way through the process. This is quite frustrating to survey administrators who see it is a missed opportunity to gather response data. QuestionPro has thought long and hard about this problem and we’ve come up with two options you can use to curb this behavior and get the online survey responses you need. Save and Continue The “Save and Continue” option lets your survey takers save the responses and return to complete the questions at…
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MediaPost | Research Brief
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Digital Challenges, But Traditional Still Tops With Agencies
16 May 2012 | 3:16 amBolstered by political advertising, TV attracted the most ad dollars in early 2012, But Social is starting to steal the spotlight from Online Display, as Digital has clearly matured in campaigns. According to a new Strata quarterly survey of leading agencies, the advertising economy is positive and appears to be back to a new normal. The study found that 64% of respondents said their customers' approach to ad planning is the same as last year (the most since the start of the survey). The advertising industry was consistently steady in the first quarter, with 51% reporting growth will be the… -
Consumers Bail If Service Is Bad (...duh)
15 May 2012 | 3:15 amAccording to the 2012 American Express Global Customer Service Barometer consumers who have used social media for service tell significantly more people about their service experiences, and say they'd spend 21% more with companies who deliver great service, compared to 13% on average. The survey reveals a sorry state of service in general, pointing that 93% of Americans surveyed say that companies fail to exceed their service expectations, while 55% walked away from an intended purchase in the past year because of a poor customer service experience. -
The Social Sharing Shortcut To Registration
14 May 2012 | 3:15 amAccording to the current quarterly study by Janrain Engage, across 365,000 websites analyzing social login and social sharing preferences, Facebook is the most popular option at 45%, while a majority would rather use a different social identity, such as Google, Yahoo! or Twitter. Because the social media landscape is fragmented, notes the report, the study helps to determine which identities people prefer both for sign-in and content sharing that can be used to speed up registration on sites across the web. -
On-the-Go Exec Apps
11 May 2012 | 3:15 amAccording to a survey from Doremus and the Financial Times, 43% of surveyed global executives say they "use many apps" on their smartphones and tablet devices with news and weather apps among the most popular. -
Face-to-Face Look And Listen Critical To Business Communications
10 May 2012 | 3:15 amAccording to findings from an Economist Intelligence Unit survey, sponsored by Cisco, Business leaders' views on interaction, business leaders say they want more collaboration in person when it comes to activities such as brainstorming for new ideas, managing a specific crisis or making presentations.
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Online Market Research
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Oh No, What Do I Test
10 May 2012 | 9:08 amSetting up a market test is by no means a difficult task, but it does require foresight and patience. In the direct or database marketing worlds, we might test offer, copy, medium (e.g. postcard vs. letter), subject lines, response rates and so forth. In online marketing research, several options are available for testing. Let’s take a look at a few… Releasing an online survey is no different than any other direct marketing campaign. We are concerned with response rate, percent completing the survey, and the quality of the responses. We also have a vested interest in managing the… -
Email Marketing: Speak Softly and Use your Big Sticks Wisely
2 May 2012 | 5:37 amSurveys are a form of structured communication. In a sense they are a “marketing campaign” just the same as an outbound email designed to solicit a sale, acquire a new customer or re-engage a lost customer. Our “sale” is a completed survey, our currency or profit if you will is information. With this in mind, if you are part of a larger marketing organization then you may want to coordinate your outbound communications with your colleagues who are tasked with engaging customers and prospects. This minimizes over use of your house files. Some organizations place… -
Public Opinion Polls & Surveys: Same Coin
1 May 2012 | 5:19 amWhat’s the difference between a survey and a poll? As we enter the political season, groups are conducting research weekly in an attempt to measure public opinion, an ever moving target. At the basic level both surveys and polls are designed to measure attitudes, awareness and perception. Public opinion polls are often conducted by third parties such as media (e.g. CNN Poll or the Los Angeles Times Poll) or research organizations such as the Pew Trust. In general these polls are concerned with public sentiment around key issues such as public spending for the military or thoughts around… -
Letting Research Drive Creative Strategy
30 Apr 2012 | 9:59 amNews flash…advertising is still big business. Despite the changing media landscape, declining interest in print, increasing interest in digital and the narrowing of broadcast, billions of dollars are spent annually on both the creation of advertising and the refinement of the media which exhibits the advertising. Marketing research is involved in both of these areas. Although primarily the focus of consumer research, advertising testing can also apply to the B2B market. Online survey platforms have come a long way at streamlining this process. With the inclusion of multimedia… -
Survey Media: A Viable Option for Promoting a Survey?
24 Apr 2012 | 6:44 amIs social media a viable option for promoting your survey? The growth of social media platforms certainly is enough alone to make you stop and take a look. Facebook has in excess of 840 million subscribers globally and Twitter has approximately 130 million. LinkedIn has over 150 million subscribers in queue. But the fun doesn’t stop there. Social media platforms are the king of the engagement hill. Facebook users spend an average of 23 minutes on the site. This provides plenty of time to view a link to your survey. Targeting your survey becomes critical when diving into the social media…
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eMarketer Articles and Blog Posts
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Article: TV Viewers Carry the Conversation to Social Networks
15 May 2012 | 9:01 pmAlmost one in five viewers starts watching a show after reading about it online -
Article: Mobile Social Network Usage Catches Fire in France
15 May 2012 | 9:01 pmAs the post-election fervor winds down, social networks remain at the forefront in France -
Article: Mobile Phone Shoppers Show Growing Preference for Text Marketing
15 May 2012 | 9:01 pmOne in five respondents has made an online purchase on a mobile phone -
Article: Facebook Adoption High, Ad Rates Low in Spain
14 May 2012 | 9:01 pmWhile usage is high, ad rates in Spain are lower than the worldwide average -
Article: Millennials Lead the Quest for Mobile-Enabled, Just-in-Time Information
14 May 2012 | 9:01 pmConsumer demand for instant information underscores the importance of mobile search for marketers
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Market Insights
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Understanding China: The Opportunities And Challenges
14 May 2012 | 5:56 amChina represents a huge opportunity for most organizations -- the nation has a population of 1.35 billion people, consumer spend has gone up progressively in the past few years, and Forrester expects 268 million Chinese consumers to buy online by 2014. And, we are committed to providing our clients with the data and analysis required to be successful in the country. In fact, as part of our Technographics product, we have been investigating the impact of technology on consumer behavior in the Asia Pacific region since 2006.1 Recently, I collaborated with my colleague Sam Yanling Jaddou on a… -
The Data Digest: Media Cannibalization
11 May 2012 | 1:39 amAt the end of 2010, we published a blog post about the results of our annual US "Understanding The Need Of The Changing Consumer" report, in which we reported that for the first time ever the average time US consumer reports spending online is the same as what they report spending watching offline TV. As the data is self-reported it's different from the metrics collected by Nielsen or comScore, but it tells a very important story that is coming directly from the mouths of consumers: In their minds, time spent with offline and online media is split equally. However, this discussion came at… -
Technology In Market Research: Highlights From The Market Research Technology Event
6 May 2012 | 7:06 pmI just returned from the IIR Market Research Technology Event (TMRTE). These were three action-packed days of industry leaders delivering great insights on what's important for the market research industry, as well as the challenges and opportunities that technology presents. It was a pleasure to meet and connect with so many thought leaders in market research. Here are three main themes I gathered from the event and what I think market researchers need to pay attention to:Read moreCategories:Market research future of market research market research industry market research technologies -
And Now For Something Completely Different . . .
2 May 2012 | 6:37 amMarket insights professionals tend to work long hours, under a lot of pressure, with a need to produce ever more with ever less. Needless to say, this can make us a bit, well, stressed and serious. Sometimes too serious for our own good. So, every once in a while, it's good to connect with our inner child -- or connect with our real children (who may be wondering why mommy and daddy are working so much). Last week, Forresterites in Cambridge got to actually do both with our annual Bring Your Kid To Work Day. It brought a whole new meaning to multitasking! Morning was spent balancing serious… -
The Data Digest: Mobile Behaviors in Russia
27 Apr 2012 | 1:49 amI'm sure you've noticed from the latest data digests that I'm really in a mobile mood, but there's just so much going on with mobile globally! Last week, I was at a research conference on "Mobile Research in a Mobile World"; it presented many interesting case studies on how to use mobile for research purposes in both developed and developing markets. One of the most intriguing presentations was by Mikhail Zarin from Mobiety and Artem Tinchurin from Tiburon Research. They shared the challenges they encounter with doing research in Russia and how adding mobile adds a layer of complexity…
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BrandSavant
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How To Recover From A Speaking FAIL
29 Apr 2012 | 7:32 amTweetI had a fantastic time speaking at this year’s Social Slam in Knoxville last weekend. If Mark Schaefer asks you to speak at his event, you go, no questions asked, because this was an accessible, affordable and refreshingly BS-free event that I’ll continue to attend on my own nickel whether I’m speaking or not. I gave a keynote right before lunch on how to think about data, and I was rolling right along when all of a sudden, exactly halfway through, my MacBook Pro crashed. Hard. Spinning-beach-ball-of-death hard. With 45 slides left to go. I won’t say I was… -
Why Twitter Is Bigger Than You Think
23 Apr 2012 | 1:00 pmTweetIn early June I’ll be presenting a track keynote at Blogworld NY that updates our Social Habit research series, a randomly sampled, representative look at how Americans 12+ use social media. I’ve written a lot in this space about Twitter, and the sizable gap between those Americans who use Twitter, and those who are familiar with the service. This year, that gap continues to be significant: 89% of Americans 12+ are familiar with Twitter, while 10% use the service. This is the third year we have observed a gap of this relative size. Now, a user base of 10% of Americans 12+ is… -
NEW Research on “Daily Deals,” and “Office Hours”
18 Apr 2012 | 6:14 amTweetMy company (Edison Research) will be premiering a brand new research report tomorrow on the “Daily Deals” space–those services from companies like Groupon, Living Social and Gilt–from a national, representative survey of Americans 12+. We’ll examine who is using these services and why, and what the potential ramifications and opportunities are for brands. You can download the study on Edison’s site on Thursday, April 19th at 3:00 PM (Eastern Time). I’ll also be trying something a little different, and presenting the study live at 2:30 on a… -
How To Know You’re Asking The Wrong Questions
2 Apr 2012 | 10:24 amTweetMy brilliant other half, Tamsen, recently brought this article to my attention, which details recent menu changes at Burger King. Do read the article–but the gist of it is this: Burger King has introduced a number of “new” items to their menu that are directly cribbed from the menu of their arch (see what I did there?) rival McDonalds. Burger King has perennially been the second-largest fast food restaurant in America, but they recently lost that position to Wendy’s, and now occupy the #3 spot. The article reveals that Burger King did some consumer research, and… -
A Dramatic Rise in Internet Radio Usage
30 Mar 2012 | 6:11 amTweetOn April 10th, Edison and Arbitron will debut the The Infinite Dial 2012: Navigating Digital Platforms, the latest in a research series which has now hit a remarkable milestone. This year’s report is our 20th study of America’s media and technology consumption habits, and represents the richest longitudinal mine of such data in the world. We’ve been tracking things like the usage of Internet radio for well over a decade – which makes this year’s jump in that particular behavior all the more remarkable. This year, we are reporting that the weekly usage of…
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Nielsen Wire
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State of the Appnation – A Year of Change and Growth in U.S. Smartphones
16 May 2012 | 6:38 amRoughly a year ago when we summarized the state of smartphones at the Appnation conference, less than 40 percent of mobile subscribers in the U.S. had smartphones. Today, one in two mobile subscribers has a smartphone and that figure is moving steadily upwards. By most measures, it has been the year of the App once again, driven mostly by the rise of Android and iOS users who have more than doubled in a year and account for 88 percent of those who have downloaded an app in the past 30 days. In just a year, the average number of apps per smartphone has jumped 28 percent, from 32 apps to 41. -
Global Report: Multi-Screen Media Usage
15 May 2012 | 7:31 amAccording to Nielsen’s global survey of multi-screen media usage, watching video content on computers has become just as common as watching video content on television among online consumers. More than 80 percent of Internet respondents in 56 countries reported watching video content at home on a computer (84%) or on TV (83%) at least once a month. By contrast, in 2010, more online consumers reported watching video content on TV (90%) than on a computer (86%) in a month-long period. While the in-home TV and computer are still the most popular devices to watch video content, usage and… -
For U.S. Consumers, Different Stores Mean Different Smartphone Shopping Behavior
14 May 2012 | 8:05 amA recent Nielsen survey of U.S. smartphone owners who report using their mobile phones while shopping in a store, indicates that consumers use their phones differently depending on the type of store. For example, mobile couponing (either using or requesting a coupon) is most popular at grocery stores (41 percent of mobile shoppers reported using coupons there), department stores (41%), and clothing stores (39%). The more considered the purchase, the more smartphone shoppers rely on their smartphones: At electronics stores, the vast majority of smartphone shoppers read reviews (73%), compare… -
Infographic: The Digital Lives of American Moms
11 May 2012 | 10:27 amMoms are at the center of their family’s offline life, so it’s little surprise that they’re also at the center of many of the biggest trends online as well. Whether to look up the latest product reviews or to connect with friends, families, and even brands through social networks, American moms are particularly active and influential online. Social Networking American moms use social media frequently, with nearly three out of four moms visiting Facebook during March 2012. When using social media, moms are 38 percent more likely to become a fan of or follow a brand online, and moms who… -
Smartphones in India: Web Browsing is for Men, Texts are For Women
9 May 2012 | 3:02 pmNielsen Informate Mobile Insights notes that in India, women spend the same amount of time on their smartphones as compared to men. However, there are sharp contrasts in how they use their phones. Men spend 50 percent more time browsing the web on their smartphones than women. Women spend 3 hours more on calls every month as compared to men. Women spend 4 times the amount of time men spend on Instant Messaging (Chat) applications. Men experiment more with apps – they install, on an average, 16 applications in a month compared to just 11 by women. Calls & Messaging Women spend nearly…
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Compete Blog
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Mandles?! Can Yankee Candle Get More Men to Burn Candles?
16 May 2012 | 12:33 pmImage from: Yankee Candle Looking to get a jump on Father’s Day Shopping? Why not get Dad a candle? Yes, a candle. Yankee Candle has recently launched a new line of candles specifically for men, appropriately named “Man Candles” or as Boston Innovation put it, “Mandles.” Yankee Candle’s new “Man Candles” line with include 4 limited edition scents: Man Town, a “masculine blend of spices, woods and musk,” First Down, a “combination of orange, patchouli, vetiver and leather [which] is as exciting as game day,” Riding Mower, a scent reminiscent of freshly cut grass and… -
What’s In A Name: Are We Really Naming Our Kids After Celebs?
15 May 2012 | 1:46 pmImage from: Baby Name Image / Shutterstock Yesterday, the U.S. Social Security Administration released the most popular baby names for 2011, and today, everyone is buzzing about the relation of said baby names to today’s celebrities. Female Names Sophia Isabella Emma Olivia Ava Emily Abigail Madison Mia Chloe Male Names Jacob Mason William Jayden Noah Michael Ethan Alexander Aiden Daniel The name “Sophia” was the most popular name for a girl, and “Jacob” was the most popular boy’s name. But what influence do Sofia Vergara and Jacob Black really have over… -
Publishers Clearing House: Giving away money to make money?!
15 May 2012 | 11:07 amImage from: PCH We’ve all seen the videos online, where a TV crew pulls up to some lucky, unsuspecting household and they roll up to the doorstep with a bunch of balloons and a check the size of highway billboard to make someone rich. The first thing that always pops into my mind when I come across these clips is “can you cash those checks at the bank?” The second thought is always “those guys are STILL doing that?” The answer, most certainly, is definitely. Not only are they still doing it, the folks over at Publishers Clearing House seem to be doing it better than ever! I… -
April 2012 US Search Market Share Report: Bing up, Google up, Yahoo down
14 May 2012 | 8:19 pmFor the first time in months, the usual market share trends changed for Google and for Yahoo!. Google increased its share for the first time since December 2011 to 65.9% of the US core web search market. Yahoo! had been experiencing small increases in share steadily since December 2011, but saw a decline of 0.7ppt’s from March to April. Bing continues to gain monthly share since October 2011, and experienced a gain of 0.3ppt’s in April to represent 18.3% of the market. Google Powered engines now represent 2/3rd of the US search market, while Bing Powered engines represent the other 1/3rd. -
10 Photos from the DCMO Summit!
14 May 2012 | 1:19 pmThis time last week we were kicking off the 2012 Digital CMO Summit in Beverly Hills. Between speakers from AOL, Yahoo!, Funny or Die, and Vice, to views of the LA skyline and celeb sightings, we weren’t ready to leave. Below are just a few photos from our time in the 90210. Scott and Ryan are helping build bikes for the Boys and Girls Club of East LA, which is up for an award with the “Drops of Good” Project! Vote for this Boys and Girls Club here. Photo courtesy of @alyssamaine Setting up at the Beverly Wilshire- the ballroom is almost ready! Photo courtesy of @kristenrenda Spending…
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WebMD Health
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Amanda de Cadenet Starts ‘The Conversation’
16 May 2012 | 11:24 amThe LA-based photographer’s new show dishes body image, motherhood, healthy aging, and more with top women celebrities. -
Infant Head Lag May Signal Autism
16 May 2012 | 9:06 amInfants who show developmental delays in head and neck muscle control may be at increased risk for autism, a new study suggests. -
Americans Living Longer but Obesity Rising
15 May 2012 | 10:01 pmThe CDC today released its annual state of the union’s health, and there’s good news and bad. We’re living longer, for example. But we’re also gaining more weight. -
First At-Home HIV Test Nears Approval
15 May 2012 | 4:11 pmAn FDA advisory panel says the agency should approve over-the-counter sale of the OraQuick home HIV test. Results take only 20 minutes. One problem: About 1 in 14 people with HIV will get a negative result. -
New Sunscreen Guide: 1 in 4 Products Deemed Safe
15 May 2012 | 3:55 pmWith warmer weather on the way, the Environmental Working Group has just released a new edition of their popular sunscreen guide.
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NYT > Health
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Pepsi and Competitors Scramble as Soda Sales Drop
16 May 2012 | 12:34 pmAmericans are abandoning carbonated drinks, and Coke and Pepsi are relying more than ever on the “flat” drinks and bottled waters. -
Well: Skechers Toning Shoe Customers to Get Refund
16 May 2012 | 12:28 pmFederal regulators announced on Wednesday that Skechers has agreed to pay $40 million to settle charges that the company deceived consumers with claims about its toning shoes. -
Finding a Match and a Mission, to Help Blacks Battle Cancers
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmSeun Adebiyi launched Nigeria’s national bone-marrow registry, a potential lifesaver for black cancer patients, after experiencing firsthand the difficulty of finding donors for those of African descent. -
Side Effects: Microscopic Neighbors, Evolving Together
16 May 2012 | 11:49 amA novel experiment sought to demonstrate that how different living things in a community bump up against one another affects how they evolve. -
Recipes for Health: Pan-Cooked Brussels Sprouts With Green Garlic
16 May 2012 | 11:36 amThese quick-cooking sprouts are a versatile side dish, but they’re also satisfying with on their own with rice.
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Digestive Health SmartBrief
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Gastroparesis: What you need to know
16 May 2012 | 4:38 amDiabetes is one of the most common causes of gastroparesis, a digestive disorder in which the stomach takes a long time to em -More- -
Efficacy & Safety Study of MORAb-004 to Treat Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
16 May 2012 | 4:38 amFlorida, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Wisconsin. clinicaltrials.gov -More- -
Analysis: Regular fish intake lowers risk of colon, rectal cancer
16 May 2012 | 4:38 amA report in the American Journal of Medicine found that people who regularly ate fish had a 12% lower risk of colon or rectal -More- Betty Crocker® has delicious gluten-free baking mix varieties that everyone will love! Learn more about the products available and browse over a hundred kitchen-tested gluten-free recipes. -
Study links gut bacteria, diet to childhood obesity
16 May 2012 | 4:38 amChildren who had low levels of Bacteroides fragilis group bacteria in their guts were more likely to be obese, according to a -More- -
Majority believes "personal choices" are behind obesity, poll finds
16 May 2012 | 4:38 amData from a Reuters/Ipsos online survey indicate that 61% of adults believe personal choices about food and exercise play key -More-
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thechart.blogs.cnn.com
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New data on the health of these United States
15 May 2012 | 9:01 pmThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released their annual health report for 2011 on Wednesday. The report contains more than 150 data tables on the U.S. population's well-being, with a special focus on socioeconomic status. Here are a few of the interesting tidbits we found. For more, visit www.cdc.gov. The Bible Belt needs more doctors. On average, there were 25 physicians for every 10,000 people in the U.S. in 2009. The Northeast, Hawaii and Minnesota had the highest ratio of doctors to patients, while states in the South and Rocky Mountain-areas had fewer than 21 per… -
FDA panel recommends approving home HIV test
15 May 2012 | 4:48 pmConsumers may soon be able to test themselves for HIV and quickly learn the results in the privacy of their own homes following a unanimous approval recommendation from a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee on Tuesday. The panel said the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test should be made available over-the-counter (OTC) saying the test is safe and effective and that the benefits far outweigh the potential risks. If approved by the FDA, the test will be the first OTC test to be marketed for HIV or any infectious disease. FDA advisory committee recommendations are not binding, but they… -
Patient: Alzheimer's plan OK, but too late for me
15 May 2012 | 8:16 amWhen Phil Kreitner’s wife Sherril Gelmon comes home and asks what he did all day, he has to pause to think. It’s hard enough to remember what he did five minutes ago. And where he keeps the different cereals he likes to mix in the morning. Kreitner, 72, of Portland, Oregon, is one of many aging Americans living with mild cognitive impairment, a condition marked by memory impairment that may progress into the more severe Alzheimer’s disease. He’s participating in a clinical trial aimed at testing a treatment for dementia, and believes furthering research is critical for combating the… -
New laxative-free colonoscopy shows promise
14 May 2012 | 2:00 pmIf you're turning 50 or you're already there, colorectal screening is in your future. Although you would only have to be screened every 10 years (if no polyps are found), the prospect of getting prepped for procedure is a big turn-off for many. You've probably heard some of the horror stories about the pre-screening laxatives, the taste, the amount, the ensuing "cleansing." But for those who are a little squeamish about all that liquid going in–and coming out, a new laxative free colonoscopy might be on the horizon. A study of 605 adults published… -
Nearly 1 in 3 have sleepwalked, study finds
14 May 2012 | 1:00 pmSleepwalking isn't just a quirk of Homer Simpson and other cartoon characters who go on unconscious adventures. New research suggests it's even more common than you may think. Researchers published a study in the journal Neurology involving more than 19,000 American adults, and found that nearly 30% had sleepwalked at some point in their lives. Far fewer said they experienced sleepwalking within the last year - only about 4% did. One percent had two or more episodes per month. Dr. Maurice Ohayon of Stanford University and lead author of the study says sleepwalking can be risky…
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CNN.com - Health
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Why we need a good screening test for ovarian cancer
16 May 2012 | 11:25 amQ: This week the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued preliminary guidelines for ovarian cancer screening. It recommends against routine screening saying that the risk of false positive diagnoses outweighs the benefits. How can this be and why is it so hard to find a good screening test for ovarian cancer? -
How to minimize your child's medical radiation exposure
16 May 2012 | 11:22 amQ: I took my kid to the ER last night because his stomach hurt, and they ran a CAT scan. Is that normal? Should I be worried about radiation? -
Why does my baby's urine smell?
16 May 2012 | 11:22 amQ: My baby's urine smells really bad! Is there something wrong? -
Expert: Did 'Kony' director have 'manic episode?'
16 May 2012 | 11:22 amModern medicine is very good at some things, and really lousy at others. As I wrote in a blog last week, psychiatry is no different in this regard. -
Is your sunscreen protecting you?
16 May 2012 | 9:11 amOnly 25% of sunscreens are effective at protecting your skin without the use of potentially harmful ingredients, according to the Environmental Working Group, who tested 800 total.
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Uploads by JNJhealth
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Family Resource Network - Epilepsy Foundation of NJ
9 May 2012 | 1:19 pmFamily Resource Network - Epilepsy Foundation of NJ Since 1986, the Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey (EFNJ) has been providing quality family support services to people affected by an assortment of disabilities and needs. In 2004, the Trenton, NJ-based EFNJ launched the Family Resource Network (FRN) -- a comprehensive, family-focused human service organization devoted to serving a broad spectrum of disabilities by meeting individualized needs. Johnson & Johnson From: JNJhealth Views: 69 0 ratings Time: 03:46 More in Entertainment -
Oklahoma City Indian Clinic
9 May 2012 | 1:19 pmOklahoma City Indian Clinic The Oklahoma City Indian Clinic provides health care and medical support to Native Americans who live in urban areas. According to many Native American leaders, the elderly serve as the strength and the living heritage of the American Indian culture. As a response, funds awarded by the J&J/RCI Caregivers Program will be used to provide support to The Oklahoma City Indian Clinic CareGivers Program. This initiative supports approximately 720 American Indian grandparents who provide full- or part-time care for their grandchildren, as well as 900 clinic patients… -
Golden Willow
9 May 2012 | 1:19 pmGolden Willow Golden Willow, in Taos County, New Mexico, is a nonprofit counseling center that serves individuals, families, and communities experiencing grief. Funding made possible by the Johnson & Johnson/ Rosalynn Carter Caregivers Institute will allow the center to focus on education and support for young children and teens who serve as caregivers. The goal of this program is to help children develop empathy for others and to assume the natural role of "caregivers of the future." Through a series of caregiving services and training, it is hoped that this program will… -
Weems Community Mental Health Center
9 May 2012 | 1:19 pmWeems Community Mental Health Center The Weems Community Mental Health Center, in Meridian, Miss., provides a full range of professional mental health services to all residents of Region 10 of the Mississippi Mental Health System. Established in 1970, the center educates the public about mental health issues and treatment, thereby enhancing the well being of individuals and the overall health of the East Central Mississippi region. Grant funding from the J&J/RCI Caregivers Program will be used to support the "Empathy in Action" program, an initiative that creates mutual… -
J&J Sustainability Special: Our Global Citizenship ennTV #11, 1 of 4
9 May 2012 | 9:04 amJ&J Sustainability Special: Our Global Citizenship ennTV #11, 1 of 4 In this episode of ennTV, learn how Johnson & Johnson companies approach corporate citizenship and caring for the world environmentally, economically and socially with profiles on earthwards™ recognized Neutrogena® Naturals, our partnership with the United Nations Population Fund, and sustainable reprocessing with SterilMed®. To learn more about our responsibility and citizenship programs, visit jnj.com/responsibility Visit www.NeutrogenaNaturals.com to learn more about Neutrogena® Naturals…
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Newswise: MedNews
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Girl Child Marriages Decline in South Asia, but Only Among Youngest
16 May 2012 | 1:00 pmEach year, more than 10 million girls under the age of 18 marry, usually under force of local tradition and social custom. Almost half of these compulsory marriages occur in South Asia. A new study suggests that more than two decades of effort to eliminate the practice has produced mixed results. -
Jefferson Receives $2.6 Million NIH Grant to Study Imaging Method to Stage Prostate Cancer Without Biopsy
16 May 2012 | 12:40 pmJefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center and the Department of Radiology at Thomas Jefferson University received a five-year, $2.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate a potentially revolutionary method that can stage prostate cancers and detect recurrent disease so accurately, it would significantly reduce the number of confirmation biopsies. -
Cleveland Clinic "Cleveland" Named Center of Excellence
16 May 2012 | 12:30 pmThe National Association For Continence (NAFC) has designated the Section of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery in the OB/GYN & Women's Health Institute and the Colorectal Surgery in the Digestive Disease Institute at the Cleveland Clinic as a Center of Excellence (COE): Continence Care for Women. -
Want to Avoid ED Following Prostate Cancer Surgery? Find an Experienced, Gentle Surgeon
16 May 2012 | 12:15 pmA new study suggests that men undergoing robotic-assisted surgery for prostate cancer should look for a doctor who has performed at least 1,000 surgeries and who actively seeks to improve and enhance his surgical skills to help ensure a successful post-surgery recovery of erectile function. -
FDA-Approved Drug Makes Established Cancer Vaccine Work Better
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmA team from the Perelman School of Medicine and the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania found that the FDA-approved drug daclizumab improved the survival of breast cancer patients taking a cancer vaccine by 30 percent, compared to those patients not taking daclizumab.
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Health News
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U.S. Assistance to Africa Cut AIDS-Related Deaths: Study
15 May 2012 | 5:21 pm -
Fitness Fights High Blood Pressure, Even With Family History
15 May 2012 | 5:21 pm -
Genes Might Be Key to Parkinson's Spread
15 May 2012 | 5:21 pm -
Plavix's New Generic Status Could Be Boon for Patients
15 May 2012 | 5:21 pm -
Blacks, Hispanics Have Higher Colon Polyp Risk Than Previously Thought
15 May 2012 | 5:21 pm
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What's Hot in Health
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4 Sneaky Health-Food Ingredients to Watch Out For
8 May 2012 | 11:15 am -
Prescription Foods: What to Eat to Cure Your Ills
8 May 2012 | 11:15 am -
18 Most Sickening Food Ingredients
8 May 2012 | 11:15 am -
What Kind Of Angry Are You?
8 May 2012 | 11:15 am -
The Toxin In Your Toothpaste
8 May 2012 | 11:15 am
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Live Well 360
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Chocolate Zucchini Bread Oatmeal
14 May 2012 | 12:00 pmInspired by the incredibly moist and chocolate-y zucchini bread that my grandmother used to make when I was little, this oatmeal tastes like a treat, while making you feel great about getting something green into your breakfast. Note, I used steel cut oats, so I started the recipe the night before, but you could also make this recipe using rolled oats, so that you can start the recipe in the morning. Ingredients 1/4 cup (40g) steel cut oats 1 cup water pinch of Celtic sea salt 1/2 medium zucchini, grated 1 tsp stevia 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder 1/4… -
The Luxx and the Live Well 360 Inspirational Bag Charms are NOW AVAILABLE
9 May 2012 | 2:00 amHead over and reserve yours RIGHT NOW! We have a wait list of 100+ for the Luxx and limited quantities of the Inspirational Bag Charms, so head over and reserve your place “in line” so you can be sure to get them (and in the color that you want). CHARMED LIFE GIVEAWAY Also, once you are done, head over to our Charmed Life Giveaway to get all the details on how to enter to WIN your Luxx and a personalized version of one of these amazing Inspirational Bag Charms. BONUS Remember too… as a THANK YOU for being so patient with us while we get our inventory situated, we’re… -
Did You Hear Our Awesome News?
8 May 2012 | 2:00 amIf you haven’t heard, here’s a recap of what’s coming TOMORROW! 1. THE LUXX – AVAILABLE WED, MAY 9TH The Luxx fitness and yoga bag will be available for pre-order in Eggplant Purple and our newest color, Onyx Black starting Wednesday, May 9th (TOMORROW). We’ll begin shipping approximately May 31. If you want to get your hands on one of these bags, please MAKE SURE to place your order first thing tomorrow, as we have a wait-list of 100+ people. This will reserve your place “in line” and ensure you get your bag as quickly as possible (and in the color… -
Introducing Live Well 360 Inspirational Bag Charms by Nine Thirteen Designs
4 May 2012 | 7:00 pmSURPRISE! Here’s the scoop on our long awaited announcement. Live Well 360 is proud to have partnered with Nine Thirteen Designs to bring you a limited edition of inspirational bag charms, designed by the one and only, Amanda Lindsey exclusively for YOU. You’ve been asking for more ways to declare your commitment to live well 360 (aka live well in every way), so we’re delivering! Boy, has it been tough to keep this under wraps! We’ve been working on this for some time now, and we are glad to finally be able to share this exciting news. For a limited time, we’ll… -
3 Tips on Being Committed to Your Fitness [PLUS Details on the Special Surprise]
4 May 2012 | 5:00 amTo commit means to promise. When you are committed to your health and fitness plan, you are essentially making a promise to yourself, to take good care of you. You are telling yourself that YOU matter, your health matters. After all, if you don’t have your health… what do you have? So, in honor of building a lifestyle of health and fitness, here’s our top 3 tips for how to commit to making your fitness a priority. 3 Tips on Being Committed to Your Fitness 1. Build the structure When you are first starting out building new habits, you have to set up certain structures so that you…
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ABC News: Health
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Head Lag May Be Sign of Autism
16 May 2012 | 12:32 pmWeak head and neck control in babies may be a sign of Autism Spectrum disorders and other developmental delays, new research exclusive to ABC News revealed. A simple "pull-to-sit" test for babies may help in early detection of delays, according to the findings from the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. -
Surgery Helps Kids With Dangerous Giggling Seizures
16 May 2012 | 12:07 pmIt is the most treasured and joyous sound for nearly every parent: their child's laughter. But for a rare number of children, laughter can signal a potentially devastating, even fatal future, and their parents will do anything to make the laughter stop. -
Woman Moves Robotic Arm With Mind
16 May 2012 | 11:45 amCathy Hutchinson, who is paralyzed from a stroke, used a mind-controlled robotic arm to drink from a bottle. It is a system called BrainGate, which used a tiny implanted sensor in the brain to send signals to the muscles, bypassing damaged nerves. -
FDA Approves Home HIV Test Kit
16 May 2012 | 11:25 amAmericans are a step closer to being able to quickly determine in the privacy of their own homes whether they’re infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Tuesday voted 17-0 in favor of approving the... -
Watch: Dwarf 'Princess' Joins 'Toddlers and Tiaras'
16 May 2012 | 10:01 amLacy-Mae, 8, was born with achondroplasia, a common form of dwarfism.
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msnbc.com: Health
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Test teen football players for Alzheimer's gene?
16 May 2012 | 11:05 amShould high school kids get a genetic test for the risk for Alzheimer’s disease before they’re allowed to play football? Two prominent scientists who study both Alzheimer’s and the traumatic brain injury suffered by some football players raise that ethically charged question in an editorial out Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine. -
U.S. lowers cutoff for lead poisoning in kids
16 May 2012 | 10:40 amFor the first time in 20 years, U.S. health officials have lowered the threshold for lead poisoning in young children. -
Paralyzed woman gets mind-controlled robot arm
16 May 2012 | 10:07 amThe stroke that disconnected Cathy Hutchinson’s brain from her body has kept her silent and unable to move for more than 14 years. But science is starting to change all that. -
New mother battling flesh-eating bacteria
16 May 2012 | 8:47 amAn Upstate mom is in critical, but stable condition after her husband said she was diagnosed with a flesh-eating bacteria days after giving birth to twins. -
UN agency warns about world's leading killers
16 May 2012 | 6:15 amHealth data released on Wednesday provided the clearest evidence to date of the spread of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease from developed nations to poorer regions such as Africa, as lifestyles and diets there change.
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Health News Headlines - Yahoo! News
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Revealing brain damage from battlefield to playing field
16 May 2012 | 11:09 amNEW YORK (Reuters) - Traumatic brain injury, the signature wound of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, is doubly cruel: it leaves many victims emotionally shattered and cognitively crippled. But because mild and moderate brain injuries do not show up on CT or other imaging, doctors and even family members are often skeptical that any real damage exists. ... -
CDC Lowers Lead-Poisoning Threshold for Kids
16 May 2012 | 11:06 amWEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials on Wednesday lowered the threshold for what's considered lead poisoning in young children. -
Paralyzed Patients Use Mind to Move Robotic Arm
16 May 2012 | 11:06 amWEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Two stroke patients who had lost the use of their arms and legs were able to use their brains to move a robotic arm, researchers report. -
Health Highlights: May 16, 2012
16 May 2012 | 11:06 amHere are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay: -
Urban Hospitals May Act as Breeding Ground for MRSA
16 May 2012 | 11:06 amWEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- A dangerous antibiotic-resistant "superbug" appears to originate in hospitals in large cities and then spreads to smaller hospitals, according to a new study.
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MedlinePlus Health News
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Retirement Savings
16 May 2012 | 6:18 amSource: HealthDay - Related MedlinePlus Pages: Exercise for Seniors, Medicare -
Diabetes and Depression Are Double Trouble for Heart
16 May 2012 | 5:28 amSource: American Diabetes Association Related MedlinePlus Page: Diabetes Complications -
Genes Might Be Key to Parkinson's Spread
15 May 2012 | 2:00 pmCertain variants were related to faster progression of movement disorder Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Genes and Gene Therapy, Parkinson's Disease -
Blacks, Hispanics Have Higher Colon Polyp Risk Than Previously Thought
15 May 2012 | 2:00 pmTheir rate of the precancerous colon growths was higher than that of whites, study finds Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: African-American Health, Colonic Polyps, Hispanic-American Health -
Asthma Cases Continue to Rise in U.S., Affecting Millions
15 May 2012 | 1:00 pmLatest numbers from the CDC find 19 million adults and 7 million kids have the illness today Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Pages: Asthma, Asthma in Children, Health Statistics
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CasesBlog - Medical and Health Blog
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What it's like to study medicine at Cambridge (video)
16 May 2012 | 6:00 amWhat is "the favorite" for medical students in the UK at the moment? Going into General Practice (at minute 2:45 of the video). They are also "very keen into going into a specialty such as pediatrics". This is a night and day difference compared to their counterparts in the U.S. From Cambridge University YouTube channel: "At Cambridge, we offer two medicine courses - the Standard Course and the Graduate Course. With both, our aim is to educate students to become compassionate, thoughtful, skilled members - and leaders - of the medical profession. Success in medicine requires application and… -
Best of Medical Blogs - weekly review and blog carnival
15 May 2012 | 8:59 amThe “Best of Medical Blogs - BMB weekly review and blog carnival” is a weekly summary of the best posts from medical blogs. Feel free to send your suggestions to my email at clinicalcases@gmail.com. Best of Medical Blogs (BMB) is published every Tuesday, just like the old Grand Rounds. A Medical Educator Joins Social Media: One Year Later Dr. Djuricich, Program Director in Medicine-Pediatrics at the Indiana University, shares what he has learned in one short year: If physicians and other health care professionals are not becoming involved in social media, they are missing out on… -
What is the minimal webmaster competence for running a medical blog?
14 May 2012 | 9:59 pm"What is the minimal webmaster competence for running a medical blog?", asked a relatively new blogger recently. My suggestions are listed below. Keep it simple, and free If your blog content is great and compelling, you don't need much HTML, CSS, etc. knowledge. Knowing HTML doesn't hurt, of course, but it's not essential. Keep it simple, and free. Many doctors are wrongly advised to spend time and money on custom installations of WordPress, hosting, and social media consultatants when all they need is a free Google/Blogger blog with a custom domain name. "Blogging is teaching, whether… -
Depression affects up to 9% of U.S. population - how to do effective screening?
14 May 2012 | 6:00 amFrom American Family Physician: Depression affects up to 9% of U.S. population. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening in adolescents and adults but it does not recommend screening for depression in children 7-11 years of age, or screening for suicide risk in the general population. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-2 and PHQ-9 are commonly used and validated screening tools. The PHQ-2 has a 97% sensitivity and 67% specificity in adults. The PHQ-2 inquires about the frequency of depressed mood and anhedonia over the past 2 weeks, scoring each as 0 ("not at… -
Top articles in medicine in May 2012
12 May 2012 | 6:00 amHere are my suggestions for some of the top articles in medicine in May 2012 so far: Is Geriatric Medicine Terminally Ill? asks Annals of Internal Medicine http://goo.gl/J4jMU Low vitamin D (below 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) increases risk for clinical disease among older adults http://goo.gl/tBXS4 Senior physicians keep working, putting off the R-word - 20% of U.S. physicians are older than 65 http://goo.gl/Dxgip Many young doctors worried about future of medicine - amednews http://goo.gl/r61lW "One of the greatest risks of social media is ignoring social media" says chief integrity officer of…
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Health News Review
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The marketing of anemia drugs – a story we shouldn’t forget
16 May 2012 | 9:06 amIn an opinion piece on TheScientist.com, Daniel W. Coyne writes, “Amgen’s incomplete report on an early major trial of epoetin misled the medical community about the anemia drug’s risks and benefits—and helped make Amgen rich.” In the book, “How We Do Harm,” Otis Brawley, MD, chief medical and scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, writes quite a bit about hemoglobin-building drugs. He discusses: “the nasty warfare between J&J, the company that sold Procrit, and Amgen, the company that sold Aranesp.” “the intricate financial… -
BMJ blog on Nestlé & diabetes foundation: comfortable bedfellows?
16 May 2012 | 8:01 amDeborah Cohen, on a BMJ blog, writes: Nestlé has just announced a three year partnership with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF)—an umbrella organisation representing national diabetes societies from around the world— as part of its contribution to the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Such diseases include cardiovascular disease, cancer respiratory illness and diabetes. … The IDF is slightly more coy about the partnership publicly. Nestlé has announced the collaboration on the homepage of its website, but the company’s logo has been simply added to the… -
Alternatives to colonoscopy
15 May 2012 | 9:00 amElsewhere on the site this week, we reviewed several news stories about claims for a new “laxative-free colonoscopy.” Here’s more on alternatives to traditional colonoscopy in a guest post by Harold DeMonaco, MS – one of our expert editors on HealthNewsReview.org but also Director of the Innovation Support Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital. —————————————————————————– I just had the pleasure of… -
Trying to keep up with health care ethics (mis)adventures
14 May 2012 | 12:21 pmRead Bill Heisel’s column, “Journalists Bag a Big One: The American Pain Foundation.” Excerpt: The American Pain Foundation – an industry funded promoter of painkillers masquerading as a patient advocacy organization – closed its doors last week after it became the target of a U.S. Senate panel inquiry. The action by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and the surprisingly quick collapse of the foundation were prompted by two journalistic investigations. Also see Carl Elliott’s column, “Making a Name for Yourself in the Ethics Business.” Excerpt:… -
Back from Beijing
14 May 2012 | 8:45 amWe’re back to blogging after a week away in Beijing, China, where we led a journalism workshop co-hosted by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the Cancer Institute and Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. It was a fascinating trip and we enjoyed the chance to share ideas and to discuss challenges and suggestions for improvements with many Chinese journalists, physicians and researchers. Some participants stated an interest in a translation of the “Covering Medical Research: A Guide to Reporting on Studies” booklet that I wrote for the Association of…
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KevinMD.com
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Being a good doctor is no more an achievement than being a good Mom
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmAt no other time in my medical training was I as confident that, with hard work and dedication, I could master the field of internal medicine as when I was a newly minted third year medical student.Fresh from having taken the USMLE step 1, I interpreted my ability to recite the mechanism of penicillin resistance or the role of histamine in the immune response, and describe in great detail the unabridged and factual accounting of the patient’s forty year occupational history as evidence that, while I still had a ways to go, the practice of medicine could become as comfortable and familiar as… -
The malpractice risk of volunteer medical coverage at sporting events
16 May 2012 | 8:00 amFrom Outside Online, an article about how physicians are increasingly hesitant to provide volunteer medical coverage at athletic events:“Last year, 13 Americans died during running races, and another eight while competing in triathlons. While those numbers might seem troubling, the deaths are attributable mostly to the booming popularity of endurance sports—13 million Americans enter running races each year, and 2.3 million compete in triathlons. But the rising participation and the proportional death toll—especially in cases like Hass’s—highlight the need for quality medical… -
EMR liability needs to go further than just the physician
16 May 2012 | 4:00 amThis example of a disaster waiting to happen, in the form of an error-promoting CPOE, is a poster example of why the net of litigation needs to be cast far wider than just clinicians when EHR-related errors result in injury or death.This order entry screen, from a production system shows the following. In all fairness, I do note it’s unclear if the vendor or the customer’s configuration “experts” were responsible for this:COUMADIN (warfarin) tablet 2 mg Oral daily once. CAUTION: Potential look-Alike or Sound-Alike medication – this product is COUMADINRead the… -
Top stories in health and medicine this morning, May 16, 2012
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amThis series is brought to you by MedPage Today.1. Docs Win Most Malpractice Cases at Trial. Plaintiffs hardly ever win medical malpractice cases that go all the way to a jury verdict, and only 4.5% of claims filed ever go that far.2. Colon Cancer Screening Studies Flawed, Researchers Say. Studies cited as support for colorectal cancer screening among individuals with a family history of adenomas are flawed.3. Pressure Sores Not Prevented by Nutrition Support. Cognitively impaired nursing home residents had a two-fold greater risk of pressure sores when they had a percutaneous endoscopic… -
What does a perfect pediatrics practice look like?
15 May 2012 | 4:00 pmI had a phenomenal day in clinic yesterday. Imperfect for sure but inspiring, connected, and busy. I felt useful and like anybody else, that feels so good to me. Productivity can be defined in various ways and yesterday I fulfilled my personal definition. I wrote an email to a friend and cardiologist this morning where I said, “But I must say, it’s a sincere fortune to be a doctor some days. Yesterday was one of those …”Read the rest of What does a perfect pediatrics practice look like? on KevinMD.com.Category: Physician | Tags: Pediatrics, Primary care | No comment
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Medgadget
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EchoBlog Joins EchoJournal
16 May 2012 | 10:28 amA community of physicians who are actively involved with our video sharing site EchoJournal now has a collaborative blog where they’re discussing the latest echocardiography videos, clinical concepts and ideas. EchoBlog can be accessed from the EchoJournal website, or directly by going to EchoBlog.com.If you are a cardiologist, anesthesiologist, radiologist, medical student, or just a person interested in cardiac ultrasounds, EchoJournal is where you can develop your knowledge and consult with others. To learn and discuss, you can watch new cardiac videos that are added almost every… -
Angel Catheter Combines Central Venous Catheter with IVC Filter for Pulmonary Embolism Prevention (video)
16 May 2012 | 9:40 amBiO2 Medical has received CE Mark approval for the Angel Catheter, a nitinol inferior vena cava (IVC) filter permanently attached to a central venous catheter, for the use of preventing pulmonary embolism in critically ill patients. The multi-lumen catheter can be used like a normal central venous system for administering medications, fluids or blood products, blood sampling and monitoring of central venous pressure. At the same time it provides pulmonary embolism prophylaxis by means of the attached IVC filter.The primary patient population is critical care patients in whom anticoagulation… -
An Update on Altapure’s Ultrasonic Clinical Environment Sterilization System
16 May 2012 | 8:42 amBack in February, we wrote about Altapure‘s adaptation of military sonar technology to sterilize clinical environments. During our recent trip to northeast Indiana, we had the opportunity to visit Altapure’s home on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.Since our last mention, Altapure has been able to not only get their product on the market, but is already working on a newer version of the device that clocks in at 1/3 the size of the current model but has the same power.Read More -
Nidek AFC-330 Automated Fundus Camera Cleared in U.S.
16 May 2012 | 8:23 amNIDEK (Gamagori, Japan) has received FDA clearance to market its AFC-330 fundus camera in the U.S. The unit is an all-in-one system that contains both the camera and the processing computer, negating the need for another machine to remain nearby.The device is the company’s most automated model, and features automatic alignment along the three axis, uses a lower brightness flash, and has dampened mechanical components, among other advances.Read More -
St Jude Medical Launches EnligHTN Renal Denervation System
15 May 2012 | 1:18 pmIt seems that renal denervation systems are popping up like daisies these days. Today at the EuroPCR meeting in Paris, France, St. Jude Medical announced CE Mark Approval and the launch of its EnligHTN renal denervation system. Like other renal ablative systems, this one is approved to reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension resistant to medical therapy.Unique to the EnligHTN is that it has multiple electrodes which potentially saves time during the ablation procedure, as four ablations can be performed without catheter repositioning.Read More
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SharpBrains
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Dr. Holly Jimison on Cognitive Health Coaching: A Home-based Approach to Cognitive Monitoring and Intervention
16 May 2012 | 7:38 amDr. Jimison will discuss latest research, tools and trends on Cognitive Health Coaching: A Home-based Approach to Cognitive Monitoring @ 2012 SharpBrains Virtual Summit (June 7-14th, 2012). Holly B. Jimison, PhD is an associate professor of medical informatics and clinical epidemiology at Oregon Health & Science University, with expertise and research experience in the design and evaluation of home monitoring and interactive health management tools for a variety of consumer populations. Most recently, Dr. Jimison’s… -
On Music, Dopamine, and Making Sense of Sound
15 May 2012 | 7:35 amDaniel Levitin, in This Is Your Brain On Music, suggests the following sound experiment. Situate yourself someplace where you can close your eyes and focus on the sounds around you. When you open your eyes, write down each sound you heard and the object that made that sound. If you are in a relatively quiet spot, try this experiment the next time you are in a more sound-rich environment. I began this article while sitting outdoors on an unusually warm day in the suburbs. I heard: rustling of leaves from a squirrel scampering buzz of gardener’s trimming tools roar of an airplane tweets and… -
Agenda @ 2012 SharpBrains Virtual Summit (June 7-14th)
11 May 2012 | 8:08 am82% of respondents to a 2012 SharpBrains survey (n=3,165) agreed/ strongly agreed with “Adults of all ages should take charge of their own “brain fitness” without waiting for their doctors to tell them to,” and 77% agreed/ strongly agreed with “I would personally take a brief assessment every year as an “annual mental check-up.” This growing awareness demands new ways to harness neuroplasticity across the lifespan to optimize health, productivity and quality of life, and highlights market opportunities. Click Here to see… -
Music as Therapy: Music, Movement, Cognition!
10 May 2012 | 12:25 pmThe Sound of Music Whether you realize it or not, you already know a lot when it comes to music. According to Daniel Levitin, former record producer, current neuroscientist, psychologist and author of This Is Your Brain On Music, you know: how your body responds to familiar or specific tunes your brain can differentiate between international rhythms (Latin, Indian, Arabic…) bits and pieces of song lyrics that are memorized specific songs can conjure up memories a song can impact your mood If I hear certain types of music, my body starts moving in synch to the rhythm, and if there are… -
The Next Frontier: Neuroscience, Business and the Arts
9 May 2012 | 8:28 am“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” — Oh The Places You’ll Go, Dr.Seuss. The space between creativity and entrepreneurship is one of the most exciting areas unfolding in our modern world right now. Although this relationship has been acknowledged by every true entrepreneur for many years, it has taken too long for the correlation between the two areas to be understood, encouraged, and expanded upon in a broader sense. Our entire sense of values has shifted dramatically in the last 20 years. A creative economy…
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USATODAY.com Feed
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Healthy food no more costly than junk food, government finds
16 May 2012 | 11:32 amCarrots, onions, pinto beans, lettuce, mashed potatoes, bananas and orange juice are bargains compared to, say, soft drinks, ice cream and f ... -
Higher education linked to longer life, CDC report shows
16 May 2012 | 10:02 amEducation may not only improve a person's finances, it is also linked to better health habits and a longer life. -
Paralysis victims use brain signals to control robotic arm
16 May 2012 | 10:00 amThe demonstrations mark a significant step in efforts by researchers to connect severely paralyzed patients to prosthetic devices. -
FDA panel backs first rapid, take home HIV test
16 May 2012 | 8:57 amAmerican consumers may soon be able to test themselves for the virus that causes AIDS in the privacy of their own homes. -
Skechers' ads promising toning, weight-loss were deceiving
16 May 2012 | 8:25 amClaims that Skechers' fitness shoes can help shed pounds and tone muscles are sketchy at best, says the government — and they're going to cost ...
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Wellness Health News
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Surgeon offers hope to Afghan amputees
16 May 2012 | 9:31 am -
Higher education linked to longer life
16 May 2012 | 9:31 amEducation may not only improve a person's finances, it is also linked to better health habits and a longer life. -
Organ donor system slow to start in China
15 May 2012 | 7:55 am -
Could red wine help in Alzheimer's fight?
15 May 2012 | 7:55 amBob Sessions has never had a drop of alcohol in his life. Yet at age 86, the teetotaler is eager to see if a natural compound found in red wine can combat disease. -
Sleepwalking is fairly common, study finds
15 May 2012 | 7:55 am
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Women's Health News
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This Saturday – Join Demonstration in Tennessee or Your State To Support Women’s Rights
26 Apr 2012 | 5:46 amIn Tennessee, our legislators this session have promoted and pushed bills to intimidate women seeking abortions and terrorize their doctors, to enact restrictions on abortion providers in the name of “safety” that have nothing to do with women’s actual safety, to subject women and other welfare recipients to needless drug tests rooted in racism and classism, and to potentially violate the privacy and even make criminals of women who are victims of crime or who have miscarriages. All over the country, it’s the same story. Instead of working to improve education, the… -
Welcome to Tennessee – Try Not to Be a Woman While You’re Here
15 Apr 2012 | 8:47 amThe last few weeks have seen Tennessee on several “worst of” lists for women. The popular iVillage ranked us #40 among the “worst states for women” – for our lower rates of college degree completion, lower earnings, low levels of representation of women in state government, poor health, attacks on women’s rights, and other factors. This week, Forbes named Knoxville, TN (home of Stacey Campfield) #3 in its list of Most Unfair Cities To Be A Working Woman because of disparities in pay between men and women. And I missed this last month, but the blogger at… -
Over at OBOS: Emergency Contraception Access for Native American Women, Black Women’s Breastfeeding, Health Effects of DES, and More
15 Apr 2012 | 8:12 amA couple of my recent posts at Our Bodies Our Blog that I want to share: Sign on to Support Native American Women’s Access to Emergency Contraception – OTC access to emergency contraception is very limited for Native American women through the Indian Health Service. Learn more and sign a petition to enforce access. DES Action Collecting Information on Health Issues in People Exposed to DES – A DES education and advocacy organization wants to learn more about the health issues faced by women who took DES during pregnancy, and their children and grandchildren. All of those groups… -
An Update on Tennessee’s HB 3808, Another Legislative Attempt to Limit Access to Abortion
8 Apr 2012 | 10:03 amHB 3808, the so-called “Life Defense Act,” would have threatened the safety of women and abortion providers by releasing identifying information and potentially making them targets for anti-abortion extremists. The bill has since been amended and passed in the House, and is currently on the Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for the coming week, April 10. Tennessee folks, write your state Senators now. The bill was amended by removing the requirements related to collecting and releasing information on the women getting abortions and their providers. However, it has the following,… -
An Open Letter on HB 3808, a Tennessee Bill to Intimidate Patients and Abortion Providers
20 Mar 2012 | 9:30 amHere’s the letter I’m sending to relevant politicians in Tennessee regarding a bill to collect very specific abortion data, with little consequence for those who disclose it illegally, and creating targets for violence out of women, their children and spouses, and providers, their families, coworkers, and other patients. I am writing to express my opposition to HB 3808, the so-called “Life Defense Act,” which requires the collection and reporting of detailed data about women having abortions and their providers. Data is already collected about the number of abortions…
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Latest Health Headlines - CBS News
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Report: Maternal death rate drops in half over past two decades
16 May 2012 | 10:31 amBut, rates in the U.S. rose average of 2.5 percent from 1990 to 2010, taking out of the top tier of countries in terms of maternal health -
Bachelor's degree boosts health, CDC report suggests
16 May 2012 | 10:22 amPeople with higher education were less likely to be obese, have obese children and smoke, report found -
Video: Jacob Bell retires from NFL, fearing head trauma
16 May 2012 | 9:11 amOffensive lineman Jacob Bell is giving up football because he's worried about the long-term effects of repeated hits to the head. CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker talks to him and reports on the more than 3,000 football players suing the NFL, claiming the league deliberately concealed information about head trauma. -
Promising new Alzheimer's experiments may lead to cure
16 May 2012 | 8:37 amPeople who have genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's will begin tests with experimental drug; Nasal spray for people with early memory problems to be tested as well -
Reddit users send terminally ill man thousands of letters
16 May 2012 | 8:07 amScott Widak, an artist with down syndrome, received letters from Reddit users after his nephew posted on the website that his uncle was dying of a liver disease and loved opening letters
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Environmental Health News
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It really is hot in here: U.S. has warmest 12 months on record.
16 May 2012 | 7:00 amAmericans just lived through the hottest 12 months ever recorded, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Tuesday, with record averages for the year scorching central Texas, the upper Midwest and much of the Northeast. -
Natural sinks still sopping up carbon.
16 May 2012 | 7:00 amEarth’s ecosystems keep soaking up more carbon as greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere, new measurements find. The research contradicts several recent studies suggesting that “carbon sinks” have reached or passed their capacity. -
Critics told to stop attacking Flannery.
16 May 2012 | 7:00 amClimate commissioner Will Steffen has called on critics to stop their "vicious" attacks against the body's chief Tim Flannery and rejected suggestions the federal government-created commission is alarmist. -
UK climate experiment cancelled on patent concerns.
16 May 2012 | 7:00 amBritish scientists have abandoned an experiment to test the possibility of spraying particles into the upper atmosphere to stem global warming, largely due to concerns over a patent for some of the technology, the project's leader said. -
Carbon trading links between S. Korea, European Union possible in decade.
16 May 2012 | 7:00 amA deputy minister in Britain's Foreign Office said Wednesday he expects carbon trading markets between South Korea and the European Union to be linked within the next decade, hailing Seoul's recent approval of an emissions trading scheme.
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MedPageToday.com - medical news plus CME for physicians
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FDA Delays New Sunscreen Labeling Rules
16 May 2012 | 11:05 amWASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The FDA has granted sunscreen manufacturers a 6-month extension to comply with new labeling rules in order to avoid having mislabeled sunscreens on the shelves this summer or a product shortage. -
Blast Injured Soldiers' Brains Mimic Athletes' (CME/CE)
16 May 2012 | 11:00 am(MedPage Today) -- Autopsies on the brains of military veterans who experienced traumatic brain injury from a blast showed pathologic similarities to the brains of athletes who'd had repetitive concussions, researchers found. -
Heavy Donors See Drop in Kidney Function
16 May 2012 | 10:08 amWASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- Overweight and obese patients who donate one of their kidneys for transplant may be at risk of diminished function in the remaining organ, researchers said here. -
Stroke Victims Use Minds to Control Robotic Arms (CME/CE, with video)
16 May 2012 | 10:00 am(MedPage Today) -- Controlling robotic limbs with neural impulses appears possible, according to preliminary results in two patients left with no functional control of their arms after a brainstem stroke. -
Post-PCI Bleeds Drop with Shifts in Drug Strategy (CME/CE)
16 May 2012 | 8:52 am(MedPage Today) -- The evolution of anti-thrombotic strategies over time has resulted in a decrease in bleeding rates after percutaneous coronary intervention, researchers found.
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Yahoo! Health News
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Revealing brain damage from battlefield to playing field
16 May 2012 | 11:09 amNEW YORK (Reuters) - Traumatic brain injury, the signature wound of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, is doubly cruel: it leaves many victims emotionally shattered and cognitively crippled. But because mild and moderate brain injuries do not show up ... -
Paralyzed Patients Use Mind to Move Robotic Arm
16 May 2012 | 11:06 amWEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Two stroke patients who had lost the use of their arms and legs were able to use their brains to move a robotic arm, researchers report. -
CDC Lowers Lead-Poisoning Threshold for Kids
16 May 2012 | 11:06 amWEDNESDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials on Wednesday lowered the threshold for what's considered lead poisoning in young children. -
US lowers cutoff for lead poisoning in young kids
16 May 2012 | 11:01 amFor the first time in 20 years, U.S. health officials have lowered the threshold for lead poisoning in young children. -
Factbox: Tax provisions in Obama's healthcare law
16 May 2012 | 10:53 am(Reuters) - President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul law contains a slew of new tax provisions, and their fate is unclear as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs the law's constitutionality. Some have been put into effect in the two years sin...
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Men's Health News From Medical News Today
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New Insights Into Urinary Tract Health Of Adolescent Males Revealed By Bacteria Study
15 May 2012 | 1:00 amThe first study using cultivation independent sequencing of the microorganisms in the adolescent male urinary tract has revealed that the composition of microbial communities colonizing the penis in young men depends upon their circumcision status and patterns of sexual activity... -
Testosterone Treatment Helps Obese Older Males Lose Weight, Other Health Gains Too
9 May 2012 | 8:00 amRestoring low testosterone levels in older, overweight or obese men to normal levels results in dramatic weight loss and other health benefits, such as better blood pressure and blood glucose control, Dr Farid Saad of the Medical Affairs Men's Health Care at Bayer Pharma AG in Berlin, Germany, explained at the 19th European Congress on Obesity in Lyon, France... -
Early Elevated HIV Infection Risk In Some Step Study Participants Confirmed By Study
9 May 2012 | 1:00 amA long-term follow-up analysis of participants in the Step Study, an international HIV-vaccine trial, has confirmed that certain subgroups of male study participants were at higher risk of becoming infected after receiving the experimental vaccine compared to those who received a placebo... -
Men With Low Testosterone Levels May Be At Increased Risk For Diabetes
8 May 2012 | 1:00 amLow levels of testosterone in men could increase their risk of developing diabetes, a study suggests. Scientists have found that low testosterone levels are linked to a resistance to insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. The study is the first to directly show how low testosterone levels in fat tissue can be instrumental in the onset of Type 2 diabetes... -
Load-Bearing Exercise By Males In Their Early 20s May Shield Them From Osteoporosis In Old Age
7 May 2012 | 1:00 amYoung men who play volleyball, basketball or other load-bearing sports for four hours a week or more increase bone mass and might gain protection from developing osteoporosis later in life, according to a new study in the May issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research...
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msnbc.com: More Health News
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Combat blasts may give troops brain disease athletes get
16 May 2012 | 12:47 pmThe explosive blasts that troops encounter on the battle field can do the same damage as the repetitive head injuries that football players and boxers sustain, a new study suggests. -
Test teen football players for Alzheimer's gene?
16 May 2012 | 11:05 amShould high school kids get a genetic test for the risk for Alzheimer’s disease before they’re allowed to play football? Two prominent scientists who study both Alzheimer’s and the traumatic brain injury suffered by some football players raise that ethically charged question in an editorial out Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine. -
Fear needles? Look away and the pain is less
15 May 2012 | 11:48 amInjections hurt less if you look away from the needle, a new study from Germany suggests. -
Smoking pot may help relieve symptoms of MS
14 May 2012 | 9:34 amSmoking marijuana may improve some symptoms of multiple sclerosis, a new study suggests. -
FDA: Progress made over drug shortages
3 May 2012 | 5:23 pmHealth officials said the number of new shortages of crucial drugs used to treat cancer and other illnesses had been halved compared to a year ago.
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Reuters: Health News
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Revealing brain damage from battlefield to playing field
16 May 2012 | 11:09 amNEW YORK (Reuters) - Traumatic brain injury, the signature wound of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, is doubly cruel: it leaves many victims emotionally shattered and cognitively crippled. But because mild and moderate brain injuries do not show up on CT or other imaging, doctors and even family members are often skeptical that any real damage exists. -
Back pain tends to improve quickly, not completely
16 May 2012 | 9:26 amNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Lower back pain often fades fairly quickly, but it may stubbornly linger to some extent for months or more, a new study finds. -
Steroids cut sinus infection symptoms slightly
16 May 2012 | 8:49 amNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Nasal spray steroids, taken for three weeks, help to shorten the length of time people feel pain and congestion from a sinus infection, according to a new review of several studies. -
U.S. HIV aid has prevented 741,000 deaths: study
16 May 2012 | 6:07 amNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The United States foreign aid program that sends billions of dollars to African countries for HIV treatment and prevention has cut the number of people dying for any reason in those nations, a new study suggests. -
WHO warns of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity
16 May 2012 | 1:01 amLONDON (Reuters) - Health data released on Wednesday provided the clearest evidence to date of the spread of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease from developed nations to poorer regions such as Africa, as lifestyles and diets there change.
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THE MEDICAL NEWS
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Linkam Scientific temperature controlled warm stages chosen for sperm motility in human fertility testing
16 May 2012 | 9:44 amMarket leaders in temperature controlled microscopy, Linkam Scientific Instruments, have been chosen by an NHS Fertility clinic as suppliers of a controlled warm stage to perform routine semen analysis at body temperature. -
NeuroSigma Subsidiary sees potential for Thin-Film Nitinol in next-generation flow-diverting stents for treating intracranial aneurysms
16 May 2012 | 7:54 amNeuroSigma, Inc., a Los Angeles-based medical device company, today announced that its majority-owned subsidiary, NSVascular, Inc. (NSV), acquired a portfolio of patents and related trade secrets covering the fabrication of Thin-Film Nitinol (TFN) from TiNi Alloy Company, including U.S. Patent No. 6,746,890 entitled “Three Dimensional Thin Film Devices and Methods of Fabrication,” an important piece of the portfolio covering the production of three-dimensional TFN constructs. -
Hitting the target: IntelliCap provides reliable and accurate regional drug delivery
16 May 2012 | 6:38 amMedimetrics, recently certified to ISO 13485, has successfully developed the IntelliCap system, specifically designed to target delivery of small molecule drugs and biologics to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The technology is capable of achieving controlled release of drugs to specific GI sites in a fast, cost-effective and convenient manner (Shimizu et al., 2008). -
Treatment in hospitals with medical fellowships improves outcome for prostate cancer radical surgery
16 May 2012 | 6:37 amPatients who undergo radical surgery for prostate cancer may expect better results, on average, if they're treated in accredited teaching hospitals with residency programs, and better still if the hospitals also have medical fellowships, according to a new study by Henry Ford Hospital. -
New directions and challenges in viral hepatitis care and research
16 May 2012 | 6:33 amThe editors of Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, are pleased to announce the publication of this year's highly anticipated special 13th issue. Published each May, the 13th issue is devoted to a particular gastroenterological topic of broad interest; this year's topic is viral hepatitis.
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MedicineNet Daily News
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'Self-Managing' COPD Might Pose Risks, Study Suggests
16 May 2012 | 12:00 amTitle: 'Self-Managing' COPD Might Pose Risks, Study SuggestsCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/14/2012 6:05:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 5/15/2012 12:00:00 AM -
Secondhand Smoke May Harm Heart Function
16 May 2012 | 12:00 amTitle: Secondhand Smoke May Harm Heart FunctionCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/14/2012 6:05:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 5/15/2012 12:00:00 AM -
Health Tip: Put the Brakes on Drowsy Driving
16 May 2012 | 12:00 amTitle: Health Tip: Put the Brakes on Drowsy DrivingCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/15/2012 8:05:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/15/2012 12:00:00 AM -
For Dementia Patients, Feeding Tubes May Increase Bed Sores
16 May 2012 | 12:00 amTitle: For Dementia Patients, Feeding Tubes May Increase Bed SoresCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/14/2012 2:05:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 5/15/2012 12:00:00 AM -
Steroid Nasal Sprays Show Small Benefit for Sinusitis: Study
16 May 2012 | 12:00 amTitle: Steroid Nasal Sprays Show Small Benefit for Sinusitis: StudyCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/15/2012 10:05:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/15/2012 12:00:00 AM
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Blisstree » FEEL
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What My Mom Taught Me: Real Health Advice From Real Mothers
10 May 2012 | 6:00 amIt’s easy to point fingers at “bad” mothers who make questionable choices about the health of their kids (ahem, Tanning Mom), but the truth is that many of us learned what we know about nutrition, fitness, and taking care of our amazing female bodies from none other than our own mother. And even if you didn’t have a mom full of great advice, it’s never too late to hear what other great mamas have to say. So, as Mother’s Day approaches, here’s some really valuable, real-world health advice from Mom. Often, we get bogged down in the negative and blame… -
Why You Shouldn’t Have Sex When You Don’t Want To
9 May 2012 | 7:00 amGo take a look inside a few women’s magazine on the newsstands right now, and I guarantee that in at least one of them, you will find the following admonishment: to have sex even when you don’t want to, because it’s good for you. The more insulting versions of this sentiment are that you should have sex when you don’t want to because it’s good for your partner (they’re typically referring to your male partner), or because it’s good for your relationship. Well, I’m here to tell you this: Having sex when you don’t want to isn’t good for anyone. Not your partner, not your… -
Confessions Of Motherhood: 10 Unhealthy Things I Swore I Would Never Do (But Did Anyway)
8 May 2012 | 8:29 amBefore having kids, I had very idealist visions of what our lives would be like. Our family would be the perfectly healthy family. What we ate would be carefully scrutinized. Fresh fruits, tons of veggies, lean meats and whole grains would be on the table at every meal. What we did during our leisure time would also be closely mapped out and monitored. Lots of fresh air, exercise and family outings like picnics, hiking and biking together would consume our weekends. And of course, things like keeping the kids spotless and myself looking hip and put-together every day made the list too. Yes, I… -
Mom’s Disturbing Face Makes Us Wonder: Does Excessive Tanning Mean Mental Health Issues?
3 May 2012 | 8:07 amYesterday’s story about the New Jersey mom who was accused of taking her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning booth had a lot of you enraged. Aside from questioning what type of parent Patricia Krentcil must be, some questioned her state of mind–just look at her, right? She’s only 44, but could easily pass for decades older. Clearly she is not taking good care of her skin–and possibly her daughter’s, but does excessive tanning mean she must have mental health issues? You tell us. One dermatologist, Doris Day, told ABC News that she likely suffers from… -
My Postpartum Depression: From Feeling Like A Horrible ‘Monster’ To Empowering Women
2 May 2012 | 7:08 amKatherine Stone will be the first person to tell you that most people don’t know enough about postpartum depression. In fact, she admits she didn’t know much about it either. That’s why, when it hit her after the birth of her first child nine years ago, she was completely caught off guard. She went from feeling “normal” before her pregnancy to feeling like a horrible “monster” afterward. She even admits to having thoughts about being so inadequate that she worried she may drown her son. Now, Stone is on a mission to help remove the societal stigma…
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Healthy Eating Tips
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What A Degree In Dietetics DIDN’T Teach Me About Saturated Fat
16 May 2012 | 4:00 amnazreth What does bloodletting, scurvy, and our understanding of saturated fat have in common? Before I share the answer with you, allow me to say that while we live in an era of unparalleled educational opportunities, there are some things that are still undervalued, and often unappreciated. Skepticism, curiosity, and the ability to think and research for oneself, are not always met with enthusiasm. Even when there’s concrete evidence to support the view of the minority, popular opinion is not something that likes to go away without a fight. Take, for example, the advice, “Eat… -
If Your Job Is Like This Then It Could Be Killing You
8 May 2012 | 2:14 pmfuzzcat Yes, I know. It seems like everything is a potential killer nowadays. But, this one is particularly disconcerting for many of us. You see, for years we’ve been led to believe that as long as we follow a regular exercise program, our health should be okay. At least, it should be much better than those who don’t follow a regular exercise program. Makes sense, but it’s not telling the whole story. The sobering news I’m bringing to you today, is that your basic exercise regimen may not be enough. Depressing, or what? So, what’s the problem? Well, according to… -
The Big Lie Called BMI
1 May 2012 | 3:06 amImage Credit: Arinas74 Even if you don’t know precisely what it is, or how it’s worked out, I’ll hazard a guess that you’ve heard about body mass index, or BMI before. If you’ve ever had a health check with your doctor or dietitian, they probably made a note of your BMI. They may even have used it as ‘evidence’ in their case to help you realize that you need to improve your physical health. But, is it a reliable indicator of your body composition and overall wellness? What Is Body Mass Index? Basically, it is a calculation which uses your weight… -
What Are Polyphenols?
25 Apr 2012 | 2:00 amWith so many “natural” branded foods on the shelves these days, it can be somewhat difficult to weed out the decent foods from the junk posing as healthy food. But, I have some good news to that end. Some of the very best foods for you do not need to be branded as “natural,” and the things that make these foods aesthetically pleasing (in this case, giving them their color) also make them good for you. The “things” in question are polyphenols, which are found in all fruits, vegetables, legumes, and seeds (this includes chocolate). What Are Polyphenols? -
Is Chocolate Healthy?
18 Apr 2012 | 2:00 amPlease welcome Nadia Jones to Dietriffic today by leaving her a comment below ~ Melanie Chocolate, while wonderful and delicious, it’s usually the first thing to get the boot when we try to lose weight. It’s notorious for being high in calories and sugar, making it every dieter’s nightmare. Is Chocolate Healthy? You may have heard that chocolate can be a health food. So, is chocolate healthy? Well yes, some chocolate can actually improve your overall health. This is because it is rich in flavonoids. These are antioxidants that promote healthy skin, and reduce the risk of…
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Evolving Wellness
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Book Review: Read It With A Grain of Salt – The Truth About Canadian Food Labels
13 May 2012 | 10:01 pmAn excellent resource that should be a must read for all Canadians who rely on prepackaged processed food to understand industry secrets and rules about food claims and labels.... -
Green Medicine: A Holistic Approach to Health and Healing
10 May 2012 | 10:00 pmWhen you think of health and healing, what comes to mind? For many people today, it is not much more than a visit to the doctor’s office, sterile rooms, prescriptions, surgeries and medication. We have grown to become accustomed... -
Book Review: Vegan is Love – Having Heart & Taking Action
7 May 2012 | 10:13 pmCurrently on our planet there is a major awakening in the collective consciousness taking place. And it comes not a moment too soon, as at the same time our planet is undergoing serious changes due to our numerous destructive... -
5 Important Health Benefits of Chia Seeds
3 May 2012 | 10:01 pmThis article is written by a guest author for EvolvingWellness.com Chi-chi-chi-chia! These seeds, which used to grow the green fur on the novelty Chia Pets are actually packed full of nutrition. Like other super seeds such as flax and hemp... -
Health & News Updates for April 2012
29 Apr 2012 | 10:00 pmAs this beautiful spring month comes to an end, we are reminded that the best is yet to come when it comes to enjoying the wonders of nature as it awakens from its winter slumber. The grass is getting...
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Healthy Food & Healthy Living by Dr. Ayala
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Study proves school nutrition standards work
16 May 2012 | 6:08 amDo rules restricting the sale of low nutritious value foods (i.e. junk food) at school affect kids’ intake? A new study compared California high school students’ daily intake -- California has strict school vending rules -- to the intake of students from 14 states without any school nutrition standards. -
Put those fruits and veggies a little closer
9 May 2012 | 6:01 amProximity and convenience affect food choices. Food sellers know that the closest, easiest to grab, and most noticeable food items will sell more, that’s why they place the products that they want you to buy on an eye-level shelf, near the checkout and in an open case. Could proximity and visibility promote good-for-you foods just as well? -
Preschoolers suffering nature and exercise deficits
2 May 2012 | 5:38 amExperts say that free play - especially outdoors - is crucial to kid's health and obesity prevention, but chances to play outside have been on the decline over the past few decades. Busy lives, over anxiety about safety, screen based entertainment and lack of awareness are keeping kids indoors. -
Can we blame our habits for making us fat?
25 Apr 2012 | 4:30 amWe’d like to think we’re free to make choices about our everyday life. But studies show that almost half of the actions people take each day aren’t actually a result of decisions – they’re driven by habit alone. We can do our kids a favor by helping them acquire good habits and avoid unhealthy ones. -
Flat Belly Tip: Eat More Fiber
18 Apr 2012 | 3:10 amNot all body fat is created equal: Belly fat is especially risky to your health. Can we affect where we deposit our fat, and does the kind of food we eat determine body shape? A new study found that for every 10 grams of soluble fiber eaten per day, belly fat was reduced by about 4 percent after 5 years – even when people gained weight. Fiber may be the ultimate flat belly food!
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Natural Remedies Blog - Cathy's Natural Remedies
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20 Second FAST Non-Dairy Milk alternative (and Why you should not eat dairy or cheese!)
16 May 2012 | 9:27 amI just listened to a great video on making a Fast Non-Dairy Alternative in 20 seconds. Markus Rothkranz sent it to me in an email. It is very informative and tells why we should not have any cheese or dairy products and what to eat instead. It was so interesting and informative, that I took notes. Here they are with a link to the video at the end. Read on…….. “Countries consuming the most milk products have the highest rate of degenerative bone disease, like osteoporosis, heart disease, breast cancer, colon cancer, allergies, asthma, lung problems, sinus issues, diabetes and… -
Use selenium to protect against cancer
15 May 2012 | 11:58 pmThis is the second time I have blogged about selenium but this is such an important reason: Protect yourself against cancer! “Selenium disrupts the carcinogenic process early and helps prevent tumors from forming. It inhibits DNA mutations and functions as an antioxidant.” This is great information! Read on….. “In a recent radio interview, Doctor Peter Glidden, N.D. (naturopathic doctor) disclosed that a daily intake of 200 mcg of selenium produces an effective protection against cancer. He wondered aloud why this information is not part of public knowledge in the… -
Eco-friendly fabric softeners and dryer sheets cause allergic reactions and pose serious health hazards
14 May 2012 | 11:49 pmWow! This is scary! Fabric softeners and dryer sheets causing health hazards. “Many fragrances used in dryer sheets are considered toxic to humans, reports The Guide to Less Toxic Products; and may contribute to developing cancer, asthma, kidney, and brain damage.” Spread the word! What I like most about this article is that they give alternatives. Read on…. “Fabric softeners are meant to soften synthetic fabrics and reduce static cling. Most standard fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain noxious scents and chemicals such as quarternary ammonium compounds, which… -
Pineapple’s bromelain enzyme provides amazing health benefits
14 May 2012 | 11:47 pmI love pineapple! However, bromelain is found in the stem of the fruit, not the fruit:(. Therefore, you need to get it through a supplement. “It has been linked to better heart and circulatory health, improvement in asthma and other breathing conditions and improved immunity.” Worth it? I think so!! Read on…… “You’ve probably heard of an enzyme found in pineapple called Bromelain. This enzyme is often used by itself as a supplement to aid in various ailments and boost general health. It is also added to natural digestion aids, anti inflammatory remedies,… -
GMO alert: top 10 genetically modified foods to avoid eating
13 May 2012 | 11:22 pmThis is part two of GMO alert. Here is a list of the top 10: corn, soy, cotton, papaya, rice, tomatoes, rapeseed, dairy products, potatoes and peas. DO NOT EAT! Read on…. “There is a conspiracy of selling out happening in America. Politics and personal interest it would seem determine government policies over and above health and safety issues. When President Obama appointed Michael Taylor in 2009 as senior adviser for the FDA, a fierce protest ensued from consumer groups and environmentalists. Why? Taylor used to be vice president for Monsanto, a multinational interested in…
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Virtual Medical Centre Medical News
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Training to help you stay eHealthy
16 May 2012 | 7:00 amHealth Minister Tanya Plibersek today launched an online “learning centre” which details how the Gillard Government’s new electronic health record system will work for patients and p -
Autumn warning: Cancer-causing skin damage is done when young
16 May 2012 | 7:00 amWith high UV levels continuing in Queensland this autumn, young people are at risk of suffering the worst skin damage they will receive during their lifetime, research from Queensland University of Te -
WHO: Lean on me to stop tobacco industry
16 May 2012 | 7:00 amFull implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) – particularly provisions on countering tobacco industry influence – is necessary to protect people from t -
Organbook: Use Facebook to talk about organ donation
15 May 2012 | 7:00 amParliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing Catherine King joined with Facebook to launch a way for Australians to start a conversation about their wish to become an organ and tissue donor. -
New funding for cancer screening will save lives
15 May 2012 | 7:00 amThousands of Australians will avoid a premature death thanks to $50 million in new funds for bowel cancer screening announced in the lead-up to the federal budget, Cancer Council Australia said today.
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Daily Health Bulletin
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Strong Food Aroma Could Lead To Weight Loss
16 May 2012 | 1:16 amSmells may be far more powerful than we think; especially when it comes to how much food you take in. Some new research appearing in the new journal Flavour suggests that the the strength of food aroma can make a difference in how much of a food people eat. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Don’t we all over-indulge in foods that smell especially good? The team of researchers, led by René A de Wijk, from the Top Institute Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, The Netherlands, was trying to find out if increasing the aroma intensity of a food had any impact on how much someone would eat on a… -
Is Weight Loss One Of The Advantages Of Eating Chocolate?
15 May 2012 | 1:14 amWeight loss as one of the advantages of eating chocolate sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? That is until you understand the science behind it. If you’re trying to lose weight (and who isn’t?) you might not have to ban chocolate from your diet. At least not dark chocolate… A new study appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine and funded by the U.S. government finds that subjects who ate chocolate a lot actually weighed less than people who reported eating it less often. Sounds strange but there’s solid data to back the claim. Using just about 1,000 healthy men… -
Death Rates For Cancer Are Falling
14 May 2012 | 1:12 amIt feels good to share some truly good news for a change. A new CDC report titled Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2008 finds that the overall death rates for cancer fell (1.6% a year) among children and adults in the U.S. The downward trends show how much progress has been made in screening, prevention, early intervention as well as the treatment of cancers. Here are some highlights… - Breast cancer incidence rates remained stable, after the steep declines of the early 2000s. Fewer women of postmenopausal age are using hormone therapy and this has been credited… -
Surprising New Addition To The Superfoods List
13 May 2012 | 1:09 amSounds hard to believe, but it is true. So say University of Scranton researchers who have just added popcorn the superfoods list. Popcorn is naturally full of loads of antioxidants – just as many as some fruits and veggies we could name. The compounds in popcorn are known as polyphenols and are also naturally abundant in foods like blueberries, pomegranates and kale. The most recent research in popcorn’s benefits was presented by Joe Vinson, Ph.D., well known in the field of nutrition at the 2012 national meeting of the American Chemical Society. In a project designed to… -
Many Benefits Of Being Healthy
10 May 2012 | 1:07 amBefore you dismiss this study on the benefits of being healthy as wasted effort… consider this. Researchers spend lots of time studying what makes us sick, not what keeps us healthy, until now. A new study finds that healthy behaviors – eating right and exercising for example – bring down the risk of an early death by as much as 76%. The work appears online in the well-regarded Journal of the American Medical Association. It might be common sense according to study author Quanhe Yang who is an epidemiologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s…
