If vanilla and fresh linen was still feeling too feminine to scent the man cave, fear not, manly men, Yankee Candle has heard your barbaric yawp and is now offering Man Candles. Offered in macho scents such as 2x4, Riding Mower, First Down and Man Town, you need never hang your head again after being dragged into the candle store. They even offer a sports-themed candle holder so you don’t ruin the tabletop. Just in time for Father’s Day. Full story at Yankee Candle via Buzzfeed. You know you want a Man Candle. Permalink | Leave a comment »
Selected by lisakling
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Most Topular Stories
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The scent of man, now available at Yankee Candle
Holy Kaw!16 May 2012 | 1:31 pm -
Roundtable: Decoding Taste Through Social Graphs
SocialTimes16 May 2012 | 9:18 amNEW YORK – Whether users are shopping, browsing, or talking about their interests online, the success of the social graph depends on how well companies can interpret the results and use them to predict behavior, said experts at the APPNATION NYC Mobile + TV 3.0 Summit in SoHo this afternoon. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
Have You Promoted Your Company Today?
Liz Strauss at Successful Blog16 May 2012 | 11:54 amThe old adage that you have to spend money to make money is very true, yet we all know businesses that do not adhere to this belief. So, stop what you are doing for a minute at work and ask yourself a very simple question, is my company doing all it can to promote itself? If the answer is no, now is the time to speak up. One of the first things you may hear from upper management is that we’re promoting the company within our budgetary means, aka we are spending as little money as possible to get our brand out there. While it is understandable in a troubling economy that small businesses… -
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… -
Is it possible to remove hatred from politics?
JasonKeath.com10 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…
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Holy Kaw!
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The scent of man, now available at Yankee Candle
16 May 2012 | 1:31 pmIf vanilla and fresh linen was still feeling too feminine to scent the man cave, fear not, manly men, Yankee Candle has heard your barbaric yawp and is now offering Man Candles. Offered in macho scents such as 2x4, Riding Mower, First Down and Man Town, you need never hang your head again after being dragged into the candle store. They even offer a sports-themed candle holder so you don’t ruin the tabletop. Just in time for Father’s Day. Full story at Yankee Candle via Buzzfeed. You know you want a Man Candle. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Dirty Disney cartoons? [video]
16 May 2012 | 1:16 pmIt’s hard to imagine Disney cartoons have ever been the subject of censorship, but like many beloved cartoons, there’s a seamier side that’s bound to offend if you get the references. Such was the case with “The Shindig” where Clarabelle Cow’s exposed udders were deemed too risqué for Ohio audiences as was her reading material; Three Weeks was an early example of “women’s mass market erotic fiction.” As the old saying goes, "What happens in the barn, stays in the barn." Full story at Neatorama. The evil underbelly of Disney. -
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 »
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SocialTimes
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Roundtable: Decoding Taste Through Social Graphs
16 May 2012 | 9:18 amNEW YORK – Whether users are shopping, browsing, or talking about their interests online, the success of the social graph depends on how well companies can interpret the results and use them to predict behavior, said experts at the APPNATION NYC Mobile + TV 3.0 Summit in SoHo this afternoon. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
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.
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Liz Strauss at Successful Blog
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Have You Promoted Your Company Today?
16 May 2012 | 11:54 amThe old adage that you have to spend money to make money is very true, yet we all know businesses that do not adhere to this belief. So, stop what you are doing for a minute at work and ask yourself a very simple question, is my company doing all it can to promote itself? If the answer is no, now is the time to speak up. One of the first things you may hear from upper management is that we’re promoting the company within our budgetary means, aka we are spending as little money as possible to get our brand out there. While it is understandable in a troubling economy that small businesses… -
How To Prep Your Customer For A Killer Video Testimonial
16 May 2012 | 5:25 amby Sean Rosensteel Video marketing has become an extremely popular approach for generating interest in services or products offered online. With so many affordable tools in the marketplace, videos can be easily produced and distributed online for less than what other mediums (like TV) would cost. Consequently, utilizing the ever-so-popular video testimonial has become a common approach to connecting with prospective customers. And the proliferation of video cameras installed on most computers manufactured within the last few years has made it easy for people to record their own videos. -
Choose Your Winners Wisely and Invest Unconditionally
15 May 2012 | 5:14 amRelational Reciprocity I don’t play with every new social media tool. In fact, I ignore most of them. I’ve decided my view is that tools are vehicles for problem solving or uniquely rare opportunities for new learning. The former I go looking for when I need them. The latter show up without warning, but are few and far between. Once the decision is made to participate, I’m in with “both feet.” I’m a saturation learner, always have been. It shows in my 14+ years of dance training, my 8 years of theater, my 35 years of education and educational publishing… -
Getting Organized Without Wasting Your Time
14 May 2012 | 10:40 amby Ann Smarty click photo for source A System to Save Time When you run a blog, there are some things you can’t help but spend a ton of time and energy on. Coming up with new posts, fiddling with the template, talking to readers, publishing videos of funny cats you found on YouTube and just had to share…these are the important elements in the life of the average blogger. Certainly, the last thing you want to waste time on is organization. Yet every time most of us set out to organize things, we tend to spend all day on the process. Getting sorted turns out to be more of a hassle… -
3 Things I Learned, Lost, and Earned by Being Off Social Media for 10 Days
14 May 2012 | 5:23 amPeople or Screens Every morning for almost a year, I’ve been publishing photos of the sunrise over Lake Michigan. Sometimes when the afternoon is worth a photo graph I also publish a photo of the sunset too. On Twitter I greet my friends with a “Good morning, Twitterville” and a kind word. I try to check in with them via Facebook and Linkedin too. Many of my online social interactions help me keep my day moving … as I transition from one task to another, it helps me to stop by Twitter to give my friends a shout out or to take time for a short read and a retweet. Being…
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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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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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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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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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Business Blogging - How to Build A Better Blog
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Meditation as a Blogging Practice
14 May 2012 | 6:45 amThis is a guest post by Linda Dessau of ContentMasteryGuide.com. This recent Twitter interchange with small business marketing consultant and former meditation instructor Jeff Korhan got me thinking about meditation as a blogging practice. I find it most helpful to brainstorm, draft and write my blog posts in the morning. This rejuvenates my creativity for the day ahead, fulfills my most important marketing strategy and fills me with a sense of accomplishment that energizes my productivity for other tasks. Sometimes, this creative work begins as a form of written meditation, long before I… -
Is Digital Publishing Part of Your Content Marketing Plan?
27 Apr 2012 | 2:17 pmIf you missed it on DeniseWakeman.com, my colleague Ellen Britt and I have a survey running about how professionals and small business owners like you, are incorporating digital publishing into their content marekting. We would love to get your input, and then, if you choose, we will send you a copy for the indepth industry report we create from the information we glean. At the moment of writing this post, 770 people have added their two cents. Our goal is to have a minimum of 1000 responses. Whether or not you're actively involved in digital publishing, or plan to, your level experience is… -
Why Your Business Blog Needs to Be More Than a Diary
13 Apr 2012 | 6:38 amThis is a guest post by Linda Dessau of ContentMasteryGuide.com. As your business grows (and grows up), it can be inspiring to look back at a chronicle of what you've accomplished and how far you've come. Having that record is one of the benefits of blogging, and a reason to continue dating your posts. But when business blogs are completely filled with announcements and personal musings from the business owner, that's a missed opportunity to connect with your prospective clients. Sure, your family, clients and other supporters will always be thrilled to hear of your latest successes,… -
Business Blogging vs. Facebook [Infographic]
11 Apr 2012 | 2:50 pmJust ran across this infographic and I have to say, I'm in total agreement and have been preaching this for several years. This doesn't mean I don't think you shouldn't be using Facebook as a marketing tool, but think about where you're putting your effort and what you get out of it... Embedded with permission from Patricia Redsicker. Which side do you come down on...Facebook or Business Blogging...which is better for YOUR business? -
Facebook Marketing - Two Resource Articles for Your Online Marketing
12 Mar 2012 | 11:57 amRecently I posted a couple of articles on DeniseWakeman.com about Facebook marketing. While they are not specifically about business blogging, if you are using the Web to market your business, then no doubt Facebook is one of your online tools. In case you missed the articles, I want to make sure you get access to these resources.First, if you are intimidated or confused about how to create videos, there's a cool, easy and FREE tool you can use to create videos from the pictures in your Facebook albums. In the post I share five ways you can use this for your business.CLICK => Easy Video…
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The Get Smart Blog
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Facebook Offers a Sweet Deal Sucker Punch
9 May 2012 | 7:36 pmFacebook recently launched their newest deal portal, Facebook Offer, and as usual they are letting Facebook users and businesses frustratingly work out the kinks for them. Please don’t get me wrong, I think it is great that Facebook is allowing businesses to share “Offers” on Facebook and it is smart for Facebook to try and get some of that LivingSocal/Groupon pie, but as usual they have given no warning to the users and no direction to the businesses. The results – pure pandemonium. In a recent post from The Next Web about a little Irish hotel, Roe Park Resort,… -
Merge, Rename, and Clean Up Facebook Pages
6 Mar 2012 | 8:18 pmFacebook Timeline for Facebook Business Pages is fast approaching, in this shift we will see lots of changes: Large cover image (850 x 315px) with no sales or promotional material Small thumbnail profile image No more sidebar No more landing tabs – instead we will have the option to showcase two tabs with icons (111 x 74px) under the cover image Larger custom tabs at 810px wide Fans can message admins and admins can message back (you cannot message a fan if they did not message first) Pin a post to the top of the page Feature a post – star it and make it larger so it stands… -
Holiday Tech Stocking Stuffers
19 Dec 2011 | 10:48 amFor the gadget lovers on your shopping list, here are some of the newest tech products… just in time for the holidays! The Grid It Organizer stores all of your cords, chargers, thumb drives, and storage devices. Easy to pack & unpack, and helps to keep track of everything you bring with you on trips. Fits easily into your suitcase on your way out the door! The Beverage Warmer ensures that your coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or cappuccino stays hot for you to enjoy at your own pace. This device works like a heated coaster & doesn’t require any special glass or mug. Perfect for… -
#OCCUPYSOCIALMEDIA Anywhere, Anytime!
30 Oct 2011 | 10:48 pmThe Occupy movement has taken both social media and activism to a new level. Social media can be utilized differently by various users, but always has the potential to be a tool of great power. An occupation traditionally involves activists coming together to occupy a specific, symbolic site. However, in our current technological state, anyone can be an activist anywhere at anytime. There’s a social media network applicable to everyone today. There are major networks such as Facebook and Twitter, but there are also numerous specialized networks for music lovers, bakers, photographers,… -
4 Basic Steps to Starting a Global Revolution
20 Oct 2011 | 5:56 pmProtesting and activism have been apparent throughout the world for centuries, but we are now entering an era of new possibilities with the advancement of technology and social media. Causing a global uprising isn’t easy by any means, but with the proper tools and vision, anything is possible. While only four steps may appear insane for an entire global movement, it’s the idea and structure behind each step that will ultimately lead to change. 1. Establish a Cause Establishing a cause for a global revolution is the first and most important action. To spread and grow across the world, you…
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Improve My Business
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and now… the REST of the story
15 May 2012 | 3:17 pmIf you’re old enough to remember the Paul Harvey radio show, the title of this post may be familiar… I wanted to update you on the many ‘dangling chads’ from my previous blog posts, and give you the good, the bad, and the ugly (another old reference) - seems to be my day for them (and [...] -
Process Variation - does conformity stifle creativity?
1 May 2012 | 8:05 amAs a process improvement professional, I work with companies to standardize and streamline their processes. We usually consider having everyone doing the same thing, the same way, to be a good thing. But as this Muppet video shows, the ‘cost’ of that may be stifling the creative soloist in the group, in the interest of [...] -
Thoughts from the UK, part 3 - should I complain, and be thought of as the “ugly American”?
24 Apr 2012 | 6:21 amFor our trip to Scotland, we stayed in a variety of hotels while there - some in a big city, some near a university, one night at the airport, etc. The night before the interview at the university, we stayed about 30 minutes away (the closest we could find since it was a weekend and [...] -
Thoughts from the UK part 2 - quickly adapting to change
18 Apr 2012 | 11:16 amWhile traveling in Scotland, we rented a manual car. It’s not our first time in the UK, so I’m somewhat familiar with driving on the ‘other’ side of the road, and we drive a standard / manual at home, but still… I have to be able to quickly adapt in a different situation. Shifting [...] -
Thoughts from the UK Part 1 - ease for the company, or the customer?
12 Apr 2012 | 7:51 amWhile traveling in Scotland recently, I had the opportunity to observe how different cultures and norms of English-speaking companies affect the way they do business. I was fascinated to observe that, although we were all speaking “english” that we still had some troubles communicating (other than the obvious your-word-means-something-different-than-my-word mixups, which I won’t bother to [...]
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Angela Booth's Fab Freelance Writing Blog
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How to Kickstart your Book TODAY (Video)
15 May 2012 | 3:17 pmIn this week’s issue of our ezine our video helps you to create a never-ending flow of books and ebooks. You can create these for yourself, or you can create them for others. I’ve been ghostwriting novels and novellas for … Continue reading → -
Ebooks: Writing 50 Shades of Grey Knockoffs
15 May 2012 | 2:59 pmWriters have been asking about the bestselling 50 Shades of Grey trilogy, and whether erotica sells. Short answer: yes, erotica sells. And yes, if you feel that you’ll enjoy writing erotica, go for it. On the other hand, if you … Continue reading → -
Write a Book AND Sell More Copies
14 May 2012 | 2:00 pmYou’re a writer. Write a book — books sell forever. You can get paid for your writing over and over again. Want to increase your ebook sales? This week’s special offering will help: (Watch the video.) Essentially, here’s all you … Continue reading → -
Web Writing: Easy HTML With Markdown
11 May 2012 | 8:42 pmOne of the most common questions I’m asked is whether you need to learn HTML to become a Web writer. The short answer is no, you don’t. Most web writing is done in plain text. Plain text is very useful, … Continue reading → -
Blogging For Your Pocket and Soul (Ezine Video)
8 May 2012 | 10:11 pmKenna McKinnon kindly commented on the new video format. What do YOU think? We’re all flooded with information, and are trying to do too many things at once. Many of you keep Fab Freelance Writing Ezine’s weekly PDFs, which is … Continue reading →
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Men with Pens
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How to Get Your Blog Back On Track
14 May 2012 | 7:05 amLet’s talk about your blog. I know. It’s a painful topic for many of you. You don’t know what to write, you don’t feel confident about what you DO write, and frankly, you’d rather not be blogging at all. It’s nerve-wracking, stressful and not as much fun as you thought it would be when you started it. You’re behind on your blogging schedule… and it’s been a while since you’ve written a post. It’s been even longer since you’ve actually ENJOYED writing a post. It doesn’t have to be that way. Writing a blog post… -
Your Sneak Peek Behind the Writing Course Doors
8 May 2012 | 10:00 pmDamn Fine Words is the writing course that changes businesses – and even lives. Students who’ve taken the course rave about how it’s opened up a whole new world of opportunities for them and how their perspective on writing for their business has brought them all sorts of fantastic results. Now, that all sounds nice, but if you’ve never taken the course, you might be curious: what’s inside? What will you learn? What’s waiting for you? Here’s your sneak peek inside Damn Fine Words. You’ll learn the power of writing using just three sentences. There’s a secret content-creation… -
Announcing the DFW Writing Contest Winners
7 May 2012 | 12:42 pmIt’s time to announce the winners of the Damn Fine Words writing course contest… and boy, was it EVER tough to choose just two names from the 20+ submissions we received. Entrants fought hard to get into the Damn Fine Words writing course. Some posts were straightforward. Some were thoughtful. Some touched our hearts. It wasn’t an easy choice, and we wished we could offer everyone a place in the course. After great deliberation, several shortlists, and many discussions, the judges and I narrowed it down to two lucky winners. Congratulations to: Scott Lesovic of Magic Bash Mary… -
Damn Fine Words Writing Course Open for Registration
6 May 2012 | 10:00 pmEvery single business owner, no matter what their industry, needs to be able to write well to be successful. And if your business has a website, a blog, or operates online, then writing skills are crucial. If you’re completely confident that your writing has never, ever lost you a client, then you don’t need to worry. But if you know you’re not sure what to write in emails to clients, if you’ve ever thought your website copy might not be very great, if you’ve ever noticed your blog doesn’t get many comments or that your newsletters never really get opened much… You’re missing… -
How to Get the Most Out of an Online Course or Info-Product
3 May 2012 | 10:00 pmDid you know that roughly 20% of people might pay for a course and NEVER sign in? That’s what happened to Jon Morrow with his Guest Blogging course. Roughly 2 out of 10 students paid $500 for his course and then flushed the money down the toilet by never showing up to it. If you’re going to spend that kind of money, you should do everything you can to get the most value possible. So to help you dramatically increase the value you get from an online course, here are several best practice suggestions: 1. Go Through ALL the Course Content It never ceases to amaze me at how many people…
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Writing On The Web by Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad
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5 Pinterest Pinning Tips: Don’t Be a Pinhead
11 May 2012 | 4:01 amDon’t Be a Pinterest Pinhead 5 etiquette tips for pinning on the world’s favorite social pinboard It’s true that Pinterest is fun—designed to be a simple, beautiful way to pin all your favorite ideas, products and places on the Web—but it’s also true that it’s powerful. With a registered user base that includes over 10 million and grows every day, Pinterest represents great potential for influence. That’s why, to avoid serious copyright infringement or even just the simply bad manners that are possible on this popular social pinboard, it’s vitally important to practice good… -
Pinterest: 3 Reasons To Take Note
25 Apr 2012 | 5:09 amEven if you’ve never been on Pinterest, you’ve probably heard of it—this hot social network is drawing attention everywhere, from newspapers and magazines to television and political campaigns. Since beginning just a few years ago, it has become the fastest website in history to hit 10 million visitors a month—buoyed to success by loyal fans who spend hours on the network each day. So what’s all the fuss about? What is this latest social craze? Why does it matter? 1. Pinterest Is Visual Bookmarking. To put it in a nutshell, Pinterest is a super simple way to visually bookmark what… -
Content Marketing: Stories are Key
11 Apr 2012 | 4:42 amIf you want your content marketing messages to be remembered, you must engage the emotional memories of your readers. Memory formation happens in two ways: 1. You say or do something that makes an emotional connection. 2. Something happens that closely resembles a previously established emotional connection. What results is a neural network of associations that get triggered by a hot-button stimulus. Everything we retain in memory is because it’s gained an emotional place in our brain. At some point, something was important enough because it was emotional. That’s what… -
5 Uses for Your Business Blog
28 Mar 2012 | 4:43 amMaintaining a business blog is time-consuming. However, if you have clear objectives in mind, the effort very well could be worth your while. As you establish your blog, define your goals to determine whether to keep it alive. Below are five common uses for feeding regular content into a business blog. (photo courtesy digitalart) 1. Raw Sales For retailers and service providers, the most obvious reason to host a business blog is to peddle products or services. You want to show what you have to offer, and a blog is a great way to advertise deals to engaged customers who are clearly in the… -
Online Persuasion: Seeing Through the Eyes of Customers
21 Mar 2012 | 6:37 amThere’s an important shift in content marketing tactics that affects professionals who want to get found, get known and get clients online. And that shift means a different mindset. Not too long ago I came across a great blog post. There was a picture of a pair of glasses lying on a bench with this caption: Don’t you wish you could see through your customers’ glasses? What if you could live in their shoes for a day? Or, track their brains as they go online to your website? What makes them click? What makes them take action? Here’s where you should start thinking…
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Content Marketing Today
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Write Less, Say More: The Power of Brevity | Lifehacker
11 May 2012 | 8:39 amWhen it comes to great writing, less is more. But even if you’re familiar with the mantra to “omit needless words,” tightening your writing is harder that it looks. Which words should you omit? How can you write more clearly? Danny Rubin, a national news consultant and former television news reporter, demonstrates—with examples—the power of brevity. There is a common misconception when it comes to writing that is professional in nature that a person must write in a verbose manner to come across as intelligent. I am sorry. Let me do that again. People often make a mistake… -
Why Business Executives Fear Social Media Marketing | Social Media Today
11 May 2012 | 7:49 amWritten by Chris Horton. This post was born out of a fascinating and revealing conversation our CEO recently had with a business executive of a prominent Minneapolis-area car dealership who absolutely refused to entertain the idea of social media marketing in general, and Twitter in particular. A marketing director, she was convinced that her fairly expensive ad spend on a local radio station was all their brand needed to reach its target demographic, 18 to 45 year-old men. Incredulous, our fearless leader tried to explain that such a group was one of the sweet-spots for social media/Twitter… -
How to Attract an Audience by Integrating Content, Social, and Search | Copyblogger
11 May 2012 | 7:45 amWritten by Robert Bruce. Google’s been pissing people off lately. Panda, Penguin, Parakeet (okay, I made that last one up), who knows what’s next … Then there are the social networking evangelists whose entire fortunes are deep in Zuckerberg’s asset.And finally, the faithful content producers, who labor slowly and quietly to build their businesses one thousand words at a time.It can all seem a bit much to keep up with. SEO isn’t bad. Social networking sites aren’t evil. Content marketing isn’t impossible. But it can feel like it sometimes.To clear some of this confusion and… -
When Your Products Rock, Don’t Diminish Them with a Mediocre eNewsletter
9 May 2012 | 9:07 amDragon Dictate and Dragon Naturally Speaking Deliver Awesome Results for Users. Their eNewsletter. Not So Much. In perhaps the ultimate irony, I am using Dragon Dictate from Nuance to write this blog post which criticizes their eNewsletters. I use Dragon Dictate to compose 80 to 90% of everything that I write from blog posts to book content. So, it does pain me a bit to brand their eNewsletter as mediocre. Oddly, even though their eNewsletter is a major missed content marketing opportunity, Nuance has a tremendous amount of content available. As an example, they have a wonderful… -
Jennifer Sheahan: Cracking the Facebook Code | Social Media Today
8 May 2012 | 12:24 pmIn every generation, there are game-changing advancements that redefine business. From the automobile and television, to the VCR and Internet, the evolution of technology drives our consumptive habits. Today, there are arguably fewer more engrossing, time-consuming habits than that of the world’s current phenomenon, Facebook.While more than 900 million people worldwide have active accounts, few businesses take full advantage of this enormous marketplace. For most, this is not due to a lack of desire—it stems from a lack of knowledge. When industry stalwarts such as Anthony Robbins and…
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MarketingProfs How-To Articles
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12 Ways to Strengthen Your Call to Action
14 May 2012 | 7:00 amCreating a great call to action that gets results can be tricky, unless you have a few tricks up your sleeve. Here are 12 essential tips for optimizing your calls to action to ensure they compel potential customers to act. Read the full article at MarketingProfs -
Don't Be a Lead Killer: Three Ways to Keep Sales Leads Alive
11 May 2012 | 7:00 amDespite their critical contribution to a business, sales reps can often get in their own way. Here are three of the biggest ways sales reps kill leads--and three solutions that'll help turn prospects into customers. Read the full article at MarketingProfs -
A Zoo Visitor's Guide to Customer Experience and Performance Chain Excellence
10 May 2012 | 7:00 amIf you've ever been to a zoo, you probably used a zoo map during your visit. Those maps provide wonderful visual cues to the customer-experience and performance-chain lessons we can all apply to our businesses. Read the full article at MarketingProfs -
Five Must-Have Elements of an Awesome Mobile Marketing Call to Action
9 May 2012 | 7:00 amLike any marketing campaign, a mobile marketing campaign can be well thought out, meticulously planned, and perfectly functional... but still produce limited user engagement. Why? A subpar call to action. Read the full article at MarketingProfs -
Pinterest Beyond the Basics: A Marketer's Guide to Successful Pinning
8 May 2012 | 7:00 amCompanies are leaping onto the Pinterest bandwagon, and your brand, too, can benefit from what is now one of the world's largest social networks. Learn what type of content marketers should pin--and how. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
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Simone Grant
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I Blame Your Shitty Kids On Your Shitty Parenting
14 May 2012 | 6:52 pmOn my way to work this morning, the radio station did a segment called “The Worst Mother’s Day Ever.” In case that title isn’t descriptive enough for you, they basically ask mothers to call in and describe how horrible their Mother’s Day went (that was yesterday, for all you shitty kids out there). The mother with the worst story won a $700 pair of earrings! Of all the calls that rolled in, one still stands out in my mind. This particular mother lamented how she has three grown sons, none of whom even bothered to call to wish her Happy Mother’s Day. She was most upset by her… -
What You Don’t Know Can Kill You (and your relationships)
9 May 2012 | 9:34 amHey kids, remember me? I’ve been around-ish. Some days I have big bursts of energy and get all excited about re-entering this world. Then I update facebook, reply to a tweet or 2 and before I know it my energy fizzles. Anyway… I kinda have something I want to blog about today. I’ll try to be coherent. No promises. Lately, for the past few months, I spend a huge amount of my energy on trying to be patient. You see, I’m not a patient person. Anyone who knows me, anyone who’s ever read much of this blog probably knows that. I have infinite patience for kids, and… -
My Ex-Hookup T-Shirt Collection
7 May 2012 | 6:00 amToday’s guest post is by Kristen Nicole, dating coach and author of “The Single’s Survival Kit”, at ScrewtheSingleLife.com. She helps pull lonely singles out of their rut, and introduces them to real romance. My Ex-Hookup T-Shirt Collection I just finished taking a morning after shower with this guy I met last night. I’m standing in a towel, staring at the clothes I wore the night before. All of the sudden, my Levi’s, sequined tank, and four-inch stilettos don’t look so appealing. But in the corner, I see a shining beacon of light: his old high school football tee. -
How to Tell If a Guy Really Likes You
1 May 2012 | 6:00 amI was catching up with a female friend of mine last weekend, and she started regaling me with the dramatic details of her dating life. She was frustrated that she kept getting played by guys, so she finally boiled it down to that ultimate gazillion-dollar question: “How do I know if a guy really likes me? I mean, how do I know if he’s really into me?” I thought about it for a second, and I realized that I had the perfect answer. Of course, it was probably not the answer she wanted to hear, but this is what I came up with: “Sleep with him. Then see how he acts toward you afterwards.”… -
The time I may have gone out with a serial killer by Charlotte of My Pixie Blog
27 Apr 2012 | 6:38 amPlease welcome Charlotte of My Pixie Blog as she shares an incredibly creepy story of the scariest man on OkCupid.com. Ladies, beware. I feel guilty for a lot of things most people would probably not think twice about. Maybe I didn’t hold the door as long as I should have and then I curse myself for allowing NYC to rub off on me. In my rush to get to work, I have been known to brush past people who stand and stare a moment longer than I can handle and I spend a large portion of my morning feeling bad about my actions. Sometimes I get an email from someone looking to advertise on my blog…
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ProVirtual Solutions
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So how much website do you need, really?
3 May 2012 | 7:34 amMy Online Biz Insiders Podcast partner Carla Wilson & I just posted our latest episode (#60!), in which we discuss what a website really needs to have in order to work well for a business... especially a new business. During the podcast, I mentioned several things that may be a bit surprising coming from one whose livelihood comes from building websites! Many people who start a new website project—or revamp their old one—typically overestimate what's needed in order to have an effective web presence. So, I've come up with a few quick rules-of-thumb to help new business owners… -
Maximize Your Email & Customer Service Effectiveness with Yesware
1 Apr 2012 | 3:11 pmYou probably make a considerable effort to add new contacts to that list with "pink spoon" offerings, free teleclasses and other bait to get visitors to leave their email address. But what about all those other contacts you have—the people that may not have opted into your website's mailing list, but with whom you already have some relationship: a colleague from a old project, a past client - maybe even an indirect competitor? You want to reach out... but you don't want to "email market" to them, necessarily. Enter Yesware. -
Announcing The ProVirtual Preferred Coaching Club
19 Feb 2012 | 8:59 amI'm very excited to announce the grand opening of my new ProVirtual Preferred Coaching Club! There is a great need for ongoing consulting and advice about technology, internet marketing and online business resources, offered at an accessible monthly rate. The ProVirtual Preferred Coaching Club is designed to be easy and convenient, with four membership options designed to meet your specific needs. Be sure to join me March 7th for my complimentary preview call: "Online Business Myths...Debunked! Stop Wasting Time & Money & Make Your Virtual Business EASY Again!". -
Checking email a just twice per day is now doable with AwayFind
5 Feb 2012 | 12:31 pmNot hovering over your laptop or smartphone all day sounds like fantasyland to any service provider who uses email as their primary communication method. You don't want to be perceived as unresponsive, but in the effort to appear attentive, you can really wreck your daily workflow (costing you time and money) with endless interruptions responding to seemingly "urgent" messages, that in reality just aren't. Enter AwayFind... -
Must Read: 101 Most Useful Websites by Amit Agarwal
22 Jan 2012 | 2:30 pmThere's nothing like finding a great resource to save for later - when you need it. Now there's a resource... for the resources! Amit Agarwal, author of my favorite tech blog, Digital Inspiration, has a quick link list posted of his 101 Most Useful Websites. Each of the sites listed aim to solve a specific problem... no fluff here.
