Did you remember to ask them to like and follow you?
I received an email from one of my favorite companies, nambé. It was clean, simple and direct. The goal: get me to follow and like them in all social media venues. They spelled it out with a photo, an icon a few words and call to action link. Sounds obvious, but it's not. Have you sent out an email like this to your customers or email marketing list? [...]
Just because you have beautiful models, it doesn’t make your product memorable.
While watching Sharknado3 the other night, we were accosted by the Dorito commercial with the flying pig. The boy in the spot is unique looking, to say the least. Our children asked how they find kids like that and shouldn't they want kids that are more "put together" looking. My husband and I both chuckled, since we both come from advertising backgrounds. The answer was NO. There is [...]
Days of Ultron and My Own Iron Man
The excitement in our house is building. We won't make it tonight, but we will see Days of Ultron as a family tomorrow. This is a rarer event lately as we have a teen who usually prefers to see movies like this with her pals. This is different. This is Marvel. Marvel movies, with the heavy weight on Iron Man's shoulders, have come to be a gathering place [...]
Create a press kit for your site – even if you are a solopreneur.
Make sure they use the photo you prefer and bio. Sometimes we are asked to be guests on a show, guest writers, there may be a story about our company, or a member highlight in one of your professional organizations. You don't want people just googling your name and deciding which image to use. Make it EASY for them and have a press kit on your website. Even [...]
Checking for Broken Links
Do you have a new site? How about a site that you have been working on for years with tons of resources, links to articles, images from other sites and more? Chances are you have broken links. This is known as LINK ROT. Once a quarter, we recommend using some tools to track down the broken links. THEN you'll have to learn how to fix them. Creating a [...]
Webfonts Smackdown: Google hosted v. web server hosted
The difference revolves around your hosting server and performance. But we'll show you how you can over-font - not just in look but download time by having too many. We tested load time between having Google host the fonts (http://google.com/webfonts), hosting on your own server and the old-fashioned way - relying on your visitors to render based on the typical fonts they have on their computers: Arial, Comic [...]
Tips to be a great online host or guest
We are talking with first, second and third generation HOA Hosts on the pitfalls and successes of HOA's. Tune in as we dive into some of their best practices for HOA Hosts, Guests and, yes, even the Audience. There are checklists and tips to help you be the best interviewer and host, the best guest panelist as well as a great off-camera guest in the comment area. Some may [...]
Time to get a real head shot – tips for men and women
A headshot starts way before the headshot. There is planning, prep and research to find the right studio to take it for you. What to wear, accessories, pose and more. The tips below assume you are not having to wear a uniform. Also, if you are appearing, speaking, etc. you'll want to provide an image as soon as you accept so that the intern doesn't do a Google [...]
The Power of Podcasting
The WHY, HOW, WHEN and WHAT For's of podcasting! Being able to podcast is turning into one of the best ways to re-purpose your content, so tune in if you want to learn more from the experts! Meet Our Panel This Week!!!+Susan Finch - +Susan Finch Solutions Marketing, PR & Web Pro for DECADES! With a background in public relations and advertising since 1986, Susan is a "gentle guide for clients trying [...]
Now, where did I park that domain?
There are some things that are more frustrating than others. When you have to change where a website is, renew a domain, move the name servers, find out who is the listed REGISTRANT of a domain you may not have the notes or things may have changed before you arrived. Recently, I was helping a professional organization dismantle, as they were closing their doors after 34 years. There [...]
Know what borrowed interest marketing is and DON’T do it!
Driving to dinner I actually saw a sandwich board sign that said, "got acne?" MAKE IT STOP! got milk is a registered trademark with their font. It was a successful, albeit beat-to-death, campaign that worked for DAIRY FARMERS. got acne? got fat? got leads? got sales? got gum? got diarrhea? You get it. Then, they had to resurrect the 1939 campaign by the British government at the start [...]
Don’t caught with your DNS Pants Down!
Over the past year, we've gone through these issues with GoDaddy, BlueHost, Typepad and many others. One goes down, tons of sites go down. But it doesn't have to paralyze you. A little planning can make it easy for you to flip the switch to hold you and your site visitors over. Sometimes bad things happen to good servers and suddenly a chunk of your online presence is [...]