How Will Social Media Develop in 2011?

The year 2010 was an amazing year for technology, with such innovations as iPADS, touch screens, book readers, alternative energy, mobile websites and commercial spaceflight. Now, we are facing the year of integration, when the technology tries to catch up with the gadgets. Or, should I say, WE can try to catch up . . .

Why not start learning how to harness search engine marketing to social media?

Search Engine Now * free webcast * Thursday December 16 at 1 PM EST

Social Media + SEO= Search 2011: How New Social Media-Based Algorithms Give Lift To SEO


Attend this webcast and learn:
  • How to build scalable link-building campaigns -- what you can automate, what you can't
  • How to dynamically create content by mining search query strings and social media
  • What national advertisers are doing to create scalable localized content
  • Where to deploy technology and algorithms and where to retain manual processes
Register NOW


Better Business Blogging

Better Blogging

Better Business Blogging in 2011 is a new e-book from HubSpot. A recent HubSpot study shows that companies that blog achieve far better marketing results that the ones that don't blog - attracting 55% more website visitors than non-blogging companies.

Download e-book here.

Register for upcoming webinars:

Live Website Optimization | First Tuesday of Every Month at 1pm ET
Join HubSpot experts for a live session of website reviews and optimization tips for getting found online. Submit your site now for live optimization by HubSpot experts Eric, Chris, and Melanie! (3-4 websites will be selected for each webinar)

The Science of Blogging | Thursday, Dec. 9 at 2pm ET

Using exclusive research Dan Zarrella, HubSpot's social media scientist, will teach you how to optimize your blogging efforts for maximum impact. Register now!


Why Yellow Pages Ads Are A Waste of Money
| Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 1pm ET

Join this webinar with Mike Volpe, HubSpot's VP of Marketing, and Andrew Quinn, HubSpot's Sales Training Manager with 16 years of experience in the Yellow Pages industryto learn why Yellow Pages are a waste of your money and where you should invest in instead. Register Now!


Optimize Your Sales & Marketing Funnel | Thursday, Dec 16 at 1pm ET

Join David Skok and Mike Volpe as they define an optimized sales and marketing funnel; and describe how to identify problems and create long-lasting solutions for your organization during this complimentary one-hour online training session. Register Now!



Mobile Makes Shopping Easier


As I walked through Bed, Bath and Beyond and PETSmart tonight (Saturday), I was amazed that there were no crowds, no craziness and no disagreements about prices or out of stock products. When I needed help locating an item, the customer service rep was ready to look up my item on her computer to make sure they were in stock and, if not, she would order one online.

It was a different story on Black Friday, which began in some stores at 3 am on Thanksgiving Morning. People camped out and waited in line for hours. Any store that advertised discounted electronics were hit early and hard.

A Wal-Mart in Austin had a power failure right before the doors were to open at 5 am. As time passed, the line went around the store. No one knew whether to give up their prized place in line or go shopping somewhere else.

A new study from Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide demonstrates that the recession helped alter our mindsets. Now, we come to retail stores fully armed with information. Mobile takes this process to the next step. Check the aisles in a major retailer and you will see people using their phones to check prices, find availability and send photos to their friends.

The Yahoo Mobile Framework Study performed with Nielsen shows that 9 out of 10 mobile users access the mobile Web in a store. And about half of all mobile Web activity in a store is related to shopping. In fact, mobile users are demonstrating behaviors that are already far ahead of the mobile ecosystem. Almost half of all of those using mobile phones in-store have sent phone camera images of a product to someone.
Of course, mobile coupons, shopping hotlinks, mini-malls and the next great innovation will change your stopping experience even more. I like this idea. If we shop online, we use less gas, which means less pollution less money spent on gas. Mostly, using your Smart phone as a tool, with in-store or online shipping, is going to make Holiday shopping a breeze.


"Dona Nobis Pacem"


What started with one blogger and one blog in 2006 has traveled from blog to blog across the globe until it has reached 50 countries. BlogBlast for Peace is an annual blog event and is expanding each year. Join us this year.

As long as there is hope in the world and bloggers who long for peace, BlogBlast for Peace will be held November 4. If you wish to join the peace bloggers, please visit Mimi's site.

Gap Logo: 3 Failures and Power of Internet

Here is just a little of what Logo Design Love writes:
So, where to start with this debacle? Basically this boils down to three clear failures. A failure in sourcing the right consultant, a launch failure, and a failure of belief. While significant, these three failures were only the fuel, and the Internets simply brought the matches. Plenty of them. Branding programs are never perfect, and even the most imperfect births can still lead to strong, healthy brands.
Three failures and one match
1, wrong consultant
2. launch failure
3. failure of belief
4. F I R E of the Internet

Check out the Logo Design Love blog if you are looking for help with a logo or a brand. Too bad GAP did not . . .

Gap Logo Change Stirs up Controversy


Old Gap Logo

Gap Says New Logo Is Real, Not a Social-Media Experiment - Advertising Age - News

New Gap Logo

People hate the new Gap logo. I do not like it, but I do not HATE it. However, some of the commenters on the post at Advertising Age had some strong feelings against it. One commenter put up a site called CrapLogo.me where you can make your own crap logo. See mine below.
My Crap Logo



I am always amazed at the creativity of people on the Internet. I am going to get some expert advice on the GAP logo. I will be back. In the meantime, sound off with your opinion.



Blog Blast for Peace 11/4/2010

One easy way to put peace out there in the world
is to join hundreds of bloggers from all over the world for one day.

You have a voice.
What will you say?


November 4, 2010

**click the logo above
or link below for details**



Mimi Writes.......: Announcing BlogBlast For Peace 2010!


Peace Globe from 2008

Join us this year. It is fun and pulls a bit of creativity through your pathways.

Back to Blogging

Sorry to have dropped out of sight. We went on a l o n g road trip. I actually survived without Internet for 3 weeks. That is a first for me since I started blogging. Well, I am catching up on comments and emails, so I will be back soon with so new information.



Boost Mobile's Reboost is Quick and Easy

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.

My last experience with a mobile phone contract was an outright disaster.  I thought that 1000 minutes for my husband, my son and me would be plenty of talk time for all of use. Silly me.  First, I had to add my son, $10 per month, which amended and extended the contract.  Next, I noticed we were out of money within ten days of the first of the month.  This was because I was paying 15 cents per message for each text my son sent or received.  So, I had to add a text package, which--you guessed it--extended my contract. 

Finally, my son turned 18.  This is a change of life event, so we canceled him off our contract so that he could purchase a cell phone and calling plan and pay his own way in the wacky world of mobile phones. However, you carrier did not see it our way.  We had to buy out his part of the contract or they would extend it again.  I never added up what that year of service actually cost me, it would have been too depressing.


Are you tired of making cell phone service providers rich?  Well, I have paid my last surcharge, endured my last dropped call and have had my contract extended for the last time!  In fact, I do not even want a contract!

I found out that Boost Mobile offers full service without roaming or payment fees. The best news is that Boost Mobile does not require a contract for services.  So you can pay-as-you-go.  If you are not sure how many minutes of calling, texting and messaging you will use each month, try the $2 per day unlimited service!

For $50 per month, you may have the monthly unlimited plan, which includes unlimited talk, text, email, messaging and 411 service.  For $60 per month, you get the Blackberry monthly unlimited plan, which includes unlimited talk, text, email, multimedia messaging and 411 services.

The easiest way to pay for your service is to pay-as-you-go or redeem a pin from a Re-Boost card or receipt.  However, you may pay online, through your phone or set up automatic payments with a credit card.  It is easy to view and to take care of your bill online.

The hardest decision you will make is selecting a phone. The BlackBerry is GPS Enabled, bluetooth capable and includes an 1 Gb memory card and a 2MP camera with flash, 5x zoom and video!  Not to mention a media player and a QWERTY keyboard and trackball.

If you want a cell phone that is simpler less expensive, look at the Motorola i776W with nationwide walkie-talkie, digital camera, multimedia and text messaging, hands-free talk, bluetooth capable,  GPS enabled and room for 600 of your closest friends in the contact list.

If you decide to go with Boost Mobile Re-Boost, leave me a message and tell me which phone you picked.



Visit my sponsor: Reboost

Andy Beard's Take on Twitter


I have never met Andy Beard, yet I trust his opinion on all things having to do with Internet marketing, social media and general business. He is one of the most prolific writers I have met, but each post is packed with information you will not find anywhere else on the Internet. This latest post caught my attention because I use Twitter sometimes I wonder why.



Twitter Lists (part 1) – Twitter Wants Your Brand
. . . if you don’t have a Twitter account for your brand that is actively used (it is fairly safe to squat), it is highly likely that you will never have Twitter appear with realtime results for brand searches in the main SERP unless you are a trending topic.

Andy Beard provides information on optimizing for Twitter, yet he emphasizes that the Twitter appears to prefer name and brand in its ranking algorithm.

Take a moment and peruse http://andybeard.eu.  It is well worth a look.  I have put Andy's picture up so that if you see him at a conference, you may want to introduce yourself and attend any session with which he is associated.

Digg and Technorati : Who is driving this bus?

Color me surprised. I tried to bookmark on Technorati using [add this] and was told they would hold my bookmark, but I could not really do anything at this time. The entire premise of the original program is gone. Technorati was one of the first blog post aggregators and ranking and social media site.

Next, I was flabbergasted when I tried to digg an article. This message displayed under settings said: PLEASE NOTE: We're migrating all your settings over to the new Digg. Unfortunately, your settings will be temporarily limited.

I have no idea what Technorati has planned nor what Digg has been doing since September 2009. I have a feeling that we are in store for some content writers. Or maybe baby blogs; they are very small but big on key words.

What makes me made is that I joined these programs years ago. My profile has ways to contact me. As a last option, you can visit any of my blogs or websites and contact me through Kontactor. Evidently, I do not have enough authority to be informed that everything is changing at the programs

I blog because of who I am. It brings me pleasure, I did not start out to be the latest marketing guru, Holly/Bollywood gossip, dirt slinging racist or Godless heathen. I do not capture demographic information or try to fill matrices with downlines. MLM equals pyramid scheme in my book.

I am a simple blogger who needs validation and readers. Common courtesy from programs to which I belong would be cool, too.


Got an App for Violating Your Privacy?!

Before you download another "app for that," you may want to delve into how your number and other personal information is shared by these apps. The ease of use of these sophisticated communication devices, such as iPhone, Android and Blackberry, as well as the plethora of applications available, may be blinding users to privacy issues.


MediaPost Publications Mobile Apps Leak Consumer Data 08/02/2010-read complete article
Up to four million consumers of Android phones have downloaded wallpaper apps that take personal data from the phone and transmit it to a Chinese-owned server. A pair of developers created more than 80 wallpaper apps, including "callmejack" and "IceskYsl@1sters!" that have accessed personal data. One application sent data to a Web site in Shenzhen, China.

Lookout, a mobile security data company, found that dozens of Android applications (millions of downloads) often transmit confidential information without the user being aware of it. Information such as cell phone number, voice mail phone number, PIN and serial number of SIM card.

Lookout also scanned nearly 300,000 free applications for the Apple iPhone and other phones built around Google's Android software. Many of these applications also transmit personal data as well. Mobile apps on other platforms, including BlackBerry and Symbian, can also potentially gather sensitive data.


PETA Ad Banned in Canada

Pamela Anderson PETA Advertisement Banned in Canada

Well, I am sorry that the ad won't get the face time it should. The idea is a good one, so I hope the Canadians will reconsider.



Got Skype? Get FV Touchcam N1!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of faceVsion Technology USA. All opinions are 100% mine.


I have not used Skype recently. One of my sons needed the webcam for a school project and that was the last I ever saw it! I did not miss it, because I did not use it much.

Recently our lives changed. My stepdaughter in California gave birth to our first grandchild, a beautiful baby girl! We were hoping to take a road trip to California, but weather and family commitments are keeping us Texas-bound.

Now, I have to get Skype set up again. The pictures coming through the email are just not detailed enough. I want instant replay. I want to hear her baby babbles. I want to hear her first words. I must have a webcam.

During my research, I discovered that many webcams sold as HD do not stream true HD quality. I found the faceVision on line store and found that for a little over $100, I can purchase a FV touchcam N1 (pictured below).

Socialspark_productimage

FV touchcam N1 is the first webcam that streams true HD webcam for Skype video calls over the Internet.. The H.264 hardware encoder that is part of the Touchcam N1, allows a quality video stream without slowing your PC down.

For a few dollars more, you may buy the FV ExpressCombo, which contains the first express card that will empower any PC to produce two-way 720p 30fps video communication. Oh, decisions, decisions!

The touchcam N1 has a 78 degree field of view auto focus lens. This is great for video calls with family members. The dual microphones deliver great sound quality yet have the sensitivity pick up little baby sounds.

Touchcam is available through shopfaceVsion.com and selected partners. See you on Skype!

Visit my sponsor: faceVsion TouchCam N1 HD Video Streaming Webcam

Bruce Willis Signature Scent Released


When I think of Bruce Willis I think of him covered in blood and gun oil, hollering, "Holly, Holly." I do not think of fragrance when I think of Mr. Willis.

Let me think, eau de Bruce might smell like a gym locker room, boxing club or car repair shop. Not to say anything bad about these places. However, the only place I can think of that would smell worse is a 14-year old's bedroom.

Oh, Bruce! What will it be next? Hair transplant club? Minerals for men? Exercise machine? Body moisturizer with oil?

We are losing our heroes. If Clint Eastwood starts hawking adult diapers, I will just give up.


Happy 4th of July, America

Have a Happy 4th

Webinar: Science of Facebook Marketing

Date: Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Time: 1:00pm EDT
Duration: 1 Hour (includes Q&A)
Speaker: Dan Zarrella, Social Media Marketing Scientist



Summary:
Facebook has a larger population than the USA, with diverse population and demographic segments. Understanding of how different groups interact on Facebook can help marketers overcome the diversity challenge.

Free, but you must Register Now


Design, Color and Blogspot?

Blogger has updated its templates and organized some functions that made it a whole different experience. I did all my blogs and then played around some. Then I decided to do this little tutorial. If you have a problem, leave a clean comment and I will try to help.

Everything you need is under the Design Tab and the interface is yummy. This could be addicting. Meanwhile, I you see I made a blaring error (moi?), please leave me a comment. Of course you could also stop by and EWWWWW and AHHHHHHHH!

Double Click the Graphic to See Larger Image

Across the middle of the designer window are thumbnails of the five template masters available. If you click on one thumbnail, you view the template and its customization options. Click one if you like it.

You have four choices on the left:
  • Templates
  • Background
  • Layout
  • Advanced
Templates available:
  • Simple has six customization options
  • Picture Windows has three customization options
  • Awesome has six customization options
  • Watermark has three customization options
  • Ethereal has three customization options
The customization may be subtle. Look for changes in ink, accent, banner and background colors as you view the options under each template option.

Backgrounds
  • No image
  • Abstract
  • The Arts
  • Business
  • Celebration
  • Entertainment
  • Family
  • Food & Drink
  • Health & Beauty
  • Hobbies & Crafts
  • Home & Garden
  • Nature
  • Patterns
  • Recreation
  • Science
  • Shopping
  • Technology
  • Textures
  • Transparent
  • Travel
You have at least 12 choices to replace the background in the template you like. Choose from designs, photographs, textures and colors. You may completely change a template by changing color or background. Make use of colors that are in the same family.

My Blogspot Blogs:
EndangeredSpaces.blogspot.com/
CoolAdzine.blogspot.com/
BlogVillageNews.blogspot.com/
Advertising-for-success.blogspot.com/

I will be experimenting on my blogs for awhile. Remember to tell me if you like it or if you don't. I can handle it. :-)


Tags: , , ,

Is There an App for Handling My Apps?

I must admit that I do not have an iPhone, Droid or even a hyped-up Blackberry. I am one of those people who must see the value in an item before I spend my money on anything. I guess it is part getting old and part economy.

One thing I have noticed is that there are thousands of applications (apps) for each new generation released. Are they still called cell phones or PDAs? Maybe you have to address them as DROID and iPhone. Maybe you have to add Mr. or Ms. to that? "Master Droid, my I access my address book now? Would you help me find it, please?" "Mistress iPhone, how do I call Europe? Oh, sure it can wait until the next update of the time application."

Now, a device with emergency beacon, GPS, camera (video) and telephone I can use. I just cannot imagine using all the apps that are available for these communication devices. I do not want to download every song I already have on vinyl, tape or CD. I do not want to read the menu of a restaurant before I go there. If I need a yellow-brick road to follow to get somewhere in my town, just take me home. And, have you ever tried to read a topographic map on a tiny screen?

What has happened to the sense of exploration and discovery that once defined being American? I love stopping at stores, cafes and chambers of commerce to find information. Usually, I hear what I needed just by talking to the folks hanging around the place. You meet the nicest people and find out about the town's "secret swimming hole" and "where to eat real BBQ."

Technology has left me behind. Unless I can hire someone to command, program and update my DROID or iPhone, this era will leave me behind. It has been fun, but the more technology advances, the greater the technology waste stream grows.

If these electronic divas are so smart, why couldn't they find the way to plug the leak in the Gulf of Mexico? Or predict Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis? It is just my opinion, but I think we need to put more computing power into repairing the world we live in, not making it more complicated.

If you need me, I will be in the public library or at the local record shop. Or look for where the buffaloes went . . .

Creating a Strategic Content Ecosystem

Where Social Meets Email:
Build an Integrated Content Ladder in 5 Steps
* FREE WEBINAR *


Sponsor: Exact Target
Speaker: Jay Baer, Convince & Convert
Date/Time: Tuesday, June 1, 2010 - 1 PM EDT

Do not exhaust yourself trying to keep up with
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, email, blog, and other social media sites. Instead, learn how to . . .
. . . create a strategic content ecosystem that allows you to efficiently repurpose and cascade your best content, while maintaining sound SEO principles throughout.
Free to all. You must register. Click here.

Nielsen Webinar: Value of a Social Media Impression

Advertising Effectiveness:
Understanding the Value of a Social Media Impression


Date:
Thursday, May 27

Time: 2:00 p.m., ET / 1:00 p.m., Central / 11:00 a.m., PT

Presenters:
Jon Gibs, VP Online & Integrated Analysis, Nielsen
Sean Bruich, Measurement Research, Facebook
  • Does advertising on social networking sites deliver the reach and lift across all the metrics important to brand advertisers?

  • How can marketers use a combination of paid and earned media to increase advertising effectiveness by three- to four-fold?

  • What is the value of a Facebook fan and how can a fan base drive social advocacy within paid media?
** The webinar is Free, but you must Register. Click here to register now. **


Find a Career--Not Just Another Job

Are you looking for a new career? Most facets of healthcare are going to boom as the entire Baby Boomer generation ages. If you can afford the time and tuition, you may want to become a nurse. If you want to work in a nursing home, you may take a course and become a Certified Nursing Assistant. If you want to work in a doctor's office, you may want to look into becoming a medical assistant.

According to the United States Department of Labor,
Medical Assistant employment is projected to grow much faster than average, ranking medical assisting among the fastest growing occupations over the next decade. Job opportunities should be excellent, particularly for those with formal medical assistant training. (Occupational Outlook).
St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants is fully accredited and certified by The National Accreditation and Certification Board, a private non-governmental professional health accreditation organization.

Class work includes Medical Terminology, Basic Human Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Records, Basic Medical Law, Medical Billing and Insurance Claims, Infection Control, Emergency Care, Patient History and Physicals, EKG and Lab Testing, Clinical Labs include Phlebotomy, Injections, Basic Ultrasound and Introduction to Basic Ultrasound

The textbook, workbook and CD program for medical assistant is called Outline Review for the Medical Assistant (2nd ed., Hemby, MP). The text is available online at Amazon.com for about $50.

BuyBlogReviews.com

Search Boost and Xmarks Beta

MediaPost Publications Web Browser Add On Aims To Improve Paid-Search Click-Throughs By 15%
. . . SearchBoost, aims to give search ads a boost of credibility by showing the ratings and rankings from others who have downloaded the Web browser add-on, too. Xmarks [add-on] counts more than four million active add-ons in use by people who have downloaded the Xmarks browser add-on. Those users do about 450 million searches monthly.
A 30-day test with 200,000 searchers measured the clickthrough rates on ads and found that click-through rates increased by 15 percent for advertisements that showed SearchBoost data. Tests with REI, 1800Flowers, RitzCamera.com and theFind.com afforded similar results.

Check it out here: Xmarks Beta



Teachers As Agents of Change

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am considering returning to school for a teaching degree. The University of Southern California is offering a Master of Arts in Teaching. USC's Rossier School of Education (MAT@USC) has a degree plan that combines innovative technology, field-based experiences and an interactive online environment for new and veteran educators. The Roy Romer Teaching Fellowship is open to teachers who want to attend MAT@USC. Federal loan forgiveness programs are also available to prospective teachers.

The Rossier School of Education ranks #22 in the United States and #9 among all private universities (US News and World Report). The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education recognized Rossier and the MAT@USC for innovative use of technology in education (Emory University News Release – Irvine).

Primary and secondary education is changing and teachers will be the agents of change. If you want to make a difference--the way that teachers do--enroll today. To apply, you must have a bachelors’ degree from an accredited institution. Then, you complete the online application, submit two recommendation letters with an essay . . . If you complete the paperwork by July 26, you could be starting school in September!

For program information about the USC Trojan Family, please read the MAT@USC Blog or look for the technology overview video on site.

Visit my sponsor: Master of Arts in Teaching degree online from USC

Boost Rankings and Generate Links

MarketingSherpa: Special Report Part 2: Social Media and SEO – 7 Tactics to Boost Rankings and Generate Links

SUMMARY: Search engines are starting to index the content users create on social media sites – and marketers are taking advantage.
Includes advice for:
o Optimizing social media profiles
o Conducting keyword research
o Generating inbound links
o Coordinating your search and social teams

This article outlines 7 common-sense suggestions on using social media to spread your keyword-rich content and to build links to boost your natural search rankings. If you like part 2, sign up for part 1 (no cost).



Webcast: PPC Ad Testing Using Ad Sets

Breakthrough in PPC Ad Testing and Optimization:
Using Ad Sets to Improve Even Your Best PPC Ad Campaign


Tuesday, May 4 - 1 PM EDT
Speaker: Matt Van Wagner, CEO, Find Me Faster
Sponsored by Acquisio

For years, A/B ad split testing has been the workhorse of ad testing for PPC campaign managers. It is easy to understand and easy to implement, and can produce steady, predictable gains in your campaigns. However, A/B testing can also lead to over-optimization, a thinning of your ad message diversity and cause decay in your campaign performance.

That's where Ad Set Optimization™ comes in.

The Ad Sets Optimization model side-steps the pitfalls of A/B Ad Testing and can be used to improve the performance of any paid search campaign.

Matt Van Wagner, President of Find Me Faster, and developer of the Ad Sets Optimization model, will explain how a set of ads can outperform the best ad in an ad group, and show how to improve your PPC campaign results using this new technique. He'll discuss:

•How a set of ads can outperform the single best ad in an ad group
•What ad sets are, how and why they work
•How to apply the Van Wagner Ad Sets Optimization model in your PPC campaign

Matt Van Wagner is President and CEO of Find Me Faster, a search marketing agency in Portsmouth New Hampshire. Ad Set Optimization™ is a trademark of Find Me Faster. Matt is a regular contributor to Search Engine Land and a frequent speaker at industry events.

Free, but you must register. > Click here to register!


via Search Marketing Now



Johnny Cash Lives Through You



The Johnny Cash Project is a collaborative portrait of the Man in Black conceived by director Chris Milk and developer Aaron Koblin. Contribute your drawing, painting or graphic of a scene from the video. These will be added to the project as part of an ongoing video for "Ain't No Grave," Cash's final studio recording.

I am not an artist, but I would encourage all to contribute to the Johnny Cash Project. Keep the Man in Black alive.

Man in Black lyrics

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.




New Ad Innovations by Google

Google Ad Innovations is a place for you to explore new marketing technologies, learn via videos and provide feedback to Google.

Some of the innovations include:
  • Remarketing -- a way to show your ads to users who’ve previously visited your website as they browse sites across the Google Content Network
  • AdWords Search Funnels -- a set of reports that help you understand the Google.com search ad click and impression behavior leading up to a conversion
  • Location Extensions with Multiple Addresses -- an ad format that displays a list of nearby store locations when your customers are performing local searches
  • Click-to-Call Extensions -- an ad format that lets mobile phone users call you directly from your ads
  • Analytics Intelligence -- a Google Analytics feature that automatically identifies significant changes in your site traffic

Over One Thousand Posts So Far

This is my 1003rd post on Advertising for Success.  Below is my very first post on this blog, over four years ago.



11 February 2006

How to Market to Marketers? No Phone Calls, No Meetings, No Hype!

0 comments Links to this post
The Marketing and Technology Survey found that over 70 percent of the marketers surveyed absolutely, positively, do not want to listen to sales pitches over the telephone. Over 57 percent do not want to meet in person and 63 percent do not want to attend a group presentation.


Most marketers prefer Internet-based presentations and links to more information on the web or by e-mail.


Freely provide the information you wish to share. RSS feeds, email updates, and downloads and on-demand presentations on your website will gather more goodwill than any telephone call, group meeting or personal presentation.


Tags: , ,



I do not know if I will be around for another 1000 posts or another four years, but I have enjoyed this sojourn through the bloggosphere with you.

Namaste,

CyberCelt

Is Your Computer or Server Vulnerable?

The Laws of Vulnerabilities Research
- Categorized by Industry

Free Webcast 
 
Date: Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Time: 1:00PM Eastern / 10:00AM Pacific

Presenters:
- Wolfgang Kandek, CTO, Qualys
- Jeanne Friedman, Editor-In-Chief, RSA Conference

Register Now

The Law of Vulnerabilities is a unique view of vulnerability data compiled from millions of systems and gathered from over 100 million scans. Within 24 months, critical vulnerabilities were identified on real-world systems and categorized by industry.

This research shows critical vulnerabilities and relationship to threats, time-to-patch trends and other factors that affect remediation efforts. Wolfgang Kandek CTO, Qualys, updates his highly rated presentation from RSA Conference.

Blog Your Blessing : Women

March is Women's Month



You have to imagine it possible before you can see something.  You can have the evidence right in front of you, but if you can't imagine something that has never existed before, it's impossible.


Rita Dove, first African-American poet laureate of the U.S.


.
Visit The Blue Panther Experience, host for Blog Your Blessings Sunday. We are bloggers of all faiths, creeds and races, so everyone is welcome. Join us on any Sunday as we blog our blessings.


Deadline Approaches for Homebuyer Tax Credits

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Coldwell Banker. All opinions are 100% mine.

The federal income tax credit for home buyers has been extended and expanded!  Now, the program includes  home owners who wish to move up or on to another residence after five years of living in their current home, as well as first-time home buyers.

The 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credit program is a program that can put you or someone you know in a new home. In order for the program to work well, people have to learn about the program and the nitty-gritty details of how the plan will work for them.

I have a girlfriend who just recently went into real estate. She was the first person to tell me about the option for homeowners to move if they had lived in their current home five consecutive of the past eight years. She told me that anyone I knew who was looking to move or to buy their first home NOW IS THE TIME.

The tax credits may not be continued, so if you are looking for a home, take a moment to view the video below and review the 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits.



The Program in Brief
  • The tax credit is for first-time home buyers only.  The credit is calculated as 10 percent of the purchase price of the home, up to a maximum of $8,000. A first-time home buyer is a buyer who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase. If you are married and your spouse has owned a home during the past three years, you do not qualify for this credit.

  • $6,500 tax credit is for homeowners who have lived in their current home for five consecutive of the last 8 years. Married couples must have lived together in the home for the entire time to qualify.

  • Home buyers should have a written, binding contract by April 30, 2010 and close on the home by June 30, 2010.  For the purposes of the tax credit, the purchase date is the date when closing occurs and the title to the property transfers to the home owner.

  • Government home financing entities, such as HUD, may issue tax credit loans, which home buyers may use to satisfy the FHA 3.5 percent down payment requirement.  These funds must be used for down payment and closing costs.

  • There are income limits of $125,000 for singles, $225,000 for married couples with a $20,000 phase-out of the credit for both. 


    Visit my sponsor: 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits

    On Saint Patrick's Day, I Wish This for You

    May joy and peace surround you...



    May joy and peace surround you,
    contentment latch your door,
    and happiness be with you now
    and bless you evermore! 

    via Belief Net 

    Free Webinar: The Science of Retweets

    Free Live Webinar 
    Friday, March 19, 2010
    1 PM EDT





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    Tens of thousands of businesses are using Twitter every day in an effort to increase their visibility with prospects and customers.


    There are over 600 tweets created per second; only the best are retweeted. Retweets help businesses and individuals improve their social reach and digital authority.


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    It is That Time Again: SXSW in Austin



    The big news around Austin, Texas is South By Southwest (SXSW). Here is the home page so you may explore your area of interest:  SXSW

    SXSWeek 2010: March 12-21
    • Interactive: March 12-16
    • Film: March 12-20
    • Music: March 17-21
    If you have time to attend and live close to Austin,  sign up and ger your badge.

    More On Search Engine Optimization

    This article on Search Engine Watch by Eric Enge contains common sense information on SEO.

    Don't Over Optimize Your Site - Search Engine Watch (SEW)
    Unnatural behavior of any kind can lead to a site being flagged for over optimization.
    Some types of "unnatural behavior" include:
    • Pages that have identical page titles and H1 headings.
    • Too many non-contextual internal links on your site.
    • . . . not finding text until well below the fold.  
    I would recommend reading this article for a quick refresher on SEO.

    Back to the Basics of SEO

    With Twitter, Facebook, ShareThis, LinkedIn,  mobile marketing, feed marketing and all the variances thereof, I am almost ready to give up on search engine optimization. 

    However, there is hope for the overwhelmed marketer who wishes to stay up to date.  The following post on the Search Insider resonated with me.

    MediaPost Publications Hot SEO Trend for 2010:Getting Back To Basics 03/03/2010 - READ

    Below are excerpts from this article written by Rob Garner, strategy director for iCrossing, a digital marketing company.  He makes a lot of sense.  Stick to the basics, no matter the media.
    Market research - If you don't know who you are trying to convert, or which type of user is most likely to convert, then your marketing efforts are off on a tangent from the get-go.

    Content development - If you've done the right research, then content development is the next step.

    Good tech hygiene, and clean architecture - Beyond knowing your customer and content, having a cleanly accessible and marked-up home for your content is essential to search performance.

    Domain equity, trust, and authority - Having a foundation of trust and authority is also key for achieving long-term positive search performance.

    Blog Your Blessing : Prayer of the Woods

    Prayer of the Woods

    I am the heat of your hearth on the cold winter nights, the friendly shade screening you from the summer sun and my fruits are refreshing draughts quenching your thirst as you journey on. 

    I am the beam that holds your house, the board of your table, the bed on which you lie and the timber that builds your boat.  

    I am the handle of your hoe, the door of your homestead, the wood of your cradle and the shell of your coffin.

    I am the bread of kindness and the flower of beauty.
    Ye who pass by, listen to my prayer:  Harm me not.

    .
    Visit The Blue Panther Experience, host for Blog Your Blessings Sunday. We are bloggers of all faiths, creeds and races, so everyone is welcome. Join us on any Sunday as we blog our blessings.



    Twit-Hoo? Yahoo! Deal With Twitter

    Yahoo will be paying Twitter for user data and will index Twitter updates in their search engine results. Yahoo will also integrate Twitter throughout its properties over the next several months. Users will be able to log into Twitter using their Yahoo ID and view all their social communications in one interface.

    Advertisers will be able to find tweets on a key topic; including who is tweeting when and what other actions the tweeter is taking while the conversation is active. With an ad server integrated in the process a targeted message may be dropped into the Twitter conversation at the appropriate time.  Finally, Twitter will be monetized, for good or bad,

    Marketing: Yahoo Pact Gives Twitter Distribution, Revenue - Advertising Age - Digital
    It's the latest step in Yahoo's latest strategy, which is to integrate the world's most popular social networks into the Yahoo environment rather than try to compete with them. The pact is similar to a deal with Facebook announced in December, allowing users to import their connections and update their status through Yahoo. 

    A Quick Update from CyberCelt

    We finally made it to Florida. We started the day after Christmas and arrived on January 6. We drove through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and down through the panhandle of Florida. At best, I had sporadic Internet access for weeks. You know what? YOU can live without Internet. It is actually relaxing.

    We are now in Crystal River, Florida. We remain here until the first of February and then we work our way back to Texas. This blog will not see much action, but know this: I am living my dream of swimming with the Manatees.

    If you want to keep up with us, check out Texas RV Travel blog for details. I should be posting pictures and information this week.

    May 2010 be your year for fulfilling your dreams.

    Namaste,


    CyberCelt