Mason Works Blog

LinkedIn The Right Way by Paul Castian

2009-08-05T16:59:00.001-06:00

I found this great post and Paul says that I can use it so here it is for you! Enjoy
In the spring of 2008 I addressed the Consolidated Graphics national sales force and told them they needed to get Linkedin! I told them it was the best thing since sliced bread and how their personal brand depended on a venue like LI. A month later, I scratched my head, clueless, wondering what all the fuss was about. 2 months later, I thought it sucked, wrote it off and moved on!

After some serious soul searching in November 2008, I had to face the hard, cold reality that I basically showed up to Linkedin, sat on the sidelines and expected the world to beat a path to my computer. I don't think I'm the only one, who went about it all wrong and offer the following 25 tips for you to leverage this powerful venue to enhance your personal brand.

Warning: This is gonna be a lengthy post. I wasn't about to milk 3 blog posts out of this. If you are like me, you want the info and you want it now. So fasten your seat belts!

1) Change your expectation of Social Networking. There is no quick fix, silver bullet, get rich quick. This is a long term strategy to say the least. Kind of sucks, huh? Well I think its safe to say that thanks to this economy many things are now long term strategies so perhaps a little patience is in order! Social Media Jedi Master Chris Brogan says "It's not the kind of project where you show up, build your profiles, friend a few people and call it good. It's a lot like tending the farm" Be sure to check out Chris's blog by visiting http://www.chrisbrogan.com/

2) Put some thought into your profile and make sure it does justice to the wonderful brand we call you! Want to improve your "Googleability"? Then by all means make your profile public by clicking here http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?editwp= By the way, you Google potential clients, don't you? Think they Google you? This will give you at least one good result that comes back. Consider using the privacy settings if you don't want people to know that you viewed their profile. This way you can check out a potential client without them thinking you're a stalker.

Thought: Do you want your connections visible to everyone in your network? Do you have some clients that may get a tad pissed if they find out you are doing work for their competitors? Then click here and change that bad boy https://www.linkedin.com/secure/settings?browse=&goback=%2Eaas

3) Use a cool tagline to help set you apart from the masses. Examples: Craig Wilson is the Chief Appreciation Officer of his Sendout Cards business. Mi Amigo Hank Trisler isn't the President of The Trisler Companies . . . He's the Supreme Commander! Desire McBride is The Print Diva. My favorite is John Hudson who is The Dark Lord of Staffing. Our biggest challenge these days folks is being memorable. These people get it!

4) Join Groups: The biggest mistake many people make is joining groups in their industry exclusively. I think that's great, but you better branch out. I mean how many widgets do you think other widget dudes are gonna buy from ya Gomer? My advice to you is to join some sales groups as well. First, it will help you keep your finger on the pulse right now since sales people are pretty much out there on the front line. Second, you will pick up some good best practices and lastly, sales people can be a point of entry often overlooked in getting in the door. I would also recommend that you join some industry groups for the verticals you want to penetrate. Go where the money is right now. What industries aren't hurting as much?

Did you know?: You can join up to 50 groups. When you share a group with someone you can usually send them a direct email without paying for inmails.

Did you also know? That emails sent through LI have a much higher open rate than traditional emails. Can you leverage that as a sales rep? Damn right you can!

5) Get off the damn sidelines! This is where I screwed up big time. I joined groups but didn't participate. Get the feel of your group. Contribute! Add value. By the way, doesn't this help make you more visible and help with the whole branding thing? If you do it right it does! Start your own discussions in those groups. This is how you stand out! What are some thought provoking. appropriate discussions you could start in your group(s)?

6) Want to look like a Grade A, Ahole? Then spam the discussions with ridiculous infomercials on your company, start discussions that are blatant self promotions or get cute and start a discussion with the old "For the rest of the story, click here" That's how you build a brand as a jackass real quick.

Do you belong to a group that is littered with spam and self promotion? Tell the group moderator and if that doesn't work, then put your efforts in elsewhere. They aren't worth your time!

7) Facilitate your discussions for God's sake! This is by far one of my biggest pet peeves on LI. If you start a discussion and then disappear, you are an idiot! You not only display bad manners in doing the disappearing act, you allow your discussion to go inactive, sooner. Why wouldn't you want your discussion up at the top of the first page of discussions? Isn't that a great visibility position? Check out my rant on this subject here http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/04/play-39-david-copperfield-and-linkedin.html

8) Show appreciation for those who contribute to your discussions 2 ways. First, you should always thank people in the discussion with a simple "Thank you for your input (insert name here)" By the way, do we all enjoy being acknowledged in front of our peers? Do you think acknowledging contributions encourages additional contributions as well as folks following you to other discussions and groups? Worked for me. The other way I show appreciation is by sending a TY in a quick email. It's a great door opener and helps me differentiate from the masses!

9) Avoid ninjas like your online life depended on it. It amazes me how many otherwise intelligent adults will attack someone online in front of thousands. Trust me, when I tell you it will happen to you and if you are like me you will want to stick your virtual foot up their virtual ass. In a word, DON'T! You won't change ignorant people and you will damage your brand in the process. Doesn't mean you have to like it folks!

10) Use a hyperlink in your signature when you contribute to a discussion. If all you do is put the old "www" it would read as a link. Here's how ya do it the right way: Put a handy dandy http:// in front of your domain and viola. Check out how I do it.

Respectfully,
Paul Castain
Vice President Consolidated Graphics
http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/

11) Don't use the automated invites, they are lame and you will sound like every other clueless person. Take a moment to make your invite personal. Think about the power of first impressions and more importantly, the power of being memorable. Reference something you have observed about them in the groups, a point they made, their company, some common ground or simply:

Dear Jake:

I would be honored if you would join my network.

12) How to minimize IDK's: IDK's stand for I Don't Know. If you invite someone and they select I don't know you get a real nifty snotgram from LI. If you continue to get them, LI can remove your ability to invite, because everyone has basically labeled you a dick. The real problem isn't with LI its in the ignorance of the recipient. They simply don't know how to tell you to piss off gracefully. That's why you have to educate them.

Dear Jake:

I would be honored if you would join my network.

Should you choose not to connect, that's fine, simply hit the "archive" button rather than the dreaded "I don't know" button.

13) Start your own group: One bit of advice I always give in conventional networking is to get on a board in a leadership position. The same can be said for LI. I waited until I had enough involvement in the groups and started The Sales Playbook group. Its grown by more than 2300 members in 3 months and it has dramatically enhanced my brand. I'm also happy to say that I have done so by enhancing other people's brands.

Come join our Linkedin Sales Playbook community by clicking here: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=1832739&trk=anet_ug_grppro

14) Post interesting articles in the news section. Use the "share" button to alert other folks in your network when you read an article of value to them. Comment on interesting articles. This contributes value to your group and keeps you visible in the process!

15) Add value to your network: One of the best ways you can do this is to be a matchmaker. Introduce them to people they want and need to meet. With so many displaced workers in these challenging times keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities. Not a bad idea to have a recruiter or three in your network while we are at it. Neil Wood replied to me privately when I asked for advice on some good branding books. He told me he had an extra copy of a really good book and sent it to me. Stacy Stateham has given her time very freely to folks that have needed advice and I too try my best to give value (even to my competitors believe it or not) When you do these types of things ladies and gentlemen, you don't create followers, you create evangelists spreading the good news of your brand!

Branding 101 Moment With Uncle Paul: Do you think it packs more punch when someone else says cool things about you and your company or when you self promote? Sorry to get basic on ya but if you are on LI then you know there are many who didn't get the spam memo!

16) Use LI as part of your meticulous pre call planning. I think its an incredible way for me to get inside my prospect's head by getting a feel for how they think in the groups, perhaps they link to a blog etc. This is a great way for you to get the inside track!

17) Let people get inside your head by using the applications such as amazon bookshelf, slideshare and links to your blog. Tip: People buy from people they trust. One of the first steps towards trust is familiarity. Make sure you give your network every opportunity to experience "Brand YOU"

18) Cross pollinate your efforts by putting a link to your LI profile in your email auto signature.

19) Status updates: This is a great way for you to stay on your network's radar screen. Avoid boring play by play. Donna Highfill puts inspirational quotes in her status updates. Others will put a link to a timely article, links to articles and blogs you have written. The key here is to stay on the radar screen by continuing to add value and avoidance of over saturation and taking it easy on the self promotion. You also need to use your head. Trust me when I tell you that your network doesn't find value in a status update that informs us that a bottle of Cuervo has your name on it or that you are having a meltdown. I can't make this shit up! Make sure you comment on status updates from your network. Example: someone in your network just mentioned that they started working at ABC company this week. Leave a congratulatory comment etc.

Tip: Scan the home page daily. There are tons of opportunities for you there but you have to remember Everyone's favorite subject is usually them self so make it about them!

20) Want to expand your reach? Comment on the blogs of your connections. Doing this opens you up to their community. In today's online world, it's not who you know, it's who knows you and who knows those who know those who know you and, well you get the picture.

21) Be consistent: You won't build your brand worth a damn if you show up two days in a row, take two weeks off, come back for a day or two. This needs to be a daily investment. Remember, this is a long term investment. Don't ever forget that!

22) Recommendations: Use your head on this one. Please! One of the quickest ways for me to yell Jackass is when someone I barely know, hits me up for a recommendation. When I call them out on it, I'm usually given an explanation that they used the automated send to all feature which is just plain stupid if you ask me. Be selective who you ask and be selective who you give recommendation's to. Remember, its your credibility dude!

23) Stop with the juvenile "I want to have the most contacts" BS! How in the hell can you realistically connect properly with 12,000 contacts. Seriously dude! Better to have quality contacts. Be selective in who you ask to join your network. Be selective who you allow to connect with you too! Be deliberate and intentional in this department. By the way, I'm in the process of writing a book. When I first started I didn't know a thing about finding an agent, a publisher and all that fun stuff. I purposely hunted folks with experience in these areas and avoided contacts that had nothing to do with what I do or who I can impact.

24) Ask and answer questions to further position you as a thought leader by clicking here:http://www.linkedin.com/answers?trk=hb_tab_ayn

Cool Tip: Want to get a better response and greater visibility when you ask a question? Choose the option to send the question out to up to 200 people in your network.

Hook a fellow Jedi up: by suggesting someone from your network as an expert to a question. This is a nice way for you to continue to add value to your network and encourage a really cool thing called reciprocation!

25) Understand that you must move this virtual online stuff to real time or its absolutely meaningless! One of the things I do is make a goal each week that I will connect live (face to face, phone, coffee, lunch, drink, etc) with at least 2 people from my network. When I do, I make sure my time with them is about them, not me. My goal is to not only get to know them, its to find out who an ideal client would be for them, their goals, their dreams their challenges.

I want to leave you with a bit of a challenge. One that I wish someone told me about when I left Linkedin after only 60 days of half assed effort. Try these things that I mentioned for 90 days. Give it your all. Be consistent and do something daily to enhance your online brand. Give value to people unconditionally and don't keep a scorecard. Learn everything you can and if at the end of 90 days of you getting off the sidelines you feel it was a waste of time, then move on.

I, for one am quite pleased with my results. The Castain brand is alive and ticking and as a bonus, I've made some wonderful friends along the way. Also been talking to a few publishers so its nice to be moving toward that important milestone in my life!

I want you to think about something else that many people don't realize. Your linkedin experience is about community. All human beings want to belong to or be a part of something. Can you leverage that?

There's your million dollar question to chew on!

Please forward this to your community!
Subscribe to Paul Castain's Sales Playbook by Email

PS I've had several requests to post this article on various websites. I'm certainly honored and want you to feel free to do so as long as you credit Paul Castain's Sales Playbook. Thanks :)

Posted by Paul Castain at 10:31 PM

Seth Godin on Business and Social Networking

2009-08-05T13:20:00.003-06:00

I love Seth Godin's views on marketing! And I agree with his statements here. In fact Estes Banks, Jordan Paul and I had this interesting conversation just yesterday. Quality vs quantity...

Beautiful Chalk Drawing Video

2009-07-22T12:24:00.003-06:00

I hope that you enjoy this incredible video!

Firekites - AUTUMN STORY - chalk animation from Lucinda Schreiber on Vimeo.

I'm amazed at the creativity! Enjoy!
Best wishes,
Kathy

Word of Mouth Marketing

2009-06-30T18:02:00.003-06:00

There is one form of advertising that has always worked, and will continue to work, and has nearly a guaranteed positive ROI. It’s the most trusted form of advertising out there, has no shelf life, and will always be well received by your market – so what is it?
Word Of Mouth!
That’s right, possibly the most perfect form of small business marketing your products and services is through word of mouth.
If you’re not sure how powerful word of mouth can be, take a look at these statistics:
• 2/3 of the United States Economy is driven by word of mouth
• 10% of consumers influence the purchasing decisions of the other 90%
• 91% of consumers are “likely” to buy off of a recommendation
• 92% of consumers “prefer” a word of mouth recommendation
These numbers should excite you- they excite us! That's why we have put together marketing programs that work to generate local visibility and positive word of mouth. Stay tuned to learn how you can use these tools to grow a positive buzz for your business.

Cause Marketing Is Good Business

2009-05-27T16:02:00.002-06:00

Please watch this video to see why we are partnering with Make the Difference Network to help small businesses use Cause Marketing.

Please call us or email us for more information. Mason Works- 303-527-2978
Make The Difference Network -Kent McBride 720-227-9224

Good "Cents" Marketing

2009-04-30T11:26:00.003-06:00

In today's challenging economic climate, many businesses are making a terrible mistake in an effort to ride out the tough times. "What mistake they are making? They are trimming back on the keybusiness activity affecting their sales stream - Marketing! Cutting back on marketing is flirting with disaster. Businesses should be concerned with increasing the value of marketing by working with more cost effective marketing tools.

So, how do you get more marketing "bang for your buck?" Try a press release. This will not only protect businesses from declining sales, but will strengthen business threats against opportunistic competitors who view the difficult economy as a great way to outmaneuver you and grab your customers.

Achieving greater marketing value with fewer dollars through use of a press release is becoming more popular than ever. This tool has been in existence for a long time, used by experienced marketers
and is now becoming more popular with smaller businesses as well.

We have a gift for you- a list of low cost or no
cost press release sites! To get your free copy
of these sites, click on the cover-you'll be glad
you did! We've done the work for you- all you
need to do is sign up and write some interesting
press releases to get your company's name visible.

If you need help writing press releases that get great web exposure, call Mason Works at 303-527-2978. We can make the online marketing tools work wonders for you.

What do you choose?

2009-04-24T17:36:00.000-06:00

I love this video- I hope you do too!

We love Twitter! You will too!

2009-04-21T15:19:00.003-06:00

I found this wonderful slide presentation about using Twitter for business.
You really need to start using this fantastic tool. I love Twitter! You can learn so much about what the gurus are doing (things that actually work). To follow me on it, I'm listed at http://www.twitter.com under kathy_mason . Thanks!

Twitter For Business

View more presentations from iangreen.

Crystal Clear Graphics

2009-04-06T16:50:00.002-06:00

I just found a great post on wikipedia for web graphics! Go to:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Clear to see! Follow their instructions for the best results.

I hope you enjoy!
Best wishes,
Kathy

F.r.e.e (or low cost) Press Release Sites

2009-03-30T12:25:00.002-06:00

We created this list to help you send out Press Releases to get visibility on or off the web. They are:

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/
http://www.1888PressRelease.com/
http://www.addpr.com/
http://www.businesswire.com/
http://www.clickpress.com/
http://www.ecommwire.com/
http://www.emediawi re .com/
http://express-press-release.net/
http://www.free-news-release.com/
http://www.freepressindex.com/
http://www.free-press-release.com/
http://www.free-press-release-center.info/
http://www.freepressreleases.co.uk/
http://www.i-newswire.com/
http://www.marketwire.com/
http://www.newswire.ca/en/
http://www.newswiretoday.com/
http://www.openpress.com/
http://www.pr.com/
http://www.pr9.net/
http://www.prbuzz.com/
http://www.pressabout.com/
http://www.press-base.com/
http://www.pressbox.co.uk/
http://www.pressmethod.com/
http://www.pressreleasenetwork.com/index.html
http://www.prfree.com/
http://www.pr-inside.com/
http://www.prleap.com/
http://www.prlog.org/
http://www.prnewswire.com/
http://www.prweb.com/
http://www.softpressrelease.com/index.php
http://www.theopenpress.com/index.php?a=index
http://www.webwire.com/
You'll need to set up an account with them and then submit your Press Release. Please let us know if you need help.
Best wishes,
Kathy

Incredible-Design Inspiration Sites

2009-03-27T14:33:00.004-06:00

Finding inspiration is not always as simple as it sounds, whether you’ve been designing for years or only weeks. The design team at Mason Works is always coming up with new ideas quickly so inspiration is always welcome.
I found a collection of 100 great web resources to find inspiration and direction on your next project, whether it be online or in print. Its at www.mashable.com.
Look here: http://mashable.com/2009/03/16/design-inspiration/

They have collected galleries of graphic and web design as well as online magazines and a few unconventional sources of inspiration. Please let me know what you think!

Here's to always being inspired!

A Great Reasearch Tool

2009-02-06T12:26:00.003-07:00

I have been using a great new tool from Jon Ledger, one of my marketing heroes. (He's the creator of 3way links) He has just launched a new product, Answer Analyst, that allows to to collect data from the web very easily and efficiently. He's running a special at 20% off right now-so here's the link to grab your copy today. http://tinyurl.com/bn8r96
You won't be sorry! Think of how much time this product can save you!
Best wishes,
Kathy

A beautiful song for a new era

2009-01-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

I hope you enjoy this beautiful song!
Best wishes,
Kathy

Optimize Your Productivity

2009-01-08T13:02:00.001-07:00

Ever feel like you’re just spinning your wheels and getting little if nothing accomplished?? If your answer is “YES,” (and we all have all felt this way many times in our lives), then a visit to Productivity501 (www.productivity501.com) might just do the trick. Productivity 501 is a blog site dedicated to bringing you regular tips to help you increase your personal productivity.

Productivity501 contains helpful tips in the areas of: Development, Organization, Productivity, Money, Time Management, and Technology. Just keep in mind however, that the publication schedule for Productivity501 is a little slower than other blogs since this site focuses on original content and focuses on posting things that will be beneficial to their readers.

E-mail courses such as the Procrastination Prevention Course and Using the Habit are currently available and the Organized Desk Course and Productive Digital Lifestyle Course are in development.

Location Based Social Networking Services

2008-12-29T12:23:00.003-07:00

I found a great list of Social Networking sites that are specifically designed to communicate with a location or region. The publisher is in my LinkedIN group. Please take a look at this- http://bdnooz.com/lbsn-location-based-social-networking-links/ I will be adding new entries to it as soon as I get a chance to check it all out. I hope some of them help you.
We will be using a lot of these services to gain unfair advantages in 2009!
Please keep me posted.
Thanks,
Kathy

Video in email

2008-12-10T17:01:00.002-07:00

Video is a great way to communicate!

We recommend using video to "talk" to your customers. Most people's email accounts will not allow you to send large files, so historically videos have been housed on a website and then a link is placed in your email letter. Here's the way we suggest you do it:

In order to make sure your video is displayed to recipients, try using a still image (.gif or .jpg) of your video as it appears inside a video player, with the recognizable PLAY button making it clear that a video is contained therein. This can easily be accomplished by taking a screenshot of the video as it appears on your screen, then cropping the image so only the video player remains.

When recipients click on the image of your video, direct them to a landing page on your site containing the video. While this redirection may alarm some members of your audience who expected the video to play, it is a very common email practice. Be sure the landing page they are directed to is designed in such a way that it eases any concerns they may have. Not only should the video in question be front and center on the landing page, but calling out the video specifically in the page's Title tag can prevent users from closing the window if the page takes a few seconds to load. To further optimize your message, use alt text in the filename of the video image and provide a text version of the link to the landing page to make sure that recipients who have images disabled on their incoming messages are made aware that a video is available for viewing.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Kathy

Google can save you time and energy!

2008-12-05T16:40:00.002-07:00

If you are looking for faster ways of doing things for the rest of 2008 and forward, consider working with the new tools at Google.com. Here are some ideas to help you:

1. Use Google Reader to subscribe to blogs. Blogs just like this one are regularly updated with new content. This nature of blogs opens up many ways of tracking the newly posted content. One of the easiest ways to do that is through feeds.

Instead of browsing through each website daily just to check if there's a new article, you can use a special software called Feed Reader to subscribe to the website and do the checking for you.

Google Reader is an online feed reader that you can use to track changes of hundreds of websites. Its robust interface arranges feeds into different folders based on assigned tags.

2. Use Google to automate alerts, search blogs, and go through news items. It's never been easier to follow the news and receive the latest updates on a particular topic.

Google Alerts can be used in many ways, but the easiest way to do it is by creating alerts using keywords related to the subjects you're interested in. Thus, you can sift through the data from blogs and news sites then automatically get updates on your searches via RSS feed.

For searches that are specific to blogs, you can use Google Blog Search.

3. Use Google Books to preview books. Google Books is an ambitious project involving the scanning and indexing of printed books and compiling them in a virtual library. As such, you can either browse the catalog of books or use keywords to find relevant literature. There are thousands of books indexed, so you have a pretty good chance of finding one that suits your taste.

One of its killer features is the Preview, which allows you to download a PDF of selected titles. (These are usually public domain books.) Other books, which are still actively sold and protected by copyright, likewise offer a significant number of scanned pages to give you an idea of what you will get when you buy them.

4. Know what's popular via Google Trends. If you want to find out how one subject compares to another in terms of popularity, Google Trends is the perfect tool. Based on the search requests stats on Google, Trends present you a historical graph of search queries about a particular subject. You only see a guideline and not the exact number of searches. (In any case, that's all you need when you're comparing two or more things.)

There's a list of the most popular trends each day. For each peak in the interest graph, you usually get a link to the source of these developments. Google analyzes the search activity and highlights the hottest topics.

5. Go GMail all the way. My personal favorite, GMail, is the next best thing since sliced bread. It has revolutionized the way we use online email services. In fact, I think it has become a better option than PC-installed email clients like Outlook or Thunderbird.

GMail ups the ante because it has plenty of space for your emails (7GB per mailbox and constantly growing), uses tags for organizing emails, and can collect emails from other mailboxes (POP3).

6. Use Google.com for spelling. Because of the sheer number of searches Google deals with, it is now in the position to suggest corrections to your search requests in case you make a typo.

Besides, you can always look at the number of search results found for your query. Words that are spelled accurately usually appear in more sites or pages.

7. Use Google to do math and convert measurement units. Simply type a math expression in your search bar and Google will be happy to do the calculations for you. You can also try using it to convert various units of measurement.

8. Use Google to find out what time it is anywhere in the world. If you're having a hard time calculating the local time when you're about to call and give birthday greetings to your aunt halfway across the world, use Google to find out if your timing is right.

Simply type your request like this: time in New York.

Then, right under your query, Google will show you the current time. Magic, isn't it?

9. Use the nifty Google Maps. I always use Google Maps to look up places and get driving directions to them. But it offers so much more. I guess the fact that Apple uses this service in their iPod Touch devices proves that it's one of the most efficient mapping services available today.

When you're looking at a map of any major city, you can enjoy schematic or aerial (satellite-imaged) view, browse local businesses in the area, as well as get driving and walking directions in either miles or kilometers. Nothing beats Google Maps' spot-on directions and realistic time estimations.

10. Store your documents online with Google Docs. Many of documents, spreadsheets, and presentations can now be done online using suites of online productivity tools. Google Docs is one of them. You can either create or upload new documents. (GMail likewise offers an option that will enable you to automatically convert attachments from your emails into Google Docs instead of downloading them to your PC.)

With Google Docs, you can easily access all your documents at any location since they're stored on Google servers. Thus, it also facilitates collaboration as it enables you to share documents with others so you and your colleagues can work on any document collectively in real time.

Get more organized with Jott!

2008-11-03T10:11:00.003-07:00

I just discovered a great new tool that I think might help you be more productive. Check this out. It's a great way to capture your thoughts, create to-dos and set reminders. You call and it can even text message you!
It's http://jott.com/
Enjoy!
Kathy

New Software site to watch and bookmark!

2008-10-30T21:28:00.003-06:00

I love to use software programs that speed up tasks. So I was thrilled to find out about a software site that gives away a new product every day! Go to http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/

Each item is reviewed so you can see what everyone else thought about the software before you take the time to download and install it. Looks like I'll be checking it out daily too!

Best wishes,
Kathy

Need Some Great Collateral Ideas?

2008-10-08T18:22:00.002-06:00

Here's a site for the do-it-yourself marketing person -http://www.hp.com/sbso/productivity/office/index.html
They have a series of f.ree templates for you to use with the HP printers and papers.
Enjoy!

Contact Celebrities!

2008-09-22T14:56:00.005-06:00

Do you need a great "guerilla marketing" idea? Here's one for you if you need to find "famous" people to endorse your products or services? Then you might want to consider The Celebrities Database. For an introductory price of only $1 you can test using their database to find your best partners to get visibility for your cause. Go to http://www.contactanycelebrity.com/index.htm

Successful E-commerce blogs

2008-08-26T16:49:00.002-06:00

I just found a great article for you to read on Larry Chase's blog about E-commerce blogs. Go to http://www.wdfm.com/publish/e-commerce_blogs/ to check it out! I hope this helps you.
I'll be writing again soon!
Best wishes,
Kathy

Skype Is Cool!!

2008-07-08T10:12:00.000-06:00

You might already know this but in case you don't.

Most people know this part - users of Skype calling other Skype users via a computer is a free call anywhere in the world. pretty cool. Just need a USB headset or speakers and a mic.

But some people I need to call do not use Skype. For about $2.95/mo you can add the option to make phone calls to phone numbers. I use this to call Mom or when I am traveling and need to attend meetings.
http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/subscriptions/#uscaSubscriptionTab

Skype is available at www.skype.com and is a free download.

Advertise Your Product or Service on Facebook Free

2008-05-19T16:18:00.003-06:00

I just read an interesting article that I think you should try. Facebook is one of the best ways to reach a lot of consumers- and this article explains how to get a posting for your product or service gratis!

http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article.html?id=30590

Please let me know what you think!
Best wishes,
Kathy

Great Marketing Blogs

2008-03-31T17:53:00.003-06:00

Are you looking for quality marketing information? Here is a list of blogs for you to check out:

1. Seth's Blog - Seth Godin

Reason: Seth has probably one of the greatest marketing minds of our time. He is a genius and easy to understand. He has a good blog and several great books: Purple Cow, The Big Moo and Meatball Sundae.

2. ProBlogger.net - Darren Rowse

Reason: Darren has been a pro blogger for a number of years. I trust his knowledge and experience.

3. Daily Blog Tips

Reason: The name says it all. These are really good, practical tips on how to have a better blog and WordPress site.

4. Friday Traffic Report - Jack Humphrey

Reason: Jack is the king of Web 2.0 traffic and always has something new and useful on his blog related to getting traffic.

5. Lorelle on WordPress

Reason: Whenever I have a technical or update question about WordPress this is one of the two sites I checkout first.

6. How to Spotter - Alex Sysoef

Reason: Whenever I have a technical or update question about WordPress this is the other one of the two sites I checkout first. Alex has also developed an excellent WordPress theme and training system for new WordPress users.

7. AlexKing.org

Reason: Some of the best WordPress plugins ever released came from Alex. Plus, he now uses WordPress as a CMS for all of his website development. You can learn a lot from this guy.

8. Court's Internet Marketing School - Courtney Tuttle

Reason: Court probably gives out more free, useful, real-world info than any other blogger out there. If you are using a blog to market on the Internet you need to subscribe to Court's feed.

9. Epic Web Strategies - Ben Cope

Reason: Ben is the creator of the WordPress Dream Theme and the Video Blog Dream Theme. He is a very creative WordPress designer and extremely easy to work with.

10. WordPressTraining.com - Kirk Biglion

Reason: This site is a great resource for easy to follow WordPress training videos. His latest is a review of WordPress 2.5

Thanks to 1Cat.biz for the suggestions!