In honor of this amazing networking group,  I’m offering some VERY special marketing packages.

Package the First:

• Complete 5 page website  for only $349.99!

• Choose from any of my 33 stylish designs
• Includes a(n):  call to action home page,  about us page,  contact page with lead capture form,  directions page (with Google map integration) and gallery page with appropriate images or video about your business**.
• All pages will be “Google friendly” with keywords to help bring new people to your website

Package the Second:

• Complete mobile website for only $179.99!   (Mobile website examples).  More than 40% of searches are for LOCAL businesses.  Don’t miss out on a sale because your business isn’t easily found on a mobile device.
• Custom background color
• Customer header with business logo (size restrictions apply)
• Up to 5 pages of content including phone number, business address (including map), contact form, specials etc**

Package the Third:

• Regular website + Mobile website  for only $498.99

Google Places Creation / Directory Submission:

Have a local business?  Want to conquer the first page of Google?  If so, you must have a Google places listing.  My Google places packages includes keyword research, category optimization, image acquisition / uploading, directory submissions and 5 CUSTOM videos.    All this for $199.99

Lead Generation:

Let me do all the work and assume all the costs.  Ask me about lead generation packages that have no up front cost!  You only pay me when you close a sale!

**Content provided by business.  Additional charges apply for content creation.

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO for short, is the complicated term used for getting your website found on the major search engines. SEO i technique needed to be done to your website to increase the number of visitors from search engines via organic results. And, truly not just found, but on the first page.

Why is SEO important?

Consider what would happen if no one could find your business address or even your phone number? How long would you stay in business? The same can happen with your website if people can’t easily locate it. Potentially, valuable customers may never even know you exist. Unfortunately, just having a website isn’t enough.

Why Search Engine Optimization?

Your potential customer enters a few words in the search bar, clicks the search button, and voila!! There is a link to your website on the first page of the search engine.

Woohoo!

So, how do you get there? Unfortunately, it takes more than simply creating your website and hoping customers find it. There is a lot of backend work to make sure you website is properly optimized (keywords, heading tags, links to your website) and more.

What I do

I create a thorough analysis of your existing website or help you create a new, custom website. SEO is a complex process. The procedure starts by choosing the right keywords (Keyword Research) based on your existing customer profile and the profile of your desired customers. Once the relevant keywords are found for your website, I research your competition (competitive analysis) find the keywords where your business can dominate. I can then recommend and implement changes that can dramatically improve your odds of showing up on the first page of search.

Do I guarantee first page results?

No, I don’t. What I do guarantee is improvement in where your website lands in the organic search. And there is a simple reason why I don’t guarantee page one. I only work with “white hat” techniques. These techniques, named for the good guys in the Westerns, ensure that the search engines are happy with your site. Many companies that guarantee first page results often use techniques that can backfire on you.

What is included in my SEO packages?

I will

• improve your website ranking in the organic search
• find competitive phrases that bring in new visitors
• work with you to set realistic goals and milestones for promoting your website
• install analytics and send monthly reports on visitor metrics

How much does SEO cost?

Packages run from $250 to $1300 per month depending on your business needs.

How long does it take to show improvements in your website rank?

It can take several months for your website to show gains in the organic search. When you’ll see results depends on how competitive your industry is and how many other websites compete for the first page.

Is there a contract?

Yes, I require a 3 month contract to begin the SEO process for your website. After 3 months, you may continue with a month to month contract.

Call me at 623-455-6437 for your free quote today.

Social Media Marketing is becoming an essential marketing tool for connecting with customers and optimizing online presence.

Social media encourages social visits to your site.  Fresh content to encourage customers to return regularly. With the advent of social media, consumers have become contributors, contributing to brand messaging.

How I can help

Membership Packages
[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=1]
[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=2]
[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=3]

Custom websites are among the most important PR instruments used in modern business.  Custom websites can impress your visitors, build brand recognition, and sell products and services.   Studies show that suppliers, vendors, customers and employees are all more likely to research your company online than through any other medium.   Recognizing the value in effective custom web design brings better awareness and professionalism to your organization.

Love this theme? Donate $1 or more to support theme creation!

By downloading this theme, you agree to retain the footer link as written. Want a custom footer so you can distribute this theme with your own hyperlink? For only $15, I’ll update the theme with your anchor text and link! You’ll receive the updated theme within 1 business day.

[wp_eStore:product_id:11:end]

Want even more free wordpress themes? Join for free and have access to more themes, premium plugins, traffic secrets and more.

Do you need a custom WordPress theme to match a logo or an existing website? Or how about a private label WordPress theme you can distribute as your own? Custom themes are only $99.00.

Click the image to download the theme

Love this theme? Donate $1 or more to support theme creation!

By downloading this theme, you agree to retain the footer link as written. Want a custom footer so you can distribute this theme with your own hyperlink? For only $15, I’ll update the theme with your anchor text and link! You’ll receive the updated theme within 1 business day.

[wp_eStore:product_id:11:end]

Want even more free wordpress themes? Join for free and have access to more themes, premium plugins, traffic secrets and more.

Do you need a custom WordPress theme to match a logo or an existing website? Or how about a private label WordPress theme you can distribute as your own? Custom themes are only $99.00.

Click the image to download the theme

Love this theme? Donate $1 or more to support theme creation!

By downloading this theme, you agree to retain the footer link as written. Want a custom footer so you can distribute this theme with your own hyperlink? For only $15, I’ll update the theme with your anchor text and link! You’ll receive the updated theme within 1 business day.

[wp_eStore:product_id:11:end]

Want even more free wordpress themes? Join for free and have access to more themes, premium plugins, traffic secrets and more.

Do you need a custom WordPress theme to match a logo or an existing website? Or how about a private label WordPress theme you can distribute as your own? Custom themes are only $99.00.

Click the image to download the theme

Love this theme? Donate $1 or more to support theme creation!

By downloading this theme, you agree to retain the footer link as written. Want a custom footer so you can distribute this theme with your own hyperlink? For only $15, I’ll update the theme with your anchor text and link! You’ll receive the updated theme within 1 business day.

[wp_eStore:product_id:11:end]

Want even more free wordpress themes? Join for free and have access to more themes, premium plugins, traffic secrets and more.

Do you need a custom WordPress theme to match a logo or an existing website? Or how about a private label WordPress theme you can distribute as your own? Custom themes are only $99.00.

Click the image to download the theme

Love this theme? Donate $1 or more to support theme creation!

By downloading this theme, you agree to retain the footer link as written. Want a custom footer so you can distribute this theme with your own hyperlink? For only $15, I’ll update the theme with your anchor text and link! You’ll receive the updated theme within 1 business day.

[wp_eStore:product_id:11:end]

Want even more free wordpress themes? Join for free and have access to more themes, premium plugins, traffic secrets and more.

Do you need a custom WordPress theme to match a logo or an existing website? Or how about a private label WordPress theme you can distribute as your own? Custom themes are only $99.00.

Click the image to download the theme

Love this theme? Donate $1 or more to support theme creation!

By downloading this theme, you agree to retain the footer link as written. Want a custom footer so you can distribute this theme with your own hyperlink?  For only $15, I’ll update the theme with your anchor text and link!  You’ll receive the updated theme within 1 business day.

[wp_eStore:product_id:11:end]

Want even more free wordpress themes? Join for free and have access to more themes, premium plugins, traffic secrets and more.

Do you need a custom WordPress theme to match a logo or an existing website? Or how about a private label WordPress theme you can distribute as your own? Custom themes are only $99.00.

Click the image to download the theme

You always hear people talking about the relative insignificance of the human race in the grand scheme of the universe. That feeling is never more reinforced than when you start to explore astronomy and what really lies beyond our galaxy.

Whether you’re a stargazer who can only point out the Big Dipper and Little Dipper, or whether you much prefer calling it Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the following 10 mobile apps can help you in your stargazing pursuits.

1. Star Walk – 5 Stars Astronomy Guide

You look up at the stars, but you have no idea what you’re seeing – until now. Star Walk is an amazing app that lets you simply point your device to the sky and automatically map out the constellations. You can also track moving satellites, look at skies from nights past or the future and tap anywhere on the screen to get a star’s exact position in the sky. (iOS)

Cost: $2.99

2. SkySafari 3 Plus

Yes, it’s on the pricey side, but SkySafari 3 Plus is a great companion for any stargazing enthusiast. It contains an enormous database of constellations at your fingertips, with information about star coordinates, physical parameters, orbital parameters and more. Using the iPhone’s built-in gyroscope, you can find and search for anything in the sky, including planets, moons, asteroids, comets, named stars, brightest stars and much more. The developer of this app also provides an accessory to the app: SkyFi enables SkySafari 3 to work as a telescope controller. (iOS)

Cost: : $14.99 (Depending on your astronomic knowledge, there are different versions. For fewer features, SkySafari Lite is $2.99; and for a whopping 500 MB, 15 millions stars, 740,000 galaxies’ worth of information, SkySafari Pro is $59.99)

3. Google Sky Map

This is a free app that also offers the ability to point Android devices to the sky and map out constellations. In addition, users can search for planets, grids, deep sky objects, and also use the search functionality to find something specific in the atmosphere. It provides a simple interface and is a great tool for identifying anything in the sky. (Android)

Cost: FREE

4. Astronomy Picture of the Day

Stuck at work and counting down the hours until nightfall? Astronomy Picture of the Day can tide you over until your date with the cosmos. The photos, hand-picked by NASA astronomers, are different each day and are accompanied by thorough descriptions. Shake your device for a random image, and even share that extra special photo of Saturn with a friend. (iOS and Android)

Cost: FREE

5. star3map

Here’s another great Android app for stargazing that offers similar functionality as some of the more feature-rich iOS apps. It includes constellation/satellite/planet tracking, as well as search functionality and social sharing. There’s also an Earth View mode that lets you see our planet from space with cool day/night shading, as well as viewing bands to determine when satellites are visible from where you are.

Cost: $4.99

6. Nasa App HD

In addition to providing information and images about our universe, the NASA App HD offers cool features like live streaming of NASA TV, on-demand videos from NASA, current mission and launch information and more. There is also a detailed Satellite Tracker and data on current visible passes for the International Space Station in your region. (iPad)

Cost: FREE

7. SpaceMap

Remember the part about the human race’s insignificance? Watching the intro video to this app makes that point abundantly clear. This app goes beyond what’s just in the sky above by placing it into the context of the entire solar system, galaxy and universe. It maps everything you want: 47,000 asteroids, 400 exoplanets, 5,000 galaxies – with amazing 3D effects and animation. SpaceMap provides an intuitive interface and visually stimulating experience that makes you feel intergalactic. (iOS)

Cost: $5.99

8. Planets

This app gives you in-depth information on all the planets (with the exception of Pluto, poor guy). You can locate planets in either 2D or 3D mode and select different visibilities of the sky, such as X-ray, Infrared, Microwave and Radio. There is also a Globe function that lets you view a rotating 3D image of all the planets and the moon. (iOS)

Cost: FREE

9. Hubble Top 100

The images included in the Hubble Top 100 app are as astounding and mystifying as the stars themselves. Taken directly by the Hubble telescope itself, the images feature breathtaking colors, lights and patterns of swirling gases and air. Information accompanies each photo, as well as a slideshow with techno-ish music to fuel your cosmic mood. (iPad)

Cost: FREE

10. Buzz Aldrin Portal to Science and Space Exploration HD

Who better to create an app about space than an astronaut himself? Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot on Apollo 11 and the second human to walk on the moon, has created this beautiful app that features a mix of personal perspective, commentary from NASA and a variety of other sources. The app features video, Twitter and news feeds and roundtable discussions on planetary exploration, space tourism, Hubble and anything else you’d want to know about space exploration. (iPad)

Cost: $3.99

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, sololos

More About: apple, astronomy, iphone, iphone apps, List, Lists, mobile apps, space

For more Mobile coverage:

• Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Mobile channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: Wheretoget.it

Quick Pitch: Tap into a community of knowledgeable shoppers to identify the clothing or accessories you’re looking for.

Genius Idea: Using crowdsourcing to find the perfect outfit.

All too often, I will come across a beautiful garment — on the street, in a newspaper photograph (yes, I still read those) — immediately feel I must have it, and then despair because I haven’t the least idea where it’s from, or if it’s even still in stores.

Enter Wheretoget.it, which co-founder and CEO Nicolas Metzke described simply as the “Quora for shopping” in a #fashion140 panel we did together this spring. Its premise is simple: Log in, upload a photo of a garment you’re curious about and tag the image with a few basic details.

With any luck, Wheretoget.it’s community — which, from what I gathered from looking around the site, are extremely savvy shoppers — will help you identify the piece in question, or at least something similar. During pre-launch pilot tests, Metzke says the community was able to identify items correctly, or at least one similar enough to satisfy the searcher 84% of the time.

Users are incentivized to answer questions with points, badges and status recognition. Metzke says the company is also working with merchants to trade in points for shopping vouchers or gift cards.

The site also functions as a discovery engine, drawing visitors to items they weren’t necessarily looking for before arriving. Users can opt to follow other users as well as queries, just as they can with Quora.

The Paris-based startup, which launched in May 2011, was founded by three seasoned entrepreneurs: Metzke, co-founder of Ciao.com (acquired by Greenfield Online for $154 million in 2005); Gilles Babinet, founder of Musiwave (sold to Openwave for $121 million in 2005) and now president of France’s National Council of Digital Business and Society; and CTO Romain Moyne, a 23-year-old who started is first business at age 16.

Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

More About: bizspark, fashion, quora, spark-of-genius, wheretoget.it

For more Startups coverage:

• Follow Mashable Startups on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Startups channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Oh. My. God, Becky. Look at this game.

Rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot of “Baby Got Back” fame has just popped the top on a hilarious new Facebook venture.

Called MixNMatch, the game challenges you to answer either-or questions. The catch is that you have to answer them the way another person would. For example, you might have to guess whether Sir Mix-A-Lot prefers zombies or vampires or whether a friend of yours would pick a front rub over a back rub. You can also pose similar questions to your own friends.

If your guesses line up with the celeb’s or friend’s picks, you earn points. The points can be redeemed for virtual goods such as a Sir Mix-A-Lot video shout-out or an exclusive track. If you’re particularly skilled at guessing the rapper’s preferences, you can even win a ride with him in his Lamborghini.

SEE ALSO: 5 Lessons Celebrities Can Teach Us About Facebook Pages

What makes the game giggle-worthy is the animated Sir Mix-A-Lot that coaches players through each round, complete with voice-overs.

It’s a fun concept, and one that we can imagine quite a few celebrities using to engage with their fans.

The game comes from Giant Thinkwell, an interactive agency that specializes in creating online entertainment vehicles for celebrities. MixNMatch is Giant Thinkwell’s first game, and it’s cute and funny enough that we would like to see more from this shop.

More About: facebook, facebook game, mixnmatch, sir mix-a-lot

For more Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

WordPress.org is forcing users to reset their passwords after several popular plugins were compromised by hackers.

“Earlier today the WordPress team noticed suspicious commits to several popular plugins containing cleverly disguised backdoors,” Automattic founder Matt Mullenweg said in a blog post. “We determined the commits were not from the authors, rolled them back, pushed updates to the plugins, and shut down access to the plugin repository while we looked for anything else unsavory.”

Mullenweg says that AddThis, WPtouch and W3 Total Cache were the plugins that were compromised in the attacks.

As a precautionary measure, WordPress.org is force-resetting all passwords on WordPress.org. This doesn’t affect WordPress-powered blogs, but does affect WordPress.org forums, trac and code commits to plugins or themes.

This isn’t the first time WordPress has been targeted by hackers; WordPress.com (owned by Automattic and separate from WordPress.org) was the victim of a low-level root access breach in April.

More About: security, WordPress

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

• Follow Mashable Tech & Gadgets on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Tech & Gadgets channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

However, if we had to choose the best way to present the wealth of recent information on social media — how companies are using it to improve their business, how individuals are interacting with its many facets, and how it’s affecting our lives — the simplest way would probably be to showcase the best social media infographics from the last few months, and that’s exactly what we did.

We’ve gathered 10 amazing infographics which are still quite fresh, and contain very relevant info. We hope you enjoy them! Let us know which ones you find most insightful in the comments below.

Social Media Users Weigh In on the NFL Lockout

Will there be a lockout for the 2011 NFL season? Will there even be any professional (American) football played this fall? See the predictions from social media users.Graphic courtesy Lab42

The Real Estate Industry and Social Media

Real estate is an industry becoming more and more immersed in social media. This infographic shows how businesses are using it to drive traffic and increase sales.Image courtesy of Postling

The Case Against Having a Social Media Department

Are you sure your company needs a social media department? The decision whether to form one can be daunting, and this infographic shows why.Image courtesy of Flickr, davipt

The Facebook Effect on Relationships

Facebook and relationships: for some, the social media tool is a great way to find new friends and romantic relationships, but for others only a nuisance.Image based on a Flickr photo from rpb1001

Male Social Media Users & Fast Food

Do social media-using guys like junk food? It seems like they do!Infographic courtesy Lab 42, graphic by iStockphoto

How We Use Social Media During Emergencies

Social media is powerful during emergencies such as the earthquake in Haiti and the political revolution in Egypt.Image courtesy of CreditLoan

The History of Social Media

It seems like yesterday that we first started using the term “social media,” but the phenomenon already has a rich history.Image courtesy of OnlineSchools.org

Social Media Valuations

Are we in a new bubble? This infographic explores valuations of some social media companies which may be overvalued – or undervalued, depending on how you view the space.Infographic courtesy Gplus.com

The Winners & Losers of Social Networking

Social networking: everyone knows about it nowadays, but who’s really winning in this industry?Image courtesy of Ignite Social Media

How Small Businesses Are Using Social Media

This infographic breaks down the most popular social media tools amongst small businesses and demonstrates how and why they should be used.Image courtesy of Postling

More About: infographic, infographics, List, Lists, social media, social networking

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Online video service Hulu is considering a potential sale after an unknown bidder made an offer for the company, according to several reports.

None of the reports could confirm the identity of the buyer, though CNBC’s Jolua Boorstin says it’s not Google. It’s also unclear how advanced the talks are, and as WSJ reports, Hulu hasn’t even determined if it wants to sell.

The problem for Hulu is that it is heavily dependent on content from Walt Disney (which owns ABC), News Corp. (which owns Fox) and NBCUniversal (which is a subsidiary of Comcast and GE). Each of these companies have an equity stake in Hulu and will have to approve any sale. If even one of these three partners didn’t approve and decided to pull its content from Hulu, it would dramatically affect the value of the online video website.

Hulu has been trying to appease its network overlords with new deals and its Hulu Plus premium subscription option, but it’s also expanding its roster of original programming with several Hulu-exclusive shows.

The company was reportedly preparing for a $2 billion IPO last year, but has pulled back due to concerns about its deals with the networks. Hulu is the second largest video website in the world behind YouTube.

Our bet is that Hulu decides to remain independent, at least for now. There are too many logistical nightmares with any sale, and the company is better off with an IPO, thanks to LinkedIn.

Update: It seems that Yahoo may be the company trying to buy Hulu, according to The Los Angeles Times.

More About: abc, Fox, hulu, hulu plus, nbc, News Corp, Walt Disney

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

• Follow Mashable Business & Marketing on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Business & Marketing channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Here’s a new development in the social video app war: Recently-launched iPhone app Flixlab has included a feature that allows you to create collaborative videos with friends.

Flixlab [iTunes link] is a fairly comprehensive app that allows you to create movies using video clips and photos from your phone’s library (as well as newly shot footage and snaps from Facebook and other albums), tag your friends (so videos will appear on friends’ walls after sharing via Facebook), add themes and transitions (I recommend “Halloween”), and, finally, add music from your library.

“Events” is Flixlab’s collaborative mode. If your friends are using Flixlab, you can create a video using both your footage and your friend’s.

Say you’re at a wedding; if you and your friend are taking pictures and video during the wedding, you’re automatically sharing those images via the app. Just click on “Events” to unearth your friend’s video and photos, and you can add them to your own movie. It’s like having multiple angles. Check out the video below for more info:

This feature really distinguishes Flixlab from other new video-sharing apps, like Blipsnips, Viddy and Socialcam. Still, it could very well face the same issue startup Color has: You need a significant number of people to use the app in order for it to work well.

What do you think? Can Flixlab cut through the clutter?

Image courtesy of Flickr, Gwennypics

More About: flixlab, mobile apps, startup, video, video sharing

For more Video coverage:

• Follow Mashable Video on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Video channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

After Jim Redner, who owns one-man public relations firm The Redner Group, expressed his frustration over bad reviews of his client’s game, Duke Nukem Forever, via Twitter, the game’s publisher dropped him. Now, Redner is out with an explanation for the debacle.

Following less-than-favorable reviews of 2K Games’s Duke Nukem Forever, Redner took to Twitter to express his frustration, writing:

The above tweet got the web buzzing with the term “blacklisting.” Redner later apologized to several news outlets, but 2K Games distanced themselves from the PR man all the same.

Now Redner is out with a statement on Wired explaining the whole debacle. It seems that his anger was triggered by one review in particular, which he declines to identify. “It was a scathing diatribe masked as a review. Hate is a strong word, but I believe after reading his review it is fair to say that the reviewer hated the game.”

He goes on to explain that he never intended to evoke the specter of blacklisting, “I do not support the McCarthy era notion of blacklisting,” he says, going on to explain how publishers have limited numbers of review copies, and that he was going to be more choosy about where they went from now on.

“I personally have sent first person shooter games to one editor knowing that he likes FPS games, but then not sent him a copy of a game based on our national pastime because I know he finds baseball boring,” he says. “That’s not blacklisting. It’s a selection process.”

Although Redner is apologetic about lashing out via Twitter, he still stands by what he said. “It is my opinion that when someone exceeds their journalistic integrity and publishes a scathing, derogatory, uncalled-for review, I have the right to question it,” he says.

Redner joins a long list of people fired for their outbursts on social media. Here are 11 more.

Ashley Payne, Teacher

Ashley Payne, a teacher in Barrow County, Georgia, was asked to resign from her job at Apalachee High School in August 2009 because of photographs and status updates she posted to Facebook.

The problem with Payne’s updates? They showed her drinking alcohol and one update used an expletive. Payne was on vacation in Europe and some of her photographs included her visits to the Guinness Brewery and a local pub in Dublin.

Payne’s Facebook page was private, however she had friended some other teachers in her school. When the principal found out about the photos, she was told to render her resignation or face suspension.

Payne sued the school district in November 2009 because she was “not made aware of her rights.”

Christopher Lee, Congressman

Anthony Weiner isn’t New York politician to get in trouble using social media. In February, Representative Christopher Lee (R- NY) resigned from his post after Gawker published emails the married congressman sent to women on Craigslist.

These emails included photos of a shirtless Lee flexing his muscles for the camera. The Buffalo-area representative resigned less than four hours after Gawker posted the emails and photo.

Connor Riley, Would-be Cisco Employee

In March 2009, 22-year old Connor Riley was offered a job at Cisco. Her first instinct — to tweet about her new opportunity — is pretty common for most people of her generation.

Unfortunately, Riley’s tweet mentioned that taking a “fatty paycheck” would come at the expense of “hating the work.” A Cisco employee responded to her tweet, offering to pass her sentiments along to the hiring manager. Riley lost the job before it was even started.

The event, dubbed the “Cisco Fatty” incident, went viral and was a good cautionary tale for individuals of all ages.

Larry Johnson, NFL Running Back

In the fall of 2009, former Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson sent a series of inflammatory tweets that got him into some hot water with his employer, the Kansas City Chiefs.

After being suspended for a game for his remarks — which included derogatory remarks about his coach and a gay slur directed at a fan — 32,000 Chiefs fans petitioned the team to release Johnson from his contract. The Chiefs obliged.

Chrysler Social Media Employee

When someone with access to the @ChryslerAutos Twitter account accidentally dropped the F-bomb back in March, Chrysler was not amused.

After first claiming that its account had been compromised, Chrysler later admitted that the errant tweet was sent by an employee of the social media agency that handles the Chrysler account.

It appears that the employee accidentally tweeted from the wrong account. When a similar situation happened to the Red Cross Twitter account in February, that organization responded with humor and forgiveness. Not so for the agency employee. The mis-directed tweet was enough to cost the employee his or her job.

Nir Rosen, NYU Fellow

Veteran war correspondent and NYU fellow at the Center on Law and Security Nir Rosen sparked outrage when he made offensive and insensitive tweets in the wake of the news that CBS chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan had suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault.

Comments like “I’m rolling my eyes at all the attention she’ll get” and “it would have been funny if it happened to Anderson too,” didn’t earn Rosen any online friends.

After backtracking and apologizing for his statements — after first claiming that he didn’t know the severity of the attack when he made his comments — Rosen resigned from NYU.

Tim, CPK Employee

When California Pizza Kitchen server @Traphik sent a message to the company’s Twitter account, proclaiming “black button ups are the lamest shit ever,” CPK’s response was to fire him.

Tim, a comedian with his own YouTube channel, then posted a humorous account of the incident on YouTube. This went viral, CPK was probably annoyed with tons of tweets and phone calls from Tim’s fans, and ultimately, Tim got more exposure for his comedy.

Gilbert Gottfried, Former Aflac Spokesman

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried isn’t exactly known for his tact. Still, when the comedian made jokes about the Japanese tsunami, the people at Aflac, where Gottfried as served as spokesman, were not pleased.

Aflac fired Gottfried from his role as voice of the Aflac duck and then embarked on an innovative social media campaign to find a new spokesduck.

Disgusting Domino’s People

Note to self: Publishing mis-deeds in the workplace is a great way to lose a job.

That’s the lesson that some former Domino’s Pizza employees learned, and we’re glad they did. A few workers filmed themselves doing gross things to food – food that was probably served to customers. They then posted this video to YouTube, because it’s all about the lulz.

Fortunately, some investigative work on the part of Consumerist tracked down the employees behind the video. Domino’s fired the employees.

Today Show Jokester

One of our favorite memes from earlier this year was a classic video from The Today Show archives featuring Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel attempting to understand the intricacies of the Internet.

Apparently, NBC didn’t find the joke that funny (even though the current crew from The Today Show found it fit to comment on the hilarity) and fired the guy that posted the clip online.

Anthony Weiner, Congressman

The Weinergate saga may be coming to an end — now that Representative Anthony Weiner has resigned from his position in the U.S. House of Representatives — but its repercussions will stay with us.

When the New York City congressman sent a lewd photograph of himself to someone on Twitter as a public tweet rather than a direct message, his social media faux-pas became fodder for comedians and generated public calls for his resignation.

It also opened up a larger discussion about the growing role of social media in politics and the separation between public and private behaviors online.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Mrs. Duncan

More About: 2k games, Duke Nukem Forever, social media, The Redner Group, twitter

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Here are two names you probably thought you’d never see in the same sentence: Rob Zombie and Woolite.

The rocker/horror movie director and the fabric care brand have joined forces for a new commercial. The 30-second spot features clips from Zombie’s movies House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects. The ad also features a Leatherface-type character doing laundry outside and the scrawled message “Don’t let detergents torture your clothes.”

It’s a definite shift in tone for the brand. Woolite’s other campaign is much less edgy: It features What Not to Wear host Stacy London comparing doing laundry today versus years ago. Reps from Reckitt Benckiser, Woolite’s parent company, could not be reached for comment on the new ad.

More About: advertising, rob zombie, woolite, youtube

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

• Follow Mashable Business & Marketing on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Business & Marketing channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Film critic Roger Ebert has taken to his blog on the Chicago Sun Times website to explain his controversial tweet about Jackass star Ryan Dunn’s tragic death.

The entry includes a few regrets, and a concession that the timing of his tweet was poor, but Ebert does not apologize for or recant the original tweet: “Friends don’t let jackasses drink and drive.”

“I offer my sympathy to Ryan Dunn’s family and friends, and to those of Zachary Hartwell,” he begins, before going on to say, “I also regret that my tweet about the event was considered cruel. It was not intended as cruel. It was intended as true.”

His explanation reads, “I meant exactly what I wrote. I wasn’t calling Ryan Dunn a jackass. In Twitter shorthand, I was referring to his association with ‘Jackass.’ I thought that was clear.”

SEE ALSO: Ryan Dunn Posted Twitter Pic Hours Before Death [PHOTO]

The blog post goes on to recount the chain of events that led to Ebert’s tweet. In one particular passage, Ebert appears torn between justification and guilt:

“I don’t know what happened in this case, and I was probably too quick to tweet. That was unseemly. I do know that nobody has any business driving on a public highway at 110 mph, as some estimated — or fast enough, anyway, to leave a highway and fly through 40 yards of trees before crashing. That is especially true if the driver has had three shots and three beers. Two people were killed. What if the car had crashed into another car?”

Ebert’s initial tweet reverberated around the web Monday, catching the attention of Dunn’s friend and Jackass co-star Bam Margera, drawing the ire of celebrity blogger Perez Hilton and provoking Dunn supporters to flag Ebert’s Facebook Page. The page was taken down by Facebook Tuesday morning, and later restored.

SEE ALSO: Roger Ebert’s Facebook Page Removed Following Comment About Ryan Dunn

Margera tweeted in response to Ebert’s remarks: “I just lost my best friend, I have been crying hysterically for a full day and piece of sh*t roger ebert has the gall to put in his 2 cents.” An additional tweet reads: “About a jackass drunk driving and his is one, f*ck you! Millions of people are crying right now, shut your fat f*cking mouth!”

Margera has not yet responded to Ebert’s entry.

More About: Bam Margera, Jackass, roger ebert, Ryan Dunn, twitter

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

American John Isner and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut are set to play in the first round of Wimbledon on Tuesday. It’s a rematch of the silliest, longest, most record-breaking tennis games of all time.

Last year, Isner and Mahut played each other in the first round of Wimbledon. That match lasted 11 hours and five minutes with a total of 183 games. That’s a lot of time, considering even the most most grueling games barely break five hours.

In fact, it’s near impossible to play that many games in a single match. Most tournaments institute a tie-break when both players have each won six games in a set. However, Wimbledon foregoes this custom in the final set, requiring players to win by two games. This results in scores like 8 to 6, or 14 to 12. The final score was Isner 70, Mahut 68.

SEE ALSO: Wimbledon 2011: Where to Follow the Action Online

The marathon game, which lasted three days, didn’t just break tennis records (like most aces — 216 and longest set — 8 hours and 11 minutes), it also broke an Internet record. According to Akamai’s Net Usage Index, the match helped create the single highest news day based on total page views per minute.

At noon ET on June 24, 2010, Akamai registered 10,357,646 page views per minute. Some of that was due to a series of World Cup soccer games at the same time, according to Suzanne Johnson, Akamai’s director of marketing, media and entertainment. “I think it was a perfect storm, everything that’s ranking in the news index before this was a single event,” she says. Still, the day had nearly 4 million more views per minute than the second highest record day.

The World Cup appealed to a massive international audience. The tennis match, although initially attracting a much smaller audience, gained traction online as the score became stranger and stranger. The nature of the match — wherein either player could easily lose within the span of a couple minutes — prompted viewers to not only check the scores, but to refresh the page so they didn’t miss the crucial moment.

The time difference also meant that much of the North American audience was checking the game from work. “There’s always going to be more traffic when you factor in the time of day, when the opportunities to watch on television are not there,” Johnson says. She says she followed the match herself after a friend pinged her to tell her they were still playing.

Social media remains a huge factor. Word of mouth drives more traffic when the spectacle is more spectacular. A tennis match is skippable, but a once-in-a-lifetime, freak-of-nature marathon game? That’s tweetable. Indeed, many people did retweet those last moments. It’s a strategy more networks are adopting, Johnson says. They are driving people to rush online to catch the final tense moments of exciting events.

So is the Isner-Mahut rematch going to topple last year’s numbers? Probably not. The game is almost guaranteed to be anti-climactic — and without the World Cup, it won’t likely beat the Internet numbers either. But if I’m wrong, you can be sure we’ll all be hitting refresh.

Thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr, tmtes004; story image courtesy of splitmilk

More About: akamai, isner, mahut, record, rematch, social media, sports, tennis, wimbledon, wimbledon 2011

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

American John Isner and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut are set to play in the first round of Wimbledon on Tuesday. It’s a rematch of the silliest, longest, most record-breaking tennis games of all time.

Last year, Isner and Mahut played each other in the first round of Wimbledon. That match lasted 11 hours and five minutes with a total of 183 games. That’s a lot of time, considering even the most most grueling games barely break five hours.

In fact, it’s near impossible to play that many games in a single match. Most tournaments institute a tie-break when both players have each won six games in a set. However, Wimbledon foregoes this custom in the final set, requiring players to win by two games. This results in scores like 8 to 6, or 14 to 12. The final score was Isner 70, Mahut 68.

SEE ALSO: Wimbledon 2011: Where to Follow the Action Online

The marathon game, which lasted three days, didn’t just break tennis records (like most aces — 216 and longest set — 8 hours and 11 minutes), it also broke an Internet record. According to Akamai’s Net Usage Index, the match helped create the single highest news day based on total page views per minute.

At noon ET on June 24, 2010, Akamai registered 10,357,646 page views per minute. Some of that was due to a series of World Cup soccer games at the same time, according to Suzanne Johnson, Akamai’s director of marketing, media and entertainment. “I think it was a perfect storm, everything that’s ranking in the news index before this was a single event,” she says. Still, the day had nearly 4 million more views per minute than the second highest record day.

The World Cup appealed to a massive international audience. The tennis match, although initially attracting a much smaller audience, gained traction online as the score became stranger and stranger. The nature of the match — wherein either player could easily lose within the span of a couple minutes — prompted viewers to not only check the scores, but to refresh the page so they didn’t miss the crucial moment.

The time difference also meant that much of the North American audience was checking the game from work. “There’s always going to be more traffic when you factor in the time of day, when the opportunities to watch on television are not there,” Johnson says. She says she followed the match herself after a friend pinged her to tell her they were still playing.

Social media remains a huge factor. Word of mouth drives more traffic when the spectacle is more spectacular. A tennis match is skippable, but a once-in-a-lifetime, freak-of-nature marathon game? That’s tweetable. Indeed, many people did retweet those last moments. It’s a strategy more networks are adopting, Johnson says. They are driving people to rush online to catch the final tense moments of exciting events.

So is the Isner-Mahut rematch going to topple last year’s numbers? Probably not. The game is almost guaranteed to be anti-climactic — and without the World Cup, it won’t likely beat the Internet numbers either. But if I’m wrong, you can be sure we’ll all be hitting refresh.

Thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr, tmtes004; story image courtesy of splitmilk

More About: akamai, isner, mahut, record, rematch, social media, sports, tennis, wimbledon, wimbledon 2011

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Groupon has taken a beating from the press ever since it filed for its IPO. Now the daily deals giant is responding to its critics — sort of.

Technically, Groupon can’t respond to the criticism being levied against it because it’s in an SEC-mandated Quiet Period. After a company files a registration statement with the SEC for an IPO, federal law limits the information it can release to the public. This is designed to limit a company’s ability to inflate the value of its stock before its initial public offering.

Groupon is losing hundreds of millions of dollars however, and that has meant a torrent of criticism, exposing the company and its business model. So what’s a company under fire and gagged by the SEC supposed to do? Roll out its mythical mascot to gripe about the criticism, of course.

In a cheeky blog post, Groupon the Cat (the company’s mascot) explains the “traditional hazing rituals” the media uses “to torture companies in a quiet period.”

Here are two of our favorites:

“Photoshop the company’s logo to appear to be shaking hands with James Buchanan, America’s worst president. Lesson Learned: Everything you see or read about a company is true, if it’s on a computer.”

“Kick sand in the company’s face. Lesson Learned: If the company survives, it’s time to move on to sand’s close relative, powdered glass.”

The response is in sync with Groupon’s playful and goofy culture. And while the Groupon Cat doesn’t actually respond to the media’s criticism of the company’s financials, Groupon does make clear that it doesn’t like being the press’s punching bag.

What do you think: is the criticism of Groupon and its IPO fair? Let us know what you think in the comments.

More About: groupon, ipo

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

• Follow Mashable Business & Marketing on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Business & Marketing channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Groupon has taken a beating from the press ever since it filed for its IPO. Now the daily deals giant is responding to its critics — sort of.

Technically, Groupon can’t respond to the criticism being levied against it because it’s in an SEC-mandated Quiet Period. After a company files a registration statement with the SEC for an IPO, federal law limits the information it can release to the public. This is designed to limit a company’s ability to inflate the value of its stock before its initial public offering.

Groupon is losing hundreds of millions of dollars however, and that has meant a torrent of criticism, exposing the company and its business model. So what’s a company under fire and gagged by the SEC supposed to do? Roll out its mythical mascot to gripe about the criticism, of course.

In a cheeky blog post, Groupon the Cat (the company’s mascot) explains the “traditional hazing rituals” the media uses “to torture companies in a quiet period.”

Here are two of our favorites:

“Photoshop the company’s logo to appear to be shaking hands with James Buchanan, America’s worst president. Lesson Learned: Everything you see or read about a company is true, if it’s on a computer.”

“Kick sand in the company’s face. Lesson Learned: If the company survives, it’s time to move on to sand’s close relative, powdered glass.”

The response is in sync with Groupon’s playful and goofy culture. And while the Groupon Cat doesn’t actually respond to the media’s criticism of the company’s financials, Groupon does make clear that it doesn’t like being the press’s punching bag.

What do you think: is the criticism of Groupon and its IPO fair? Let us know what you think in the comments.

More About: groupon, ipo

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

• Follow Mashable Business & Marketing on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Business & Marketing channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

As New York sits on the precipice of becoming the sixth state to pass gay marriage legislation, one lawmaker has taken to Twitter and Facebook to ask his constituents what to do.

Greg Ball, a Republican state senator (pictured), turned to his 2,500-plus Twitter followers and 3,400 Facebook friends this weekend to ask: “Opening up the discussion! So, if you were me, how would you vote on gay marriage? Yes or no?”

Ball’s tweet came as the state senate appeared close to deadlocked on the issue. The bill, which has the strong support of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, passed the state assembly in a 80-63 vote. At presstime, the bill had the support of 29 Democrats and two Republicans in the 62-member Senate. But Politico reports that “it is seen as not likely that Republican leadership will allow the chamber to vote on the bill if only one more Republican votes yes, thus a scramble is on to secure at least two more GOP votes for the bill.” The session is slated to end as early as midnight ET, though Cuomo could extend it.

The report went on to say that Ball’s Twitter followers were overwhelmingly in favor of passing the bill, but on Facebook, it was more like 50-50.

More About: facebook, gay marriage, Greg Ball, new york state, twitter

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

As New York sits on the precipice of becoming the sixth state to pass gay marriage legislation, one lawmaker has taken to Twitter and Facebook to ask his constituents what to do.

Greg Ball, a Republican state senator (pictured), turned to his 2,500-plus Twitter followers and 3,400 Facebook friends this weekend to ask: “Opening up the discussion! So, if you were me, how would you vote on gay marriage? Yes or no?”

Ball’s tweet came as the state senate appeared close to deadlocked on the issue. The bill, which has the strong support of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, passed the state assembly in a 80-63 vote. At presstime, the bill had the support of 29 Democrats and two Republicans in the 62-member Senate. But Politico reports that “it is seen as not likely that Republican leadership will allow the chamber to vote on the bill if only one more Republican votes yes, thus a scramble is on to secure at least two more GOP votes for the bill.” The session is slated to end as early as midnight ET, though Cuomo could extend it.

The report went on to say that Ball’s Twitter followers were overwhelmingly in favor of passing the bill, but on Facebook, it was more like 50-50.

More About: facebook, gay marriage, Greg Ball, new york state, twitter

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

More than 30,000 users were indiscriminately admitted to the highly selective dating website BeautifulPeople.com last month, after the site was supposedly attacked by what it calls the Shrek virus. Now, those folks are being systematically weeded out of a site that is hard-nosed about its members’ looks.

An announcement from the 700,000-member site says its team is currently investigating how those 30,000 users got past BeautifulPeople.com‘s rigid rating system, where existing members vote on whether new applicants are attractive enough to join the site. The ratings system apparently went down last month, allowing anyone to join. The site believes the virus could have been triggered by a former employee.

So far, the site had refunded 4,500 members, costing it somewhere in the region of $112,500.

Could the virus have been a publicity stunt? After all, the site that has been known to indulge in mean-spirited gimmicks. Last year, BeautifulPeople booted out 5,000 members for packing on the pounds. “Letting fatties roam the site is a direct threat to our business model and the very concept for which BeautifulPeople.com was founded,” founder Robert Hintze said at the time.

Last June, the dating announced that it would be launching a fertility introduction service that allows both members and non-members to score the stuff that dream babies are made of.

In response to this recent “lapse,” the site has set up a hotline to help that rejected 30,000 recover from the incident, and has recruited a special “beauty police” to troll for trolls.

What do you think? Legitimate lapse, or publicity stunt? If you’re one of the rejected, feel free to hit us up.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Eduardo.Coutinho

More About: beautifulpeople.com, online dating

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

More than 30,000 users were indiscriminately admitted to the highly selective dating website BeautifulPeople.com last month, after the site was supposedly attacked by what it calls the Shrek virus. Now, those folks are being systematically weeded out of a site that is hard-nosed about its members’ looks.

An announcement from the 700,000-member site says its team is currently investigating how those 30,000 users got past BeautifulPeople.com‘s rigid rating system, where existing members vote on whether new applicants are attractive enough to join the site. The ratings system apparently went down last month, allowing anyone to join. The site believes the virus could have been triggered by a former employee.

So far, the site had refunded 4,500 members, costing it somewhere in the region of $112,500.

Could the virus have been a publicity stunt? After all, the site that has been known to indulge in mean-spirited gimmicks. Last year, BeautifulPeople booted out 5,000 members for packing on the pounds. “Letting fatties roam the site is a direct threat to our business model and the very concept for which BeautifulPeople.com was founded,” founder Robert Hintze said at the time.

Last June, the dating announced that it would be launching a fertility introduction service that allows both members and non-members to score the stuff that dream babies are made of.

In response to this recent “lapse,” the site has set up a hotline to help that rejected 30,000 recover from the incident, and has recruited a special “beauty police” to troll for trolls.

What do you think? Legitimate lapse, or publicity stunt? If you’re one of the rejected, feel free to hit us up.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Eduardo.Coutinho

More About: beautifulpeople.com, online dating

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

The startup, which launched in March 2009, posted the following infographic on its blog to celebrate the announcement Monday:

The infographic highlights, among other things:

• Accelerated growth over time: It took the startup five months to get its first 100,000 users and roughly seven weeks to get its last million.
• Its growing global reach: 358 million checkins have been made outside of the U.S.
• The most popular checkin locations in the U.S.: Old Navy, Bank of America, 7-Eleven, Home Depot and Target all top the list.
• A few fun facts: New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is also the Foursquare mayor of City Hall in NYC, and nearly 80,000 Foursquare mayors are ousted each day.

More About: foursquare

For more Startups coverage:

• Follow Mashable Startups on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Startups channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

The startup, which launched in March 2009, posted the following infographic on its blog to celebrate the announcement Monday:

The infographic highlights, among other things:

• Accelerated growth over time: It took the startup five months to get its first 100,000 users and roughly seven weeks to get its last million.
• Its growing global reach: 358 million checkins have been made outside of the U.S.
• The most popular checkin locations in the U.S.: Old Navy, Bank of America, 7-Eleven, Home Depot and Target all top the list.
• A few fun facts: New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is also the Foursquare mayor of City Hall in NYC, and nearly 80,000 Foursquare mayors are ousted each day.

More About: foursquare

For more Startups coverage:

• Follow Mashable Startups on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Startups channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Plug into live video and radio streaming, access matches via iPad, iPhone and Android apps and follow play-by-play feeds of the tournament on Twitter and Facebook from now until the finals on July 3.

1. Radio, Live Blog

Follow the schedule of play on the official site, which also offers a live blog and a fantastic radio feed (for subtle workplace listening).

2. ESPN3 Online

ESPN3 offers free live video streaming with certain Internet service providers. Be ready to sign in with or create a username. The site supports major providers like Comcast, Time Warner and Verizon, among many others.

3. Apps

You may also choose to watch ESPN3 coverage via iPad, iPhone or Android apps.

4. NBC Online

NBC will begin live streaming the tournament on June 25 through the finals on July 3. Until then it will feature tournament-related video content on its site.

5. Twitter

Twitter users can the follow the official @Wimbledon feed. It has constant updates on matches, news and scores.

6. Facebook

Wimbledon on Facebook provides fewer updates but uploads awesome photo and video content.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, darklord_71

More About: apps, how to, livestream, social media, sports, tennis, video, watch, wimbledon, wimbledon 2011

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Plug into live video and radio streaming, access matches via iPad, iPhone and Android apps and follow play-by-play feeds of the tournament on Twitter and Facebook from now until the finals on July 3.

1. Radio, Live Blog

Follow the schedule of play on the official site, which also offers a live blog and a fantastic radio feed (for subtle workplace listening).

2. ESPN3 Online

ESPN3 offers free live video streaming with certain Internet service providers. Be ready to sign in with or create a username. The site supports major providers like Comcast, Time Warner and Verizon, among many others.

3. Apps

You may also choose to watch ESPN3 coverage via iPad, iPhone or Android apps.

4. NBC Online

NBC will begin live streaming the tournament on June 25 through the finals on July 3. Until then it will feature tournament-related video content on its site.

5. Twitter

Twitter users can the follow the official @Wimbledon feed. It has constant updates on matches, news and scores.

6. Facebook

Wimbledon on Facebook provides fewer updates but uploads awesome photo and video content.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, darklord_71

More About: apps, how to, livestream, social media, sports, tennis, video, watch, wimbledon, wimbledon 2011

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

I’m staring down at the unicorn of camcorders. To my knowledge, only seven other people in my home city of San Diego have one of these bad boys.

When Cisco announced in April that it would be shutting down its consumer products division, many knew that this would spell the end of the Flip video family of pocket camcorders. But lesser known was that the company was scheduled to release a new product the very next day. The demise of the Flip line created a quiet casualty in the form of the unreleased UltraLive, the industry’s first pocket camcorder to offer wireless transfer and content streaming.

The story of the Flip UltraLive began in 2009, when segment pioneer Pure Digital was purchased by Cisco. Immediate speculation arose that Cisco (a company known for networking, not camcorders) purchased the brand with the intent of integrating Wi-Fi into the popular camcorder line. The ignited rumors spread like wildfire through the industry, and every new product announced by the company came with speculation that it would contain wireless transfer capabilities. As the years dragged on with no solid proof of its development, the Wi-Fi rumors transformed into hushed undertones and soon became a type of fairytale bedtime story that I imagine product managers told their kids.

Until, once upon a time last January, FCC patent documentation was spotted for a new Flip video device, which — matching eager expectations — came equipped with 802.11 Wi-Fi. Shortly after, ecommerce distributors and accessory partner websites began listing the yet-to-be-released item’s part number prematurely as brick-and-mortar retailers Best Buy and Office Depot prepared for its arrival, even adding display signage for the new model.

All was set for the debut of the Flip UltraLive and the introduction of Wi-Fi to the pocket camcorder segment. That is, until Cisco discontinued the line on April 12 before it officially launched. Just as the UltraLive seemed destined to never see the light of day, Office Depot advertised the model in its Mother’s Day ad and was actually selling the item. So close to product launch, it’s likely that the division’s swift shut down happened too fast for retailers to react, and they therefore went about showcasing the limited quantity of the camcorder. Seeing the camcorder advertised was hard to believe, and after confirming its actual availability, my interest surrounding the model was taken to a new level. Knowing the history, its $219 sale price proved irresistible, and I quickly became part of the lucky seven to own a piece of unreleased and highly rumored camcorder history.

What Cisco Walked Away From

Much like the rest of the Flip family, the beauty of the Flip UltraLive lays in its simplicity. For many, the integration of Wi-Fi into a pocket camcorder is an already obsolete feature, given current smartphone technology.  Remembering that the original Flip was designed as a disposable “shoot and share” camcorder, there remains an aspect of portability and separation from your converged device that is somewhat comforting. The UltraLive’s non-threatening interface gives novices from grandparents to kids an easy way to connect and share their videos and enjoy being on the cutting edge of technology. 

Preloaded and ready to go, one simply has to connect the UltraLive’s flip-out USB arm to a computer, which launches the cloud-based FlipShare and FlipLive software and connects to social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, as well as wireless networks. In addition to home Wi-Fi networks, the UltraLive can connect to public hotspots and also link to mobile hotspots created by smartphones, letting one roam almost anywhere while streaming live video.

To stream live video, you press the Wi-Fi button, select desired contacts to share with, and then press the big red button to start recording. The friends and social network community that you choose quickly receive an email or text message letting them know you are streaming live. They then can click a link to join the cloud-based streaming action.

In addition to live streaming, the UltraLive can share more conventionally by sending a similar email to selected friends and family with a link to a previously recorded and stored video on FlipShare.

Would the UltraLive Have Mattered?

With the Flip line’s demise, the unreleased model’s live streaming capabilities are seemingly no longer supported, though you can still post and email non-live footage. Additionally, Cisco recently imposed a 30-day expiration date for its once limitless storage of posted videos on the FlipShare site.

While unique in its abilities as a camcorder, the capability to instantly post, share and even stream live video is not a new concept for many of our tech-savvy friends. Though a market continues to exist for its technology, the UltraLive did not fit into Cisco’s grand focus and therefore was never released. A company badgered for lack of focus and profitability sadly had to shed its weakest areas, which ironically meant the loss of the segment’s strongest player.

The Flip UltraLive itself is now simultaneously a sentimental relic of the past and a peek into the future. While I admit that, much like a good Star Wars toy, I had some hesitancy in opening the package, I remembered that its value as a collectable would be nothing if I never had the opportunity to experience what it does. The reality is that Wi-Fi will likely make its way into more pocket camcorders in the future, and the Flip UltraLive, although unreleased, represents the first of its kind.

More About: camcorders, cameras, Flip, gadgets, tech, video

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

• Follow Mashable Tech & Gadgets on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Tech & Gadgets channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

I’m staring down at the unicorn of camcorders. To my knowledge, only seven other people in my home city of San Diego have one of these bad boys.

When Cisco announced in April that it would be shutting down its consumer products division, many knew that this would spell the end of the Flip video family of pocket camcorders. But lesser known was that the company was scheduled to release a new product the very next day. The demise of the Flip line created a quiet casualty in the form of the unreleased UltraLive, the industry’s first pocket camcorder to offer wireless transfer and content streaming.

The story of the Flip UltraLive began in 2009, when segment pioneer Pure Digital was purchased by Cisco. Immediate speculation arose that Cisco (a company known for networking, not camcorders) purchased the brand with the intent of integrating Wi-Fi into the popular camcorder line. The ignited rumors spread like wildfire through the industry, and every new product announced by the company came with speculation that it would contain wireless transfer capabilities. As the years dragged on with no solid proof of its development, the Wi-Fi rumors transformed into hushed undertones and soon became a type of fairytale bedtime story that I imagine product managers told their kids.

Until, once upon a time last January, FCC patent documentation was spotted for a new Flip video device, which — matching eager expectations — came equipped with 802.11 Wi-Fi. Shortly after, ecommerce distributors and accessory partner websites began listing the yet-to-be-released item’s part number prematurely as brick-and-mortar retailers Best Buy and Office Depot prepared for its arrival, even adding display signage for the new model.

All was set for the debut of the Flip UltraLive and the introduction of Wi-Fi to the pocket camcorder segment. That is, until Cisco discontinued the line on April 12 before it officially launched. Just as the UltraLive seemed destined to never see the light of day, Office Depot advertised the model in its Mother’s Day ad and was actually selling the item. So close to product launch, it’s likely that the division’s swift shut down happened too fast for retailers to react, and they therefore went about showcasing the limited quantity of the camcorder. Seeing the camcorder advertised was hard to believe, and after confirming its actual availability, my interest surrounding the model was taken to a new level. Knowing the history, its $219 sale price proved irresistible, and I quickly became part of the lucky seven to own a piece of unreleased and highly rumored camcorder history.

What Cisco Walked Away From

Much like the rest of the Flip family, the beauty of the Flip UltraLive lays in its simplicity. For many, the integration of Wi-Fi into a pocket camcorder is an already obsolete feature, given current smartphone technology.  Remembering that the original Flip was designed as a disposable “shoot and share” camcorder, there remains an aspect of portability and separation from your converged device that is somewhat comforting. The UltraLive’s non-threatening interface gives novices from grandparents to kids an easy way to connect and share their videos and enjoy being on the cutting edge of technology. 

Preloaded and ready to go, one simply has to connect the UltraLive’s flip-out USB arm to a computer, which launches the cloud-based FlipShare and FlipLive software and connects to social networks like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, as well as wireless networks. In addition to home Wi-Fi networks, the UltraLive can connect to public hotspots and also link to mobile hotspots created by smartphones, letting one roam almost anywhere while streaming live video.

To stream live video, you press the Wi-Fi button, select desired contacts to share with, and then press the big red button to start recording. The friends and social network community that you choose quickly receive an email or text message letting them know you are streaming live. They then can click a link to join the cloud-based streaming action.

In addition to live streaming, the UltraLive can share more conventionally by sending a similar email to selected friends and family with a link to a previously recorded and stored video on FlipShare.

Would the UltraLive Have Mattered?

With the Flip line’s demise, the unreleased model’s live streaming capabilities are seemingly no longer supported, though you can still post and email non-live footage. Additionally, Cisco recently imposed a 30-day expiration date for its once limitless storage of posted videos on the FlipShare site.

While unique in its abilities as a camcorder, the capability to instantly post, share and even stream live video is not a new concept for many of our tech-savvy friends. Though a market continues to exist for its technology, the UltraLive did not fit into Cisco’s grand focus and therefore was never released. A company badgered for lack of focus and profitability sadly had to shed its weakest areas, which ironically meant the loss of the segment’s strongest player.

The Flip UltraLive itself is now simultaneously a sentimental relic of the past and a peek into the future. While I admit that, much like a good Star Wars toy, I had some hesitancy in opening the package, I remembered that its value as a collectable would be nothing if I never had the opportunity to experience what it does. The reality is that Wi-Fi will likely make its way into more pocket camcorders in the future, and the Flip UltraLive, although unreleased, represents the first of its kind.

More About: camcorders, cameras, Flip, gadgets, tech, video

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

• Follow Mashable Tech & Gadgets on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Tech & Gadgets channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Troubled musician Amy Winehouse is blowing up on YouTube — but for all the wrong reasons.

On Saturday, the singer — who has long-struggled with drug and alcohol abuse — attempted to perform at a festival in Belgrade, Serbia. The 27-year old, best known for her 2006 album, Back to Black, struggled to keep her balance, use her microphone and remember the lyrics of her own songs. The crowd was initially on her side, but eventually they tired of Winehouse’s antics and booed her off stage.

Winehouse’s management must be looking forward to the day when Apple’s technology to prevent bootleg recordings kicks in. But in this age of online video, pocket HD cameras and instant access, the trainwreck was recorded for posterity and uploaded to YouTube. More than one concert goer recorded the set and uploaded the clips, seen below.

We hope Winehouse is able to get the help that she needs to get her life and her career back on track.

Image courtesy of Flickr user Fyunkie

Amy Winehouse, Start “Just Friends”

Amy Winehouse, “Just Friends”

Amy Winehouse, “Back To Black”

Amy Winehouse, “Back To Black”

Amy Winehouse, “Valerie”

Amy Winehouse, “Valerie”

Amy Winehous, “You Know I’m No Good”

Amy Winehouse, “You Know That I’m No Good”

Amy Winehouse, “Love Is A Losing Game”

Amy Winehouse, “Love Is A Losing Game”

Amy Winehouse, “Addicted”

Amy Winehouse, “Tears Dry On Their Own”

Amy Winehouse, “Some Unholy War”

More About: amy winehouse, rehab, trainwreck, video

For more Video coverage:

• Follow Mashable Video on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Video channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Troubled musician Amy Winehouse is blowing up on YouTube — but for all the wrong reasons.

On Saturday, the singer — who has long-struggled with drug and alcohol abuse — attempted to perform at a festival in Belgrade, Serbia. The 27-year old, best known for her 2006 album, Back to Black, struggled to keep her balance, use her microphone and remember the lyrics of her own songs. The crowd was initially on her side, but eventually they tired of Winehouse’s antics and booed her off stage.

Winehouse’s management must be looking forward to the day when Apple’s technology to prevent bootleg recordings kicks in. But in this age of online video, pocket HD cameras and instant access, the trainwreck was recorded for posterity and uploaded to YouTube. More than one concert goer recorded the set and uploaded the clips, seen below.

We hope Winehouse is able to get the help that she needs to get her life and her career back on track.

Image courtesy of Flickr user Fyunkie

Amy Winehouse, Start “Just Friends”

Amy Winehouse, “Just Friends”

Amy Winehouse, “Back To Black”

Amy Winehouse, “Back To Black”

Amy Winehouse, “Valerie”

Amy Winehouse, “Valerie”

Amy Winehous, “You Know I’m No Good”

Amy Winehouse, “You Know That I’m No Good”

Amy Winehouse, “Love Is A Losing Game”

Amy Winehouse, “Love Is A Losing Game”

Amy Winehouse, “Addicted”

Amy Winehouse, “Tears Dry On Their Own”

Amy Winehouse, “Some Unholy War”

More About: amy winehouse, rehab, trainwreck, video

For more Video coverage:

• Follow Mashable Video on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Video channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Think your city is the most social media savvy in the world? Tell us why, and you could win a fabulous prize pack for your local Social Media Day celebration.

On June 30, thousands of web enthusiasts will come together for this global recognition of the technological advancements that enable everyone to connect with real-time information, communicate from miles apart and have their voices heard. Last year, there were 600 Meetups in 93 different countries. In 2011, organizers are already planning for even bigger and better events.

We’re so excited about Social Media Day that we thought we’d recognize one city that’s super passionate about social. Tell us why your city is the most social media savvy, and we’ll send a MashPack to the writer of the most inspired response. In addition to the glory of living in the most social city, the winner will receive a MashPack with stickers, water bottles, tote bags and more to liven up his or her hometown event.

For updates on how the events are taking shape, follow our @mashsmday Twitter account or visit our Facebook fan page. Haven’t found your #SMDay celebration yet? Check out what’s happening in your city on the map below.

How To Enter the Contest:

• Tweet your city and why it’s the most social with the hashtag #smday and a link to this post, OR
• Tell us your city and why it’s the most social in the comments below and like this post on Facebook

Submit your answer by Wednesday, June 22, at 12 p.m. ET. Please use your real identity in the submission so that we may contact you via email, Twitter or Facebook to let you know you’ve won. This contest is limited to residents of the U.S., UK, Canada (excluding the Province of Quebec), France and Germany who are 18 and older. Please read our full contest rules here.

Find a Social Media Day Meetup Near You »

More About: Contests, mashpack, meetup, prize, social media, social media day

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Think your city is the most social media savvy in the world? Tell us why, and you could win a fabulous prize pack for your local Social Media Day celebration.

On June 30, thousands of web enthusiasts will come together for this global recognition of the technological advancements that enable everyone to connect with real-time information, communicate from miles apart and have their voices heard. Last year, there were 600 Meetups in 93 different countries. In 2011, organizers are already planning for even bigger and better events.

We’re so excited about Social Media Day that we thought we’d recognize one city that’s super passionate about social. Tell us why your city is the most social media savvy, and we’ll send a MashPack to the writer of the most inspired response. In addition to the glory of living in the most social city, the winner will receive a MashPack with stickers, water bottles, tote bags and more to liven up his or her hometown event.

For updates on how the events are taking shape, follow our @mashsmday Twitter account or visit our Facebook fan page. Haven’t found your #SMDay celebration yet? Check out what’s happening in your city on the map below.

How To Enter the Contest:

• Tweet your city and why it’s the most social with the hashtag #smday and a link to this post, OR
• Tell us your city and why it’s the most social in the comments below and like this post on Facebook

Submit your answer by Wednesday, June 22, at 12 p.m. ET. Please use your real identity in the submission so that we may contact you via email, Twitter or Facebook to let you know you’ve won. This contest is limited to residents of the U.S., UK, Canada (excluding the Province of Quebec), France and Germany who are 18 and older. Please read our full contest rules here.

Find a Social Media Day Meetup Near You »

More About: Contests, mashpack, meetup, prize, social media, social media day

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Club Penguin, the popular virtual world for kids, is missing in action. The Walt Disney Company, the site’s owner, failed to renew the domain name in a timely fashion.

The Club Penguin domain, according to WHOIS information for the site, expired one week ago on June 13. It was taken offline Monday morning.

As a result, some of the site’s more than 12 million users awoke to a generic domain renewal page instead of the Club Penguin site and took to Twitter and social media channels to chatter about their disappointment.

Club Penguin users, fear not. The site has not been hacked, nor has it been shut down. In fact, Disney has renewed its registration, and the Club Penguin blog reassures users that its MMORPG is back up for most players and will be available soon for others.

Founded in 2005, Club Penguin was acquired by Disney in 2007 for up to $700 million — $350 million in cash and up to $350 million more based on performance targets.

More About: club penguin, disney, domain registration, domain renewal

For more Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Club Penguin, the popular virtual world for kids, is missing in action. The Walt Disney Company, the site’s owner, failed to renew the domain name in a timely fashion.

The Club Penguin domain, according to WHOIS information for the site, expired one week ago on June 13. It was taken offline Monday morning.

As a result, some of the site’s more than 12 million users awoke to a generic domain renewal page instead of the Club Penguin site and took to Twitter and social media channels to chatter about their disappointment.

Club Penguin users, fear not. The site has not been hacked, nor has it been shut down. In fact, Disney has renewed its registration, and the Club Penguin blog reassures users that its MMORPG is back up for most players and will be available soon for others.

Founded in 2005, Club Penguin was acquired by Disney in 2007 for up to $700 million — $350 million in cash and up to $350 million more based on performance targets.

More About: club penguin, disney, domain registration, domain renewal

For more Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Take a look at our gallery of Google doodles for Father’s Day, going all the way back to the year 2000.

This year, Google wishes dads all over the world a happy Father’s Day with a simple design, an embossed tie that resembles the style we saw in the company’s Mother’s Day doodle.

While we were hoping for something as spectacular as that Les Paul interactive doodle that turned us all into quasi-musicians, this one’s simple and understated elegance is still quite pleasant.

The necktie is a recurring theme for Google doodles on this day, but that’s not all — there’s a range of creative creations on display in our gallery of Father’s Day doodles from the past decade:

Happy Father’s Day 2010

Happy Father’s Day 2009

Happy Father’s Day 2008

Happy Father’s Day 2007

Happy Father’s Day 2006

Happy Father’s Day 2005

Happy Father’s Day 2004

Happy Father’s Day 2003

Happy Father’s Day 2002

Happy Father’s Day 2001

Happy Father’s Day 2000

More About: Father’s Day, google doodles, Happy Father’s Day

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

• Follow Mashable Tech & Gadgets on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Tech & Gadgets channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

There’s no easy way to find out or explain the size of the web.

After all, though there are a few governing bodies and consortia, there’s no real central control system for the Internet. No one really knows with 100% certainty exactly how many websites exist, for example, or how many new websites are set up each day.

However, a few organizations do make it their business to keep an eye on the domain names that make up the Internet as the web continues its rapid sprawl throughout the infinite expanses of cyberspace. Although their data isn’t infallible, it does give us a pretty good idea of the size and growth of the web.

We’ve gathered information from a few of these sources and created some handy graphics below to help put it all in perspective.

How Old Is the Web?

The oldest currently registered URL is Symbolics.com, which was registered March 15, 1985. Other notable domains in the first 10 registered URLs include Northrop.com, Xerox.com, and HP.com, all registered in 1985. [source: WhoIs.com]

Who Registers the Web’s Domains?

GoDaddy is the largest ICANN registrar of domain names, controlling almost a third of the total market and almost half of domains from the top ten registrars. Enom, Tucows, and Network Solutions are next in line, with 5-9% each. [source: WebHosting.info]

How Many TLDs Exist?

A top-level domain (TLD) is the part of the URL that comes after the dot. There are currently 324 TLDs. 291 of these are country codes. Only 5 TLDs (.com, .net, .biz, .info and .org) are unrestricted and unreserved for specific types of sites. [source: IANA]

How Fast Is the Web Growing?

Just how fast is the web growing? In 2009, around 3.7 million new domains were registered each month. As of June 2011, it’s not uncommon for 150,000 new domains to be registered with generic TLDs alone in a single day. [sources: VeriSign and DailyChanges.com]

How Big Is the Web?

How many websites are there? That’s a difficult question to answer, because there’s no central control system for the Internet. Here are some tidbits we do know:

• In 1992, fewer than 15,000 .com URLs had been registered.
• By 1998, Google said it was indexing 26 million pages.
• By 2007, one survey of the web found .
• In 2008, Google revealed it was indexing 1 trillion unique URLs.

[graphic source: Netcraft]

Top image based on a photograph from iStockphoto user Petrovich9.

More About: domain name, godaddy, hostname, how big is the web, how many websites, server, TLD, top leve domain, url

For more Dev & Design coverage:

• Follow Mashable Dev & Design on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Dev & Design channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Clarence Clemons died Saturday night at the age of 69, immediately followed by an outpouring of grief and remembrance worldwide.

The E Street Band saxophonist, known as the “Big Man,” was revered for his big tenor sax sound, giant stature, and larger-than-life charisma, playing in his inimitable soulful style next to Bruce Springsteen for nearly four decades. He was seen most recently on Lady Gaga‘s new video, “Edge of Glory.”

Expressions of love and loss were trending on Twitter (#ripclarenceclemons) and dominating the discussion across the rest of the Internet, as fans remembered Clarence Clemons and his music.

Bruce Springsteen mourned the loss of his esteemed colleague and longtime friend in a statement:

“Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band.”

Rest in peace, Big Man. You’ll be sorely missed.

A group of videos to remember the beloved Big Man:

Clarence Clemons: Twilight of the ‘Big Man’

The Big Man of the E Street Band speaks out on music, the glory days and his intense connection with Bruce Springsteen. (Nov. 12)

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – Jungleland (PROSHOT)

Filmed at Hard Rock Calling 2009, Hyde Park, London, UK. 28-6-2009

Clarence Clemons Plays The National Anthem April 1, 2011

At the Florida Marlins opening day game against the NY Mets.

Clarence Clemons on Letterman

Somebody had to be the Big Man. The star of the E Street Band (if you don’t count Danny, Gary, Max, Roy, Patty, Steve and that other guy).

Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run

Music video by Bruce Springsteen performing Born To Run. (C) 1982 Bruce Springsteen

Sherry Darlin’- Bruce Springsteen & Clarence Clemons

Bruce Springsteen introduces & has fun on stage with Clarence Clemons

Bruce Springsteen – Paradise By The C (Live 1978)

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – Paradise By The C at Capital Center in Landover, Maryland on August 15/1978

Bruce Springsteen – The Ties That Bind – Frankfurt 2009-07-03 CLOSEUP

Bruce is bloody awesome, go to his concerts!

Bruce Springsteen – Glory Days

Music video by Bruce Springsteen performing Glory Days. (C) 1985 Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen – The Promised Land

1978-08-15 – Landover.

Image courtesy YouTube/Bruce83Filming

More About: bruce springsteen, Clarence Clemons, E Street Band, RIP Clarence Clemons, twitter

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Each weekend, Mashable handpicks a few startups that we think are building interesting, unique or niche products.

This time we’ve curated a collection of applications that should come in handy the next time you’re planning a hotel stay, interested in promoting your digital prowess or looking to list your events calendar in a social way.

We like Infostripe as a simple way to create a mobile-friendly microsite that represents our web presences, and FYi Fly is a nifty interactive calendar app for the social butterflies among us. Then there’s Bedmap, a hotel search engine that makes mapping out future road trips a breeze.

Infostripe: Mobile-Friendly Personal Landing Pages

Quick Pitch: Create customizable infostripes to show off your tweets, blog posts, Facebook updates, YouTube videos and more.

Genius Idea: Simple, mobile-friendly personal splash pages..

Mashable’s Take: Infostripe is a slightly different interpretation of a personal landing page tool, similar in nature to About.me or Flavors. Where Infostripe differs is in its focus on simplicity and mobile.

“The founding motivation for Infostripe was to create a unique mobile-ready and shareable website that anyone could set up regardless of their skill level,” creator Harold Fudge tells Mashable.

You can use your Infostripe to represent your entire presence on the web by including linked icons for as many as 200 social sites, or by featuring your recent status updates, videos and photos.

You can also optionally include contact information and turn your Infostripe into a digital business card, or choose to collect web content on any subject matter in a notebook-like fashion.

Bedmap: Map-Based Hotel Search

Quick Pitch: Bedmap is a map-based search tool for finding hotels.

Genius Idea: Making finding hotels for road trips more manageable.

Mashable’s Take: Many hotel sites tack maps on to their search result pages to highlight hotel locations, but Bedmap makes the map the focus of its site.

Bedmap offers users a simple, fast and elegant map-based interface — with appropriate filters for desired amenities — for viewing hotels and rates by destination. Because of its map-centric approach, Bedmap could prove especially useful for those in search of road-side hotels on their summer road trips.

The Toronto-based startup was founded in January and gets its listings and reviews from global hotel database partners Hotels.com and TripAdvisor.

FYi Fly: Facebook-Infused Social Calendar for Your Site

Quick Pitch: FYi Fly is a social event listing site and calendar widget for your site with Facebook integration.

Genius Idea: A slick social calendar for your website or blog.

Mashable’s Take: FYi Fly is a convenient little calendar application designed for event organizers and attendees alike.

Use the tool to build out your social calendar, customize the size and look of the widget and then grab the embed code to list your upcoming events on your site.

Visitors who mark that they’re attending your events via the widget will also post their attendance to their Facebook walls, further promoting your events. You can even encourage event attendees to add their own photos and comments to your events.

Altogether, FYi Fly is as pretty and functional as anything we’ve seen in the social events startup category.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, fotoVoyager

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

More About: Bedmap, bizspark, FYi Fly, infostripe, spark-of-genius, Startup Weekend Roundup

For more Startups coverage:

• Follow Mashable Startups on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Startups channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

This week’s roundup delivers news, advice and trends aplenty. Searching for the next Facebook? Nervous about the security of mobile payment options? Eager to incorporate game-like incentives into your workplace? We’re here to satisfy your curiosity and fill you in on all that you may have missed this week.

Looking for even more social media resources? This guide appears every weekend, and you can check out all the lists-gone-by here any time.

Editors’ Picks

• HOW TO: Land a Job at Google
  Advice on getting a job at Google, straight from the horse’s mouth.
• HOW TO: Use Social Media for Recruiting
  Here are tips and innovative examples to help you find top talent on social networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
• Why Mobile Payments Are the Safest Solution for Online Transactions
  Because phone numbers aren’t tied to bank accounts, mobile transactions are proving to be secure.
• Why Top Brands Are Investing So Much Time In a Social Media Leaderboard
  Is Empire Avenue, a self-described social exchange, slated to become the next Facebook or Twitter? We talked with top brand managers and power users to find out.
• 10 Instagram Tips For Bands, By Bands
  With Instagram, it’s easier than ever to create a highly visual tour diary to sate the appetite of your friends and followers.
• How Social Media Is Fueling the Food Truck Phenomenon
  Food trucks experienced a boom just as the economy started to tank. Social media has played a huge role in making the trucks more accessible as they develop a loyal community.

Social Media

• 10 Must-Follow Fake Twitter Celebs [PICS]
  Take a look at the top ten fake Twitter personas from the world of celebrity.
• How Cities Are Using Web Video To Take Control of Their Public Image
  Just as media and entertainment have evolved in the social media era, so too have civic organizations taken advantage of networking tools to better the perceptions of their communities.
• How 3 Mashable Fans Are Celebrating Social Media Day
  A look at how three people are planning for Social Media Day 2011.
• The Voice: How a TV Show Became a 24/7 Social Media Conversation
  “The Voice” might be the most social and digitally integrated show on television, and ratings indicate the risks are paying off. Here’s a look behind the scenes of its digital strategy.
• 5 Innovative Ways to Teach Your Skills Online
  Several platforms have launched within the last two years that democratize teaching. Here are five tools for teaching your skills online.
• Get a Job in Social Media, Community Management or Online Sales
  If you’re looking for a gig in social media, we’re here to help.
• 3 Social Publishing Apps That Empower Human Curators
  So much technology is focused on replacing humans. These startups aim to value human editorial input to make sense of the web.
• How Non-Profit Organizations Are Bolstering Citizen Media Around the World
  Citizen journalists can tell the stories that major media outlets often miss, and there are organizations around the world dedicated to keeping this trend alive and well.
• Post Weinergate: 10 More People Who Lost Jobs Over Social Media Mistakes
  In the last few years we’ve seen dozens of instances where individuals, celebrities, athletes and politicians have lost their jobs or been forced to resign because of content posted to Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.
• 10 Ways Angry Birds Is Taking Over the World
  We’ve gathered proof that Angry Birds has transcended almost every corner of the gaming world — not to mention, cooking!
• 10 Excellent Free eCards for Father’s Day
  Whatever your relationship with your dad, we’ve got a card to suit — all of them free!
• Top 10 Harry Potter Spoofs [VIDEOS]
  We thought it would be a good time to take a look back at all the great Harry Potter spoofs, parodies, mashups and comedy songs created by both fans and critics.
• How Digital Media Is Changing the Sports Experience
  A generation ago, fans rooted for teams. Now we’re knee deep in the lives and careers of individual players. What’s changed, and how has the social web affected our relationship to sports?
• America According to Twitter: U.S. City Names Remixed [INFOGRAPHIC]
  If Twitter users named U.S. cities, what would Americans be calling their hometowns right now? This infographic will show you.

For more social media news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s social media channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

---

Tech & Mobile

---

• 5 Gadgets We’re Playing With This Week
  Mashable reviews the Sound Freaq SFQ-01, MSi GT683 Gaming Notebook, Soundmatters foxL v2.2 Bluetooth Speaker, The Lark and Samsung Chromebook Series 5 3G Notebook.
• 7 Boilerplates, Templates & Resets for a Fresh Start
  Every web developer has a set of tools to help them get the job done quickly and well. Here are seven boilerplates, templates and resets to get you started.
• 4 Fun Apps for Foodies, Savers & Travelers
  We’ve chosen applications and services specifically for the foodies, travelers, deal-lovers and nightlife-goers among us.
• One Speaker Dock for the Entire iOS Family
  As long as you’re not looking to crank the volume up to 11, the JBL OnBeat makes a good addition to an iOS family.
• The Future of Voice Search
  The emergence of a new technology is helping smartphone users easily find information without having to fiddle with tiny keyboards.
• 10 Clever Laptop Cooling Solutions [PICS]
  Whether it’s a desktop fan stand or simply a pad to prevent your thighs from getting too toasty, there are options for everyone.
• Samsung’s Droid Charge Delivers on the Promise of 4G LTE
  The Droid Charge might not be the best-specced phone on the market, but paired with Verizon’s 4G LTE network, it has some of the best data speeds we’ve seen.
• HOW TO: Optimize Marketing Copy For Mobile
  Presenting copy on the mobile web requires a whole new set of considerations. Check out these tips for making your content as impactful as possible.
• 5 Mobile Apps Trying To Do Some Social Good [VIDEOS]
  Applications for Good challenged developers to make an app for social good. Check out the five winners right here.
• 100+ Gadgets & Accessories to Make Your Soul-Crushing Office More Fun
  Even if you’re lucky enough to enjoy your job, spending time in a boring office can be dull. Here at Mashable, we believe a fun workplace with some stylish touches can make all the difference.
• New HTC Sensation 4G Brings Dual-Core Goodness to T-Mobile
  We review T-Mobile’s HTC Sensation 4G — how its construction, battery life and speed stack up to the competition.
• 10 Stunning iPhone Bird Photos
  From penguins to pigeons, from the countryside to the sidewalk, here are 10 beautiful bird-themed images captured by iPhotographers from all over the world.
• See the World & Plan Your Next Trip With This iPhone App
  SpotWorld takes a hybrid mobile and social approach to reinventing the age-old concept of travel guides.
• Who Is Winning & Losing in the Tech Talent Wars? [INFOGRAPHIC]
  There’s an arms race in the world of tech. Who’s nabbing the best developers, and who’s seeing a massive brain drain?
• 3 Issues Hindering the Spread of Connected TV
  There are a few important reasons why connected TV hasn’t hit the mainstream, and it’s all about economics and technology.
• More Dads Own Nintendo Wiis Than Other Consoles [INFOGRAPHIC]
  Before you rush out and buy Dad a video game for Father’s Day, check out this infographic.

For more tech news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s tech channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

---

Business & Marketing

---

• Exclusive: Who Won The E3 Buzz Battle? [INFOGRAPHIC]
  Now that Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft have sung their spiels at E3, Webtrends shows us which one got the most buzz during the week.
• HOW TO: Land a Job at Google
  Advice on getting a job at Google, straight from the horse’s mouth.
• 4 Tips For Interviewing Long-Distance Job Candidates
  We’ve spoken to some experts in the area to bring you professional tips for how to successfully interview over long distances.
• How Much Money Should Your Startup Raise?
  There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of different strategies.
• Watch It Later: Squrl Is Your Video Queue on the Web, iOS & Apple TV
  Squrl, a video curation platform for watching videos on your own time.
• HOW TO: Get Started With the COMPASS CSS Framework
  CSS can be a pain, but the open-source framework COMPASS can help. We’ll give you a quick introduction to how COMPASS works, and some tips on how to make it work for you.
• Could Game Mechanics Turn Work Into Play? [INFOGRAPHIC]
  Could a few game-like incentives in the workplace be a better motivator for employees? Here’s how games and business might work together.
• 8 Superior WordPress Plug-ins for eCommerce
  To help small businesses establish their online presence, we’ve generated a list of great ecommerce plug-ins that function with WordPress.
• 7 Ingenious Resumes That Will Make You Rethink Your CV
  Want to stand out from the crowd of applicants? Check out these 6 impressive resumes to get you motivated.
• 4 Rules of Engagement for Mobile Marketing
  Brands need to get smart about how they approach mobile marketing. Here are four cardinal rules.

For more business news and resources, you can follow Mashable’s business channel on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

---



Image courtesy of Flickr, webtreats

More About: business, facebook, Features Week In Review, gadgets, Lists, Mobile 2.0, social good, social media, tech, technology, twitter

For more Social Media coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Media channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad









]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/47-new-digital-media-resources-you-may-have-missed/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/indian-village-changes-its-name-to-snapdeal-com-nagar-pics/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/indian-village-changes-its-name-to-snapdeal-com-nagar-pics/#comments Sun, 19 Jun 2011 18:50:31 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/wordpress/indian-village-changes-its-name-to-snapdeal-com-nagar-pics/






A village in northern India has changed its name from that of a god to SnapDeal.com Nagar. The tiny town had good reason to, because SnapDeal, India’s version of Groupon, provided it with fresh water.

SnapDeal’s founder Kunal Bahl wanted to do something good with his company’s burgeoning profits, so like Bill Gates and his philanthropic efforts, the 28-year-old CEO looked for an opportunity where he could have the most bang for the buck.

His answer? Water. He found out that a mere $5,000 would install 15 hand pumps that would make it so the villagers wouldn’t have to walk nearly two miles just to get clean water. The result was life-changing, Bahl told CNN.

The villagers were so grateful for the SnapDeal.com-branded pumps distributed throughout the city, they decided to change the name of their village, formerly known as Shiv Nagar (named after the Hindu god Shiva), to SnapDeal.com Nagar.

Kunal Bahl hints at more such philanthropy in the works by his bustling New Delhi-based business, the largest daily deal retailer in India, according to the SnapDeal.com blog. When asked if this was a marketing or PR gimmick, he replied,

“All we can say is that time will show our commitment to this project and even the things we do in the future. You need not be a multibillionaire company to make a change in society around you. This project was not about the power of money but the intent and efforts which our team took to give this dream alive. Even if one small company takes inspiration from this, we will feel our efforts have borne fruit.”





SnapDeal.com Nagar, India










SnapDeal.com Nagar, India










SnapDeal.com Nagar, India










SnapDeal.com Nagar, India






Graphics courtesy SnapDeal.com

More About: Kunal Bahl, snapdeals.com, social good

For more Social Good coverage:

• Follow Mashable Social Good on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Social Good channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad









]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/indian-village-changes-its-name-to-snapdeal-com-nagar-pics/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/are-samsung%e2%80%99s-mobile-designs-really-that-similar-to-apple%e2%80%99s-pics/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/are-samsung%e2%80%99s-mobile-designs-really-that-similar-to-apple%e2%80%99s-pics/#comments Sun, 19 Jun 2011 18:50:31 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/wordpress/are-samsung%e2%80%99s-mobile-designs-really-that-similar-to-apple%e2%80%99s-pics/




Apple has amended and expanded its intellectual property right complaint against Samsung to include more products and more patents.

In April, Apple filed suit against the Korean giant, alleging that products like the Galaxy S series of smartphones and the original Galaxy Tab copied the look and feel of Apple products, violating the Cupertino company’s patents and intellectual property.

In the amended complaint, Apple has added a number of handsets — including Droid Charge 4G (which Mashable recently reviewed) and the Galaxy S II.

We decided to take a look at some of the Samsung products Apple claims violate its intellectual property to see just how similar the design and UI aesthetic is to the big fruit.





The Original iPhone






Apple released the first iPhone in June 2007. The mobile world was turned on its head and the aesthetics and designs of mobile phones and operating systems was forever changed.





Samsung BlackJack 2






This is the smartphone Samsung was selling in 2007, the BlackJack 2.





Samsung Galaxy S






This is the Samsung Galaxy S, which debuted in 2010.

Look like anything you’ve seen before?





The iPhone 3G






Released in 2008, the iPhone 3G differed only slightly from its predecessor but had a slightly different back/side-housing.





Samsung Showcase i500






The Samsung Showcase i500 was released in 2011 and shares similarities with the form factor and aesthetic of the iPhone 3G.





The iPhone 3GS






Released in 2009, the iPhone 3GS looks identical to the iPhone 3G, but was significantly faster under the hood.





Verizon Droid Charge






Apple recently amended its lawsuit against Samsung to include the recently released Droid Charge in the list of infringing devices.





Sprint Epic 4G






Sprint’s version of the Galaxy S was the only version to include a slide-out keyboard. Nevertheless, Apple still included the Epic 4G in its list of infringing devices.





The Nexus S 4G






Google’s Nexus S and Nexus S 4G devices have a curved glass screen but also share a similar shape and icon layout as the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS series.





Galaxy S Captivate






The application bar in the TouchWiz interface in the Galaxy S Captivate from AT&T bears more than a passing resemblance to Apple’s iOS.





Galaxy S 4G






T-Mobile’s Galaxy S 4G shares lots of similarities with earlier iPhone devices

.





Galaxy S Vibrant






T-Mobile’s first Galaxy S device, the Vibrant, also shares a similar body style as the iPhone 3GS.





iPhone 4






Apple released the iPhone 4 in June 2010. It’s industrial design was unlike anything else on the market.





Galaxy S II






The Galaxy S II is starting to hit stores in Europe and Asia and the well-reviewed smartphone looks very similar to the iPhone 4.





AT&T Infuse 4G






Likewise, AT&T’s Infuse 4G looks very similar to the body style and button layout as the iPhone 4.





The iPad






The iPad was first released in March 2010 and managed to reboot the entire tablet PC market.

The design, which many criticized as simply being an oversized iPod touch, was unlike any other tablet computer on the market.





Galaxy Tab 4G






Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Tab 4G was originally released in a 7″ form factor.

Slower than expected sales convinced Samsung to reconsider their size strategy.





iPad 2






The iPad 2 was released in March 2011 and has managed to sell out in every market.

Thinner than its predecessor, while still retaining the same beautiful screen, the devices is currently dominating the tablet market.





Galaxy Tab 10.1






Samsung went back to the drawing board and re-designed the Galaxy Tab 10.1 after showing it off at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February, 2011.

The final version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is thin — Samsung claims it’s thinner than the iPad 2 — and it certainly looks similar to the Apple device.

[via MacRumors]

More About: apple, galaxy s, galaxy tab, ipad, iphone, lawsuits, patent lawsuit theater, samsung

For more Mobile coverage:

• Follow Mashable Mobile on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Mobile channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad









]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/are-samsung%e2%80%99s-mobile-designs-really-that-similar-to-apple%e2%80%99s-pics/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/how-dad%e2%80%99s-music-indicates-what-you-listen-to-today-infographic/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/how-dad%e2%80%99s-music-indicates-what-you-listen-to-today-infographic/#comments Sun, 19 Jun 2011 18:50:31 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/wordpress/how-dad%e2%80%99s-music-indicates-what-you-listen-to-today-infographic/




Do dads really have an influence on the musical tastes of their offspring? This amusing flowchart, created for Father’s Day in honor of dads who rock, predicts the kind of music you prefer by the tunes your father listened to when you were growing up.

However, as a parent, I realize that many times my influence on my teenager has an opposite effect. So the music Dad listened to probably influenced your musical tastes, but if you’re a rebellious contrarian, that exposure might have convinced you to seek out music that’s exactly opposite. Sounds like fodder for another infographic.

SEE ALSO: 10 Excellent Free eCards for Father’s Day

If you’re lucky, your dad exposed you to a variety of music during your formative years, giving you instant familiarity with lots of the music you hear in today’s media-saturated environment. That musical prowess would be yet another blessing to thank your dear old dad for on Father’s Day.



Infographic courtesy Sonos, image courtesy of iStockphoto

More About: Father’s Day, infographic, media, music, musical taste, trending

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

• Follow Mashable Tech & Gadgets on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Tech & Gadgets channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad









]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/how-dad%e2%80%99s-music-indicates-what-you-listen-to-today-infographic/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/first-generation-gps-comic/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/first-generation-gps-comic/#comments Sun, 19 Jun 2011 18:50:31 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/wordpress/first-generation-gps-comic/ This is why I’m not an early adopter.






Mashable Comics are illustrated every week by Kiersten Essenpreis, a New York-based artist who draws and blogs at YouFail.com.

---

More Mashable Comics:

---

– It Was All Just a Huge Misunderstanding
– HOW TO: Parent a Digital Native
– Internet Drama
– The Earliest Social Network Ever Discovered
– The 19th Annual Internet Meme Convention

More About: Christopher Columbus, comics, gps, history, humor, mashable comics, tech

For more Tech & Gadgets coverage:

• Follow Mashable Tech & Gadgets on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Tech & Gadgets channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad









]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/first-generation-gps-comic/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/new-ipad-2-ad-pushes-all-the-right-buttons-video/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/new-ipad-2-ad-pushes-all-the-right-buttons-video/#comments Sun, 19 Jun 2011 18:50:30 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/wordpress/new-ipad-2-ad-pushes-all-the-right-buttons-video/

Why is Apple so successful? Discover a few clues in this new iPad 2 ad the company premiered late Friday. Leave it to Apple to show us in a mere 30 seconds how the world has been turned upside down — not necessarily by the iPad, but you might infer that after you’ve seen this commercial.

On a personal note, I produced and directed television ads for a long time in a previous life, and I can’t help but admire the stagecraft here. Of course, the spot covers all the bases with its soothing piano music lulling you into compliance, showing the product on the screen the entire time with warm and complementary color palettes as backdrops, demonstrating the product in use, and appealing to the emotions — all with extraordinary production values.

SEE ALSO: The 10 Best “Get a Mac” Ads


It pushes all the right buttons, and then takes it one step beyond. Peter Coyote‘s pitch-perfect voice-over performance sells it, aided by a script that comes close to taking responsibility for the astonishing ways the world has changed. How’s that? “Now, we can watch a newspaper, listen to a magazine, curl up with a movie, see a phone call.” Yes, you can do those things with other tablets, but Apple has a subtle way of taking credit for such things without even having to say so.

It’s an art. Apple’s good at it. It hasn’t always been so. Here’s a gallery of more Apple spots to show you the evolution of this finely tuned propaganda machine:

BONUS: Vintage Mac Ads That Time Forgot





1. Alligators




What’s a good euphemism for the cutthroat world of business? Oh yeah… alligators. Thank goodness someone boats in with a Mac, although we’re not convinced with the whole water + electronics sends the right message safety-wise. Unless they were suggesting a new way to really eliminate the competition.





2. Homemaker




Here talk show host Dick Cavett becomes the first celeb to advertise for Apple, although with his blatant sexism we’re not sure he’s quite a poster boy for the brand. And since career-minded women were featured regularly in early Apple ads, it suggests the female market was a target audience. However, we’re not convinced that calling a computer “the appliance of the 80s” would have made that many rush out and buy one.





3. 20th Anniversary Mac




With its unusual design the limited edition T.A.M. was a love it or hate it machine. Although it’s now a collector’s item, at the time its high price tag made it a commercial flop, and after seeing this overblown ad, we’re not surprised.





4. Kevin Costner




This shows how much times have changed since the early 80s for Apple. In this case, there’s a lot less Kevin Costner and pit bulls. Made in the days before it was branded a “Mac,” it’s interesting to hear the slogan about the two kinds of people in the world, “those who use computers and those who use Apples.” This soon changed for good when the Macintosh line came along. And really how many times have you heard someone say they “use an Apple?” Exactly.





5. The Personal Computer




Just try and follow the complex train of thought here. And while we’re on the topic, what’s with the lame sound effects?





6. Newton – Restaurant




So the message here is to get a Newton in case the person you’re having lunch with turns out to be some kind of psychopath? Huh? And FYI — if you’ve interviewed a hundred people for one position then there might be something wrong with your recruitment process.





7. Nightmare




Ever have one of those “forgot to do your homework” nightmares? No, neither have we.





8. The Power to Succeed




Unlike today, many of Apple’s early ads focused on the business market in an “anything you can do I can do better” battle with Windows PC. This cringe-worthy ad aired in the UK and offers an awful, caricatured glimpse into the world of business.





9. Middle Seat




Not really “vintage,” but this ad from 2001 for the iBook, featuring Heros star Milo Ventimiglia as the guy you hope you never have to sit next to on a plane, may well be the reason some PC users have a low opinion of Mac owners.





10. We Are Apple (Leading The Way)




Not an advert, technically, more a corporate message. This is still unspeakably bad. It’s hard to see how Apple made it from this to the ultra cool consumer brand it is today. It makes Apple’s success all the more remarkable.

via MacRumors

More About: advertising, apple, iPad 2, MARKETING, new ad

For more Business & Marketing coverage:

• Follow Mashable Business & Marketing on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Business & Marketing channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad









]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/new-ipad-2-ad-pushes-all-the-right-buttons-video/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/not-all-free-wordpress-themes-are-safe/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/not-all-free-wordpress-themes-are-safe/#comments Sun, 19 Jun 2011 17:23:22 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8451 Siobhan, at WPMU.org, wrote an incredible article about many of the top “free wordpress themes” sites on the internet have hidden code and encrypted files. This leaves your site potentially exposed. Or, at the least, as a link farm for unknown websites.

Why download free wordpress themes from me?

I create all of them.   They are not knock-offs of other themes. There are no encrypted files or hidden links.   You’ll find just one link at the bottom on the page that I’d appreciate you keeping.

That’s it!

Great free themes, no malicious code.

Download a few themes today!

]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/not-all-free-wordpress-themes-are-safe/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/004/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/004/#comments Sun, 19 Jun 2011 04:47:19 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8444

Love this theme? Donate $1 or more to support theme creation!




By downloading this theme, you agree to retain the footer link as written. Want a custom footer so you can distribute this theme with your own hyperlink? For only $15, I’ll update the theme with your anchor text and link!  You’ll receive the updated theme within 1 business day.

[wp_eStore:product_id:11:end]

Want even more free wordpress themes? Join for free and have access to more themes, premium plugins, traffic secrets and more.

Do you need a custom WordPress theme to match a logo or an existing website? Or how about a private label WordPress theme you can distribute as your own? Custom themes are only $99.00.

Click the image to download the theme



]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/004/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/002/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/002/#comments Sun, 19 Jun 2011 04:44:28 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8442

Love this theme? Donate $1 or more to support theme creation!




By downloading this theme, you agree to retain the footer link as written. Want a custom footer so you can distribute this theme with your own hyperlink? For only $15, I’ll update the theme with your anchor text and link! You’ll receive the updated theme within 1 business day.

[wp_eStore:product_id:11:end]

Want even more free wordpress themes? Join for free and have access to more themes, premium plugins, traffic secrets and more.

Do you need a custom WordPress theme to match a logo or an existing website? Or how about a private label WordPress theme you can distribute as your own? Custom themes are only $99.00.

Click the image to download the theme



]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/002/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/001/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/001/#comments Sun, 19 Jun 2011 04:06:41 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8436

 

Love this theme? Donate $1 or more to support theme creation!




By downloading this theme, you agree to retain the footer link as written. Want a custom footer so you can distribute this theme with your own hyperlink? For only $15, I’ll update the theme with your anchor text and link! You’ll receive the updated theme within 1 business day.

[wp_eStore:product_id:11:end]

Want even more free wordpress themes? Join for free and have access to more themes, premium plugins, traffic secrets and more.

Do you need a custom WordPress theme to match a logo or an existing website? Or how about a private label WordPress theme you can distribute as your own? Custom themes are only $99.00.

Click the image below to download the theme.



 

 

 

]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/001/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/monetizing-secrets/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/monetizing-secrets/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:34:04 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8423 websocial
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/monetizing-secrets/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/web-2-0/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/web-2-0/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:33:10 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8421 Web2_SecretReport
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/web-2-0/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/social-marketing/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/social-marketing/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:32:34 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8419 Social
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/social-marketing/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/facebook-ads-exposed/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/facebook-ads-exposed/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:31:28 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8417 FacebookAdsExposed
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/facebook-ads-exposed/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/email-marketing/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/email-marketing/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:30:54 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8415 30AmazingEmails
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/email-marketing/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/sell-more-online/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/sell-more-online/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:29:40 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8413 SellMoreOnline
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/sell-more-online/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/online-selling/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/online-selling/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:29:01 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8411 OnlineSelling
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/online-selling/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/marketing-rockstar/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/marketing-rockstar/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:20:03 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8408 Rockstar
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/marketing-rockstar/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/how-to-sell-anything/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/how-to-sell-anything/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:17:24 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8405 MarketingBundle
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/how-to-sell-anything/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/affiliate-internet-marketing/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/affiliate-internet-marketing/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:16:19 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8403 internetmarketing
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/affiliate-internet-marketing/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/how-to-bookmark/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/how-to-bookmark/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:15:24 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8401 HowToBookMark
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/how-to-bookmark/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/headlines-that-sell/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/headlines-that-sell/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:14:23 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8399 HeadlinesThatSell
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/headlines-that-sell/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/easy-articles/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/easy-articles/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:13:45 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8397 EasyArticles
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/easy-articles/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/copywriting/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/copywriting/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:11:42 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8395 Copywriting
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/copywriting/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/internet-business-goldmine/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/internet-business-goldmine/#comments Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:10:15 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8393 BusinessGoldProduct
]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/internet-business-goldmine/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/google-places-tips-on-optimizing-the-additional-information-section/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/google-places-tips-on-optimizing-the-additional-information-section/#comments Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:29:43 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8359 When you are creating your account on Google places, it’s imperative that you fill the the all attributes about your business.  There are a quite a number of options but the more information you provide about your business, the better it will be  for prospective clients.
By Randy Kirk

Can you list the attributes of your company? If not, may I suggest you sell or close and do something you have a passion for? Sorry to be so tough, but it never ceases to amaze me when new clients come on board and I check out their Google Places listing to fine NO ATTRIBUTES.

Google allows almost unlimited space to talk about what makes you so special. You can list brands, policies, locations served, types of clients, categories within your business, certificates, specialties, menu items, amenities, distances from land marks, famous clients, product benefits, and so much more.

Google Places has set this section up a bit weird in my opinion. You have two sides that creates something like a data base. On one side you list the general category and on the other side the attributes. They offer such suggestions as Parking on the left with free or street or metered as choices for the right.

I would be more inclined to have something like Located close to: on the left and bus transportation, bicycle friendly streets, San Francisco International Airport, the 10 and the 405 Fwys, other entertainment venues, etc. on the right. Or Major brands carried: on the left and a listing of those brands on the right.

New to this section is the ability to add links. You place the type of link on the left and the full URL address on the right. This could be your Facebook fan page, Twitter page, blog, or an inside page of your website with a promotion or specific product you want to point towards. Lots of possibilities

There is no clear cut evidence that attributes help outside of the listing. However, information is key with Google, so it has to be a benefit on the listing. Moreover, it clearly has to be helpful in giving potential clients the info they need to decide to use you.
Need to setup up your Google place listing today?  Contact me !



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is your chance to get all the information you could possibly need to set up Google Places and it’s free. Go to http://www.GooglePlacesHelp.blogspot.com.

Randy Kirk is the president of internet marketing company, Page1Listings. Among the services offered by the company, YouTube video production has proven to provide a very high return on investment for both clients and the company. Kirk is the authors of several business books including Warner Business Books 4.6 star “Running A 21st Century Small Business.” The book is available on Amazon.

 

Page1Listings.com specializes in helping very small companies (1-50 employees) with marketing both on and off the internet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Kirk

http://EzineArticles.com/?Google-Places—Tips-on-Optimizing-the-Additional-Information-Section&id=4275376

 

]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/google-places-tips-on-optimizing-the-additional-information-section/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/what-is-mobile-advertising/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/what-is-mobile-advertising/#comments Sat, 19 Feb 2011 23:16:05 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8365 Curious about how to reach the millions of mobile users?  Learn the secret to mobile marketing!
By Chris Carol

In the marketing world, mobile advertising is the way of the future. Advertising through this medium is similar to advertising online although the potential target is much greater. In 2009, the number of mobile phones in the world totaled over 4.6 billion. Computers totaled less than a quarter of that. Currently the amount spent on mobile advertising is only around 1% of total advertising budgets. Media for mobile phones is quickly evolving. Approximately 90% of the United States population owns a cell phone according to CTIA, the International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry.

Mobile advertising has really taken off in countries like Spain, France and Japan. In Japan, 44% of mobile phone users click on ads they receive via their phones. The largest mobile advertising company in Japan, D2, announced in November of 2009 that the industry was worth 900 million dollars in their country alone. There are several forms of mobile ads from web banners to SMS advertising to advertising within applications and games. Other forms include audio or video recordings that play while interacting with different services. You can get free instant access to the best mobile marketing newsletter.

According to Mashable, an online guide to social media and one of the top ten blogs worldwide, trends to watch in mobile advertising include:

- Innovations through SMS

- Advancements with rich forms of media like sound, gaming and video

- Mobile applications or mobile websites

- Geo-location as an advertising tool

- The role of mobile video

- Innovations through SMS

Of the available mobile phone models, 98% are capable of short message service, or text messaging. This form of communication is one of the most popular methods in the world. Text messaging is easy to use with a low-cost. There are no applications needed to text another person. Service providers offer a range of options from unlimited plans to plans that give up to 250 messages per month. Even if a person opts out of a text message plan, he or she still is capable to receive a message. Statistics show that in late 2008, the average American user sent 357 text messages per month. Experian reported that text messages are usually read within 15 minutes of being received and responded to within an hour while email messages might go unread for several days.

Advancements with Rich Media

With the number of smartphones saturating the market, rich media will begin to have a stronger foothold in the mobile advertising industry. Consumers prefer engaging, interactive ads, designed through rich media like gaming, sound and video. A drawback to this form of mobile advertising is that skills and time are necessary to create ads. Big companies have the advantage with this media as they are more likely to have the budget and staff capable of tackling this type of advertisement.

Mobile Applications or Mobile Websites In Advertising

Advertisers have to decide if they are going to create a mobile application or a mobile website. Some will opt to do both. Certain factors like operating systems, types of devices, and screen size all play a role in how they will present mobile marketing. Internet giant Google is taking the mobile web road while Apple is going the application route. At this time it is difficult to find out which type of platform consumers will prefer in the future. This causes many issues during the development stage.

In an April 2010 survey conducted by eROI, trends in mobile marketing, less than a third of marketers in the United States consider the mobile marketing experience important to their customers. Only 23% of the respondents reported having an optimized website for a mobile device. An internet trends report by Morgan Stanley estimated that by the year 2014, mobile devices will conduct half of the web browsing done by Americans.

Advertising with Geo-Location

Geo-Location is one of the newer trends in mobile advertising. Applications like Foursquare are place-based programs for smartphones that help consumers find new ways to explore their city. Although there is an interest in this type of marketing, a recent study by Foursquare indicated that only 4% of users have taken advantage of place-based services. Only 1% actually log in to a location once per week.

Some concerns with geo-location based mobile advertising centers around privacy issues. This is also the case for other forms that deal specifically with targeted marketing. When companies customize ads, they use personal behavioral data, user profiles, and other data mind information. Privacy advocates have warned the industry that this may result in privacy infringement. Generally users have to give consent when opening an account for an application. This consent will override many privacy issues. The Mobile Marketing Association has published guidelines to aid marketers but as this is a rapidly growing area, the Association has found it difficult to keep their guidelines current.

The Role of Mobile Video

Internet video consumption has experienced a huge growth with today’s internet users. Because of this trend with internet video, marketers assume that mobile video will also experience a huge growth. Cisco, a worldwide leader in networking, believes that the use of video will occupy about 66% of mobile traffic by 2013.

Mobile advertising has definitely caught marketers attention and the amount spent on advertising is growing. Marketers can measure the effectiveness of mobile ad campaigns by the number of views and clicks as well as other interactive tools. Swedish analyst, Berg Insight predicts that by 2014, mobile marketing will represent 11.7% of the total digital advertising market.

Your business can flourish by getting some information on mobile advertising. What better way to reach your customer than to use a device that over 85% of the US population uses: cell phones.

Want to know more about effective mobile marketing campaigns?  Contact me today.



Check out www.trendsinmobilemarketing.com/mobile-advertising/ for the best online tips for everything related to mobile marketing. Mobile is an emerging media with new rules and ways to optimize for maximum exposure and ROI. With the right resources you can be ahead of the curve vs. your competition and oust them with the latest mobile marketing tactics.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Carol

http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Is-Mobile-Advertising?&id=5675183

]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/what-is-mobile-advertising/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/why-and-how-to-network-on-linkedin-simple-instructions-and-suggestions-to-get-you-started/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/why-and-how-to-network-on-linkedin-simple-instructions-and-suggestions-to-get-you-started/#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 02:49:40 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8364 Among all of the social networking sites today,  LinkedIn is only one for business professionals.   Learn why you should be using LinkedIn today!

By James Yoakum

Did you know that:

o LinkedIn has over 8.5 million members. It is the leading social network for business professionals.

o All Fortune 500 companies are represented on LinkedIn. In addition, thousand’s of medium and small companies represented too.

o LinkedIn usage had been increasing yearly by over 500%.

o One hundred and thirty different industries are represented on LinkedIn.

o Over 150 countries around the world have LinkedIn members including all major industrial companies.

o Over 90,000 of LinkedIn members are chief executive officers and over half a million occupy other jobs at the C-level.

o Many notable people are among LinkedIn members including President Barak Obama.

o Perhaps as many as 90% of all employers utilize LinkedIn to recruit and vet potential employees.

There are many social networks sites. But no doubt, the most prominent business networking site today is LinkedIn. It provides an immeasurable opportunity to enhance your networking success. It is simple and it’s free. Further, being a LinkedIn member will provide you a Google presence. Your Google page rank for LinkedIn will be high: generally your LinkedIn profile will be within the first five Google hits. (Note: To have a Google presence, you will need to select the “full view” LinkedIn feature. Your page rank can be further increased by having a customized URL, i.e., your own name thereby replacing the standard URL automatically provided by LinkedIn.)

To begin networking with LinkedIn, you will first need to build your profile. Your profile needs to be complete and have substance. Spend the time; a poor or sparse LinkedIn profile is worse than none at all. And it is important that your LinkedIn profile uses correctly spelled words, is grammatically correct, and contains no capitalization and punctuation errors. Optimize your profile – Make sure it represents the way you want to be viewed by strangers. And once you have completed your profile, you will want to fully utilize all the features offered by LinkedIn. Doing so will enhance your networking experience.

In building your profile keep in mind:

(1) Your Headline — It matters. It is what people see first when they visit your profile.

(2) Your Summary – You want summary to peak a reader’s interest and want them to “read more.”

(3) Work Experience – Include details like dates, the actual names of the companies you have worked for and excellent descriptions of your jobs.

Having a good profile will enhance your connectability. People will more likely to find you.

After compiling your profile and to maximize your LinkedIn networking experience, you will want to start using the features provided by LinkedIn. First and most importantly, you will need to establish numerous and many connections. People with more than 25 connections are four times more likely to be approached by others. The average LinkedIn member has about 60 connections. Beat the average! Your visualability will increase as you acquire more connections.

Secondly, you will want to join LinkedIn groups. There are thousands of LinkedIn groups to join. Begin with school and employer/company alumni groups. Joining alumni groups provides an opportunity to network with others with the same backgrounds. Next add business association and interest groups. Joining these types of groups provides an opportunity to network with others with the same work backgrounds and interests. Despite LinkedIn limiting membership to 50 groups, sufficient opportunity still exists for robust networking with utilization of the groups feature. Further, your experience with the groups feature will be enhanced by participation, e.g., posting, responding to postings, group activities, connecting to other group members, etc.

You should also participate in the LinkedIn question and answer feature. Ask for advice. This will also increase your visualability and result in new connections. If you ask questions, remember it is important to your networking efforts to respond to every comment.

Another valuable LinkedIn feature is the recommendation feature. Ask people for recommendations. And voluntarily provide recommendations to others. They are powerful. Recommendations let people know you are a good resource and a valued professional in your field.

Lastly, search companies and their employees. Ask to connect to those who could be a good member of your network. These contacts and the company information can be useful for sales and marketing efforts, job search efforts, etc.

These are just some of the LinkedIn features. As you become proficient LinkedIn user you will discover other features to utilize that expands your networking success.

While on line networking and LinkedIn should only be one element of your networking efforts, it is essential in today’s world. It is necessary to be a successful networker. Following these simple suggestions will get you off to a good start. So build a great profile, fully utilize the LinkedIn features and make LinkedIn a regular part of your networking activities.

Jim Yoakum is an accomplished executive leader with over 25 years of diversified (financial services, insurance, manufacturing and governmental) experience in risk management, internal control, regulatory affairs, operations and systems, law, compliance and taxation/accounting. He has many successes achieved in managing the creation of new or changing/evolving functions and managing projects/programs in resolution of significant issues. Jim has strong project/program management skills, using an inherent logical thought process honed by many years of technical training. He possesses the ability to manage human resources in a changing environment with passion, creativity, results-orientation and self-motivation. Jim is resilient, acts with decisiveness and to foster/adapt to change and new environments. Most importantly, Jim never wants to stop learning; never to stop helping others. He continues to develop and educate with writing, mentoring and networking.
For any help creating and optimizing your LinkdIn account you can contact me today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Yoakum

http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-and-How-to-Network-on-LinkedIn—Simple-Instructions-and-Suggestions-to-Get-You-Started&id=2378870

]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/why-and-how-to-network-on-linkedin-simple-instructions-and-suggestions-to-get-you-started/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/internet-marketing-advertising-via-cell-phones/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/internet-marketing-advertising-via-cell-phones/#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 01:10:46 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8368 If you want to promote your business and confused about Internet or Mobile marketing then this article can help you making your decision.

By Robert Buford

The new buzz now is focused on Cell Phone Marketing. As early as March 19th 2007 USA Today wrote an article about this. They predicted that the youth of today will bring this type of marketing to a whole new level.

Cell phones have become very attractive as advertising tools also; a recent Harris survey reports that the cell phone use is increasing while the traditional landline telephone is fast losing customers. The fact is 20% of the adults in the US do not have a landline. The same percentage now use only cell phones, and the number is growing very fast. Furthermore, while these phones among the younger generation have been widely reported, they are also becoming very popular among older populations as well. For the under 30 crowd, almost 40% of them use nothing but a cell or the internet for communication. This means that over 80% of your customers own a mobile phone and you can reach them any time 24/7 at home, at the office or on the road; all you need is a computer and an ISP.

If you said, “there are millions of people on Google everyday”, you would be about right, but that is yesterday. On average, a person will check his/her cell phone no less than 24 times per day, usually much more. Multiply that by approximately 4.3 billion owners world-wide and guess what? Over 103 Billion times that people look at their phones. Now, suppose that you put your sales message right on their cell phone? There’s nothing more personal, and you have the system that makes it possible to generate huge sales and or commissions using cell phones!

These phones are fast becoming a necessity instead of a luxury. A huge majority of the population over the age of 15 has one and most kids old enough to have friends believe they need one. The cell market has experienced a phenomenal growth, you have a product that is replaced in less than a year in most cases, and with an updated model most of the time. This means that before very much longer, the audience of anyone marketing with cell phones will realistically be most of the world wide population.

If you use cell phones for internet advertising or internet marketing, almost everyone anywhere in the world can be targeted because there are no limits on the visibility of the ad. You don’t have to use a billboard, the customer doesn’t have to be front of the TV set to see it, and you don’t have to be listening to a radio to hear it. But, most all mobile phone owners will have the phone with them at all times no matter where they are

Not only that, this is a fairly new internet marketing and advertising venue so it would probably be a good idea to get in at the beginning and establish yours. Wouldn’t you enjoy the opportunity to keep your office in your pocket. Being able to take care of business any where, any time, as long as you could connect with a cell tower?

Well, guess what? Now you are able to do just that. Sure enough, if you have an internet marketing business, you can conduct most if not all of it on a daily basis with your cell phone. How’s that for independence and freedom. Think about it, no reason to be at the office at a certain time, be it at home or downtown. When you have to conduct business at any time, just find a signal and go to work.

If you’re interested in creating your own mobile marketing campaign contact me for any assistance !

If you are one of those who are interested in this Concept, or are interested in finding out more about internet marketing using cell phones instead of your PC? Investigate for yourself at; http://cellphonemarketing.blogspot.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Buford

http://EzineArticles.com/?Internet-Marketing-Advertising-Via-Cell-Phones&id=3828654

]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/internet-marketing-advertising-via-cell-phones/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/google-places-comes-to-iphone-what-this-means-for-your-business/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/google-places-comes-to-iphone-what-this-means-for-your-business/#comments Thu, 10 Feb 2011 01:09:44 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8298 Google Places has now launched for iPhone users!  This makes Google places the best, most productive way to promote your business.    I can help you set up your Google places account today!

By R Brian Forrester

If it wasn’t already obvious how important it is to have your business set up in Google Places, then Google’s announcement last week that Google Places for the iPhone is now available should hammer it home. Location based search is HUGE and if you don’t pay attention, someone else in your market will.

The short and sweet of it is that now customers can search for places near them from their Google Places app. Not only that, they can rate the places while they are there. This is big since many people consider total number of reviews an important factor in how well a Google Places page ranks compared to competitor sites.

The interface is nice and if the app catches on, it’s use by consumers could play a role in Places page optimization. The folks at Google are smart, and I’d be willing to bet that they will be applying these rankings and other analytical data from the mobile app to alter and adjust search engine rankings.

If you don’t have a Google Places page and want to get traffic from the internet, I’d suggest getting one now. And if you have a Google Places page you set up like 3 years ago and haven’t looked at in a while, it may be time to go check in on it and make sure everything is complete. Look for the “Your business info” box on the right. Under that there will be a completion bar which should say 100%. If not, finish your Places Page. It’s been suggested that you will also get penalized for not having your profile completed.

If that weren’t enough, you have probably noticed Google’s emphasis on places page whenever you do a location based search (i.e. “Richmond Dry Cleaner”). Google’s Places used to occupy a little section of the page, with the map built in. Now, the Places pages are integrated directly into the search results and the map is off to the right where the paid search results are. I’d say it’s time to get your business a Places page, wouldn’t you agree?

Is this article make you aware if yes then contact me for more details about Google Places or keep reading !



R. Brian Forrester is President of Dynamic Web Solutions, a forward-thinking online marketing company with an emphasis on personal relationships and marketing that works. We provide fully functional, integrated web-based business solutions to companies around the world by working with award-winning web designers, SEO strategists, and the top application designers. We are proud of the services we deliver.

You can reach Brian:
web: http://www.dynamicwebsolutions.com
blog: http://www.dynamicwebsolutions.com/blog
Email: brian@dynamicwebsolutions.com
Twitter: @rBrianForrester
Google: rBrianForrester

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R_Brian_Forrester

http://EzineArticles.com/?Google-Places-Comes-to-iPhone:-What-This-Means-for-Your-Business&id=5755036

]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/google-places-comes-to-iphone-what-this-means-for-your-business/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/google-places-optimization-tips-get-your-local-business-listing-on-first-page-of-google/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/google-places-optimization-tips-get-your-local-business-listing-on-first-page-of-google/#comments Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:39:13 +0000 Kim http://www.kimagillett.com/?p=8254 Do you have a local, brick and mortar business?  If so, you should add your business to Google Places.  Google Places is the ultimate source for local business advertising.  Even better, it’s free to add your listing!

By Sam Hopkins

Do you have your business appearing on the first page of Google?

If you are a small business owner I am sure you have heard about Google Places – Google’s free business listing service. And if you haven’t do a search for Google Places and fill in the form and then come back here to get tips ho how to get more bang from your free Google Places business listing.

Back in 2009 Google relaunched it’s Business Center to Google places, which allows local business owners to create a profile of their business, including phone number, address, website, pictures, videos, trading hours, etc and also mark your business location on the Google Maps service.

Creating a Google Places listing is a great way to get your business (even if you don’t have a website) to appear on the first page of Google search results when someone performs a local search.

A Google Places listing is very easy and straight forward to set up, however what I want to do in this article is get you a few extra tips that will help you get more leverage from your Google Places listing.

1. Customers Reviews – The more reviews you have on your business listing the better it will perform. First it provides social proof to your customers or potential customers also it will help to keep your listing near the top.

A good way to do this is to send an email to your new customers asking them to leave a review; this can be done on complete autopilot with an autoresponder or email management service.

Include a link in your email signature inviting existing customers to leave comments, ask people on your Facebook page, and when people enter your shop/store.

2. Other Business Listings – Google scrap information from other business directories to verify phone numbers, address, etc are the same and also places these listings in your Google Places profile. Make sure all the other business listings you create in other directories are consistent.

3. Keywords – This is a very important factor when creating your business listing. If you have a house painting business in Parramatta, Sydney you would want to target keywords like “house painting” “interior house painter” “exterior house painter” “residential painter”, etc.

Do not try and trick Google by placing loads of keywords into your company name. For example if you have a house painting business called ABC”s Painting Service then you may want to list your company name as ABC”s House Painting Service.

This way you can get 2 of the keywords you are targeting “House Painting” instead of just “Painting” however if you try and stuff keywords into your company name for example: “House and Commercial Painter, Interior & Exterior ABC Painting Company” just to get more keywords, it may work in the short term but Google quickly picks up on this and it will work against you.

Needs help with adding your business to Google Places?  I can help!  Contact me today to get started.



If you would like to learn more advanced tips and methods to get more bang from your Google Places Business Listing them make sure to pick up your FREE copy of Google Place Optimization Guide as a bonus you will also get a FREE copy of Facebook Marketing for Small Business.

Sam Hopkins helps local small business owners use the internet to increase leads and sales while lowering marketing costs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Hopkins
http://EzineArticles.com/?Google-Places-Optimization-Tips-Get-Your-Local-Business-Listing-On-First-Page-Of-Google&id=5381011

]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2011/google-places-optimization-tips-get-your-local-business-listing-on-first-page-of-google/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/the-yin-and-yang-of-yoga-marketing/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/the-yin-and-yang-of-yoga-marketing/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:07:42 +0000 Amanda Gagnon http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=17038

In ancient times, yoga was practiced by ascetics seeking higher consciousness.

Today, everyday folk perform asanas in your studio – if they can find the time. Amid the thousand responsibilities of work and home, yoga can be overlooked.

But sometime in their day, your customers probably check their email. Finding a message from you can help bring their practice back into focus.

The Yoga Garden is a studio that email markets with a combination of diversity and sameness. Apply this balance to your own email marketing campaigns to keep your customers engaged, responding and staying on the path to enlightenment with you.

Use a Variety of Messages

Since email is a conversational medium, you don’t have to go for the hard sell the minute you have a customer’s permission to email. Instead, design series of messages that speak to the needs and interests of your customers.

You can do this in infinite ways. Here are three methods you can mix and match to get started.



Regular Newsletters

On a consistent basis, send an email packed with helpful information. Update customers on new classes and instructors; discuss the health benefits of each pose; address yoga for kids and injuries.

Give your subscribers knowledge they didn’t have before, along with a reason to practice.



Special Notices

Send these between your newsletters for information that can’t wait. Announce special events or cancellations, highlight special deals on retreats and share mentions of your studio in the press.



Follow-up Series

Create a list for each type of class you offer (Yoga for Strength, Qigong and so on). When members enroll at the beginning of each new rotation, ask them to sign up for that list.

With a follow-up series for each list, you can prepare students with tips they can use to succeed that particular discipline, clothing suggestions, links to buy any special equipment they’ll need and a short biography of their instructor.

Create Unity With Static Elements

Though your email efforts may include different types of messages, you can balance their differences by keeping some parts of every email the same. You’ll save time designing each email and the familiar format will create familiarity for subscribers.


Orienting Information
Provide your address, phone number, even a brief statement that lets them know what to expect.

Calls to Practice
Fill a column with upcoming workshops and your current roster of classes.

Signatures
Add personal connection with a signature from the studio owner or class instructors.

Pictures
Display close-ups of peaceful images for simple ambiance.

Attain Harmony With Templates

Perhaps the easiest and most effective way to create similarity among your emails is to create each in the same basic template.

AWeber customers have access to an ever-increasing library of email and web form templates. We recently added a matching, yoga-centric email/web form set in your choice of seven colors. Enjoy!

How Do You Email Yoga?

Do you have a yoga studio? What topics do you email your customers? How do you get them excited about your studio?

We’d love to read your ideas, so share them below!

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/the-yin-and-yang-of-yoga-marketing/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/do-your-words-scare-people-away/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/do-your-words-scare-people-away/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:12:33 +0000 Amanda Gagnon http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=19490

“Words mean nothing. Action is the only thing. Doing. That’s the only thing.”
- Ernest Gaines

You write words in your marketing emails. Many or few, you use them to communicate your ideas.

But you don’t write words to communicate alone. You write them to request an action. Sometimes it’s subscribing, responding, purchasing – whatever you want readers to do.

The words that carry most of the weight of the request are the few at the end, where you normally provide a link to proceed: your call to action. This is the decision point. The words you use here could sway readers either way.

So how can you know which ones to use? You can guess, based on your own preferences. Or you can know for sure by running a split test.

A Case of Textual Turn-Off

The Cabot Heritage Corporation, a stock advisory, ran a split test on two opt-in buttons. The buttons were identical in design and location. The difference was in the wording: one read “Send My Free Report”; the other, “Start My Free Subscription.”



Just two words changed, but that change had a powerful effect. The “subscription” button decreased conversions by 22.9% in the span of just two days.

What Happened Here?

Different words trigger different associations, and those can make or break the response.

In the above case, it looks like readers associated “send my report” with a single contact and “subscription” with regular communication, requiring more commitment.

But your readers’ responses will partly depend on your subject and the relationship you already have. The phrase that crashed and burned for Cabot Heritage might take your opt-in rate soaring.

That’s why you need to test for yourself. But when you do, don’t forget to…

Think About the Long Run

In Cabot Heritage’s test, it looks like people preferred the idea of one mailing to regular updates. But whichever button they pushed, they were added to the same mailing list.

It would be interesting to see how people who didn’t expect regular mailings reacted when they started getting them. Did the unsubscribe and spam report rates go up with the opt-in rate?

When choosing the words you want to test, keep in mind that you need to set correct expectations. A well-informed subscriber is a happy subscriber.

How To Test Your Call to Action

Your first step is to write several options that set those expectations and fit the usual “voice” of your brand – how you usually represent your brand in writing.

There are several approaches you could take:


You could go with a simple directive.

You could put words in the subscriber’s mouth.

You could restate the benefits that the subscriber will get.

Once you’ve designed a few options, split test them against each other. (If you use AWeber, here’s how to test your web forms and your broadcasts.) Soon you’ll know just what phrase calls your audience to action best.

Who Answers When You Call?

Are you getting the response you want from your calls to action? Are the subscribers you collect interested and engaged? Do they click and purchase?

Have you split test your call to action in the past? How could you test it now for an even better response?

Share your thoughts below!

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/do-your-words-scare-people-away/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/email-and-facebook-in-a-relationship/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/email-and-facebook-in-a-relationship/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:42:25 +0000 Rebecca Swayze http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=19362 “Email – I can’t imagine my life without it – is probably going away,” Sheryl Sandberg Facebook’s COO boldly claimed at the Nielsen’s Consumer 360 conference earlier this summer.

Obviously, We beg to differ!

On the contrary, it seems obvious to us that email is stronger than ever – particularly when used hand-in-hand with social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

In fact, in our recent survey of email marketers, we found that:

1. 33% reported integrating social media and email marketing has increased their subscriber base.
   
2. 30% reported after integrating social media and email marketing they saw an increase in friends/fans/followers.
   

With email and social working hand-in-hand, how could email possibly go away?

The Allegation

Just as the Wall Street Journal made the claim that 2009 was “the end of the email era,” Sandberg spoke for Facebook, suggesting that the use of social media will bring about the demise of email.

Our Rebuttal

Email is still alive, thriving and only helping social media become an even more powerful tool than it already is.

The Nielsen Company, the same organization that held the conference that brought about the controversial claim, agrees. The results of their 2009 study of email and social media use indicate that “social media use makes people consume email more, not less…particularly for the highest social media users.”



“If you want to know what people like us will do tomorrow, you look at what teenagers are doing today,” Sandberg touted.

So let’s take a look at what they are doing today. In a 2009 survey of people 18-24, the Participatory Marketing Network and Pace University found that the majority of those surveyed would rather abandon social networks long before they stopped using email.

Generation Y spends a large amount of time on social sites. Their average time spent on social networks each month is 33 hours, making them high social media users.

When they were asked which activity they would least like to give up for one week, only 9% said social networks, as compared to 26% for email.


Graph from Marketing Charts via WebProNews.

That doesn’t sound to us like email is going anywhere any time soon. In fact, take a look at what positive effects the respondents of our recent survey have had with email and social media:



Clearly, there’s a correlation between the two mediums, and there is some truth to Ms. Sandberg’s presentation. As she attests, “Facebook connects people in really extraordinary ways.”

There are 400 million people who use Facebook worldwide. It obliterates communication barriers and can put you in touch with people all over the globe who otherwise would never have come in contact with your business or brand.

Working Together

When it comes down to it, people are people. Whether you are growing your email list or looking for people to “like” your brand on Facebook, any and all eyeballs on your service are welcome.

You have to remember that social networks rely on email in the most basic sense. Facebook requires an email address to log on, and their emails notify you of updates, friend requests and comments.

Rather than deny the importance of email, Facebook should embrace it! The two make a rather powerful pair – both play a significant role in that relationship.

They have the potential to increase awareness of the other and encourage users to participate with both mediums and they cultivate and nurture true brand advocates.

If you use social media and email together, or have ideas of your own for using Facebook or other social media sites along with email to create the biggest buzz, please share them!





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/email-and-facebook-in-a-relationship/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/why-email-marketers-heart-aweber-you-will-too/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/why-email-marketers-heart-aweber-you-will-too/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:19:14 +0000 Zachary Reese http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=18651 Recently we asked users to submit videos of how they use AWeber to run their
email marketing campaigns.

The response was extraordinary. There were videos for just about every industry imaginable, from non-profits to e-courses and everything in between.

We decided to edit a few together into a video showcasing the unique personalities of our amazing customers.

Thanks To All Our Wonderful Users!

You guys are the reason I get off the couch in the morning and come in to work.

Check out the full list of contributions below:

• How AWeber helped a synagogue recover from a fire
• Filmmaker Kenton Hoppas
• Marketer Marcus Campbell
• Yoga Instructor Lucas Rockwood
• Charity Coordinator Richard Lang
• Internet Marketing Adventurer Ian Bass
• Ollie’s Frozen Custard
• Online Marketer Angela Wills
• Lalitha Brahma, Elbee Services, LLC
• Jarom Adair explains how analytics helps him
• Jonathan Thompson




]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/why-email-marketers-heart-aweber-you-will-too/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/email-preferences-make-readers-happy/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/email-preferences-make-readers-happy/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:58:53 +0000 Rebecca Swayze http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=14539 Email marketing blogs are constantly buzzing with talk of value; they go on and on about all of the different ways you can add it to your campaign.

But how can they possibly know exactly what readers find valuable? As Mark Brownlow attests, “value is defined by the reader and not by you.” It doesn’t matter how valuable you think your messages are. If a reader doesn’t find your content to be of interest, they’re going to stop opening your emails.

In fact, a recent survey found that 85% of consumers prefer that companies ask about their e-mail preferences at sign up. So instead of playing the value guessing game, read on to learn how to use email preferences to let your subscribers decide what they deem to be valuable.

Give Them What They Want

The easiest and least time consuming way to learn what information subscribers want to receive is to simply ask. Hershey’s Chocolate does this exceptionally well on their email subscription page.

They require only the most basic information…



and then leave the important choices of which emails to sign up for up to the subscriber:



You Can Do This With Your Web Form, Too!

Your potential subscribers are accustomed to making choices both on and offline, and they’re used to having things their way. After all, they can customize everything from their cars and coffee drinks down to the sneakers on their feet online with Mini, Volkswagen, Starbucks and NikeiD.

Since they are used to the convention of customizing the things they are most interested in, your prospective readers will be way more likely to fill out your form when you offer preferences because they’ll feel like they are in control.

Decide What Messages You Want to Send

This might be as simple as breaking up your content into a monthly newsletter, a weekly special and a daily deal. Or, your content could be entirely different for each choice, but that will depend on your business offering.

Regardless, you have to commit to sending these messages, so don’t give yourself an impossible workload. Choose a manageable number of messages that you can easily keep up with without becoming overwhelmed.

Create a Web Form with Checkboxes for Each Message



Each field on your form will represent a different email. This way, when the selection comes in with a new email sign up, their preferences are saved in your account and you know exactly which emails they want to receive from you.

Save a Segment for Each Email

With the choices saved as fields in your account, you’ll then create segments that automatically update whenever someone is added to your list.



When searching for fields that were added via checkbox, you must enter “yes” to indicate that the box was checked.

Send Specific Messages

As sign-ups start rolling in, you’ll send your separate messages only to those subscribers who checked certain boxes when signing up.



This way, readers will get what they asked for, and your content will be right on target and true to what they requested from you.

Will You Try This Tactic?

By offering a few simple preferences, your email campaign will be more professional and customizable and your website visitors will be happy to subscribe to it because they can control what they’ll be receiving.

Let us know if you’ve tried this before, or what kind of response you get when testing it out!





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/email-preferences-make-readers-happy/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/how-to-reengage-inactive-subscribers/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/how-to-reengage-inactive-subscribers/#comments Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:11:11 +0000 Rebecca Swayze http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=16559 Your subscribers are busy people. It’s completely normal for a percentage of your messages to go unopened each time you broadcast – that is just the nature of email marketing.

But for all of the busy people on your list, there are also email addresses that belong to genuinely disinterested subscribers and it is difficult to separate them from the busy ones.

A reengagement campaign can help you identify those subscribers that still want to hear from you and part ways with the ones who don’t.

Inactivity and Why It Matters to Your Campaign

Inactive subscribers include all contacts who haven’t opened or clicked through your messages over an extended period of time.

With all of the emails that your subscribers receive on a daily basis, it is easy for them to lose interest in your campaign for a variety of reasons – from bland subject lines and irrelevant message content to a change in their lifestyle or financial situation.

It’s a reality that you must accept: if subscribers no longer fit your target audience, they will quickly become inactive and take up space on your list.

According to a study by Merkle Interactive Services (PDF), subscribers who receive permission-based, promotional messages delete 55% of those emails without ever opening them.

That is over half of all requested email!

You want your subscribers to open your mail no matter what when they request it, but if you don’t address the truth that subscribers interests change over the course of your campaign, you run the risk of losing subscriber attention and damaging your deliverability and reputation.

As the late Stefan Pollard points out in an article about engagement and deliverability for clickz.com, the “top metrics generated from activity that make up a sender’s reputation include bounce rates, spam complaints, and recipient interaction.”

Many ISPs now look at what recipients have been doing with your emails when deciding whether your messages belong in the inbox. All interactions (both positive and negative) are noted so that the ISPs can get a better idea of your individual reputation as a sender.

You always want your subscribers to interact positively with your messages so that they are delivered consistently. A bloated list full of inactive addresses will not perform well and could negatively impact your sender reputation.

How to Handle Inactive Subscribers

Assess the Situation

How often are you sending emails? Is the information about your product or service something that a subscriber would value? The frequency and relevancy of your messages go into a subscriber’s decision to stop interacting with you.

There are lots of ways to investigate the activity on your list, but segmenting and sending surveys is a good place to start.

Identify the Inactives

On the Search Subscribers page in your account, you can find out exactly who hasn’t opened your messages in a certain amount of time.

Perform a search for “No Opens” since a previous date. Most marketers find that 90 days without opening is an appropriate time-frame, however you can always adjust the length to suit the needs of your campaign.



Finally, save the segment so that you can send emails only to those subscribers.



Send a Series of Reengagement Messages

Even back when your inactive subscribers were engaged, they didn’t open or click on every single message from you. And they won’t all open/click on your first try at reengaging them.

To find the people who are really still interested in your campaign, set up a series of three broadcast messages that make it easy for them to take action.

Send the second message to people who didn’t respond to the first one by creating a new segment after you send the first message, and then send the third message to people who didn’t respond to the second.

Note: with Broadcast QuickStats, targeting non-responsive subscribers is a simple process.

For example, to email non-openers, click the “Unopened” button:



Then scroll down and click the “Send Directly to These Subscribers” button:



Make it very clear starting with the second message that if they do not take action you will remove them from your email list. If they still haven’t responded by the third and final message, use urgency tactics to let subscribers know that they will never, ever hear from you again unless they take immediate action.

Not sure what kind of information to include in your emails?

• Send a survey, asking them to provide feedback and offer suggestions for content that they would like to see.
• Create a whitepaper or a download about your particular service or specialty.
• Reward subscribers for (hopefully) taking action: include exclusive coupons or discounts for products.

Know When to Say Goodbye

Going into this task, you must accept that there will be people who don’t respond to your reengagement messages. Although it’s hard to let go of those subscribers, you want the most responsive and interested list in the long run.

Stay firm with the decision to remove inactive subscribers. Run one final search for people who haven’t opened your messages and delete them from your list for good.

Ever Run a Reengagement Campaign?

What was your experience? Was it hard to let go of subscribers in that final moment?

We’d love to hear all about it!





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/how-to-reengage-inactive-subscribers/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/new-quickstats-for-email-newsletters/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/new-quickstats-for-email-newsletters/#comments Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:41:20 +0000 Justin Premick http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=20161 If you’re like most people reading this blog, you love data. Not this Data, but the kind that paints a picture of what is and isn’t working in your email marketing.

The trouble with data, of course, is that sometimes it’s hard to know which data is important and worth focusing on. Not to mention that for it to be valuable, the data has to be actionable, too.

Last week we leaked some information about a soon-to-be-released tool that not only helps you see how your email marketing campaigns perform, but also makes it easy to take action to increase your response rates and conversions.

And now, it’s here.

Announcing Broadcast QuickStats

QuickStats makes it easy to understand how your broadcasts performed by showing you:

• Opens
• Clicks
• Web Hits/Traffic
• Unsubscribes

Some screenshots of QuickStats (click to see full-size images):




Even better, you can use the data to identify responsive and non-responsive groups of subscribers – those people who:

• Opened the email
• Didn’t open it
• Clicked a given link
• Didn’t click that link
• Made a purchase (did you know that you can track email-driven sales in AWeber?)

Not Only Are QuickStats Useful and Easy-to-Read… They’re Actionable, Too!

This is by far my favorite part.

One of the most powerful things you can do when you know who clicked a link, or didn’t open an email, is segment out those subscribers and broadcast only to them:


Click to see full-size image

It’s an effective way to talk to people who are interested in a particular product, feature, part of your website or anything else you’re linking to.

Plus, when you’re able to identify who didn’t open or click, and then email only those people, you can:

• Make an alternate offer
• Find out what their objections are
• Send other targeted and relevant email campaigns to increase your conversions

Learn More About QuickStats in a Free, One-Hour Webinar

On Wednesday, August 4th, we’ll give you a tour of QuickStats, show you how it works and answer your questions about it, live!

Learn All About Broadcast QuickStats

In this free webinar, you’ll learn about QuickStats, our new tool that will make analyzing your email campaigns and segmenting your list easier than ever!

Sign up to discover:

• How QuickStats shows you how your emails performed
• How to easily segment your list in 1 click to create highly targeted, relevant campaigns to responsive and non-responsive subscribers

Plus, get your questions about QuickStats answered live!

Date: Wednesday, August 4th
3 – 4 PM ET (Convert Time)

Sign Up Now

What Do You Think?

How will being able to see at a glance how your broadcasts perform, identify potentially profitable subscriber segments, and quickly and easily create and deliver targeted campaigns to them affect your business?

We’d love to hear how you’ll use QuickStats to increase your response rates and conversions – tell us!





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/new-quickstats-for-email-newsletters/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/a-sneak-peak-at-broadcast-quickstats/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/a-sneak-peak-at-broadcast-quickstats/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:16:14 +0000 Zachary Reese http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=20389 For the longest time in the history of forever, email analytics has been an all or nothing affair. You’re either tracking your email marketing campaigns or you’re not.

The problem: there is a ton of data that gets tracked and sifting through it all can be overwhelming. It’s like trying to find a back issue of Field & Stream in the Library of Congress. You’re better off going to your local library where they only carry the stuff that’s relevant to you.

We took that terrible analogy and applied it to AWeber’s Email Analytics. As a supplement to our full reports page, in the near future we’re rolling out Broadcast QuickStats. You’ll be able to view the most pertinent statistics for your messages grouped together on one super slick page.

Click that big grey play button in the video below to check out our design and development teams as they discuss both building QuickStats, and what it will do for you.

Broadcast QuickStats makes it easier than ever for you to not only see how your emails perform, but also identify responsive and non-responsive subscribers, and quickly segment those groups and deliver relevant, targeted email marketing campaigns to them.

Sneak Peek Screenshots

You saw a bit of Broadcast QuickStats in the video; here are some screenshots from it. Click to view the full-size images:




When’s It Coming Out?

Broadcast QuickStats will be launching in accounts with Email Analytics very soon.

In the meantime, let us know what you think!

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/a-sneak-peak-at-broadcast-quickstats/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/segmenting-the-1-sales-technique/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/segmenting-the-1-sales-technique/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:15:40 +0000 Rebecca Swayze http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=15921 Salespeople often get a bad rap. It doesn’t matter what they’re selling – one bad experience with a scummy, slimy swindler and you’re left with a bad taste in your mouth for quite a while.

But for every scalawag salesguy, there are dozens of serviceable and accommodating sales reps that truly want to help you find the best product out there.

They engage you, ask you questions and soak up clues that could possibly aid them in closing the sale. They aren’t pushy, overbearing or deceitful, but instead they’re informative, helpful and driven to find a good fit for you – no matter if you’re buying a car, a pair of shoes, a puppy or a television.

Segmentation can help your email marketing campaign function in the same way. Read on to find out how to use this tool to maximize profit and keep existing customers happy.

Give Subscribers What They Want

When you segment your list, your email campaign assists your prospective customers and clients by providing them with emails that match their specific interests, just the same way a salesman would.

Here’s a compilation of our most informative segmentation posts to help you turn your campaign into a selling machine.


Start Segmenting: 3 Easy Steps
If you have more than one web form on your website and you’d like to track which form pulls in the most subscribers, learn how to segment using our ad tracking feature.

Email Web Analytics: 2 New Segmenting and Targeting Options
Ever wonder which subscribers aren’t opening your emails? Want to know who is clicking on certain links to your website? Segmentation makes both of those things possible.

Email Segmentation: 5 Groups You Can Easily Target
Learn how to focus on your non-responsive subscribers and those people who actually open your messages to make your campaign more relevant.

Email Segmentation: More Groups to Target
New subscribers and people who click on links throughout your messages are also important groups to target. Figure out how and why you should follow those subscriber trends in this post.

Segment Customers to Build Loyalty
When you have an existing customer base, it’s important to focus your energy on retention. Keeping those buyers happy and encouraging repeat business can be tricky. Take a softer approach to win their loyalty using segmentation.

Email Segmentation: Easily Target Customers
Your existing customers are just as important to your business as new ones. Reward repeat customers for their loyalty and drive repeat purchases by separating them from the masses and sending them specialized messages.

Email Segmentation Lifts Sales over $31,000
Ever run into a predicament and send a message to the wrong group of people? Here’s how to correct the mess up.

Segmentation Screwups: How to Recover
When you have an existing customer base, it’s important to focus your energy on retention. Keeping those buyers happy and encouraging repeat business can be tricky. Take a softer approach to win their loyalty using segmentation.

See for Yourself

If you haven’t tried segmenting your campaign before, there’s no time like the present to try it out.

Hopefully your subscribers will thank you for providing timely, relevant and targeted information by spending their hard-earned money with your company.

Let us know how it goes!

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/segmenting-the-1-sales-technique/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/market-like-a-mind-reader/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/market-like-a-mind-reader/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:38:34 +0000 Amanda Gagnon http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=16178 You don’t need to visit a psychic to find out which subscribers will be pleased to receive your next email.

You can find out yourself by segmenting your list. Sorting subscribers into segments based on various criteria means you can send them the emails you know they want – all without reading their minds.

Your subscribers will be impressed not only by your apparent ESP, but by the customized quality of your emails.

You can segment your list in all kinds of ways, including how recently subscribers signed up, where they live and what preferences they’ve indicated on web forms or surveys.

Let’s practice your mind-reading skills now: below are six ways to segment your list. Which ones will let you send custom emails that your subscribers will appreciate?

Segment to Find Out What Readers Want

Online sign-up location.

You can guess a lot about a person based on the page of your site they sign up from. Should you email promos for women’s clothing or kids shoes? Healthy recipes or cafe coupons?

By applying ad tracking to your web forms, you’ll have more than a premonition to go on – you’ll be able to segment by subscribers’ “add” method.

Bonus: You get a glimpse of the nature of your audience this way, so you can create content you know will be well-received.




Personal interests.

You can also segment by subscribers’ interests. For example, your car dealership might want to see which subscribers drive which brands. You may also want to send broadcasts about those brands to those specific customers.

To find out what cars subscribers drive, create a custom field to add to your web form. This will cause it to appear in your subscriber search options. Simply search for the answer you’re looking for to create the segment you need.



Survey results.

Subscribers may communicate their interests and preferences in surveys instead of on your web form. Don’t worry; you can still segment according to their answers.

For example, your real estate agency may want to email listings to your clients. Each client only wants listings for the neighborhoods they’re house-hunting in.

To make this happen, send out a survey asking clients to click on their neighborhoods of interest. Link each option back to a hidden page on your site. Then create segments according to which links were clicked.



Prospects vs. customers.

Segmenting helps you market differently to those who have bought from you and those who haven’t.

For example, you could send e-book customers suggestions for practically applying ideas from the book or recommend similar products. Prospects still have to be sold on the merits of making the purchase.

You can create these segments in AWeber by applying sales tracking and searching for any subscribers whose sale amount is greater than $0. And when you’re ready to email your customer segment, check out these content ideas.



Online vs. offline customers.

While customers who visit your store might be interested in on-site event announcements, online customers are more likely to prefer coupon codes.

As described above, online customers can be found with sales tracking. It’s just as easy to segment customers who signed up in your store. When you import them to your list, apply an ad tracking category (such as “in-store”). Then you can segment by the add method “import” and your chosen ad category.



Location.

With just a little effort, you can keep your messages appropriate across the globe. Segment based on driving distance to your location, seasonal and climate differences and the times your emails will arrive in each time zone.

Create a custom field that asks for location, then add it to your web form. Search subscribers by location to send each group the appropriate messages. If your readers marvel at your accuracy, just tell them you have a sixth sense for these things.



How Much is Too Much?

How deeply you segment depends on how much time you can dedicate to customizing your emails. You may opt to segment only one way, or your list might benefit from a serious break-down. Some companies hyper-segment: for example, Cetaphil creates 400-3,000 versions per send.

So put down your crystal ball and pick up a pencil. Start brainstorming ways you can sort through your list to give each subscriber the experience you already know they’re looking for.

Because after all, you don’t have to be a mind reader to know there’s no such thing as too-relevant email.

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/market-like-a-mind-reader/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/see-what-your-forms-could-look-like/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/see-what-your-forms-could-look-like/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:15:27 +0000 Nick Moore http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=19629 Have you ever wanted to show someone all the cool things you can do with AWeber before they purchase an account? Ever wanted to see your options for web form creation at a glance?

Now you can view all the possible templates and color schemes for web forms in one place with this snazzy, searchable web form template gallery.

Enjoy! And, if you have a moment, tell us what you think of the templates and the gallery!

Want to Learn More About Web Forms?

If you’re not familiar with our web form generator, our features page has a great overview of creating beautiful custom forms for your website.

Customizing your web form is easier than ever with our web form generator: take a look at our Knowledge Base or attend our free Better Web Forms webinar for more information!

Finally, skip right to the web form template gallery if you just want to check out the cool templates our design team has put together:



Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/see-what-your-forms-could-look-like/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/testimonials-the-ultimate-social-proof/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/testimonials-the-ultimate-social-proof/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:54:11 +0000 Rebecca Swayze http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=16870 Your email marketing relies on that one decisive moment when someone cruising around the internet ends up on your landing page and signs up for email updates from your company.

Once visitors click around and develop interest in your product, it’s natural for there to be some hesitation. People are very protective of their inboxes, but one surefire way to combat that tension is to use testimonials.

It’s a tactic that stems from the logic of social proof. As Robert Cialdini, author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, explains, “we view a behavior as more correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it.”

Let’s explore how you can use testimonials to encourage interested individuals to complete their requests for information and help you close sales with your email campaign.

Tactic #1: Influence at Sign Up

On their web form, Unique Fitness Group includes two testimonials from satisfied customers that are meant to positively influence website visitors who are on the fence about signing up.



The specific social proof that these women achieved real results with their product is a testament to their service and quells concerns from wary, but interested, visitors.

Regardless of what type of business you own, using a stats-driven testimonial will validate your product and show prospects tangible results that they can aspire to.

But when you’re collecting testimonials, avoid generalization and vague praise. Your service is stellar and you know that, but if someone simply says, “Hey, you’re the best!” that won’t be enough to inspire people to immediately sign up.

Remember that today’s consumers are savvy – they can detect fabricated stories in seconds so your testimonials must be sincere and authentic.

Web Form Testimonial Placement Ideas

1. In the Header:

   When a visitor considers signing up for your email list, the header of your web form is the first thing they see prior to forking over their contact information. Using this space to highlight a particularly strong testimonial can be enough to compel an apprehensive person to go through with their request for information.

2. In the Footer:

   You could also add a testimonial to the footer of your form as one final good word before the big subscription commitment. This way, the additional praise from an existing subscriber will ease new recruits’ minds and make them feel good about their choice to sign up.

3. On the Page Next to the Form:

   If your product lends itself to visible and tangible results, you might not have enough room in your sign up form to do a testimonial justice. Simply use the remaining page space to exhibit pictures, graphs, charts and any other data from happy customers that would convince new visitors that they can also profit from your emails.

Tactic #2: Persuade Via Email

You can also use the social influence of testimonials as a sales tactic with subscribers who are already on your email list, just like Shape FX does with their product.



According to Cialdini, “when people are uncertain, they are more likely to use others’ actions to decide how they themselves should act.” The personal experiences that others have with your service give you credibility and situate your product favorably in the eyes of the subscriber.

Your testimonials have to be relevant and address “what-ifs” and hesitations. If you are selling a specific product, using a customer testimonial about a different product is a big no-no.

And don’t use a testimonial just for the sake of using one. Make sure that the kind words you use about your company really reflect how your service can help prospects.

Think about the questions that potential customers might have, and review your positive customer feedback to see if anyone addresses those issues. Prospects might be wondering what makes you different from your competition, or how your service will really benefit them – your testimonials should help them overcome that initial hesitation.

Where To Try Testimonials in an Email

1. In the Header:

   A quick quote from a satisfied consumer makes a great slogan or tag-line for your business. Incorporate a particularly persuasive testimonial in your email header and readers will be compelled to read on.

2. In the Body:

   If you are out of ideas for what to include in your emails, highlighting a particular customer’s story and documenting their experience with your product can provide you with relevant and inspiring content to include somewhere in your email before the call to action. The testimonial will build the reader’s confidence and reduce their apprehension before making your request.You can also include a testimonial next to, above or below the call to action. As we mentioned earlier in regard to web forms, some testimonials require more proof than just words. The best way to exhibit that proof in email is to place images, charts and other visuals in close proximity to the quote.

3. In the Footer:

   Similarly to the header, you can use testimonials to close out your message. An account of how your company has impacted the life of a real customer will end your message on a strong note and encourage readers to consider your product.

Not Convinced Testimonials are Right for You?

As with all marketing techniques, the only way to truly know whether or not testimonials are right for your campaign is to test them.

• If you place a testimonial in the headline of your form, split test web forms on your sign up page to see how the social proof performs.
• Including testimonials in your broadcast messages? Split test the emails to find out which ones have better response rates.

Do You Use Social Proof Tactics?

How have they helped your campaign?

Do you find that they encourage prospects and customers alike? Share your thoughts on the blog!

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/testimonials-the-ultimate-social-proof/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/publish-full-posts-in-blog-broadcasts/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/publish-full-posts-in-blog-broadcasts/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:13:03 +0000 Justin Premick http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=19147 Many businesses and bloggers use AWeber’s blog newsletter tool to convert RSS to email and tell readers about new posts on their blogs.

When we released this tool, our thinking was that it would be a way for you to get email subscribers back to your blog in order to read your post, comment on it and take any other actions you wanted after getting to your site. So we designed the broadcasts to include partial blog posts rather than full posts.

While this has worked beautifully for many of you, some of you have asked us to provide a way for you to include full posts directly in the emails.

Now, you can. Here’s how:

Use The {!rss_item_content} Tag

While editing your blog broadcast template, if you want to include full posts rather than partial posts, simply replace the {!rss_item_description} tag with {!rss_item_content}.




{!rss_item_content} will merge the full HTML and images from your posts into your blog newsletter.

Do You Prefer Full or Partial Posts In Your Blog Newsletter?

With this available, will you send full posts in your blog newsletters? Or will you send partial posts?

What about as a recipient? Are full or partial posts better for you?

We’ve put together a quick 2-question survey to find out what you and all of our readers think!

Once we have your answers, we’ll share the results via Twitter and Facebook, so be sure to follow or “Like” us!

Update 7/26/10: Results are now available here – thanks everyone who took the survey!

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/publish-full-posts-in-blog-broadcasts/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/william-shakespeare-4/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/william-shakespeare-4/#comments Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000 Motivational Quotes of the Day http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/3024.html “In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man/
As modest stillness and humility;/
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,/
Then imitate the action of the tiger:/
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood.”





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/william-shakespeare-4/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/how-permission-could-save-this-viral-marketing-tactic/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/how-permission-could-save-this-viral-marketing-tactic/#comments Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:51:58 +0000 Amanda Gagnon http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=16318 My favorite author just announced me as his co-author! Okay, he didn’t really mean it and he’ll say the same about you, but what a brilliant way to earn a subscription to your emails – assuming, of course, you keep permission in mind.

Donald Miller’s co-author game gives the email marketing sign-up process a creative twist. Its format is likely to attract a flood of participants. And yes, it indicates my interest in his brand.

But it never once hints that I’m opting into his campaign. So although I like his emails and am pleased to have found them, I am annoyed that I wasn’t offered a choice.

The steps of the sign-up game are laid out below. Scroll down to marvel at how brilliantly it attracts subscribers. Then note how to improve this process in your own campaign by adding the most critical element of all: permission.

Step 1: Tweet the Bait



A few keystrokes in exchange for fame and glory – who can resist this offer? It’s fun, it lets people celebrate themselves and it’s sharable by nature.

It’s brilliantly attractive to fans of Donald Miller, which is ideal, since they’re the most likely audience to enjoy and engage with his email campaign.

Step 2: A Creative Sign-Up…Wait…a What?



This form invites participants into a fantasy role that they can show off to their contacts. It’s fun, but there’s no indication that this is an email sign-up form.

All that’s needed is a note that tells me I’ll now be receiving emails from Donald Miller. Then I can make an informed choice of whether or not to continue.

Step 3: Not Your Average Thank – You Page



This, ladies and gentlemen, is a thank-you page. It’s a very creative use of a tool every opt-in campaign has, and it’s likely to get a high response. Talk about incentive! Participants are now on the lookout for this email.

But this thank-you page only tells me to expect one email. That’s not what I ended up with…

Step 4: Is This a Confirmation Message?



I know to expect this email, so I’m glad to see it. It links me to the final part of the game, which motivates me to click the link.

In permission-based campaigns, though, this would be known as a confirmation email. Clicking the link would confirm my interest in receiving further emails. If that’s what happened here, I would have liked to have been told.

Step 5: Fantastic Engagement, No Confirmation



This is a nice delivery of the page I originally signed up for. I’m pleased with Donald Miller and pleased with this process – that is, until…

Step 6: The Promotional Emails Begin



I know I played the Donald Miller game, but I also know I never signed up for emails, so I’m a little surprised to find this in my inbox the next day.

I’m displeased that I was emailed without permission. I’m also interested in these tour dates. For me, the benefit of the email’s content outweighs my chagrin that my personal boundaries were crossed – at least for now – but others may not feel the same.

The Lesson



Someone who is pleased to get these emails may not unsubscribe now. But they also probably would have checked a box to opt in in the first place, especially if Donald Miller’s emails bring this same playful voice and level of fun.

Someone who wouldn’t have checked that box in the first place probably still doesn’t want these emails, especially since they arrived without any sort of request for permission. These people are likely to unsubscribe or remain as disengaged dead weight.

Even worse, some people who might have knowingly opted in to these emails may now be annoyed enough to mark them as spam or unsubscribe anyway.

So the lesson is this: fun and games can attract hordes of potential subscribers to your sign-up form. Once they get there, though, they’ll appreciate being told exactly what is happening – whether they want your emails or not.

And in the end, asking people to knowingly subscribe to your emails is the best way to build an engaged, long-term, appreciative list.

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/how-permission-could-save-this-viral-marketing-tactic/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/a-cowboy%e2%80%99s-guide-to-email-marketing/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/a-cowboy%e2%80%99s-guide-to-email-marketing/#comments Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:21:15 +0000 Rebecca Swayze http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=16711 Just like a seasoned email marketing pro, a successful cowboy (or cowgirl!) always learns from his experiences and acknowledges his own limits.

He is self-reliant, innovative and constantly looking for new ways to succeed out on the frontier. And he always outsmarts his opponents using wit, knowledge and skill.

Saddle up your horse and read on to find out how your email campaign can benefit from the legendary ways of the Wild West.



Cowboys are well-known for their dexterity. Cool, calm and collected, they are confident in their herding skills and never return to the ranch empty-handed.

Round up your interested subscribers with ease and seek out individuals who want to learn everything they can about your product or service.

Always remember to mention your newsletter to people you speak with offline. It’s a great conversation starter, and also leads interested people to your website to sign up.

Send a lot of personal emails? Add a hosted web form to your email signature so that prospects can sign up to receive your emails on the spot.



While it’s great to work toward total uniqueness in business, the truth is that there are not many enterprises out there that are 100% unique.

There are other vendors that your subscribers can do business with, who sell the same things you do, and there are other companies sending email newsletters about products similar to yours.

The difference is all in the way you portray your product and your service. You need to carve a specific niche for yourself using your email campaign.

Highlight what makes your business stand out from others in your niche.

For Instance

If your town has a commercial barbecue restaurant, but you’re just venturing into email marketing as the one-store BBQ underdog, focus on the things that you do especially well that those other establishments don’t.

• Do you specialize in slow-cooked pork? Homemade barbeque sauce? Can you cater to restaurants and suppliers out of town?
• What makes your business special? Make a list of the things that set you apart, and focus on those in your email newsletters.



In Westerns, the barkeep is the main source of news for patrons and town-dwellers. He is well-connected, well-liked and well-respected; he really knows his stuff.

Make your brand the “go-to” source for your industry. Consumers are sponges for information, but don’t always like to find it on their own.

You must build trust and credibility in your brand, so that subscribers are ready and willing to read your emails when they appear in their inboxes.

Package all of the information you possibly can into easily digestible emails. When it’s time for your subscribers to make a purchase, they can revisit your emails and make an educated choice, from a brand that has informed them well.



Mining for gold is a strenuous, backbreaking task. In the same way, it can be hard work for subscribers to dissect your emails and get to the meat of your messages.

Write emails that subscribers can quickly sift through to find the “nuggets” of highest value. Use headlines, bulleted lists, bold font and succinct, short paragraphs to grab their attention and keep them engaged.

By making your text scannable, readers will remain attentive and not lose interest in your messages.



Cowboys are not known for being flamboyant or over the top. They naturally understand the importance of simplicity in their day-to-day lives, and they embody it in the way that they dress and carry themselves.

If you struggle to put together your email campaign, let us help you. We have hundreds of professionally designed templates that are easy to customize.

Not sure if you want to commit to one specific look for your emails? Stick with plain text for now. Readers will appreciate the straightforward approach, and it can even seem more personal and sincere.

Any Email Marketing Cowboys Out There?



We’d love to hear how you use email to benefit your business and grow your prospect-base.

Leave your comments on the blog

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/a-cowboy%e2%80%99s-guide-to-email-marketing/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/master-the-3-a%e2%80%99s-of-calls-to-action/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/master-the-3-a%e2%80%99s-of-calls-to-action/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:42:10 +0000 Amanda Gagnon http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=16363 Your call to action is a key component of your email marketing campaigns. It’s where you ask for a response from your subscribers, and where they choose whether or not to give you that response.

The call to action is your chance to convert readers who aren’t interested, reinforce interest for those who are and sway those who are unsure.

That’s a lot to get done with a few words in a fairly small space. Make the most of that space with these tips for creating effective calls to action.

Alignment



Positioning your call to action above the scroll (the point where readers need to scroll down to see more) gives you the opportunity to draw response from more subscribers: those who aren’t interested in reading to the bottom and those in a rush who scan the preview pane and move on.

With your call to action up high, they can just glance and click. Remember, different ISPs, preview panes and mobile devices have different points of scroll, so plan accordingly.

To let readers click through whenever they feel ready, provide multiple calls to the same action. Keep your wording consistent so readers aren’t confused and scatter them strategically through the email.

Calling for only one action keeps the email from being overwhelming while repeating the call several times gives the suggestion more weight, as you can see in this example from marketing consultant Michael Fortin.

When you position these calls to action, consider your layout. Place your call to action directly in readers’ visual path. Use the other elements in your email to guide readers’ eyes and surround the call to action with plenty of white space so it stands out.

Approach



The words you choose to approach subscribers with your call to action are critical. You’re making a request, and the “voice” you use sets the tone for your subscriber-marketer relationship.

To make a strong impact, incorporate some power words. These are words that prompt specific reactions and clarify exactly what you’re asking readers to do.

Blogger Dustin Curtis’ call to action started as a passive statement. He rewrote it with power words that showed force and personality, and his response rate grew 173%.

Be careful, though, that the words you choose create the effect you are looking for. Try considering them from your readers’ point of view . What does each one ask of your subscribers? How does it feel to be asked to “submit”, “subscribe”, “donate” or “join”?

Words are important, but even the format of your offers can make a difference. When Evo, an outdoor outfitter, tested $50 off against 15% off (worth approx. $50), the dollars-off email had a 72% higher conversion rate.

Finally, it’s important that your call to action reflects your usual brand voice – the way you write in your newsletter, your blog and your other marketing efforts.

Your brand voice is familiar to your subscribers. They like it – that’s why they stick around – so use it.

Appearance



Once you design that powerful combination of words to spring subscribers into action, draw attention to it.

When Insurance.com split test two email designs, the call to action was barely noticeable in the first creative, but appeared on a big, red button in the second version. Guess which one got more conversions?

(Note, however, that large, red buttons prompt alarm elsewhere, so make sure to test what works for your own campaign!)

Part of your call to action’s appearance is its format. Should you use an image, a button, a text link? Your answer will depend on your campaign. Take a look at AWeber’s button vs. text link experiment for ideas on how to test format for yourself.

Another aspect of your call to action’s appearance is its size. How does it compare to other elements in your design? If you have several calls to action, which should you make more prominent?

Have a look at Get Elastic’s thoughts on testing size, among other elements, to create an ideal call to action.

And Keep In Mind…

Your campaign is unique. No one else has your combination of audience, industry, brand and purpose. And not every call to action created with the above guidelines will work for you.

Marketing strategist Jeanne Jennings‘ advice: “You’re never really gonna know what works for you unless you test it…Make sure that what works for the majority of marketers works for you.”

So take inspiration from these ideas, pay close attention to what your subscribers want and consider your business goals. Plan your calls to action accordingly, test them out and watch your conversions rise.

Alternative Ideas

When designing your own calls to action, have you come across any standards that seem to work well? Do you have any tips that fellow email marketers could benefit from?

If you do, we’d love to hear them!

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/master-the-3-a%e2%80%99s-of-calls-to-action/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/how-to-get-email-addresses-for-email-marketing/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/how-to-get-email-addresses-for-email-marketing/#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:50:54 +0000 Rebecca Swayze http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=15935 Email is an incredible marketing tool. With its widespread reach and viral potential, it allows your business to connect with prospects in ways that no other marketing medium can.

But without a list of subscribers with valid email addresses to send messages to, it's hard to justify using email as a means of marketing your business.

Fortunately, there are lots of easy ways to collect email addresses so that you reap the benefits of an email marketing campaign. Here are some of the basics.

Simply Ask!

When existing and prospective customers buy something at your store, have staff members verbally ask if they'd like to sign up for your newsletter as part of the check out process. Keep a sign up sheet close to the register, so that browsers can sign up even if they don't purchase anything.

When you speak with clients on the phone, tell them that your newsletter is full of great information. Sell your content; it's the one thing that you are most knowledgeable about and it will show when you're talking it up.

It only takes a few seconds to jot down an email address. If you make "the big ask" five times a day for one work week, that's 25 email addresses you didn't have before you started, and 100 email addresses in just one month!

Put a Form On Your Website

If you're in a situation where you can't take email addresses verbally, always direct people to your website. It's imperative that you have a form on every page so that anyone who happens to land there is able to sign up quickly and painlessly for your emails.

The sign up process should be blatantly obvious and provide all of the necessary background information about your email campaign.

Web form templates give your form a professional, polished look that compliments your website design.

You should also seriously consider using a popup form to collect addresses. While they're not for everyone, popups and popovers have really come a long way from what they once were.

You now have a lot of control over their frequency and appearance, and you can even split test different types of popups to see what works best for you.

Send Postcards Via Snail Mail

Michelle Kemp, a fan of AWeber on Facebook, swears by sending postcards to prospects by mail:

Michelle Kemp Get your offline clients email addresses by mailing them a postcard with a free offer. Give them a website to go to and when they opt-in, give them your free content/giveaway that you promised. This works like a charm!
April 13 at 12:45pm

If you have their postal address, sending a client a personalized, handwritten note or postcard with a return address shows that you market transparently. It also puts a human touch on the otherwise technical task of collecting email addresses online.

Offer Freebies

Nothing is more attractive to a potential customer than a free product or a glance at a service that they don't have yet.

No matter what your newsletter is about, you are an expert in your field. Write up a quick guide to your industry, offer a free sample of hot sauce or hair product or send an exclusive MP3 download of your latest song that is only available to your email list.

As long as your free gift is relevant to the content of your newsletter, it's the perfect incentive for prospects who might be on the fence about signing up.

Link to a Form in Your Signature

How many people do you contact personally via email every day? These contacts might not be on your business email list yet, but that doesn't mean you can't suggest that they sign up to receive your email newsletter.

Simply include a link to your hosted web form in your email signature, and your prospects can sign up to receive your emails without even closing your personal message.

Advertise On Everything You Print

Traditional print media can be costly. With the state of today's economy, you should think twice before investing company dollars in print advertisement.

In a 2009 study, researchers from IBM and MIT found that the average email contact was "worth" $948 in revenue. With such minimal costs in comparison to print, and such high return on investment, email is the logical and result driven choice for modern marketing.

That being said, take advantage of the fact that essential printed materials make their way out of your office or store and back to the homes of potential subscribers.

Whether it's your business card, a brown paper bag or a receipt, a physical reminder of your website could be the push someone needs to visit your site and fill our your web form.

Utilize Social Media

Your personal network is just as important as your work Rolodex when you're growing your email list.

Put a form on your Facebook fan page so that anyone visiting your page on the social networking site can easily subscribe to receive email updates.

Ask Twitter followers to sign up for your newsletter by tweeting a link to your hosted web form.

If you automatically tweet your broadcast messages, we add an email signup form to the sidebar of your archive, so that if someone stumbles upon your email they can easily sign up to receive more.

What Are Your List Building Tactics?

Does one particular method help you attract new subscribers? Is there something that doesn't work very well for your industry?

We can all learn from the experiences of others - please share yours!

Tweet This


]]> Email is an incredible marketing tool. With its widespread reach and viral potential, it allows your business to connect with prospects in ways that no other marketing medium can.

But without a list of subscribers with valid email addresses to send messages to, it’s hard to justify using email as a means of marketing your business.

Fortunately, there are lots of easy ways to collect email addresses so that you reap the benefits of an email marketing campaign. Here are some of the basics.

Simply Ask!

When existing and prospective customers buy something at your store, have staff members verbally ask if they’d like to sign up for your newsletter as part of the check out process. Keep a sign up sheet close to the register, so that browsers can sign up even if they don’t purchase anything.

When you speak with clients on the phone, tell them that your newsletter is full of great information. Sell your content; it’s the one thing that you are most knowledgeable about and it will show when you’re talking it up.

It only takes a few seconds to jot down an email address. If you make “the big ask” five times a day for one work week, that’s 25 email addresses you didn’t have before you started, and 100 email addresses in just one month!

Put a Form On Your Website

If you’re in a situation where you can’t take email addresses verbally, always direct people to your website. It’s imperative that you have a form on every page so that anyone who happens to land there is able to sign up quickly and painlessly for your emails.

The sign up process should be blatantly obvious and provide all of the necessary background information about your email campaign.

Web form templates give your form a professional, polished look that compliments your website design.

You should also seriously consider using a popup form to collect addresses. While they’re not for everyone, popups and popovers have really come a long way from what they once were.

You now have a lot of control over their frequency and appearance, and you can even split test different types of popups to see what works best for you.

Send Postcards Via Snail Mail

Michelle Kemp, a fan of AWeber on Facebook, swears by sending postcards to prospects by mail:

Michelle Kemp Get your offline clients email addresses by mailing them a postcard with a free offer. Give them a website to go to and when they opt-in, give them your free content/giveaway that you promised. This works like a charm!
April 13 at 12:45pm

If you have their postal address, sending a client a personalized, handwritten note or postcard with a return address shows that you market transparently. It also puts a human touch on the otherwise technical task of collecting email addresses online.

Offer Freebies

Nothing is more attractive to a potential customer than a free product or a glance at a service that they don’t have yet.

No matter what your newsletter is about, you are an expert in your field. Write up a quick guide to your industry, offer a free sample of hot sauce or hair product or send an exclusive MP3 download of your latest song that is only available to your email list.

As long as your free gift is relevant to the content of your newsletter, it’s the perfect incentive for prospects who might be on the fence about signing up.

Link to a Form in Your Signature

How many people do you contact personally via email every day? These contacts might not be on your business email list yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t suggest that they sign up to receive your email newsletter.

Simply include a link to your hosted web form in your email signature, and your prospects can sign up to receive your emails without even closing your personal message.

Advertise On Everything You Print

Traditional print media can be costly. With the state of today’s economy, you should think twice before investing company dollars in print advertisement.

In a 2009 study, researchers from IBM and MIT found that the average email contact was “worth” $948 in revenue. With such minimal costs in comparison to print, and such high return on investment, email is the logical and result driven choice for modern marketing.

That being said, take advantage of the fact that essential printed materials make their way out of your office or store and back to the homes of potential subscribers.

Whether it’s your business card, a brown paper bag or a receipt, a physical reminder of your website could be the push someone needs to visit your site and fill our your web form.

Utilize Social Media

Your personal network is just as important as your work Rolodex when you’re growing your email list.

Put a form on your Facebook fan page so that anyone visiting your page on the social networking site can easily subscribe to receive email updates.

Ask Twitter followers to sign up for your newsletter by tweeting a link to your hosted web form.

If you automatically tweet your broadcast messages, we add an email signup form to the sidebar of your archive, so that if someone stumbles upon your email they can easily sign up to receive more.

What Are Your List Building Tactics?

Does one particular method help you attract new subscribers? Is there something that doesn’t work very well for your industry?

We can all learn from the experiences of others – please share yours!

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/how-to-get-email-addresses-for-email-marketing/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/small-businesses-investing-more-in-email-marketing-look-to-integrate-social-media/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/small-businesses-investing-more-in-email-marketing-look-to-integrate-social-media/#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:42:18 +0000 Justin Premick http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=18896 Recently, we surveyed AWeber customers to see what small businesses are doing in their email marketing today, and what you’re planning to do in the future.

Turns out you’re doing a lot of really cool stuff (no surprise to us )!

Here are some findings and analysis from the survey:

• Almost 70% of small businesses are employing some sort of social media tactics.
• Small businesses find email marketing’s ROI more measurable, more quickly realized and greater than social media’s ROI.
• Over 71% of small businesses plan to increase their focus on behavioral targeting in the coming year.

For more on this, see this article at eMarketer discussing some of the results, and the press release below. (The release is also available here.)

---

Small Businesses Investing More in Email Marketing, Look to Integrate Social Media

Huntingdon Valley, Pa. (June 23, 2010) - AWeber Communications, a leading provider of web-based email marketing software for small businesses, today announced results from a survey of more than 2,500 small businesses regarding email marketing and social media marketing efforts. Email marketing continues to bring significant value to businesses with more than 82 percent of respondents planning to increase their email marketing efforts over the next year.

The survey, generated by AWeber and initially reported by eMarketer, indicates that the more social media grows in popularity among consumers, the more attention it will receive from marketers. While it may not be entirely clear how marketers are incorporating social media into their existing digital marketing efforts such as email marketing, almost 70 percent of small business marketers are employing some sort of social media tactics and a majority (77 percent) indicate that integrating email marketing and social media is either “very important” or “moderately important.”

The most popular tactics at the moment involve spreading content onto additional mediums such as sharing email newsletters on Twitter (36 percent) and delivering blog posts via email (35 percent). Small business marketers seem to recognize the value in driving social media followers and fans to their email lists and vice versa – allowing subscribers to access information from the medium they are most comfortable with.

“As the survey results indicate, email marketing continues to be a measurable, effective tool that brings significant value to small businesses, regardless of the nature of their business,” said Tom Kulzer, CEO and founder of AWeber. “It is also evident that marketers are continuing to realize the importance of integrating their email marketing campaigns with social media activities as a way to reach a broader audience, but are still learning how to do this effectively. We continue to provide our users with educational resources, including our blog and webinars to help them better understand how to engage with their customers.”

Another interesting finding from the survey centered on behavioral targeting, a method considered help deliver superior results. By specifically targeting email campaigns toward subscribers who have taken an action (opened a particular email, clicked on a link), nearly 50 percent of respondents indicated that behavioral targeting increases their conversion rates either significantly or moderately.

These responses also highlight a divide between email marketers who are testing behavioral targeting and those who are not. Nearly a quarter (24.8 percent) of respondents state that they have not tested behavioral targeting in their email marketing campaigns, while another 23 percent are not sure whether behavioral targeting increases conversion rates – a number which suggests that marketers may not be testing this thoroughly, if at all.

However, this divide may be shrinking, as an overwhelming majority of respondents (71.4 percent) plan to increase their focus on behavioral targeting in their email campaigns over the next year.

As the ongoing battle for subscribers’ attention escalates, relevance and value are at a premium making analytical date more valuable than ever. Nearly 70 percent of respondents indicate that analytical reports either significantly or moderately impact their email marketing strategies. Of the marketers who do not currently use these reports, more than one quarter are interested in using them.

Other key findings from the AWeber survey include:

• More than 66 percent of respondents indicate they intend to use behavioral targeting as well as sales tracking in their campaigns over the next 12 months.
• 54 percent of respondents indicate they intend to use Facebook as a tool to help build their email lists
• Nearly 20 percent of respondents indicate that integrating email marketing and social media increased customer loyalty
• Almost 12 times as many respondents said that email marketing ROI is more easily measured than social media ROI (61.46 percent versus 5.28 percent)

Methodology
The AWeber survey was conducted over a five-day period from May 20-24. Responses were entered anonymously by 2,579 AWeber customers. Based on the population size and the number of respondents, responses can be reported with a 99% confidence level with a margin of error of +/- three percent.

For more information, including full survey results and the executive summary, contact Justin Premick, Director of Education Marketing at justinpremick@aweber.com.

About AWeber Communications
AWeber Communications helps businesses increase sales and profits through its suite of web-based email marketing software. The privately held, debt-free company was founded in 1998. For more information, visit http://www.aweber.com.

###

---

Thanks To Everyone Who Participated In The Survey!

To all of you who took a few minutes out of your day to answer our survey last month, thanks so much!

Hopefully it’s useful and motivating to see how your email marketing efforts and usage compare to those of other small businesses.

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/small-businesses-investing-more-in-email-marketing-look-to-integrate-social-media/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/what-your-house-can-teach-you-about-email-marketing/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/what-your-house-can-teach-you-about-email-marketing/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:00:24 +0000 Rebecca Swayze http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=15252 An effective email marketing campaign requires framework. Successful marketers will always be the first to tell you that their campaigns are the work of careful planning and diligent consideration.

It's actually much like building a house. There's no way you can construct a building haphazardly, without direction, and turn out a flawless finished product. The result would be chaotic!

The same goes for email. You can't randomly send messages to your clients and prospects without establishing expectations and formulating a plan, or they will tune out and unsubscribe due to your lack of organization.

Follow these guidelines for constructing a well built house and you'll be on your way to creating a profitable and manageable email campaign in no time.

You Need a Solid Foundation

The strongest buildings are built from the ground up on a rock-solid foundation. For your email campaign, the foundation is your message content.

The whole point in sending email is to solicit an action. You want readers to click through your messages, buy products and respond to surveys. In order to engage subscribers and inspire those actions, you must consistently send subscribers interesting, relevant and incentivizing content.

• If you are using email as a sales tool, you want to wow readers with your products and your knowledge, and establish yourself as an authority in your field.
• If you're using email as a retention tool and are primarily sending informational updates and newsletters, you want to create content that builds relationships.

Sources for Content

• If your business has a blog, you already have one valuable content resource well within your reach. Try restructuring older posts for your new messages and pick posts with lots of comments - they obviously piqued the interest of your readers and will be relevant and helpful to new subscribers on your email list.
• Don't have a blog? Look through old emails from your customers. If you see the same questions about your product or service over and over again, take that as a hint. You could probably create a whole follow up series addressing the FAQs.
• Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of content you need to create? Check out sites like Lateral Action and Copyblogger for inspiration and words of wisdom.

Plenty of Windows



Windows let light into your home. They give you different views of your yard and help you keep watch when the kids play outside. They also let your neighbors see in.

Instead of drawing the curtains tight on your email campaign, take the opportunity to give your readers a look inside. Be transparent. Build their trust by making yourself available.

Don't make subscribers dig for your social networking sites. Instead, purposely link to your Facebook and Twitter pages so that they can't miss them.

If you put all of the information about your company out there for subscribers to see from the get-go, you will never need to Windex the windows on your campaign or backtrack to make yourself more transparent.

Marketer Bill Gammell relates transparency to an episode of Seinfeld:

KRAMER: Newman and I are reversing the peepholes on our door, so you can see in. JERRY: But then anyone can just look in and see you. KRAMER: Our policy is, we're comfortable with our bodies. You know, if someone wants to help themselves to an eyeful, well, we say, enjoy the show.

So reverse your peepholes! Get comfortable with your brand's body and let your subscribers enjoy the show week after week through your emails.

Curb Appeal

Anyone who takes pride in their home understands the desire to make your property as clean and beautiful as possible.

You landscape, paint and generally spruce things up from time to time to keep your house in tip-top shape. After all, your home is a reflection of you.

Your email campaign should be an extension of your business in the same way. You should take pride in its appearance, and realize that a neat and approachable design will only contribute positively to the perception of your brand.

Using beautifully designed message and web form templates is the perfect way to put a professional face on your campaign. With hundreds to choose from, there's bound to be at least one or two that fits your style.

An Impenetrable Roof

The roof on your building protects your structure and everything inside. Email deliverability requires the same amount of protection.

There are a few things you can do to safeguard your list:

1. Confirm SubscribersConfirmed opt-in ensures that you only send messages to people who specifically request them from you. It also protects you from false spam complaints, and ISPs and spam filters give priority to senders who use confirmed opt-in.
2. Get WhitelistedAsk subscribers to add your email address to their address books. While emails sent from AWeber customers already whitelisted on an ISP level, it's important to reduce the likelihood of your mail being filtered to a junk folder on an individual level.
3. Don't Take Permission For GrantedRemember that subscribers are interested in a certain type of information, which is exactly what they signed up for when they gave you their email addresses. Send only valuable, relevant information that relates to the topics the reader expressed interest in.

A Maintenance Plan

Even impeccably built homes require maintenance. While autoresponders allow you to "set it and forget it," the best email campaigns have owners that are extremely involved with their clients and their product.

Keep a close eye on the performance of your emails. Split test your subject lines and use analytics to track open and click through rates.

When necessary, do a little spring cleaning. Your campaign can never be too tidy!

Building your Own Campaign?

Do you have a basic blueprint for building your email marketing campaigns? What does it look like?

Tweet This


]]> An effective email marketing campaign requires framework. Successful marketers will always be the first to tell you that their campaigns are the work of careful planning and diligent consideration.

It’s actually much like building a house. There’s no way you can construct a building haphazardly, without direction, and turn out a flawless finished product. The result would be chaotic!

The same goes for email. You can’t randomly send messages to your clients and prospects without establishing expectations and formulating a plan, or they will tune out and unsubscribe due to your lack of organization.

Follow these guidelines for constructing a well built house and you’ll be on your way to creating a profitable and manageable email campaign in no time.

You Need a Solid Foundation

The strongest buildings are built from the ground up on a rock-solid foundation. For your email campaign, the foundation is your message content.

The whole point in sending email is to solicit an action. You want readers to click through your messages, buy products and respond to surveys. In order to engage subscribers and inspire those actions, you must consistently send subscribers interesting, relevant and incentivizing content.

• If you are using email as a sales tool, you want to wow readers with your products and your knowledge, and establish yourself as an authority in your field.
• If you’re using email as a retention tool and are primarily sending informational updates and newsletters, you want to create content that builds relationships.

Sources for Content

• If your business has a blog, you already have one valuable content resource well within your reach. Try restructuring older posts for your new messages and pick posts with lots of comments – they obviously piqued the interest of your readers and will be relevant and helpful to new subscribers on your email list.
• Don’t have a blog? Look through old emails from your customers. If you see the same questions about your product or service over and over again, take that as a hint. You could probably create a whole follow up series addressing the FAQs.
• Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of content you need to create? Check out sites like Lateral Action and Copyblogger for inspiration and words of wisdom.

Plenty of Windows



Windows let light into your home. They give you different views of your yard and help you keep watch when the kids play outside. They also let your neighbors see in.

Instead of drawing the curtains tight on your email campaign, take the opportunity to give your readers a look inside. Be transparent. Build their trust by making yourself available.

Don’t make subscribers dig for your social networking sites. Instead, purposely link to your Facebook and Twitter pages so that they can’t miss them.

If you put all of the information about your company out there for subscribers to see from the get-go, you will never need to Windex the windows on your campaign or backtrack to make yourself more transparent.

Marketer Bill Gammell relates transparency to an episode of Seinfeld:

KRAMER: Newman and I are reversing the peepholes on our door, so you can see in.

JERRY: But then anyone can just look in and see you.

KRAMER: Our policy is, we’re comfortable with our bodies. You know, if someone wants to help themselves to an eyeful, well, we say, enjoy the show.

So reverse your peepholes! Get comfortable with your brand’s body and let your subscribers enjoy the show week after week through your emails.

Curb Appeal

Anyone who takes pride in their home understands the desire to make your property as clean and beautiful as possible.

You landscape, paint and generally spruce things up from time to time to keep your house in tip-top shape. After all, your home is a reflection of you.

Your email campaign should be an extension of your business in the same way. You should take pride in its appearance, and realize that a neat and approachable design will only contribute positively to the perception of your brand.

Using beautifully designed message and web form templates is the perfect way to put a professional face on your campaign. With hundreds to choose from, there’s bound to be at least one or two that fits your style.

An Impenetrable Roof

The roof on your building protects your structure and everything inside. Email deliverability requires the same amount of protection.

There are a few things you can do to safeguard your list:

1. Confirm SubscribersConfirmed opt-in ensures that you only send messages to people who specifically request them from you. It also protects you from false spam complaints, and ISPs and spam filters give priority to senders who use confirmed opt-in.
2. Get WhitelistedAsk subscribers to add your email address to their address books. While emails sent from AWeber customers already whitelisted on an ISP level, it’s important to reduce the likelihood of your mail being filtered to a junk folder on an individual level.
3. Don’t Take Permission For GrantedRemember that subscribers are interested in a certain type of information, which is exactly what they signed up for when they gave you their email addresses. Send only valuable, relevant information that relates to the topics the reader expressed interest in.

A Maintenance Plan

Even impeccably built homes require maintenance. While autoresponders allow you to “set it and forget it,” the best email campaigns have owners that are extremely involved with their clients and their product.

Keep a close eye on the performance of your emails. Split test your subject lines and use analytics to track open and click through rates.

When necessary, do a little spring cleaning. Your campaign can never be too tidy!

Building your Own Campaign?

Do you have a basic blueprint for building your email marketing campaigns? What does it look like?

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/what-your-house-can-teach-you-about-email-marketing/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/11-email-marketing-ideas-for-wineries/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/11-email-marketing-ideas-for-wineries/#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:01:39 +0000 Amanda Gagnon http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=12167 Idyllic days in the sunshine. Ruby liquid in sparkling glasses. Merry picnickers and live music.

It’s these moments – drinking your wines and visiting your vineyards – that your customers remember. But even the best memories can fade.

Email marketing can remind your customers what they’re missing. It can invite your visitors back. It can inspire your fans to go buy that favorite bottle again.

Once you build up a solid list of subscribers, you’ll need some creative ideas to spark your customers’ memories and bring them back for more.



If your chardonnay sparkles with scallops, let your customers know. Pair your wines with complementary dishes and share the recipes.

If your Burgundy is excellent in beef stew, share that, too. Original recipes for dishes cooked with your wines are even more valuable. If you have an online store, make sure to link up the wines.



People are always searching for unique gifts. Show them what you have to offer, whether it’s festively wrapped wines for the holidays, wine and chocolate sets for Valentine’s Day or picnic baskets for Mothers’ Day.



Identify wine myths vs. facts. Quote some trivia your readers will want to quote themselves. Feature a rotating glossary of wine-making terms.

Your customers may not know why racking wine does not mean putting bottles into wine racks. Tell them why. Give them more than just discounts – give them an education. With insider information, they’ll feel good about themselves and grateful to you.



Giddy tasters and frequent visitors alike bring home the winery experience with glass charms, drunken olives and other goodies. If you add a new must-have item, email your list – they’ll be sure to keep an eye out for it next time they visit.



Videos show off your winery even when your doors are closed. They also let you share more content than the typical email can hold.

Use video for educational demonstrations, “meet our team” introductions and sweeping panoramas of your estate that call visitors back. Post them to YouTube and link to them with a clickable screenshots in your emails.)



Stir up some excitement! Introduce new vintages with fanfare. Tell your subscribers where they can find the new wine, and let them know that you can’t wait for their reaction!



As faithful readers of your content and proclaimed fans of your winery, your subscribers might deserve a little extra once in awhile. Reward subscribers (and keep them coming in) with email-exclusive discounts and offers.



Live music performances, tastings, tours of your production area, grape stomping festivals, wine education classes with guest speakers – if you host these, get the word out!

Send an invitation to your subscribers early enough for them to plan ahead, but not so early that they forget!



Your wines may win regional awards, but aside from recognizing this as a mark of quality, customers may not have much reaction. Instead of telling them someone else’s opinion, ask theirs.

Have visitors to your tasting room rate your wines. Periodically invite your readers to send ratings to your “from” address. Announce the winners in an email that subscribers will check to see – Did their favorite win?



If you offer wine education classes on-site, make sure to invite your local subscribers (try segmenting by location). Summarize the best points from the class afterward so the rest of your list can benefit as well.



Don’t forget pictures! Ambiance is an important part of the wine lifestyle, so extend yours to your newsletter.

Show the grapes being crushed, the wine being bottled. Feature your winemakers, bartenders and grape pickers – give your readers faces to recognize when they visit.

Don’t forget to watch out for minors! Make age a required field on your sign-up form. Marketing to those under-age could result in fines.

Your Award Winning Ideas

As a winery, what content do you send your subscribers? Do they respond? Do they mention your messages when they visit?

These ideas can easily translate to other businesses. Hotels and restaurants can use images for ambiance. Fitness bloggers can highlight fun facts. Galleries can announce new shows.

What kinds of content can you create from these ideas?

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/11-email-marketing-ideas-for-wineries/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/email-design-tips-leverage-your-logo/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/email-design-tips-leverage-your-logo/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:52:40 +0000 Amanda Gagnon http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=15569 When your subscribers check their email, they immediately start picking apart their inboxes. They harvest useful details, respond where necessary and trash junk mail (anything they’re not in the mood for).

It’s a heartless process. And it goes fast. If your message isn’t compelling and recognizable, “click” goes the delete button.

Your logo could prevent that delete. Logos remind subscribers of the brand behind the email – a brand they expect value from. With that value in mind, they may be more likely to read your entire message.

Outfitting your emails with your logo is as easy as inserting one quick link. The question is, how should you use it? Read on to find out how to create the effect you’re looking for.

First Things First: the Top Left



This common placement means the logo is the first thing readers encounter in a top-to-bottom, left-to-right world.

Here, Groupon’s logo identifies the sender for readers who didn’t pay attention to the “from” line – for example, those scanning through emails in a preview pane. It’s easily findable, but the subtle colors and modest size let the main content command attention.

Even better, Groupon presents its logo alongside the email’s main benefit. When readers see the combination, they’re reminded of the message’s value and excited to scroll down.



Snapfish’s logo is also inconspicuous but available, blending in with the email design. Like the Groupon logo, it’s strategically placed to trigger memories of past experiences on the way into this new one.

Incorporated Into the Header



Memorial Hospital includes their logo in a subtle way. They used the color of the logo to influence the rest of the header’s design. This keeps their design appealing and their branding consistent.

With the Call to Action



The Marketing Experiments logo follows the call to action in this email generated for an ME online clinic by Go2Webinar.

Since this email was sent only to registrants for the event, it was most likely expected. The logo doesn’t need to come first as a reminder of trust, but it’s still available as an identifier.

Another consideration is design. The logo’s bright colors keep it highly visible against the low-key text. This logo doesn’t need top placement to capture the eye.

Throughout the Design



Vosges’ logo borders the email at the top and bottom and extends into the rest of the design. For Vosges, the logo is part of the brand experience. Elegant and feminine, it denotes the luxury of gourmet chocolate.

The task of this email is selling customers on a high-end candy experience. The delicate glamour of the logo is part of the experience, so the design makes the most of it.

This full-design overhaul goes further than simply inserting a logo. Think about ways you could incorporate elements of your logo into the rest of your creative with colors, fonts and other images.

Invoking your website



The goal of Body Central’s email is to encourage shopping on the web site. Accordingly, the logo here is arranged as a full banner across the top just like the banner on the site pages.

The email body shows an example of a current deal on the site, but by the time subscribers view it, the logo itself has already done much of the work by evoking the shopping experience.

Tip – No matter where you position your logo, make sure to include alt text in case images aren’t displayed.

Creating a consistent brand

Your logo can help you create consistent branding. That’s a lot of impact from the few easy clicks it takes to insert it.

Does your logo fit with your email campaign? Could using it in any of these ways help your email accomplish its purpose? How do you use your logo in your emails?

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/email-design-tips-leverage-your-logo/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/track-downloads-with-email-analytics/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/track-downloads-with-email-analytics/#comments Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:17:48 +0000 Nick Moore http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=16191 You may already know about our Email Analytics features. These powerful tools allow you to target your list with pinpoint accuracy, sending messages that respond to subscriber activity.

Anywhere you install our analytics, you can track which of your subscribers visit that page. You can send email newsletters to subscribers who visit your order page, or who look at a specific page or product on your website.

We’ve recently taken things a step further, allowing you to track subscribers who click download links on your site.

How Does It Work?

Any download link on your website can be modified to track subscribers that use it. I came across this post on Chris Brogan’s blog, and I thought to myself that this would be a perfect place to start tracking downloads.



This kind of page, with a free download, is the perfect place to implement download tracking. We could easily follow up with subscribers who downloaded the PDF, asking for feedback on the content in the download, or even linking to related products.

Let’s take a look at the HTML for that download link as it is now:



In order for the link to tell the AWeber analytics javascript that a subscriber has downloaded the PDF, we just add a line or two:



And that’s it – when a subscriber clicks that link, it will be tracked as a page hit to the download!

What Is It For?

Now that we are tracking which subscribers are downloading the PDF, its time to put that information to work. We can now segment our list and send a message to those people.

To do so, we’ll first search our list for hits to the download’s URL – this is in our AWeber account, under the Subscribers tab, Search.



Next, we save this search as a segment so that we can refer to it later:



Now we can create a broadcast and send it out to that segment, directing their attention back to our site with links to similar resources, or maybe just asking for input on the content of the PDF.



How Do I Get Started?

You can take a look at our knowledge base article for more detail on the process – for a more “plug and play” experience, you can just copy and paste this code:

<a href="http://www.example.com/download.pdf" onclick="awt_analytics.record('http://www.example.com/download.pdf';">Download My PDF</a>

Simply replace the “example.com” URL in BOTH places with the URL of your download, place this link on a page that has your AWeber analytics installed, and you’ll be good to go!

What do you think?

Tweet This





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/track-downloads-with-email-analytics/feed/ 0 http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/memorial-day-support-hours-2010/ http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/memorial-day-support-hours-2010/#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 13:16:02 +0000 Justin Premick http://www.aweber.com/blog/?p=17441 AWeber's support offices will be closed the following days as we observe Memorial Day:
• Monday, May 31, 2010

As always, we will monitor the AWeber system and the support inbox to address any critical issues.

We'll be back at 8:00AM Eastern Time on Tuesday, June 1st to answer your questions by phone, email and live text chat.

Thanks, and have a great holiday!


]]> AWeber’s support offices will be closed the following days as we observe Memorial Day:
• Monday, May 31, 2010

As always, we will monitor the AWeber system and the support inbox to address any critical issues.

We’ll be back at 8:00AM Eastern Time on Tuesday, June 1st to answer your questions by phone, email and live text chat.

Thanks, and have a great holiday!





]]> http://www.kimagillett.com/2010/memorial-day-support-hours-2010/feed/ 0