Shop to It! Inspired by the folks at TOMS shoes, we're embracing the spirit of charitable buying.
1. Dually Noted: Who would've thought a random encounter at an egg race in India would lead to a sustainable--and socially responsible--notebook company? "Betty&Betts", JoJo Blythen and Tanya Clarke's line of stunning paper goods, features notebooks and address books made from acid-free, biodegradable or recycled paper, and organic fabric. Each handmade book, pieced together in India and Nepal, utilizes fair-trade suppliers. About $11-$17, bettyandbetts.com
2. Four Eyes: Seeing is believing, and the folks at Warby Parker are definitely believers. Four friends started the eyewear company earlier this year, and their limited run of 27 styles-along with a monocle-for men and women has been growing ever since. The retro-modern cellulose acetate frames are enough to inspire spectacle lust, and the anti-reflective lenses are sweet(as is the budget-friendly price). But the real reason to lay your money on the table is the fact that the company donates a pair to RestoringVision and other non-profits with every purchase. warbyparker.com
3. Poster People: Buy limited edition art and throw a one-two punch: support noteworthy artists while donating to charity. Online gallery The Working Proof releases a new print each week, with 15% of the total sales going to the charity of the artist's choice. You just may start marking Tuesdays at 1:30 EST on your calendars to catch the debuts. "The West Wind" by Patrick Hruby benefits Doctors Without Borders, $30, theworkingproof.com
4. Wine Into Water: Ditch the fancy wine descriptions and head to Cellar Thief. The company not only tells it like it is, but also offers deep discounts on a carefully edited list(there are only 3 choices at any given time). Top it all off with a hearty dose of karmic goodness: One bottle of wine equals 100 ways to clean drinking water given to people in need. Discount varies depending on the amount purchased. cellarthief.com
5. Happy Feet: Keep your footsies toasty with a brightly colored pair of organic cotton socks-and warm your heart and that of someone else while you're at it. Socks for Happy People, come in 3 cheerful designs in an array of coordinated hues. With each pair purchased, an even warmer pair is donated to a child in Mongolia(made locally from Bactrian camel hair). As the company suggests: Buy socks, give warmth, be happy. About $24, socksforhappypeople.com
6. Kickin It: In 2005, inventor Tim Jahnigen set out to create an all-terrain soccer ball. Now just five years later, his brightly colored balls for the One Worl Futbol Project are spotted around the globe, thanks to a playful buy one, give one program that donates an identical ball with each purchase to a needy child in UN hot spots, conflict zones, or refugee camps. Stitchless, non-deflating, and usable on any playing surface, it makes life a total game. $39.50, oneworldfutbol.com
7. Start Canvasing: Pictures can say a thousand words, but you can leave giftee speechless with a gallery-wrapped canvas print of one of your favorite photos. Picture It On Canvas, uses archival canvas and inks and a UV topcoat spray, and each canvas you buy means another canvas is donated to a nonprofit charity(one of them, Operation: Love Reunited, is an organization that photographs deploying and returning military units). From $35, pictureitoncanvas.com
8. Modern Art Moisturizer: The name Jeff Koons brings up images of shiny balloon rabbit sculptures, not silky body moisturizers. But this holiday season, he's teamed up Kiehl's for a limited edition Creme De Corps line that's available at department stores, like Dillard's and Nordstrom, as well as online. Four products feature his namesake artwork, and 100% of the net profits from every sale benefit The Koons Family Institute, part of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children(icmec.org). $27-$70, kiehls.com
SMILE! SMILE! SMILE! :)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Mobile Marketing: Location, Location, Location
A 2010 study by comScore suggests that almost 46 million mobile phone users have smart-phones--almost 20% of the market share of total mobile users.
Those numbers are enough for advertisers to start taking the mobile market very seriously. But what is the best way for advertisers and marketers to gain traction in this growing industry? Increasingly, the mobile content and applications are being targeted at a user's location. A study from the Mobile Marketing Association(MMA) states that more than 25% of adults in the U.S. have used maps, navigation or other mobile phone services that automatically determine location. The same study indicates that nearly half of those using mobile phones have taken action on mobile ads.
Increasing the localization of customer targeting means more qualified traffic and better opportunities for conversion. Utilizing localized advertising in combination with interactive advertising offers users the very services they are seeking.
That's a Winning formula.
Ready, Aim, Advertise
The great strength of the mobile ad is that it allows for very specific targeting of users. Advertisers who take the time to get to know their target audience will be able to reach out to a large group of consumers who are hungry for information about what is available in their immediate area. At this point(and it should come as no surprise)the leader in location-based advertising is Google. Google has acquired a patent for using location for advertising, which sets it ahead of the competition. It allows users to bid on ad prices within a defined area and allows advertising from apps to directly correspond to a user's location.
Hook
Anyone with experience managing PPC campaigns will find themselves in familiar territory when launching mobile ad campaigns. Just like PPC, mobile advertising allows you to set up a section for specific campaigns and, within other campaigns, create accounts for different brands, as well as their relative keywords.
In addition to choosing to advertise in search results or through the content network is the ability to select a specific area--obviously of importance to mobile ad campaigns. Mobile ad platforms will allow you to target geographical locations based on country, region and specific city.
Test for Success
Like other advertising campaigns, having several versions of an ad and a landing page is paramount to success. continue to test different tactics and don't be afarid to experiment.
Be aware that the ability to track mobile advertising campaigns is still somewhat limited. When checking an IP address for someone who visited your site with a Blackberry, for example, you will be seeing the Internet Gateway address, not the actual phone's IP address. In addition, some phones don't support cookies and others clear the cache on a regular basis. However, there are analytic solutions to help track ROI. Affiliates who find ways to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns will be miles ahead when the technology catches up tp the needs of advertisers. And, by making use of the ability to target specific locations, you have already narrowed the criteria for analysis.
Mobile advertising, especially in terms of affiliate marketing, is in the early stages of its growth. There will be obstacles to overcome. But those who get in early and manage to grow with the developing technology will have a head start on their competition. The technology is already advancing in leaps and bounds. If you start now, you'll be ready for the next development phases.
It's Saturday so SMILE BIG, BE NICE, buy COFFEE for a friend! :)
Those numbers are enough for advertisers to start taking the mobile market very seriously. But what is the best way for advertisers and marketers to gain traction in this growing industry? Increasingly, the mobile content and applications are being targeted at a user's location. A study from the Mobile Marketing Association(MMA) states that more than 25% of adults in the U.S. have used maps, navigation or other mobile phone services that automatically determine location. The same study indicates that nearly half of those using mobile phones have taken action on mobile ads.
Increasing the localization of customer targeting means more qualified traffic and better opportunities for conversion. Utilizing localized advertising in combination with interactive advertising offers users the very services they are seeking.
That's a Winning formula.
Ready, Aim, Advertise
The great strength of the mobile ad is that it allows for very specific targeting of users. Advertisers who take the time to get to know their target audience will be able to reach out to a large group of consumers who are hungry for information about what is available in their immediate area. At this point(and it should come as no surprise)the leader in location-based advertising is Google. Google has acquired a patent for using location for advertising, which sets it ahead of the competition. It allows users to bid on ad prices within a defined area and allows advertising from apps to directly correspond to a user's location.
Hook
Anyone with experience managing PPC campaigns will find themselves in familiar territory when launching mobile ad campaigns. Just like PPC, mobile advertising allows you to set up a section for specific campaigns and, within other campaigns, create accounts for different brands, as well as their relative keywords.
In addition to choosing to advertise in search results or through the content network is the ability to select a specific area--obviously of importance to mobile ad campaigns. Mobile ad platforms will allow you to target geographical locations based on country, region and specific city.
Test for Success
Like other advertising campaigns, having several versions of an ad and a landing page is paramount to success. continue to test different tactics and don't be afarid to experiment.
Be aware that the ability to track mobile advertising campaigns is still somewhat limited. When checking an IP address for someone who visited your site with a Blackberry, for example, you will be seeing the Internet Gateway address, not the actual phone's IP address. In addition, some phones don't support cookies and others clear the cache on a regular basis. However, there are analytic solutions to help track ROI. Affiliates who find ways to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns will be miles ahead when the technology catches up tp the needs of advertisers. And, by making use of the ability to target specific locations, you have already narrowed the criteria for analysis.
Mobile advertising, especially in terms of affiliate marketing, is in the early stages of its growth. There will be obstacles to overcome. But those who get in early and manage to grow with the developing technology will have a head start on their competition. The technology is already advancing in leaps and bounds. If you start now, you'll be ready for the next development phases.
It's Saturday so SMILE BIG, BE NICE, buy COFFEE for a friend! :)
Friday, November 26, 2010
yEd Graph Editor
yEd Graph Editor: "Free diagram editor" This is very cool...hope you can benefit from it :)
Monday, November 22, 2010
Four Pillars of Building Instant Trust Online
+Appearance: First impressions matter. Recent research indicates that people will form an initial impression of your landing page or website within 50 milliseconds. This is almost as fast as visual processing happens in the brain, and can be considered as an instantaneous and automatic response. The initial reaction then extends to a more considered review of the page and will impact our likelihood of taking the desired conversion action.
*Professionalism of design: regardless of the intended audience or your business purpose, the visual design of your website should be professionally executed. It must hang together and function as a unified whole. Fonts, colors, and graphical elements must combine into a single visual "look."
*Sparseness and neatness: clutter can be your worst enemy--whether it is visual embellishments or dense, longwinded text. Less is more. Ruthlessly edit everything on the page until it is pared to its essence and has a natural and unforced feel. Give your page room to breathe.
*Organization & clarity: too many choices on the page canbe paralyzing. Similarly, a disorganized page increases the visitor's cognitive load and forces them to spend time simply trying to figure out how they should digest the information that you have presented. As the title of Steve Krug's excellent book on Web usability so elegantly outs it, "Don't Make Me Think".
+Transactional Assurances: will we be spammed if we enter our e-mail into a form? Will the goods promised ever be delivered after we order from an online catalog? Will our identity be stolen? Such questions are always in the background when we navigate around the Web.
*Forms of payment and delivery: many e-commerce catalogs only show acceptable forms of payment and return policies after the checkout process has been started. In fact, they must be seen before they are needed and prominently displayed above the fold on every page. The same is true of well-known delivery and shipping methods.
*Data security and privacy: the website must be certified as "safe" by outside experts in terms of its ability to protect data. Having privacy policies and computer security trustmarks from well-known vendors will instantly show someone that you have safeguarded their data properly.
*Policies and guarantees: often, the transaction is not at issue. It is what happens afterwards that concerns people. By prominently featuring warranties, return policies and gaurantees, you can assuage these anxieties. A visual seal can be created to draw the eye to these important elements.
+Experts & Media: your visitors are not likely to have heard of your brand. Unless you present a truly world-class consumer company, people are unlikely to know your brand promise. They do not know what you stand for.
*Reviews and awards: many services and products have won awards or at least been reviewed by relevant industry publications. Using the award seals or "reviewed by" language can be very effective.
*Pain endorsements and spokespeople: paid endorsements can convey trust or at least the celebrity of the spokesperson to the product or service in question.
*Marquee clients: using client logos with permission or at least prominently featuring a written list of clients(unless specifically prohibited by contract language)will create powerful visual proof of your legitimacy. They confer an implicit halo effect--if you have worked with large companies, you can handle smaller "regular" ones.
*Media Mentions: media companies are experts at self-promotion. Any association with them confers a sense of notoriety to your landing page. Often, media outlets can be broadly defined as bloggers or authoritative voices in your specific niche.
+Consensus of Peers: we often follow the lead of people like ourselves. For example, if our circle of acquaintances turn us on to a new musical group, we are more likely to listen. Regardless of the actual cultural tribes that we belong to, our peers exert a very strong influence on us.
*Objective numbers: "The many" can be demonstrated by showing how many people have bought, downloaded, or started a free trial. Numbers should be cumulative, starting with the inception of the business of product. Spell out the digits of each number(e.g."Over 1,000,000 downloads") and use large fonts to draw additional attention.
*Likeness: create affinity by demonstrating that the people taking action are similar to your website visitors. This can be done by picking appropriate colors, editorial tone and graphics to make your visitors feel at home. You can also have a large number of detailed testimonials that discuss common situations faced by similar people.
Trust is a critical factor to transactional success, particularly in an online environment. If you build on the four pillars of trust outlined herein, you should have a solid foundation for improved conversions.
Remember BE NICE & always, always SMILE :) have a GREAT Holiday one & All!
*Professionalism of design: regardless of the intended audience or your business purpose, the visual design of your website should be professionally executed. It must hang together and function as a unified whole. Fonts, colors, and graphical elements must combine into a single visual "look."
*Sparseness and neatness: clutter can be your worst enemy--whether it is visual embellishments or dense, longwinded text. Less is more. Ruthlessly edit everything on the page until it is pared to its essence and has a natural and unforced feel. Give your page room to breathe.
*Organization & clarity: too many choices on the page canbe paralyzing. Similarly, a disorganized page increases the visitor's cognitive load and forces them to spend time simply trying to figure out how they should digest the information that you have presented. As the title of Steve Krug's excellent book on Web usability so elegantly outs it, "Don't Make Me Think".
+Transactional Assurances: will we be spammed if we enter our e-mail into a form? Will the goods promised ever be delivered after we order from an online catalog? Will our identity be stolen? Such questions are always in the background when we navigate around the Web.
*Forms of payment and delivery: many e-commerce catalogs only show acceptable forms of payment and return policies after the checkout process has been started. In fact, they must be seen before they are needed and prominently displayed above the fold on every page. The same is true of well-known delivery and shipping methods.
*Data security and privacy: the website must be certified as "safe" by outside experts in terms of its ability to protect data. Having privacy policies and computer security trustmarks from well-known vendors will instantly show someone that you have safeguarded their data properly.
*Policies and guarantees: often, the transaction is not at issue. It is what happens afterwards that concerns people. By prominently featuring warranties, return policies and gaurantees, you can assuage these anxieties. A visual seal can be created to draw the eye to these important elements.
+Experts & Media: your visitors are not likely to have heard of your brand. Unless you present a truly world-class consumer company, people are unlikely to know your brand promise. They do not know what you stand for.
*Reviews and awards: many services and products have won awards or at least been reviewed by relevant industry publications. Using the award seals or "reviewed by" language can be very effective.
*Pain endorsements and spokespeople: paid endorsements can convey trust or at least the celebrity of the spokesperson to the product or service in question.
*Marquee clients: using client logos with permission or at least prominently featuring a written list of clients(unless specifically prohibited by contract language)will create powerful visual proof of your legitimacy. They confer an implicit halo effect--if you have worked with large companies, you can handle smaller "regular" ones.
*Media Mentions: media companies are experts at self-promotion. Any association with them confers a sense of notoriety to your landing page. Often, media outlets can be broadly defined as bloggers or authoritative voices in your specific niche.
+Consensus of Peers: we often follow the lead of people like ourselves. For example, if our circle of acquaintances turn us on to a new musical group, we are more likely to listen. Regardless of the actual cultural tribes that we belong to, our peers exert a very strong influence on us.
*Objective numbers: "The many" can be demonstrated by showing how many people have bought, downloaded, or started a free trial. Numbers should be cumulative, starting with the inception of the business of product. Spell out the digits of each number(e.g."Over 1,000,000 downloads") and use large fonts to draw additional attention.
*Likeness: create affinity by demonstrating that the people taking action are similar to your website visitors. This can be done by picking appropriate colors, editorial tone and graphics to make your visitors feel at home. You can also have a large number of detailed testimonials that discuss common situations faced by similar people.
Trust is a critical factor to transactional success, particularly in an online environment. If you build on the four pillars of trust outlined herein, you should have a solid foundation for improved conversions.
Remember BE NICE & always, always SMILE :) have a GREAT Holiday one & All!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Moms show your daughters
WOW these girls are absolutely FANTASTIC! They are from Kings Mills Ohio great teamwork!
http://www.biertijd.com/mediaplayer/?itemid=14256
http://www.biertijd.com/mediaplayer/?itemid=14256
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Facebook email: How your email went social | Social Media Today
Facebook email: How your email went social | Social Media Today
Soo tell me any readers of the blog? WHAT do you think of this?
Soo tell me any readers of the blog? WHAT do you think of this?
Monday, November 15, 2010
Dynamite - Taio Cruz - A Cappella Cover - Just Voice and Mouth - Mike To...
This is GREAT LOL your morning SMILE~
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Gift Guide for the Man About Town
Robot Cuff Links: sure to be appreciated by your offbeat cousin who's dapper enough to use cuff links and cool enough to know that robots are all the rage. To Buy: Toy Robot cuff links, $45, cosmicfirefly.com
Whiskey aftershave: notes of cedarwood, amber, and yes, whiskey, in a compact four-ounce bottle. To Buy: Whiskey aftershave $12, portlandgeneralstore.com
Crank Radio: for the hyperprepared, a solar-and-hand powered radio with a flashlight and a phone charger. To Buy: Radio light, $30, llbean.com
Wooden robot: robots are all the rage. This reconfigurable toy is the perfect procrastination tool. To Buy: Cutebot, $34, michelevarian.com
Fetch balls: treat a dog owner to a bucket of balls in distinctive colors that won't get lost at the park. To Buy: 30-Love Eco tennis balls, $10 for 10 & personalized bucket, $7; bambeco.com
Literary postcards: for a bookish pal to send or save, 100 postcards featuring iconic covers from 70 years' worth of Penguin titles. To Buy: Postcards from Penguin $25, barnesandnoble.com
Pocket telescope: just 31/4 inches long and great for catching a close up of a kid's winning goal. To Buy: Zoom Art telescope, $42, ameico.com
Hanging plane bag: it clips onto the seat pocket in front of you and holds your phone, iPod, and paperback. To Buy: F1 Seat Pak, $28, flight001.com
SMILE! & check out there Great gifts & Be Nice to ALL :)
Whiskey aftershave: notes of cedarwood, amber, and yes, whiskey, in a compact four-ounce bottle. To Buy: Whiskey aftershave $12, portlandgeneralstore.com
Crank Radio: for the hyperprepared, a solar-and-hand powered radio with a flashlight and a phone charger. To Buy: Radio light, $30, llbean.com
Wooden robot: robots are all the rage. This reconfigurable toy is the perfect procrastination tool. To Buy: Cutebot, $34, michelevarian.com
Fetch balls: treat a dog owner to a bucket of balls in distinctive colors that won't get lost at the park. To Buy: 30-Love Eco tennis balls, $10 for 10 & personalized bucket, $7; bambeco.com
Literary postcards: for a bookish pal to send or save, 100 postcards featuring iconic covers from 70 years' worth of Penguin titles. To Buy: Postcards from Penguin $25, barnesandnoble.com
Pocket telescope: just 31/4 inches long and great for catching a close up of a kid's winning goal. To Buy: Zoom Art telescope, $42, ameico.com
Hanging plane bag: it clips onto the seat pocket in front of you and holds your phone, iPod, and paperback. To Buy: F1 Seat Pak, $28, flight001.com
SMILE! & check out there Great gifts & Be Nice to ALL :)
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Next event info...
"Blanket The Homeless" w/blankets-jackets-gloves stay tuned? coming Nov 25 fan or check http://bit.ly/GDMFans for more info, the time & particulars coming soon!
Carhartt Commercial
Green Drinks Mason next event 11/25 'Blanket The Homeless' blankets,jackets,gloves
Saturday, November 6, 2010
dose of useful tidbits...
44,102,664 - how many bulbs you'll find featured on TackyLightTour.com, a Clark Griswold-ian ode to over-the-top holiday lawn displays. Upload your favorite eye-blinding showcase(there's a 10,000-bulb minimum so have fun counting!), or search for homes in your area to map out a self-guided tour. While your kids may covet your neighbor's North Pole-apalooza, you certainly won't envy his electric bill.
365 - the number of thoughtful notes documented in the uplifting new memoir 365 Thank Yous(Hyperion, $23)out at the end of the month. At 53, John Kralik was in the midst of a divorce, with a struggling business. Instead of dwelling on his misfortune, he decided to embrace an attitude of gratitude by writing one thank-you note every day-to business associates, his children, and even his regular Starbucks barista. This daily ritual-and what he learned from it-will inspire you to tackle life's(occasional)stink with ink.
1891 - the year that a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco set up a crab pot at a ferry landing to collect money for the poor at Christmas, marking the beginning of the organization's famous Red Kettle campaign. These days, donating is as easy as downloading the Salvation Army Christmas Music app($3, iTunes) since $1 from each purchase goes to the charity. The app streams holiday music from eight categories, including classical, jazz, oldies, and children's.
$5.65 - how much it costs to send an old-time telegram anywhere in the world, courtesy of TelegramStop.com(international postage included) At this nostalgic site, you simply type in your message(in true telegram fashion, the word 'stop' is subbed in for periods), preview your telegram, then click Send. Within four to eight business days, the recipient will receive his/her surprise, although it will be delivered via mail truck, not(sigh)a pony.
10 - roughly how many hours of shut-eye you need to replenish your body and mind after several semisleepless nights(think four hours)according to a new study in the journal 'Sleep'. Researchers have found that sleeping in after a few days of missed sleep can help pay back the debt, reducing any lingering sense of fatigue and mental fuzziness. As the weekend approaches, we suggest highlighting this paragraph, then tacking it to your bedroom door to ward off early risers.
8 - the number of balls that have dropped in New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve since 1908, when the tradition began. The current one, on duty since 2008, weights 11,875 pounds, measures 12 feet tall, is embellished with 2,668 Waterford crystals, and has 32,256 LEDs to light its way. A bit flashy, you say? Not for Times Square, where buildings are 'required' to have at least one illuminated sigh that stays lit until 1 a.m.
SMILE & BE NICE to every person you interact with on Sunday :)
365 - the number of thoughtful notes documented in the uplifting new memoir 365 Thank Yous(Hyperion, $23)out at the end of the month. At 53, John Kralik was in the midst of a divorce, with a struggling business. Instead of dwelling on his misfortune, he decided to embrace an attitude of gratitude by writing one thank-you note every day-to business associates, his children, and even his regular Starbucks barista. This daily ritual-and what he learned from it-will inspire you to tackle life's(occasional)stink with ink.
1891 - the year that a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco set up a crab pot at a ferry landing to collect money for the poor at Christmas, marking the beginning of the organization's famous Red Kettle campaign. These days, donating is as easy as downloading the Salvation Army Christmas Music app($3, iTunes) since $1 from each purchase goes to the charity. The app streams holiday music from eight categories, including classical, jazz, oldies, and children's.
$5.65 - how much it costs to send an old-time telegram anywhere in the world, courtesy of TelegramStop.com(international postage included) At this nostalgic site, you simply type in your message(in true telegram fashion, the word 'stop' is subbed in for periods), preview your telegram, then click Send. Within four to eight business days, the recipient will receive his/her surprise, although it will be delivered via mail truck, not(sigh)a pony.
10 - roughly how many hours of shut-eye you need to replenish your body and mind after several semisleepless nights(think four hours)according to a new study in the journal 'Sleep'. Researchers have found that sleeping in after a few days of missed sleep can help pay back the debt, reducing any lingering sense of fatigue and mental fuzziness. As the weekend approaches, we suggest highlighting this paragraph, then tacking it to your bedroom door to ward off early risers.
8 - the number of balls that have dropped in New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve since 1908, when the tradition began. The current one, on duty since 2008, weights 11,875 pounds, measures 12 feet tall, is embellished with 2,668 Waterford crystals, and has 32,256 LEDs to light its way. A bit flashy, you say? Not for Times Square, where buildings are 'required' to have at least one illuminated sigh that stays lit until 1 a.m.
SMILE & BE NICE to every person you interact with on Sunday :)
Friday, November 5, 2010
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