Archive for November, 2009

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Black Friday may be first big marketing test of social networks

Sunday, November 29th, 2009
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Black Friday may be first big marketing test of social networksMarketers have not warmed to social networks. The advertising that Facebook and MySpace get tends to be at low cost per thousand compared with the advertising on large content sites like CNN, while Twitter gets almost no advertising revenue at all. Marketers find it difficult to use huge, disparate pools of people to effectively reach specific demographic targets. Facebook may have 200 million members by some counts, but its revenue is only about $500 million a year.

The FT reports that retailers have been making a marketing surge on the large social networks this holiday. The paper reports “retailers have reinforced their traditional efforts with an array of new social-networking weapons including Twitter, the micro-blogging website.” Best Buy (BBY) released its sales discount information early to one million Facebook “friends,” and it’s also using Twitter to send information about its deals.

Most large retailers will follow the pattern of getting out their discount information early and often on the three large social networks. The results of the effort may end up being more important to Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace than they are to the retailers themselves, if that’s possible.

If the figures show that social network marketing did very little to lift holiday sales, the conventional wisdom about the ineffectiveness of the medium to deliver advertising results will have been bolstered, and it may take Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace a long time to recover from the failure. On the other hand, if they deliver the goods on Black Friday, it should cause the largest retail markets to invest very substantial sums in social media in 2010.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 24/7 Wall St.

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Posted in News, Social Media | No Comments »

If you do not adopt Social Media “Business” Marketing… you will eventually become obsolete.

Thursday, November 26th, 2009
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Social Media Marketing – Social Business Marketing

This is one of the best presentations I have seen on Social media marketing… a great representation of our view.


Social Media Marketing

View more presentations from Stephen Davies.



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Posted in Social Media, Tips | No Comments »

Are you a web design, marketing or SEO firm?

Thursday, November 26th, 2009
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Are you a web design, marketing or SEO fAre you a web design, marketing or SEO firm?irm?

Compliments International, LLC provides a private label program to many web design and marketing firms, allowing them to utilize our services, technology and staff.

What are the benefits of utilizing Compliments private label program.

  • You receive wholesale rates with margin for your company – compliments advanced operations and technology allows us to offer the most competitive rates for the quality of work and value
  • Your company is the primary point of contact for your customer and compliments can have a zero contact rule or can operate as a support staff for you during conversations with prospects and clients.
  • Your company can take on additional business without taking on the expense of hiring new staff.
  • You can increase your referrals from existing clients based on providing better quality, higher performance and more advanced technology and web services
  • You can offer an increase line of services
  • Compliments will host, maintain and manage security patches and upgrades for your websites
  • You can offer light speed servers with dedicated support
  • You can increase your revenue without increasing your expenses making your company more profitable
  • You can assure your clients that your entire team is based in the US
  • You can utilize our help desk service and information systems 24/7

As you know, providing exceptional online results requires multiple experts – Web Developers, Programmers, Security Experts, Database Administrators, Server Experts, Project Managers, Designers, SEO Experts, Marketing Experts, Social Media Experts, Branding Experts, Graphics Designers, Logistics/Operations Experts, etc..

If you are marketing web design and marketing services without the proper talent, utilizing templates, WYSIWYG editors such as Front Page, Dreamweaver or Joomala, etc. it is only a matter of time before your clients start to realize they are not getting the performance online they sought out to receive.  Over time it is possible to have your business deteriorate and word of mouth marketing start to work against you.

Customers are getting more educated and have access to tools to check your performance online.  They can now easily see how well your work grades and performs online.  If you do not have a quarter million in funding to hire the necessary talent to provide quality work, we can help you attain these results without the funding needed to succeed long term.

Compliments International has been in business since 2006, is profitable and growing with a team of experts ready to support you and your business growth.  We have a vested interest in your success and do not compete with our private label partners, nor do we disclose our list of private label programs.  You mayhave viewed our work with another companies name at the bottom of the site many times.

Contact us to talk privately about how we can help you grow your business.

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Posted in News, Tips | 4 Comments »

Video Day! We will be recording an interview with each of you for use on youtube

Monday, November 23rd, 2009
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Video Day! We will be recording an interview with each of you for use on youtubePart of designing our marketing roadmap included making better use of media networking.  Today we will be interviewing you and recording the footage for YouTube. This will be the practice run preparing you for the professional recording, posting the video’s on youtube for your use on your websites.

REGISTER HERE!

Friday December 4th 11:30 – 1:30 PM

Members will go first, then regular attending guests. then new visitors.

Please bring 3 or 4 questions that will help us guide you to the most important value propositions you want to share with viewers. If you need help with your questions, we will prepare them with you.

As we prepare to bring in a professional video crew, we will continue to record these interviews through the balance of December to give you some great material for 2010 and for Google :-) . We will also be taking some still pictures so you can learn how to SEO your images and video’s.

We will have a workshop attending while each of you are getting filmed, so don’t be late and RSVP early.

This is the 2 hours that our group commits to working ON your business and not IN your business.

Come take advantage of a wealth of knowledge and experience, great people and networking and TACTICAL APPLICATION WORK for your business:

  • 11:30 – Welcome (please sit near your ideal strategic partners) -
  • 11:45 – Video Recorded Interview (balance of class will be attending a workshop preparing you for the interview)
  • 1:20 – Questions, thoughts and ideas.

We have limited space this week, so, you MUST RSVP to reserve your spot.

COST:

$25 for Non-Members (you do not have a membership card)
$15 for Members (you must present a valid membership card at the door to get the member rate)
Both, Include Lunch!

See you on Friday! We greatly appreciate your efforts in bringing guests to the training programs and promoting the event through your social networks.

Business Blitz and Compliments Team

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The Margarita Ball…

Saturday, November 21st, 2009
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We are excited to go to The Margarita Ball tonight!!!

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Building Trust into your Website

Friday, November 20th, 2009
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So you have done the work to get people to your website, now you need to convert them into buyers.  If they have made it to your website they already have a need.  If you can convince them your product fulfills their need and they are not going to get ripped off,  the chance of buying is good.

So where do you start when building trust into your Website?  The good news is most of the actions you need to do are small, the bad news is there are a lot of them.  The more you do, the greater the comfort level and chance for a conversion to a sale.

So here are some simple steps to building trust into your website:

  1. Make sure your first impression is a good one.  Have a professional and relevant website with intuitive navigation.  If they can’t find what they are looking for quickly they will move on to another website.  Make sure you are using good grammar and spelling.  Avoid the impression of sloppiness or carelessness.
  2. Use language that is appropriate to the audience.  Do not talk over the buyers head.  Remember you do this for a living, they do not.  Unless you are selling to a technician, avoid technical terms, abbreviations and acronyms.  Keep the text at a high school level or lower.
  3. Seriously consider creating a short video with you or someone else talking about your product or service.  This will go a long way in making a personal connection with the buyer and really give you a chance to sell the great benefits or your product or service.
  4. Never talk bad about a competitor.  If your product has legitimate advantages or beneficial features talk about them in a positive way.  Bad mouthing a competitor is a sure way to look petty and scare away customers even if what you are saying is true.
  5. Publish real testimonials, case studies and third party endorsements.  Typed text is great, but a 30 second video from several people would be significantly better.  Let them know how your product has helped people just like them.
  6. If there are recognized trade associations or certifications then join them or get them and proudly display them.
  7. Focus on building your long-term reputation, not on making a quick sale.  Reputations can take years to build and seconds to destroy.  Never lie or stretch the truth to make money.  It will come back in the long run.  Keep your promises.
  8. Write and publish a Privacy Policy, Security Policy, Return Policy, Refund Policy and any Guarantees.  Use the statements “Secure Website” and “We take your privacy and security very seriously”
  9. If you are selling a subscription or something that requires repeat billing, offer a low cost or free trial period.  This is a great way to reduce the buyers feeling of risk.
  10. Make pricing transparent.  If additional fees are going to add significantly to the price, make sure you are disclosing this up front.  A $10 item should not cost $20 after tax, shipping and handling.
  11. If you take credit cards put images of the cards accepted on each page of the order process.  Never send Credit Card information over the internet unencrypted.  Tell your customer that their data will be encrypted.
  12. Have a forum on your site and respond quickly to questions. Have the attitude that you are happy to help others without receiving immediate reward. As the old saying goes, ‘Givers always gain.’ Allow people to comment on articles. Interactivity and an exchange of views build community and a sense of involvement.  If people provide constructive criticism or comments in the forum, don’t delete them, but respond with your point of view.
  13. Make your ‘About Us’ page personal and comprehensive.  Publish photos or you and your staff and their roles.  Clearly identify who is behind the site.  Make sure they know they are dealing with real people.
  14. On the ‘Contact Us’ page make sure you provide make sure you provide phone number, fax, and company address.  Make sure the phone number is a number people can call and speak with a real person.
  15. Stay in touch with your customers.  After a sale, follow-up within 24-48 hours to thank them for their business and see if they have any questions.  Ask their permission to stay in touch with them long term.  If they like your product let them know you will give a discount on the next purchase if they will provide a testimonial about your product.
  16. Regularly add new, relevant content to the website or blog.  This shows the business is alive and kicking (it helps with search engines as well !!!).

Building trust into your website is about giving your buyer or customer a sense of honesty, legitimacy and stability.  People have needs, if you get them to feel safe on your website the chance for a transaction goes up dramatically.

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Posted in Tips | 14 Comments »

New Website Launched: Castle Inn Riverside

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
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New Website Launched: Castle Inn Riverside

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Castle Inn Riverside has just launched a new website. The Castle Inn Riverside is housed in The Historic Campbell Castle, an 1888 Scottish Castle located on the banks of the Little Arkansas River.

“Salve…” This Latin message meaning “welcome” greets all the guests of Campbell Castle upon their arrival. Carved in stone over the drive, it is only one of the many details that makes this historic landmark unique. The Castle Inn Riverside is housed in The Historic Campbell Castle, an 1888 Scottish Castle located on the banks of the Little Arkansas River.

A feeling of warmth and hospitality greets one in our Grand Foyer, with its aire of graceful elegance. The high ceilings, the spaciousness, the 275 year-old staircase which was imported from London, and the 700 year-old Grecian fireplace culminate in history and hospitality.

Notice the imported Spanish Chevalier lamps which adorn the newel posts of the British staircase. Also of interest are the pieces of hand carved oak fretwork above the turret entry and in the main hallway, which were carved by a prisoner in an Irish debtors’ prison who earned his way to freedom with his craftsmanship of woodcarving. With music from the grand piano filtering into the Foyer from the adjoining Parlour, guests and family must have enjoyed many relaxing conversations here in times past. Present day Castle guests revel in reliving those exciting times during their visit to The Castle!

Hear the whisper of the Parlour, as it lures friends, new and old, with its handcrafted inlaid wood floors and boldness of décor. This room leaves no patience for pretense. Salmon walls and ceiling, and elegant window treatments enhance the grandeur of the antique hand carved mahogany woodwork. Rich tapestry designs and ornate carvings lend this tranquil area sophistication and ambience.

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Posted in Web Launches | No Comments »

How Does Twitter Grader Calculate Twitter Rankings?

Sunday, November 15th, 2009
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How Does Twitter Grader Calculate Twitter Rankings?How Does Twitter Grader Calculate Twitter Rankings?

by dshah on October 28, 2009

The most common question I get at grader.com is about how the Twitter Grader algorithm (and associated rankings) works.  Before we dig a bit into the details, it will help to understand the what before the how.  What Twitter Grader is trying to measure is the power, reach and authority of a twitter account.  In other words, when you tweet, what kind of an impact does it have?

Normally, we don’t like talking about the details of the Twitter Grader algorithm.  This is for the same reason that Google doesn’t like to talk about its algorithm: revealing details increases the degree to which people try to game the system.  So, lets approach the question from a different way.  If one were to look at data for a given user available in twitter, what kinds of things would one look at to determine whether that user had power, reach and authority?  Also, when looking at these various factors, it’s helpful to think about each of these in the “all other things being equal, what’s better” context.  Otherwise, it’s easy to get caught up into non-productive arguments on why a certain factor is or isn’t important, because there are so many cases that “prove” that it doesn’t matter.

How Does Twitter Grader Calculate Twitter Rankings?Let me explain.  One of the factors that goes into measuring your Twitter Grade is the number of followers you have.  Many of you will argue that the number of followers is completely irrelevant because it’s so easy to game.  There are automated tools to do nothing but acquire followers by following a bunch of people.  That’s true.  It is easy to spike up your follower count.  However,  I would counter with this:  If we were looking at two different twitter users, all other things being equal (and I do mean all other things), the one with more followers is likely more powerful and deserves a higher twitter grade.  Of course, all other things are usually not equal and that’s why the Twitter Grade is interesting.

So, let’s go into the factors.  Note:  These are NOT in order of priority or weight (and they’re not all weighted equally — not by a long shot).

Algorithm Factors

1.  Number of Followers: More followers leads to a higher Twitter Grade (all other things being equal).  Yes, I agree that it’s easy to game this number, but we are looking at measuring reach and I did say all other things being equal.

2.  Power of Followers: If you have people with a high Twitter Grade following you, it counts more than those with a low Twitter Grade following you.  It’s a bit recursive, and we don’t get carried away with it, but it helps.

3.  Updates: More updates generally leads to a higher grade — within reason.  This does not mean you should be tweeting like a manic squirrel cranked up on caffeine and sugar.  It won’t help either your Twitter Grade or your overall happiness in life.

4.  Update Recency: Users that are more current (i.e. time elapsed since last tweet is low) generally get higher grades.

5.  Follower/Following Ratio: The higher the ratio, the better.  However, the weight of this particular factor decreases as the user accrues points for other factors (so, once a user gets to a high level of followers or a high level of engagement, the Follower/Following ratio counts less).

6.  Engagement: The more a given user’s tweets are being retweeted, the more times the user is being referenced or cited, the higher the twitter grade.  Further, the value of the engagement is higher based on who is being engaged.  If a user with a very high Twitter Grade retweets, it counts more than if a spammy account with a very low grade retweets.

The Grade Calculation: So, those are the factors that go into the calculation of a score.  This score is then used to compare a user against all other users that also have a score.  The grade is calculated as the approximate percentage of other users that have an equal or lower score.  So, a Twitter Grade of 80 means that about 80% of the other users got a lower score.  At the time this article is being written, over 2.1 million users have been graded.

The Ranking: The absolute ranking is exactly what it sounds like.  Based on all other users scored, what’s your “position” in that list.  A ranking of 5,000 means that only 4,999 other people had a higher score than you (at that point in time).

Elite List: The elite list is simply an ordered list of the top users (based on ranking) at a given point in time.  This list is updated several times a day.  We also maintain lists of the top ranking users based on a narrower set of users (like those in a specific geography, those that match a specific keyword, etc.).

That’s all I’ve got for now.  Hopefully, this answers some of your questions.  What are other factors you think we should be looking at to compute the Twitter Grade?  Would love to hear your thoughts and ideas in the comments.

Jennifer Bagley’s Twitter Grade is:

92

Out of 100

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Google Wave!!!

Saturday, November 14th, 2009
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So excited to get approved for Googlewave!  Thank you Nick!!!

My new email address is… jbuckles13@googlewave.com for you wavers!

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Title You’re Invited! Wedding Professionals Business Conference & Expo

Saturday, November 14th, 2009
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Wedding Professionals Business Conference & Expo, jennifer bagleyJennifer Bagley will be joining an amazing group of speakers, presenting a series of free tools every business must have access too.

The wedding industry is a lucrative business and one that is always high on demand. Over two million weddings occur in the United States every year, and wedding professionals rise to the challenge of making every bride’s dream come true.

Bridal Shows, Inc. aims to help wedding businesses fulfill their dreams as well! The Wedding Professionals Business Conference (formerly known as the Wedding Industry Trade Show) was designed to build businesses related to the wedding market.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 Plano Centre Click here for map Registration: 8:00am-9:00am Exhibit Floor/Seminars: 9:00am-5:00pm

What is the Wedding Professionals Business Conference? An educational business-to-business experience in which professionals are able to network, exchange ideas, attend seminars, and gather useful information to help build their business!

http://www.weddingbusinessconference.com/

JEFF BRADY

**KEYNOTE SPEAKER**

Jeff Brady has covered the Columbia Disaster, the Branch Davidian Standoff, the Super Bowl, a UN Naval blockade near Haiti, civil violence in Southern Mexico, and the Clinton-Gore Presidential motorcade through Texas during the 1993 election season. He’s interviewed both George Bushes, George Strait and Jesse Jackson. His distinguished reporting and anchoring career helped take his Dallas TV station to the top of the ratings.

http://realnewspr.com/who_we_are.htm

Jennifer Bagley 10 FREE Tools to Take Your Business to the Next Level:

1) Imagine never having to purchase a MicroSoft software again… We will save you thousands of dollars using open source software that does not requiring licensing.

2) Imagine never having to start a document from scratch…. We will save you thousands of hours showing you how to access pre-created documents for free. Everything from fax coversheets, to business plans to budget plans. 3) Imagine being able to reach thousands of people for free! We will show you how to submit your website to thousands of people with a click of a mouse.

4) Imagine being able to host free online trainings or presentations… We will show you how to utilize opensource webinar, conference call and recording software for Free!

5) Imagine being able to create forms for your website that automatically fed a spreadsheet in seconds… We will show you how.

6) Imagine being able to know exactly how your website is performing online, real time. We will show you how to ensure you are growing your online business!

7) Imagine being able to speed up your internet browsing by 10 times without having to get a new computer… we will show you how.

8) Imagine being able to send your clients incentives for free… we will give you a free tool.

9) Imagine being able to download your twitter, facebook, linked in and plaxo network into a single database… we will provide you with an extremely robust social media management and sales tool!

10) Imagine being able to connect with anyone in the world and trade contacts instantly… Don’t miss this presentation!

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Posted in News, Training & Speaking | 1 Comment »

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