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Internet Marketing Continues To Prove It Is Recession Proof

2012-03-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

ITC was recently rated in the top 1% of their industry

ITC

CEO, Ashkan Sobhe, contends that by using proven methods such as inbound marketing and advanced technology, their firm is able to deliver results for clients successful enough to provide a 300% to 1000% return on investment (ROI).

Los Angeles, CA March 06, 2012

While businesses continue to shut their doors, or face bankruptcy due to the recession, ITC is confident that the Internet marketing industry is growing and flourishing like never before. CEO, Ashkan Sobhe, contends that by using proven methods such as inbound marketing and advanced technology, their firm is able to deliver results for clients successful enough to provide a 300% to 1000% return on investment (ROI).

Commercials aired during prime hours, advertisements in magazines, billboards and telemarketing were once the most effective way of reaching a broad audience. Gone are the days that businesses would blast the world with their message and reach out to people in hopes of getting business. Outreach marketing is outdated. Inbound marketing, having people come to you when they need your products and services, is now the only efficient way of advertising. Sobhe compares the two and says: “When humans did not know any better, they would hunt. Then they realized instead, farming is far more profitable and efficient. Inbound marketing is farming and building relationships, not hunting.”

This type of market shift is crucial to any business that hopes to thrive or even survive in our current economic state. Sobhe continues: “We are up at the resistance mark and the economy is moving into recovery mode. Even if it might seem slow as a country, we are on the way back up and using Internet marketing, as opposed to traditional marketing methods, is the best way to improve your business' growth and sales.” The Internet is proving inbound marketing to be a much more effective means to allow customers to seek out your business or service. Sobhe in one of his seminars mentioned: “You change your car every few years, change your diet, routine, computers, house... it amazes me how businesses don't update their marketing strategies over the years.”

Recognized as being in the top 1% of their industry, ITC is a full scale Internet marketing firm offering the latest and most advanced techniques. In business for over a decade, they have become one of the world's most reputable and noteworthy Internet marketing companies. Their impressive list of clients includes UCLA, Toyota, Honda, State Farm Insurance, as well as many other recognized brands and individuals.

ITC
6404 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 850
Los Angeles, CA 90048
800-590-6953
info(at)itcfirm(dot)com
http://www.itcfirm.com/

Complimentary Webinar - Offered Live Or On Demand Latest Updates to Google Analytics

2012-03-06T16:35:00.000-08:00

Complimentary Webinar - Offered Live Or On Demand

Latest Updates to Google Analytics

Featuring:
Danielle Leitch, Executive Vice President

LIVE	Wednesday, March 7, 2012 1pm est / 10am pst Can't make the date - also available on-demand
Webinar SignUp

Google Analytics has added several new features to provide
better data.

As a Google Analytics Certified Partner (GACP), MoreVisibility is assisting companies to maximize this highly valuable marketing tool.

This 45 minute webinar, with Q&A to follow, will cover:

Flow visualization insights
Multi-Channel funnels that are critical to ROI
Real time web analytics
Advanced ways to track Social Media

15-Minute Webinar: Facebook Timeline for Brands

2012-03-06T16:33:00.000-08:00

Share Now:

15-Minute Webinar:
Facebook Timeline
for Brands

Facebook Brand Pages are changing in a major way. From page feed to paid ads, there are many changes that will affect your page. What do you have to look out for, and how can you take advantage of these changes?

Join Overdrive for a free 15-Minute Webinar with our Director of Social Media, Ja-Naé Duane, and Social Media Strategist, Jill Jankowski, as they explain in detail the changes to the Facebook Brand Pages and the new best practices for companies.

Click here to register now.

14 Ways New Facebook Betrays Small Business

2012-03-06T16:25:00.001-08:00

By Jay Baer -

Is The Timeline Good Or Bad for Small Businesses?

I get it. The IPO is coming, and even though Facebook is the largest seller of online advertising, it has massively under-monetized its inventory due to the relative paucity of big-brand spend. Most of Convince & Convert’s clients are larger corporations (or the agencies that serve them), but we’re a small business and work with a few as well, and I never thought I’d yearn for the cozy embrace of Google and it’s methodologies and mechanisms that were – and are – small biz friendly.

In word and in deed, the new design and rules accompanying the new Timeline version of Facebook pages is a boon to big business, and a blow to small business.

1. Cover Image

Sure it’s visceral to have a 850-pixel signature image dominate your Facebook page. But for small businesses that lack existing photography and/or personnel with the creativity and time to get something created for the Facebook Cover, it’s a burden not an advance.

2. Prohibition on Cover Promotion

Facebook wants businesses to act and interact like people, and banning promotional language on the Cover image is one way to enforce this “engagement trumps calls-to-action” philosophy. About the new Cover photos, and in particular Facebook’s ban against promotional messaging in them, Facebook design lead Sam Lessin said:

“The key with cover photos is storytelling and expression. We want to create a good experience for everyone, and we think these guidelines really help brands… They’re encouraging people to create engaging content that people want to come back to and create and emotional connection with.” (quote from VentureBeat)

Creating emotional connections is a luxury that is out of reach for small businesses where the Facebook page manager is doing so on her lunchbreak.

3. Death of the Landing Tab

One area where small businesses could excel in “old” Facebook was with the default landing tab. This became a de-facto landing page/microsite for many companies, and made it relatively easy to drive fan behavior – especially when using inexpensive software. Of course, Facebook killed it in Timeline.

For big businesses that can and have embraced other ways to drive “likes” however, the death of the landing tab is less troublesome. SaidRoland Smart, Director of Product Marketing at enterprise social media management software company Involver (whom I interviewed about Facebook’s changes)

“I don’t think it’s a big deal at all. Facebook users aren’t spending a lot of time browsing around. They are getting to the Nike Facebook page via a link on the Nike website, through an ad, or through a link on the Facebook Wall.”

4. Pinning and Starring

"Pinned" post - indicated by small bookmark graphic in top right corner.

The new ability to highlight posts to make them double-width, combined with the option to “pin” a post to the top of the page for up to 7 days (but not both on the same post) is being touted as a big advance. For larger companies, I agree. But for small business, having to now not only figure out what to post to Facebook but also what to star and pin creates additional editorial calendar pressure and complexity that many are unprepared or under resourced to tackle.

5. Direct Messages

Presumably to keep the Wall chatter more positive and to stop Twitter’s march toward becoming the default place for social media customer service, Facebook is offering an (optional) feature whereby people can send direct messages to businesses. Note that people must initiate this interaction, brands cannot direct message people unilaterally. This seems commendable, but for small business it’s now one more “inbox” that must be monitored and responded to in as close to real-time as possible.

Screen shot of recent activity from @kikolani. Click image to see her excellent Pros/Cons post.

6. Activity Stream

On each Page, the new Timeline version prominently displays the interactions that your friends have had with the brand, as well as all activity on the page. Thus, if a small business is not willing or able to update the Page on a regular basis (at least daily) the design of Timeline will make that lack of activity glaring and garish. Perhaps that’s a good thing, and companies that can’t update their Page shouldn’t be on Facebook at all, but it’s still a change that doesn’t favor the small guy.

7. Penalty on 3rd Party Apps

From @kikolani. Click for more.

Despite the fact that it continues to proclaim its disinterest in entering the social media management business, Facebook embraces its ecosystem partners with one hand, while slapping them with the other.Posting to a Facebook page using some third party tools often results in status updates that are displayed with less visual prominence than content entered directly at Facebook.com.

For small business that rely on third party tools to save time and boost social media efficiency, this is a problem.

8. New Tab Width

To provide additional real estate for apps, Facebook has changed (again) the maximum width from 520 to 810 pixels. This isn’t a catastrophe, as legacy, narrower apps will float in the center of the newly wide page. But eventually, apps will need to be widened or overhauled entirely, creating another issue that small business needs to address.

(Fortunately, several low or no cost software options are already available to assist in this process, including Lujure, North Social, Short Stack, Tabsite, and Agorapulse).

9. Premium Ads

Says Involver’s Roland Smart, “Facebook is sending a clear message about experimenting with new ad units that Madison Avenue will enjoy.” Indeed they will, and at the expense of small business. The targeting potential of Facebook ads is unprecedented and extraordinarily powerful. But, this opportunity to hyper-target your message is primarily of interest to smaller business looking for clicks and leads and sales, rather than big business looking for branding and engagement. The new Premium Ads (larger, more dynamic) will be sold to large companies on high-dollar, cost-per-impression deals, reducing the inventory available for the (mostly) cost-per-click Marketplace ads favored by small companies.

From Facebook’s perspective, this of course makes sense, as every seller of advertising would prefer to do so on an impression rather than clicks basis. But for small business, it might hurt.

10. Reach Generator

Facebook will now allow large companies (only, for now) to purchase additional “reach” for their status updates via a new Reach Generator option. Sheryl Sandberg – Facebook’s COO – acknowledged that on average the reach of status updates is only 16% – meaning that only 16 out of every 100 of your “fans” actually see your status updates. Compare this to the average open rate for an email newsletter (~25%), and note that Facebook gives companies one third less visibility than does email. But magically, Facebook has found a way to fix this “problem” – by purchasing more ads from them.

Given that Facebook itself dictates the 16% ratio (which is actually higher than the 7.5% – 10% figure researched and cited by Facebook experts like Pagelever.com’s Jeff Widman), based on its EdgeRank algorithm, it’s maddening that they have now essentially admitted that they have been artificially reducing the reach of status updates as a precursor to the rollout of Reach Generator ads (which can put your status updates in front of the eyeballs of ~75% of your fans).

Essentially, Facebook has said that companies need to spend time and money (on apps and such) to acquire “likes” but that the vast majority of those fans won’t typically see updates from the brand, unless the brand pays for it. This is the end of Facebook as a “free” option for brands, and demonstrates such gall and guile it makes me want to scream at my laptop.

11. Real-Time Insights

Facebook’s built-in Insights statistics platform has been positively Gingrich-like in its frequent changes of direction, and now it’s unveiling real-time stats. The notion is that businesses will be able to instantly know when posts are gaining disproportionate traction, so that they can be immediately turned into paid ads to build reach. This is a nifty opportunity to be sure, but of course will be beyond the reach of small business due to budget and lack of staff to sit around and stare at real-time data streams.

12. Milestones

Starbucks' Timeline with Milestones

The biggest indicator of Facebook’s new scrapbook mythology is the Milestones function. Brands can now create posts from any time in their history (including long before Facebook existed) and note them as Milestones. This notation shows them in the scrolling milestones timeline on the right hand side of the Page. For legacy brands, it’s a very nice option. For small businesses that may not have the photos to post, the time to post, or the inclination to figure out a backwards-looking historical record, it’s probably a bridge too far.

13. Auto-play Content

According to Involver’s Smart, an underreported feature of Timeline is that Facebook apps can now auto-play content – without requiring a user click or other action. This has serious implications for rich media apps and video-oriented Facebook content. A newfound playground for big brands, but probably not something most small businesses will have the dollars or desire to embrace.

14. Rollout Schedule

My favorite quote coming from Facebook in the announcement of Timeline for brands and the other changes, was this beauty from Facebook’s Lessin:

“We’ve been focused on giving tons of notice. It really helps in terms of people understanding what’s coming.” (quoted by VentureBeat)

Compared to small businesses, Facebook and large companies with staffed social media departments (or consultants like Convince & Convert) have a different sense of “tons of notice.” Thirty days to find a Cover image; replace the landing tab; change about copy; decide what and when to pin and star; figure out how to handle direct messages; reconfigure legacy apps and pick which two will be shown as a default; and potentially add milestones, is actually a frighteningly short period of time for small business – who do not sit around and ponder their Facebook best practices every day.

And one of those four weeks that Facebook graciously offered before Timeline becomes mandatory will be occupied by Spring Break, when many small business owners are on vacation with their families – ostensibly making the memories and images that Facebook craves above all. Oh, the irony.

About the author:
Jay Baer is a tequila-loving, hype-free social media strategy consultant and coach. An online marketing pro since 1994, he's worked with more than 700 companies, and 25 of the Fortune 1000. He's one of the world's most popular social media bloggers, creator of the 8-step Social Media Strategic Planning Process, and the Twitter 20 series of live Twitter interviews. He spreads his "think tools last, not first" message around the country like a digital dandelion, speaking to conferences, small groups, or passers-by. Check out his blog at Convince&Convert.

How to make marketplace selling work for you...

2012-03-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

So you have your brick-and-mortar store, and your website is reaching a wide new audience. Want one more weapon in your business arsenal?

Online marketplaces are another option for retailers and merchants to reach more customers and sell more products. In this Retail Online Integration webinar, you can learn from industry giants Barnes and Noble and Monsoon Commerce the best ways to grow your business through the marketplace.

5 Best Practices for Marketplace Selling
March 20, 2012 at 02:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Register NOW! http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=411764&s=1&k=CEFED3A66822DA4C957610EE5EAFD5A7&partnerref=001Mar6

Some topics of this discussion will include:

• Macro trends in marketplace selling
• Why Barnes and Noble made the move from selling media to general merchandise
• How to grow your business and ensure profitability in marketplace selling

Speakers: Rick Watson, General Manager of Marketplace, Barnes & Noble || Clark Hale, Vice President of Strategic Relationships, Monsoon Commerce
Moderator: Melissa Campanelli, Editor in Chief, Retail Online Integration

Have questions? Our panel will be glad to answer them during a live Q&A session at the end of the hour.

Click here for more information and to register. http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=411764&s=1&k=CEFED3A66822DA4C957610EE5EAFD5A7&partnerref=001Mar6
If you can’t make it on March 20, no worries—your registration grants you access to the webinar on-demand for 90 days after the live event.

Thank you,
The Retail Online Integration eLearning Team

Retail Online Integration is a Target Marketing Group publication

www.retailonlineintegration.com/webinar
Be our friend: www.retailonlineintegration.com/facebook
Follow us: www.retailonlineintegration.com/twitter
Tweet about this webinar! #ROIWebinar

Yelp IPO: Was the Price Right? Francis Gaskins Chimes In : VIDEO

2012-03-06T16:04:00.002-08:00

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Reputation911.com Offers Free Online Reputation Makeover to Celebrate its One Year Anniversary as the Fastest Growing Online Reputation Management Com

2012-03-05T15:03:00.002-08:00

Over the past year Reputation911.com has helped countless individuals and businesses gain control of their online search results while at the same time educating them on the hidden dangers behind social media and the Internet.

rint

Most traditional public relations and SEO marketing firms are not equipped to manage or repair their clients’ damaged reputations, according to William DiAntonio, founder and CEO of Reputation911.com.

Boston, MA March 05, 2012

Anyone today can post anything online with just one tweet or upload from a mobile device and damage someone’s online reputation. To make matters worse these reviews can come from competitors and disgruntled employees according to William DiAntonio, founder and CEO of Reputation911.com: “By taking both an investigative and forensic approach to online reputation management, Reputation911.com not only removes negative content off the Internet, but also works with clients to establish an online presence to preemptively ward off future threats,” explains DiAntonio. “It’s like having social media insurance.”

Most traditional public relations and SEO marketing firms are not equipped to manage or repair their clients’ damaged reputations for this reason alone states DiAntonio.

Reputation911.com is the only online reputation management company that takes this investigative approach and does 100% of the work in-house, which not only protects its clients’ privacy but also allows Reputation911.com to offer a money back performance guarantee on all reputation management products and services.

DiAntonio advises that the best way to choose a reputation management company is to start by checking out their online reputation, speak with clients and see their results. “Here at Reputation911.com our dedicated engineers work closely with clients to help them understand the reputation management process, providing weekly status update and 911 alerts so clients can quickly get back to running their business and living their lives."

When asked about his company’s upcoming 1 year Anniversary, DiAntonio says, “To show our appreciation we would like to offer a free reputation makeover to one individual or business in need. Anyone can enter during the month of March by visiting Reputation911.com and telling us why they deserve a free reputation makeover. We will then invite the 10 finalists to our 1st annual reputation makeover party in Boston, MA where the winner will be announced.”

About Reputation911.com
Reputation911.com is an online reputation and privacy management company out of Hopkinton, MA. Led by Founder and CEO William DiAntonio, Reputation911.com helps individuals and businesses control their search results by restoring their online reputation, protecting their online image and promoting their online presence. From high profile celebrities to Fortune 500 companies to small business and professionals, Reputation911.com gives its clients the freedom to accurately portraying themselves online. For more information or to register for the free online reputation makeover visit http://www.reputation911.com or call 866-MY-REP-911. ( 866-697-3791 )

GoGo Cast Announces Revolutionary Micro-Targeted Advertising Enabling Digital Signage Networks to Reach Consumers through its Mobile Merchant

2012-03-05T15:03:00.001-08:00

GoGo Mobile™ service offers businesses a unique, hyper-local promotional solution, that delivers real-time, highly relevant information directly to consumers when they want it through a mobile application.

Vendor Portal and GEO-Fencing enabled IPHONE and DRIOD APP

Through GoGoMedia™, we enable brands and vendors to extend their reach beyond the traditional social media engagement, and provide a highly efficient means for them to directly engage consumers with information and offers,” Paolo stated.

Cranston, RI March 05, 2012

GoGo Cast Inc., a global leader in retail digital signage solutions, merchandising and branded content in the Digital out of Home (DOOH) market, today announced the GoGoMobile™ service. This exclusive micro-targeting advertising solution creates new levels of consumer engagement by providing them with real-time deals through their mobile device. GoGoMobile complements GoGo Cast’s unique digital signage Go-Screen™ marketing solution giving individual retail chain stores the ability to extend their reach from within the store, directly to the consumer. The new GoGoMobile application improves marketing ROI by delivering meaningful and significant offers when and where the shopper wants them using geo-fencing technology. GoGoMobile supports popular social networking applications such as Facebook® and Twitter and will be available as a downloadable mobile application for iPhone® and Droid mobile users.

“We are thrilled to be the first digital signage provider to offer our advertisers the ability to provide real-time, hyper-local messaging and dynamic content through the integration of our new mobile service with our extensive in-store networks,” said David Paolo, President and CEO of GoGo Cast. “GoGo Cast is quickly becoming the solution of choice for retail chains and brands to reach ‘on-the-go’ qualified buyers.”

This new mobile platform is both location-aware and time-sensitive. It allows consumers who are interested in finding sales and specials on their favorite products to set triggers that notify them when deals become available in their area. Deals are easy to redeem at the local dealer and do not require the hassle of bar codes, coupons and credit card subscriptions. GoGoMobile’s popularity element ranks the best deals in real-time and real-engagement overall. The integration with Facebook and Twitter gives users the capability to share information and add new deals they find, as well as invite their friends to GoGoMobile directly from their mobile device or at the GoGoMobile website.

According to a recent study by the Chief Marketing Officer Council (CMO Council), of 1,300 consumers surveyed, 72% of consumers report they will use social media to stay engaged with a brand, while 67% will use it to be eligible for exclusive offers, and 40 % will use social media for news and information about specific products. "Through GoGoMedia™, we enable brands and vendors to extend their reach beyond the traditional social media engagement, and provide a cost effective and highly efficient means for them to directly engage consumers with information and offers,” Paolo, concluded.

GoGoMobile is integrated with GoGo Cast’s in-store GoScreen’s network enabling user engagement with deals and offers at all touch-points from discovery to purchase. GoGo Cast’s premier digital in-store displays enhance customers’ in-store experience and give vendors the opportunity to highlight key selling points, complementing traditional point-of-purchase advertising. GoGoMobile offers a full-featured vendor portal for creating, distributing and managing ‘Deals on the Go’™ campaigns, as well as a HTML5 website specifically formatted for smart phones using geo-fencing for deal location. Vendors and dealers interested in finding out more about these unique mobile advertising and digital signage marketing solutions can call 877-320-GOGO to speak to a GoGo Cast digital media consultant or visithttp://www.gogocast.com.

# # #

About GoGo Cast, Inc.
GoGo Cast, Inc. is an on-demand, out-of-home digital media company that enables customers to directly communicate with their clientele across vertical markets. Using an aggregated network of digital media and audience-targeted content, GoGo Cast delivers direct-to-consumer advertising that enables retailers, brands, manufacturers, advertisers and promoters to reach highly targeted audiences, influence brand choice and receive measurable results. With GoGo Cast's content network and commercial grade digital screens; advertisers can deliver messages that influence consumer buying decisions at the right place, at the right time.
Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.
CMO Council – http://www.cmocouncil.org

GoGo Cast Inc. Contact: Juli Dexter
Phone: 877-320-GOGO
Mobile: 401-256-6115
Email: jdexter(at)gogocast(dot)com
Web: http://www.gogocast.com

Don’t Text & Drive! 4+ Apps To Keep You Safe On The Road [Android]

2012-03-05T14:58:00.001-08:00

Using a mobile phone while driving is dangerous. We all know that. This danger is the one thing the smartness of our phones doesn’t really solve – no matter how smart they get, they still require more attention than we have to give while driving.

The best thing would probably be to turn the thing off every time we drive, but who would seriously do that? So the next best thing is to find ways to limit the distraction the device creates. If you’re worried about texting and driving, or looking for ways to make your phone easier to ignore, here are some apps that are sure to come in handy. Just make sure you don’t install them while driving!

Auto SMS [2.1+]

Auto SMS is an auto-responder which takes care of both text messages and calls. Not only does it respond automatically if someone calls or texts you, it can also read text messages aloud automatically every time you receive one, so you don’t even have to look at your phone.

In order to get the reader to work, you will have to bore into the app’s settings and download the voice data (find it in the Settings in the Reader section), but after that, the text-to-speech works great. It even reads out the name of the sender, so you don’t have to look to see who it’s from. You can set the app to auto-respond only to certain people, only at certain times, and only to texts/calls. You can also choose how to reply, and set multiple different profiles for different scenarios.

Auto SMS is a pretty rich app, with plenty more options for you to explore. One thing’s for sure, though, it will get your hands off your phone. If you don’t like the ads, get the ad-free version for $1.99.

Sonalight Text by Voice [2.2+]

Text by Voice is also an auto-responder, if you want it to be, but its main functionality is hands-off texting which is not necessarily automatic. So how does it work?

When you launch the app, it will sit in the background and wait for one of two things: an incoming message or the words “text by voice”.

If you receive a text message, Text by Voice will read it aloud and then ask you if you want to respond, repeat or ignore it. If you choose to ignore it, the sender will receive the auto-response you configured. If you choose to respond, you can dictate your answer. All this is done purely by voice.

At any time you can also say “text by voice” and text any contact you want, using only your voice. No hands.

You can set Text by Voice to turn on automatically when driving, when the phone is docked, etc. The speech recognition is rather good, and only had problems with the foreign names of my contacts. You can switch the engine to Google Voice, if you wish.

VeloCT [2.2+]

If what you’ve seen up till now seems like too much hassle, or if you don’t feel like configuring so many options, give VeloCT a try. This tiny and simple app does only one thing – sends an auto-response to all incoming text messages. However, it only does this if you’re moving at a certain speed.

The app is currently in beta, so more features may be added in the future, but as it is, you can configure your message and your speed, and turn the app on and off. That’s it. The app will use your GPS (which must be on) and determine how fast you’re going. When you’re over the set speed, it will start auto-responding. Nice and simple.

The only thing it’s really missing is auto-response for incoming calls as well. Ad-free version is $0.99.

ViBe [2.1+]

Sometimes I find that I can be really patient, and simply ignore everyone while I’m driving. The only problem is that I can’t really ignore everyone. There’s always someone I simply have to acknowledge somehow, or at least know that this person has called, and I find myself scrambling for the phone just to see who’s calling or texting. In a perfect world, I could just keep the phone in my pocket and know who’s calling me without even looking. This is where ViBe comes in.

With ViBe, you can choose specific contacts, and set different vibration patterns for each of them. This way, if you simply have to know about certain people calling or texting you, you’ll know in an instant, just by the vibration pattern.

You can set a pattern for a single contact or a group, and there are 5 different patterns to choose from. You can also by the full version for $1.99 which lets you create your own custom ViBes (you can try it out on the free version), or buy single patterns for $0.99 each. This is certainly a unique way to keep your eyes on the road.

If this seems excessive, or if you need a specific ID for each contact, you can always try a caller ID reader such as Speak Calls [1.5+], which simply reads out the name of the caller. Doesn’t work with text messages, though.

Final Notes

No matter the method, the important thing is that we all drive safely. Even when using an iPhone. So if you happen to own an iPhone, check out Bakari’s Five Apps And A Few Tips For Using Your iPhone While Driving.

What do you do when you drive? Do you get tempted and type the odd text, or do you manage to ignore your phone? Do you know of any more useful apps for driving? Share in the comments!

Yaara Lancet

Yaara (@ylancet) is a freelance writer, editor, and a tech blogger. She runs the language-editing service Revisery and enjoys writing about anything thought-provoking (this very much includes food, buckyballs, and her iPad). Find her also at lnct.org.

Engage your customers - Get It For Free

2012-03-05T14:56:00.000-08:00

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The Power of Women Entrepreneurs

2012-03-05T14:55:00.001-08:00

WEBINARS

Nonprofits Learn How To Mine LinkedIn's Gold

There's gold in that LinkedIn database. Does your nonprofit know how to mine it? In this free online panel find out how to mine LinkedIn's database for donors, board members, and ideas. Get answers to your questions.

http://nonprofitwebinars.com/webinar/3202012-linkedin-a-powerful-tool-for-nonprofits/

The Power of Women Entrepreneurs

Women's gender-based skills can help them succeed in business, if they use them right. Find out how. The FREE webinar will be instructed by Jean Brittingham, founder of SmartGirls Way.

Monday, April 2, 2012 2-3pm ET. Register here.

RECENT BLOG POSTS

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"Outside the Box" Marketing Reaps Big Rewards on a Small Budget Businesses and nonprofits are the perfect bedfellows. Learn how two organizations benefited from their mutual collaboration.

Good Service Not Only Makes Money, It Saves Money

Thinking about what makes customers tick could lower costs while increasing customer satisfaction. How is that possible?

Micro-Credit Sector Scandal Reinforces Need for Impact Investment Standards

Impact investment can bring critical services to the most vulnerable and under-served. How can that vulnerability be protected from exploitation?

Increasing the Financing for Women-Led Businesses

Investing in social enterprises can give philanthropists a new way to make the world better. Find out how women philanthropists learned how to become angel investors.

For other Vistas articles, visit our archive.

PROMOTIONAL PARTNERS

Does the Government Want to Buy What You Have to Sell?

In a free one-hour web tutorial, Doña Storey, the American Express OPEN Advisor on Procurement, will help business owners learn how to determine if the federal government buys the products or services you offer. The tutorial, on Wednesday, March 7, is part of Give Me 5, a national program created by American Express OPEN and WIPP to help women business owners get a leg up on selling to the world's largest customer: the U.S. government.

Give Me 5 106 - Does the Government Buy What I Sell
Date: Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Time: 3 PM ET/12 PM PT
Where: Virtual

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How to Grow Your Business Through Collaboration

There's strength in numbers for small businesses looking for government contracts. Contractors surveyed by American Express OPEN found that businesses who engage in teaming - the act of partnering with other businesses - win 50 percent more contracts than active contractors overall.

Learn the benefits of teaming, types of collaborative arrangements, partner selection processes, and how to execute successful teaming relationships, in a free webinar hosted by NYC Teaming onWednesday, March 14 from 12n to 1pm ET. The webinar will offer a hands-on perspective of the teaming process and provide real-life scenarios to work through.

NYC Teaming Joint Venture Webinar

Date: Wednesday, March 14

Time: 12pm-1 pm ET

Where: Virtual

VENTURENEER'S LIBRARY OF ON-DEMAND VCOURSES

If you just couldn't fit our in-depth, virtual courses into your schedule on the days they ran "live," we now offer on-demand viewing from our vcourse archive. Sign up and take the class any time and any where that's convenient for you.

SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCES

Social Media for Values Driven Companies a one-stop, continually updated central resource about social media as they are used by nonprofits, which is sometimes different than the way for-profits use them.

Ramp up their social media effortsVentureneer's new, free ebook, Social Media for Your Nonprofit: Take Charge!.

Also don't forget to check out our survey report,Nonprofits and Social Media: It Ain't Optional.

Putting the Power of LinkedIn to Use for Your Nonprofits

Nonprofits learn how to use LinkedIn's powerful search capability to find donors,

board members, staff and more.

25 Best Social Media for Social Good Blogs

This is a list of blogs we think you should turn to first for answers about how to use social media for social good.

Contact

Geri Stengel

geri@ventureneer.com

Five top external drives that won't break the bank--or your back Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57389584-1/five-top-external-drives-t

2012-03-05T14:50:00.002-08:00

Today on CNET

by Dong Ngo

CNET Editor Dong Ngo lists the top five external hard drives that are not only great but also superportable and affordable.

When it comes to storage, you definitely don't want to risk getting stuck with a lemon.

That's because, unlike other commodities like a car, or a TV, when a storage device breaks down, chances are you lose a lot more than just the drive itself. It's a painful experience to see your invaluable data vanish. Take my word for it on this.

Lexar JumpDrive Triton USB 3.0

On the other hand, you also want your storage device to be easily accessible, especially on the go. There's not much use of your data when it always has to stay at home.

When it comes to storage, you definitely don't want to risk getting stuck with a lemon.

That said, compact and portable external hard drives are arguably the most popular form of storage. They offer lots of space, often more than what your laptop or ultrabook has, without being big or heavy. Avoiding a lemon doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, either. That's very good considering the storage market hasn't fully recovered from the recent flood in Thailand.

Following is the list of the top five portable USB 3.0-based drives that are the best among their peers, by collectively offering great performance, large storage space, compact design, and sometimes even the kind of toughness that will withstand water submersion and drops. Most importantly, you can easily find (most of) them for less than $100.

Note that these drives also work with USB 2.0 (MacBook Air owners: you're counted in here) and they are all bus-powered, meaning you don't need a separate power adapter to use them.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

Lexar JumpDrive Triton (32GB version)
As far as I know, the Lexar JumpDrive Triton has a a lot of firsts. It's the first thumbdrive that supports USB 3.0, the fastest USB 3.0-based portable storage device, and also the first among a lot of computer and electronic devices I've seen that bears a "Product of USA" label. It doesn't mean it was made in the States entirely, but hey, at least it wasn't made in China, like the majority of thumbdrives. For those who like pretty things (and who doesn't?) the drive is super good-looking with a shiny, full metal alloy base and an equally shiny, hardened plastic top. It also comes with a great retractable USB head design.

The Triton's top capacity is 64GB, which costs around $200; it's a little too expensive, but its 32GB version costs just about $80, making it a sweet spot for those who travel with a portable computer and don't need to carry a lot of data. It's worth noting that 32GB is still a lot of storage space, considering how tiny the Triton is. There's also a 16GB version that costs around $60. Read the full review of the Lexar JumpDrive Triton thumbdrive.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

Silicon Power Armor A80 (500GB version)
The Silicon Power Armor A80 is a special 2.5-inch-based portable drive that offers up to 1TB of storage. It's the first USB 3.0 drive that comes with an A-female USB port (similar to the one found in a computer). This means you can't use standard USB cables with it. To make up for this minor inconvenience, the drive comes with two A-male-to-A-male USB cables of its own, one of which is hidden on the drive itself. This cable-carry design makes the drive even more portable, but it is not the only selling point of the drive. Housed in a rugged chassis, the A80 is waterproof down to a depth of 3 feet and is rugged enough to handle shocks and drops from around 4 feet, while moving. The drive also offered great performance in my testing.

The Silicon Power Armor A80 comes in four capacities, including 500GB, 640GB, 750GB, and 1TB. On a good day, you can find the 500GB online for $98. If you don't want to dig around, on Amazon, it costs just a few dollars more than $100. At this price, for those who work in rough environments and are looking to expand their laptop's storage, the A80 is definitely worth every penny. Read the full review of the Silicon Power Armor A80.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

HP Portable Hard Drive (500GB version)
The HP Portable Hard Drive, in spite of its mundane name, is more than just a regular USB 3.0-based portable hard drive. The drive comes with HP SimpleSave software that automatically backs up important data of the Windows computer to which it's connected. It also offers very good performance.

At a street price of just $89, the 500GB version of the drive makes a great investment for those who need to quickly back up important information. The drive also comes in larger capacities, including 750GB and 1TB, that cost slightly more. Read the full review of the HP Portable Hard Drive.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

Hitachi Touro Mobile Pro (750GB)
The Hitachi Touro Mobile Pro offers more bang for your buck; it's the only one on this list that offers more than 500GB storage space in the price range. The drive comes in a very good-looking design, making it a great companion for those who are in favor of style.

The 750GB drive is currently available for just $99. Read the full review of the Hitachi Touro Mobile Pro.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

Seagate GoFlex Ultra-portable (500GB version)
The GoFlex Ultra-portable from Seagate is a very special portable drive thanks to its superflexible design. The drive comes with two parts that separate the storage and the connection types. This means the drive can support virtually any type of connection, be it USB 2.0, USB 3.0, FireWire, eSATA, and even Thunderbolt, just by swapping out the adapter parts. The adapter can also be used with any standard SATA 2.5-inch internal hard drive or SSD, in case you want to connect one to a computer.

The drive is available up to 1.5TB capacity that costs around $180. However its 500GB version costs just some $83 on the street and will make a great companion both on the go and at home, especially if you are a computer technician. Read the full review of the Seagate GoFlex Ultra-portable.

Quickly Eyedrop Websites To See What Color They Used

2012-03-05T14:49:00.000-08:00

Dear READER
If you are a developer and you don't use Google Chrome yet, you should definitely check it out. Not only does it have built in developer tools for you to view web code, see css and any part of a website, there are also some great extensions you can add to it to save you time.

Eye Dropper is an extension for Chrome which will allow you to pick colors on a website to see the web color being used. This will save you time from having to screenshot a website and choose the color with a graphics editing program. Try this out and see what you think!

Keep on promoting!

Writing Web Words Inc. Launches Hot Off the Press Release

2012-03-02T21:44:00.000-08:00

Online press release service helps businesses reach clients and generate leads.

Toronto, Ontario, CanadaMarch 02, 2012

Looking to get noticed and generate more traffic and leads? Writing Web Words has just released their latest online writing service - Hot Off the Press Release, a web writing service that will provide businesses with SEO optimized press releases. Writing Web Words owner and head writer, Ray Litvak is now offering businesses a way to reach their target audience through optimized press releases that will help achieve distribution and drive more traffic and leads to a business’s website.

A well-well written press release will help a business get noticed, however an optimized press release will help with distribution across a variety of media outlets and search engines. As a result, a business can expect increased media exposure “and that will translate into lots of links and boatloads of traffic to your site,” says Litvak, who has been involved in New Media and Web Content Development for over a decade and has worked with hundreds of companies both large and small including Bell Canada, Yellow Pages Group, Hub Canada and more. “The more company-related links you have circulating through the search engines, the more likely you are to generate relevant traffic and drive them to your site,” shares Litvak.

In the past, most small businesses have had to carefully allocate their dollars to their overall production, operations and marketing strategies. With the launch of the Hot Off the Press Releases Service, business now has an affordable way to reach their audience, drive traffic and generate leads. “Press releases are an important way for a brand to establish their reputation,” says Litvak. “We help with that reputation building strategy by tapping into our team of experts to develop SEO optimized press releases that will get picked up and indexed by search engines and generate the kind of attention brands are looking for.”

The way we search for information has changed and online seems to be the number one go-to for immediate information on a company or brand. Distributing a professionally written and search engine optimized press release is the most effective way to spread the word about news related to a brand or business. “The news that a company puts out about their service or product will be indexed by top news search engines which makes it easier for consumers and journalists to find you,” explains Litvak. This helps increase a website’s search engine results and overall rankings.

With the new service, businesses can have their SEO optimized press releases written and distributed over the web using PRWeb. “Using PRWeb allows us to help businesses achieve an unprecedented ability to reach a wide-range of media outlets and sends the release directly to journalists, bloggers and consumers both locally and globally,” shares Litvak. Unlike any other press release distribution service, PRWeb submits releases to the top search engines and the use of links, keywords and videos within the release ensures that a brand or business will get more attention, fast.

ABOUT WRITING WEB WORDS
Writing Web Words is a team of professional copywriters and web content specialists serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada and beyond. Services include writing web content that helps sites get indexed and ranked organically by search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing. The former owner of a Web Design Firm, Ray has been involved in New Media and Web Content Development for over 10 years, having worked with hundreds of companies small and large including Bell Canada, Yellow Pages Group, Hub Canada, and more. Specializing in Web Content Development, SEO Copywriting and SEO Services for small and mid-sized companies, Ray and his team also work with industry insiders including web design firms, web development firms and their clients.

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People Polled on "What Part of SEO Process is the Most Difficult?"

2012-03-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

Internet Marketing Company (http://www.internetmarketingcompany.biz) reveals results of the poll, "What Part of SEO Process is the Most Difficult?" on the Facebook® Platform.

Los Angeles, CA March 02, 2012

Internet Marketing Company, a search engine marketing company and internet marketing consulting firm, announced today the results of the poll "What Part of SEO Process is the Most Difficult?" on the Facebook Platform. The choices of answers were: maintaining high rankings, keyword research, and on-page optimization. The most popular answer was number one.

The seo marketing company has created a page on the platform, and people interested in internet marketing consulting can visit the page, read about the company and then can choose to click "Like" on the Facebook Platform page to be able to follow the company's news or mention the company in one of their posts. Users who have logged onto the page to check out what the search engine marketing company is all about have seen that they provide online marketing services, link building services along with reputation management and other services.

Facebook gives everyone the power to share with the people they care about, making the world more open and transparent. Facebook users communicate and share information through the social graph, the network of connections and relationships between people. Facebook gives companies and the developer community access to the social graph through Facebook Platform. Using a rich set of tools and online services, developers can build applications that are deeply integrated into the Facebook website. Millions of Facebook users return to the site each day, providing unparalleled distribution potential for applications and the opportunity to build a business that is highly relevant to people's lives.

In 2007, Facebook launched Facebook Platform to empower developers and entrepreneurs around the world make the Web more social for users. Millions of Facebook users return to the site each day, providing unparalleled distribution potential for applications and the opportunity to build a business that is highly relevant to people's lives.

Internet Marketing Company delivers effective and cost-effective SEO services that help companies compete and attract new customers driven by listings among the top search engine results. Professionals at the Internet Marketing Company have the expertise and experience to enhance exposure of a business on major search engines. And the better a brand’s exposure, the better a company can reach the customers and prospects who rely on search engines every day to research, find, and buy new products and services. With SEO from Internet Marketing Company, everyone can see results—fast, easy, and guaranteed.

Fore more information, please contact http://www.internetmarketingcompany.biz.

Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.

INFOGRAPHIC : The Shocking Effects Of The Google Driverless Car

2012-03-02T21:38:00.000-08:00

The future is closer than you might think. Thanks to Google’s top secret research department, Google X, driverless cars are now a reality and could be hitting the mainstream in the not too distant future. Nevada has become the first US state to pass a law allowing driverless cars on the roads in their state, and Google is even considering getting into the automobile industry by manufacturing the cars themselves.

But as our infographic today shows (courtesy ofAptus Insurance), there are drawbacks as well as advantages to projects such as these. All of those who depend on driving for a living will see their jobs threatened, and states such as California could lose revenue if drivers opted for a cheaper ID card instead of a licence renewal. But think of the benefits! While the car drives, you could sleep, read, play your Nintendo DS console, eat your lunch or even make out on the back seat! Plus the number of drunk driving accident deaths would plummet to virtually none.

Here is a short video by the creator of the driverless car, Sebastian Thrun, on why he started the project (definitely not for making out on the back seat!), and also a brief look at the car itself.

Would you buy a driverless car if it was affordable? Or does a car like this take away one of life’s simple pleasures which is driving the car yourself? Can you think of any other advantages or disadvantages to Google’s driverless car? Let’s hear them in the comments below.

Infographic Source: Aptus Insurance

Mark O'Neill

Mark O'Neill is the managing editor of MakeUseOf.com

Released on Solardub Records the I Blame You Riddim is availabe now. The lead track of the EP by Isiah Mentor, give its name to the riddim and lays th

2012-03-02T21:36:00.001-08:00

Before you pay to have your website listed in as many directories as you can find in order to get more traffic, stop for a moment and consider how these paid listings could adversely effect your SEO results.

Luckily, Matt Cutts is back again with his latest video answering the question “are paid directories held to the same standards as paid links?”

And the answer…

A paid directory is much like buying a permanent link on a site – it’s expected to be on a certain relevant page for much longer than a guest post for example.

However, Google look’s a little deeper at link directories to ensure they haven’t just sprung up overnight by an owner who bought a recently expired but decent PageRank domain and is attempting to make quick money off of people who are willing to buy links just to appease Google. When Google comes across these types of directories it will usually lower the page rank of the directory, so that it isn’t seen as a trusted source for website’s looking for link love.

If the directory looks to be primarily a link scheme, then Google will hold the paid directory to the same standard as paid links.

That’s not to say that all paid directories are bad. Yahoo! and DMOZ are both good examples of directories that are long established, use quite stringent editorial discretion (to eliminate spammy sites) and will put your link on to a static page with minimal outbound links, which is what Google prefers.

So basically not all paid directories are equal in the eyes of search engine giant, Google.

Before you decide to pay to be in an online directory or choose to create one I suggest you watch the video.

Comments

About the Author:
Rene is the marketing manager of ineedhits.com - a global search engine marketing company. He also leads the marketing for Gooruze.com - a web 2.0 style community for online and digital marketers. Rene has been in the industry since 1997 with much of that time spent helping businesses embrace the best of the internet and digital world.

Wealthification Urges Entrepreneurs to Own the Race Course

2012-03-01T13:24:00.000-08:00

Internet business expert and coach James Schramko uses analogies to dispense some business control tips in his recently launched business success product, Wealthification. Schramko gives further details on other key points discussed in the Structure module of the Wealthification course.

James Schramko - Business Expert

We hear a lot of people who are upset that their business got collapsed because they were dependent on something else so really it’s eliminating compromise. Take control. Have 100% ownership if absolutely possible.

Sydney, Australia March 01, 2012

Australian online business expert James Schramko launched Wealthification, the latest installment to his series of business success products, on February 25th of this year. It involves 10 business training modules presented in video with mp3, and PDF transcription available as well. The course is divided into the following segments: Introduction, Assets, Structure, Marketing, People, Systems, Action, Cashflow and Exercise. In the Structure module, he discusses the importance of having complete control over a business and uses the analogy of owning the race course instead of a race horse to stress his point.

Schramko is a respected and well-known figure in Internet business and marketing. He offers a wide range of products and services including website building, coaching, SEO, memberships, software, affiliate marketing, etc. Through them he has managed to generate millions of dollars. “A lot of people ask me how did I do it?” he shares. “So what I’ve done is actually go inside my brain and think about all the things that would create a successful business for somebody. How could someone leave their job like I did and create their own business and do well?” From this undertaking, he eventually came up with the Wealthification process.

The Structure module basically discusses the steps an entrepreneur has to take to ensure that his or her business would be on solid footing, that it would be around for a very long time, and would be pretty much indestructible. This part delves into the nitty gritty of the legal aspects of owning a business, but discusses it in a simple and straightforward manner so that it is easy to understand.

In this portion, there is mention of such things as taxation, insurance and a business’ saleability. Schramko also discusses the business strategy involved in buying out rival businesses and, as previously mentioned, the necessity of having control. “We hear a lot of people who are upset that their business got collapsed because they were dependent on something else so really it’s eliminating compromise. Take control. Have 100% ownership if absolutely possible,” he advises.

The Wealthification course offers the astute guidance every entrepreneur needs, and is absolute gold for anybody considering starting a small business. It is essentially the wisdom earned after decades of success in the business world presented in easy-to-digest modules.

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Learning LinkedIn from the Experts.

2012-03-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

LinkedIn is 277% more effective for lead generation than Facebook and Twitter. Undeniably, LinkedIn is a very powerful marketing tool that you should take full advantage of today.

Learn how to build a powerful business presence on LinkedIn from five industry masters by downloading our new ebook, Learning LinkedIn from the Experts.

Download the New Ebook

With this ebook, you'll learn how to:

* Build Your LinkedIn Foundation, by Stephanie Sammons
* Grow Your LinkedIn Network, by Jan Vermeiren
* Use LinkedIn to Market Business, by Neal Schaffer
* Use LinkedIn to Market Yourself, by Lewis Howes
* Measure the ROI of LinkedIn, by Rebecca Corliss

No other resource contains this much expert advice on LinkedIn. Get the ebook and share it with your friends today.

Enjoy,
Rebecca Corliss

P.S. Get more of the latest marketing content by following us on LinkedIn!

Deliver captivating multichannel experiences quickly and easily

2012-03-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

Deliver captivating multichannel experiences quickly and easily View now

Deliver captivating multichannel experiences quickly and easily

The extensive proliferation of smart phones and tablets has made it increasingly difficult to rapidly build and maintain consistent and relevant customer experiences across different channels. Today, organizations are struggling to engage customers in a timely fashion.

Listen to this on-demand webinar and learn how you can:

	Consolidate development of web and mobile applications on an open, standards-based platform
	Empower your marketing team to easily extend the customer experience across mobile and web
	Support interactive, multichannel experiences rather than only web publishing with your content management tool

View now ›

Watch the on-demand webinar: Mobile Everywhere

Receive this must-read Gartner Magic Quadrant report

All registrants will also receive the Gartner “Magic Quadrant for Web Content Management”.

Learn about the four major trends shaping the WCM market and why Gartner positions Adobe as a leader.

Read now ›

5 Best Practices for Marketplace Selling

2012-03-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

5 Best Practices
for Marketplace Selling

Tuesday, March 20, 2012 | 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT

Understanding what the top sellers are doing to increase sales and profitability is critical to remaining competitive in today's crowded marketplaces. In this webinar, we will bring together industry experts from Barnes & Noble Marketplace, Monsoon Commerce, and successful online merchants to share some best practices for marketplace selling. Attend this webinar and learn five things you can to do to grow your business through marketplace selling.

Some topics of this discussion will include:

Why you should focus on social media to drive traffic to your listings
New ways to source inventory efficiently
The value of outsourcing fulfillment to scale your business

Come to this session armed with your questions. You'll be able to submit questions directly to our panelists for a live Q&A session during the hour.

Sponsored by Monsoon Commerce

For more information, and to register, Click Here

Can't make it on March 20? No problem! Retail Online Integration webinars are archived for 90 days after the live event. Click here to register and get access to this webinar on-demand.

SPEAKERS

Rick Watson
General Manager of Marketplace
Barnes & Noble

Clark Hale
Vice President of Strategic Relationships
Monsoon Commerce

MODERATOR

Melissa Campanelli
Editor in Chief
Retail Online Integration

Danny Sullivan on Google’s New Privacy Policy Saga; VIDEO

2012-03-01T13:17:00.000-08:00

More WebProNews Videos

Blazonco Launches Social Profile Plugin

2012-02-29T14:59:00.000-08:00

Users can create customized profiles and connect with friends on business websites.

San Clemente, CA February 29, 2012

Web design and online marketing agency Blazonco today announced the release of a new social profile plugin that allows any website under Blazonco's platform to create a customized social network.

No longer needing to rely on outside social networks, Blazonco's social profile plugin allows any business owner to turn a website into a social media hub where audiences can create relationships and come together over shared interests and events. While social networks such as Facebook and Twitter can be an important part of any marketing strategy, Blazonco's social profile plugin keeps people on the business's website and is more customized to the business's individual needs.

Blazonco CEO Michael Sterner sees the social profile plugin as an extension of Blazonco's social media services. “As Blazonco expands its social media services to better serve small businesses, it was only natural that we explore an option that allows business owners to create their own social networks as well,” he said. “Blazonco's social profile plugin is another tool in business owners' arsenal that helps them effectively market their business and create a conversation with consumers.”

The social profile plugin allows users to:
- Personalize a profile with a custom layout
- Write on friends' walls
- Create and join groups
- Message people on the network
- Invite friends to events and tag events to make them easier to find

More functionality will soon be available, and custom functionality can be created for each website's needs.

Urcarbook.com is one of Blazonco's sites that is taking full advantage of the social media plugin. The automotive social network will provide a platform where users can share photos, videos, memories and experiences related to cars and connect with fellow car enthusiasts. The social network also lets dealers market directly to their target audience. Although Urcarbook.com is one of the first sites to use Blazonco's social media plugin, there are many more more to come.

About Blazonco
With more than 14 years of experience serving businesses of all sizes, Blazonco has developed a suite of robust design and marketing services, including web design, branding, internet marketing, SEO, social media, and PPC management. We help businesses succeed online. Learn more at Blazonco.com

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Best Portable Apps

2012-02-29T14:58:00.000-08:00

We've got a new surprise for you. Who doesn't love portable apps? You can carry them around in your thumbdrive, or launch them from a cloud drive. They don't need to be installed and yet, allows you to commandeer any computer with your choice of applications.

Today, we'd like to announce the release of our Best Portable Apps page!

Check our our Best Portable Apps page:
http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/best-portable-apps

We've populated it with awesome apps that we're sure that you'll find useful on the move. Included are gems like OpenOffice, allowing you to work on your documents wherever Microsoft Office isn't installed; KeePass, to help you remember your passwords on the go; TeamViewer, to connect to remote computers no matter where you are; and VLC Player, when you need the flexibility of a versatile media player.

For the full listing of the best portable apps, visit our Best Portable Apps page:
http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/best-portable-apps

Whitepapers and resources from WEBSITE Magazine...

2012-02-29T14:55:00.000-08:00



		UberTags UberTags' cloud-based Tag Management System improves website load times and drives significant operational efficiency by transforming the process of deploying and managing 3rd party code snippets (aka tags) on websites.

		Printing In A Box Printing in a Box is a unique business opportunity for individuals that would like to own a print and design company. The multi-billion dollar print and design industry has previously been the domain of industry experts and insiders, but now you too can be a part of it with Printing in a Box!

		Identifying Anonymous Website Visitors Website visitors are your best prospects, and yes, Web analytics solutions can actually identify your website visitors - including where they came from and what they are looking for - and help you turn them into sales leads in real-time. This whitepaper explains how it works. Sponsored by VisiStat

		Organizational Privacy Architecture and Assessment This checklist for Ecommerce, Web Development and Design, and Direct Marketing professionals enables you to gauge your organization's privacy compliance and best practice levels. Gain an overview of privacy management today. Sponsored by TRUSTe

		Where in the Cloud Am I? With all the new cloud-based technologies coming out, who's got time to research them all? Here's a timely guide for taking full advantage of everything that cloud computing has to offer, so you can focus on the core competencies of your business. Sponsored by Avalara

		Personas: Online Marketing Secret Weapon Personas - those fictional representations of typical users - can be your secret weapon in optimizing your online marketing campaigns and improving your ROI. This white paper will provide you with the details you need to implement Personas in your marketing campaigns. Sponsored by Apogee

		Affiliate Email Marketing 2.0 Find out how affiliate email marketing 2.0 is a new approach to sending offers to subscribers that maximizes earning per click (EPC) and earning per thousand emails sent (eCPM). Sponsored by LeadsMarket

		Choosing the Best Web Content Solution A good web CMS can mean the difference between a static underachieving website and a dynamic and flexible one that adapts to visitor needs, converts prospects into customers, and strengthens the brand. Sponsored by Sitecore

		Navigating the Google Display Network Have you ever attempted to expand your PPC advertising by crossing over to the Display Network, but ended up spending a lot of money without generating conversions? Learn the yin to the Search Network's yang. Sponsored by Hanapin

		Is Your B2C Ready for the Buying Season? This whitepaper from Lister E-Business pairs a real-world case study analysis with a web-based health check assessment application to give B2C sites the tools they need to assure e-commerce readiness during peak traffic surges. Sponsored byLister

Become an Expert News Release Writer in Minutes!

2012-02-29T14:54:00.000-08:00

Online View | Mobile View

Become an Expert News Release Writer in Minutes!
You don't have to be an expert to write an online news release that could get you onto Google's front page. To grab the attention of millions of readers, you just need a piece of news and the free PRWeb Guide to Writing Great Online News Releases. From strong headlines to well-placed keywords, this guide gives you all the tips you need to get customers reading about your business, including:

How to write a professional, jargon-free news release that gets read and shared
How to write a headline that shines on search engines and leaves the reader wanting more
How to pick a story angle that makes your news more interesting than the rest!

Learn today and start attracting more attention instantly - download the free guide now!

Special Bonus
Save 25% on your first online news release.*

The 2012 State of Inbound marketing:

2012-02-28T14:33:00.000-08:00

Hi Carla,

Just once a year, we publish the grand-daddy of all marketing reports. I'm excited to announce that this year's edition has arrived.

Gain insights into the newest marketing trends by downloading our report, The 2012 State of Inbound Marketing, or join me for an upcoming webinar as we uncover the future of marketing.

» Download the Report

» Reserve Your Seat on the Webinar
When: Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 1pm EST / 10am PST

This webinar and report covers:

* Marketing strategies and results from 970+ companies
* How to drive more leads at a lower cost for your business
* Over 50 data points on social media, blogging, SEO, and more
* What to expect from the future of inbound marketing

Get instant access to the report to have the best inbound marketing research at your fingertips.

Enjoy,
Mike

P.S. 6,000 businesses use HubSpot's inbound marketing software to increase traffic, leads and customers. Request a custom demo to see how it can transform your marketing.

An Idiots Guide to Photoshop: DOWNLOAD!

2012-02-28T14:31:00.001-08:00

Do you want to get more out of Photoshop? Then you need to read this free guide from MakeUseOf - "An Idiot's Guide To Photoshop, Part 3: Pro Tips" by Azamat "Bohed" E, resident Photoshop genius at TrueKolor.net. This manual outlines 32 Photoshop tips you need to know, along with a photo retouching guide and three in-depth tutorials

Learning Photoshop is fun and easy, if you're willing to learn. Actually, that sentence can be applied to learning anything, but in this guide you'll be learning Photoshop, as you did in Part I and Part II of our Photoshop series.

DOWNLOAD An Idiot's Guide To Photoshop, Part 3: Pro Tips
http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/an-idiots-guide-to-photoshop-part-3-pro-tips
(download password: makeuseof)

First, we'll go through the most important Photoshop tips and tricks that will make your life easier and dramatically save you time. Then, we'll show you how to create a YouTube banner with links. After that, we'll teach some basic techniques on photo retouching and how to quickly create a silhouette from a photo.

DOWNLOAD An Idiot's Guide To Photoshop, Part 3: Pro Tips
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