A Partner for effective email newsletters and communications, eMarketing Solutions, enewsletters, surveys, list building
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Is Facebook worth it?
May 2nd
I read in the paper this morning that a lot of companies are having second thoughts about the value of advertising on Facebook. At the same time I’ve been watching Mad Men on AMC. I suspect that a lot of would-be intelligent advertisers get all their advertising education from watching TV or reading newspapers and magazines. It doesn’t apply. On-line media such as Facebook, Linked In, YouTube, blogging or broadcast email marketing requires permission. It requires real communication. It is a two-way one-on-one communication. It must be genuine. Interruption, in-your-face shouting just doesn’t work on line. It really, really pisses people off. It fact, I’m not sure anyone in their right mind would respond to such a push. I got automated-recorded phone calls during the Republican primaries. I hate those things! Making politicians exempt from the rules of good taste won’t win them elections. Applying the 1960s version of advertising to Facebook or any on-line media won’t work either.
Some thoughts on retirement…
Apr 22nd
My wife is retiring in a month or so. I slipped into “semi-retirement” a couple years ago. Have you thought about your retirement? My wife found a book about retirement that reminded her that she probably still has twenty or thirty years ahead of her and that she should plan for it. We did all the financial stuff a long time ago and feel pretty comfortable about that part of retirement. But now what? We have developed a list of the things we like to do and have done in the past. We developed a list of things we’d like to do in the future. We even have a “bucket list” (though she doesn’t like to call it that) of places we would like to visit.
Of the people we know who are our age many have looked for part-time work to help keep them active. Some have volunteered to be docents at the local museum, assistants at the local library, volunteers at the local hospital. One retired doctor I know volunteers to help children learn to read. I guess you can volunteer to help at the local grade school or high school. All my life I had this vision of first making sure my finances were solid, then offering my services and talents to help others.
If you have kept up with me at all you know I found “Loving Hugs, Inc.” (See: http://www.lovinghugs.org ) It provides “hugs” in the form of stuffed toys to children around the world who otherwise live in a pretty brutal world. A lifetime ago, in another world, I was to a much lesser degree just such a child. I was in a home for boys for about a year and a half when I was in the 4th grade. It was run by well-intended nuns who looked upon us and their work as the sacrifice they had to endure in order to go to heaven. We felt it too. There is no feeling on earth like feeling you are being endured.
My vocation and avocation these days is to help folks set up their email marketing program and teach them all I know from a decade of study and experience. I found that I can do that for a modest fee and thus provide a service that capitalizes on my talents, while doing some good. My marketing challenge is as always, to prove to others that I am worth the money and email marketing is not a “do-it-yourself-trial-and-error” project. I have enough clients to keep me as busy as I want to be while giving me the time to do the things on my “bucket list.” …and that works for me!
Loving Hugs, Inc. ~ My New Cause!
Aug 22nd
Wendy Clark with her "Loving Hugs"
I found the “cause” that I have been looking for. You may remember me telling you that I have been looking for a cause to promote? Well, here it is:
Loving Hugs, Inc. was founded by Wendy Clark a few years ago to try to put a smile on the faces of children who have to grow up in unbelievable circumstances. She gives donated stuffed toys to children in refugee camps, to disaster victims (like earthquake and flood), and to orphans all around the world. Loving Hugs is non-denominational, apolitical, and totally non-governmental. It doesn’t replace anything that the local government should be doing or that big international relief organizations are doing. Ok, she does get some help with distribution from the U.S. Air Force and Navy. She’s received donations from Girl Scout Troops, some community and church groups, and people who just wanted to do something. She has no paid employees and uses donations to cover her storage, shipping and packaging costs.
The best part for me is that she has accepted my help doing the thing I enjoy most…email and social network marketing. Of course, I love giving and receiving hugs too..
Find her at http://www.lovinghugs.org or Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/LovingHugsInc
Are you QR Coded yet?
Jul 19th
 Have you seen those square code boxes all over the place? Wondered what they were? They are called QR Code (Quick Reference). I got this from Constant Contact’s “Social Media Starter” information.
Read more Social Media Starter. Here’s how you do it:: Step 1Pick a code generator website. Most QR Code generators are free to use and fast to set up. Here are three popular free sites:
We’re going to walk you through the steps of setting up a QR Code on http://goqr.me/. Step 2Decide what type of content you want to share. You can set the code generator to show text, place a phone call, send a text message, or send your customers to a specific URL. Don’t forget: If you’re sending people to a website or video, make sure it is viewable on mobile devices!  Step 3Preview your QR code on a mobile device. You’ll want to check and make sure that your QR code works correctly.  Step 4Download your code. To download the file, Click On the Download button at the bottom of the screen and then save the image file on your computer for future use.  Step 5Use your QR code anywhere. Now that you have your code saved, you can put it anywhere you think your audience will see it by inserting the QR code as an image into your flyers, signage, and more! 
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How to “Go Viral!”
Jul 16th
| Have you ever seen the TV series “America’s go talent?” Well, there are a number of versions of that throughout the free world. Here is an example of talent going viral. His name is Sung-Bong Choi.
If you can develop something with the emotional appeal of this video, it will go viral. Grab a tissue and watch the YouTube video. I was once on a committee that gave advice to a state level tourism office board of directors. The people on the board were supposed to be the top in their industry. The people on the advisory committee were supposed to be tops in their field. What they tried to do was create a campaign that would go viral and bring a lot of tourists to the state. It cost a lot of money and took six months to create. But to my mind, it had minimum success. It lacked credibility and genuine passion. The example of Sung Bong shows great passion motivating talent. There has to be a lesson to be learned there somewhere. |
How to get to 25 FACEBOOK Page “likes” and a vanity URL
Jun 27th
How much fun is this? A few days ago I was looking at my really cool Facebook page with only 9 “likes” on it. It had been that way for quite some time and I didn’t know how to get more attention without buying ads. So I went to every group I am a member of on Linked In. I asked the question “What would it take for every member of the group to “like” the Facebook page of every other member?” I promised that if anyone “liked” my page, I’d “like” theirs. Within a week I have more than 25 “likes” and can now go for a “vanity” URL. How cool is that?
An even more significant result was that I was able to be connected with these folks on Linked In. Finally, one of the best results was that these new friends were all great resources and prospects. We are of like mind in our openness to communicate with the other members of the group.
It only worked with a couple of the 28 or more groups I belong to. But, when it worked, it worked well. Ho hum, some groups just won’t think in these terms. But for the ones that do, it is great!
Now you can find me at: http://www.facebook.com/CybermailMarketing
Toxic Levels of Discussions
May 26th
I think I found a “burn out” factor in Linked In and Facebook Groups. I call it “Toxic Levels of Discussions.”
Frustration!
One of the groups I was posting to in Linked In asked me not to start so many “commercial” discussions in their group. I was thinking I was being generic enough about the topic ant anyone would like to hear about it. (OK, all I ever talk about is broadcast email marketing, social networking, and blogging.) Since the group was organized to discuss something else, I was off topic.
Well, of course, I don’t mean to offend, but my point is that I didn’t realize that I really was getting too thick on the group discussion board. I realized that there was so little other activity in the group that my normal postings were filling the page. Oooo. Not good. So I went through a deleted my discussions from the group I offended. Then I went down the list of groups I belong to and found the same situation in a number of them. So I deleted my postings in them also.
Now I’m looking for groups to join where my discussions about broadcast email marketing, social network marketing,, and blogging would be welcomed.
IFrames app by Wildfire makes large FACEBOOK graphics possible.
May 12th
In my pursuit of social networking excellence I came across an app by Wildfire that allows you to build IFrames in a FACEBOOK page.
It is a fantastic app that will allow you to create a welcome page and import large graphics and HTML.
I’ve seen some FACEBOOK pages that have more than one IFram page. So I’m going to have to look into it further.
Look at the new Cybermail Marketing Facebook Page.
It’s an easy app to load and a real kick to the business of marketing on FACEBOOK.
This graphic is 520 pixels wide.
Changes
Apr 24th
Yes, this is my new web site. I’ve decided to use WordPress Blog as a web site and give up my old traditional site. I still need to add some links and I need to complete populating the pages with important information about Cybermail Marketing and broadcast email marketing. Let me know how I’m doing. Did I miss something? Is there something I need to change? Thanks for your suggestions!
Posting Strategies that Encourage Engagement on Facebook
Apr 11th
Posting Strategies that Encourage Engagement on Facebook
Brands know they must stay active on their Facebook page, writing posts and encouraging engagement. But there are certain tactics that increase fans’ participation, including using specific words and posting at certain times.
