South Florida Interactive Marketing Association Blog

Nautical Networking Cruise Tickets Going Fast!

2009-10-09T13:49:00.002-05:00

Hurry and get your seats now for the premier networking event of the year! SFIMA's Nautical Networking Cruise will sell out, so get your table or seat before it's too late!

Visit NauticalNetworking.com or SFIMA.com for tickets and details.

Want to get the word out about your company? Sponsorships are still available - get your company promoted at this event and all of the advertising leading up to the event as well!

Competitors Gaining on Your Website Despite Your Best Efforts?

2009-10-09T13:39:00.003-05:00

This article by Stoney deGeyter really spoke to me, so I thought many others gain from it as well!

Have you optimized your site and done everything possible to be on top of the search engines, but your competitors are still gaining on you despite your efforts? Stoney's answer is "simple but profound : DO MORE!"

See his full explanation and advice on today's Search Engine Guide Article

Where do I start? Blog Writing 101

2009-10-05T09:29:00.006-05:00

So just do it, eh Jay? How about this for a great way to kick start your Internet expertise - a completely online, how to create, start, write, promote and maintain a blog. I don't know about you but I need the discipline of a deadline, a start and end date, commitments to be kept along the way, milestones, to do lists, project plans or whatever system you happen to prefer.

Starting October 12, there is a new Blog Writing 101 course being taught by a phenomenal homeschool mom who has been blogging for many years. But the benefit of the class is the interaction of participants, helping each person find their own voice, providing feedback, encouragement, and support.

Full disclosure, this class is taught by the company I work for, Time4Writing but it is offered entirely as a labor of love only a few times each year. The course teaches both how to create and promote your blog. Cost of the course is $59 for an eight week session. A great product at a great value. If you have ever thought about starting a blog, here's the push you just might need to make it happen.

And as a special offer for anyone that is working for a non-profit or who might be in between jobs, please contact me for a special $9 course rate. My contact is founder@sfima.com.

How to become an Internet Expert - Get Started and "Just Do It!"

2009-10-03T17:03:00.002-05:00

I am often asked by people who have a traditional marketing background how they can get into the new marketing.

My best advise is to: "Just Do It!"

As Nike says in their marketing, you must jump in and immerse yourself in the new tools and technologies, it is free and so easy a 10 year old can do it.

Get set up with your own WordPress blog right away so you can practice the different internet marketing skill sets. It only takes about 15 minutes! Pick a subject that you are passionate about and start developing blog posts. Learn how to link, set up Google Analytics and track how many people visit your blog and where they come from. Set up and track your own revenue generating programs such as affiliate banners and Google AdSense Ads - Yes you can make money from a simple blog!

Get involved with one or more of the popular social media sites. Pick one that people you know are always talking about among Facebook, LinkedIn, You Tube and Twitter. I love Twitter, if you'd like some basic tips on how to start a Twitter account and learn about this exciting new communications world read my Ten Tips Twitter Beginners Guide.

Good Luck Just Doing It - Please let me know how it turns out.

Tickets Now On Sale for the 6th Annual SFIMA Nautical Networking Event

2009-10-02T15:32:00.011-05:00

The place to be, and to be seen, the 6th annual SFIMA Nautical Networking event sponsored by BGT Partners, LivePerson and Omniture. This year's theme is Unmasking Your Potential.

When: Friday, October 23 at 5:00 pm (networking)
Where: Onboard The Lady Windridge Yacht
Tranquility Marina • 2950 NE 32 Ave. • Ft. Lauderdale
Directions:
I-95 to Oakland Park Blvd. (east) • Drive 3 miles east (cross the Intracoastal Bridge) • Right turn on Ocean Drive (Rte. A1A) • Drive 1 block • Right turn on NE 30th street • Drive until you see the large public parking garage on your right • Pre-pay for parking

Set sail on the Intracoastal with over 400 interactive marketers from around the globe during South Florida's principal networking event of the year. This year, a portion of the proceeds will go to the benefit of Junior Achievement of South Florida, the world’s largest educational charity.
Reserve a table now as space is going fast!

Tickets include an array of appetizers, a sumptuous dinner, elegant desserts, networking games, prizes, raffles and musical entertainment in three parties as one:

Pre-boarding networking party, including media event provided by Experian
Dinner cruise provided by ExactTarget
After-party provided by MarketLinkX Direct at Taverna Opa (don't miss the prize drawings)

Prizes and dinner seating will be announced via text messages provided by Neighborhood America’s Movo Mobile Platform.

Sponsored tables are still available but are going fast. Half tables start at $1,000 for 4 seats.
To sponsor a table, please contact Travis Berger at 917-804-5193 or travis@loringinteractive.com.

To volunteer or donate a prize, please contact Jayne Wesner at 954-695-8889 or jayne.wesner@gmail.com

SPONSORS: AOL, Search Engine Strategies, Undertone Networks, COMCORP, Lucid Media. Mad 4 Marketing, SEO.cc, SLI Systems, Tandem Interactive, Vayan

DONATIONS: BankAtlantic, DTS Direct, Kangen Water, PrivateScubaLessons.com, Random Access, Signs In One Day, Sunshine Boating, Taverna Opa Restaurant, TimeToSpa.com, Warm Wishes Gift Baskets of Ft. Lauderdale, Wing Zone,The W Hotel Ft. Lauderdale

Free Business Advice for Facebook Executives

2009-10-02T14:44:00.004-05:00

I hate Twitter. And I love Facebook almost as much as I hate Twitter. I know, I'm not cool to hate Twitter but there is just too much noise to make it worthwhile for me. Even the people I love dearly have too much to say for my taste on good days. I have tried TweetDeck, Seesmic, TwitterBerry, you name it. I just love Facebook more.

I don't have enough time or energy to devote to something that takes too much bandwidth to sift through. Okay, it doesn't help that I have over 1,200 followers (what are they following anyway?) on Twitter but on Facebook I allow only a few hundred of my closest friends to connect with me. Quality over quantity.

So my colleague, John Edelson, wrote a compelling article with "free advice" to Facebook executives. I think if they heed his advice they could insure their survival and ultimate domination of the social media web (Google is the emperor of the entire Internet so Facebook needs to be satisfied with king of social media for now).

Here is a quick synopsis and a link to the article, worth reading and commenting on - well, that is if you want Facebook to win :-) If you know Mark Zuckerberg, please forward the link to him before it is too late.

Sphinn article synopsis:
Free strategic advice for Facebook executives to insure ongoing success delivered in a few hundred words from my colleague John Edelson. Facebook has two challenges: A need to lock in users and a business model that brings in recurring cost-effective revenue. The strategic advice to achieve these goals includes three things: Allow individuals to have multiple Faces and categories of friends/contacts, permit archiving of all digital assets and make groups/subgroups and clubs work. It's just that simple. And no big price tag for a high-falutin consultant either.

Message from the President on NNE and Junior Achievement

2009-09-14T12:21:00.015-05:00

We’re halfway through September and the Nautical Networking Event is almost here. We are excited for our 6th annual sell-out event! This year, we are thrilled to have Junior Achievement involved. I’d like to take a moment to showcase an amazing photo and say to thank you to JA for their recent showing of hospitality.

"Biz Town" photo credit Warren Corpus, SFIMA Board Member

JA World is the new HQ of Junior Achievement of South Florida, everyone on the SFIMA Board were not only impressed by the creativity with the interior architectural design, but equally impressed with the vision and passion of the JA World leaders and their dedication to the local community.

Special thanks to Melissa Aiello and Anna Parker for generously hosting our September SFIMA Board of Directors' meeting at JA World. We all had a great time and managed to get a lot done in the "Hall of Fame" meeting room.

SFIMA and JA share a passion for education, personal growth and success. The Nautical Networking Event on October 23, 2009 will benefit both groups.

Learn more about Junior Achievement South Florida

Learn more about the 2009 Nautical Networking Event

South Florida Business Journal Tech Awards Now Accepting Nominees

2009-09-08T08:27:00.001-05:00

The South Florida Business Journal, SFIMA's Media Partner for 2009/2010, will once again honor the advancements made possible by innovative South Florida companies with our annual Technology Awards. http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/nomination/

Technology Awards - Deadline: September 18, 2009

The Business Journal is looking for the best technology-based companies, CEOs or CIOs leading the way, and the companies making the best use of a technology in South Florida. Whether it’s a growing startup, a team of researchers or a trend-setting innovation, the Technology Awards will highlight the most innovative research, products and services in South Florida. The Technology Awards will recognize organizations and people in the following categories:

• Internet-based/Telecommunications (ISPs/hosting)
• Software/Hardware Systems/ASPs (companies that provide products/services or companies that use them)
• Biotechnology Research
• Interactive Marketing (B2B, B2C)• Innovator/Product or Service of the Year
• CEO/CIO of the Year

Take just a few minutes to complete a nomination form today!
Hurry! Nominations must be received by Friday, Sept. 18! Self-nominations are accepted.

Save the date!

Finalists and winners will be honored at a Nov. 5 awards luncheon, sponsored by Verizon Wireless and will be profiled in a special section of the Business Journal.

For information on the nomination and selection process, contact Editorial Coordinator Brenna Mello at bmello@bizjournals.com.

Please note, we will not follow up with nominee's for more information. If you are missing important information to complete a nomination, please contact the nominee for the info or email Brenna Mello and she can contact the nominee on your behalf.

Top 10 Twitterers in South Florida

2009-09-04T08:57:00.000-05:00

"What's a good tweet? What can someone say in 140 characters or less that will make me want to keep reading? Some of my favorites are random thoughts usually reserved for the person you're sharing an elevator with, or, better yet, the thought that isn't shared in the elevator. Others I like to read inspire, entertain, inform or make me laugh." Writes Sun Sentinel reporter Seth Liss.

The Sun Sentinel recently published a great article on the Top Twitterers in South Florida posting great info about our local happenings. SFIMA member, Laura Parke of PrivateScubaLessons.com was mentioned among writer Seth Liss' favorite Twitterers from Miami to Orlando!

Check out his full article to get connected with some great information on South Florida via Twitter!

Video from SFIMA Event with Geoff Ramsey

2009-09-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

If you missed last month's SFIMA event with speaker extraordinaire, Geoff Ramsey, then you can catch up on the action with a video recap of the event!

Updated Panelists & After Party for Next Thursday's SFIMA Event

2009-09-02T11:42:00.003-05:00

UPDATED PANEL LINE UP!

See below our updated panel line up and make plans to arrive early for entertainment and stay late to help celebrate 7 years with SFIMA!

Thursday, 9-10-2009

Join AOL, Yahoo, Fox Audience Network and Kontera for a panel discussion on advertising.
It's all about results: Are pay for performance ad networks the future of digital advertising?
Panelists:

Mark Papia - Fox Interactive Media Senior Vice President, Performance Marketing

Brent Herd - AOL Advertising Regional Director of Sales

Caitlin Borgman - Yahoo Account Director

Joseph DeRario - Kontera Southeast Regional Sales Manager

Moderator: Mark Evans - Former SFIMA President Mark Evens will moderate this session where you can ask questions of the panel or provide your insight on other member's questions.

This month our panel of experts will bring a wealth of knowledge and real life CPA model experiences to share including:Why more people are using CPA networks today.Why CPA networks work better in tight economies.What companies are doing well with ad networks.Does CPA advertising make sense for your company?How to transition to a pay-for-performance CPA model.

Networking Hour 6:30-7:30pm: Enjoy the musical entertainment of American Idol star Ghaleb.

Post-event Party Third Floor at the Living Room Bar, 9 PM: Help us celebrate SFIMA's 7th Anniversary at a post-event party!

Event Details -
Time/Date: 6:30 - 8:30 pmThursday, 9-10-2009

Place: W Hotel 401 N Fort Lauderdale Beach BlvdFort Lauderdale, FL 33304

Contact: Membership@sfima.com

Cost: Free For Members $39 for non members.

Register early to avoid the $10 walk up fee.

http://sfima.com/event_details.asp?eventID=59

SFIMA Celebrates 7 Years Next Week!

2009-08-31T20:07:00.000-05:00

SFIMA is celebrating 7 years of interactive marketing excellence in South Florida!

At next week's educational event, SFIMA will be celebrating its 7th birthday! This is a don't miss event for many reasons. The education about online advertising will be top notch. The networking is some of the best in South Florida and you will also be entertained too!

Make sure to arrive at The W Hotel Ft. Lauderdale early for networking and entertainment by singer Ghaleb of Musica Records: Singer/composer/guitarist Ghaleb is widely recognized as one of the most gifted, contemporary singers. Ghaleb brings an all new sound, mixing his arabic and spanish influences. At Ghaleb.net, you'll find all the latest news, updates, gallery and products from the work of this talented artist!

And two words that everybody likes: Birthday Cake!

SFIMA wants to know what you are reading?

2009-08-24T08:27:00.000-05:00

What marketing books do you recommend? We would like to put together a list of books that our members consider a "must read". Please send your marketing and business book recommendations to: president@sfima.com

Join SFIMA Along with AOL, Yahoo!, Fox & Kontera for a Panel Discussion on Advertising

2009-08-23T12:11:00.008-05:00

UPDATED PANEL LINE UP!

Thursday, 9-10-2009
Join AOL, Yahoo, Fox Audience Network and Kontera for a panel discussion on advertising.

It's all about results: Are pay for performance ad networks the future of digital advertising?

Panelists:

Mark Papia - Fox Interactive Media Senior Vice President, Performance Marketing

Brent Herd - AOL Advertising Regional Director of Sales

Caitlin Borgman - Yahoo Account Director

Joseph DeRario - Kontera Southeast Regional Sales Manager

Moderator: Mark Evans - Former SFIMA President Mark Evens will moderate this session where you can ask questions of the panel or provide your insight on other member's questions.

This month our panel of experts will bring a wealth of knowledge and real life CPA model experiences to share including:
Why more people are using CPA networks today.
Why CPA networks work better in tight economies.
What companies are doing well with ad networks.
Does CPA advertising make sense for your company?
How to transition to a pay-for-performance CPA model.

Mark Papia oversees all performance sales for FAN's network of sites including MySpace.com, AmericanIdol.com, IGN.com, among others. Additionally, Mark is heading the sales initiative for the recently launched FAN Audience Network. Mark conceives and constructs advertising programs to drive acquisitions for performance-oriented, Fortune 1000 companies. Mark also works with Direct Response and Lead Gen advertisers, as well as Ad Network partners.
Mark has worked twenty-five years in the media business including the last 10 at Fox Interactive Media, Intermix Media Corp, Monster and Yahoo. Mark worked with Intermix Media during the incubation of MySpace.com and Monster Worldwide during the acquisition of Tickle.com. Previously, Mark worked with Yahoo's network sales team to sell and execute integrated sports promotions to marketers in the western U.S., including Visa, Nike and Toyota. Between 1999 and 2003, Mark managed key Yahoo partnerships in NY, including Yahoo's strategic alliances with Pepsi and Warner Bros. Mark was the driving sales-and-marketing force behind many high-profile Yahoo initiatives -- including PepsiStuff.com, Britney Spears' Academy Awards and Super Bowl promos and Pepsi's Billionaire program. Mark spent several years as magazine publisher/editor at Cahners Business Information. Positions included...Group Publisher, Travel Age magazine group; Publishing Director, TWICE (This Week in Consumer Electronics) and Group Publisher of Variety's video magazine group.

Brent Herd is the Regional Director of Sales for AOL Advertising Brent came to AOL from Advertising.com, where he started in 2005 in Sales for the Southeast Region. Prior to Advertising.com, Brent held positions at Bolt.com, Moxie Interactive and Yahoo.

Caitlin Borgman oversees search and graphical media programs across the Yahoo Network for travel, cpg, and restaurant clients based in the Southeast. She began her digital media career in 1999 at The Weather Channel where she led Ad Product development for weather.com. In this role she helped define ad strategy for the site and establish industry standards for interactive media measurement and ad products. In 2004, Caitlin moved into media sales at weather.com where she worked with advertisers and agencies based in the Mid-Atlantic. She joined Yahoo in 2006 as a Senior Account Executive. In 2009, Caitlin was named as one of the top 17 digital media sales people in the U.S. by a Jack Meyers/IAB survey.

Dave Bird is responsible for leading a team of Targeting Specialists at Microsoft Advertising. There they offer a broad array of targeting solutions to advertisers and agencies in Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and South Florida. Dave began his career in television advertising and moved into online advertising in 1996 and co-founded the Dallas, Fort Worth Interactive Marketing Association in 1998.

Joe DeRario heads up Kontera's Advertising Sales in the Telecom vertical and across the Southeast region, including Texas. Based in Atlanta, DeRario built close relationships and custom applications for the leading Telecom service providers, developing some of Kontera's largest client partnerships. Prior to joining Kontera in October 2007, DeRario was Regional Sales Manager for Hoover's focused on B2B Advertising opportunities and custom integrated solutions. He refined his digital advertising and sales expertise while an Account Manager at Winstar Interactive Media and Interep National Radio Sales.

Networking Hour 6:30-7:30pm: Enjoy the musical entertainment of American Idol star Ghaleb.

Post-event Party Third Floor at the Living Room Bar, 9 PM: Help us celebrate SFIMA's 7th Anniversary at a post-event party!

Event Details -

Time/Date: 6:30 - 8:30 pmThursday, 9-10-2009

Place: W Hotel 401 N Fort Lauderdale Beach BlvdFort Lauderdale, FL 33304

Contact: Membership@sfima.com

Cost: Free For Members $39 for non members.

http://sfima.com/event_details.asp?eventID=59

Captchas Are Bad For Business

2009-08-13T12:42:00.003-05:00

This is a pet peeve of mine. I always recommend the conversion process to be as simple as possible. When I see a site with a complicated captcha, I recommend that it be removed. It can impede the conversion process. Captchas are used to prevent form spam and make our lives as marketers easier. What if you found out that you were loosing 7% or more of your conversions due to your spam prevention tactic? If your leads only cost a few dollars, then maybe that is acceptable. If your leads are $20.00+, that is certainly not acceptable.

This article shows some great real world case study information performed by SEOmoz on this subject: http://www.zurb.com/article/285/its-official-captchas-are-bad-for-busines

Message from the President of SFIMA on the Importance of Sponsorship

2009-08-03T16:01:00.013-05:00

Time is flying by and August is already here. It will be my 3rd meeting as President of the South Florida Interactive Marketing Association (SFIMA). So far things have been great. I want to thank all of you for the positive energy and support. I love getting your feedback.

We have our SFIMA calendar planned for the year, attendance is up, membership is up and we even added a few "day" events and webinars. The BGT Partners and Omniture Nautical Networking Event promises to be sold out - it will be the sixth year in a row for a sold-out NNE. This is great news in a down economy.

At SFIMA, we plan to accomplish a lot this year and we are reaching out to the business community for sponsorships. We use sponsorship funds to provide additional member and community benefits. Sponsoring SFIMA programs is also great way to promote your company and bring in new business. I want to introduce to you the following opportunities that fit every budget.

Sponsorship is also great way to get your company name in front of the public and bring in new business. I want to introduce to you the opportunities of sponsoring events, as we added a few things to accommodate nearly every budget.

Below are just a few of the types of sponsorship that are available:

Monthly Meetings:
Dessert Sponsor: $350
Entertainment Sponsor: $400
Drink Sponsor: $1,000
Evening Meeting Sponsor: $2,000
Day Meeting Sponsor: $1,000

Workshop Sponsor:
Lunch Sponsor: $500
Workshop Sponsor: $1,000
Networking-Only Breakfast Sponsor: $600+
Networking-Only Luncheon Sponsor: $1,500+
Nautical Networking Sponsor: Everything from $1,000 and up
Collegiate Scholarship Sponsor: $500 - $5,000
Webinar Sponsor: $750+
Event Video Sponsor: $750+
Chapter Sponsor: $5,000+
Newsletter Sponsor: $750
Monthly Event Postcard Sponsor: $500

Services In-Kind Sponsorships: Talk to us!

If you would like a sponsor information packet which goes more in-depth into the benefits received from each of the opportunities above, please send me an email at president@sfima.com and let me know. Can't wait for a reply? Then feel free to give either of our Sponsorship Committee Chairs a call:

Michele Scott 561-687-3339
Stephen Burks 954-662-3912.

You may also email them at sponsorship@sfima.com. If you don't see something above that you have an idea for, please let us know. For example, maybe you would like to give away a $500 BestBuy gift certificate during Super Bowl season. Just let us know.

I thank you for your time today and thank all of the past sponsors who have supported SFIMA. We could not have come this far without them and our members. And lastly, I would like you to know that as President, I am always eager and open to hear your comments, complaints, suggestions and compliments. This information is invaluable so that we may better serve you and our local community. Feel free to contact me at president@sfima.com.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you, or meeting you in person at a monthly meeting.

In gratitude and appreciation,

Taigh White
President@SFIMA.com

P.S. When I said attendance is up... Our July Social Media Workshop sold out, We are averaging so far 180+ attendees, 18 new members per month, and this August I am looking forward to some 350-500 attendees at our meeting. Last August, we had nearly 375 attendees.

Pictures and Video from SFIMA July Educational Event

2009-07-27T15:09:00.007-05:00

The South Florida Interactive Marketing Association has done it again with another successful educational event! If you missed it, here are some pictures and videos from the July educational interactive marketing event where we learned all about how to pimp out our Linked In profiles for personal and business success!

Can you spot yourself in the video?

Here are some videos from the event and also check out the SFIMA Flickr page for more pictures - maybe you will spot yourself! http://www.flickr.com/photos/40651705@N05/

A Full Room of Networking

Networking Time

A packed house at the Weston with a beautiful view of the ocean outside.

Presentation Time

Standing Room Only for Chris Muccio's Presentation!

A taste of "The W" style - this was the coaster at my seat.

After the presentation was over, we had drinks and more networking in the bar and lounge area at The W called The Living Room.

Christina Tierney and Brenna Lynchs' Pokens in action!

What Social Media Can and Can’t Do for You

2009-07-20T11:48:00.003-05:00

By Bryan Eisenberg

July 17th, 2009

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you don’t need me to tell you that social media has legs. And it’s getting leggier by the minute.

Many companies don’t fully understand what to do with social media. They don’t see the path to benefit from it. Others have tried using it and walked away not seeing the value of social media. Others still don’t get it at all, and have left themselves completely to the mercy of the online mobs.

Most of us are somewhere in between.

What It Can Do

Relationship building, goodwill, and improved customer service are what social media can do for you. Also, social media can:

Help your company communicate with early- and middle-stage buyers more effectively and push them closer to a sale.
Help your customers communicate the bad and the good, with you and everyone else they know.
Help you listen to what potential buyers in your sector are talking about.
Help you find opportunities to delight customers.
Push you to become more focused on the customer.

What It Can’t Do

If you think putting up a Twitter account or a Facebook fan page will build huge gobs of closable traffic overnight, you’re kidding yourself. Relationships need nurturing. Social media can’t:

Drive hundreds of thousands of new qualified visitors (yet) to your site or store.
Let you take control of the customer dialogue about your company. Those days are long gone.
Be your primary channel for marketing your mid- to large-sized company.

See the rest of the article on What Social Media Can & Can't Do for You!

What can you do to market in emerging countries?

2009-07-16T20:43:00.004-05:00

I am often asked "What can you do to market with Social Media in emerging countries?"

A number of tools are available for emerging countries. First of all, while Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin are not not as developed as they are in the United States, other social networks like Google's Okrut and Hi5.com (amazing number 35 site in the world on Alexa!) and Sonico.com are all in the top 200 websites in the world according to Alexa and they are incredibly popular in different regions!

Another opportunity is mobile. While computer access at home and work is not as prevalent, the mobile phone is fast becoming the common access point for many people in emerging regions.

Chris Muccio's LinkedIn Presentation Now Available!

2009-07-14T15:12:00.004-05:00

Thanks so much to Chris who has made his presentation from last Thursday's SFIMA event available through Slide Share:

http://www.slideshare.net/CFOStrategist/linkedin-as-a-marketing-tool

Whether you saw the presentation on the 42 Rules for 24 Hours LinkedIn Success or if you missed it, now you can get caught up and see first hand how to optimize your LinkedIn profile for success!

While you are on LinkedIn updating and fixing up your profile, make sure to join the SFIMA LinkedIn Group!

Chance to Attend Friday's Workshop for only $30!

2009-07-14T14:40:00.002-05:00

Tweet for a chance to attend Friday's Social Media, The Glitter of Twitter Workshop for only $30. Regular price for this workshop is $249, but you can Tweet for a chance to attend this day long workshop for only $30! Simply tweet about it on Twitter and include #SFIMA in your tweet!

One winner will be randomly chosen on Wednesday night, so get tweeting!

Poken Wins "Best Real World Gadget" TechCrunch Europa Award

2009-07-14T14:19:00.001-05:00

Do you Poken? If you haven't heard about a Pokens yet, you have to check them out!
See Poken Girl for details.

Poken was awarded the TechCrunch Europa Award for "Best Real World Gadget"
on 7/9 in London. Some coverage on the award:

http://uk.techcrunch.com/2009/07/09/the-europas-the-winners-and-finalists/

http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/inspect-a-gadget/2009/07/techcrunch-europa-awards---quick-roundup.html

Internet Taxes Causing Havoc for E-tailers and Affiliates

2009-07-13T13:55:00.004-05:00

You may have read recently that some states have joined new York in charging state sales tax on internet sales for e-tailers selling products even if they do not have brick and mortar operations in that state. This is causing a great deal of controversy since the federal law does not provide for taxation on inter-state sales of merchandise. It also causes a logistical nightmare for many e-tailers, especially those who do not have the technological capabilities of calculating the taxes based on different states tax rates.

Amazon.com has ended its business relationships with marketing affiliates in Rhode Island and in North Carolina to avoid having to collect sales tax in the state. Overstock.com is dropping affiliates in California, Hawaii, North Carolina and Rhode Island for the same reason.

Oh June 30th Amazon announced this: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124630810805070105.html

On July 2nd OverStock made this announcement: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124646193909080523.html

Evidently the retailer protests and boycotts made 2 states listen. On July 2nd the Internet Retailer reported:

Two states think better of imposing sales taxes on e-retailers

Threats by retailers to cut off affiliate marketing relationships in states that are trying to tax sales generated by affiliates have had an effect. The governors of California and Hawaii have vetoed legislation that would have imposed such taxes in those states.

The governors acted after such major online retailers as Amazon.com Inc., Blue Nile Inc. and Overstock.com Inc. began this week cutting off affiliates in states that adopted laws requiring collection of sales taxes by e-retailers with affiliates in those states.

This is a win for retailers! Read the full story here: http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=31028

Does this internet tax affect you? What are your feelings on this?

Remember that if you are unsure whether this tax applies to your business or affiliate program, contact your accountant or lawyer for counsel regarding this taxation issue.

July SFIMA LinkedIn Event Review

2009-07-13T12:38:00.004-05:00

This past Thursday, the monthly SFIMA educational meeting was held at The W Hotel on Ft. Lauderdale Beach. This was our first time having a meeting at "The W" and the positive feedback and rave reviews were flowing! This is truly a beautiful hotel in a great location right on the beach!

We had a packed house for the event. Lots of marketers turned out and were not disappointed with the presentation from Chris Mucchio who shared some of the tips from his book: 42 Rules for 24 Hour Success on LinkedIn and how to leverage LinkedIn as a marketing tool, both for personal and professional use.

Here are my top 10 take aways from Chris' enlightening talk:

1. There are 43 million users on LinkedIn. That is up 23 million over last year and predicted growth is that it will reach 70 million by the end of the year!

2. LinkedIn, like other social media sites is about conversation, not self promotion, so make sure to keep up conversations, keep your info relevent and up to date to attract people in.

3. Why are you on LinkedIn? Have a reason and a goal; then support that goal with a tactical plan. Here are 3 exercises to help get you started with that. Fill in the blanks:

1. My company (or I) is/ am known for ________________.

2. Three adjectives to describe our USP are:

3. Describe yoru expertise in 10 words or less:

4. Did you know that you can create your own LinkedIn group? Now there are also sub groups available as well.

5. Make sure that your profile link is updated with a vanity url of your choice. And edit the text link for "My Company" and "My Blog" etc. customize them with your company name or keywords.

6. Make sure that the summary section and specialties section are filled in with keyword rich content. Those keywords will help you show up in searches, not just in LinkedIn, but also in the major search engines as well!

7. Make sure to personalize invitations.

8. Utilize the "What are you working on?" function, but do not over use it.

9. Check out the Outlook LinkedIn tool bar and make sure to optimize for that. The 1st two lines of your summary show up in emails of those who have this tool bar and mouse over it.

10. Make sure to complete and maximize your profile. That is Chris' Rule #1 from the book.

Here are a few other "rules" that he gave us a sneak peak at:

Rule # 17: Your professional description comes up with your name in searches, make sure it is descriptive, not just your name and title.

Rule #18: You ARE Your Brand!

Rule #24: Online Connection Growth

And finally, here are some LinkedIn Demographic stats that Chris Muccio shared with us:

Average Age 41
Over 3/4 are over 35
Average income $110,000
40% of LinkedIn users have a post graduate degree
50% are business decision makers.

Please share with us what you got out of the event. Have you updated your LinkedIn profile yet? Let us see the before and after or share some results from your LinkedIn profile makeover!

Pictures from the event coming soon!

The 3 E's of Social Media and Corporate Blogging

2009-07-12T23:00:00.003-05:00

Many businesses are hesitant to start blogging due to fears about comments on their blog that they can't control and uncertainty about what type of content they should be blogging about.

First of all, you can moderate comments on your blog! You will approve them before they go live, and don't worry you will need to be blogging for a long time before you get a flood of comments.

And what content should go on your blog?

I recommend a strategic approach to Social Media Messaging called The Three E's of Social Media.

Educate. Show your customers how to do things. Answer their questions. Be helpful. This can only build your credibility and build links to the posts which will improve search engine results!

Engage. Engage customers in a 2 way dialogue. Ask them questions. Run polls. Offer special contests and delight them with surprises for visiting the blog such as chances to win or links to free stuff.

Entertain. A blog (and all social media) should be social. Put a smile on their face. Shoot a funny video prior to the holidays. Shoot a video of your senior executive team doing karaoke. Post outtakes from your commercial shoot or a podcast or video cast.