Cookie Dance!

My cool little cousin Bria (Gabriella) in Seattle is selling Girl Scout Cookies to go to Horse Camp. Check out her Cookie Dance:

Want to order some?: Email: brookenbria@gmail.com Please feel free to call and ask Gabriella any questions you may have on the cookies.  This is her 3^rd year and she has lots of information. Gabriella is a member of troop #2770.  The troop is full of fun and energetic girls & Moms and they have lots of plans for this upcoming year.  Including camping trip, horse back riding, sewing, plus lots of other fun suggestions.  A portion of the proceeds of the cookie sale will go directly towards Gabriella’s Girl Scout troop.

Cookie orders can be placed from January 9th – 25th. Cookies are distributed to troops in late February. Cash & checks are joyfully accepted (payments made when cookies are delivered)

Thank you for your support of Girl Scouts!

Web Promotion 101: The Power of Web 2.0 Services

Start a blog
For busineses and nonprofits a blog is a way to post archival material, get feedback and generally add to the value of your site. Google LOVES blogs and linking your blog to your website boosts your search engine rankings. My favorite blog service is easy to use and costs only the time spent playing at WordPress.com.

eNewsletters
Inexpensive and green, eNewsletters are a great alternative to mailings. When concise and filled with valuable info or coupons, it is welcomed by clients, rather than tossed as junk mail. My fave has a free 30 day trial and after that it starts at a $15/mo. That’s a mere 35 stamps! ConstantContact.com.

Facebook
Social networking is here to stay, why not see what it’s about? Facebook is free, painless, and offers amazing ways to network with other individuals and organizations. The event promotional tools alone are worth the time. Facebook

Twitter
Wouldn’t it be great to make a quick little announcement to a bazillion people all at once? Maybe about a fundraising event or holiday promotion that’s coming up? Twitter it!

Jott
Jott provides the simple but useful ability to say things into your phone and have them show up online. Want to make a quick note? Need to text someone while driving? How bout returing emails – by speaking? Speed dial Jott, say what you want and where you want it to go, and it’s done. And it’s free! Jott

These services are easy to use but if you just don’t have the time to explore them, I offer packages and training and can match your new goodies to your existing website’s colors, logo, etc. Feel free to contact me.

Ideas and best practices for a new year

Now is a great time to save money and increase efficiency. Whether it’s in your life, your nonprofit organization, or your small business. Use online resources to your advantage:

Harness the power of social networking
Do you have an upcoming event? How ’bout a cool promotion? Why not set up a Twitter feed on your site? Or create a FaceBook profile for your business? You can grow a network of “warm” leads because people who are already interested in your cause or service will receive your messages. Contact me for details, most are fast and easy to set up!

Freshen up your marketing
Direct mail is dead unless you’re okay being viewed as JUNK. Email Newsletters are a great way to reach people and, assuming your newsletters are BRIEF and provide value, are welcomed by clients. Of course it’s important to always use a 100% permission-based system (no spamming allowed). Enewsletters that are colorful and fresh provide helpful hints or coupons while delivering your sales message and branding. Plus they are cheap and ecofriendly. Take a free test drive or Contact me about setting up an account to match your site (cost: 4 hrs).

Best Practices for site owners

Remove email addresses
Thousands of Spambots rove the internet harvesting email addresses 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The addresses are added to lists with millions of others and sold to spammers. Dodge the Spambots by removing email addresses from your site and installing a secure contact form. Viewers can easily contact you, you can readily track of inquiries from your site, and you help us all in fighting spam.
Standard Pixel Lava secure form (cost: 2 hrs)
File Uploader Secure Form – users can submit a resume or other file (cost 3 hrs)

Clearly state your “Call to Action”
Is the object of your site to attract new members or volunteers? Is it to get new clients? Whatever it is, focus the narrative of your site on that objective. Clearly tell your user what you want them to do, ie “Sign up today”, “Volunteers needed now”, “Call for a free quote”. If your site in informational but you could use help paying hosting costs, then post “Support Our Service” with a Google Pay or PayPal button. Often times this is as simple as addng one big button to your home page.

Activate you home page
And speaking of your home page, is it filled with static info? Change it! Add something new about your business or post your plans for the coming year. Viewers want to know what’s new and the first page of your site is as far as most will look. Your mission statement, which never changes, should NOT be the first thing viewers see. Add a News Ticker, install a photo slideshow or add some quotes which change periodically. Fun and easy! Feel free to holler for more ideas or help.

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This amazing short film caught my eye today. Check out Shane Acker’s post-apocalyptic vision of love and survival.