Kudos to a couple of online sites that allow you to convert document formats, thereby saving the user from having to worry about what types of software is on their computer. The common Adobe PDF format can now be successfully converted for other purposes.
I discovered on Facebook that it doesn’t like PDF files as photographs. In my case, I was attempting to upload a poster that was saved in the Adobe format. When you try to upload a photo, it identifies all files; however when you select a PDF and click to share, it returns an error message.
I use Zamzar, a free online file conversion tool. There are four easy steps to follow: 1) select the file (or URL) to convert; 2) select the format for the conversion (such as PNG, JPG or BMP); 3) enter your email address in which to receive your converted file; and 4) click the CONVERT button. An email arrives shortly thereafter with your new file.
I’ve also used PDF2WORD to convert PDF documents to Word documents. It’s a free online tool that has two easy steps: browse to select the PDF file and click the UPLOAD AND COVERT button. When the conversion is done, right-click the link provided in order to open your new document. The format returned is a RTF (rich text file) which is easily recognized by Word.
Once your files are converted, check for formatting. You may have to make a few adjustments, but overall the file will lie out quite nicely.
Conducting a search will yield several different file conversion options from different sites and software providers. Try them out to find the one that best works for you.
Here are the website links below. Happy file converting!
www.zamzar.com
www.pdfonline.com
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In the world of web 2.0 and social media, many individuals, companies and organizations have embraced the concept of blogging. Millions of blogs now exist and is as simple as signing up for account, as I did, on WordPress and starting to write about topics most important to you (or your company).
However, for purposes of blogging as a way of engaging socially with potential customers, buyers or leads, how you approach and create each blog post is very different from keeping what is in essence, a personal online diary. There are tips, tricks and techniques that you can incorporate to make your blog work harder and smarter for your business.
These tips are very straightforward and easy to understand. For example, one technique can be described as “lucrative keyword” incorporation. For your site, if you know, through keyword analysis, what is bringing visitors to your site, these keywords and keyword phrases (usually no longer than two to three words) can be incorporated into each blog post. These phrases can result in moderate traffic increases, but perhaps more importantly, a higher conversion from visitors to buyers.
Search engines, according to numerous web pundits, have a soft spot for blogs. Blogs provide new and fresh content, and who doesn’t want to read and review something current? Update your site on a regular basis (daily, if you have the time — look at it as a sales initiative that can reap financial rewards). Another tip is to be personal. Write about what you know such that words come easy and the blog flows.
Concentrate on content — pertinent content that is engaging and relevant.
I like to often add links to my posts. I think it’s important to direct people to other informational resources. Some may argue that by doing so, you are diverting traffic to other sites. But, I believe that being a valuable resource will bring people back to my blog more often. Valuable and relevant, just like the content. You can begin to review other blogs and have opportunities to add comments. Somewhere along the way, after commenting, you can add a link to your signature line. This can result in a reciprocal link back to your blog. Mission accomplished! Develop that friendly, positive relationship with the writer/publisher and see what develops!
There are other ways to make your blogging experience more successful. Below are some links to check out. There’s a world of expertise out there and bloggers are happy to share what works for them.
www.bloggingtips.info
www.dailyblogtips.com
www.toptenblogtips.com
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One possible overlooked marketing channel is direct response television (DRTV). Television remains viable to direct marketers who position products and services that generate an instant response in the form of an order or inquiry for further information. In the past, those responses were via U.S. mail or an inbound 800 number call center. Today, marketers drive potential sales through the web for direct ordering or inquiry fulfillment.
While television is often viewed as too expensive, cost prohibitive from a ROI standpoint, DRTV can be highly effective. Television advertising inventory is still plentiful, particularly on cable networks on a national and local basis. With supply ample, prices are highly elastic and marketers, working with a media company or agency, can negotiate attractive schedules.
DRTV is treated like any other response campaign. It’s planned, strategized, hypothesized, tested and measured: creative, offer and format. Most direct response spots are one to two minutes in length. If you have a product that needs to tell a longer story, you might consider the half-hour infomercial. Infomercials are more expensive to produce, but you get 28 minutes and 30 seconds to repeat, re-tell and reinforce your product and your offer. The rule of thumb is to make the offer every seven minutes, giving a viewer four times to make a decision to buy.
With the web and video hosting sites, your direct response spots have additional life by uploading to sites such as YouTube, Dailymotion, Viddler, Yahoo and others. Create your own channel and upload the offers!
Additional life to your direct response spots is by loading them onto your company website. The space is there. Why not utilize it? Video and podcasts are two of the hottest social media web 2.0 tools available to marketers.
There are certain production-related things to check before uploading to additional channels other than television. Check your agreement with talent to make sure you have the ability to run spots on the web. You’ll have to thoroughly understand your royalty obligations within the talent agreements in order to know how to proceed, or to re-negotiate the agreements to extend the reach of your DRTV beyond the traditional tube.
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Posted in
Business & Economy,
Internet Marketing,
Marketing - General,
Media,
SalesTags:
Broadcast,
Conversion,
Direct Marketing,
Internet Marketing,
Marketing,
Measurement,
Media,
Online Marketing,
Sales,
Social Marketing,
Social Media,
Television,
Viral Marketing
As marketers look at various options for promoting and selling products while increasing their rates of return, several thoughts come to mind. The obvious ones are the opportunities in social media that continue to grow in prominence among companies of all sizes. Online advertising continues at the forefront with more and more online marketing opportunities springing up literally everyday, particularly those that are niche oriented. Traditional media companies have embraced online advertising for several years, but are only really scratching the surface of providing valuable web presences that drive page views and ultimately exposure to their advertising clients.
As a marketer, one question I would raise is how to properly balance the traditional and the non-traditional as both have their place. I need to build and enhance brand awareness. I want to be able to instantly provide value and content to potential and current customers. I strive to differentiate our products (or services) from those of our competitors. I want to tell our story – a story that is different from others.
Here is where proper planning is crucial. Thorough, well-planned campaign management, with proper benchmarking and ROI measurements are mandatory, in order for marketers to execute and manage numerous initiatives if they truly want to take advantage of all the options. Do you split them out between branding, direct marketing, promotions and publicity? Are they possible to integrate? Once those are decided, what channels will you use?
Plan your work and work your plan is one old adage. But, it is an adage that has direct applications for every marketer, product manager, publicist and media planner. Not to mention the advantages for those in product development and sales. New opportunities and methods raise more questions. Your challenge is to find and test to discover the right solutions.
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Posted in
Internet Marketing,
Marketing - General,
Media,
SalesTags:
Brand Management,
Direct Marketing,
Forecasting,
Internet Marketing,
Marketing,
Measurement,
Media,
Online Marketing,
Social Media,
Strategic Planning,
Viral Marketing
Years ago, when the Internet began to make its way into the foray of the world and businesses began to embrace its potential, many companies were forced to create Internet use policies in the workplace. Unfortunately, with the world open at your fingertips, employees had access to “everything;” and that included material unsuitable in the office.
While restrictions can be put in place to limit employee access to certain types of websites, content or personal email, are there ways to restrict what employees do in the social media space? Companies have, or are trying, to implement policies and guidelines for the use of Facebook or MySpace. Twitter has, or is sure, to follow.
How company human resources and legal departments will deal with this issue will I’m sure vary from company to company. They may go from extensive legalese-type documents that spell out item by item what is allowable and what is not to a short concise policy that may in essence say, “represent the company well.”
Take the case of ESPN. In the summer of 2009, the company was “prohibiting reporters from any sports-related Twitter activity not sanctioned by ESPN.com.” This story was broken by an ESPN reporter but any possible disciplinary issues against the reporter were not made public. Another example is the Associated Press. In June 2009, the organization adopted a “stringent social-networking policy for their employees, informing them to police their Facebook profiles ‘to make sure material posted by others doesn’t violate AP standards’.”
These types of policies could adhere to any media property across the print and electronic spectrum.
So, whether it is a site-specific policy or one that covers all of social media, more and more companies will draft guidelines. Conduct a search on “social media employee policy” and you’ll see a number of links providing sample guidance for employers. These are helpful particularly for small businesses.
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Posted in
Business & Economy,
MediaTags:
Blogging,
Employee Guidelines,
Facebook,
Internet Marketing,
Media,
MySpace,
Online Marketing,
Social Media,
Social Media Policy,
Twitter
When the question popped up recently, the answers were simple. There are many reasons but the most compelling reason is that the links are additional windows, entry points, to your website. They also boost your organic search engine ranking results.
When companies or website owners hear this, they may decide to literally “go off the deep end,” meaning they’ll include links from just about any site, figuring more is better. However, a reciprocal linking strategy should be planned and thought out. The key is “reciprocal” so that your inclusion of a site’s link results in their site adding a link of your own.
Link research can take some time. Review the websites for content and quality. Surf their pages. Can you tell if the content is current or out of date? Try some of their links, both internal and external. Perhaps you might spot a link that is corrupted.
Once you compile a list of suitable websites, add those links to your site. Email the owners and be gracious. Tell them that you like and enjoy visiting their site and because of that, have placed a link to their site on yours. Provide them with the URL. If on their site, you’ve spotted a problem such as a broken link, let them know in your email as a courtesy.
Then, ask them if they would place a link on their site to yours. In the vast majority of cases, they will, particularly if you have praised their site and politely made your request for reciprocity. Follow up with them in two to three weeks if you have not heard. If email isn’t working, pick up the telephone and make the inquiry.
There are countless additional benefits to a sound reciprocal linking strategy. Looking for new links should be a common marketing practice. Check out the below to further understand the practice and philosophy of reciprocal link building:
http://www.linkstrategy.com/benefits.htm
http://www.tributemedia.com/blog/matt_lopez/ethical_reciprocal_linking_strategies
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If it is difficult to hold meetings in the field or you are looking to reduce expense at conducting numerous in-person visits, many organizations look to web conferencing or in-office systems that can hold meetings without leaving their location. My experience with ReadyTalk allowed me, and past associates, to conduct training sessions, provide market research and coordinate marketing campaigns while reducing the time and expense involved in business travel to accomplish the same tasks.
With ReadyTalk, numerous “webinars” were conducted with field members who were not savvy in web conferencing technology. There is a bit of encumbrance to overcome when first signing up a new user as they require entering in information to become a ReadyTalk user. However, once that is completed, their ability to participate in numerous webinars is as simple as logging in with a username and password.
We prepared webinars by using PowerPoint to create slides that contained a creative template, such that our presentations had the same look and feel. We avoided using video since our tests failed in getting video files to play properly across the bandwidth. Our files incorporated Excel, Word and Adobe .PDF files to show charts, graphs, marketing information and sales-related data.
As a user, two notes of caution: be careful of creating a graphic-intensive presentation. Embedding numerous graphic files, particularly those in full color or with multiple high-resolution photographic images, will create large files that may be difficult to load into ReadyTalk. Also, stick with tried and true font styles. Not every font is recognized by the software. In my experience, we tried to utilize our corporate font style, Palatino, for our presentations. When our presentation was loaded into the system, ReadyTalk converted all the Palatino type into Courier. Spacing was off, with words and sentences mixed and jumbled together. Stick with tried and true font styles such as Arial and Times Roman — perhaps not as slick, but they’ll make your presentation look much better.
ReadyTalk provides free live demos daily at 3:00 p.m. EST Monday, Thursday and Friday, and 1:00 p.m. EST Tuesday and Wednesday. Sign up on their website and a confirmation email will be sent to you with instructions on how to view the demo.
You have the option to archive all your ReadyTalk webinars. By choosing to record your webinar, which is available to you as the presentation administrator, you can email links to those who were not able to view the webinar live. You can view reports on who has viewed your presentations, send email thank-you’s to those that did, and publish them online as podcasts.
Web subscription pricing allows you to have up to 15 participants per session. Or, you have the choice of paying “as you go” with per-minute rates available.
For more information, log onto www.readytalk.com.
Click on this link for a .PDF file of ReadyTalk’s services and capabilities:
http://www.readytalk.com/docs/brochures/readytalk-web-conferencing-brochure.pdf
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Posted in
Internet Marketing,
Marketing - GeneralTags:
Business,
Communications,
employee training,
field meetings,
Internet Marketing,
Marketing,
Online Marketing,
sales training,
seminars,
Strategic Planning,
web conferencing,
webinars
As part of volunteering my time for a local non-profit healthcare clinic in my city, I wanted to utilize video that was incorporated on two DVD’s on social hosting sites to spread awareness of the clinic’s mission in our community. Each video was approximately 15 minutes in length.
The challenge was to cut and splice this video into more manageable segments of five minutes. In doing research on the web, I came across a piece of software that worked remarkably well for this type of project, was free to download and easy to use.
The software, the Avidemux multi-platform video editor, can be found at www.avidemux.org.
My first challenge was to copy the video and the audio from the video into a new AVI file. I opened the file, selected MPEG-4 ASP as my video and the output format as AVI. Click the SAVE PROJECT icon to give it a new file name.
I copied the new file on my hard drive and renamed it with an AVI extension. That allowed the file to work on certain video hosting sites that didn’t like the file created by Avidemux. YouTube had no trouble uploading the original saved file, but I needed to copy and rename for other sites such as Dailymotion and Viddler.
The additional program benefit not expected was the ability to splice the video into the desired segments. It was a snap. Click play to where you want to start your segment, click the MARKER A icon, play to where you want to stop and click the MARKER B icon. The frame counts are located on the lower right corner of the screen, and below the markers is the segment length in HH:MM:SS.
If you have lengthy video files that need to be trimmed down for viral video marketing purposes, check out Avidemux. My Dell Dimension Desktop handles the software with ease.
To view examples of the finished video segments, go to www.youtube.com and search WATERTOWN AREA CARES CLINIC.
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