Who We Are

Spectra Marketing Solutions is a technology-based, multimedia marketing agency serving the Tampa Bay area since 2009. We offer business clients the convenience of one stop for all their marketing needs. We are a family-owned company. We create cutting-edge, success-driven marketing solutions that transform business images. You can read more about us at: www.spectrams.com. In addition to our core marketing products, we are currently focused on creating the world’s most innovative mobile/tablet applications and are always up-to-date with current technology and marketing trends.

The Role You Will Play:

The Spectra Marketing Solutions Team is comprised of industry professionals who each specialize in a handful of different areas, including graphic design, web development, social media, direct and mobile marketing, strategy and partnerships. They also produce other killer products, which range from magazine publication and print layouts to complete event packages. These different areas overlap and the team thrives on working together. Our Sales Representative would possess basic knowledge of each of these areas and be able to convey our value to potential clients.

The Spectra Marketing Solutions Sales Representative will support the entire marketing team and be willing to learn more about marketing throughout the process. You will help make Spectra Marketing Solutions continue to thrive by researching business leads provided to you; engaging new potential clients; you will deliver presentations and present proposals, orchestrate signing of contracts, answer customer questions and refer them to the proper marketing channels; you will schedule appointments, track your numbers, and submit your data via weekly reports.

Your Skills (required):

• You’re smart. Creative. Articulate. A natural problem solver.
• You have the ability to network, engage business owners, and build rapport.
• You are technology savvy.
• You are very skilled at Internet research (and finding legit sources and stats).
• You’re a proven, self-motivated Sales superstar.

Qualifications (required):

• You’re driven.
• You’re professional and anyone looking at your personal social networks would not have any reason to think otherwise.
• You think that technology, multimedia, and marketing are fascinating and worthwhile to understand.
• You’re knowledgeable of the marketing and branding scene and major social networking sites; you’re curious to find new ones.
• You’re dedicated to finding new ways through which businesses can use our services.
• You’re interested in cross-promotion and customer development.
• You have reliable transportation, a working mobile phone, and Internet access.

What You Will Learn:

• You’ll learn to think about marketing in a new way.
• You’ll hone your relationship-building skills.
• You’ll learn to navigate the social media landscape better than ever before.
• The difference between building a portfolio and building relationships.
• The ins and outs of working for a technology-based, multimedia marketing company.

Benefits:

• Incentives — Prove yourself and we’ll pay for your fuel and provide you with a mobile phone.
• Competitive Pay–We start everyone off with a very generous commission. Once you prove yourself, you’ll receive base salary and increased commission.
• Fun Working Environment — While we expect professionalism always, we also expect you to have fun and love what you do. We have a lot of fun and will make sure you do as well.
• Flexible Schedule — Work as often or as little as you like. Telecommuting is perfectly fine. Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, you can make your schedule work to your own liking.
• No Territories–There’s a large area to cover. While most of our clients are in the Tampa Bay area, we also have several out-of-state. You can work any area you feel comfortable with. We’ll provide you with leads for your chosen area.

To Apply:

Please send your resume, links to your personal website (if you have one), links to your social networks (Specifically: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube), if you do not have either of these networks, please say “none.” Include a short cover letter in the body of your email telling us why you’re right for the job to Lindsay Satmary at: careers@spectrams.com. Also indicate if you are available for an in-person interview between March 26th and March 30th.

IMPORTANT: Please include your full name, “Sales Rep”, and your city in the subject line. If you do not meet above qualifications or follow the application directions, your e-mail will be ignored. NO PHONE CALLS.

“Jonathan Gardner is director of communications at ad company Vibrant Media. He has spent nearly two decades as an innovator at the nexus of media and technology, having worked in communications leadership roles and as a journalist around the world.

The egg nog’s been drunk, the bells are done jingling, and the mistletoe has been taken down. It’s time to ring in the new year with resolutions that’ll make 2012 one to remember — online and off. All signs point to an exciting year, with the arrival of new (and inevitably covetable) Apple devices. The expanding digital industry is destined to affect what we discuss, buy and watch, who we friend, what we Like, and how we share — all year long.

Plus, eMarketer projects a 14.4% increase in U.S. online ad spending, and Google says that video ads improve offline campaign results. Digital will certainly take on added prominence in the new year.

Even so, let’s resolve to keep our heads on straight and stick close to the best practices that have been winners in the past – they’ll be the ones to see us through a stellar 2012. With input from my colleagues and other experts in the digital ad industry, I’ve come up with five “resolutions” for marketers in the new year.

1. Own Your Voice, Don’t Share It.

These days, we’re talking “word ownership” for online branding. Especially in hyper-competitive categories such as consumer electronics and auto, these emotive and topical keywords are the name of the game.

But you’d better get there first — key terms such as “football” and “Valentine’s Day” are sure to be hot tickets in the weeks to come. Act fast, and the keywords will do the work for you. Have a smart contextual plan at the core of your strategy, and you’ll help your brand gain ownership of its voice around the web.

2. Resolve to Be Relevant.

Relevance reigns in 2012. More than ever, people will be in the driver’s seat. Therefore, keep consumers’ desires, hopes and aspirations central to your marketing and you’ll stay on top. This is especially true of groups like Millennials, who are dominating the digital space. Matt Briton, CEO of social media agency Mr. Youth, says, brands must address five “need states:” utility, entertainment, information, rewards and recognition.

In 2011, we also saw consumers become more spending-conscious as opposed to simply price-conscious. So, now is the time to make the strongest possible case for your product’s value.

Finally, tune in to what kind of content engages your audience and create advertising that aligns with what they watch and read. Take advantage of technology that matches ad content to the context of the page and delivers hyper-relevant ads to people who actually want to see them.

3. Context is King, and Content is Queen.

Steve Jobs showed that to create value in the 21st century, you need to connect creativity with technology. With all the focus on the amazing tech that enables our new era of advertising, it’s easy to forget that what’s in the ads matters too. You can roll out a remarkable initiative to find consumers, but how will you engage them? Time and again, the most successful in-text, toolbar and display ads bring relevant content within the context of the page. This year, like the last, the best advertising will be dynamic, providing provide useful information from weather reports and traffic updates to recipes and sports scores.

4. The Data is Smarter. Are You?

As industry guru Peter Horan told us, “Counting clicks for branding is flawed. Marketers know TV works even though viewers can’t click on a commercial.” Beyond the click, the revolution in data will continue. Marketers can now look more closely at consumer behavior to get more mileage out of campaigns. As technology gives us a clearer view of reader engagement and retention, we see that all content is not created equal, and that despite the recent increase in content volume, quality is what drives results.

5. They’ve Changed the Channel.

An incredible 98% of 18- to 24-year-olds use social media. While debates continue to rage around ROI and how to quantify Likes, we’ve seen brands develop new ways to make their social media assets deliver, specifically, by bringing social content to new ad formats that push Facebook pages and Twitter feeds to the consumer in a relevant context. We can all learn from Best Buy, which connected consumers with its “Twelpforce,” Twitter-based help desk. And Axe is using an innovative social toolbar to push its clever content to consumers around the web.”

Article Source Mashable.

“Guy Nirpaz is the CEO and co-founder of Totango, which analyzes user actions on SaaS applications, providing sales teams invaluable information in qualifying prospects and prioritizing people to contact who are most likely to buy or renew.

How B2B products and services are purchased and sold is rapidly changing. Some call it the consumerization of IT, but perhaps it’s the consumerization of B2B in general.

Buyers are demanding cloud-based products that are user-friendly as well as social and mobile capabilities, with as little sales involvement as possible. A good example is purchasing from iTunes: web-based self-service with instant gratification.

Below are eight predictions for B2B sales in 2012.

1. Social Selling Will Go Mainstream

Ninety-two percent of prospects almost never book a meeting from a cold call or email, according to a study by UNC’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business. In 2012, rather than make cold calls, sales executives will first seek connections through social media networks, and then increase response rates with warm introductions.

Aside from personal networks, sales managers will also find ways to leverage the networks of colleagues, partners, customers, executives and former employees during the sales process.

2. Companies Will use Facebook as a Sales Channel

Facebook was originally viewed as a network for personal communications in which direct selling was frowned upon. In 2012, more companies will experiment with the social platform as a sales channel, beginning with employees who sell or advocate to their friends.

Home Depot has already asked store associates to post helpful do-it-yourself tips on their personal pages. Farmers Insurance encourages local franchisees to build relationships with customers via Facebook; the company won a Guinness World Record doing so.

3. Sales Executives Will Adopt Big Data

In 2012, sales leaders will embrace big data to increase sales performance. Some will use it to identify the most profitable customers and find more leads with the same characteristics. Others will analyze customer usage patterns during trial and production to find the hottest prospects and to up-sell targets.

Combining analytics and sales automation, B2B companies will target prospects and customers with personalized offers triggered by specific behaviors.

4. Customer Engagement Becomes a Top Priority

Sales managers will no longer be able to drop off software and drive away. With the rise of subscription-based pricing models, unhappy customers who are not actively using a product or service will simply cancel their subscriptions.

This will align organizations behind their customers’ success, and encourage them to increasingly monitor engagement throughout the customer lifecycle. Some B2B companies, like Yammer, will even appoint a dedicated VP of customer engagement, also responsible for up-selling and renewals.

5. Outside Sales Reps Will Use iPads

The iPad is finding its way into the enterprise. Some are calling it the most important new sales tool since the invention of the cellphone. In 2012, most outside sales reps will start to use an iPad or other tablet for work. They will use it for shipping, product documentation, demonstrations, to capture leads at a trade shows or to quickly research a prospect before a meeting.

6. Most Sales Tools Will Move to the Cloud

The average sales organization already uses more than 24 software tools in the sales process, based on a poll conducted by Gerhard Gschwandtner, publisher of Selling Power magazine, at the 2011 Sales Strategies in a Social & Mobile World conference. This number is growing every year. In 2012, the majority of these applications will move to the cloud.

Many companies, for example, will adopt cloud-based versions of subscription and billing software. This is a boom for sales executives, who will now have more visibility into a customer’s billing cycle, which is helpful when growing or renewing an account. Also, the more applications to move to the cloud, the more streamlined the process.

7. Sales and Marketing Will Converge

The sales process is becoming more self-sufficient, and customers are driving the pace. Outside sales are becoming inside sales, partly because of online conferencing tools. Inside sales is being replaced with self-serving website resources. As this happens, the lines between marketing and sales continue to blur.

In 2012, more organizations will appoint chief revenue officers in recognition of this trend. Overall, there will have to be closer collaboration between the sales and marketing chiefs.

8. More Companies Will Offer Free Trials

More organizations will offer free trials or completely free versions of their products. Prospects and customers are increasingly demanding self-service, which provides instant access to a free trial of products, before deciding to talk to a sales rep. Companies that offer a free trial will get more buzz and word-of-mouth referrals, and their sales costs will lower when fewer live touch points are required.”

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, mbortolino

Article Source: Mashable

Before you go syncing your camera phone with your virtual quilt, there are a few helpful tips that may save you some embarrassment to say the least!

Photos: Your actual image:

1. Setting: When selecting a photo to share, try to select a setting that represents you well. Do you like to garden? Find a lovely botanical landscape. Do you enjoy long walks on the beach? Perhaps an evening sunset backdrop will convey that. If you don’t live near a beautiful outdoor setting, that’s okay! Do you have a bookshelf with books and picture frames? Anything in your home that looks nice will work. Basically, this is the nicest way of saying please, for the love of dragonflies….and kittens, DO NOT POST A PHOTO OF YOURSELF NEXT TO THE TOILET–OR WORSE YET–A PUBLIC RESTROOM STALL! These are more common than you may think. Scan through your friends’ photo albums and I bet you can find a couple of these not-so-lovely but oh-so-typical bathroom shots in under 5 minutes. You want your photo to bring out the best in you. Please aim a little higher than the toilet.Unless of course….well, we won’t go there.

2. Camera: We’re not all models. That’s okay. But there are certain things you can do to improve your physical appearance. It has nothing to do with attraction at all. It’s about cleaning up the photo and not looking sloppy. This one is simple. You’re using a digital camera right? Because you can’t honestly tell me you’re still developing film and then scanning those onto your computer? Almost all digital cameras have an “automatic timer” setting to avoid those hideous arm angle shots. If you don’t have a friend or family member, or random stranger, to take your picture, that’s okay! Simply activate the timer on your camera, position it on a shelf or counter, pose, and smile! Not only will your arm not look twice the size of your entire body, but your picture will look much better than the one screaming, “Hey! Look at me! I just took a picture of myself!” That’s just sad. You may need to practice this one a couple times, but with both arms free, you can hold your beloved pet, stand further away (those ultra-close-ups are almost never fun for others to look at–unless maybe you’re Megan Foxx), and keep your boogers out of sight. It’s a win for everyone!

3. Content: Consider than any photo you post may be incriminating in some way in the future.

If you’re in a relationship– save yourself future arguments and eliminate photos with ex-girlfriends.

If you’re married– consider how your wife may feel if you’re posting photos with your hot secretary each weekend. (We’re simply speaking to your Facebook content, not your character…. that’s an entirely different box.)

If you’re claiming to be disabled– don’t post photos ice skating with 3 bears on your shoulders.

If you’re underage– don’t post photos drinking alcohol.

If you are professional, or wish to be at some point in your life– don’t post photos of your wild and crazy party nights, doing drugs, drinking, or anything inappropriate that you wouldn’t send along with your resume or a Christmas card home to the family.

If you’re doing bad things– don’t post the photos. Law enforcement is utilizing Facebook to make their job a lot easier. That random person who friended you last week… do you really know a Sally Smith? Actually, don’t do bad things. Then you don’t have to worry.

Did you call in sick to work? Don’t post photos at the game or concert. While your friends may think you’re super cool, your boss will not.

Are you a parent? Be cautious of what kinds of photos you post of your children. There are some sickos out there who would love to see the kids in the bath. It’s extremely sick, but these people do exist, and they do use the Internet to find photos of children. Also, aside from predators, keep in mind your Facebook probably says where you live and work and go to school along with your kids’ names. If a stranger can find that information and call your kid by name in one of those places, bad things can happen. Just be extremely careful! I’d recommend setting privacy settings for close friends and family only to any information or photos that have anything to do with your kids. You can’t be too careful.

Anything you post on Facebook is archived by Google and regardless of your privacy settings, there are ways for this information (photos or text) to slip through the cracks and reach the wrong person.

Status Updates:

1. Facebooking while intoxicated: Not recommended. Aside from the atrocious spelling errors and inappropriate language, you just look like a drunk idiot. You don’t need to announce to the entire world that you’re inebriated. Some people have a habit of doing this several times a week. Of course, there are others that love to post how much they “really need a drink right now.” While it may be funny at the time, and even if you’re half-serious, creating a pattern of perceived alcohol dependency may not make you look so attractive to employers or clients, depending on what you do for a living. You may receive judgment without even knowing from peers or colleagues because of something that they’d never know about you without these updates. For many people, drinking isn’t a serious problem. However, most people know at least one person who does have a drinking problem and it can be a very serious thing. Don’t accidentally put yourself into that category unless you belong there. Again, I’m not here to judge you, but just remind you about the ways that what you do with your social network may affect you in real life.

2. Copy and Paste Crap: The Internet is always going to have those people who start a chain. Whether it’s serious, funny, or just something to scare people, they’re all the same. A paragraph about something, then a request to post it in your status. Even worse, some ask you to post on 10+friends walls and ask them to again post it back on yours. Seriously??? You’re going to delete me if I don’t copy and paste something about how much you’re one of 7 beautiful women I’ve carefully selected from my social network? Please do! I have better things to do with my time. If our friendship ends over that, that’s just sad. Let’s be adults now.

There are several types of these, and some can appear to be for a great cause and trick you into pasting, when they aren’t even true. Here are a couple examples of different types:

2a.The “Week”: i.e. It’s Daughter’s Week….blah blah blah repost if you love your daughter! I’ve seen these types circulate for months. The funny thing is that each week, it’s there. January, February, all the way to December. If you’re really interested in Daughter’s Week, at least check your calendar so you’re not needlessly spamming your friends. Or just write something unique. A simple copy and paste status update involves a few clicks of the mouse. If you love your daughter (or whatever week it is) then write something from the heart. Otherwise, it’s just kind of meaningless.

2b. Friend-Checkers: “I want to know who my true friends are. Post the date and time we met along with what I was wearing that day so I know that you pay attention to me and we’re true friends. Then repost this on your wall. I’m going to pay attention to see who does this and who really cares…..” Come on! You should know who your “true” friends are. You don’t have to add every single Tom, Dick, and Harry that requests you. People have lives. Believe it or not, not everyone even checks their Facebook on a daily or even weekly basis. (I know, I’m as shocked as you are on that one!) Facebook changes their platform frequently. I have over a thousand friends and as often as I’m on Facebook, it seems that many people aren’t always showing up on my wall. Unless I go hunt for each individual person, I won’t always know what their last status update is. I also wouldn’t want to tell my friends what to post on their status. Don’t post something in your status just because someone else can’t come up with something original. It’s a STATUS update, not a SPAM update. It’s to share with your friends and family what you’re up to in your life. If you see a chain that you feel is for a good cause, why not post something to share with your friends and family why you support that particular cause? But please please please do NOT post something and ask everyone else to repost it to prove their are really paying attention to you. I see so many of those each day. I can’t imagine what life would be like if I had the time to post and respond to each and every one of them. Come on people….

2c. Too Much Info: A status update doesn’t need to be updated every time you move!

Here’s an example of what NOT to do:

6:00pm “Sitting on the couch watching tv.”

6:13pm “Heading into the kitchen to make some food.”

6:31pm “Eating the food”

7:00pm “watching tv again”

7:30pm: “going to the bathroom”

YAWN! No one cares. If you have something big to share great! “Just got a promotion at work!” “adopted a new kitten” “We’re having twins!” “My plane just landed in Vegas!” These kinds of things are acceptable. But we don’t need to know every single mundane thing that you do or think. Again, let’s relate this back to business….. you’re personal statuses will reflect you, which applies to your business (whether you have a career or a job). If you’re the type to post every little activity, thought, or mood that occurs in your life, you’re probably going to come to a point where you are sharing too much information…when a little venting may turn into slander or offend the person who signs your paychecks. If you search Google for people losing their job, you’ll find many examples like this girl here. And even if you keep your job, some things are just kinda….well, gross. Yearly visits to the OB/GYN don’t really need to be described in great detail (I’ve actually seen this), or really even mentioned. Try to stick to tasteful topics. Keep in mind that while talking to a few friends about something so personal and not-dinner-table-appropriate may be fine, but sharing with the entire world (co-workers, clients, colleagues, etc.) may not be as acceptable.

Another thing in this section would be fights. Yes, fighting with your significant other, a relative, a friend, a co-worker, or anyone. Keep it private. It’s better in a message than on your wall for the entire world to see. With that being said, also keep in mind that that person could share that message with everyone, so take some time to gather your thoughts and write it out in a way that wouldn’t embarrass you if it was sent to someone else or posted. (Even though posting something private in a public manner is really not nice, it still happens!) If you feel the subject matter really is personal, then remember that life once existed without social media. Get off of Facebook. Pick up the phone and talk like adults or ask him/her to meet you somewhere private where the two of you can discuss your situation like adults. But don’t blast it all over the Internet for your second cousin, boss, best customer, etc. to read. That’s pretty tacky.

Privacy:

You should be sure to visit the Facebook privacy settings each time the network has major updates to the functionality of Facebook. While the social network may recommend you set everything so that your profile is viewable to “everyone,” I disagree. I think it’s important to establish boundaries between groups of people and the information/photos that is available and exchanged. Create some categories like: Family, Friends, Work, Other. You can make more than 4 categories. You may want to distinguish between close friends and acquaintances. You may add people for networking purposes whom you haven’t actually met. Make sure they only see what they need to for networking purposes. As you get to know someone and develop a personal relationship and some degree of trust, you can make changes accordingly. Similarly, if you learn one of your “friends” may behave destructively or misuse any of your photos or information, be sure to limit their access to it before that happens. While privacy settings don’t always guarantee privacy, setting them up will greatly increase your personal security. The developers are pretty good at preventing hacking and keeping their network security measures updated with each platform change to protect your information. But this is only to a certain extent…..

For example, everything you become a fan of is stored in a database about you. This information is given to marketers trying to reach your demographic. Haven’t you ever wondered why those ads on the side seem to apply to you pretty often? That’s why! Similarly, all those applications and Facebook games many of you are addicted to (ahem FARMVILLE), are created to gain access to you as a consumer and collect information about your life: What kinds of things do you like? Who do you know? What are your online patterns? etc. I’m not saying the moon is made from cheese or the sky is falling, I’m just saying to be careful. Your information is out there and it’s up to you to determine how much and to whom you allow access to.

by Lindsay Satmary, Spectra Marketing Solutions

originally posted on Feb. 1, 2011

2. Build a network: Go through your address book and invite everyone to tweet with you. Post your Twitter link on Facebook. Send out an e-mail to everyone you know. Put your Twitter username on your business card so new contacts can easily connect with you. You can also search for people with similar interests.

3. Be interesting. If you only talk about your business, product, or service, people will get bored easily and unfollow. If you like a certain restaurant, recommend it. If you think someone is sharing some helpful info, retweet it. Comment on current events. Share your opinions. Post a balance of you and your business so your followers feel like they are getting to know you, which will create a personal relationship should they need your product or service in the future.

4. Post to your demographic. If your target marketing is your city, share interesting things about your city- places to go, things to see and do, etc. If you’re marketing to your state, do the same but on a larger scale. Identify your target market and post anything you think might appeal to them.

5. Be helpful. Teach people how to do things. Share tips and advice, etc.

6. Remember not to post only about your product. People will get tired of it. Keep your posts interesting and varied.

7. Combine efforts with your personal circle of friends or work associates. If you have a friend on twitter, retweet his/her posts that you’d like other people to read. Ask them to do the same for you. Working together in one company can create a strong circle and a great team-building experience.It also offers additional perspectives. We all have different personalities. Let everyone share their version of why you and your product is great and you’re bound to reach different types of people.

8. Remember that you’re not only branding your business, but also yourself. Steer clear of inappropriate topics and bad language or anything that may be considered highly offensive.

9. Personalize it. Let employees represent the company individually like RichardAtDELL, LionelAtDELL, etc.

10. Listen to what people are saying about you and your competition. Consumers are very honest and sometimes too honest through their social networks and most often, these opinions are out there for the entire Internet world to read. Use Twitter Search to listen for your business, your competitors, and any related topics.

Article by Lindsay Satmary, Spectra Marketing Solutions [original post from December 30, 2010]

Before you go syncing your camera phone with your virtual quilt, there are a few helpful tips that may save you some embarrassment to say the least!

Photos: Your actual image:

1. Setting: When selecting a photo to share, try to select a setting that represents you well. Do you like to garden? Find a lovely botanical landscape. Do you enjoy long walks on the beach? Perhaps an evening sunset backdrop will convey that. If you don’t live near a beautiful outdoor setting, that’s okay! Do you have a bookshelf with books and picture frames? Anything in your home that looks nice will work. Basically, this is the nicest way of saying please, for the love of dragonflies….and kittens, DO NOT POST A PHOTO OF YOURSELF NEXT TO THE TOILET–OR WORSE YET–A PUBLIC RESTROOM STALL! These are more common than you may think. Scan through your friends’ photo albums and I bet you can find a couple of these not-so-lovely but oh-so-typical bathroom shots in under 5 minutes. You want your photo to bring out the best in you. Please aim a little higher than the toilet.Unless of course….well, we won’t go there.

2. Camera: We’re not all models. That’s okay. But there are certain things you can do to improve your physical appearance. It has nothing to do with attraction at all. It’s about cleaning up the photo and not looking sloppy. This one is simple. You’re using a digital camera right? Because you can’t honestly tell me you’re still developing film and then scanning those onto your computer? Almost all digital cameras have an “automatic timer” setting to avoid those hideous arm angle shots. If you don’t have a friend or family member, or random stranger, to take your picture, that’s okay! Simply activate the timer on your camera, position it on a shelf or counter, pose, and smile! Not only will your arm not look twice the size of your entire body, but your picture will look much better than the one screaming, “Hey! Look at me! I just took a picture of myself!” That’s just sad. You may need to practice this one a couple times, but with both arms free, you can hold your beloved pet, stand further away (those ultra-close-ups are almost never fun for others to look at–unless maybe you’re Megan Foxx), and keep your boogers out of sight. It’s a win for everyone!

3. Content: Consider than any photo you post may be incriminating in some way in the future.

If you’re in a relationship– save yourself future arguments and eliminate photos with ex-girlfriends.

If you’re married– consider how your wife may feel if you’re posting photos with your hot secretary each weekend. (We’re simply speaking to your Facebook content, not your character…. that’s an entirely different box.)

If you’re claiming to be disabled– don’t post photos ice skating with 3 bears on your shoulders.

If you’re underage– don’t post photos drinking alcohol.

If you are professional, or wish to be at some point in your life– don’t post photos of your wild and crazy party nights, doing drugs, drinking, or anything inappropriate that you wouldn’t send along with your resume or a Christmas card home to the family.

If you’re doing bad things– don’t post the photos. Law enforcement is utilizing Facebook  to make their job a lot easier. That random person who friended you last week… do you really know a Sally Smith? Actually, don’t do bad things. Then you don’t have to worry.

Did you call in sick to work? Don’t post photos at the game or concert. While your friends may think you’re super cool, your boss will not.

Are you a parent? Be cautious of what kinds of photos you post of your children. There are some sickos out there who would love to see the kids in the bath. It’s extremely sick, but these people do exist, and they do use the Internet to find photos of children. Also, aside from predators, keep in mind your Facebook probably says where you live and work and go to school along with your kids’ names. If a stranger can find that information and call your kid by name in one of those places, bad things can happen. Just be extremely careful! I’d recommend setting privacy settings for close friends and family only to any information or photos that have anything to do with your kids. You can’t be too careful.

Anything you post on Facebook is archived by Google and regardless of your privacy settings, there are ways for this information (photos or text) to slip through the cracks and reach the wrong person.

Status Updates:

1. Facebooking while intoxicated: Not recommended. Aside from the atrocious spelling errors and inappropriate language, you just look like a drunk idiot. You don’t need to announce to the entire world that you’re inebriated. Some people have a habit of doing this several times a week. Of course, there are others that love to post how much they “really need a drink right now.” While it may be funny at the time, and even if you’re half-serious, creating a pattern of perceived alcohol dependency may not make you look so attractive to employers or clients, depending on what you do for a living. You may receive judgment without even knowing from peers or colleagues because of something that they’d never know about you without these updates. For many people, drinking isn’t a serious problem. However, most people know at least one person who does have a drinking problem and it can be a very serious thing. Don’t accidentally put yourself into that category unless you belong there. Again, I’m not here to judge you, but just remind you about the ways that what you do with your social network may affect you in real life.

2. Copy and Paste Crap: The Internet is always going to have those people who start a chain. Whether it’s serious, funny, or just something to scare people, they’re all the same. A paragraph about something, then a request to post it in your status. Even worse, some ask you to post on 10+friends walls and ask them to again post it back on yours. Seriously??? You’re going to delete me if I don’t copy and paste something about how much you’re one of 7 beautiful women I’ve carefully selected from my social network? Please do! I have better things to do with my time. If our friendship ends over that, that’s just sad. Let’s be adults now.

There are several types of these, and some can appear to be for a great cause and trick you into pasting, when they aren’t even true. Here are a couple examples of different types:

2a.The “Week”: i.e. It’s Daughter’s Week….blah blah blah repost if you love your daughter! I’ve seen these types circulate for months. The funny thing is that each week, it’s there. January, February, all the way to December. If you’re really interested in Daughter’s Week, at least check your calendar so you’re not needlessly spamming your friends. Or just write something unique. A simple copy and paste status update involves a few clicks of the mouse. If you love your daughter (or whatever week it is) then write something from the heart. Otherwise, it’s just kind of meaningless.

2b. Friend-Checkers: “I want to know who my true friends are. Post the date and time we met along with what I was wearing that day so I know that you pay attention to me and we’re true friends. Then repost this on your wall. I’m going to pay attention to see who does this and who really cares…..” Come on! You should know who your “true” friends are. You don’t have to add every single Tom, Dick, and Harry that requests you. People have lives. Believe it or not, not everyone even checks their Facebook on a daily or even weekly basis. (I know, I’m as shocked as you are on that one!) Facebook changes their platform frequently. I have over a thousand friends and as often as I’m on Facebook, it seems that many people aren’t always showing up on my wall. Unless I go hunt for each individual person, I won’t always know what their last status update is. I also wouldn’t want to tell my friends what to post on their status. Don’t post something in your status just because someone else can’t come up with something original. It’s a STATUS update, not a SPAM update. It’s to share with your friends and family what you’re up to in your life. If you see a chain that you feel is for a good cause, why not post something to share with your friends and family why you support that particular cause? But please please please do NOT post something and ask everyone else to repost it to prove their are really paying attention to you. I see so many of those each day. I can’t imagine what life would be like if I had the time to post and respond to each and every one of them. Come on people….

2c. Too Much Info: A status update doesn’t need to be updated every time you move!

Here’s an example of what NOT to do:

6:00pm “Sitting on the couch watching tv.”

6:13pm “Heading into the kitchen to make some food.”

6:31pm “Eating the food”

7:00pm “watching tv again”

7:30pm: “going to the bathroom”

YAWN! No one cares. If you have something big to share great! “Just got a promotion at work!” “adopted a new kitten” “We’re having twins!” “My plane just landed in Vegas!” These kinds of things are acceptable. But we don’t need to know every single mundane thing that you do or think. Again, let’s relate this back to business….. you’re personal statuses will reflect you, which applies to your business (whether you have a career or a job). If you’re the type to post every little activity, thought, or mood that occurs in your life, you’re probably going to come to a point where you are sharing too much information…when a little venting may turn into slander or offend the person who signs your paychecks. If you search Google for people losing their job, you’ll find many examples like this girl here. And even if you keep your job, some things are just kinda….well, gross. Yearly visits to the OB/GYN don’t really need to be described in great detail (I’ve actually seen this), or really even mentioned. Try to stick to tasteful topics. Keep in mind that while talking to a few friends about something so personal and not-dinner-table-appropriate may be fine, but sharing with the entire world (co-workers, clients, colleagues, etc.) may not be as acceptable.

Another thing in this section would be fights. Yes, fighting with your significant other, a relative, a friend, a co-worker, or anyone. Keep it private. It’s better in a message than on your wall for the entire world to see. With that being said, also keep in mind that that person could share that message with everyone, so take some time to gather your thoughts and write it out in a way that wouldn’t embarrass you if it was sent to someone else or posted. (Even though posting something private in a public manner is really not nice, it still happens!) If you feel the subject matter really is personal, then remember that life once existed without social media. Get off of Facebook. Pick up the phone and talk like adults or ask him/her to meet you somewhere private where the two of you can discuss your situation like adults. But don’t blast it all over the Internet for your second cousin, boss, best customer, etc. to read. That’s pretty tacky.

Privacy:

You should be sure to visit the Facebook privacy settings each time the network has major updates to the functionality of Facebook. While the social network may recommend you set everything so that your profile is viewable to “everyone,” I disagree. I think it’s important to establish boundaries between groups of people and the information/photos that is available and exchanged. Create some categories like: Family, Friends, Work, Other. You can make more than 4 categories. You may want to distinguish between close friends and acquaintances. You may add people for networking purposes whom you haven’t actually met. Make sure they only see what they need to for networking purposes. As you get to know someone and develop a personal relationship and some degree of trust, you can make changes accordingly. Similarly, if you learn one of your “friends” may behave destructively or misuse any of your photos or information, be sure to limit their access to it before that happens. While privacy settings don’t always guarantee privacy, setting them up will greatly increase your personal security. The developers are pretty good at preventing hacking and keeping their network security measures updated with each platform change to protect your information. But this is only to a certain extent…..

For example, everything you become a fan of is stored in a database about you. This information is given to marketers trying to reach your demographic. Haven’t you ever wondered why those ads on the side seem to apply to you pretty often? That’s why! Similarly, all those applications and Facebook games many of you are addicted to (ahem FARMVILLE), are created to gain access to you as a consumer and collect information about your life: What kinds of things do you like? Who do you know? What are your online patterns? etc. I’m not saying the moon is made from cheese or the sky is falling, I’m just saying to be careful. Your information is out there and it’s up to you to determine how much and to whom you allow access to.

I’ve created a very detailed workshop to teach you about Facebook privacy so if you’re lost, just let me know. You can Contact Us and I’ll e-mail you a free copy so you can improve your personal networking habits.

by Lindsay Todd, Spectra Marketing Solutions

We believe that each business, band, or blog should stand apart from the rest. All of our designs are 100% custom so that our clients can stand out in a competitive Internet marketing age. Our graphic design team is technologically advanced and experienced in all design programs. Attention to detail is important. We don’t just build a portfolio; we build a relationship.

What do you like most about your job?

Besides doing what we love,  we enjoy getting to know our community more through each interaction. We love the look our clients get when they see their new image and instantly feel more confident about their business.

What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What’s your answer?

“Can you do ___________ too?” We have a long list of services that continues to grow. Most often, our customers will come to us for one reason. Then they will ask if we can help with something we didn’t even expect. They like being able to get everything done at one place. It’s convenient and it’s great branding when everything looks the same!

If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

Beware of those fake deals out there. If you’re getting a website built for under $100, it probably won’t stand out among your competition. It will probably look outdated and the functionality won’t always be the best. Most of those web “deals” will limit you to 3-5 pages where you can type text and maybe change out a picture. When it comes to a website, don’t limit yourself. For many businesses, a website is the first point of contact. If your website looks cheap and outdated, you can bet your competition will get more business. Not all designers are custom. Many designers out there will just use a cookie-cutter layout. If you’re not familiar with the web, your site will look just like everyone else. SEO is also important. If you have a website that is amazing, people should be able to find it. Our pricing is very affordable, but also takes into account the quality of work. Our design team is extremely experienced and talented and you will walk away with a great product that you can be happy with for a long time!

Do you have a favorite story from your work?

We donated a website awhile back to raise money via PayPal for Audrey Mabrey. When we saw a screen shot of our website on the news and realized how we were able to help someone through a difficult time, it really made us feel good. We enjoy offering our services to charitable and non-profit organizations at little-to-no cost so that we can give back to the community. The site is no longer available as she is now receiving support directly through Julie Weintraub’s Hands Across the Bay. You can visit the link in this answer to learn about Audrey and find out how you can help.

What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

The time and resources that are put into each project. For example, we may travel 30 minutes to film for an hour. Then we return to upload the video to the computer (1 hour). Editing video takes several hours. We’ve spent more than 20 hours editing to turn out an hour long video (this was also due to multiple camera angles). We create a custom intro which takes another couple hours. Exporting a video project can take another 2-3 hours, and then burning the DVDs. It really is a lot of work, but it’s one of our favorite things to do. We enjoy using our skills so people can have a video to remember their special day (weddings) or increase their business (promotion).

What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

Take a look at our website and browse through our portfolio to get an idea of what we’re capable of and who our clients are. We have a complimentary Marketing Analysis Workshop book available electronically on our site to help you plan things out. We want to work with you to provide the best quality product for your business in the most efficient way. This workshop will help you get a good idea of what your needs are so that we can best help you.

What important information should buyers have before seeking you out? For example, someone looking to have their room painted should know how big the room is, whether or not the ceiling requires painting, if there is trimming or crown moldings, etc.

A basic idea of what they want, what their project goals are, what we will accomplish together….. Using the Workshop above will help with this. If they are new and unfamiliar, that’s okay too. We provide marketing consultation and can take you from start to finish as needed.

How did you decide to get in your line of work?

Well, for those who don’t know us yet, we are an engaged couple who build this company in 2009 together. Prior to that, we’ve both worked on our own providing the same services individually. Once we combined talents and experience, we became a strong team. We love what we do and we love being able to do it together for a living!

What are your most common types of jobs?

Websites, Logo design, Flyers/Print Media, and Video (promo videos and video blogs for businesses are the new marketing trend)

Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

We are proud of everything we’ve done.

Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

Always. We video conference with leaders in our industry to stay up-to-date on the latest marketing trends. We’re constantly updating our software and learning new techniques and platforms. With each new project, we try to challenge ourselves more and more so that we’re always getting better.

What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

New software and new marketing trends. Video marketing is becoming very popular and necessary for businesses wishing to have a competitive advantage in the market. There has been recent talk of stopping the production of phone books because everyone researches online anyways. With your website being the very first lines of communication, and first impression for your customers, it’s important to provide them with a helpful source of information and a personal experience. Through the Web, photos and videos are the best way to personalize your business. Video allows you to talk to your customers as you would if they were in front of you. Having a great video means that when they visit your business for the first time, they will feel comfortable as the setting and your face will feel familiar to them.

If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

Affordable, fair pricing based on each customer’s individual needs. All of our customers are different. We don’t charge for things that they don’t need. We always try to work within a budget they’re most comfortable with, without compromising on the quality of work.

If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

Never stop learning or improving your work. Multimedia and technology are always changing. You have to keep up or your customers will be left behind with outdated work.

Write your own question and answer it.

What’s something most people don’t know about you personally? We have a cat named Spectra who we got from a shelter the same week our business became official. He is all white with one blue eye and one orange eye. He’s kind of like our little mascot and represents the life of our business and everything we’ve accomplished together.

An ongoing battle between American Airlines and online travel agents Orbitz and Expedia has played out for weeks with more fervor, unlikely alliances and backstabbing than the last season of The Apprentice. When American and Orbitz failed to reach terms on a new distribution agreement, the airline ordered its schedule dropped from the popular travel website on Dec. 21. Just a few days later, pre-empting its own distribution dispute, Expedia hid American’s listings from its search results, making it difficult but not impossible to book an AA flight on the website. Then, once Expedia’s agreement with American ended Dec. 31, it dropped the carrier from the site, calling the airline’s strategy “anti-consumer and anti-choice.”

There’s no question that part of American’s motivation is to cut costs, which George Hobica, founder of Airfare Watchdog, says the airline is “desperate” to do. In bypassing the online travel agents, American saves on distribution costs, but can also raise its ticket prices more easily, since its fares won’t be displayed directly beside those of its competitors. (See the top 10 travel moments of 2010.)

The airline may be taking a lesson from its Dallas neighbor, Southwest Airlines. Southwest requires that consumers go directly to its website to book a trip. That makes it more difficult for passengers to comparison-shop, but Southwest has won customer trust, and loyalty, by delivering consistently low fares for decades rather than make consumers hunt them down. Capturing customers on its own website also allows Southwest to get additional revenue from ancillary items such as rental cars and frequent-flyer credit cards — a revenue stream American has undoubtedly taken note of.

At the heart of this kerfuffle is American’s Direct Connect, a software system it has been pushing since December 2009 that bypasses the current global distribution systems (GDS), such as Amadeus and Travelport, which travel agents and websites use to download schedules and fares. One GDS, Sabre Holdings Corp., a former American unit that was spun off in 2000, said on Jan. 5 that it will stop carrying American’s flight information in August — a month ahead of when its contract with American is due to expire. Sabre’s holdings include Travelocity.

Direct Connect, which Orbitz and Expedia have refused to adopt, would allow American to gain more control over its airfare search results. It all fits very nicely into American’s goal to get middlemen to pay to distribute its listings, not the other way around. This way, the airline could choose, at any moment, which fares and schedules to display and promote options that could generate more revenue for the company by letting it sell add-ons like seats with more legroom. But it could also mean higher prices for travelers.

For its part, American insists that its model will be better for customers. Cory Garner, American’s director of distribution strategy, highlights a perk of the system, saying customers would be able to view the total trip cost up front rather than be hit by fees on the day of travel. “Direct Connect gives customers visibility and control of their entire trip, especially the cost of the trip, as opposed to today’s world, where they can see only base fares,” Garner tells TIME. “Certainly there are disputes in the marketplace now, but I believe these are just growing pains.” (See 20 reasons to hate the airlines.)

Still, American seems willing to lose passengers to get its way. “They’re taking a huge risk here,” says Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, which represents corporate travel departments. In a statement e-mailed to TIME, Orbitz spokesman Brian Hoyt reported that the company has generated about $800 million in sales for American in the past year. Based on that figure, Henry Harteveldt of Forrester Research estimates that the much-larger Expedia generated about $1.6 billion in sales for American last year. (AA has total sales of more than $20 billion.) But in a Dec. 29 press release, American said it saw a year-over-year increase in overall ticket sales since removing its listings from Orbitz — although traffic is generally improving for all major airlines.

Orbitz and Expedia maintain that they will do just fine without American’s business, making up for lost revenue by selling tickets for the airline’s competitors. While Hoyt reported that American accounts for about 5% of Orbitz’s business, industry analysts suggest that American accounts for as little as 1% of Expedia’s business. That’s because about 80% of Expedia’s business comes from non-air products like travel insurance, hotels, cruises and rental cars. “Expedia has already diversified such that no single company can have an impact on their bottom line,” Harteveldt tells TIME. However, both Orbitz’s and Expedia’s shares fell on Monday after Expedia dropped American.

For its plan to succeed, American has to persuade its competitors, like United, Delta and the others, to follow in its footsteps, each creating a system like Direct Connect and similarly thumbing their noses at outside distribution systems. It would mean the end of the price transparency that disciplines fares, and could also end some things that online travel agents do better than the airlines: flexible date search, last-minute deals on packages and coordinating multicity trips for which flying on different airlines for different legs may be more cost-effective. “It’s already not that easy to find cheap airfare,” says Airfare Watchdog’s Hobica. “This would just make it that much worse.”

A survey conducted by the Business Travel Coalition at the end of 2010 shows, not surprisingly, that almost 98% of travel-industry professionals don’t want American’s model. That doesn’t necessarily mean that American or other airlines will listen. “The reason we’re fighting this is because this is an industry where competitors are often like lemmings,” Mitchell says. “American used to be the largest in the world, so they’re used to over-reaching and trying to impose their will on the marketplace.”

American happens to be very good at that sort of thing. The company, which is still in active discussions with Expedia, Orbitz and Sabre, has never been the kind that backs down from a fight. It has waged fare wars with competitors to protect its turf and has used FAA regulations and legislation as weapons against potential new rivals like Virgin America. It has battled furiously and fractiously with its employees. If the travel agents want a battle, American can certainly provide one.

Article from: Time

The ramifications for retailers of tech-savvy consumers are tremendous, especially in terms of consumers’ use of mobile devices.  While store-based retailers are accustom to dealing with educated customers (i.e., shoppers who have done their research), before mobile technology these retailers at least had an advantage of providing something new once the consumer walked into the store.  The retailer could offer updated product details, new promotions, new pricing and other information the consumer did not know before the store visit and, consequently, could not easily research while in the store.  However, with today’s mobile technologies even new information can be quickly researched by shoppers while they are still in the store.

As explained in this story, one of the key bits of information in-store consumers seek with their mobile devices is a price comparison.  Shoppers can use smartphones and even pad technologies (e.g., iPad) to quickly search other retailers to determine whether the product sitting in front of them on a display table is actually a bargain.  Even easier, snapping a picture of a product’s UPC code using a smartphone camera can provide the consumer with a list of places selling the same product and the prices they are charging.

But, things do not just end with a search.  Possibly, the biggest slap in the face of store-based retailers comes from consumers who are willing to wait to acquire the product.  These consumers may window shop at the physical store and while still in the store place the order for the product with another retailer who will ship it directly to their residence, often at no charge.

Now, marketers must contend with shoppers who can use their smartphones inside stores to check whether the specials are really so special, and if the rest of the merchandise is reasonably priced.

Is there anything retailers can do to take advantage of this new level of consumer shopping behavior?  How threatening are these mobile devices to retailers?

Article from:  KnowThis