September, 2010

Marketing — No Comments
28
Sep 10

The Purpose of Press Releases

Companies and organizations used to send out press releases in order to gain attention from the press, hence the name. Also known as media release, press statement, or news release , they were sent to members of the established press to announce newsworthy information. The idea was to entice reporters to write about the newsworthy event, product, sale, or business news. Ideally, the reporter would decide to not just repeat the release, but generate a full story about the company or person for their newspaper, magazine, or tv or radio station.

Today, press releases are still used in public relations as a means to garner positive media attention for their client. However, with the rise of the internet and the falling importance of traditional media outlets, marketers have discovered that press releases can serve other purposes. Online reputation management companies such as Elixir Interactive , have found press releases to be good tools for improving the search engine results for companies, individuals, and brands. They not only highlight positive news about a brand, but they can occupy prime territory in the results pages that might otherwise have held a negative review or attack site.

Another function of press releases is link building . Google and other search engines assign a great deal of value to how important a page is on the web. That importance is calculated by the number and authority of web pages that link back to or cite the original page. Press releases generally allow companies to embed links to relevant, supporting information, thus improving the company’s link footprint as seen by the search engine.

Lastly, press releases can serve as a direct way to communicate with the public. Whether or not news agencies or other websites pick up a news item, the press release itself can be seen in web and news searches and communicate information about upcoming events, product launches, as well as share financial or business information directly with the public. A company can also create an archive of all their news (see elixir interactive press releases for an example) that can serve as a company history for anyone doing research.

Travel — No Comments
23
Sep 10

Boston Joins the Bicycle Celebration

The Bicycle Film Festival was founded in 2001 in New York City when founding Festival Director, Brendt Barbur, was hit by a bus while riding his bike. Barbur turned the negative experience into a positive platform which celebrates cycling through film, music, and art. During this 10th Anniversary of the Festival, over 35 cities around the world are participating with their own local BFF. Festival hoppers (those traveling from festival to festival), will find a number of quality Boston Hotels near the event venues.

The Bicycle Film Festival: Boston will run September 23-25. Fourth Wall Project kicks off the event on Thursday the 23rd with the Boston Area Handbuilt Exhibition featuring bikes, art, music, and beer. This Bikes-Rock-Art Show will be held at the Fourth Wall Project space on Brookline Ave.

Friday and Saturday will feature screenings of short and longer form films that celebrate bicycles, their riders, and the cycling experience at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge as well as After Parties in Boston (Friday) and Jamaica Plain (Saturday). Films include The Birth of Big Air, Riding the Long White Cloud, and the Cyclecross Meeting. Details and festival passes are available at the BFF Boston site .

Technology — No Comments
20
Sep 10

Future Shock and Expert Advice

When was the last time you needed expert advice? Whether it’s changing a car tire, figuring out finances, or managing your time between a new position, a new apartment, and a new baby, we all need to find information that we don’t know. In the past, such advice was in the hands of professors and doctors, or mechanics and repairmen. But the world people live in today is complicated. Even forty years ago, people thought they were living in an overwhelming, changing age, not quite certain what the future worlds of 2001 or 2010 might bring.

In 1970, this feeling of being overwhelmed by the rapid rate of social and technological change was given a name, Future Shock , and explored in a book by the same name. The book, written by Alvin Toffler, described that the majority of social problems were symptoms of future shock, and he popularized the term “information overload.” It’s simply impossible today to know everything one needs to know to get through the month, much less a life time of changing circumstances.

With the power of the Internet, though, and on-line expert advice sites, the technology of the world actually makes the world a little more manageable by allowing you to ask any expert you want any question, and receive an answer in a timely manner, which may also ease your own future shock, until the next information challenge arises.

Business — No Comments
17
Sep 10

Changing Face of Direct Sales

In the internet age, it isn’t just bricks and mortar companies that are changing the way they do business. Everyone knows of e-tail success stories like amazon.com and zappos.com and how traditional companies are being forced to move some or all of their business online to meet the needs of the internet generations. What’s more interesting is how direct sales, an industry that relies on in person contact to make their pitch and close with customers, is beginning to utilize the internet to improve their performance.

You need look no further than social media pages like Southwestern Company on Facebook to see how companies can utilize the internet to reach not only their employees and interns, but customers themselves. These types of pages offer consumers a place to share praise and criticism of their experiences with salespeople and a forum for southwestern to directly address those critics on a case-by-case basis.

Other companies, such as Avon and Fuller Brush, make use of their main websites to not only sell products directly, but as informational and recruiting tools for new sales reps. The Direct Selling Association uses the internet to educate their members about laws and regulations and also reaches out to the general public to educate them about ethical sales tactics and how to identify scams and avoid dangerous situations.

Auto — No Comments
15
Sep 10

Your Vehicle’s Life Cycle

Like people, vehicles have a life cycle; with proper maintenance and repair, that life can be extended; without it, however, the chances of more things going wrong with your car dramatically increase. In addition to investing in a vehicle-specific volume like a buick le saber repair manual , you’ll want to keep the following general information in mind.

In the early days of your vehicle’s life, from 0 to about 25 or 30,000 miles, you should ensure your vehicle’s longevity with scheduled maintenance, checking parts for abnormal wear or looseness, and generally tightening anything that’s loose; you should also keep changing fluids, such as the engine oil, as well as regularly checking other fluids, such as the transmission or brake, or window washer fluids. Rotating and balancing the tires is also important. While you don’t have to have these maintenance checks done by a dealer, it’s important to have them done by reliable mechanics at about the time the dealer recommends to do them. If you’ve lost your maintenance schedule, it’s an easy thing to find a good automotive repair manual on the Internet.

At around 40,000 miles, most vehicles require more expensive replacement parts, such as tires or a new battery, brakes, a V-belt, and so on. The 40,000 mile mark is also the time when you really do need to replace the long-lasting fluids, such as radiator coolant , brake line, and transmission fluids, as well as other lubricants. Neglecting this kind of maintenance may lead to expensive repairs later. In particular, have the battery checked. While the life of a battery depends upon its quality and the environment, such as extremely cold weather or hot weather, most batteries last at least two years, and often not more than five years. At this point, too, you might consider trading in your car or keeping it.

If you decide to keep it, then consider the car as it wears more than 80,000 miles. Repairs at this stage may exceed a thousand dollars. Take a look on line for the best sites to do some quick research on long term reliability for your vehicle. It’s a good bet that your warranty has run out after 80,000 miles, and so the expenses will be all yours. Consider such issues as tire wear, and look for the insulation on the spark plug wires, which may be dry and cracking, which will lead to a rough-running motor. Keeping some of these maintenance issues in mind may allow you to keep your car well after it reaches a 100,000 or more, a respectable life cycle for any man-made vehicle.

Travel — 1 Comment
2
Sep 10

Grabbing a Quick Bite in West Palm Beach

Clematis Street is the historical heart of Downtown West Palm Beach. Starting at Flagler Drive on the Intracoastal Waterway, walk west along Clematis Street, right past some of the best hotels Palm Beach offers its visitors and experience the indigenous flavor of the area’s colorful boutiques, nightclubs, live music, antique shops, historical landmarks, but most important, places to get a quick bit to eat while on your way to having a great time on Clematis Street.

Massa on Clematis, located at 330 Clematis Street offers affordable foods made with fresh, quality ingredients. Massa is a sandwich-plus take-out establishment. Owner Julian Dranga’s specialty is her house-made soups, salads and crepes. Besides sandwiches, she also serves up a mean Panini. Massa does offer a few seats outdoors is you don’t want to eat while on the move.

Carlucci’s – A Downtown Deli, located at 322 Banyan Blvd., is a small, family operated Italian delicatessen in the heart of Downtown West Palm Beach. They offer gourmet New York style sandwiches, salads, soups and breakfast! They only use the freshest ingredients such as tomatoes and cucumbers that are served on their hand trimmed boneless and skinless chicken breast fillets. Their slices of roast beef comes from a slow-roasted USDA Choice Top Round making for the juiciest, most flavorful roast beef sandwich in Palm Beach.

Jimmy John’s , located at 330 Clematis Street, is one of the better sandwich eateries in Florida. Jimmy John’s started his first sandwich shop in Charleston, Ill., in 1983. After mastering his bread recipe, he acquired a huge fan base with his low prices and great delivery service. The sign inside the sandwich shop states: Free Smells and Subs So Fast, You’ll Freak.