The CoffeeBreak Blog
The CoffeeBreak Blog
Digital Branding Thursday, 16 February 2012 08:33 |  Written by Kathy Morse |  |  | 
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ONLINE Resources to help you with Digital Branding First sign up for an email account that is free that you will ONLY use for Branding and posting. This will separate your personal and/or business life from your social postings. Gmail from Google is my personal favorite. http://google.com/mail Comes with a complete suite of document amenities.
Develop a “look.” Could be an icon, could be your image, could be just a color. Free online photo editor: pixlr.com
Decide how detailed you might need to go with the branding. Do you need just a Facebook “Fan Page” or do you need a website – or – a blog??? Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Less is more. Do what is free and available first. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Set up your own profile. Then set up a "Fan Page" for your organization. https://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php? Facebook likes that a real person is responsible for an organization page. Pages set up where an organization gets "friends" is in violation of Facebook policy and is subject to deletion without warning.
Then add online amenities to your Facebook page: Welcome landing page(s) - I like iFramewrapper https://www.facebook.com/iFrameWrapper · Example page: https://www.facebook.com/CF.edu?sk=app_197936773558886 · You will need access to images from your website, or a place to host a facebook page on your webserver to pull "from." Make a WIX page tab.
Add your RSS feed or Twitter feed - free versions.
o 140 characters allowed to get your message out! o Use URL shorteners for your hyperlinks in Twitter. o Easily updatable from web/phone.
Then post your Tweets to Facebook Connect your Twitter account with Facebook to share Tweets with your Facebook friends. It only takes a minute. Pasted from <https://facebook3.twitter.com/users/?ref=ts>
Get yourself a Social Media Dashboard and start scheduling your broadcasts ahead of time. · Hootsuite.com - Manage and measure your social networks. Free version will give you up to 5 networks to manage/post to. That should be enough.
Get your own domain name/website or blog. Make sure you are the owner of your domain name not the company you purchase your website from. · You may also purchase domain masking so you can point your domain name to your free site. All people will see no matter where they go on your site is the URL (address) of your domain in the address bar. Many offer free amenities with purchase. Read EVERYTHING before you commit to a vendor. · If you are not familiar with web development, look for one who has a template based format. Website Tonight. · You may just need a Wordpress Blog. Many online web-services sell Wordpress Hosting. You can also go to Wordpress.com and make a free blog. Then point your domain name to your blog.
RSS FEEDs RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. Many blog platforms (such as Wordpress) have plug-ins you can install to create a feed from your blog, if not...
Creation - FeedForAll allows users to easily create, edit and publish RSS feeds. About $40 for program. Simplifies your life creating feeds. RSS is the standard for content distribution and syndication. Create feeds to keep visitors informed. Makes it so people can go ONE PLACE to get updates and highlights. http://www.feedforall.com/ · Google Reader is an program that uses RSS Feeds to make a customized "news reader" where you can dictate what feeds you want it to pull from and update for you all in one centralized location. · Sample news feed http://www.cf.edu/news/news.xml
Monitor your brand online Article: How to monitor social media mentions in five minutes a day Pasted from <http://marshacollier.posterous.com/how-to-monitor-social-media-mentions-in-five>
· Addictomatic – a multi-platform buzz dashboard · Social Mention – a slightly more sophisticated multi-platform buzz dashboard · Samepoint - another dashboard that includes some additional platforms the others don’t offer · Twazzup – a real-time news dashboard (with a bias towards Twitter) · BackTweets – a tool which tells you who has been sharing your content on Twitter · Blogpulse – a tool that searches blog posts for specific mentions · Google (weekly in date order) – this will take you to the advanced search box but we’ll make this even more useful during the next phase Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} table.MsoTableGrid {mso-style-name:"Table Grid"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-priority:59; mso-style-unhide:no; border:solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt:solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-border-insideh:.5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev:.5pt solid windowtext; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Work Smarter
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Social Media for Nonprofits OverviewMonday, 23 January 2012 12:29 | Written by Kathy Morse | | |
0 Trackbacks (Pingbacks are enabled) ONLINE Resources to help you work smarter with Social MediaI know it's been a while since I posted, but it's time for a quick overhaul of my notes of "Social media for nonprofits." Below is the synopsis of a workshop given in Marion county, Florida on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012.
First sign up for an email account that is free that you will ONLY use for Social Media accounts and posting. This will separate your personal and/or business life from your social postings.Gmail from Google is my personal favorite. http://google.com/mail
Set up your own profile. Then set up a "Fan Page" for your organization. https://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php?
Facebook likes that a real person is responsible for an organization page. Pages set up where an organization gets "friends" is in violation of Facebook policy and is subject to deletion without warning.
Then add online amenities to your Facebook page:
Connect your Twitter account with Facebook to share Tweets with your Facebook friends. It only takes a minute. Pasted from <https://facebook3.twitter.com/users/?ref=ts>
Get yourself a Social Media Dashboard and start scheduling your broadcasts ahead of time.
Manage and measure your social networks. Free version will give you up to 5 networks to manage/post to. That should be enough.
Monitor your brand online Article: How to monitor social media mentions in five minutes a day Pasted from <http://marshacollier.posterous.com/how-to-monitor-social-media-mentions-in-five>
RSS FEEDs RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. Many blog platforms (such as Wordpress) have plug-ins you can install to create a feed from your blog, if not...
Creation FeedForAll allows users to easily create, edit and publish RSS feeds. About $40 for program. Simplifies your life creating feeds. RSS is the standard for content distribution and syndication. Create feeds to keep visitors informed. Makes it so people can go ONE PLACE to get updates and highlights.
Google Reader is an program that uses RSS Feeds to make a customized "news reader" where you can dictate what feeds you want it to pull from and update for you all in one centralized location.
Sample news feed http://www.cf.edu/news/news.xml
Twitterfeed Twitterfeed is a utility that allows you to feed your content (for example, blog posts or any other content that supports RSS feeds) to twitter, Facebook, and other social platforms. It enables publishers to bring content to a wider audience and track the performance through real-time stats. Pasted from <http://twitterfeed.com/help>
Work Smarter
Dropbox Need to access same files from work, home, from your phone? Easily share large files with Dropbox and always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox. 2GB account is free! http://db.tt/adOSjxTF
Paper.Li Create your own Daily E-Newspaper! http://paper.li/ Great way to combine "who you follow on Twitter" into a readable, organized daily newspaper of their posts... Subscribe to my Social Media Daily: http://paper.li/kathymorse/social-media
7 Free Office Tools to Save Non-Profits Money Pasted from <http://mashable.com/2011/12/07/free-tools-non-profits/>
Skype Instant Customer Service, get Skype - free video calling. It also works from within Facebook. Skype.com
PamFax As an add-on from within Skype application, you will find a link to "PamFax" great way to "fax" to fax numbers without a fax machine. You can easily send them a file from your computer. VERY reasonable prices…priced by "zones" (how far away you are sending the fax.)
Accept Credit Cards at events using only your phone. Start accepting credit cards processed through your phone at your events. Free reader, free application. No cost set-up, 2.75% swipe for all cards.
Gimme the numbers... Using Google Analytics & Facebook Domain Insights to Track Social Actions on Your Website Pasted from <http://www.hyperarts.com/blog/google-analytics-facebook-domain-insights-website-social-tracking/>
Comments (0) Last Updated (Monday, 23 January 2012 14:44) Tag, you're it!Wednesday, 29 December 2010 08:43 | Written by kathy morse | | |
0 Trackbacks (Pingbacks are enabled) In this busy world, what can help You might have used a tag in a search, put in a word that best described what it was you were looking for, your result was probably a generous smattering of other things you didn't think was even related before you started your search. (Google search: BEANS) When you are writing your blog, you generally add tags to describe your posting...these come up to your readers in your tag cloud to help them search out your writings that best fit their knowledge quest best. Take your time and thoroughly tag your articles. Tags are picked up by search engines and are the stepping stones to coming up at the top spots in searches. Flickr allows you to freely tag your images. This can be helpful to you immediately for searches but also if you want to pull images into a webpage or application later. A good example of this is my daughter's photography web page. (View here) Another type of tag is used by Twitter. The "Hashtag" (#) is used for words or phrases to categorize them. #FF is short for "Follow Friday," a great way to share your friends and others that you follow on Fridays. It's an easy way to suggest that your followers follow others that you do. Hopefully, the #FF is reciprocal and you are included on some of those Fridays also to increase your followers. (#FF) For more information check out the Wikipedia article on "Tags." Comments (0) Last Updated (Wednesday, 29 December 2010 09:31) |
Wise Up with your Social Media & InsuranceFriday, 29 October 2010 16:32 | Written by kathy morse | | |
0 Trackbacks (Pingbacks are enabled) Social Media and Insurance -
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you be more efficient in your online searches...get your blog noticed...your tweet read? The answer is simple. Tags.
Smart phones are everywhere, even in the hands of babes. The use of QR Codes can enable people to quickly reach your website...get your contact info...download your brochure...take them to the correct place to donate to your cause...pop up an email box...start an .mpg download...the list goes on and on.
So today, grab your coffee and click through some of the links below and get comfortable with looking at these funny blotchy squares.
What they are: QR-Codes are two dimensional barcodes that are designed to have it's contents decoded at a high speed. QR stands for Quick Response.
Resources: (There are many resources available, but I chose mobile-barcodes.com because of their simple, through coverage. If you don't like them...just "Google" another set of resources.)
- Information: http://www.mobile-barcodes.com/about-qr-codes/
- Generators: http://www.mobile-barcodes.com/qr-code-generator/
- Reading Software: http://www.mobile-barcodes.com/qr-code-software/
So now, what good could this do for you or your organization?
Here's a few suggestions I came up with while sipping some fresh brew...
- Printed on business cards it could have your information imported into someone's phone without them typing the info in.
- It could bring someone directly to your website.
- Printed in the corner of a T-shirt, it would give someone instant access to your 'Brand.'
- Printed on "stickers" you can cheaply update that big box of brochures you have sitting on the floor that you aren't using because your information has changed.
- If I was a musician...I would put a URL (web-address) on a business card and give away a sample song...
- Printed in a "hard-copy" ad, it could give a reader all the information you would want them to have...and it would take them directly to your info too!
- On a billboard...it's easily snapable.
- On a store window...it's a quick entry into someone's electronic phone book.
- On an in-store display...it's instant info download!
- It can take quickly take someone to an online survey...hmmm...there must be at least a hundred thousand more applications a QR could be good for...use your imagination.
For more information here is the Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code
