First let me say, I am not a Web developer. But I hire individuals and teams that develop knock-out, highly effective Web sites for my clients. If there is one thing I have learned its that you take a huge risk - and more often make an even bigger mistake - when you hire someone who does not have a multidisciplinary skill base.

What do I mean? Let me paint some pictures for you.

If you hire a  "computer guy" who can code anything you want you might have all the bells and whistles OR you might end up with a dull template site that functions reasonably well. It might cost you a bundle, or it might be a $250 quick job, but it is unlikely to have the sophisticated design that will resonate with your graphic brand standards. Be careful, though, because all that custom code might be proprietary and then you are tied to that programmer for the life of your website., So, you hire a graphic designer that knows how to design a web site.  OK. It will look GORGEOUS.  But what about the content?  Is it likely to have calls to action and urge a response (sales or whatever) from your readers?  Will it be able to capture names and emails of your visitors?  How about E-commerce or online donations?  Maybe you are better off with the programmer? Or you can get these two to work together.

But there's that whole idea of the Web site as a marketing tool?  You want it to pay for itself with online advertising and E-commerce.  You certainly want to capture the contact information for prospects.  And if you found a marketing person - or even an Internet Marketing pro who knows about SEO (search engine optimization) - maybe you can really get some new customers out of it.  But most marketing folks are neither programmers nor designers.

And what's that last skill set you think would be valuable here?  You guessed it. PR.  They way a PR pro sees it, a website is a new channel through which to communicate with various publics - clients, prospects, the broader community, the media, suppliers, investors, and the list goes on. What's even better is that you can easily customize and post information, photos, videos, etc. And don't get me started on the integration of social media with your website. It's a natural for PR professionals.

I urge you to really look at your web developer or your web strategy team. Where are their strengths? Their weaknesses?  Who do you need to bring in to get your Web site and web strategies in line and working optimally?

Gayle Williams Vision PR & Marketing
www.visionprm.com

Original Blog Post:  http://www.visionprm.com/blog/looking-for-a-web-developer-core-competencies

Twitter is not for everybody or every business, but it has proven a great way to extend the conversation with your public – however you define that public and that conversation.  But once you define that group of followers and you begin to attract them – be they potential custormers, clients, associates, or fans – here are some basic do’s and don’ts
 - DO have a personality, talk like a person, share stories. No one wants to follow a boring robot, unless your account is a boring robot with a specific function.
 - DO NOT get carried away or tweet too far off topic. We'd love to occasionally learn about your employees or general industry or local topics. We generally don't want to hear your views on politics or sports.
 - DO share links, photos, and videos. If you're a retail store, pictures of your newest items could be a great sales pitch. If you're a tech company, sure, show us some of your press. If you're a cafe, maybe a video of your superstar barista.
 - DO NOT spend too much time retweeting customers saying nice things about you. Once in a while, maybe. But too often, companies blast 4 or 5 tweets of praise in a row. Many people simply unfollow those accounts.
 - DO engage with customers over customer service concerns -- only if you think you can provide sufficient, consistent, and excellent care. Your best bet will probably be to use Twitter to funnel customers into your existing customer service channels, such as email or phone support.
 - DO NOT negotiate or try to service an unhappy customer in public. There's generally no reason for the rest of the world to see you discussing an issue they're having with your service. Try to get the customer to chat via email, direct message, or phone. If anything, to avoid the negotiations from ending up in the press.

Gayle Williams Vision PR & Marketing
www.visionprm.com

Original Blog Post:  http://www.visionprm.com/blog/6-dos-and-donts-for-your-companys-twitter-account

Congratulations Second Chance Last Opportunity for Winning the competition and all 3 organizations for participating. You will all have a FREE new WEBSITE from NeWWWorld Collaborative - One for One Websites

Today was a red-letter day for New World Collaborative!  We launched our One for One Website Initiative with what we hope will be the first of many successful events in collaboration with TOMS Shoes and TOMS retailers.  Wendy Getchell of Lotus Boutique in downtown Sarasota had the same idea at the same time (great minds…) and together we hatched up this event to support the sale of TOMS Shoes and its Decorate Your Sole project  while at the same time we identified three small not-for-profits that needed a new website (or a FIRST website).  Supporters voted on line for their favorite and came to the store to vote as well, after buying and decorating their TOMS shoes.

 
The store was jammed with browsers, supporters,  TOMS Shoes staff and representatives of Every Child, Inc. , Mothers Helping Mothers and Second Chance Last Opportunity!  The video telling the TOMS story played all day and produced a few tears!  And many were moved to buy their FIRST pair of TOMS shoes!
 
By the end of the day we had talked with countless people about TOMS’  One for One business model  and how it inspired us to do the same with our business .  For every pair of shoes/corporate website, one child/small not-for-profit gets a free pair of shoes/website.  
 
The result?
 
Thirty five needy children will soon have a pair of shoes.  
The most votes – online and in-store – went to SECOND CHANCE LAST OPPORTUNITY!!  They will receive a free website, 3 months of SEO/Internet Marketing,  Social Media Training and PR support.

 
The runner-up – only ONE vote behind – was MOTHERS HELPING MOTHERS.  Their in-store presence was not as strong, but they made up for it with a last minute blitz of on-line votes.  We decided they deserved a website as well.  
And finally, with the strongest in-store voting but fewer votes on line,  EVERY CHILD, INC. was in third place.  Obviously we couldn’t have EVERY CHILD left behind without a website, so the New World Collaborative team decided to work on a website for them as well!!
 
It was a great day.

Destiny Technologies
Founding member of the New World Collaborative

Tell us about trends in your industry...

Many are challenged whether social media is a business booster or a waste of time.  Bottom line: expanding the conversation with key audiences and prospects raises your credibility and profile if done in a responsible manner.  Creative campaigns and sales messages can be effective, but real relationships are the goal of social media involvement. Whomever one works with it’s important that the process and message be cleverly defined and parameters set for managing it.
 
What feedback are you getting from clients about their advertising, marketing, and PR and their expectations?

The best foundation for marketing and PR is a website that supports and drives all efforts. We see a disturbing number of clients after they’ve bad experiences. Even if your website developer is your marketing consultant as well, you should always “own the code” of your sites, have access to modify and update elements.
 
How does New World Collaborative demonstrate value in the marketing and PR services?

By streamlining operations, clients receive cost efficiency of a team of senior experts in marketing, PR, web development, Search Engine Optimization(SEO) and social media. Collectively we determine the most effective strategies based on each client’s budget and goals, not big overhead.  Our community service is to empower our clients with the knowledge and tools to flourish and most importantly track the results of their programs in a meaningful way.


New World Collaborative Co-Founders:  Elizabeth Blair / Webjunkees, Gabriel Marguglio / Destiny Technologies, and Gayle Williams/ Vision PR & Marketing.

         

Three Local Not-For-Profits Compete for a Free Website  - Winner will be Announced at Lotus Boutique in Downtown Sarasota at One for One event on Saturday, April 17
 
[Sarasota , FL-March 28, 2010]  New World Collaborative, founded by three digital marketing professionals and their companies, is launching its One for One Website Initiative to build a free website for a not-for-profit for every corporate client website they develop.   This generous commitment to the community follows in the footsteps of the highly-publicized mission of Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS.
 
New World Collaborative (www.neWWWorld.com) has selected three not-for-profit organizations that provide basic human services which also are in need of a search engine friendly website that they can modify through content management and an integrated blog.  Each of the three organizations are featured on www.neWWWorld.com  where their supporters and the general public can cast their vote for the organization they wish to receive the website “make-over” and watch the competition as it heats up.  
The three organizations selected are Every Child, Inc. , Mothers Helping Mothers, and Second Chance Last Opportunity.  “We are honored that we can highlight three exceptional organizations that do so much for our community,” says New World Collaborative co-founder Gayle Williams of Vision PR & Marketing. “We’ll have one grand winner, but we hope that when we are done everyone will know of their good work and their support will be multiplied.”

 

               

On Saturday, April 17 from 10 am to 3 pm all three organizations will be highlighted at downtown Sarasota’s Lotus Boutique (1451 Main Street) where there will be TOMS Shoes for sale.   Visitors to the store have an opportunity to purchase a pair of TOMS shoes and give back to the community twofold.  By purchasing a pair of TOMS Shoes, each person will know a pair of new shoes has gone to a child in need.   They will also be given a Power Ticket (worth 5 votes) to cast in favor of their chosen not-for-profit.  At 3 pm votes will be tallied and the winning organization will be announced.
 
TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what they're all about. The TOMS One for One business model transforms customers into benefactors, which allows TOMS to grow a truly sustainable business rather than depending on fundraising for support.
 
“TOMS Shoes is a real inspiration and we couldn’t wait to put this One for One Website program into place because in this new world of marketing, a highly functional, visible and results oriented website is as essential as a pair shoes,” says New World co-founder Gabriel Marguglio of Destiny Technologies.
 
As part of TOMS Shoes “Style Your Soul” project,  downtown screen printing shop, Clothesline and  local artists will be there decorating your shoes for an additional benefit and special treat for your tootsies. TOMS takes it one step further asking “How do you express your individuality?” Your own design  could end up as part of a real TOMS limited edition shoe and sold on TOMS.com if you submit it for their Style Your Soul contest promoted at www.TOMS.com.  TOMS and TeenVogue will select 10 finalists, and then it’s up to you to pick the winner. The contest will run through the submission deadline on April 30, 2010.
 
“This is an exciting collaborative effort working with Wendy Getchell of Lotus and TOMS Shoes to raise awareness of how we can all make a difference in the world with the choices we make every day,” says co-founder Elizabeth Blair of Webjunkees. “We hope everyone will come out and show their support.”
 
About New World Collaborative – Founded by three marketing/PR/web development experts, each heading their own company, New World Collaborative came into being from the belief that collaboration among professionals on behalf of our clients and the community at large was the highest order of business.   Using the most current, most effective and most efficient strategies in this new digital world with streamlined operations, members of New World Collaborative offer clients the cost efficiency of a team of senior experts in marketing, PR, web development, Search Engine Optimization(SEO) and social media. Collectively, we determine the most effective strategies based on each client’s budget and goals, not big overhead.  Our community service is to empower our clients with the knowledge and tools to flourish and most importantly track the results of their programs in a meaningful way.  www.NeWWWorld.com    

         

 

New World Collaborative Co-Founders:  Elizabeth Blair / Webjunkees, Gabriel Marguglio / Destiny Technologies, and Gayle Williams/ Vision PR & Marketing.

Google launched an interesting new tool – Google Buzz. Google Buzz is Google’s way to help you connect and engage with the people in your social circles. It's Google's version of Facebook and Twitter.

Sort of like Facebook, but built right into Gmail. And it turns out there is a huge mobile and local component to it.


How Google Buzz works on Mobile Devices:

When using Buzz on mobile devices like iPhone or Android, it:

• Uses your location to identify places around you.
• Allows you to create messages based on your location (kind of like Foursquare, Gowalla or Yelp)
• Adds a Buzz layer to Google Maps on your device, where you can post public comments or photos. Perhaps most interesting is you can visit a Place Page for a local business and see what others are “buzzing” about there.
• Voice shortcut – this is pretty cool. It allows you to post buzz without even typing anything when you say “post buzz” followed by your post.

Small Businesses Could Leverage Influential Buzzers to promote their site




If you could get “top buzzers” buzzing about your business… This would be cool in a couple of ways – updates from a top “buzzer” would show up in their activity stream on their Google Profile, and also on your business Place Page.

And nearby people who are in Google Buzz on their mobile devices would see the activity about your business on the new “Buzz Layer” in Google Maps too.

Take Aways for Local Businesses

Here's what Local Businesses could do with this new technology:

• Claim your Google Local Business Center Profile if you haven’t already!
• Add photos and other details about your business so that your Place Page looks sweet. Make sure to get some online reviews too.
• Set up your Google Profile, and find and connect with “Buzzers” in your area!

What do you think about Google Buzz? Is this huge for local businesses or will it be ignored?




Original post by:  www.expand2web.com

Destiny Technologies, as a founding member of The New World Collaborative is excited to launch it's "One-for-One" initiative in collaboration with Lotus boutique and TOMS Shoes. The idea comes from Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes. He established the one-for-one model by donating a pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair he sells — so far over 400,000 shoes to children all over the world. Click here to learn more about TOMS One for One We were inspired to do the same: For every website we develop for a corporate client, we will build a free website for the not-for-profit organization of the client’s choice. Why?  Like Blake, we want to give back!

	Every Child, Inc. Founded by community volunteer Judy Alexander, this grassroots program started by making sure that every child residing in public housing in Sarasota was given a backpack full of school supplies prior to the beginning of each school year. During the holidays, every child is invited to a Christmas party complete with Santa and his elves distributing gifts. And finally, each spring Every Child’s Cinderella Projects, helps dreams come true for young ladies who need a fine evening dress to wear for prom.  Local business rally to provide some of the other things now expected preparing for and enjoying prom nights – hair styling, manicures, restaurant meals, limo service.  Every Child is an entirely volunteer run organization dependent upon the support of the community and individuals. (NO WEBSITE)
	Mothers Helping Mothers Mothers Helping Mothers is a network for necessities that has been helping families for over 20 years. We help those who are falling through the cracks and have exhausted other resources. We provide cribs, clothing and baby supplies for working families in Sarasota County. We are a 501(c)(3) and we are an all volunteer organization. (NO WEBSITE)
	Second Chance Last Opportunity Second Chance-Last Opportunity (SCLO) is a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization whose mission is to teach life management skills to at risk teens, teen mothers, homeless and low income families in our community. The  non-profit agency holds the view that in order to make a permanent change, the disadvantaged in our community must be given the opportunity to learn to be self-sufficient.  SCLO provides them with the tools, guidance, and the opportunity they need to make a better life for themselves and their families.      (www.secondchancelastopportunity.org)

Lotus (www.lotussarasota.com) 1451 Main Street, Sarasota, FL a chic, stylish boutique, located in Sarasota, Florida.

To learn more click here to go to the New World Collaborative website (www.newwworld.com)

Google Island Presents... Lindsey Ray in a FREE Concert! Who: Lindsey Ray, singer/songwriter/recording artist What: Free concert on Google Island, Sarasota Where: Let’s repeat, Google Island, Sarasota When: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm Why: To bring Google Fiber to Sarasota! What to Wear: Google Glam GO TO THIS FACEBOOK EVENT FOR MORE INFO: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107566075928695&ref=ts

The Sarasota Farmers Market was temporarily renamed: Sarasota Google Market READ THE BLOG ENTRY HERE: www.sarasotafarmersmarket.org/blog/ We want GOOGLE FIBER IN SARASOTA! Go to www.googleisland.net to VOTE FOR SARASOTA TODAY! Became a FAN on FACEBOOK

BROADCASTING LIVE VIDEO FEED OF THE SARASOTA FARMERS MARKET ON THEIR WEBSITE: Now you can watch a Live Video Feed of the SFM on their website (www.sarasotafarmersmarket.org). Here's a link to the live feed:    http://www.sarasotafarmersmarket.org/sarasota-farmers-market-video-feed-live

NOMINATE SARASOTA NOW!

Google is looking for nominations from the community. Our city and county officials are working on the formal proposal to send to Google, but WE need to show community support too!

We encourage to do all this as soon as possible!!!! Let's get Google Fiber in Sarasota Florida!!!

SUBMIT YOUR VOTE HERE:     http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options
Here you have a video created to push this idea:


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Google trying to do?
They are looking for optimal cities to deploy ultra-high speed networks. These networks would be over 100x faster than what we currently have available. They are gathering data from communities, and looking for community support before they choose the best locations.

How will they decide where to deploy?
Nobody knows but Google, but we believe it will be based on three major factors. 1) How much "dark" fiber is available for them to buy or lease 2) How easy it will be to work with local municipalities and 3) Community demand and support for the project.

How will is effect Sarasota?
Broadband is a major catalyst for economic growth. In today's digital world, bandwidth is the lifeline for many different industries including health care, technology businesses, creative industry and more. The applications that require ultra-broadband will drive businesses to setup offices in Sarasota, it will create jobs and improve our ability to compete in a digital economy.

Who is driving this effort?
Everyone is participating. The HuB is working with city and county leadership, business leaders, Ringling College of Art and Design, Mote Marine, and many other organizations. But the most important component is getting the community behind the initiative.

When will they decide?
The deadline for the application is March 26th. According to their website, they will make decisions by the end of the year. We need to push as hard as we can over the next month to show them that we want to make the short list!!


Original post:   http://www.googleisland.net/

NOMINATE SARASOTA NOW!

Google is looking for nominations from the community. Our city and county officials are working on the formal proposal to send to Google, but WE need to show community support too!

We encourage to do all this as soon as possible!!!! Let's get Google Fiber in Sarasota Florida!!!

SUBMIT YOUR VOTE HERE:     http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/public/options
Here you have a video created to push this idea:


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Google trying to do?
They are looking for optimal cities to deploy ultra-high speed networks. These networks would be over 100x faster than what we currently have available. They are gathering data from communities, and looking for community support before they choose the best locations.

How will they decide where to deploy?
Nobody knows but Google, but we believe it will be based on three major factors. 1) How much "dark" fiber is available for them to buy or lease 2) How easy it will be to work with local municipalities and 3) Community demand and support for the project.

How will is effect Sarasota?
Broadband is a major catalyst for economic growth. In today's digital world, bandwidth is the lifeline for many different industries including health care, technology businesses, creative industry and more. The applications that require ultra-broadband will drive businesses to setup offices in Sarasota, it will create jobs and improve our ability to compete in a digital economy.

Who is driving this effort?
Everyone is participating. The HuB is working with city and county leadership, business leaders, Ringling College of Art and Design, Mote Marine, and many other organizations. But the most important component is getting the community behind the initiative.

When will they decide?
The deadline for the application is March 26th. According to their website, they will make decisions by the end of the year. We need to push as hard as we can over the next month to show them that we want to make the short list!!


Original post:   http://www.googleisland.net/

Social media can be many things: a place to network with friends, a way to follow market trends and monitor brand sentiment, a customer service tool for identifying unhappy customers. But is it a tool for demand generation? I believe the answer is yes, but that it requires a different mindset for lead generation and measuring ROI.


I’ll begin with a short history of B2B marketing trends, including the evolution of social media.

The Changing Buyer and Evolving Marketing Trends

A key tenant of Modern B2B Marketing is that buyers will use search and the ready access to information to take control of the buying process – and as a result do not want to engage with Sales until they are much further along in the cycle. But this was not always true:

Before Google (more than 10 years ago)

Buying behaviors: Information was not readily available and the only way a prospect could get the necessary information way to engage a sales rep from your company. Mistrust ruled the day, and buyers created RFPs and purchasing centers to try to equal the playing field.

Marketing trends: Marketers focused primarily on brand building and awareness. Most investments focused on hard to measure methods such as mass advertising, tradeshows, and PR with traditional print media. Direct mail and cold calling made up the majority of targeted interactions, and marketers passed all new leads to Sales for follow-up.

Before Social Media (2 to 10 years ago)

Buying behaviors: Corporate websites were mature and search became the dominant way to find information. Prospects were willing to share their contact information in exchange for the information they wanted.

Marketing trends: Marketers began to focus on SEO, PPC and email marketing to drive traffic, and created content such as whitepapers and webinars to convert traffic into leads. Marketers reallocated budgets towards highly measurable channels and began to be more accountable for lead generation. The best marketers realized that their leads were often too early to send to sales, and invested in lead scoring and lead nurturing to find the hot leads and develop the rest.

The Age of Social Media (today and future)

Buying behaviors: More and more information is available off the official corporate website and on social media sites ranging from LinkedIn and Twitter to YouTube and SlideShare. As buyers tire of “marketing speak” and over-aggressive marketing tactics, they search social sites as part of their research, and interact with other prospects to get and share word of mouth recommendations. Prospects are less likely to register for early stage content on the corporate website, and typically contact the company only when they are ready to engage in a sales cycle.

Marketing trends: Marketers will reallocate investments back to brand, buzz, and awareness – but instead of mass advertising and traditional PR, marketers will invest in smart ways to build brand such as social media, search engine optimization, and content marketing. Lead nurturing will evolve to include building relationships with prospects before they ever give you their name by sharing relevant and useful information across a variety of sites and channels. These changes will have a positive impact on lead generation by increasing the number of highly-qualified inbound leads, but measurement of ROI will be a challenge.

Social media translates into higher quality inbound leads.



Original post: blog.marketo.com

We have launched our new collaborative website www.newwworld.com (NEW WORLD COLLABORATIVE) and the One for One program for Non-profits. One for One is a simple concept – for every website we develop for a corporate client, we will build a FREE website for the not-for-profit organization of the client’s choice. Why?   Simple answer – it’s for the good of the community. We want to give back. We got this idea from Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes who invites everyone to join him in the One for One model he established by donating a pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair he sells.

He’s given over 400,000 shoes to children all over the world.  That’s inspiring.
Click here to learn more about One for One

Disclaimer- One for One websites will be of comparable size and functionality to the original host client’s site.

Google has launched a new tool called Browser Size on their Google Labs. This tool could help you analyze the content on your website and distribute most important information, buttons or calls to action in the right place (where they will have more visibility)

BrowserSize allows you to bring your website (thru a web url address) and showing it at the same time than a grid of visibility. This will show you the percentage of people that will see the content and help you decide if you want to move something.



Even though this is not a new concept, it is a nice tool that helps us realize where we put content and how we can make our landing pages work harder for us.

Try it, click here

 

• 300,000+ business have a presence on facebook
• Participants in online communities usually spend more $ online.
• 70% of companies plan to increase investment in social media by an average of 40% in 2010.
• Social media = Low Cost Marketing + Getting Traction
• Only 18% of traditional TV campaigns generate a positive ROI

What do you think about social media?  Share your story and if you need more information on how social media can help your business grow please call us at 1(866) 388-2697, or click here to contact us.

You can start by checking these sites:

• facebook
• twitter
• youtube
• tumblr
• myspace

Thanks
Destiny