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July 03, 2008

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April 09, 2008

Social Media Marketing Presentation for La Quinta Chamber of Commerce

Definition of Social Media Marketing (wikipedia):

Social Media Marketing (SMM) is a form of internet marketing which seeks to achieve branding and marketing communication goals through the participation in various social media networks such as MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, YouTube, Dailymotion, Hi5, Gather.com, social web applications (webapps) such as reddit, Digg, Stumbleupon, Flickr, iLike, Wikipedia, Squidoo, Last.fm, Twitter, Eventful, ePinions and others as well as within 3D virtual worlds such as Second Life, ActiveWorlds, Moove and There.com. The goals of each SMM program or campaign will differ for every business or organization, however most will involve some form of building an idea or brand awareness, increasing visibility, encouraging brand feedback and dialogue as well as to possibly sell a product or service. SMM may also include online reputation management.

Five Pillars of Social Media Marketing (Ben Willis from Marketing Pilgrim):

The Five Pillars of Social Media Marketing

Any and all forms of Social Media Marketing tactics fall under at least one of these five forms of action. Often the same channel will incorporate two or more of these:

  1. Declaration of Identity
  2. Identity through Association
  3. User-initiated Conversation
  4. Provider-initiated Conversation
  5. In-Person Interaction

What are some social platforms you can "stage" your business?

LinkedIn

Myspace

Facebook

Gather

YouTube

Flickr

Squidoo

Blogging

   

Mortgage Rates Report
    World Wide Wealth Advisors

Twitter

Meetup.com

Podcast Alley

What about Blogging?

Blog is slang for "Web Log"

Bloggers played an important role in the 2004 election- Alexis Rice

Blogs, short for Weblogs, are a frequently updated Internet journal that has become a growing  Internet subculture. This once techie phenomenon has now become an invaluable tool in the  2004 presidential election, adding another innovative Internet component to campaign  communications.

While blogs have received much attention, they were actually one of the earliest publishing  practices on the Internet. Blogs were relatively unknown until recently with increased publicity and the availability of easy-to-use, free blog publishing tools. Blogs enable Internet users to publish and connect to a worldwide audience. Today, there are an estimated two million “bloggers” globally, and that figure is growing steadily.

One of the first mainstream blogs was “The Drudge Report,” which focused on news and political gossip.

Blogger Matt Drudge proved with his coverage of “Monicagate,” among other
stories, that an individual blog can provide a direct and unfiltered source of news.
While blogs generally follow a similar format, they come in many varieties and subject matters including: politics, technology, current events, culture, entertainment, and specfic hobbies and interests. Blogs are an interactive dialog. Internet users can read a blog and then submit their own comments. Blogs entries are dated, with the newest ones posted on top of the page. Most
blogs are postings of thoughts, opinions, and links to related news articles, other blogs, and websites. While the use of blogs in political campaigns, organizations, and businesses has become increasingly popular, allowing these institutions to communicate informally, the majority of blogs are published by individuals.

Why Blog?

1- Google loves fresh content
2- Personal communication with existing and potential customers
3. Allow and invite interactive communication with consumers
4- Transparency.
5- Establish expertise

How to Blog:

1- Platform- Typepad
2- Publishing
3- Posting
4- Commenting
5- Promotion

General Rules of Social Media Networking: (Five Rules of Social Media Optimization)

1- Focus on community building
2- Give before you get
3- Respect the community on the platform
4- Build relationships before initiating contact
5- Always build and protect your reputation

Homework:

1- Read this post
2- Read all the linked articles
3- Set up profiles on all cited communities
4- Connect with your address book (and Brian Brady)
5- Start participating to get a feel for the community
6- Bridge the Digital Divide
7- Pick one or two media platforms to optimize your business
8- Particiapte and have fun; don't get carried away.
 

 

January 15, 2007

Pizza Port on Coast Highway

ppPizza Port is a fun restaurant that specializes in pizza and beer.  The pizza is definitely "Southern Californian" style. Where else can you get a Lahaina Pizza (with pineapples andpo Canadian Bacon), Solana Pizza (shrimp and clams) or Margherita Pizza (basil, tomatoes, and olive oil)?  The menu is simple and tasty.

The big screen television plays surfing videos featuring the best big wave surfers.  There are  plenty of video games n the back of the restaurant to accomodate bored children.  Pizza Port has a microbrew on site with "hand-crafted beers" that will please the most discerning of suds snobs.

When dinner is over you may want to pick up a pint of their home-made ice cream. Prices are very reasonable.  We feed a family of three for about twenty dolllars. There is no dress code.  Most of the patrons are in softball uniforms or flip-flops.

Pizza Port is located on Coast Highway across from the Solana Beach train station (click for map).   They have locations in Carlsbad and San Clemente but the Solana Beach location is the original "Port".

Solana Beach Presbyterian Preschool

eggWe had a wonderful experience sending our daughter to Solana Beach Presbyterian Preschool.  She spent two years thre and really developed into a neat kid.  The teachers are extremely caring and the student to teacher ratio is less than 10-1.

We started our daughter off in the three day program when she was three years old.  We were amazed at how much she learned in that short year.  She learned to count, identify letters, shapes, and colors.  Her spiritual development basically advanced to :God is good". That was wonderful and exceeded our expectations.  She participated in group projects, learned socia; interaction, and how to deal with frustration.

We advanced her to the five day program for her four year old year.  This is when she really started learning!  They start emphasizing phonics, basic addition, more advanced art projects, and "team building".  Her spiritual development advanced to knowing that she was a child of God, discerning right from wrong, caring for those less fortunate, and an understanding of the Chrsitian holidays (Christmas and Easter).

Tuition for the 3 day a week program is about $300/month and the 5 day program was about $500/month.

Solana Beach Presbyterian Preschool website

January 13, 2007

Chief's Burgers and Brew

Walk into Chief's Burgers and Brew on a Sunday and you'll feel like your in downtown Denver; this is definitely Bronco's territory.   Show up on a Friday night for dinner and you'll feel like a Solana Beach local.  Across from the Solana Beach train station on Cedros (just west of Lomas Santa Fe), the restaurant was actually named for the "SuperChief" train on the Santa Fe line.

Chief's is casual.  You eat dinner at picnic tables and can watch one of the 25 televisions tuned to sports.  The service is outstanding and the food is served quickly.  Chief's has been hailed for having one of the top five burgers in Southern California and I won't refute that claim. The menu is pretty simple and features a different special each night of the week. 

This "joint" is extremely family friendly.  You'll probably see some of the kids from your children's school there.  It's a place where mom doesn't have to cook, dad can swill down a microbrew or two, and the kids feel comfortable.

Chief's has a bar that serves beer and wine.  It is a "locals" hangout that closes around 10PM.  The topic at the bar is light, mostly sports.  It's the type of place where you come in a stranger and walk out a local.

The outside patio is small and has a charming firepit.  Dress is casual; flip flops are the preferred footwear.  It is only prohibitively crowded during race season (mid July to early September) or if the Denver Broncos are playing.

January 01, 2007

Welcome to SandyBlogger

Welcome to SandyBlogger.com, your resource for What's Happening  in San Diego.

Debra Brady, your host, will bring you interesting news , stories, and commentary about living, working, and playing along the coast in San Diego County. 

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