BeTuitive: Blogs

Green Blackle?

Posted on July 25, 2008 by Jennie Huss.

Today I was looking at internet news and found this article about a Google search engine that has a black background. It’s called Blackle. As I read about how it saves so much energy I couldn't help but think "Why hasn't Google changed to this?" Such a small step on millions of computers could help out the environment a lot.

After checking out the site I was slightly disappointed, as the search engine only shows links. It didn't have the added convenience of videos, images, shopping- and all the other things that are expected to be within a click. This is probably the main reason for not using this energy efficient Web site.

However, as I continued reading and searched for further information on the subject, the positive results were limited to certain types of screens. In fact, with some types of screens, the black background uses even more energy than the white screen. Apparently the answer to being energy efficient isn’t as easy as using a search engine with a black background.

With the popular trend towards "going green" businesses and individuals are re-vitalizing the way things are done in favor of the environment. For some this could mean steps as small as getting more energy efficient light bulbs, while others will conduct a full overhaul--perhaps going paperless, installing solar panels or other more dramatic energy-conscious steps.

The idea that helping the environment involves sacrifice is a misconception. The choice to go green, personally or with a business, does not have to be a dramatic change in lifestyle. It can be simple changes to everyday life such as reusing bags, deciding to reuse towels before washing them, or carpooling to work. With these miniscule steps, anyone can make a positive impact on the environment.

July 25, 2008 in Blogs, bulk email marketing, create a newsletter, Custom publishing, e-newsletter, e-zine, html newsletter, mass email, online newsletter, publish online | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Interdisciplinary Studies in Marketing: Abelardo Morrell

Posted on April 11, 2008 by Kathryn Regina.

A while back I had the pleasure of interviewing Frans Johansson for a client publication. Johansson’s book The Medici Effect states that breakthrough insights occur at the intersection of fields, disciplines and cultures. With that in mind, I have been on the lookout for lessons from other disciplines that could lend a fresh perspective to the marketing/custom publishing world.

One of my discoveries is the photography of Abelardo Morrell. A book review in Scientific American succinctly describes his process:

“As the world of photography grows ever more digitized, Morell offers a glorious and surprising reminder of its classical roots. The well-known Cuban-born photographer essentially turns a room into the interior of a camera. He blacks out the windows, leaving a pinhole opening in one of them. Because of the nature of refracted light, the scene outside the window is projected upside down into the dim room. Morell then captures the room on film with a large format view camera; exposures can take eight hours or more.”

I saw Morrell speak at The Art Institute of Chicago, and he said that when he discovered this process he felt like he had discovered photography. Can you imagine that feeling?

Lesson: New discoveries don’t have to be technological discoveries. Or better stated: Going back to the roots of a process can be just as innovative as building on the latest technology. How did people market in the 1800s?

I’m totally blowing your mind right now.

p>tags: marketing | custom publishing | Frans Johansson | The Medici Effect Abelardo Morrell |What's a tag?

April 11, 2008 in Blogs, Business Marketing, Custom publication, Custom publications, Custom publisher, Custom publishing, E-Marketing, Marketing Communication, online marketing, online publishing | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Blockbuster Teams

Posted on December 06, 2007 by Kathryn Regina.

According to the book Blockbusters, it’s a company’s innovative product—not it’s price point, customer service or depreciation schedule—that creates value for customers. To discover the key practices required for developing “blockbuster” products, authors Gary S. Lynn, Ph.D. and Richard R. Reilly, Ph.D., conducted a two year study of “blockbuster” product development teams. Here’s what we thought of their findings:

Kathy:

Out of the five “best practices” for new product development, I thought the most interesting one was that successful teams always have senior management that is “intimately involved” with the project. This seems to run contrary to most management situations. It also raises the question as to how these managers have time to be both teammates and management. Nevertheless, the authors insist that “coming up with the ‘big idea’ is only the beginning,” and that when management merely pops in once in a while to check in on things it’s not only unhelpful, it often results in “hit and run” accidents. The authors observed that in successful teams, senior management played one of three roles: project leader, technical guru or coach.

Jeff:

The authors’ observation that successful teams were “not especially concerned about building friendships or even insisting that everyone like each other,” adds a harsh robotic-like element to what is otherwise a set of reasonable best practices. However, upon closer examination it seems like what the authors really observed from the successful teams was that friendships aren’t all that’s needed for a strong team, and that strong teams can exist even if not everyone gets along. That’s a lot different than saying that in order to be successful you have to be unconcerned about building friendships. Because that just sounds creepy, to be honest.

Kevin:

Keep it open. Keep it clear. Keep it consistent. That seems to be the lesson from the book summary, “Blockbusters,” which identifies the five necessary steps to lead a product development team. When I say keep it open, I mean lines of communication, ideas and focus must be open to all possibilities. It never serves people well to be forced down one unwavering path. It is important to be clear about what your product is, what the competition provides, who your audience is and who your competitors are. A clear idea of this allows the unique and alluring elements of your product strategy to flourish. Lastly, maintaining consistent communication and problem-solving techniques between developers, managers and decision makers discourages the occurrence of mistakes, unfavorable relationships and unwanted surprises.

Joanna:

By reading specific accounts of real-life company sagas, it becomes clear that Lynn and Reilly's "5 keys to developing great new products" are vital steps to becoming successful. The summary highlights Iomega's trip to success and teaches the reader that all 5 rules (Commitment of Senior Management, Clear and Stable Vision, Improvisation, Information Exchange, and Collaboration Under Pressure) are not simply step-by-step suggestions. Rather, all 5 must be used tgether from start to finish in a balanced collaberation between all departments of the company.

December 6, 2007 in award winning design, award winning magazine, award winning newsletter, Blogs, build credibility, business credibility, Business editorial, business magazine, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, company magazine, company newsletter, Company newsletters, Company publication, corporate magazine, Corporate newsletter, Corporate publications | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

The Five Elements for Solid Decision Making

Posted on September 27, 2007 by Kevin G.

I came across a great blog article that reviewed a study of 154 C-Level executives and their perceptions of how they make decisions. The outlook is mixed at best. Many managers and executives feel weary about their decisions from lack-of or inaccurate data. Others tend to decide on personal intuition, while some panic from the pressure of deadlines.

Though the results are sobering - "72% of execs believe management decision making is only moderately efficient or worse" - the post provides five key elements to make better decisions.

High-Quality Data

Access to Advanced Training and Systems

Sound Judgment

Trust

Flexibility

Read on to get the reasoning behind what makes a good decision.

September 27, 2007 in Blog Outsourcing, blog publish, Blogging Tools, Blogs, Brand enhancement, build credibility, Building B2B Relationships, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, Business relationships, Creative emails, Custom email, custom magazine, custom newsletter, Custom publication, Custom publications, magazine design, magazine marketing, magazine outsourcing, magazine publishing, Marketing Communication, marketing magazine, Newsletter ROI, newsletter sample | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Business Intelligence and Predictive Analytics

Posted on September 14, 2007 by Kevin G.

I just read a great blog article about a type of analysis that is making a storm here at BeTuitive. Mix extensive data mining, complex mathematics, and an intuitive approach and you have the field of Business Intelligence.

Business Intelligence discovers insightful trends in data to help direct business initiatives and better understand segments. The next step in Business Intelligence is utilizing predictive analytics to develop business practices that "read the minds" of customers or clients.

James Taylor writes, "If BI tells you what’s happened, predictive analytics tells you what to do." Click here to get the whole story.

September 14, 2007 in Blog Outsourcing, blog publish, Blogging Tools, Blogs, Brand enhancement, build credibility, custom magazine, custom newsletter, Custom publication, Custom publications, Custom publisher, Custom publishing, Customer Intuition, customer magazine, customer retention, Customizable publication, Educating Clients, Educating Prospects, email tracking | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Keep Blogging with These Seven Steps

Posted on August 13, 2007 by Kevin G.

Sometimes we all feel like blogging, but we hit a road block. Sometimes we want to write about a subject but we have a tough time solidifying a position. Other times, we write a great blog and then are stumped as to what could be written next round.

I found some great tips on how to develop, manage and communicate your blogging topics. In addition, Advice is also given on how to create and track your objectives. Enjoy.

August 13, 2007 in Blog Outsourcing, blog publish, Blogging Tools, Blogs, build credibility, Building B2B Relationships, company blog, Corporate Blogging, publish, publish a journal, publish a rss, publish company, publish online, publish writing, publishing outsourcing, publishing solution, sample newsletter, self publish, Strategic Internet Marketing, Thought leadership newsletter, web publish, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

6 blogging blunders

Posted on August 08, 2007 by Kathryn Regina.

If you're a regular blogger you should check out this article on common blogging mistakes. Among the top mistakes are not providing enough links, writing huge blocks of text and disabling comments.

6 Blogging Blunders

August 8, 2007 in award winning blog, award winning design, award winning magazine, award winning newsletter, Award winning publications, blog publish, Blogging Tools, Blogs, Brand enhancement, build credibility, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, bulk email marketing, business credibility, Business editorial, business magazine, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, Business relationships, company blog | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Six Productivity Tips

Posted on August 02, 2007 by Kathryn Regina.

I love that Brazen Careerist. Really, I just love her title. But I think her article on productivity offers some helpful insights as well. If you want to get more done in less time--and who doesn't?--you should check it out. My favorite tip is "focus on outcome."

Six Productivity Tips to Put Time on Your Side

August 2, 2007 in award winning blog, Blogs, build credibility, business credibility, Business editorial, business magazine, company blog, company newsletter, Corporate Blogging, corporate magazine, Corporate publications, create newsletter, Custom publisher, Custom publishing, E-Marketing, e-newsletter, e-zine, Email Marketing, email service, ezine, ezine marketing, grow relationships, how to publish online, magazine design, magazine outsourcing, marketing newsletter, newsletter design | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

3 Keys to Cultivating a Successful Blog: Relevant, Consistent, Transparent

Posted on June 21, 2007 by Kevin G.

Ok, we get it. We (marketers, business owners, the general public) all know that blogs are great tools to use. They spread awareness, knowledge and ideas behind a name, brand, or identity to the world on a personal level. But it takes more effort than you think to cultivate a bussling active blog. In the pursuit of spreading my knowledge (or my two cents), here are my three qualities any successful blog should have:

1) Relevancy is Key

Successful bloggers don't throw everything at the wall to see what sticks – that's just lazy. If bloggers are able to pick topics that ring clear to their intended audience, it shows they get it. Show that you know what your audience is concerned about. Be an expert through research and sharing experiences that people can benefit from. A blog with relevant conent will spark engagement and enhance interaction.

2) Keep it Consistent

Consistency is key to developing readership. When you pick days to post (whether it be daily, weekly, or even monthly) stick to them. This shows that you care about the flow of your blog. Consider the way you write about topics, present media or comment on fellow bloggers' postings. A consistent blog is a reliable resource for your audience.

3) Maintain Transparency

Face it, your blog is open to readers all over the world. It is easy to get burned if done dishonestly. Savvy blog readers can see right through a fake and can make it a personal quest to expose the good, the bad, and the ugly. Make sincere posts with honest intent to connect with your audience on a personal level. Also, allow your readers to get in touch with you through email or be open to answer back on posts.

Here are some good tips to make a smashing start for your new blog. Now blog away!

June 21, 2007 in award winning blog, award winning design, Blog Outsourcing, blog publish, Blogging Tools, Blogs, Brand enhancement, build credibility, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, Business relationships, company blog, Corporate Blogging, Custom publication, customer retention, Educating Clients, Educating Prospects, grow relationships, how to publish and promote online, how to publish online, marketing solutions, nurturing relationships, web publish, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

8 Ways to Boost Your Click Through Rates

Posted on June 05, 2007 by Kathryn Regina.

From product reviews to information sharing, the Medquoda Daily shares tips from the "Creating Great Free Email Newsletters" session of SIPA's 31st annual conference in Washington D.C. Read the article to learn valuable information about copy writing for promotional-based emails.

These eight techniques will boost your click through rates

June 5, 2007 in Blogs, build credibility, business credibility, Business editorial, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, company blog, company newsletter, Company publication, Corporate newsletter, create a newsletter, create email newsletter, create newsletter, creating company newsletter, creating newsletter, custom newsletter, Custom publication, Custom publications, E-Marketing, Email Marketing, how to publish online, how to write a newsletter, how to write and publish a paper, magazine marketing, Marketing Communication, Newsletter content, newsletter creation, Newsletter Marketing | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

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