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Top 10 Benefits of using Digital Signage Advertising Displays for Businesses and Why?

12/20/2018

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For perhaps the first time since the 1950s, the retail and restaurant franchise environments are undergoing a huge transformation right now. In-store trackers, geolocators, and increased digital/brick and mortar integration mean that owners need to be as tech savvy as they are sales savvy.
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A big part of that discussion is how best to utilize digital signage. Driven by demand, opportunity and the dropping cost of digital screens, it’s an increasingly popular option for franchise owners.

​Top 10 benefits of digital signage in the modern franchise environment:

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1. Minimizes perceived wait time

One of the best things you can do to improve customer experience is to keep them entertained. A digital screen gives them something to do-it’s a lot less annoying to wait in line if you’ve got something to watch. As a result, perceived wait time drops.

​2. Run time-sensitive ads

The lead time on a print ad is at a minimum six weeks. For most restaurant franchise companies, it’s even longer. But digital signage is connected to the internet, which means that fresh ads can be rolled out as easily as a social media post. It also means:
  • You can run social media feeds, weather, blog posts – whatever you could run on a website.
  • You can run extremely relevant and local ads (since you’re not relying on a national brand to send you collateral)

​3. New creative is inexpensive

​Compared to traditional print signage, it’s far less expensive to develop and roll out new ads for digital screens. This means that you can run more targeted, local marketing campaigns. Your digital marketing plan can now take into account local events as well. For example, you might create two ads depending on the outcome of a local football game and then run the relevant ad.

4. You can run relevant ads depending on the time of day or day of the week.

Breakfast ads during breakfast if you’re a restaurant franchise, for example. Alternatively, if you have a retail clothing franchise, you might run ads featuring rain gear on rainy days and sunglasses on sunny ones.

​5. Digital signs increase sales.

​A report in from DataTrend found that digital signage increase purchase amount and dwell time by almost 30% each in retail business. In terms of digital marketing tactics, it’s hard to get a better bang for your buck.

​6. Digital signage can be interactive.

​You can use digital signage to interact with your customers and thus learn more about them–“Data-driven marketing”. For example, you might run a social promotion where customers can sign up to receive email newsletters in exchange for a discount. Waiting in line to check out with their smartphone is a prime time to deliver that message to customers.

7. You can double up your marketing efforts by using content online and on digital signage.

​Most major franchised brands, from Krispy Kreme to McDonald’s, produce far more digital marketing content at both the national and local level than ever ends up offline. With digital signage, you can leverage a lot of that creative work and reuse it, quickly and effectively updating your in-store marketing.

8. You can quickly test and iterate your marketing tactics.

​Because you can put up and take down different ads at the click of a button, you can be extremely effective in testing which marketing messages work best. Over time, you can hone your digital marketing strategy accordingly.

​9. Reduces administration cost.

​Digital signage might be expensive to install, but you save money in the long run by reducing print and administration costs. As a one-time expense, digital signage equipment is generally regarded as a capital investment and comes out of an operations budget and not your marketing budget. Even better, there is no print cost.

And, digital administration can be done by one person in a central location. So if you own 10 franchises, you can update all of them at once. With just one person updating it, it’s easier to manage and you can ensure peace of mind that it’s been done, and done consistently with brand standards. In comparison to coordinating a new print roll out, digital signage:
  • Is faster and easier
  • Creates a more consistent brand experience across franchises
  • Is easier to comply with changing regulations

10. Digital signage lets you leverage video.

Video is far more engaging than stills. Digital signage lets you leverage the hypnotizing power of video to snag and hold customers’ attention. Even simple animations like pause and zoom effects on still artwork provide a more engaging viewer experience.
Source: burkhartmarketing
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47 DIFFERENT WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

9/23/2017

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Source: ​http://tubularinsights.com/47-ways-promote-youtube-channel/
At the end of the day, the best marketing results come to those who stand out from the rest of the crowd. So, when it comes to YouTube, what is it that makes your videos or your channel unique? What value are you providing to the community with your video content?

​If you can answer these questions, then promoting your channel should become easier for you. But how do you promote yourself and your videos? We show you 47 different ways right here. Oh, and to see where your own YouTube channel ranks today, check out your 
Tubular Creator Profile here.

Business Cards

Traditional marketing still works. Business cards are an easy and effective way to market your YouTube channel. For best results, every card should include your YouTube name, URL, and links to your social media pages. You can hand them out at events when networking with others and to those interested in your niche. Also, quality design is important in order to make your cards stick out from others.
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T-Shirt Marketing

Thanks to t-shirt marketing, you can promote your YouTube channel by wearing a t-shirt that has your channel info. You can create custom t-shirts for your channel on websites like CafePress and Zazzle. Pick a color that makes your t-shirt stand out and include your YouTube name along with the channel url.
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Another way to use this form of marketing is to sell or give away your branded t-shirts. You can give them away to family, friends, and those interested. More people wearing your t-shirts will lead to more viewers for your YouTube channel. This is a great way to expand your potential reach.

Branded Accessories

Pens, erasers, water bottles, and phone cases are just some accessories that can be branded for your YouTube channel. Just like t-shirts mentioned above, these accessories can be given away for more exposure. Every time someone comes across a person using your branded accessories, they may be interested in checking out your YouTube channel. As always, make sure to include your YouTube name and channel url.
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Social Media Profiles

Social media is one of the best ways to grow your channel. Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus should always be fully utilized for marketing. Instagram is another social media platform that is widely used by YouTubers and vloggers. Building a presence on social media allows you to gain exposure immediately for your videos. Each tweet, status update, and post can lead to more views.

It’s important to create a separate account for your YouTube channel instead of always using your personal profile. This allows you to post updates that are always relevant to your audience. You can even link back to your personal profile if you prefer to do so.
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Email Marketing

Collecting email addresses can do wonders for your channel and video brand. It allows you to notify your fans and viewers directly in their email inbox. If interested, you can use a program like Aweber. Email marketing gives you the ability to notify your followers of any new updates and videos whenever you like. You can use this form of marketing to create a newsletter that includes updates and your videos from the past week or month. By sending one email to your subscribers, you could end up receiving thousands of video views.
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​True View Advertisements

Do you have a budget to promote your videos? If so, you can create video ads for your YouTube channel through the Adwords for video program. These video advertisements are called TrueView ads and are played before a video on YouTube loads (those 15-30 second ads or the ones that allow you to select “skip” after 5 seconds).
You are only charged when someone views the required time for your TrueView ad and can target where you would like them to appear. This is a very effective way to bring awareness to your YouTube channel. Always try to make your first 5 seconds as effective as possible in order to entice viewers to finish watching the rest of the advertisement!
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​Video Search Engine Optimization

You can get more views by optimizing your YouTube videos for search engines. SEO, also known as search engine optimization, involves adding relevant keywords and phrases to your videos in order to be found by search engines like Google. These phrases and keywords should be similar to search queries that are relevant to your video. This will help people come across your videos on search engines when searching for a certain topic or keyword.
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You can place these keywords/phrases in your title, video description, file name, and as tags. Make sure the keywords are relevant and be careful not to over optimize (placing too many keywords) because this will not do any good.
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Blogging

Starting a blog allows you to build a following for your channel outside of YouTube. Every time you create a blog post, it can bring you visitors from search engines. You can then convert these visitors into your viewers. For best results, try placing your YouTube videos at the end of each blog post or on your sidebar. You can do this by using the embed feature on YouTube. Just copy and paste the code wherever you like.
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Another tool you can use is the YouTube subscribe widget. This can be found on the Google developers web page. It allows your readers to subscribe to your YouTube with just one click! If you’re running out of blog content ideas, you can even transcribe your videos! This allows you to get visitors who are searching for information that can be found in your videos.
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​Forums

Forums are where discussions happen. Whenever there is a discussion happening that is relevant to your YouTube channel, you should try taking part. By providing quality answers and discussions, other members of the forum will be enticed to visit your channel.
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In regards to letting others know about your videos, you never want to spam or post your YouTube links when irrelevant or unhelpful. Most forums allow you to create a custom signature. This is a great place to link to your channel. If allowed, you can even use the name of your channel as your username.
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​Contests

People love contests! By setting up a contest around your YouTube channel with a cool prize, you are sure to garner a lot of interest. For example, the contest could require participants to share your videos on social media, leave a specific comment, or even blog about your channel. This will help spread the word about your YouTube channel and grow your audience.

When it comes to choosing an awesome prize, you do not have to spend money. For example, the winners could receive a mention in your next video or even a personal video thanking them. Just remember to be creative!
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Go to VidCon @ Event or Conference

VidCon (Example) is the largest gathering of online video creators and YouTube lovers. By attending VidCon, you can meet and network with creators of other channels as well as those involved in your industry. You may even end up collaborating with another YouTube creator. This is an effective way to expand your audience.

VidCon is also a great place to meet with your viewers and followers. Engaging with those who support you is essential for long term success. Speaker panels hosted at the event allow you to gain knowledge and a better understanding of what it takes to market your YouTube channel.
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​Meetup Group

Starting a meetup group with YouTube video creators allows you to discuss the latest tips, trends and strategies for growth on YouTube. The group can meetup on a weekly or monthly basis. Every time a new person joins the group, be sure to introduce yourself. Meetup groups provide you the opportunity discuss marketing strategies that are working for others and can also lead to collaboration videos.
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​Collab Videos

As mentioned above, collaborating with other YouTube creators is a really effective way to grow your viewership. Collab videos involve 2 or more channel owners producing a video together. The person uploading the collab video to his or her channel usually provides a mention and link to the participants.
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Collaborating with YouTube creators allows you create a bigger audience because viewers from other channels will be interested in checking out your videos. One of the best formats for collaborating is to split the collaboration video into 2 or more parts and then each partner can upload a part to their YouTube channel.

​You can also exchange video mentions with other YouTube creators without even creating a collaboration video. Creators can find similar channels to work with using the free Audience Dashboard from Tubular Labs which effectively and easily facilitiates these kind of collaborations.

​Speak at Events

Speaking at events allows you to showcase your expertise. You can apply to become a speaker at an event that is relevant to your YouTube channel. For example, if you create videos on tax tips then you can try becoming a speaker at an event that focuses on taxation. For the best results, speak at events that have an attendance which is similar to your viewership. By showcasing your expertise to those interested, you are creating a pathway to your YouTube channel for when people are looking for similar information.
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Video Commenting

Leaving valuable comments under YouTube videos is a good way to let the creator and viewers know about your YouTube channel. Every time you leave some great feedback or a good point, those who agree with you will like your comment and give you a thumbs up. This will make your comment appear higher and can prompt new viewers to visit your profile to which they will find your awesome video content.
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​16 Blog Commenting

Commenting on blogs is another way to get the word out about your YouTube channel. You want to follow the same rules as mentioned previously in regards to leaving some great feedback and good points. Most blogs require you to fill out two fields when providing a comment. The 2 fields are usually your name and email. But most of the time there is also an optional field called, “website”. This is where you can place your channel url. Every time someone views your comment and clicks on your name, they will be directed to your YouTube channel. It’s important to comment on blogs that are relevant to the topics of your videos.
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​Sticker Marketing

This is a very simple way to market your channel. Sticker marketing involves placing branded stickers in frequently visited places. It’s that simple! The stickers should be branded with your YouTube name, channel url, and a great tagline. You should use a big enough font and avoid putting too much information because the stickers should be easy to read. Your stickers can be placed on doors, bus stops, or even message boards. Be careful not to “sticker spam” and make sure you have permission to place the stickers at the places you prefer.
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​Advertise on Your Car

How about using your vehicle as an advertisement? You could place an advertisement for your YouTube channel on the trunk or doors of your car. Every time you go for a drive, you could end up getting new viewers. The advertisement could be a large sticker with your YouTube information. Make sure that the design allows people to read about your channel from a distance.
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​Write for Magazines

​Writing for a magazine allows you to showcase your industry knowledge by providing great content to readers that are relevant to your niche. You can mention your YouTube channel in your author bio with each contribution. It’s important to write for a magazine that provides content similar to yours. This will help transition readers into your viewers.
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​Get Published in the Press

Like with magazines, you can also write for your local newspaper. If you feel that you have some great information for your community, then you can contact the editor with your proposed content. Another way to get published in the press is to do interviews. Journalists are frequently looking to interview people for their own content. This is a great opportunity for you to participate and get your YouTube channel mentioned in return.
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​Start a Podcast

Podcasting allows you to build a following separate from your YouTube channel. It also allows you to provide more content to your current YouTube fans and followers. Most importantly, it gives you the ability to convert your listeners into YouTube subscribers.
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You could start a podcast on topics similar to your channel. For example, let’s say you make videos on fitness tips and exercises. You could start a weekly podcast on the latest fitness trends, workouts, and diet tips. While doing so, you can mention your channel anytime during the podcast and encourage your listeners to subscribe. ReelSEO’s Tubetalk is an excellent example of a podcast that caters to the topic of video marketing, and promotes the YouTube channels of all contributors.
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​Email Signature

Use your email account often? If so, you can create a custom signature with your YouTube channel information. You can also include links to your social media pages. Every time you send or reply to an email, your YouTube info will be shown at the bottom of the message.
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​Guest Blogging

As mentioned earlier, blogging is a really effective way to promote your videos. Guest blogging allows you to get the same benefits without managing a blog. You can email blogs that are relevant to your YouTube channel to see if they are open to taking a guest post.
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Many websites and blogs usually have a guest posting page to let readers know that they are open to guest posts. These pages also include guidelines, so be sure to follow them. At the end of each guest post, authors are allowed to link back to their blog. In your case, you can link back to your YouTube channel.

​Rent a Booth

If you are a brand or have a budget then you can rent a booth at an event or trade show. When people visit your booth, you can giveaway branded merchandise and t-shirts with your YouTube info. The more people that make use of your branded merchandise, the higher your potential viewership will increase.
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Renting a booth gives you the chance to network with visitors who may be interested in subscribing to your YouTube channel. You may also be mentioned by the press covering the event.
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​Host a Workshop

As mentioned previously, you should establish your YouTube channel or yourself as the authority in your industry. Hosting a workshop lets you do just that! For example, let’s say that you are a beauty vlogger and you make videos on make-up tutorials. In this case, you could host a workshop that covers make-up lessons similar to your YouTube videos. This would make your YouTube channel the go to source when your attendees are searching for similar lessons. Even those who are not able to attend your workshop will still give your channel a closer look.
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​Google Plus Community

By starting a Google+ community page, you are creating a place for others to discuss topics similar to your channel. When you are setting up your community page, you can add a link to your YouTube profile.
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Post your thoughts and answer questions to get even more exposure for your channel. The community page can be set up as public or private. You can also invite people to join. The community will allow you to brand your channel. Every time someone joins the page, they will be able to see your YouTube link.
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​YouTube Fan Finder Program

Did you know that YouTube is spending money to help you promote your YouTube channel for free? The YouTube Fan Finder program allows you to submit up to 5 advertisements for your channel. These ads are then shown across different YouTube videos to an audience that is relevant to your channel.
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The goal of this program is promote your YouTube channel to viewers that will enjoy and engage with your videos. Your ads should be short video clips that give a preview of what your channel is about. Be sure to make your first 5 seconds really good. Every time a viewer clicks on the channel ad, they are directed to your profile. Fan Finder is a great way to build a bigger audience at no cost to you!
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​Interact with Your Audience

​Taking the time to interact with those that support you is not only the right thing to do but it is important for long term growth. Viewers like to feel appreciated so it’s essential that you engage with them.
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One of the best places to interact with your supporters is on Twitter. You can tweet or reply to those who watch your videos. When others on social media see you interacting with your followers, they may be interested in joining the conversation and possibly becoming your newest subscriber.
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​Compelling YouTube Thumbnails

When it comes to search results, images draw a lot of attention. By creating a custom thumbnail that attracts viewers, you can make your videos stand out from others. You can create an attractive thumbnail and upload it for each video. Make sure your font can still be read when reduced to a thumbnail. The image should be relevant to your videos because you want your visitors to stay engaged. Test out different styles to see which ones give you the best click thru rate.
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​Use Hashtags

You should always be using hashtags on social media. Google+, Twitter, Facebook and many other social media platforms that allow you to use hashtags. Every time you use a hashtag it increases your potential reach.

​Whenever someone searches for your hashtag, they will come across your post. So it’s important to use relevant hashtags when creating a post that is linked to your YouTube video. Someone who makes videos on soccer lessons could use the hashtag #soccer or #soccerlessons. Using hashtags helps you reach potential viewers that are currently not following you.
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​Allow Embeds

For your YouTube videos, you have the option to allow embedding or disable it. When you allow your videos to be embedded, it lets others share your content on blogs and web pages. All someone needs to do in order to embed your YouTube video is copy and paste the link under the, “share” tab. Anytime a blogger, webmaster, or journalist comes across your video and want to embed it in their content, it will result in the video getting more exposure.
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​Encourage Sharing

Asking your viewers to share your YouTube videos is a must. At the end of your videos, you should encourage your viewers to share your content with their friends and on social media. Every time someone shares your YouTube channel, it opens a new doorway to your videos. You can even offer incentives or use a contest as mentioned earlier. By rewarding your viewers for sharing your channel, it will result in more doorways being opened to your videos.
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​Use Playlists

A playlist is a custom list of videos on YouTube. They should always be used! Whenever someone is watching a video from a playlist, they will be directed to the next video in that list after the current one is finished being viewed.
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Try creating a playlist with your recent videos and then send visitors to the playlist instead of just each video. This increases the chances of your viewers watching more than one video. Playlists allow you to group videos together in order to get more channel views.
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​Awesome Titles

Your YouTube videos should have great titles. The title of each video should be catchy, descriptive and have keywords. Be careful not to create irrelevant titles just to get more views because it will lead to less engagement. Your title needs to be intriguing in order to catch a viewer’s attention. It should be descriptive to let people know what to expect. Lastly, it should include keywords that people will search for in order to find your video.
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​Create Consistent Video Content

The more videos you create the more pathways to your YouTube channel. It’s good to have as many pathways as possible. If you are not consistent with uploading videos to your channel, people will start to unsubscribe. That is the opposite of what we are trying to do here!
You should create a consistent amount of videos per week and follow a specific schedule to keep your following on good terms. This will allow your viewers to know when to expect your next video. With each video you create, you have the ability to show up in different search results. Over time as you create more content, you will end up noticing a higher total in channel views.
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​Host a Webinar

Webinars are a very popular way to present information online. They are also a good way to brand your YouTube channel. You can use webinars to interact with your viewers, provide lessons, and build relationships with those interested in your industry. For example, let’s say you create videos on car reviews. In this case, you could start a webinar for car buying tips.
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Webinars provide the same benefits of hosting a workshop and are a great way to build a presence around your YouTube channel. At the end of webinars you can engage with your audience by answering any questions they have on the topic. By doing so, you are building a stronger relationship with your following.
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​Social Bookmarking Sites

Reddit, Digg, and StumbleUpon are just a few of the many social bookmarking websites that can make your videos go viral. Social bookmarking sites are filled with communities and users interested in checking out new content.
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Every site has a different feel and community, so it’s important to do some research before submitting your content. Doing so will show you where you can find the best results. If users like your video, they will vote for it and as you get more votes, the submitted video will rank higher. Content that is ranked high receives a lot of traffic so there’s a good chance your video will get a ton of views.

​YouTube Tags

Have you ever come across videos with phrases like, “Get to know me tag” or “5 Questions Tag”? These videos are based on specific YouTube tags. Most of the time, video creators on YouTube will be using the same tag as everyone else during that time frame. This is because it helps bring extra views from users that are searching for the YouTube tag. Using them can also make your videos appear on the right sidebar when viewers are watching a different video with the same tag. Using trending YouTube tags is an effective marketing strategy.
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​Question and Answer Videos

It is important to engage with your viewers for long term growth. One way to do so is by doing question and answer videos. Your viewers ask you questions, and you answer them. To make this work, you can ask your viewers to leave their questions in the comments section for you to answer in the next video. Answering questions shows your audience that you appreciate their support and will help strengthen your following.
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​Print out Flyers / Brochure / Leaflet

Yes, this form of marketing still works for many people. Creating flyers about your YouTube channel is a very easy task. All you have to do is create a design on your computer and print it out! After printing out your flyers, you can hand them out or place them in busy areas. Placing your flyers in areas that are visited often is usually the best option because it allows them to be seen by more than one person. Make sure to include your social media links as well!​
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​Use QR codes

​QR (Quick Response) codes can be linked directly to your YouTube channel. They are known as those square shaped barcodes that can be scanned by your smart phone. QR codes have become a popular way to share information. There are tons of QR code generators online that can help you create one that directs people to your YouTube videos. These codes can be placed on your business cards, flyers, and all other promotional materials.
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​Word of Mouth

One of the top ways to market your channel is by talking about it. Tell your friends about it and encourage them to do the same. The more people talking about your YouTube channel, the better. Attending networking events allows you to engage with others and mention your YouTube channel. Creating a positive buzz from word of mouth marketing is priceless. Having people recommend your channel is some of the best branding and advertising that you can get.
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​Public Bulletin Boards

You can find bulletin boards at libraries, universities and many public locations. They can be used to advertise your channel by posting flyers or other promotional print outs. You can even post information for your podcasts and webinars like we discussed earlier. Research your target age group and use bulletin boards that are visited by that specific age group. Your post should stick out from other messages on the same board.
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​Partnering with a Brand

A lot of companies and brands are very open to partnering with content creators. By partnering with a brand, you would be giving them exposure through your videos. In return, you can get advertising from the brand and their following.
It’s important to put your best foot forward in reaching out to brands. A great resource to help creators promote themselves is Tubular Creator Profiles. Share your Profile link with anyone you’d like to partner with to give them a quick way to check out your content, reach and rankings.
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​Google Hangouts

Many successful YouTube creators use Google Hangouts to interact with their followers. This is yet another great way to engage with your audience. Instead of making a video to answer questions from your viewers, you can do it live! After finishing the live stream, you can upload the footage to your YouTube channel. You can even use Google Hangouts to provide information and tips on topics related to your industry. This will encourage others to visit your YouTube channel when looking for information on similar topics.
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​Create a Facebook Group

​Just like with Google+ communities, you can establish a place to discuss topics related to your channel by creating a Facebook group. The group can be open or invitational. By starting a Facebook group, you can build a community around your YouTube channel. Having an engaging community who supports your videos is vital for growth. With a Facebook group, you can create just that!
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​Set Homepages to YouTube Channel

When someone uses an internet browser, they start at a homepage. What if that homepage was your YouTube channel? If so, every time someone uses the internet, your channel would be the first thing to load. For starters, you can try seeing if your friends and family would be interested in doing so. After that, you can try negotiating with places like libraries or computer cafes. Your goal should be to scale up the amount of default home pages you can change to your YouTube channel so it’s best to find a place where the internet is being browsed daily.
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Don't Leave College Without These Basic 10 Digital Skill

5/20/2013

0 Comments

 
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Graduation season is upon us, and that means college graduates everywhere are preparing to enter "the real world." But chances are your liberal arts degree, as hard-earned and valuable as it is, doesn't equip you with every digital skill you need.


We've put together a short list of fundamental skills that every college graduate should possess, from simply branding yourself online to learning basic coding. They're guaranteed to increase your overall digital know-how, and you can learn them all on your own.

Did you graduate college a long time ago, or never attended? Don't worry — it's never too late to learn these skills. They're useful to anyone.

1. Setting Up a Wi-Fi Network
These days, most students are lucky enough to go to colleges that already have wireless Internet set up in the dorms. By simply typing in a password on the provided network, the web magically appears on your laptop. But once you graduate, that's no longer the case. To save yourself from this harsh reality, learn what it takes to get working Wi-Fi: setting up the modem, launching a new network and researching local companies and pricing.

2. Backing Up to the Cloud
With all those photos of your friends, your music library and a copy of your 40-page thesis, your entire world exists on the hardware of your computer, phone or tablet. You're going to want to back all of that up to the cloud, either to preserve it, or so you can access your information anywhere. Whether you're interested in iCloud or Dropbox, research the various services that are available and find the one that's right for you.

3. Basic Photo Editing (Photoshop)
Even if you don't plan on using Photoshop regularly after graduation, it doesn't hurt to know the basics. More and more careers require Photoshop skills, whether it's journalism, marketing or even non-profit work. Snag a cheaper copy of Elements and learn your way around a paint brush, layers and color correction.

4. Basic Video Editing (Final Cut Pro)
Just like photo editing, video editing can come in handy, too. Check if a friend or someone well-versed in multimedia at one of your school publications or libraries can teach you the basics of Final Cut Pro. At the very least, you'll be able to cut some sweet YouTube videos.

5. Google Drive and Microsoft Office (Seriously)
These tools may seem obvious, but knowing the ins-and-outs of Google Drive and Microsoft office is a digital skill you shouldn't go without. Learning how to make a proper Excel spreadsheet actually takes effort, and it's still a specific qualification for many job listings. Google Drive includes docs, spreadsheets and forms, and it's easy to collaborate with other users at the same time. Slideshow presentations still haven't gone out of style, so re-familiarize yourself with Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Presentations or other sites like Prezi.

6. HTML and Basic Coding
Since our culture is increasingly web-centric, you should know the basics of crafting online content — and how to control the look and feel of it. HTML5 is the standard markup language used everywhere from web design firms to newsrooms. Other types of coding can help you make programs and easily get information from your computer (check out Codecademy and Khan Academy for beginners' tutorials).

7. Setting Up a Website and Domain
Every college graduate should have a website, whether it's to brand himself (see number 10 on this list), showcase his original work (art portfolio, writing samples, etc.) or just to learn for future instances. Coding can help you out here, but you can also use various website-building services, such as Wordpress and Squarespace.

You should also learn how to create a custom domain: for example, "yourname.com" rather than "yourname.wordpress.com." This looks more professional (and cleaner overall). Namecheap and GoDaddy are two popular domain name services and hosting sites.

8. Converting File Formats
Sometimes you'll have a file format different from the one you need — DOC instead of PDF; WMA instead of MP3 and so on. Knowing how to convert these files is useful, especially when you're trying to send your resume (or at least, getting that movie to play on your Roku USB Media Player). Certain programs, like Microsoft Word, will do the legwork for you, but you can find a variety of file conversion programs for those other tricky file extensions.

9. Online Banking
Who needs to balance a checkbook when you're living in the digital age? Major banks like Bank of America and Chase feature very intuitive online banking systems and mobile apps. You can manage your finances anywhere you have an Internet connection. Instead of waiting in long lines at your local branch, deposit checks and make transfers right from your phone.

10. Branding Yourself
Companies are screening prospective employees through Google searches and social media — and since 94% of users click on the first page of results, it's in your best interest to brand yourself properly before going on any big interviews.

What does this entail? Google your name and see what pops up on the first page. If you see anything problematic, learn how to fix it. In addition to setting up a website and claiming a domain name, you should establish a social media presence, especially on LinkedIn and Twitter, and post positive content. If there's anything you wouldn't want prospective employers to see (e.g., Facebook photos), make sure it's completely private

By Matt Petronzio
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3 Must-Have Marketing Investments

7/16/2012

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Summer signals the beginning of budget season. Before making marketing investment decisions, analyze this year’s three marketing must-haves: social media, content marketing and mobile. While aspects of these marketing formats may not have direct costs, they all require budget and resources.

1. Social Media

Social media provides platforms, enabling marketers to interact with their target audience. Social media involves more than a Facebook page or Twitter account. It requires an integrated social media strategy including a social media persona to ensure it’s an integral part of your marketing.

  1. Assess current social media presence. Is your brand present on appropriate social media networks? Are you actively managing your presence? Are there emerging social media platforms relevant to your firm, focus, or target market where you must establish your presence?
  2. Evaluate your brand’s portrayal across social media platforms. Is your brand consistently presented? Do your branding guidelines need to be enhanced?
  3. Determine the engagement level you need on social media platforms. Remember, you can’t rely on three tweets a day written by your agency. You need a human face behind your social media presence. Ensure you’ve got appropriate in-house resources to respond to social media requests.
  4. Create relevant content to feed social media needs. Assess requirements across content formats and social media platforms. Include formal content marketing as well as social media interactions like Facebook comments and Twitter responses.
  5. Support your social media presence with targeted advertising. Do you need to enhance your social media presence with related paid advertising? Consider the use of social media ads.

2. Content Marketing

Content marketing is promotion-free information that fuels social media and overcomes purchase decision hurdles. (Here’s an outline of content marketing’s basic steps.)

  1. Analyze content marketing needs. Assess the existing content within your organization. Then determine where you have content marketing needs and where you have holes in your existing offering. Specifically examine the entire purchase process and social media interactions.
  2. Integrate content marketing into an editorial calendar. Determine where content is needed, the format and topic required, and the timing of its creation based on your assessment. Incorporate this information into a plan across platforms to ensure it’s synched with your promotional calendar. Plan for content reuse to extend the life of each element.
  3. Acquire appropriate resources for your content creation team. At a minimum, you need an editor and a copy editor. While you can encourage employees and customers to contribute content, determine where you need additional support. Don’t underestimate the need for designers, photographers, writers and technology support. These resources can be internal, freelance or agency-based.
  4. Expand content marketing reach. Make it easy for readers to share your information with social sharingbuttons. Where appropriate, use advertising to promote your content and build an audience.
  5. Ensure content marketing closes sales. Content marketing by itself can’t drive sales. It needs calls-to-action and related dedicated promotional codes. Further, create tailored landing pages and streamline the sales process to efficiently convert prospects to sales.

3. Mobile

Mobile is a must-have for every business with a retail presence or that competes with a business that has a retail presence since mobiles and tablets go shopping.

  1. Be present on mobile search. Mobile search is separate from web search. Local businesses that people seek on-the-go must be findable on mobile search.
  2. Build a mobile website. Don’t just assume people can read your web-optimized site on a mobile device. Create a streamlined mobile website focused on the information customers want on-the-go.
  3. Build a mobile phone number house file. If you don’t have a mobile phone list, start building one now.
  4. Optimize your emailings for mobile devices. Email is the primary content consumed on mobile devices. Ensure readers can easily read and take action on your emailings via a connected device.
  5. Assess need for a mobile app. In the past year, mobile app usage has surged ahead of mobile web, according to Flurry. Depending on your business, this shift may require investment in a mobile app.

According to IBM’s State of Marketing 2012, marketers face an array of challenges. Top on their lists are channel and device choice expansion and customer collaboration and influence. This is no surprise given social media’s exponential growth, increased smartphone usage, and the quick adoption of tablets. These elements require new ways of engaging and selling prospects and customers through content marketing and social media delivered via various mobile devices.


by Heidi Cohen for ClickZ 
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How to Tell if Your Advertisement Is Good or Terrible?

7/14/2012

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Are you worried that your ad — the one you have been working so hard on and is about to go up onto the Internet where everyone can see it — might just be… horrible?

There’s still hope. Through the years — and careful analysis of lots of truly bad advertising — Gary Stein Labs has created a simple five-point checklist that will help you determine for yourself whether or not this ad is worth anything at all.

1. Is Your Headline a Tagline?
Taglines are great. When done correctly, a tagline neatly sums up the idea behind a product and what value it brings into the world. It should be short and memorably phrased. It should be inspiring and make it seem like the product is worthwhile. And, it should come somewhere near the bottom or the end of the ad.

Too many companies (or their agencies) fall too deeply in love with the tagline and want to put it up in a prominent spot. But that’s too early in the discussion. You can’t start by talking about you. You need to start by talking about them. If your headline — the big text at the top of the ad — says “Brand X: Changing Underwear Washing Forever,” you missed the consumer. You need to have a headline that is about the consumer and her needs. Let the press write headlines about you, after you’ve achieved success. For now, write about the consumer.

2. Does Your Call to Action Feel Absolutely Unignorable?
Assuming that you are not doing a pure branding effort, where simply watching an ad is the reward in and of itself, you need to tell people to do something. Or, rather, you need to invite them to do something, whether it is to buy something or visit your site or forward something on to a friend. You can’t just have an ad that says something but doesn’t compel another action.

But, that call to action has to seem like something you can’t ignore. If someone could reasonably respond to your call to action with “no thanks,” you blew it. If your call to action is a question like, “Would you like to see some more information?” You missed the opportunity. The call to action has to be phrased as an imperative. “Act Now” is the classic, but there are plenty of others that are less harsh. Make sure you are really calling on the consumer to do something meaningful.

3. Does Your Graphic Element Have Anything to Do With Your Product?
There are a lot of images out there that you can choose to put in your ad. A quick Google Images search can yield anything that can be plopped in. But, if you have decided to put one of those images into your ad, it has to communicate. It has to help convey a message and (hopefully) compel an action. It has to give the ad some life or humanity or help put the product in context or give some new information — maybe about what the product looks like or how it is used.

If you have an image in your ad, and it is not immediately, totally clear why it is there, take it out. You have a very short window of opportunity to connect with your consumer and give them a new idea. An image is a great shortcut to getting your idea across. But if that image doesn’t communicate in the way you need it to, you’re just wasting your time.

4. Is Your Ad Relevant and Differentiated?
Advertising is the art of creating something that’s relevant and differentiated. That’s it. You need to have a message that’s relevant — it’s clear how the product you are advertising fits into the consumer’s life and solves a real need. But you also need to be unique — your ad needs to stand separately from any other ad that exists out there that is advertising a product that is also relevant to the consumer.

It’s so tempting to simply say what the product does or what the benefit is. But unless you are the absolutely only brand that can make that claim, you’re going to have to make sure that your claim is presented in a unique way.

Want to know the secret to creating great ads? Tell a compelling story that reveals a product attribute. Every brilliant ad follows this format. If you do this, you have a great shot at success.

5. Is Your Ad About One, Simple, Compelling Thing?
Let’s face facts: There is too much stuff out there. It’s not that people don’t want all this stuff. They are signing up for cable and subscribing to magazines and getting RSS feeds and everything. The problem comes, especially for ads, when they try to communicate too many things.

You have to cut. The key to design is not so much knowing what to put in as it is knowing what to leave out. That has to be your mandate. Apple’s success has much to do with the fact that every new thing it creates gives you more abilities with fewer buttons. Consider the trackpad on the MacBook.

Ten years ago it was tiny, did nothing more than move the pointer around, and required a button. Today, it is huge, allows you dozens of functions, and has no button. Do that with your ad: cut, cut and cut. Ask yourself what single thing can a person do that would be valuable to you and point everything toward that.

Sound good? The thing about these pointers is that it’s not really about digital, per se. That’s because we have long left the era when digital was a thing in and of itself. Now it’s a core part of most people’s media lives and we need to respect that. And that means holding digital ads up to the same scrutiny that we do with all other ads in all other formats.

by Gary Stein for ClickZ 
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7 Fantastic Ways to SPICE Up Your Sales Strategy

7/3/2012

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Mashable’s new video series, Behind the Launch, follows Vungle on its startup journey toward a launch later this month. Each week on Mashable, the Vungle team offers our readers some tips and lessons learned from their own startup experience. This week, Vungle is approaching launch, and the team is making sure the business and product sides are working together to close deals and recruit publishers and advertisers. Watch the episode above, and be sure to tune in to Behind the Launch on Monday — you’ll see the startup officially launch.

There’s no need to be scared of selling; it’s something that should be an integral part of every business. Startups are often focused on creating a great product. This is crucial to the success of any business. However, it is equally important to be able to convey the greatness of your product and company to the right people, in a way that makes them want to do business with you. Fail to sell your product effectively, and you sell your business short. If you have a solid product, it is important to be talking to the right people. Here are seven tips for closing deals.

1. Identify Your Targets
It’s easy to get carried away when promoting a product that you’re passionate about. It’s important to first identify those individuals whose organizations will get you the most traction. Creating a list prevents you from spending time chasing targets who will do little to help you. Remember, it’s easy to get distracted, so stick to your goals, and be strategic.

2. Make a Plan
Make sure you know your targets thoroughly and understand what drives them. You need to have a proposal in mind that you think will fit in with their motivations and concerns, so try to predict their needs. If necessary, talk to people who are in the same industry or close to the decision makers to get a feel for what will move the needle for them.

Sketch out a deal structure that will pander to their motivations and dull their concerns. This needn’t deviate from your own plans. For example, lengthening deal contracts in return for a larger sign-up bonus is one way of compromising. You’ll be surprised at how framing your deal differently can affect your target’s perception.

3. Network
Now that you’ve identified your targets and know what motivates them, you need to get close. On a basic level, start with LinkedIn to see whether you have mutual connections who may be able to introduce you. If you’re lucky and you have strong connections, you’ll get a good head start. However, the more face time you have, the easier it is to build rapport and trust. As such, find out where you can best approach your targets — at events, in Starbucks or even on the beach. Wherever they are, you need to know and you need to be there (no stalking, though!).

4. Pick Up the Phone
Face time is better than a telephone call, and telephone calls are better than emails. It’s easier to convey your message and capture your target’s attention verbally than in written form. Emails are easy to ignore and discard — particularly if you receive hundreds of them per day. Make sure to set aside enough time to hit the phones and cold call. After all, a cold call is still much more effective than a cold email.

5. ListenEpictetus wisely said, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” The most common mistake in sales is to talk without listening. Not only do people appreciate being listened to, but you can use your target’s response to craft a pitch that addresses them directly. Watch out for negative responses, such as “I’m not sure” or “I’ll have to think about it” — such responses indicate uncertainty and should be avoided. Take a second to craft a more careful response.

6. Don’t Be Afraid
Don’t be afraid to challenge — this shows you’re thoughtful and resourceful. If you’re pitch is responded to with negativity, don’t be afraid to ask why. Unless you ask, you won’t know what’s wrong. Often you’ll be surprised by the answer and be able to address the concern before it becomes a rejection.

Don’t be afraid to close. You need to let your target know what you want, or your conversation may become confusing. Feel free to be direct if you feel your message has been received positively. A short statement or summary confirming how future progress will be defined sets goals and puts you both on same page. For example, “Great! All I need now from you is a check for $9,000 and we can get started right away!” This way your target has understood what is required of them and will respond in a way that lets you know where you stand.

7. Follow Up
Nothing happens without a pipeline. Even a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesperson has to build a pipeline; it’s just a simple fact of sales. You need to stay on top of your contacts and make sure you stay in touch on a regular basis. Regular contact ensures that a target thinks about you when he’s ready to proceed with the deal, or you may be alerted to changes in circumstances that provide an opportunity for you.

Make sure that you remember the details — “How was Paris? I bet it was amazing!” These details are conversation starters and show that you really care about the person beyond closing the deal. The more frequently you call or email, the more important it is to stay on top of the details.

Have any else tips for closing deals? Please leave your comment :)

by Colin Behr 
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10 Social Media Tips From a Top Media Agency

6/25/2012

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Whether your company is just getting its social sea legs or excelling in the digital world, there is a niche and opportunity for every brand on social media.

OMD, one of the top media agencies in the world, works with clients of various size and social media exposure. Within the agency, OMD Word is the social intelligence arm that helps amplify clients through social media. The department ensures the client’s social channels are leveraged and optimized to support traditional and digital solutions.

According to Word’s U.S. Director Colin Sutton, your level of understanding impacts your brand’s ability to perform on social media. Generally, this is the first thing that brands should be thinking about when they want to launch a social campaign.

“Social is touching so many pieces of a business these days that I’d be remiss to say it’s just about the person we’re interfacing with,” says Sutton. “Even at the CMO or CEO level, we’ve started to see examples of how the level of understanding can really change how businesses are thinking about their product all the way down to the marketing.”

Depending on the brand’s social media know-how, Sutton says that Facebook and Twitter are the building blocks that a brand should start with in the social sphere.

Setting goals ahead of time is another important factor. Sutton says that brands just starting out on social media should focus on acquisition and filling their channels with the appropriate community. Meanwhile, more savvy brands should look for engagement, awareness and advocacy.

1. Don’t Be an Island
If you’re planning a social campaign that’s not connected to the rest of your communications, marketing and media plans, then rethink it. Traditional and digital media need to support an integrated campaign that has social media at its core.

2. It’s a Brave New World — Accept It
Don’t try to approach, execute or measure campaigns or strategies like traditional planners. More data is available than ever. The opportunity now is to connect through two-way communications with your customers across devices and media, and to time your messages accordingly.

Your content can, should and will be your ad. Is it strong enough to break through the clutter?

3. Listen Up — and Not Just at the End of the Campaign
Social listening can and should impact planning, execution, optimization and results measurement. Automated tools and reliance upon technology is not enough.

True value from listening data comes from your analysts, so make sure they are involved and prioritize what you are listening for, how you are going to capture it and how you are going to share the results.

4. Connect the Dots to Win
Content is king and media is amplification. Make sure your teams are connected and working together on the same agreed-upon goals.

5. Goals Can Unite and Ignite Your Efforts
Agree to goals across agencies and confirm how you are going to measure them. Listen again to make sure they make sense.

Volume is an important goal, but not the only one. Engagement as a goal is nebulous, so identify the most desired social actions, and design the user flow and related metrics accordingly.

6. Benchmark
Relentlessly Data is available. Find it and ensure your media teams and clients are working towards realistic goals. Past campaigns are the best way to set benchmarks.

If this is the first campaign, look to the publishing partner and find out what other campaigns have been run in a similar field or with a comparable objective.

7. Long-Term Value Exchange Is Paramount
Quick hits are good, but meaningful experiences drive long-term relationships and build advocacy and love. It’s okay for campaigns to have disparate goals, but overall there should be a guiding principle that governs your efforts.

8. Understand All of the Social Channels You Are Targeting, or Get Familiar With Them Fast
Nuances exist everywhere, so if you don’t understand how each channel works and how your customers live and breathe there, make sure you ask someone who does.

9. Optimize Ruthlessly and Intelligently
Data should be consistently understood and learned. Know its availability and optimize it with each campaign not only in real-time, but also over the long term.

10. Think About Eyes, Minds and Wallet When You’re Evaluating Success
A lot of clients put a media or dollar valuation against earned media. Generating $100,000 worth of value through monthly engagement on Facebook is putting a media value on what’s earned.

Think about what customers have seen. There’s a lot of value in that, but it doesn’t help measure perception. Consider the consumer’s minds, brand health, net promoter score and measurements to gain a more complete understanding of your perception.

What social media advice does your company go by? Let us know in the comments.

Series presented by IDG 
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How to Make Your Company More Social?

2/4/2012

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Social networks are flooded with potential customers. Therefore, today’s companies need to foster a socially engaged culture within company walls.

A business becomes more inherently social by going beyond the corporate Twitter account and Facebook Page. A social business engages the entire company, from CEO to executive assistant. Take advantage of the opportunity to foster your company’s internal community and teach valuable social media skills as the space rapidly grows and evolves. But how do you get everyone on board?

1. Give Interactive Tutorials


It’s hard to get people to tweet consistently when they don’t understand what an @mention is. By hosting a few interactive Facebook and/or Twitter tutorials across the company, you can provide a valuable service to your coworkers, both in and out of the office.

Have everyone bring laptops and phones to the session to keep it interactive. Try setting tasks at the beginning of the session, such as creating a special tutorial hashtag, and then ask everyone to tweet photos of the tutorial.

2. Focus on Fun Ways to Use Twitter

Show your employees how to use a hashtag that they can relate to. For example, follow funny Twitter commentary while watching an episode of The Bachelor. Or show the foodies on your team curated lists of food truck Twitter accounts and how to see where they are parked.

Provide examples that demonstrate how Twitter can organize information and news for just about any job or industry. Once they learn the basic tools and creative uses of social media, they will naturally see how they can gather more information applicable to their jobs as well.

3. Find Influencers Within the Company

Chances are you already have several employees that love social media, whether they’re Pinterest fanatics or live tweet their entire weekends. Recognize these employees internally for their mastery of social media by highlighting their content. For example, the team member with the most active Instagram account could be in charge of documenting your company’s product launch party.

Once you start finding ways to feature and utilize the social media prowess of employees, more of the team will chime in and participate. Encourage the team to @mention the corporate Twitter feed when they find pertinent industry news and content. This will generate more content and a larger social media presence for the company as a whole.

It’s important that your internal experts feel their social skills and expertise are appreciated by the company. These people will naturally start helping and encouraging other employees to do the same.

4. Launch a Fun Contest or Internal Campaign

Once you’ve taught employees the basics and highlighted the company’s influencers, it’s time to get everyone involved in some straight-up fun. Try launching a contest: Record everyone’s Klout score and see who can improve hers the most within a month. Or announce an Instagram photo contest, in which the office chooses the winning photographs, and frames the winning entries as office art. Or host a company room on turntable.fm and vote on the company’s best DJ. That person could DJ the next office party.

Be sure to follow up with incentives and recognition, crucial aspects of any competition. Social media allows for a great deal of creativity, so take full advantage and set the contest up as a fun outlet for the company.

5. Engage

As you encourage your company to become more social media savvy, make sure to foster a sense of community. People want to learn information from social networks, but they also want to communicate with one another. Social media channels provide a way to do this outside the normal confines of cubicle culture, and can boost overall company moral by augmenting the experience of working together.

Occasionally highlight team members’ tweets, Facebook posts and content from the corporate accounts (with content, make sure to get permission). If someone has an especially funny or relevant tweet, draw attention to it. This activity not only shows employees and onlookers that team members are valued, but also personalizes and gives your brand authenticity. Plus, company employees will be more excited to share and listen to the company within social media channels.

6. Get creative!

The opportunities to infuse social behavior into your company only increase with engagement. You’ll be able to create more advanced tutorials, educate about emerging platforms, launch new initiatives that bring everyone closer together, and much more. Ask your employees what types of contests and initiatives they’d like to be a part of. Social media provides a company a way to have some fun at work, so make the most of it!

Convincing newbies to jump headfirst into social media can seem challenging, but by demonstrating value and communicating enthusiasm, your company will take off into social media stardom. If you explain how to use a social media channel, show its potential, and reward creative participation, you are well on your way to creating a company with social values built into its foundation.

Mae Karwowski runs social media strategy and oversees community management at Gilt City, a subsidiary of the Gilt Groupe. She also consults for several startups. 

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BEST Software For SME & Web Designers On Budget Saving

1/8/2012

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Web or Visual design can be costly for designers; 
not only its process is time consuming, its tools involve hefty monetary investment too. Designers on budget are often hit with the same dilemma – powerful machine and lesser software, or settle with an average machine so you can purchase more design-related software, but in trade you suffer for the epic system lagging.

Graphics editors, code editors, file sharing and transferring tools, document and spreadsheet editors all cost money. These are future expenditures hard to anticipate. If you’ve went all-in into getting the best laptop, chances are it leaves you pretty limited in terms of budget for software. To give you an idea – Adobe Design Standard (comes with Photoshop, Illustrator and inDesign) costs about USD $1299; Adobe Photoshop alone costs about USD $699.00.

Way out of budget?
No worries, good news is, you still can get projects kick-off without spending a dime. Sounds familiar somewhere? No we are not talking about download pirated software.

In today’s post, we are going to give you a guide of all Windows software you may need on your laptop or desktop, and all of them are free. We’ll also throw in our recommendation as well as more free alternatives to give you more options, so let’s dive into the heaven of free software and see what they have in stock for you!

Web Browsing Software
Don’t look at me like that, I know all web browsers are free, just want to make sure that you have all awesome browsers in your garage!

For web browser, we think the Google Chrome is the best browser for now. Why? Faster browsing, cleaner user interface, better HTML5 and CSS3 support, and awesome Chrome extensions are rising more and more these years.

Besides, as the mobile has taken over some acres of the land of Web Design these years, it’s really important for you to have Opera Mobile Emulator to test your website on mobile browser settings.

Recommend: Google Chrome
More Alternatives: Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Opera Web Browser, Opera Mobile Emulator, IETester

Graphic Editing
There are a lot of graphics editors released to challenge the realm of Photoshop these years, but the GIMP stands firm on top of them, mainly due to its extensive features.

From photo enhancement to digital retouching to file format support, GIMP will let you feel that it’s the best alternative to the Photoshop. Its cluttered interface might be a bit complicated at first, but it’s far better than the pain of having software with fewer features.

Recommend: GIMP
More Alternatives: Paint.NET, Chasys Draw IES, FastStone Image Viewer,Picasa

Vector Design
There’s a time when you just need to create some perfect shapes that form awesome icons, logos or buttons, and the job can be well done with Inkscape.

Inkscape includes capabilities similar to Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw, with the support of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format. Its main features include shapes, paths, text, markers, clones, alpha blending, transforms, gradients, patterns and grouping, basically everything you need for drawing vector graphic!

Recommend: Inkscape
More Alternatives: Serif DrawPlus, Creative Docs.NET, Alchemy, Pencil, InsightPoint

Coding
Code Editor is one of the software you shouldn’t spend a buck on it, as there are just too many awesome code editors in the web!

For advanced coder, Notepad++ is your friendliest companion as it does not contain any complicated plugin or feature that drags the execution time and even your computer speed down. In short, it’s lightning fast.

If you would like to seek coding guidance from the editor, both Komodo Edit, Aptana Studio 3 and NetBeans IDE could be your good master. Also check out our list for CSS Editors.

Recommend: Notepad++
More Alternatives: Komodo Edit, Aptana Studio 3, NetBeans IDE, Bluefish, RJ TextEd, TotalEdit, ConTEXT, Geany, Sublime Text, Editra

FTP / File Transfering
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) software helps you to transfer files from one host to another host over a network, such as your computer to your client’s website.

Filezilla makes sure you don’t spend any money on FTP software in your entire web design career. It not only allows you to browse the directories and upload multiple files real fast, but also provides secure connection to ensure that everything you do in the software is safe.

Recommend: Filezilla
More Alternatives: WinSCP, Cyberduck, FTP Rush, Core FTP Lite, Free FTP

Notetaking & Productivity
I’ve heard so many designers telling me the moment that the great ideas slipped through their mind, just because they didn’t take note of it. You probably don’t want this kind of incident happen in your life, and Evernote could prove to be a great helper in securing your precious ideas.

As its slogan says, Evernote helps you to remember everything, in everywhere. You can not only store text note but also audio note and even webcam note as well. What’s really awesome here is you can sync the documents to other devices of any Operating System such as Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and more!

We Recommend: Evernote
More Alternatives: Memonic Desktop, AllMyNotes, RedNotebook, EssentialPIM, KeepNote, Tomboy, WikiPad, Zim,CintaNotes, Personal Brain


Mind Mapping
You got to believe this: you need a mind map to organize, manage, and even spawn your ideas. Mind map makes you clear about what you’re doing, what you should not do, and what you can improve.

Most of the time we draw the mind map though papers and pen, that’s fine, but what if you want to carry the notes to everywhere, or you want to link certain ideas to the website? You need the mind mapping software, and XMind could be your best companion, as it got basically everything you need for doing a mind map, and the user interface is even intuitive.

Recommend: XMind
More Alternatives: Freemind, Freeplane,Blumind, SciPlore

Documents And Spreadsheets
From Text Document, Spreadsheet, Presentation and Database, OpenOffice is your reliable partner to assure your client’s confidence about your professionalism. The user interface is also intuitive enough that you can produce a presentation directly after the installation. Forget about Microsoft Office!

Libre Office 3 and Lotus Symphony 3 are relatively new but they also include certain awesome features as well, so do remember to check them out and choose the best for your office works!

Recommend: OpenOffice
More Alternatives: Libre Office 3, Lotus Symphony 3, SoftMaker Office, KOffice, GnomeOffice

File Sharing
Many of the computer users are still using the mail services like Gmail to send file(s) to other user. The method is fine, but now we are in the era of cloud computing, why don’t have a place in your computer, where you or your client can just put the file into a folder, and it will sync automatically on the other side?

Dropbox is the elf that allows you to share files with ease. The fact that this software is so awesome is that it actually requires no professional knowledge to setup the environment, it’s foolproof! Probably saved you tons of time on explanation part.

Recommend: Dropbox
More Alternatives: Box, SpiderOak, Ubuntu One, Windows Live Mesh, Wuala,TeamDrive, ZumoDrive, Tonido

Screen Capturing
They say a picture worth thousand words, and screen capture tools gotta help you capture any picture that you think it’s worth thousand words. There are a lot of screen capture tools in the web, but I found the Jing from TechSmith (the same company that forged SnagIt) particularly useful.

Jing allows you to not only capture screen, but also record 5 minutes of screen activities. After the capture, you can also put text, arrow, and frame to give the graphic some annotation, and that’s pretty much everything I need from a screen capture tool.

Recommend: Jing
More Alternatives: ZScreen, PicPick,Greenshot, DuckCapture, Shotty, PrtScr

Fonts Management
As a web designer, type is a big deal for us, as it’s one of the most essential elements that define the aesthetics of the web design you crafted, therefore knowing every type in your computer is important for you to choose the best one for your design.

While Nexus Font is not a font creation tool, it proves useful to provide you a glimpse of every font installed in your computer, making it possible for you to actually study, consider and choose the best font for your design.

Recommend: Nexus Font
More Alternatives: Cfont Pro, Dp4 Font Viewer, FontViewOK, Font Xplorer

Author: Alvaris Falcon
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What is QR Codes, How Can It Grow Your Business?

8/23/2011

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Basic Normal Generated Code - Try Scan with your Smartphone

A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) that is machine readable and designed to be read by smartphones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded may be text, a URL, or other data.

Common in Japan, where it was created by Toyota subsidiary Denso Wave in 1994, it is one of the most popular types of two-dimensional barcodes. The QR code was designed to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed.

The technology has seen frequent use in Japan and South Korea; the United Kingdom is the seventh-largest national consumer of QR codes.

Quick Response codes (QR codes) and other two-dimensional codes are expected to achieve widespread use this year – and for good reason. Consumers want immediate access to what’s relevant and QR codes are being used to make that possible.

Creative Designed QR Code - Try Click

QR Codes 101
If you’re not yet familiar with QR codes, they’re similar to the barcodes used by retailers to track inventory and price products at the point of sale. The key difference between the two is the amount of data they can hold or share.

Bar codes are linear one-dimensional codes and can only hold up to 20 numerical digits, whereas QR codes are two-dimensional (2D) matrix barcodes that can hold thousands of alphanumeric characters of information. Their ability to hold more information and their ease of use makes them practical for small businesses.

When you scan or read a QR code with your iPhone, Android or other camera-enabled Smartphone, you can link to digital content on the web; activate a number of phone functions including email, IM and SMS; and connect the mobile device to a web browser.

Any of these desired functions are easily achieved by properly creating your QR code.  It’s a simple process of entering the appropriate data into the QR code generator, described below, and it all takes just a few minutes.

The ability of QR codes to connect people with each other and to multimedia digital content is very useful for businesses and consumers alike.

The Origins of QR CodesWhile QR codes are still considered a novelty here in the United States, they’ve been actively used for over a decade in Japan where they were invented.  QR is a registered trademark of Denso Wave, a subsidiary of Toyota.  Denso Wave has elected not to exercise their patent rights of QR codes and that has encouraged their widespread use.

There are other software companies that have created 2D codes that work much like QR codes, with Microsoft being the most notable.  Microsoft developed their own proprietary software to create codes known as MS tags.  Unlike QR codes, which can be read by a number of different readers, MS tags can only be read by the Microsoft Tag Reader.

Choosing to use QR codes or MS tags is a personal choice.  It seems that MS tags presently allow for more possibilities for creative graphic designs, such as incorporating images and logos into the tag. 

How QR Codes WorkQR code Generators – There are a number of sites for generating QR codes and they’re all free.  An Internet search for QR code generator will offer many choices.

One that has worked well for me is Kaywa, a site created by Datamatrix, which is another pioneer of 2D codes.  You can use it to create QR codes that link to a web page, text, phone numbers, or SMS.  Another with even greater capabilities, including customizing the color and format of your codes is Kerem Erkan.

QR code Readers – The QR code reader app that works well on my iPhone is i-nigma, which claims to be the most widely used reader in the world.  It accommodates virtually any type of camera phone. For the android, you can also try Barcode Scanner. If you already own the popular price-checking app Red Laser, they’ve recently adapted their technology to accommodate QR code reading.

Applications for QR Codes
Sharing – There’s no limit to how, or even how much, you can share with QR codes.  While a video or landing page is easily shared, you could go further and share an entire eBook and even multiple pieces of content that share a common link.

QR code Like button to the author’s Facebook page.

Community – Sharing is how you build community, and one of the favorite arenas for doing this is Facebook.  You can use Likify to create a QR code that links your mobile device to a fully functioning LIKE button for your Facebook page.

Calls to Action – After building a community, the next logical step is to mobilize them to take action.   What are you trying to accomplish?  You can alternate special offers by simply linking your QR codes to new landing pages, and you can combine then with email opt-ins to build your list.

The QR code above takes visitors to a Facebook page welcome tab where the calls to action are Liking the page and a list opt-in.

SEO and SMO – Earlier this month I wrote an article on social graphs where I discuss how web objects such as images, music clips, and videos add valuable content to your social graph.  QR codes enhance both your search engine and social media optimization.  Now you can increase traffic to those searchable objects to further optimize them by encouraging more sharing.

Social Proof – To help build a community offline, it can be helpful to use your vibrant online communities as social proof of your influence and expertise.  As one example, you can use QR codes to link to specific blog posts that have earned an abundance of activity.

Analytics - QR codes most commonly link to urls, which is why link shortening services bit.ly and goo.gl now automatically generate a QR code for sharing your shortened links.  Using goo.gl as an example, you simply click on the “more” link after you create your shortened link, where you are taken to a page that not only gives you the QR code, but useful analytics.

MyQR.co is another site that provides analytics and the ability to customize the color of your QR codes

This screenshot shows how bit.ly serves up analytics and a QR code for a shortened link. Scan it to go to a list of recommended QR code readers.

Practical Uses of QR Codes
Here are some ways for using QR codes that are mostly in practice now, as well as we will be seeing in the very near future.

Where
QR Codes could be used:
  • The back (or front and back) of your business card.
  • Your brochures and other marketing materials.
  • The sides of trucks and trailers.
  • Product tags and packaging
  • Convention and event nametags
  • Restaurant menus
  • Event ticket stubs
  • Point-of-sale receipts
What
QR Codes could link to:
  • Installation instructions
  • Sources for replacement parts and service
  • Directions to your business
  • The process for hiring your professional services
  • Valuable coupons and special offers
  • Recommendations for complementary products and services
  • Free mp3 downloads
  • Customer feedback forms
How
You can you maximize your effectiveness with QR codes:
  • Provide explanations about their use and benefits
  • Encourage actions that support your marketing plan
  • Assuage the fears of the technically challenged
  • Give reasons to come back
  • Experiment with the size, location, and color of your QR codes
  • Study your analytics
  • Make the process fun, such as a QR code scavenger hunt
  • Experiment
Practical ExamplesUnited Airlines – Many of the major airlines are now using 2D codes as digital boarding passes.  I recently learned that by the end of 2011 all carriers will be required to provide this service for international flights.

Google Places – When you register your local business with Google Places, you’ll receive a decal for your place of business that includes a QR code to your company website. Be sure that QR code links to the most relevant information that potential customers are interested in – such as hours of operation and current specials and offers.

The Future of QR Codes and TagsThe potential for QR Codes is limitless.  What’s most exciting is how they take what social media is doing well now, bringing people together with technology, and extending it to enhance the experience.

The next generation of barcodes will hold even more information – so much that an Internet connection will not even be necessary.  The content will be effectively embedded in the code.  Imagine scanning a digital code to manifest physical reality?

Content Complied from Jeff Korhan
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