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Are you legally using online photos?

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Clever monkeys are just copycats: Animals learn skills by imitating others.
Clever monkeys are just copycats: Animals learn skills by imitating others.

This week I was contacted by a local realtor who questioning an image that appeared on one of my client’s websites. A quick Google search told me that the image of a nearby town waterfront had originated from the realtor’s online portfolio. After apologizing to the woman, I removed the image and decided to do a little research on copyright laws as they relate to sharing and using online images.

The social networking age is largely driven by the sharing of online images and, as you can imagine, US Copyright laws are struggling to keep pace with technology.

When is it legal to use another person’s photo or image? Here are a few simple rules.

Did you take the photo or graphic?

Unless you did the work for a client in which case it belongs to the client it is safe to assume that if you created the work then you likely own the copyright and can use it however you like.

Plagiarism VS Copyright

While plagiarism can be avoided by giving credit to parties in question the same rules do not apply to copyright infringement.

My best advice to avoid problems is to use Public Domain Images which are free of known copyright. Here are the links to a few of my favorite sites.

http://www.freenaturepictures.com
http://www.morguefile.com/
http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/

Traits of an Influencial Marketer

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I read an article this week on maximizing marketing impact and becoming an influencer either globally, nationally, or locally. The article identified twenty-five things that influential people do well.

They are small but important things and the list is good to keep in your back pocket as a reminder. Without elaborating in any great detail this was the list:

  • Public Speaking – in order to spread the good word, great marketers must be able to speak in a public forum.
  • Prioritizing – the ability to prioritize and accomplish the most important things is a gift that brings happiness.
  • Small Talk – the ability to make small talk showcases the human side to great influencers.
  • Remembering details – remembering tiny details sets influencers apart from others.
  • Smiling – Wearing a smiling is half the battle.
  • Persuading – When the audience trusts you they can be persuaded to do anything.
  • Confidence – great influencers have confidence that they will succeed.
  • Conversions – Having the ability to turn leads into sales is a great gift.
  • Setting expectations – Great marketers leave no room for disappointment.
  • Energizing – Influencers bring energy to the room by their mere presence.
  • Body Language – influencers have charisma and body language that is open and welcoming.
  • Networking – it’s important to know who’s who and to be who’s who.
  • Multitasking – to be successful today one must be able to text, email, and blog in unison.
  • Flexibility – being adaptable is a tool that will carry one through the ages.
  • Timing – Timing is everything in marketing.
  • Giving compliments – great influencers are good at making other people feel good.
  • Technology – staying on top of technology shows that they are forward-thinking.
  • Preparing for clients/events – A smart marketer wouldn’t go anywhere unprepared.
  • Travel – Great marketers are on the move. They are will to expand their horizons.
  • Reciprocating – building business is about building relationships. Givers gain!
  • Kindness – everyone knows we get more with honey than vinegar.
  • Balancing – They have mastered the art of balancing work and life … at least on the outside!
  • Always being “on” – they are adept at putting their best face forward.
  • Constructive criticism – influential people learn from their critics.
  • Back Story – they have built their business from the ground up and have a compelling story.

Social Media 101

LinkedIn, FaceBook, YOUTube, Twitter & Pinterest are the top FREE online marketing tools for businesses. We have all heard about how valuable, even necessary, it is to engage on social media however, that is easier said than done. Each of the platforms mentioned are more complex than they initially appear and what’s worse they evolve daily.

Diving in without understanding the individual platform can be overwhelming. Also, it takes knowledge and a bit of marketing savvy to see results. But never fear, there is plenty of information out there to help small business owners be successful.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional social network with 238 million users with 2 new members added every second. The platform allows colleagues and business associates to connect with each other and businesses can connect with current and potential employees. At the same time community development, thought leadership and content sharing is promoted. The platform offers tremendous referral potential, particularly for B2B leads.

How are people using it?

  • Individual profiles are essentially online resumes
  • People can connect with each other and make recommendations
  • It is a great place to search for a job or an employee
  • It is a valuable publishing platform where professionals can establish themselves as an authority in their field.

Personal Page: Leslie DiNanno

Company Page: Coca Cola

Facebook

Facebook started in 2004 with the primary purpose of connecting college students. Twelve years later it has more than 1.65 billion users. It is the most widely used of the social media sites and has essentially shaped the way we interact online. Facebook connects friends and families as well as brands and consumers. For businesses, it is great for community building with current, past and potential clients, Search Engine Optimization, insight into a market niche (through analytics), communication and viral opportunities.

How are people using it?

  • Groups – whether they are private or public, professional, community or special interest related.
  • Events – users can organize around a point in time. Again, security can be customized and the event can be exported to other calendars which is a valuable feature.
  • Business Pages – these fan pages have evolved over the years and now offer quite a bit of functionality including review capability, shopping carts, calendar syncing and more.
  • Messenger – combines email, instant messenger and Facebook messages.
  • Content, post timing and moderation are all factors that must be considered for business and personal use.

Boxford Parents FB Page: Boxford Parents

Twitter:

Did you know that the Twitter bird logo known as Larry was fashioned after Larry Bird from the Boston Celtics? Twitter was established in 2006 and allows users 140-characters to share appetizer bits of information. The interface is simple and conducive to sharing breaking news in any arena. Users choose areas of interest and there are 400 million tweets sent daily. Using Twitter you can find people interested in your marketing niche, stay abreast of the latest news and trends in your field, to market your product, drive traffic to your website, to stay in touch with your clients, build a reputation as an authority in your field & network with others.

How are people using it?

  • Everyone is using Twitter – from Brands to Government officials, to athletes, to Hollywood stars stirring up drama.

Remember: Be aware of your brand and your voice. Be interesting and add value

Donald Trump Twitter Page: The Real Donald Trump

YouTube

has emerged as the second largest search engine after Google – 6 billion hours of video are watched monthly on YouTube. This means that people are not only going to find the answers to their questions but they will be able to see a demonstration which is preferred. You Tube has launched many to internet fame.

How are people using it?

  • Consumers watch content and share it with others.
  • Much of the content is helpful and much is in a how-to format.
  • There is a lot of incentive participation – that is, brands asking users to create video’s and share it on behalf of the brand using hashtags for promotional purposes.

SixPackShortCuts: https://www.youtube.com/user/sixpackshortcuts
GoPro: https://www.youtube.com/user/GoProCamera
FoodHeaven: https://www.youtube.com/user/FoodHeavenShow

Pinterest

Demographics are a large part of the success of Pinterest whose client base is largely female. Many ‘pin’ items found on the web including clothing, home décor and recipes. It is a terrific platform for brands with emotionally charged products that can rely on beautiful images for “pinning”.

How are people using it?

  • Brands use Pinterest to engage their audience with picture sharing … it is simply visual.

WholeFoods: Whole Foods on Pinterest

Social Media 101

by

LinkedIn, Facebook, YOUTube, Twitter & Pinterest are the top FREE online marketing tools for businesses. We have all heard about how valuable, even necessary, it is to engage on social media however, that is easier said than done. Each of the platforms mentioned is more complex than they initially appear and what’s worse they evolve daily.

Diving in without understanding the individual platform can be overwhelming. Also, it takes knowledge and a bit of marketing savvy to see results. But never fear, there is plenty of information out there to help small business owners be successful.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional social network with 238 million users with 2 new members added every second. The platform allows colleagues and business associates to connect with each other and businesses can connect with current and potential employees. At the same time, community development thought leadership, and content sharing are promoted. The platform offers tremendous referral potential, particularly for B2B leads.

How are people using it?

  • Individual profiles are essentially online resumes
  • People can connect with each other and make recommendations
  • It is a great place to search for a job or an employee
  • It is a valuable publishing platform where professionals can establish themselves as an authority in their field.

Personal Page: Leslie DiNanno

Company Page: Coca Cola

Facebook

Facebook started in 2004 with the primary purpose of connecting college students. Twelve years later it has more than 1.65 billion users. It is the most widely used of the social media sites and has essentially shaped the way we interact online. Facebook connects friends and families as well as brands and consumers. For businesses, it is great for community building with current, past and potential clients, Search Engine Optimization, insight into a market niche (through analytics), communication, and viral opportunities.

How are people using it?

  • Groups – whether they are private or public, professional, community or special interest related.
  • Events – users can organize around a point in time. Again, security can be customized and the event can be exported to other calendars which is a valuable feature.
  • Business Pages – these fan pages have evolved over the years and now offer quite a bit of functionality including review capability, shopping carts, calendar syncing, and more.
  • Messenger – combines email, instant messenger, and Facebook messages.
  • Content, post timing, and moderation are all factors that must be considered for business and personal use.

Twitter:

Did you know that the Twitter bird logo known as Larry was fashioned after Larry Bird from the Boston Celtics? Twitter was established in 2006 and allows users 140-characters to share appetizer bits of information. The interface is simple and conducive to sharing breaking news in any arena. Users choose areas of interest and there are 400 million tweets sent daily. Using Twitter you can find people interested in your marketing niche, stay abreast of the latest news and trends in your field, to market your product, drive traffic to your website, to stay in touch with your clients, build a reputation as an authority in your field & network with others.

How are people using it?

  • Everyone is using Twitter – from Brands to Government officials, to athletes, to Hollywood stars stirring up drama.

Remember: Be aware of your brand and your voice. Be interesting and add value

Donald Trump Twitter Page: The Real Donald Trump

YouTube

has emerged as the second-largest search engine after Google – 6 billion hours of video are watched monthly on YouTube. This means that people are not only going to find the answers to their questions but they will be able to see a demonstration which is preferred. YouTube has launched many to internet fame.

How are people using it?

  • Consumers watch content and share it with others.
  • Much of the content is helpful and much is in a how-to format.
  • There is a lot of incentive participation – that is, brands asking users to create videos and share them on behalf of the brand using hashtags for promotional purposes.

SixPackShortCuts: https://www.youtube.com/user/sixpackshortcuts
GoPro: https://www.youtube.com/user/GoProCamera
FoodHeaven: https://www.youtube.com/user/FoodHeavenShow

Pinterest

Demographics are a large part of the success of Pinterest whose client base is largely female. Many ‘pin’ items found on the web including clothing, home décor, and recipes. It is a terrific platform for brands with emotionally charged products that can rely on beautiful images for “pinning”.

How are people using it?

  • Brands use Pinterest to engage their audience with picture sharing … it is simply visual.

WholeFoods: Whole Foods on Pinterest

The Domain Name Game

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So you think that you’ve come up with an awesome name for your business and one of the first items on your agenda is to search for a matching domain name. Hold your horses! Resist the urge to start that search until you have brainstormed a list of possible domain names and are ready to make a purchasing decision.

Here’s Why

If you start your search and then decide to sleep on it before making a decision, the chances are likely that the domain name will either cost twice as much the following day or be scooped up by another buyer who has plans to hold it for a hefty ransom. Although large purchasing services deny that they save searches, studies have proven otherwise. The same holds true in the travel industry where the price of flights mysteriously goes up overnight.

What Else Should I Know

There are other factors to consider as well when selecting a domain name that can affect the price and marketability of the domain name. Among them:
1. Keep the name as short as possible – 3 words is best.
2. Try to get .com but do not fret if .net or .us are the best fits for your business.
3. Avoid awkward names such as speedofart.com or expertsexchange.com
4. Avoid using dashes or numbers in the URL

Is Your Website Working?

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With over one billion live websites on the internet today – it is a feat to stand out among the competition. Today, visitors need to be wowed when they land on your website otherwise they will click the back button and check out the competition within a matter of seconds because, well, because they can! Business owners should answer yes to five simple questions about their company website if they want to be real players in an online games.

Is our website engaging and usable?

Your company website is your showroom. Potential customers must be able to find what they are looking for easily without rifling through the clutter. Clean, uncluttered pages with clear headers and easy to read information is a must.

Do your own eyes glaze over when you read the content?

My motto has always been less is more in just about every category. It’s always better to leave a potential customer wanted just a little bit more in order to prompt a call to action. When selecting pieces for your online portfolio, only showcase the work that you are most proud of.

Is your URL memorable?

Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts when you are searching for a domain name.

  1. DO Whenever possible use your brand name
  2. DO make .com your first pick with .net as a runner up … if they are both taken, pick another name. Seriously. Your tagline.com would make a great choice.
  3. In print DO consider capitalizing the first letter of each word in the URL.
  4. DON’T use acronyms, hyphens, dashes, or underscores
  5. DO try to keep them short
  6. DON’T use all caps
  7. DON’T use a subdomain

Do you ask for the sale?

Your website must have a clear Call to Action or CTA – Ask visitors to take the next step – whether it is to pick up the phone or click a button to formalize your budding relationship.

Is your website mobile responsive?

Is your website as easy to read and navigate on a smartphone or tablet as it is on a desktop computer? That means that the user doesn’t need to zoom in on the text or scroll sideways to see the other half of a sentence. With 40% of internet time spent on mobile devices, you can’t afford to have a website that is designed on a fluid grid.

Basic Online Marketing Musts – Small Business

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Trying to weed through the clutter as it relates to online marketing can be a daunting task for a business owner. In fact, just navigating the terminology of the internet world can be enough to scare away the most ambitious in the group. There are essentially four marketing musts that a business needs to be competitive in the online marketing world.

1. A Good Website – This will ensure that your business can be found online, provide useful information about your products and services and close the sale.
2. A Facebook Page – The purpose of Facebook is to develop relationships, network with your customers and become an authority in your field.
3. A Twitter Page – To gather information about your clients and your competition, to share valuable information, and to drive traffic to your website.
4. A LinkedIn Account – to offer an inside view of your company and professional credentials. LinkedIn allows you to showcase professional know-how and to network with others in your industry.

The theory is that your company website will sit at the center of the workflow pattern and the social media accounts will act as a feeder to the website. There’s no need to sign up for all the social media platforms out there – just stick with the basics until you are comfortable.

Release of new Top Level Domains Coming Soon!

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What’s new on the Internet?

Coming this April an onslaught of generic top-level domains (TLD) including extensions such as .money, .sport, .accountants, .music will be available for registration.

This move represents the biggest change to the internet since the first set of TLDs (.com, .org, .net, and .gov) were introduced back in 1984 and the industry expects mass chaos as a result of a return of the wild, wild, west days on the WWW!

The move can potentially change the way businesses and consumers use the internet and of course, the way brands are marketed – the learning curve never ends in this business! There is a lot of concern from large businesses such as Coca Cola, Microsoft, and P&G who bargaining with Icann for limited preventative registration in order to protect their trademarks.

New Top Level Domain Names Released

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What’s new on the Internet? On January 29 Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) delegated 100 new generic top-level domains (gTLD) and that is only the beginning. Among the extensions currently available for purchase are .singles, .coffee, .blackfriday and .beer among a multitude of others.

This move represents the biggest change to the internet since the first set of TLD’s (.com, .org, .net, and .gov) were introduced back in 1984 and the industry anticipates a bit of chaos as a result and it could initiate a return of the wild, wild, west days on the WWW!

The new extensions may well change the way businesses and consumers use the internet and the way brands are marketed. There is a lot of concern from large businesses such as Coca Cola, Microsoft, and P&G who bargaining with Icann for limited preventative registration in order to protect their trademarks.

Take Revenge Against Bad Online Reviews

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While most small business owners spend their energy trying to catapult their website to the top of a Google search page, others are waging a battle against negative online reviews that are reaching the top of Google searches. Poor ratings and reviews on sites like YELP, Yahoo, Google, Foursquare, Citysearch, or Zagat can wreak havoc on the reputation of a small business. Whether it is a disgruntled former employee who is seeking revenge or an unhappy customer, there are ways to combat the problem. Naturally, the best way to combat this situation is to take a proactive approach from the start by encouraging customers to write positive reviews online. The theory is elementary – if the positives outweigh the negatives you will look better on paper. It is worth your while to give your clients a little incentive for doing the good deed – perhaps offer a coupon for a discount on their next visit. If the negative reviews have already done damage to your reputation then you have your work cut out for you but not all is lost. If it is an unhappy customer creating the stir – do what you can to appease them. Apologize and offer an opportunity to make things right. Beyond that, stay clear of excuses or negative remarks. Your best bet is to encourage more customers to post positive reviews in order to drown out the negative noise.

Other places that businesses can manage their online reputation include:

  • Facebook
  • Blogs
  • Claim your listing on the online review sites.

The DreamPix Studio … creating online impressions that make a difference.