@BasilPuglisi

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About Basil Puglisi: Building Influence with Integrity

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Basil Google Glass

Basil C. Puglisi is a strategic consultant, digital media expert, educator, and author with a legacy rooted in teaching others how to influence with integrity. Since 2009, he has been at the forefront of digital communications—long before “influencer” became an industry term. His work spans consulting, publishing, and public speaking, all grounded in one core belief: clarity creates confidence, and confidence builds influence.

Almost Two Decades at the Forefront of Digital Strategy

In the early 2010s, Basil’s name appeared frequently across the digital media landscape. He spoke on national stages, published insights, and helped shape professional standards for a rapidly evolving field. He served on the Board of Directors for Social Media Club, advancing conversations on ethics and responsibility in media, and co-founded Social Media Action Camp (SMAC), producing collaborative events that generated measurable impact.

As founding editor of Digital Ethos, a nonprofit publication, Basil created a platform for responsible discourse online. His work has been published or featured in outlets including Newsday, Social Media Today, and Social Media Monthly.

Social Media Events, Digital Media Events, Speaker, sessions

Contact Basil today to request availability for engagements, workshops, or panel moderation. – basil(at)puglisiconsulting[dot]com

Proven Experience with Brands, Events, and Community

Basil’s work in digital strategy has always been about building stages—literal and figurative—where ideas, brands, and communities could connect.

He co-produced the Parents & Baby Expo, a nine-location trade show series that partnered with Huggies, Mead Johnson, Babies “R” Us, and other household names, while also producing exhibitor video content that gave smaller brands a national-level spotlight.

He also worked on the AOL launch of Patch.com on Long Island, partnering with local Chambers of Commerce to build visibility through advertising, content, and small business video campaigns.

Basil Events Conferences

At Social Media Week NYC, Basil produced and hosted events that brought global platforms and thought leaders into direct conversation. His sessions featured representatives from Google, Facebook, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, Constant Contact, and Empire Avenue, as well as authors like Ekaterina Walter (Think Like Zuck) and Brian Solis (What’s the Future of Business). Smaller agencies and innovators—including Bumblebee Media, Internet Marketing Labs, Heyo, Wbbgrrls International, and Hyperactivate—also joined, underscoring Basil’s role as a connector across the ecosystem.

At Social Media Action Camp (SMAC), Basil curated and hosted some of the leading voices in digital marketing, including:

  • Ekaterina Walter (Intel)
  • Scott Monty (Ford)
  • Ric Dragon (Social Marketology)
  • Wendi Capllon-Carol (Constant Contact)
  • Duleepa Wijayawardhana (Empire Avenue)
  • Nelly Yusupova (WebGrrls International)
  • Amy Vernon (Internet Media Labs)
  • Mark Coatney (Tumblr)

Social Media Action Camp (SMAC): Teachers Not Speakers™

In 2012, SMAC became one of the most impactful events at Social Media Week NYC, built around Basil’s philosophy of “Teachers, Not Speakers™.”

  • #SMWsmac generated 1,484 tweets across 15 countries, representing about 5% of all social activity in NYC that week.
  • Sessions drew 976 views on Livestream and 71 check-ins on Foursquare.
  • The official event page drove 177 Facebook Likes, 250 LinkedIn shares, and 834 additional tweets, making SMAC the most socially shared event worldwide for Social Media Week 2012.
  • Kred and Ogilvy’s Movers & Shakers ranked Basil the #1 Top Influencer of Social Media Week NYC 2012.

đź“ŚLI experts to lead social-media event in NYC
đź“Ś Ogilvy Movers & Shakers Leaderboard graphic

The 2013 SMAC Summit expanded further:

  • 128 attendees (sold out)
  • 3,000+ tweets
  • Over 10 million impressions
  • 1,000+ Livestream views
  • Generated 25% of all #SMWNYC impressions that day

Speakers included Dino Dogan (Triberr), Gemma Craven (Ogilvy), Christine Murphy (DDB), Ric Dragon (DragonSearch), Marc Fischman (Hyperactivate), Gabriel Shaoolian (Blue Fountain Media), Cynthia Sanchez (Oh So Pinteresting), Melonie Dodaro (TopDog Social Media), Amy Vernon, Hilary Topper, and Brian Solis (Altimeter Group).

đź“Ś Kred Top 1% Influencer

Through SMAC, Basil not only hosted conversations—he created data-driven, globally recognized events that shaped the dialogue of Social Media Week.

Early Technology Pioneer

In 2013, Basil became the first Long Island resident selected for the Google Glass Explorer program, a milestone covered by Newsday (“LIer test drives Google Glass,” July 8, 2013). He was one of only 10,000 Americans invited by Google to test the device, blending camera, display, touchpad, and microphone into a wearable headset.

That same year, Basil moderated a featured Google Glass panel at the NYXPO in New York City, leading a discussion with early Explorers on how wearable technology could transform communication, events, and storytelling.

By combining first-hand experience with public engagement, Basil positioned himself not just as an adopter of frontier technology but as a translator—helping professionals and organizations see how new tools could be applied strategically. That same forward-looking approach guides his current work in artificial intelligence.

📌 Newsday article: Newsday Staff. (2013, July 8). LIer test drives Google Glass. Newsday.


Healy, T. (Host). (n.d.). The Profit Express with Tim Healy [Radio broadcast interview with Basil Puglisi]. WRHU 88.7 FM. Available at https://youtu.be/7ZFDvPqG8Ws?feature=shared

Evolution Behind the Scenes

In 2014, Basil shifted into public service, a role that carried strict restrictions on personal use of social media and public visibility. While this reduced his presence on big stages and in public events, it expanded his capacity to guide organizations privately, focusing less on self-promotion and more on building systems that delivered results.

That period of quiet was not absence, but evolution. Spending less time showcasing himself made him a stronger consultant and teacher. It sharpened his ability to create clarity, enforce accountability, and measure outcomes for others.

Behind the scenes, Basil refined the methodologies that define his work today, including Factics—a blend of facts and tactics that turns information into action. His commitment to education over presentation also gave rise to his enduring philosophy: “Teachers, Not Speakers.”

Throughout this time, Basil continued publishing at BasilPuglisi.com, building an archive of more than 900 articles on digital strategy, content, and AI—making it one of the most extensive independent resources of its kind. He also advanced into artificial intelligence, completing the University of Helsinki’s Elements of AI and Ethics of AI certifications, most recently in August 2025.

This chapter was about depth, not disappearance. It provided the discipline of public service, the structure of proven methodologies, and the foresight of AI—tools Basil now brings into every consulting engagement and teaching opportunity.

Methodology and Publications

In 2012, Basil introduced Factics (Facts + Tactics + KPIs) at the NYXPO in NYC’s Javits Center as a model for turning information into action. This methodology became the foundation for his consulting and his first book, Digital Factics: Twitter.

Today, Basil is reviving the Digital Factics book series to guide professionals in mastering modern platforms with clarity and accountability. The release schedule includes:

  • Digital Factics: Instagram — December 2025
  • Digital Factics: X (revised edition) — January 2026
  • Followed by titles on AI, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Reddit, LinkedIn, Medium, Threads, BlueSky, and other emerging platforms.

The series blends Basil’s Factics methodology with real-world tactics and KPIs, helping leaders and organizations turn digital complexity into measurable outcomes.

Beyond Consulting: Public Service and Leadership

Outside of consulting, Basil served 12 years in law enforcement. His work included authoring statistical reports, creating training materials for 1,600 officers, delivering FAA presentations on drone policy, and presenting expert testimony in court. This period honed his ability to communicate complex ideas, build scalable systems, and earn trust in high-stakes environments.

He holds dual BAs in Sociology and Criminal Justice, and a Master of Public Administration.

Today: Strategy in the AI Era

Today, Basil continues his mission through two channels:

  • BasilPuglisi.com → his personal thought leadership hub, featuring articles on AI, content, and strategy.
  • Puglisi Consulting → his selective consulting practice, where he applies board-level oversight to events, campaigns, and strategic initiatives.

Through speaking engagements, consulting, and publishing, Basil remains dedicated to one mission: helping others turn ideas into action and content into clarity—always backed by facts, always rooted in purpose.

“Influence is earned, not bought. It starts with clarity, is built with content, and stands on facts. It is far more important to be purposeful than first to publish.”
— Basil C. Puglisi, M.P.A.

Newsday Publications Featuring Basil Puglisi

Other Media Features

Elements of AI Certification at University of Helsinki
Ethics of AI,

Attract Tax Clients with Google Maps Tips This Season

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Tax Clients via Google Maps

Filing frenzy means desperate searches. Categories determine if you appear at all.

What it is: Specific service labels plus offers.

How it works: Add the category, post deals. PinMeTo explains how this unlocks relevant visibility.

What to do this week: Add ‘Tax Preparation Service’ and one seasonal offer.

Why it matters: Meets stressed locals where they are. Builds trust for key sales.

Goal: Aim for 10 more calls this month.

For more:
PinMeTo. (2024). GBP Categories. https://www.pinmeto.com/blog/google-business-profile-categories
Wix. (2023). Select GBP category. https://www.wix.com/seo/learn/resource/how-to-select-your-gbp-category

Quick Steps Cheat Sheet:
• Log in at business.google.com
• Click ‘Info’ in left menu
• Find ‘Category’ field and add ‘Tax Preparation Service’
• Go to ‘Posts’ and create tax season offer
• Include clear call-to-action

About the Barstool Blog
The Barstool Blog is built for small business owners who want quick advice without the jargon. I break things down into what it is how it works what you can do this week and why it matters. For deeper dives check out my #AIgenerated blogs on SEO Social Media and Workflow including ecommerce and CRM. For industry leaders my #AIassisted blog shares a monthly look into business marketing digital strategies content events and AI.

A Look at Reddit [INTERNSHIP]

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Reddit.com is a different kind of social network. It is a social news website that allows their users to submit content in the form of either a link or text and share it with the Reddit community. The site has their own kind of search optimization that allows users to rise to the top of the page. Users vote on the content “up” or “down”. Up meaning their content rises to the top of the page giving them more visibility, and down meaning you get pushed to the bottom of the page.
Reddit runs a bulletin board type of system. This makes it easy to scroll through content. On the home page, there are many different categories you can browse through. Categories include politics, world news, gaming, technology, music, science, and much more. Fortunately Reddit allows you to edit and add categories you want visible on your home page. This gives the users personalization.
The users can scroll through different kinds of content. The content can be informational, funny, newsworthy, etc. Users post things you can find in a history textbook or even a fashion magazine. There are many different ways you can learn from Reddit. The site keeps up with everything going on in the world by posting breaking news. For example the shootings in Aurora, Colorado were posted almost instantly after it happened. They kept the information updated even days after.  Find out what kind of dinosaurs existed millions of years ago, or find out what’s going on in space. Reddit follows free speech, so they don’t discriminate on any kinds of content.
Even though Reddit is considered a news website, it can still help businesses. The best way to market on their site is to find content that pertains to your audience and target market. You want to be able to understand and listen to the content carefully so you will be able to contribute something of value. If you want to find specific content, Reddit allows you to search by keywords. Sharing content is also simple on Reddit. You can share the information to your followers on twitter, Facebook friends, your Google+ page, or you can even pin it on Pinterest by pressing their individual button on the top of the page.
In recent months Reddit’s popularity has grown tremendously. The social news site obtains over three million page views a month and has over 43 million monthly active users. It’s easy to see why Reddit’s slogan is “The front page of the internet”. Individuals, small businesses, and large corporations can all benefit from having an account on Reddit.
Sources:

The content in this article is part of Digital Ethos’s Digital Media Education in the Higher Education Internship Program, the content was created by @KaylaMarzo, a Student at Suffolk County Community college, intern at Digital Ethos.

How Can Pinterest Help your Retail Store

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When brands like JCPenny, The Gap, Honda, McDonalds, and Banana Republic make it to Pinterest, you know that Pinterest means business. And it does, although Pinterest was not intended to be a business venture, but like other social networking sites, it has found a niche. It is rapidly growing and provides a visual delight to its visitors, and now features a platform for businesses and retail stores to display their products.

Pinterest for Retail


Well it’s no secret, Pinterest is pretty. It is a visual delight and provides that ultimate virtual experience of window shopping. Your retail store too can become a part of the ever growing retail community.
According to the 2012 Social and Mobile Commerce Study released by Shop.org, Pinterest users follow an average of 9.3 retail companies whereas Facebook users only follow 6.9. This is reason enough why more and more retail brands are making sure that they keep up with the new trends in e-commerce. And you can do the same, here’s how:

1. Product Marketing

You can put pictures of your products which link back to your websites. Pinterest has a high click through rate, so pinning those pictures will lead to visitors, who may find your product appealing enough to visit your website to make a purchase. Even if a visitor does not intend to buy the product but finds it visually appealing, chances are he or she would re pin it, which will market your product free of cost.

2. Know what’s Trending

By following your followers or even your competition you will know what’s trending. Especially in case your product is related to fashion e.g. clothing or accessories, see what’s making the news and pin pictures which relate to it. For instance if a certain celebrity is trending or a certain color or silhouette then pin or re pin pictures of your products that reflect those trends. By following your followers you will also be able to get a better idea about their tastes and preferences. It will provide that much needed feedback and insight into your customers or potential customers tastes.

3. Picture Perfect Sales

Any sale via the web requires serious selling techniques, with Pinterest it’s the visual tactic. And it has been known to work. So even if you do not sell products but services, then pin pictures that relate to it. For instance if you are an event management company then pinning  pictures of your completed projects or pictures that display themes or ideas will attract potential customers.

4. Links

Don’t forget to link your website with Pinterest with a “Find us on Pinterest” link on your website. Also link your website with other social networking sites, especially Facebook and Twitter, this will let your pins then appear on the newsfeed of those sites. This will mean more traffic and will attract customers from other social networking sites too.
Pinterest is only 2 years old and it already has millions of users and a profitable retail presence. So it’s about time that you jump on the bandwagon and make the most of it.
Pantelis Vladimirou is the Co-Foudner of Webarts, which is using Pinterest and other Social Media as part of its Cyprus Digital Marketing strategy for its clients.

10 Ways to Use Foursquare for Business

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Foursquare is a location-based smartphone application which offers check-in service to customers, marketers and businesses alike. You can use this mobile application to check-in to venues and share with your friends where you are, and obtain info about those places.  Based on your updates, the application might assign you merit badges. It’s an interesting social concept for consumers and at the same time, a strong business tool that can be potentially used for creating brand awareness and profits. Hence if you want to leverage your business, this platform platform is worth looking at for several reasons. To do this, you’ll have to understand how it works. There are 10 ways to use Foursquare for business. To help you get an idea about promoting your own business through this platform, there are a few tips discussed below.
How to use foursquare for business
To begin with, check your business on Foursquare. If your business is not there, add it and then, claim it on the listing. Connect your Twitter account with the listing. This process is quite simple. Once this is done, you can proceed further to use Foursquare for business promotion. In this endeavor, following things can be done:

  1. Create interesting deals to draw in customers. Deals can easily be created if you have claimed your business on this platform. You can give special discounts to those users who checks in to your business, for instance – announce to give 10% off on one’s next merchandise shopping. However, just ensure that your deals are special and creative so that new customers get attracted and keep coming back to you.
  2. Design reward-based programs on Foursquare for loyal customers to retain them. If deals help you draw new customers, rewarding those who are regular visitors to your business is useful in winning their loyalty. It can create a bond between your customers and the business and entice them to come back to you. Your reward-based programs should be smart and intelligently devised, for instance – a program asking one to check in 5 times in 15 days and win a surprise gift.
  3. Use Foursquare to collect demographic details of your customers. Through this platform, you can know the average check-in rate of a customer, his/ her age and gender, check-in timings and where he or she is sharing the check-in details – on Facebook or Twitter.
  4. Another interesting way to use Foursquare for business promotion is to get feedback from your customers about your business. Customers can leave their comments or tips about a particular venue they visit. You can use their feedback to bring improvisation in your business.
  5. Foursquare is a powerful medium to advertize your business for free. When you claim your business and optimize the listing by adding authentic contact details and website, you increase the chances of promoting your business across various social networking sites which are used by millions.
  6. If your business doesn’t have a physical presence, you can use Foursquare to set up a page instead of claiming a venue. Foursquare page is not much different from a Twitter page. Those who follow your business on Foursquare can obtain information about you from there.
  7. You can enter a partnership with other brands which are physically present to derive optimum benefit. For instance if you are a book publisher, join hands with a local bookstore to increase the reach of your business.
  8. Design Foursquare event at your venue to boost massive check-ins and brand consciousness.
  9. You can encourage your staff to join Foursquare and check-in at your venue there whenever they report to work. This will also help spread awareness about your business among their friends and followers.
  10. You can also share useful tips on Foursquare to engage with your customers and thereby, attract their attention to your business.

These are few ways to use Foursquare for business. You can use these and other innovative techniques as well to make success out of your business.
Edoardo Piccolotto, is an Internet Marketing and Strategic Consultant that provides specific strategy advices to business that want to use internet to generate new business opportunities. Follow him on twitter @epiccolotto.

Top 15 Must-See Websites for Designers and Illustrators

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http://www.gfmarketing.co.uk/web-design/

From visiting the museum to riding the bus, inspiration can come from anywhere. However, finding inspiration is not that easy for some designers and illustrators. Sometimes, designers suffer from what they call an artist block. Imagination can actually dry up and leave the designers with an awful feeling of blankness. Luckily at this day and age, the World Wide Web offers a multitude of creative information and ideas from all over the globe to those in dire need of inspiration. Overcome artist block with the list below that features the top 15 must-see websites to get designers and illustrators motivated.
These ultra-modern websites range from personal blogs to online galleries of graphics and images, are definitely awe-worthy and rousing. The creative images and works to be featured here are products of the hard work and passion of other designers and illustrators. These are great sources for inspiration but are not meant to be copied. They’ve put much love and soul to their works and deserve the respect and admiration of everyone.
1. Inspired Mark
This is the personal website that features a range of scribbles, outstanding illustrations, and awesome designs by web architect Mark Collins.
Find them on Twitter or Facebook
2. We Love Illustration
Another good resource for inspiration and motivation, We Love Illustration is a real haven for art and illustration lovers to find inspiration and share their works. This is a place that showcases the amazing talents of different artists from all over the world.
Find them on Facebook
3. Leivos
Managed by designers Shyra and Veronika, Leivos provides more than just creative images and pictures with their daily posts. This virtual pin board also features the coolest interviews with well-known artists and other new artists worth knowing.
Find them on Twitter or Facebook
4. Daily Design Inspiration
The name says it all. With artworks from brilliant designers, this website offers a great deal of fresh design inspiration every day. It features the best logos, cool websites, illustrations, creative photos, and never before seen patterns made by the most talented designers worldwide. Daily Design Inspiration is a hodgepodge of everything artistic and original.
Find them on Twitter or Facebook
5. Sketchblog
According to website owner and professional art director, Rob Sheridan, Sketchblog is a creative playground he set up to encourage himself to draw and create more often. But with his cool and unique artworks, Sketchblog does more and inspires even aspiring artists worldwide to live their dreams start sketching.
Find them on Twitter
6. Ads of the World
Owned and managed by Web Media Brands, Ads of the World is an advertising archive and community. It features inspiring print ads and marketing campaigns done by the world’s top advertising agencies. Students and beginners also post their works at this site to get constructive criticism from the industry experts. There’s also a forum page where artists and designers can exchange ideas for their projects.
Find them on Twitter or Facebook
7. Print and Pattern
Print and Pattern is a gallery of nothing but awesome prints and pattern designs. Print and Pattern transforms your fabrics, wallpapers, cards, and gift wrappers into works of art. The innovative mix and match of colors, shapes, and lines is a must-see for all artists.
Find them on Twitter or Facebook
8. Cool Hunting
Founded in 2003, Cool Hunting has grown from one designer’s personal reference into an award-winning publication. Composed of a global team of editors and contributors who highlights creativity and innovation in technology, design, travel, food, and culture, Cool Hunting provides daily updates and mini-documentaries that attract creative people internationally.
Find them on Twitter or Facebook
9. Orange You Lucky
Cute, colorful, and imaginative are the three words that best describe this website. Owned by an illustrator, designer, and a mother of three pretty girls, Orange You Lucky offers fun and fresh art and drawings.
Find them on Twitter or Facebook
10. Theartcareerproject.com
This website is creativity to the max.  Really sleek cool design that gets your artistic juices flowing.  The site is owned and hosted by a sharepoint hosting company in California and so far has become very popular within this last year.
Find them on Twitter 
11. Web Designer Wall
Toronto-based web designer, Nick La started this website in August 2007 as his personal wall of design ideas, trends, and tutorials. It has quality content and eye-catching design that makes it a must-see website for designers.
Find them on Twitter
12. I Love Typography
Often taken for granted by designers, a good typography is vital in creating the best quality designs and artworks. I Love Typography has the prettiest and most unique type design, lettering, and fonts, from road signs and shampoo bottles to billboards and posters.
Find them on Twitter or Facebook
13. Fuel Your Creativity
A great website to spark your creativity and generate awesome ideas, Fuel Your Creativity is a brilliant design blog that has inspiring articles and links to various design websites.
Find them on Twitter or Facebook
14. Design is Kinky
Design is Kinky brings design and art goodness from Sydney, Australia since 1998. A blog that features new designs, photos, and artworks from all over the world, this site has been inspiring many artists for years.
Find them on Facebook
15. Monster Meltdown
Founded in 2005 by design lover and cool dude, Patrick McNeil, Monster Meltdown is a funky website that has the cutest little monsters in the web. It has a variety of design styles, trends, and elements. Its mission is to provide the largest and most exhaustive inspiration sets possible.
Find them on Twitter or Facebook
Rob Smiel is a advit design art fan.  Rob especially likes graphic design and web development.

What is Inbound Marketing? [Internship]

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            Inbound marketing is a way of making yourself or your company easy to find and drawing people to your website by producing content that appeals to your visitors. The term “inbound marketing” was coined in 2005 by HubSpot’s Brian Halligan because he believed that traditional marketing was becoming less effective. Inbound marketing includes content like blogs, enewsletters, and the social media network. Inbound marketing is far more favored by businesses than outbound marketing. Outbound marketing includes content such as spam, telemarketing, and fliers.
            The whole concept of inbound marketing is to get the customers to find you, instead of you reaching out to them. It can be broken down into five stages. One, attract traffic; two, convert visitors to leads; three, convert leads to sales; four, turn customers into repeat higher margin customers; and five, analyze for continuous improvement. A company can attract traffic to their website by blogging, for example. Updating your blog more frequently will attract more visitors to your website and revenue traffic. Announce your website via email, and across the social media networks like Google+ and Twitter to garnish social and search traffic. Email everyone you know about your new website, lead with content and the word will travel. Share it on your social media websites. Include keywords that will draw your targeted audience in. Then, you want to make sure that the material on your page is what the visitor is looking for. Your goal is to make the visitor a customer. After your visitor becomes a customer, make sure they will come back by sending them an enewsletter and keep your page updated with things that will attract them to buy again. After you went through the four steps of the process, you want to analyze everything that you have done and make sure you are doing everything you can to satisfy your visitors, followers, customers.
            In order to make inbound marketing completely effective, you want to give your customers your marketing information, and a little something else. This provides a value above and beyond what they are looking for, which creates a value to the customer experience. For example, if you’re a gardening or landscaping company, write a little side story about your home garden and how you personally take care of it in the newsletter. The three key phases are “get found, convert, and analyze”.
            Inbound marketing can be effective if the communication is interactive and two-way, unlike outbound marketing which is one-way. One way to create inbound marketing is by being found on search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, YouTube, etc. This is a type of inbound content because someone who is looking for something specifically related to you will go directly to your page. By creating valuable content on your website, your website will rise in organic search results. By rising in organic search results, it will benefit you tremendously because the closer you are to the search engines first page, the more visibility you are gaining for your website.
You can try and get your website higher in the organic search result by pay per click (PPC). PPC is an advertising model used to direct traffic to a certain website. Every time someone’s ad is clicked, the advertiser pays the website owner or publisher. Another way to rank higher in organic search results is to make a well put together press release that is filled with information that your targeted audience will click on when they search on a search engine. Don’t use keywords that are commonly used by your competition; be more creative when it comes to keywords.
            A recently new field that inbound marketing has found its way to is the social media network. Social media sites are the most visited websites on the web. When marketing on social media, identify your target audience. Once you have a targeted audience, think about keywords this audience might use to search to find sites like yours. Facebook for example, has seen a steady increase in its search bar for businesses. A basic principle of a social media site is like using a forum, if there is no activity going on you will leave. To make sure that this doesn’t happen to you on your website, fill it with lots of information and useful content. Finally, another way to use the social media network for inbound marketing is to give your “community” something to talk about. For example, if you own a fitness company and you are now selling a new workout machine, tell your social medic community. This is the “network effect”, when your community creates a “buzz” about what you were talking about, it will bring in other users.
            An easy way to get information out about your business or product is to advertise where they are already going. For example, by putting “like us on Facebook” on your company’s website, this will draw people to your Facebook page where you can advertise all about your business, products and services. Another way to generate inbound marketing is to host contests. By letting your visitors and or customers take an online survey about their experience with your website, offer a chance to win a prize if they take the survey. Also give them the opportunity to go through an easy-to-do sign up for newsletters offering them coupons and sneak peeks into the future.
            Inbound marketing is far more effective than outbound marketing. You can prove this just by asking if you have deleted spam mail without reading it. Spam mail is an example of outbound marketing. Since social media is huge growing field, there should be no question as to why inbound marketing is so effective. In the end, it’s all about finding a new way to generate interest, and inbound marketing is the new way to generate interest and visitors, followers, customers.  
Sources:

The content in this article is part of Digital Ethos’s Digital Media Education in the Higher Education Internship Program, the content was created by @KaylaMarzo, a Student at Suffolk County Community college, intern at Digital Ethos.

Did you try? A Look at the data from #SMWsmac [InfoGraphic]

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What can you do in 16 days? Try!

With just under a month before Social Media Week 2012, it came to our attention that NYC did not have a daylong event that was tailored to teach the small business owners and professionals how Social Media is and can be used. On Feb 1st, 2012 dbmei authors decided to launch Social Media Action Camp! The event which a few days later became an official part of Social Media Week was set for Feb 16th 2012 at the Roger Smith Hotel in NYC.

Data provided by Synthesio , and a few other sources .

The event tag #smwsmac generated over 1,000 tweets! Which represents about 5% of the social media activity in New York City. The Social Influencers reached over 116,000 followers and generated tweets in 15 countries globally!

In addition to the info from Synthesio, we also know that:

  • 102 people  attended throughout the day
  • 128 viewers at one time on LiveStream
  • 976 views on the Live Stream Channel
  • 1484 tweets to date #smwsmac
  • 71 check-ins on foursquare to the Roger Smith Hotel

The Official Social Media Week event page hosted on SocialMediaWeek.org generated 177 Facebook “Likes”, 250 “shares” on LinkedIn and 834 tweets that did not feature #smwsmac as a tag. Making the event the most socially shared event for ALL Social Media Week 2012 globally!

The Social@Olgivy Movers & Shakers platform supported by Kred featured organizer @BasilPuglisi as the top influencer for Feb 16th and both @BasilPuglisi and @dbmei as the top 5 influencers for the following day Feb 17th 2012.

The event was a mix of speakers featuring some of the digital names like Google, Klout, Synthesio, StumbleUpon, EmpireAvenue & Constant Contact. The event featured digital media professionals like David Meerman Scott, Amy Vernon, Mardy Sitzer, and Lujure’s Nathan Latka. Lisa A Burns, representing Corning Inc.,  spoke about the wonder of how a Fortune 500 Company used YouTube to capture more than 17 million views. Then the dbmei authors Bill Corbett Jr., Jeff Ogden, Craig Yaris and Basil C. Puglisi contributed their take on using social media to generate action!

The real success resulted from the response that the attendees reported.   The mix of content and style presented,  generated useful information in many areas with actionable advice and solutions.

“The diverse group of presenters offered extremely valuable best practices and actionable advice. It was also nice attending a social media event that didn’t cater to newbie’s or skeptics”  said David Gise

The event exemplified the point that “you don’t know till you try”, and while we have a long list of things we can do to make the next event even better, it’s an important point for dbmei as well as the individuals involved to say not only did we try, but we succeeded. If you take nothing else away from the article, we hope that when a opportunity presents itself, you be so bold as to try and make it happen.

 

The Buzz about Pinterest

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Interest in Pinterest has been buzzing around on social networks for a while now. Pinterest now has buttons on many sharing sites that did not have them before last month.  So what exactly is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a tool for organizing and sharing images online. If you find something that inspires you or interest you, you can use your Pinterest account to create a visual bookmark to the link. These images are then known as Pins.  Users can place their Pins on their own boards that they can label with specific themes if desired.

Pinterest’s focus is to provide the means for a connection for everyone on earth through shared interest. Based out of Palo Alto, California, Pinterest is chock-full of notable investors and entrepreneurs.

  • Hank Vigil
  • Kevin Hartz
  • Fritz Lanman
  • Jack Abraham
  • Jeremy Stoppelman
  • Michael Birch
  • Ron Conway
  • Scott Belsky
  • Shana Fisher

Pinterest allows users to ‘repin’ the Pins of others. So what happens when you Pin an interest?

  • When you repin an interest you are allowed to categorize the image onto your own boards.
  • Liking someone’s Pin will add the image to your personal profile’s Like section. The image doesn’t get added to one of your boards.
  • Users can choose to integrate their Twitter and Facebook accounts with Pinterest.

Pinterest is another social networking opportunity for so many who enjoy this helpful new element of internet communication. Users can create their own gift wish list, or simply just share their personal preferences with the world.

Get Started on Pinterest

There are many ways to utilize and enjoy Pinterest.

  • Social Networking – Just like Facebook and Twitter, users can add each other through Pinterest’s system.
  • Profile creation – If you Google yourself, you will likely find the highest links are from your personal social network profiles. Pinterest gives you another chance to create one.
  • Create a wish list for your next birthday or anniversary. Share it with those you need to drop a hint to.
  • On that same note, your friends who are on Pinterest are already providing you with a potential gift wish list. No more sneaking around asking people close to them what they may enjoy as a gift.
  • Get inspired! Use Pinterest for inspiration for any number of things, including work!

Create your own vision boards on your favorite topics and trends with Pinterest.

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Snaptag Versus QR Codes

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QR codes have been a new and unique source of executing mobile marketing campaigns in recent times. Many seem to not only enjoy participating by using them, but have actually begun to look for offers from those with QR codes and may even have begun to ignore those that do not have them at all.

What is a QR Code?

QR is short for quick response and that is exactly the purpose of the QR code. These codes take an element of data from transitory media and sends it to your mobile device. The code will give you details about that business, item, or even discount information on products and services.

QR Codes are more useful than a standard barcode in that they can store a more data and a wider variety of it. QR codes commonly include URL links, text, coordinates and more.

How Does This Benefit Businesses?

Most marketers are well aware that mobile marketing is becoming increasingly more important, almost by the day. No method of advertising could be easier than one that consumers reach out for, instead of being asked to look. QR codes allows those consumers who prefer not to be barraged with overt marketing tactics to choose where they will show interest in a product or service.

There is really no limit to the options that can be embedded in a QR code.

  • Running a restaurant? – Embed a great recipe, a buy a meal get one free discount, a special on this evenings dessert.
  • Authors – Add a QR code to the back of your book that enables a consumer to get extra features or hidden endings to your script.
  • Good health practices – Doctors, or other medically related practices can add good tips and tricks for healthy living to their QR codes, update them every month for innovative creativity in the medical field.

Vital Aesthetics Arrive to QR Coding

Traditionally, QR codes have retained a Rorschach look to them, leaving the responsibility on the advertiser to make sure consumers know whose QR code they are scanning. However, with Snaptags, QR codes and increasing brand awareness have meshed nicely. Snaptags have traded out that whole inkblot look for a code ring that serves the same functional purpose.

Who is Using Snaptags?

Because of the applied branding ability on Snaptags not previously available on QR’s, we can now see who is actively using them.

Picture c/o http://www.socialsnaptags.com/

Snaptags Cons?

Although Snaptags no doubt win out in the aesthetic element, there are other issues that can make Snaptags less beneficial than they appear. Many venture because of the supporting copy, Snaptags are not as easily accessible as QR codes. Snaptag stands by the fact that all advertisers would need to do is determine the required supporting copy, but this does lend itself to the inaccessible accusation.

Many current QR code advertisers agree that if a mobile marketing campaign is managed correctly, the aesthetic element of the Snaptags versus traditional QR’s is hardly advantageous.

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