Seriously, I can not resist widgets

I saw a carousel widget on a book website and had to have it. Thankfully, there was a get widget button. Lo and behold it took me to Amazon's carousel/ferris wheel widget maker, which lets you pick products, or in my case, books to feature. So, I picked some of my CSS favorites to feature and posted in the right-hand column of my blog, along with other widgets I've found on my travels.

Capture Twitter Searches for blog, site, twitter posts

Now you can capture elusive tweets, put them into Google doc, and publish to a URL for use on your website, blog, twitter, wherever! And, the best part is you can re-order the tweets so they display oldest to newest.

Here are the steps:

1. Twitchats
2. Figure out which tweet is the oldest in the search you'd like to capture and enter that ID in the Since Message ID field (you can skip this step if the hashtag is a one-time event or date specific).
3. Run the search
4. Create a new google document.
5. Copy and past each page of the search into the google document.
6. In the google document click on the Share tab in the upper right corner.
7. Click on publish as a web document.
8. You'll see a message at the top of the screen that says: Your document is publicly available at...
9. Copy and paste that URL into websites, blogs, twitter posts....

Here's an example from our Firebrand Conference in Newburyport (notice tweets are in oldest to newest order so you can follow the event in chronological order): Firebrand Technologies #fire09 tweets

Posting from my iPhone...

Coolness! I can now post to blogger from my phone!

T-Shirt with QR Code

Ok, I couldn't resist opening a free store with Spreadshirt ('cause I saw Ze Frank used them for his merchandise) and putting my newly minted QR Code on a few T-shirts. Check it out! Get your QR Code T-shirt.

And, here's the story behind the message in the code.

QR Codes - for marketing?

I loved this guerrilla marketing campaign idea from Editoras Online, view video here. They used QR code stickers to tell a story that pulls information from Twitter. So then I wanted to know about QR codes - heck, I wanted my own code. So I made one up thanks to http://qrcode.kaywa.com/




If you want to read what it says - you'll need to download reader software to your phone: http://reader.kaywa.com. If you have an iPhone there are a few free QR code applications.

How to Write a Press Release

Press releases are a great way to keep your name in front of potential customers and colleagues alike. And they are perfect in these financially uncertain times. Less expensive than advertising and many argue, more effective. Also, well-written press releases are a welcome sight for short-staffed newspapers.

Press releases are easy. First collect the email or mailing addresses of local newspapers and trade publications in your area. Next follow this formula for writing a press release. If you have a great photo, you would be doing the publication a favor by including it, and, it’s a good way to make your news standout.

Remember press releases have to be about news to be published. Topics that are newsworthy include: a new website, a staff promotion, staff training, special website functionality, new location, etc.

Here are the sections necessary for a basic press release:

1. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (in caps right after your logo at the top of the page)
2. "Suggested Title" (In quotes type a suggested title that give s the gist of the release)
3. CITY, ST - (in caps, the city and state then type an em dash)
4. First paragraph should be brief - who, what, when
5. Second paragraph is supporting background information about the company
6. -- 30-- (denotes the end of the release)
7. Add contact information in case an editor wants to know more.
   

Here’s how a final press release might look:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Sunrise Massage Opens a New Massage Studio”

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA – Izumi Stephens of Sunrise Massage recently opened a three-room studio outside her home to create a professional and quiet setting for her clients. The honey-toned colors and woodwork of the entryway, bathroom and message room are at once welcoming and serene.

Izumi worked out of her home for three years before building her studio. Izumi has practiced massage in both a Chiropractic office and Day spa in Bellevue. She graduated Ashmead Massage College. This intensive program demands over 400 hours of hands on practice before a license is granted. Izumi has continued her education by studying Zen Shiatsu at her native Japan.

Sunrise Massage is located at 14924 Sunrise Drive NE, Bainbridge Island. Izumi’s website is bainbridgesunrisemassage.com.

-- 30 --

For more information please contact:
Izumi Stephens, (206) 855-0750