Social Media Gifts for Fundraising: 3 Methods to Boost Your Strategy with Promotional Gifts.

Social media is the taking over as the place for fundraisers looking to generate interest, conversation and increase engagement with their cause. It is the ideal platform for communicating with supporters, potential and existing. Twitter, Facebook and Google+ are among many of the online tools now at your disposal. However, social media is yet to make other forms of traditional marketing obsolete and focusing your efforts on an interconnected strategy is imperative to success. The promotional gifts industry is well recognized in the fundraising sector but there are new ways it can be utilized with modern marketing tools.

In a study by the BPMA they found that promotional gifts can increase visibility more than most other forms of promotion.

Facebook Mobile Phone: Is Everyone Excited for this?”

There was a large, expectant crowd of people representing the press, self-styled analysts and camera toting eager new-hunters present at the headquarters of Facebook, at Menlo Park, California. The steady drizzle of rain did not deter them as they had gathered to garner news about the much hyped Facebook Mobile Phone. Is this going to be another piece of cleverly designed software that will give Facebook the center stage on devices driven by Android? People were eager to know what Facebook had up its sleeve this time.

The local radio stations were busy giving a running commentary, with short breaks in between to announce the impending visit of President Obama to the locality (Bay Area). None other than the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg went onstage, as the announcement was considered important enough to justify the presence of the most important man at Facebook HQ.

How Much Does Google Know About You?

How Much Does Google Know About You infographic

Internet privacy is a very hot topic and it is is being talked about more and more as we become increasingly dependent on computers. Many people are making sure they have firewalls, their data is encrypted and they have passwords that aren't as simple as password123. There are even laws that have attempted to be passed such as the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act or CISPA, which would have destroyed internet privacy as we know it today.

It's no surprise that one of the companies that supported CISPA was Google. This is because CISPA allowed for companies to share your information internet information such as search history and preferences online without the threat of prosecution. So why would Google want to share your information? One word that sums it up, money.

Dell Gines took a look at some of the ways Google tracks its users data below. Internet users have become increasingly more dependent upon Google for almost everything they do online. Want to check out that new viral video? Google the name of it and browse through result or just go to YouTube, which just happens to be owned by Google. Your Gmail account is done through Google, which is used to send and store sensitive data. If you want to access data from another location, you can even store it on your gmail accounts drive. Take a look at the infographic to find out all the ways you depend on Google.

Review of Best Socially Conscious Business Apps

After carefully reviewing and testing hundreds of apps suggested by The Business Insider, PC Mag, and Information Week, the apps below are the ones which offer the most to the socially conscious business person. Check out the reviews of these useful apps for the modern socialpreneur, most of which can be used by people with only a basic understanding of mobile technology.

Apps for Reducing Waste

iRecycle, iOS, Android

This app lets you locate local recycling locations for various types of materials. iRecycle offers over 1.5 million ways to recycle over 350 types of materials. Businesses which produce any type of waste will discover how to immediately reduce their carbon footprint by keeping their trash out of landfills.

A Newbies Intro on Branding Your Empire as a Freelancer

A freelance worker, or freelancer, is a worker who is not committed to just one company – many aren't even committed to just one industry. These people may fill a position or need for a business in virtually any capacity. A typical arrangement between a company and freelancer includes a signed contract about the nature of the work, this is why many are referred to as contract workers instead of freelancers. Some freelancers work out of the office of a company that they have assignments from, but many, like myself, are on their own completely. Regardless of the nature of their work, a good freelancer must have a plan if they want to achieve success.

The New Face of Business: Beautifully Deceiving

Online Social Networking has changed the way we conduct business. Our office can now be predominantly our laptop, or any other metal object that supports (Wi-fi). We are constantly “connected,” and many of us feel a nagging feeling when we’re not. Online social platforms have extended a businesses’ reach.  Between updating social statuses, checking Gmail, and tweeting the latest news, we have become disconnected from an essential part of social interaction: the physical part.

5 Things and a Prediction

I was recently invited to contribute to the series "5 Things and a Prediction" for a group called Digital Marketing Unwrapped. I thought I would share my response with everyone here. Let me know what you think.

Why Use LinkedIn?

With what seems like a new social media site popping up every day, it is sometimes hard to realize what platforms are relevant and which ones you should put your efforts (and marketing budgets) into. If you are a professional, want to be recognized in your industry, or have a service/product you are trying to get noticed,  I would HIGHLY recommend LinkedIn.

Social Analytics

Everywhere you go online someone is professing the benefits of Social Media and how it can help you business. Consultants and Social Media firms are popping up left and right declaring they have the answer and can show your business how to use these online platforms. I agree, Social Media can greatly help your business build a stronger client base; expand your business reach, engage directly with users, and so much more. But the million dollar question is “HOW” do you track this?

Why Do We Use Social Media?

As I sit on my deck, overlooking the water, listening to Lightnin’ Hopkins and other great Blues musicians it puts me in a philosophical mood.  The question that I am pondering this evening is “why do we use Social Media and how did it get so expansive?”

Video Podcasting & How It Can Revolutionize Your Business

Video Podcasting by Andrew Miller

Miller & Miller Consulting


Even with the increased recognition of online terminology, many people are still confused when the word "Podcasting" is mentioned. Their response may be something to the extent of "ummm isn't that like a radio station online or something?" Now, tell them you work in Visual Podcasting and you will see the all too familiar "deer in the headlights look" you get every time you try to explain your online endeavors.

Why Is Your Business NOT Using Social Media Correctly?

In the day and age that we live in Social Media has changed the industry standard of how business is done. The 80 page business plan has been replaced with a single page CrowdSourcing page. The requirement to pay a huge marketing firm for graphic designs and advertisement slogans has been replaced with freelancer.com and guru.com, just to name a few. The ability to grow a business and compete with the "Mega-player" in your industry has never been so tangible as it is now.