Maine Broadcast Television, Print Advertising

Stephen Beals discusses large format proofing

September 2nd, 2010 by Mike

The problem with standards is they are intentionally designed to allow print providers to closely match color on a wide variety of media, printed on any device, no matter what technology is being used. That’s great if you want the poster printed on your 12-color inkjet device to match the same image coming off a web press. But often, that’s not the best way to sell wide-format output. If you are covering the side of a building with an image, you want the colors to pop…
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63-page Social Media Guide available

August 3rd, 2010 by Mike

Details about the report here

Laura Wood from researchandmarkets.org tells us that the (148€) report offers a “primer” on the various new and social media channels, such as:

- Web sites and e-mail
- Blogs and podcasts
- Twitter and other microblogging sites
- Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networking sites
- Digg, StumbleUpon, and other social bookmarking sites
- YouTube and other online video applications

For each of these groups of channels, the report explains, in a nutshell:

- what it is
- what is required to get started
- what it costs
- best practices for inbound marketing
- how printers can use it for their own purposes
- how printers can offer it to their clients

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Internet Retailer’s 2007 survey

July 19th, 2010 by Mike

The state of the Web, 2007: Check out the results of I/R’s 07 survey. Web retailers are feeling pretty bullish about their financial situation these days. But having made the transition from start-up operation to established business, web merchants are also keeping a close eye on their expenses and growing organically using their own resources rather than take on a big acquisition or too much outside financing, according to InternetRetailer’s latest monthly survey.
full article here
pdf of print article here

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Video Marketing Strategy Outline

July 19th, 2010 by Mike

Thom Disch, head of multi-channel ramp retailer Handiramp.com and Internet Engine LLC, an Internet marketing company, has worked both sides of the online video fence. His e-commerce site uses demonstration videos for ramp products and is being redesigned to add more.

outline here
list of file types used here

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The channel matters

July 12th, 2010 by Mike

According to a recent survey by MarketingProfs Research (marketingprofs.com), not all social-networking sites are created equal-particularly in terms of who is using them. The report shows Linkedln as the preferred social-networking site for B2B respondents, while Facebook scored highest with the B2C market. Businesses are learning that, while the message itself is critical, the channel through which they deliver it may hold the secret to a successful campaign.
PDF graphic here

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Cliff Conneighton outlines 5 steps for event-triggered marketing

July 9th, 2010 by Mike

To paraphrase:
1. Understand your client
2. Create segments
3. Provide timely info
4. Define events broadly
5. automate
ARTICLE HERE
PDF of print article here

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Two triggered e-mail programs you can’t start 2010 without

June 16th, 2010 by Mike

Regina Brady discusses triggered email with Target Marketing

Article here

PDF here

I receive quite a bit of trigger e-mail these days. I’m fully aware that it comes from a bot, or macro. However, that doesn’t reduce it’s effectiveness. It’s comforting to know that a product has shipped, or a date has been confirmed, or product is now in stock. Other triggers that I receive are rain alerts, traffic alerts, low balance alerts, payment due alerts, payment posted alerts. Now that I think of it, a fair amount of the email that I receive is trigger email. The weird thing is, as much as I enjoy the convenience of receiving such correspondence, I shy away from creating the same type of messages. Maybe it’s time…

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Will Social Media Kill E-mail?

June 7th, 2010 by Mike

I think e-mail is here to stay. But then so are newspapers and books. It’s not a bad thing that different media compete. I believe that e-mail will continue to be king in business. But when it comes to group conversations outside the workplace, social media is just a better experience. One can tweak program settings so that SMS updates are sent for those individuals you want to hear from instantaneously. Other postings are seen when logging into the application, perhaps once a day or more often, depending on one’s proximity to a computing device. If you tire of a user’s constant posting of the minutiae of their life, it is easy to hide or even block them. Each user is in control of the connections they make and the way that information is posted to their wall or news feed. Facebook, for instance will allow you to block a particular application. You might want to see posts from your friend, but not all the ZOO postings that he or she makes. You can block just ‘ZOO’ but not your friend. I’m curious, does anyone know if the other user sees your block?

With the advent of the ipad I believe social media will take off even more.

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Target Marketing’s Tim Ash: Double your Conversion Rate.

June 4th, 2010 by Mike

Tim Ash chases the elusive ‘perfect’ registration page in this very timely post.
Article Here
PDF HERE

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Survey: pent-up demand for redesign projects

June 4th, 2010 by Mike

According to a recent survey of 404 web retailers, 2/3 plan to redesign their sites this year.
PDF HERE
Web Article Here

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Spire Express Blog

I moved to Maine when I was 16 years old. I got my start as a feeder operator on a press. After a side step into the dying art of letterpress printing (which I quite enjoyed), I moved into film-based prepress. Building on that experience I then jumped head-first into digital prepress. I came on board at Spire Express in 2000, staying quite busy for some time doing imagesetting. Now here I am on the other side of yet another transition (away from silver-based imaging), working to stay on my toes with new technologies and media. When I'm not working, I enjoy playing the fiddle and banjo. Portland is a great town in which to work and play music.

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