Post Tagged with Communication
By Angelene
Posted in - Public Relations & Social Media on August 30th, 2011
Social media has been a buzz-topic across all industries for a number of years now. People are discussing its benefits and its handicaps, its global reach, its popularity, how fast it’s growing. Businesses- large and small- are all hopping on the band wagon and developing profiles, pages, handles and groups. Everyone wants to be involved, but before you jump in, make sure you know what you’re getting into. What many people don’t understand is the bigger picture of social media; take the words apart – and social media is just really a type of media. Dictionary.com describes media as a “means of communication…that reaches or influences people” and social as “pertaining to, devoted to, or characterized by friendly companionship or…
By Alexis
Posted in - Advertising & Media & Networking & Social Media & Uncategorized on August 22nd, 2011
Forget the water cooler, it’s all about the candy bowl at Cotton & Company. Lets face it; we are with one another as much, if not more, than our own family. So it’s only natural that we find some bonding time. And what better way than with candy? Sure this seems simple, but the best part about candy is, unlike with people, everybody likes it. Candy puts people in a happy mood. A happy worker is more productive. More pleasant. And, well, just plain happier.
By Alexis
Posted in - Public Relations & Social Media on July 26th, 2011
Just as I’ve settled into the social media world on Facebook, with my thousands of pictures and conversations preserved, Google+ has to make an appearance and cause me to question my whole social media presence. Google+ confused me even more than Facebook had when I first created my profile, with it’s clean layout and simple color scheme (in comparison to Myspace), I found myself a little overwhelmed just thinking about creating a whole new internet profile. Sharing my concerns with a friend who had made his Google+ account as well, he responded with, “It is Beta right now. Chill out…Send some feedback…” So I did. One aspect I love about the new outlet is that it enables me to take…
By Alexis
Posted in - Media & Public Relations & Social Media on July 11th, 2011
If you were to ask businesses across the country about market research and advertising 20 years ago, they would have said, “I think we know what people want.” Well, 20 years later they know what consumers want, and in a big way. The marketing and advertising schemes involving door-to-door sales and community events are definitely coming to a screeching halt. The internet is now the community and social platforms are now the marketplaces. As businesses develop, they understand that they can no longer afford to be one-dimensional. For every one customer in person, companies can obtain 10 at the same time via social communities online. As long as a company has a product that the right people want, they will have…
By Alexis
Posted in - Advertising & Media & Networking & Social Media & Uncategorized on June 28th, 2011
These interesting looking icons are “QR” Codes. QR is short for Quick Response. This technology is definitely not new, but it is becoming more popular in the United States as smart phones take over the marketplace. This two-dimensional code, made up of squares and patterns, is a shortcut that can be read through your phone’s camera once you have downloaded the software. In fact, the next generation iPhone will come equipped with the QR reader program already installed. As you hold your phone over the code, your camera will read the code and automatically take you to a website or webpage, launch a video, play music or a game. The Barcode News recently released statistics that show a 4,549% growth in…
By Alexis
Posted in - Advertising & Media & Networking & Public Relations & Social Media & Uncategorized & Web on March 21st, 2011
Back in the late 50’s and early 60’s, the United States was trying to regain its position as a leader in technology. Fostered by the launch of Sputnik 2 in 1958, many of the great minds of the US (especially those of the military) speculated upon the creation of a disaster-proof network that would allow global/domestic communications to continue uninterrupted during periods of war and unrest. (Well, that plan hasn’t been 100% successful as some Islamic nations can attest, but hey, it was America’s idea.) It wasn’t even a year after Russian’s spectacular breakthrough – launching a three-year-old mongrel canine into Space – which the US reciprocated with its own technological brew. The organization ARPA was formed out of a…
By Alexis
Posted in - Advertising & Media & Networking & Social Media & Uncategorized on March 14th, 2011
Is it possible to write advertising copy that will truly resonate with a reader? To inspire someone to take action? To persuade a person to buy your product or service? Through words? Communicating appropriately and compellingly is not easy—but it can be done. To that end, I say the answer is yes. Yes, through words you can inspire, persuade, motive and even rouse introspection. Yes, you can provoke one to do the unthinkable: to change. And yes, you (who often doubts your writing abilities) can write well. My only rule is that you consider the importance of Ernest Hemingway and his unintentional—yet powerful—affect on writing for mass media. Ernest Hemingway pioneered a style of writing that was simple and direct. His concise storytelling…
By Alexis
Posted in - Advertising & Media & Networking & Public Relations & Real Estate & SEO & Social Media & Uncategorized & Web on February 28th, 2011
A recent post suggested “7 Things That Annoy Website Visitors.” Experience has taught us that, “one size does not fit all.” Neither does one set of guidelines. As a leading sales and marketing agency, providing services to developers of luxury real estate since 1983, Cotton & Company takes pride in the quality and performance of the custom websites created for its clients. Focusing upon lifestyle, each website is an attempt to create a vivid representation of the personal comfort and joy to be found as a resident of that particular community.The buyer of a one-of-a-kind, $17 million, oceanfront penthouse does not share the same perspective as the individual who is trying to find the best price for Duracell® Batteries. Commodity buyers have…
By Alexis
Posted in - Media & Networking & Public Relations & Social Media & Uncategorized & Web on February 17th, 2011
It’s Easy to Forget the Little ThingsIt is easy to forget the little things. When you are part of a large organization and have multiple clients sometimes things can fall through the cracks. For example, your website and your Facebook may remain up to date, but those aren’t the only places where potential customers can find you online. There are numerous online resource sites that show local and national business listings. Many of those sites post business information without actually contacting the company. It is then your job to go online, find those sites and check your company’s profile. Are you listed? If so, is the contact information correct? Are your company’s services correctly explained? For some sites it is simply a…
By Alexis
Posted in - Advertising & Public Relations on February 4th, 2011
How to Establish Credibility with Assignment Editors and Producers When a publicist calls a contact on behalf of a client and asks, “Do you have a minute, I have a story that might work for you?” If the producer, editor or writer says, “Sure, what do you have for me?” you actually have less than a minute. You have one sentence in which to pitch your story. John Resnick, an Associated Press editor, is generous with the one-sentence pitch; Resnick is actually open to a two-sentence pitch, he says: “When you pitch a story to me, give me two-sentences, maybe, but after that, I’m going to throw a lot of questions your way, I’m going to want to know about the…
