Michael Gibbs » Page 16

Author: Michael Gibbs

I'm a technologist at heart, assisting companies best utilize the Internet to market themselves and sell their products and services online. This includes organizations as large as Google and as small as one or two individuals.
At Over The Top and Exhibit A Communications, I've programmed solutions for Google as well as at least one other company that was later acquired by Google.

I've been CTO of an Internet SaaS company and spent my time pretty evenly between guiding the future technical strategy of the company, architecting software solutions for my dev teams, designing and running a data center to service our clients world-wide as well as being a technical evangalist/sales engineer to our media clients large and small.

I've also been Chief Photographer of the Daily Sun/Post newspaper back when it was a 5-day a week daily newspaper.

I also spent a great many years as a beach lifeguard for the City of San Clemente as well as Jr. Lifeguard instructor and then as it's program coordinator.
Bragging rights
Private Pilot with Instrument rating and proud husband of soon to be 25 years (and counting).

In Harm’s Way War Photographer Video

image As mentioned in a previous post, I was a big fan of the David Burnett’s work and followed the work of other conflict photographers (Burnett shot in Vietnam) like the Peter and David Turnley, James Nachtwey (who I saw speak in San Diego while in college) and others. Despite the sappy love story, I totally dug the movie Under Fire.

Imagine my excitement when I ran across a link to a series on Hulu.com called “In Harm’s Way”. The episode shown below follows two freelance war photographers as they work on stories in the middle east. Very enlightening as this was an area of photojournalism that I was always keen on pursuing before I got married and priorities changed.

 

David Burnett in China

You know, it struck me just the other day that while I profess to make myself available as a photographer, I don?t often talk about photography in my business blog. Perhaps that has something to do with where the real money is made but it doesn?t necessarily reflect where my real passion is.

David Burnett was one of my early photographic heroes (along with Weegee). I remember following his exploits and trying to learn from his photos back in the mid ?80s when I was working at the Daily Sun/Post (or at least it was a daily back then). I was quite pleased to stumble not only upon his blog called “We’re Just Sayin“, but also the video below. I also greatly enjoyed his post entitled “History In The Buffer” that was fabulous.

Here is a video that he shot of his experience at the 2008 Olympics. Or more appropriately, “The Olympics You Didn’t See”


The Olympics You Didn’t See from David Burnett on Vimeo.

Google Apps News Updates…

Google has recently announced a few new upgrades to Google Apps this weekend. One is exclusive to the Premier Edition while the other series of changes are to Google Calendar.

If you are looking for a compelling reason to move up to the Premier Edition, this may just be it. Not that I, or to the best of my knowledge any of my Google Apps clients, have experienced any significant loss of service in the past but you never can tell as the Apps become more and more popular?  Yes, Google has finally upped the Service Level Agreement (SLA) for Premier Edition to a 99.9% uptime guarantee. That amounts to under 9 hours of downtime a year! You can learn more about this at http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/terms/sla.html.

Google has also announced a series of usability improvements to Google Calendar as well:

  • A whole raft of new keyboard shortcuts (visible by pressing ? key) for things like navigation (k and j for previous and next period,t for today), changing views (a for adgenda view, d for day view, w for week view, m for month view, x for four day view), performing actions(c for create event, e for event details and del to delete an event) and maneuvering about the application(/ to search, + to focus on a calendar, q for Quick Add, Ctrl+P to print, s for settings and, of course, ? for shortcut screen).
  • If you routinely have trouble getting everyone?s schedule coordinated, you can now automatically find the next available time period across those attending an event.
  • The application will also perform automatic time zone detection when you are traveling
  • If you frequently travel to another location or work with others in a different time zone, you can set up a secondary time zone
  • You now have more granular control over meeting reminders

If you?ve used any of these features and have a comment, or have questions about upgrading to the Premier Edition, please feel free to use the comments section below.

Looking for Cheap Exposure?

Then write up a press release about your company or product and release it to any of these No-Cost press release distribution sites. This is actually a press release written by someone who was doing research for a company that couldn?t afford the normal fees associated with the paid distribution sites that everyone is aware of?

13 No-Cost Press Release Distribution Websites: What They Offer and How to Use Them
First, some general advice for posting press releases to these sites:
Tip #1. Craft quality content
If you?re not a PR pro or you haven?t distributed a press release over a wire service, then you probably should not go this alone. You don?t want to distribute something that simply looks unprofessional, says Durazo. A quality headline, subhead, and body test require skill and knowledge of the press release format.
Tip #2. Pay careful attention to whether these sites mask your email address.
Durazo generated unwanted spam at first because he didn?t insert a generic ?info@? email address to the sites that published his personal email address on the press release web page.
Tip #3. Understand purpose of no-cost sites
The purpose of using the free distribution sites is to enhance search results for your company or client?s company. ?I would not use this to try and get media coverage,? says Durazo. ?This is great for search results.? Durazo was surprised to find releases he posted to free sites show up at the top of search results on the major search engines.
Keep in mind that registering for each site is time-consuming. Every one has different rules and protocol. The task took Durazo most of one day to complete.
Be careful when choosing upgrades. Some sites suggest costly upgrades that other ones offer for free. Review options carefully to find the most cost-effective selection. Always add keyword tags and hyperlinks when offered. They increase the optimization of the release.
Here are the 13 sites Durazo found and used for his client:

  1. 1888PressRelease
    http://www.1888pressrelease.com/
    Registration/Login: Required
    Features: Free press release submission, optimization for search engines, personalized company profile page, distributed to growing list of distribution partners.
    The press release Durazo submitted to the site landed on page two of Google search results for his client. Submission was easy, he says; the site stored the contact information he submitted previously. The press release was approved within 48-72 hours.
    Upgrade options:
    o $10 guarantees immediate approval, placement above other press releases, permanent placement in the site?s database (other press releases may be deleted after one year), no ads present within the press release, etc.
    o $25 guarantees all of the above plus enhanced distribution, distribution to Google News, a product gallery, and five uploaded images.
    o $50 guarantees all of the above plus advanced placement, distribution via social media, and a video gallery.
  2. 24-7 Press Release
    http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/
    Registration/Login: Required
    Features: Free press release submission, keyword tags for SEO purposes, email addresses masked to prevent spam
    The only issue Durazo had with the site was that it didn?t retrieve his contact info from previous posts. He had to reenter some of the contact fields. Also, the site did not guarantee that free press releases would be posted; they were limited to one per day. He liked that his email address was masked.
    Upgrade options:
    o $20 guarantees positioning above the free releases.
    o $49 guarantees increased SEO, distribution to major newswires, attachment of files, logos, images, and access to Web stats for tracking performance.
    o $89 guarantees maximized SEO, selection of 10 industry categories, next-day distribution, higher visibility and video inclusion.
    o $349 guarantees all of the above plus distribution to PR Newswire and 4,000 other websites and trade publications.
  3. Free-Press-Release.com
    http://www.free-press-release.com/
    Registration/Login: Required
    Features: Free press release submission, posted immediately, optimized for search engines, press releases are easy to delete, keyword tags for SEO purposes, email addresses masked to prevent spam, indexing by Google within 24 hours.
    Durazo was impressed with the usability of this site. He had to cut his press release to fit the required 3,000-character maximum. But a Google search for his client?s name landed the press release near the top of search results, which made him very happy.
    Upgrade options:
    o $1 guarantees a 10,000-character maximum, indexing by Google within four hours, ability to edit the press release, attach an image, attach a PDF version, and send press release to subscribers, etc.
    o $5 or more guarantees all of the above plus indexing by Google within an hour.
  4. Free Press Release Center
    http://www.free-press-release-center.info/
    Registration/Login: Required
    Features: Free press release submission, keyword tags for SEO purposes, email addresses masked to prevent spam.
    This was a fast and friendly, straightforward site, says Durazo. The coolest thing about it was the option to choose hyperlinks for keywords within the body of the press release. That is good for the SEO of the sites the release linked to.
    Upgrade option:
    o $2.99 guarantees three keyword hyperlinks, a top spot on the site for seven days, PDF download, inclusion on the front page of Yabadabadoo and Alert the Media, permanent placement on the site?s database.
  5. My Free PR
    http://www.myfreepr.com/
    Registration/Login: Required
    Features: Free press release submission, posted within 24 hours, indexed by Google within two to three days.
    This site had some technical issues. The registration page was not easily detectable. Durazo had trouble finding the submit button after he uploaded a press release. The submit button was a disk-shaped clip-art image on the right side of the page.
    Though the site provided the option to bold and italicize text, Durazo says, he tried it and nothing happened. The site also appeared to allow users to upload images, but to no avail, says Durazo. The site did not mask email addresses, so it?s best to enter an ?info@? address, instead of a personal email address to prevent spam.
    Durazo liked the row of 24 social bookmarking links at the bottom of each press release. He liked the ability to download a PDF and/or print and/or email the press release.
    He found no upgrade options.
  6. Newswire Today
    http://www.newswiretoday.com/
    Registration/Login: Required
    Features: Free press release submission, posted in the order received.
    Though the site was quick and easy to use, it would not allow Durazo to include a link to his client?s website. That?s because links on the free releases were granted at random. Some releases got them, some didn?t.
    Upgrade options:
    o $120-$399 guarantees same-day posting, distribution to major search engines, company logo/branding on the press release page, a permanent link to the company?s website, RSS subscription option, and top listing on the site.
    o $475 guarantees all of that for 20 reports/articles for a period of one month.
  7. PageRelease.com
    http://www.pagerelease.com/
    Registration/Login: Not required
    Features: Free press release submission, keyword tags for SEO purposes, email addresses masked to prevent spam (unless entered into the body of the release), hyperlink to the company website in the body of the release.
    Durazo liked the user interface of the site because it suggested ways to make the headline ?descriptive and compelling.? He also liked the spell-check feature in each field and the live preview box that allowed him to check the HTML formatting as he typed the body of the release. The site allowed one link per release.
    He found no upgrade options.
  8. PRCompass
    http://www.prcompass.com/
    Registration/Login: Required
    Features: Free press release submission, keyword tags for SEO purposes, embedded YouTube/Google Video options, distribution to search engines, newswires and websites.
    The site invited Durazo to upload three images, an option that?s unusual for this type of site; most charge for that choice. Durazo was not allowed to delete the images he uploaded, so beware.
    Though the site said it masks email addresses to prevent spam, it did not, Durazo says. He was able to follow a link in a confirmation email that allowed him to edit the email address, so that he wouldn?t receive spam. His press release was approved and posted the next day.
    Upgrade options:
    o $1 per vote guarantees higher placement on the site, depending on the number of votes purchased (Note: There is a 100 maximum on number of votes that can be purchased).
    o $1 per publication guarantees targeting the press release to specific publications.
  9. PR.com
    http://www.pr.com/
    Registration/Login: Required
    Features: Free press release submission, distribution to Google News, Yahoo! News, AskJeeves, Excite News, Topix.net, and MSN News.
    Durazo liked that, after logging on, he could click on the page that showed him the status of previous releases, and then submit new releases from there. The site remembered his contact info, so he didn?t have to reenter it.
    Be aware that the site does not mask email addresses.
    Upgrade options:
    o $29.95 per hyperlink added in the body of the release
    o $30 for next-day distribution
    o $30 per uploaded file/PDF
    o $60 per uploaded image
    o $30, $50, $60 or $100 for ?visibility enhancements?
  10. PR-inside.com
    http://www.pr-inside.com/
    Registration/Login: Required
    Features: Free press release submission, email addresses masked to prevent spam.
    This site had the fastest submission process, says Durazo. It took all of 15 minutes from uploading the press release to posting. The press release was a top result for his client?s company name in Google, Yahoo!, Ask.com, and MSN.
    He found no upgrade options.
  11. PR Leap
    http://www.prleap.com/
    Registration/Login: Required
    Features: Free press release submission, email addresses masked to prevent spam.
    Durazo was annoyed with the site at first. It generated a password instead of letting him create his own, and it didn?t post one of his press releases because he failed to change the date of the press release to two days after submission. That?s the only way to get free submission. On the plus side, there was a contact box at the bottom of each press release that displayed a contact name, link to the website, phone number, and masked email address.
    Upgrade options:
    o $49 guarantees a 600-word limit, RSS/XML option, homepage display, bookmarking links, text links, and placement in the Moreover feed, Google News Feed, and Ask.com news feed.
    o $99 guarantees all of the above plus a 1,000-word limit, distribution to the United Press International and the Associated Press, next-day posting, one media attachment (an embedded video, image, PDF, or MP3), five tags, and social media distribution.
    o $149 guarantees all of the above plus a 2,000-word limit, five media attachments and 10 tags.
  12. PressMethod
    http://www.pressmethod.com/
    Registration/Login: Required
    Features: Free press release submission, next day distribution, automatic SEO, quick stats including how many times the release is viewed, email address masked to prevent spam (unless entered into the body of the release).
    This site had the fastest entry form, says Durazo. He also liked that it allowed him to edit or delete the releases he posted, and that it showed the number of times each release was viewed.
    Upgrade options:
    o $5 guarantees same-day distribution, keyword search on the site, distribution to the site?s press release, distribution network comprising more than a hundred websites.
    o $15 guarantees all of the above plus distribution to approved subscribers to the site.
    o $29 guarantees all of the above plus advanced SEO and distribution to Google News.
    o $39 guarantees all of the above plus distribution to Yahoo!, Google, MSN, Alexa, alltheweb, Hoovers, AskJeeves, altavista, and BigFinder.
    o $49, $59, $74, and >$74 guarantees variations of greater distribution and visibility.
  13. PressReleasePoint
    http://www.pressreleasepoint.com/
    Registration/Login: Required
    Features: Free press release distribution, posted immediately, image upload, four hyperlinks to the company and other external websites in the body of the release, keyword tags for SEO purposes.
    Durazo liked that his client?s logo was displayed at the bottom of the press release. The release was found on the second page of Yahoo! search results for his client?s company name. It appeared fifth and sixth in Google search results. Don?t forget to put ?PressReleasePoint? in the slug or you will get a warning message.
    Email addresses were not masked.
    Upgrade option:
    o $25 guarantees distribution to 50 suitable publications; 50 cents extra per additional publication

Contact Information about author
Daniel Durazo
Director of Public Relations and Multicultural Marketing
RightMinds
1500 East Main St.
Richmond, VA 23219
804-915-1351
Ddurazo(at)rightminds(dot)com
http://www.rightminds.com/
http://danieldurazo.com/

The above is from an article posted on Marketing Sherpa.

Google Moderator Now Part of Apps!

imageGoogle Moderator is a new (beta like most everything else out of Google) product from the boffins at Google Labs. This is a great tool for collecting questions or ideas and votes on questions from a group of people. True to Google?s credo of ?eating one?s own dog food? (or DogFooding), they are using this to collect ideas and votes from Apps administrators.

You?ll find a link in the left column of the Google Apps Admin Help called Suggest a Feature that will take you to their moderator app. When you sign in, you can suggest new features, view the suggestions of others and vote Yeah or Nay on them.

This is a great way to do brainstorming in your organization and to keep a permanent record of the conversation. Set up a Moderated Series and open it up to your whole company. After a set period of time to collect the best and the brightest ideas in a on online Greenlight session. You can then have the group (or a subset of the group) go back and vote on the ideas to see what gets the most traction.

Other Labs features available are Google Code Reviews and Google Short Links.

If you need assistance in setting up Google Moderator for your Google Apps account, please reach out and contact us for an appointment to set this up.

Comments or thoughts on this new product? Use the comments below to let us know what you think!

GMail moves one step closer to replacing Outlook

One of the things that has kept me from moving from Outlook to using Gmail as my primary email interface (besides being able to aggregate a bunch of different addresses into a single interace) has been the lack of canned responses.

Well, it looks like this is no longer a problem. According to Google engineer Chad Perry in this posting on The Official Gmail Blog, they have finally added this feature!

If you’re sick of typing out the same reply every time someone emails you with a common question, now you can compose your reply once and save the message text with the "Canned responses" button. Later, you can open that same message and send it again and again.

You can even combine this with filters to set up autoresponders.

image

Gmail already lets you create filters based on a combination of keywords, sender, recipients, and more in your incoming messages. Turn on Canned Responses in Labs, and you can set a filter to grab one of your saved responses, create an automated reply, and hit the Send button for you.

The addition of Canned Responses to Filter Actions opens up the door for much greater use of this tool for businesses! If you are using Google Apps and want some help figuring out how to implement this in your business, drop us a line.

As always, your comments are welcome (and encouraged) below!

Google App Videos Galore

Sitting on the fence about moving your business to Google Apps? Or perhaps you've moved to Google Apps recently and not sure how to use all of it's features? Checkout the following video links from the Google Apps Channel on YouTube.com.

Can you tell we are "sold" on Google Apps? We are and you certainly should be too! If you are interested and need some assistance with your Google Apps setup, we can help!

As always, we welcome any comments, please use the comments selection below to give us feedback or to carry on the conversation in the blog. if you have specific questions about Google Apps or Exhibit A services, please use our contact page.

More Goodness from Google!

For those of you using Google Apps and looking for a reason to move up to the Premiere (read paid) version of Google Apps, perhaps this is the excuse you are looking for! Google announced yesterday that Google Video will now be available as a branded and secure video service for hosting training and other videos using a YouTube-like environment. Lest any concern over administration, it will allow administrators to add/edit/delete videos uploaded by their users, to control the tag taxonomy as well as take advantage of Google’s copyright violation filters.

More information in the following links:

I ncase you’ve been living in a hole, Google also released Chrome yesterday. Chrome is their new browser that was written from scratch by Google’s teams to address the most pressing needs that people experience these days: instability when running more complex web-based applications. Of course Google has good reason to want to pursue this, and if you look at it, it comes very close to a little mini-operating system. If you are looking for more information on Chrome, you can find a great deal of introductory information in their Comic Book.

While not necessarily game changers, both of these new releases make Google a more compelling business tool!

Install Service Now Offered for xaEmm

Looking to give the Enhanced Mailing Manger for ASPDNSF a try but don't have the time to do the install yourself? As many of my clients are consultants and programmers working for others, many find it easier to pay a small amount to have EMM installed right, the first time. Or perhaps you are a store owner and want to add EMM to your system but don't want to go back to the original programmers that built the site for you to implement this for you?

Well, Exhibit A Communications has listened to your pain and come up with an answer for you. We now offer installation services as low as $75 per installation (when purchased at the same time as a license) or for $100 per installation for the trial version. Scratch that, during this introductory period, we are going to offer install services at the low $75 rate regardless of whether you purchase the license or not!

Pay for EMM registration via PayPal, Credit Card or Google Checkout In order to take advantage of this offer, you will first need to go to our BUY page for EMM and choose the payment option you are interested in. Then you would need to provide us with the following information:

  • Domain Name (as define in AppConfig LiveServer value) to register EMM to
  • The full URL to the admin section of the website
  • A temporary administrative login/password to the admin section of website
  • The Full URL for FTP access to the site (to upload files)
  • An FTP login and password for the above URL.

Once we have this information, and your payment of course, we can proceed with installing EMM on your behalf.

Thoughts or questions? Please use the comments section below if you'd like the conversation carried on in public or you can always use our Contact Us page to send us private comments or questions.