FINALLY! Tasks for Gmail!

Not sure how you all feel about the big G... but I love Google and everything free. I've been using Gmail for almost a year now, routing all of my other emails into my Gmail inbox. It automatically collates messages in a thread so you can refer back, it has integrated chat for when you need a quick back and forth exchange for someone. But the one thing I have been missing from switching over from Entourage was a Task feature. I had to revert to a pen and paper to do list for a while. But I am back! Paperless yet again! The new task gadget is great. You can create a task while you are inside a relevant email. You can connect it to a due date... organize tasks into separate lists (great if you have multiple clients like I do.)
Bottom line... I love it. And I love Google. Gosh Darn-it... I love the whole world right now.

Things that make me happy this week.

Well, I finally found an application for syncing my Google Calendar with my new iPhone. If you were in need of this, check it out at www.nuevasync.com. It's free! Second, who saw client Richard Joseph SalonSpa get major props in the Business Journal, Birmingham News Sunday and on NBC 13 in the pat week for their mention in Elle Magazine as one of the top salons in the country? SourceBarn is rolling along, two posts this week got responses within hours. Tons of new business this week. Ah, and oldest daughter goes back to school next week... whee-hee.

The Cat is out of the Barn

In this case, the barn in question is SourceBarn.com. What is SourceBarn, you ask? Well, it is a free web-based service connecting Alabama journalists looking for experts or Regular Joe's to interview with PR and marketing types, small business owners, non-profits and anyone else who would love to score some ink.
Why are you doing this for free, you ask? Good question, I ask myself that as well. Call it good karma, call it good PR, call it a good idea and I couldn't stand the thought of someone doing it before I did. Bottom line... please go to the site, check it out. If you wish your organization got quoted more often, sign up and read the posts daily and RESPOND TO THEM. It's that simple. Oh, and go tell someone else about it. The more people who use it, the more valuable it becomes.

Beta Testing Has Begun!

I'm super-excited about our latest undertaking... even though it won't make me a dime! An excellent group of Beta Testers has begun trying out my new resource that will put reporters and PR types together on a daily basis to share sources and story ideas. Details to come!

Google Ad Planner: A nice start

So this week, my favorite company, Google, announced another new, free, tool: Google Ad Planner. The idea is you can found out which sites your target demographic is likely using, then plan an online advertising campaign to reach the maximum number of eyeballs in your demographic. It's a Beta Test, limited to agencies. I submitted our name, and lo and behold, I was accepted! I spend the weekend trying it out, and on the surface, it is not as sophisticated as it sounds. (I am sure the back end technology is astoundingly complex). Bottom line, it just took a few minutes to research sites for clients.
Downside: It doesn't allow for geo-targeting, meaning you can't pinpoint which sites users in a specific geographic area are using. That makes its usefulness limited when a client draws on a local clientele. I think I found a way around it for now, but I can't wait for improvements.

Another Great Week

It's been another fruitful week. Client Richard Joseph SalonSpa has struck a great partnership with Southern Beauty Magazine, writing an ongoing hair how-to piece. Look for the first piece in their August/September issue. We're also getting a huge response to our marketing survey. Fill it out, you could win a free massage.

Lots of great projects in the works for our friends at Air Ambulance Card... should be some very targeted improvements to their website. Also tallying up their media hits for the past year or so. Some great hits!

Did a nice media training at Southern Living Magazine this morning for some of their section editors. It was a great group, a lot of fun. They have so much knowledge... it's no wonder TV and radio stations love to book them as guests. Hopefully the SL guys will enjoy ti even more next time!

The Shoemaker's Children are Shod

It has finally arrived! For the past few years, we have been working with clients to get their messages out there in print, on air and on the web. So why has it taken us so long to make our Internet debut? Good question.

Could be that the site has been sitting, content developed, for a few months, waiting for me to remember to give the go ahead to take it live. Could be because I didn't want to divert our web development partner from focusing time on our mutual (read paying) clients.

It could be that I wanted the site to be "perfect," to do everything I want it to be able to do. And then I realized, that's the beauty of this new medium. The Web is ever-changing and ever-improving. The only way to harness its power is to enter the game. If you don't like our site, come back soon to see how we've improved it.

So the question for you is... what are you waiting for?