Web 2.0, Social Media, Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin….what do they mean to you? They can mean increased traffic to your website, improved SEO, and better search generated traffic or they can mean a huge loss on your investment. The most important thing to know when getting started is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Social media has changed the way we interact with each other, with places, and – most importantly to you – with the brands we purchase. It has made making phone calls to friends a thing of the past and traditional marketing tactics obsolete. Social networkers are skeptical at best, they trust and they seek advice from virtual strangers. For marketers, this means re-evaluating your target and re-designing your marketing strategy in a way that encourages this interaction and takes pro-active steps to counteract brandicide by a  disgruntled blogger.

The first step is determining which avenues are right for you. Web 2.0 includes blogs, wikis, social networks, podcasts and more. Depending on your goals, some or all of them may be right for you. A wiki (think Wikipedia) is typically an avenue for fact-finding rather than marketing, but they do help your presence and search engine optimization. Keeping tabs on blogs that mention your company is a great way to interact with your buyers. Because blogs are more up to date than other online sources, they tend to show up first in search engines – sometimes even before the brand’s own website! Good or bad, blogs are an opportunity to make or break your brand.

As for social networks, there are hundreds out there. Finding your way can be daunting, but a little planning can help. As with any marketing, know your demographic. Compare them to the network’s demographic. If you are targeting 40-something DINKS and the social network is comprised mostly of 17 year old girls, you are operating at a loss from the start.  Once you’ve found the right audience, find out what they are really looking for. Is it informational content, podcasts, widgets, or all/none of the above? Keeping in mind that this will change – often.

Whether you are using wikis, blogs, or social networks, there are two key things to keep in mind when planning your social media strategy. You must constantly be aware of the changing webosphere and you must be flexible.

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Are you looking for ways to revamp your bedroom and be eco-friendly? Amenity has created a collection of bedding including duvet covers and shams printed with non-toxic water-based dyes. The cotton is also organically grown and processed. They offer a variety of earthy colors and refreshing designs. My personal favorite is the Cove collection in cream and cocoa.

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The tech industry is all a-buzz today with the release of Cuil (pronounced “cool”), a new search engine developed by a team of former Google engineers. Cuil promises to be more expansive than Google and return better results to searchers, but only time will tell if searchers jump off the Google train and take up Cuil.

My personal first impressions:

Cuil returns results in a “magazine” style, with a headline, 8-10 lines of copy, the site link, and sometimes an accompanying image. You can choose a 2 column or 3 column layout, but there’s no option for single column. Personally, I think a single column view would help heavy Google users (yours’ truly included) make the switch to Cuil. There’s something suddenly disconcerting about being faced with the question “Do I scan left to right, or top to bottom”? Maybe I’m being picky, but we’re talking first impressions. I’m also left-handed and scan magazines from the back cover to the front, which may attribute to my level of discomfort with this layout.

I searched a few different terms, one of which is a personal favorite – “buy handmade pottery”. I waited quite some time for my search results to be returned to me. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say it’s still early in their game and the kinks are getting worked out. As far as the validity of the results, page one looked pretty spot-on. Page 2, however, had 8 (out of 9) listings from the same website – few of which actually had anything to do with pottery, and all of which directed me to an error page on that site. I would tell you about page 3 results, but I got tired of waiting for them.

So, if we’re judging based on first impressions, I would say Cuil is not ready to take on Google, but should be revisited in a few months to see if any improvements have been made. But don’t just take my word for it, feel free to check it out yourself.

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Soy ink (made from soybean oil) requires less energy to produce than traditional petroleum-based ink. Soybeans require no irrigation and leave fewer agricultural residues than other crops. Development of soy ink began in the late 1970s by the Newspaper Association of America, who sought a different way to make ink because of rising oil prices. Now over 95% of America’s daily newspapers use soy ink. While soy ink is not edible or 100% biodegradable (because of the pigments and other additives mixed with the oil) it is overwhelmingly more environmentally friendly than petroleum-based ink.

Cleaner Air
As soybeans are growing they temporarily remove damaging carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the atmosphere. During printing soy inks significantly reduce the amount of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) released into the air.

Brighter Colors
Soybean oil is clearer which makes for bright colors so less color pigment is needed.

Cost Effective
Because soy ink provides more intense color, less ink is used.

Stability
Soy ink maintains its lithographic stability throughout the entire print job, so the press operator makes fewer adjustments during production and rejects fewer copies because of inferior quality.

Recycling
Soy ink can be removed more easily from paper during the de-inking process. This allows the recycled paper to have less damage to its paper fibers and have a brighter appearance. Also, the waste from the ink is not hazardous.

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I recently discovered The Startup Review over at Mashable.com, which reviews a new startup website every week day. While we all know that only a handful of startups will still be alive and kicking a few years down the road, it’s fun to see those that are just out of the gate and maybe even argue their longevity and/or validity with friends and colleagues.

A sampling of some reviewed startup sites:

Web of Fate – “Web of Fate is a semantic analysis engine that extracts meaning from historical, present and future events and draws connections among them.”

E.Factor – “The fastest growing social network for entrepreneurs and investors that offers health insurance to its members.”

All Green Wedding – “Wedding registry service for environmentally conscious brides; register gifts from a variety of green merchants as well as cash gifts.”

To browse reviews or even submit your own startup, go to http://mashable.com/startup-review-sponsored-sun-startup-essentials/

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Rearview’s Earth Friendly Shopping Guide

The average American uses 16 plastic bags per week.
Method’s “Plastic Bag Rehab” Reusable Market Tote – $15
Available at methodhome.com.

On average, American’s throw away about 3.5 pounds of trash each day.
Coke’s “Rock your Rubbish” Tshirt (made from 5 recycled plastic bottles) – $28
Available at coca-colastore.com.

A plastic water bottle takes 700 years before it begins to decompose.
SIGG’s “I am not Plastic” Water Bottle – $22
Available at mysigg.com.

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Kudos go out to Rearview’s interactive development team for releasing a new traffic reporting application for Silver Creek Communities. Fully interactive, database driven module, with multiple user access points, allows electronic tracking of company’s traffic reports, eliminating clutters of paperwork. For more information on this particular application, or Rearview’s other interactive services, contact us.

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Everyone has been making an effort to Go Green and take care of the environment. Thanks to Low Impact Living we can now determine what sort of impact we are making on the planet with the new household environmental calculator. The calculator indicates your carbon footprint as well as the runoff footprints of your home and lifestyle. Compare your home to other homes near you or even across the country. The unique tool can help save money and work at reducing your overall impact on the environment.

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Launched in 2007 by a senior packaging designer, The Dieline is a great resource for packaging inspiration. The site showcases good-looking bottles and boxes you may already have in your home and some you’d buy just because they look so darn cute. Since customers pick products based on labels (especially when it comes to less recognizable brands) – packaging is an important way to show your brand’s personality. So take a look – The Dieline is filled with products that will definitely attract your attention on the shelves. There is even a category dedicated to environmentally friendly brands. thedieline.com

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A few months ago I was contacted by an editor at schmap.com. Seems they were putting together something called a “schmap” of the Jacksonville, FL area and wanted to use a photo of St. Augustine I had posted to Flickr after my vacation there last July. Instantly intrigued, I headed over to schmap.com to check things out.

More than just another map website, Schmap.com started as a travel guide. Kind of like those big, colorful, fold-up tourist maps, but online and with a lot more locations and photographs (and without the $1.00 ice cream cone coupons). After watching their growth for the past few months, it’s clear that their integration of user-created Schmaps is really what makes the site interesting. Not just limited to travel, users can create Schmaps for weddings, sporting events, property rentals… the possibilities are endless.

While the content is unique and useful, I think Schmap.com still has a way to go before really hitting the “big time”. The list of primary locations is limited, although you can extend your Schmap well beyond city limits. The interface is a little tricky in places due to heavy reliance on rollovers (careful how you move your mouse if you’re reading the side panel). However, the newest integrations for iPhone and iPod Touch are a step in the right direction for the mobile traveler looking to take their Schmaps along in their pockets.

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Elanders Seiz Printing in Acworth, Georgia has been one of our printing partners for a long time. They produce top quality work, have great customer service and most importantly, they are committed to preserving the environment.

Elanders Seiz is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Their FSC certification is a promise to you that your printed pieces have met sustainable practices from start to finish. This includes paper made from sustainably managed forests, clean, sustainable energy sources, and 10-100% post consumer waste. They also support practices that reduce their impact on the environment such as the use of water and soy based inks, digital proofing, and practices that reduce waste. By printing with Elanders Seiz and choosing FSC certified papers, you are eligible to use an FSC logo on your printed materials, giving your customers assurance of your environmental commitment.

In addition to their environmental commitment, Elanders Seiz offers a wide variety of unique printing products not available through most other printers. Did you know that you can achieve the same look as any number of metallic colors by printing 4 colors process over silver? They also offer a special suede-feel coating that feels very luxurious without a great expense. If you haven’t seen one of Rearview’s brochures, ask us for one. It’s a great example of this coating if I must say so! For more information on the wide variety of specialty printing services offered by Seiz, contact us or Brian Charbonneau at 770-917-7058.

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Happy July 4th!

Photos from flickr users Chaval Brasil, (Erik) and Philippe Sainte-Laudy.

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Turns out I have been really stressed lately. And although, I may not necessarily feel stressed, the tests do not lie.

The picture has two identical dolphins in it jumping out of the water. A closely monitored study on stress levels revealed that, in spite of the fact that the dolphins are identical, a person under stress would find differences in the two dolphins. The more differences a person finds between the dolphins, the more stress that person is experiencing.

Look at the photograph and if you find more than one or two differences you may want to take a vacation.

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Email is an effective marketing tool with high ROI when done properly. Make sure you are doing it right with these tips:

1. Include Email as Part of a Broader Integrated Marketing Strategy. Email marketing is far more effective when you couple it with other online and offline promotional efforts.

2. Make your Campaign Interactive. Linking your email to an interactive tool that allows recipients to customize your offer has proven to be successful in test studies.

3. Provide a Clear Call to Action. Better yet, make your action item a graphic link. Graphic links (buttons) are more likely to receive a click through than a text link.

4. Don’t overdo it! No matter how great you think your offer is, your email list does not want to receive notice about it every day (or even every week). Work with your marketing consultant to develop an appropriate schedule as part of your overall marketing strategy.

5. Utilize Mobile Technology. Many users receive their email via mobile device. If they can’t easily read yours, they will skip it and it’s not likely they’ll return to it later.

6. Test Your campaign. Develop a few different creative approaches using different subject lines, calls to action, and graphics. Test these on a small focus group.

7. Follow Up! No advertising campaign will work if you aren’t continuing dialogue. Communicate with your customers consistently through multiple channels.

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