SignMyPad – the PDF Document and Signature Solution

June 4, 2012 by 1 Comment

SignMyPad is a great app that is perfect for those in the sales industry, or those practicing law or real estate transactions. It allows users to fill in information in fields on a document as well as gain viable signatures from clients on-the-fly.

The Test

Running a test on an iPad shows that this is a very user-friendly and quick application for filling in text fields, dates, check boxes and more on documents. While other applications such as Smartnote may have a couple of more alternatives for the insertion of special characters, Smartnote is nowhere near as fast as SignMyPad. Since those in the real estate, law and sales industries are frequently only n need of check boxes, signatures, and text fields, this app fits perfectly.  If you are using the newest iPad OS, you should also have a bit more flexibility and functionality. Using it is s easy as selecting the type of items to enter.

  • Date
  • Radio Button
  • Signature
  • Check Box
  • Text

Using the date option auto-enters the current date and a sales person should be able to create a full purchase agreement without spending too much time or putting clients on hold for too long.

Pros of SignMyPad

  • Fast
  • User-friendly
  • Flexible
  • Functional
  • Opens documents from email attachments or Dropbox

Cons of SignMyPad

  • No landscape option
  • In some instances copy and paste does not work across documents

About SignMyPad

This app was created by Autriv Software Developement and is available for $3.99. The newest version allows for saved signatures and a clean folder interface for users.  Even if signing documents isn’t an everyday thing for you in your industry, the convienience versus the price makes this a must-have app. A Pro version for $19.99 includes geo-tagging options for saved PDF’s.

This app is available on iPad and Android.

Author:

@BasilPuglisi is the Executive Director and Publisher for Digital Brand Marketing Education (dbmei.com). Basil C. Puglisi is also the President of Puglisi Consulting Group, Inc. A Digital Brand Marketing Consultancy that manages professional and personal branding for Fortune 500 CEOs, Hedge Fund Managers and Small Business Owners.

Sources:

About Basil Puglisi

@BasilPuglisi is a Content Contributor and the Chairman of the Board for Digital Ethos. Basil C. Puglisi is also the Digital Marketing Manager for PMG Interactive. As the Digital Marketing Manager he provides oversight and support to Digital Campaigns, from Website Development to Search and Social Reach.

Filed Under: Business, General, Mobile, Mobile & Technology, Sales & eCommerce Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Turning Downloads into Leads

May 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
A download symbol.

A download symbol. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Do you have an eBook, whitepaper, or newsletter available as a download online? If so, you may want to consider that many business owners have been able to turn those downloads into direct leads and even clients. Downloads can be a great source of lead generation for several reasons.

  • At any given moment, tons of people from virtually every industry are on the hunt for educational material for themselves, their businesses, their employees.
  • Providing free material can help to build your business’s brand and reach by getting your name, and your link, in various places around the net.
  • Often those who use your material will credit you on their site, generating an even wider coverage for your business, possibly in areas even you may have not considered relevant previously.

What are You Offering?

Make sure before you begin trying to generate leads that you have a strategic foundation in place. Will you be sharing a Whitepaper, eBook, Newsletter as a download? All of those are great ideas, but implementing the plan requires great thought combined with aggressive action.

  • Choose the industry in which you plan to focus your marketing efforts.
  • Develop your marketing message that includes the answer to the problem you are solving with your offered content.
  • Get visible.

Whether you plan to offer your material on your own site or to branch out and have it added on any accepting format online you can find, may determine the speed at which your content can spread across the web. There are just as many reasons to promote content aggregation regardless of the content as long as viewers will be brought to a landing page where they can sign up for your free download and grab it via instant download, or even in an auto-email attachment.

Gather an Email List for Future Efforts

These days you can always combine your offered download strategy with your own need to generate a customer list for email campaigns, newsletters, and more. To do so you simply need to require users, whether on a website, a social network page, or even a blog, to enter their email to proceed to the download.

Author:

@BasilPuglisi is the Executive Director and Publisher for Digital Brand Marketing Education (dbmei.com). Basil C. Puglisi is also the President of Puglisi Consulting Group, Inc. A Digital Brand Marketing Consultancy that manages professional and personal branding for Fortune 500 CEOs, Hedge Fund Managers and Small Business Owners.

Sources:

About Basil Puglisi

@BasilPuglisi is a Content Contributor and the Chairman of the Board for Digital Ethos. Basil C. Puglisi is also the Digital Marketing Manager for PMG Interactive. As the Digital Marketing Manager he provides oversight and support to Digital Campaigns, from Website Development to Search and Social Reach.

Filed Under: Content Marketing, General, Publishing Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Daring Digital Decision: Bloggers Are NOT Journalists

December 10, 2011 by 19 Comments
Picture of Crystal Cox © Crystal Cox

Picture of Crystal Cox © Crystal Cox

THE DECISION

In a daring digital decision handed down by the Supreme Court of Oregon, a blogger is not automatically a journalist. Crystal Cox, self proclaimed investigative journalist wrote a blog, Obsidian Financial Sucks, defaming the Oregon company. Her article resulted in a $2.5 million suit being brought against her by the company. She lost in spite of her proclamation:

“Yes I am a Self-Proclaimed Investigative Blogger and under Supreme Court Decisions, under the law as making a living as an Investigative Blogger, Gathering News, Taking Interviews, and Reporting on these Stories I am Media [sic]. I am an Independent News Media. I am a Public Forum, my blogs do go out in news feeds and I am Legally Media [sic]“.

“But the judge disagreed. Judge Marco Hernandez wrote that due to Cox’s lack of education in journalism, any credentials or proof of affiliation with any recognized news entity, plus her failure to contact the other side to get both sides of the story, Cox is not a member of the media, so journalistic shield laws do not apply to the alleged defamation statements Cox wrote on her blog. She has been ordered to pay Obsidian $2.5 million in damages.”

THE ISSUE

This brings up a critical digital journalistic issue by posing the question, “What makes a blogger a journalist?”

According to the court, a blogger who considers him or herself an investigative journalist, expecting to be protected legally by traditional journalistic codes or ‘shield laws’, must be held to the same standards as a traditional media journalist.

The blogger is planning to appeal the decision because she believes that bloggers need to be recognized as journalists and protected as such. In her own defense, she said, “A blogger is a journalist, or a reporting [sic] in my opinion, when they take interviews, get tips emailed, get and research documents, study cases and depositions, talk to those personally involved, and post their story just as a traditional reporter.”

There are several crucial pieces missing from Cox’s self-defense quoted above and cited in the judges ruling. They are education, credentials and ethics. According to Judge Marco Hernandez, she possesses none of these. She has no journalistic education. She has no credentials as a journalist as she has no affliction with any journalistic organization. And lastly, because she did not get both sides of the story, her writing lacks ethics.

MY OPINION AND CONCLUSION

As an author for the Digital Brand Marketing Education Blog, I personally consider this a landmark case that needs to stay on the books to set precedent. ‘New media’ offers endless opportunities for self-expression of ideas with the addition that these ideas can catch on like wildfire and go ‘viral’ as we say in the ‘new media’ speak.

This is what makes this case all the more important. Anyone can say anything. Anyone can write anything. But it is crucial that in order to be protected under ‘journalistic shield law’ that the same rules apply in ‘new media’ that are expected to be upheld in traditional media journalism.

I am certain that this ruling will be tested repeatedly. Other states will most likely have to follow suit. It is to the benefit of news bloggers, who abide by the rules, that this ruling was made. Without the traditional guidelines, education, credentials, and ethics being upheld on the Internet, a blogger’s misinformation can become like a dangerous wildfire gone completely out of control.

The Internet provides ample opportunity  for creative writers to publish fiction. A writer can only be considered a journalist by following the technical rules described in this post and based on the decision made by the Supreme Court of Oregon. Otherwise the writing can be a figment of the author’s imagination rather than his or her search for the truth.


SOURCES AND ADDITIONAL READING ON THIS TOPIC:

Crystal Cox ordered to pay $2.5 million for defamation; bloggers not journalists

The Meaning of [sic]

Blogger Crystal Cox is No Journalist, Must Pay $2.5M in Damages, Says Judge

Obsidian Finance Sucks

Crystal Cox Website

KevinPadrick.com Blog

OBSIDIAN V. COX. PORTLAND OREGON FINANCIAL COMPANY V. INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST, BLOGGER

Bloggers versus Journalists

Obsidian Finance Group Website

Judge Marco Hernandez

The Twisted Psychology of Bloggers vs. Journalists: My Talk at South By Southwest

About Alison Gilbert

Through decades as an entrepreneur, I developed ventures in over a half a dozen industries including HEALTH FOOD | GRAPHIC DESIGN | BUSINESS PROMOTION | HOLISTIC HEALTH | DECORATIVE PAINTING | SOCIAL MEDIA | PUBLIC SPEAKING | WRITING. Eventually under the umbrella of ALISON*S ART, INC, they evolved into the dba MARKETING BYTES, a hybrid company specializing marketing small business using social media marketing and traditional graphic design services. Currently retired, I am focusing on teaching social media marketing graphic design and visual journalism. I can be messaged through www.facebook.com/alisondgilbert and tweeted @MktngBytesMaven and @AlisonsArt.

Filed Under: General, Publishing, Social Media, Social Media Topics Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The New York Islanders Hockey Team: Keeping Them on Long Island

December 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

INTRODUCING THE SITUATION

Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum

Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum © The New York Times

Yesterday, I attended a multi-Chamber of Commerce Networking event at the Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum as one of about 50 -75 guests of the NY Islanders Hockey Club. The purpose of the event was to familiarize the surrounding communities with the team, introduce the various packages available to hockey fans and reinforce the NY Islanders brand reminding residents that the NY Islanders are still Long Island’s professional, four time Stanley Cup winning, hockey team as they rebuild towards their future. What’s their plan?


PLAN A:

In August, a 400 million dollar bond issue was on the ballot that would have made it possible to overhaul the Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum to house not only the Islanders, but be a draw for concerts, high school sporting events, tournaments, etc. The bond issue was voted down so Plan A was out.


PLAN B:

So what does one do when their plans fail for turning the Coliseum into a state of the art facility that would be more competitive with those in other cities? Selling the team or moving it are options that were put on the table. But the Islanders contract goes to 2015 and their owner, Charles E. Wang has agreed to honor it despite his tremendous disappointment with the rejection of the bond issue.

NY Islanders logo

NY Islanders logo © NY Islanders

PLAN C:

With three years left to keep things, at the very least, status quo, the NY Islanders have their work cut out for them. For now, they are one of four professional hockey teams that exist in the NY state area including the NY Rangers, the NY Islanders, the NJ Devils and the Buffalo Sabres. Without realizing it, the NY Islanders are in the same boat and in total alignment with many other LI based corporations, how to ‘Keep It On Long Island’,  with the acronym, ‘kioli.org’.

The Islanders are in good company. Kioli.org, an organization founded by a handful of LI businesses, with the LI Press, the weekly newspaper, at their helm. All have a keen understanding of the challenges everyone, from companies to consumers and retailers to residents have on LI at this time. To learn more about Kioli.org, refer to the previous article written by this author.

Kioli defined

Kioli defined © LI Press

WHAT’S NEXT?

The situation the Islanders face has financial as well as branding implications. The Islanders are OUR professional hockey team. I believe that the current effort to reach out to the communities surrounding the stadium in Uniondale is a noble effort to reinforce the team’s brand as OUR team. One cannot deny that standing at the edge of the arena itself inches from the ice and looking all around an empty 16,000 seat stadium is awe inspiring. The materials that were provided to us as well as the thorough explanation of the available plans to become game attendees were tempting as well.

Mostly, the friendly, even neighborly approach of the young people who work to promote sales for team attendance as well as the staff that arranged the delicious, informal dinner we were treated to went a long way in saying, ‘Welcome neighbors, we are part of your LI community and we want to remain so.’

SUMMARY
When I was asked what my story had to do with the DBME mission statement, I had to stop and think for a moment. I went to the MISSION STATEMENT page of the site, as you can too through the link provided. I read no further than the first  paragraph, “Digital Brand Marketing Education (dbmei) is an experiential learning process for professionals. It serves as a continuing education tool in the “Read, Write & Share” philosophy covering subject matter in digital, branding, marketing, business and more.”

The words branding and marketing are there and so are the words business and more. To me, the challenge facing the coliseum and the NY Islanders involves branding, marketing and business. The situation might be compared to solving a problem using a computer. There are two choices, to solve it with hardware and/or with software.

Hardware, in this case, would be refurbishing the stadium. ‘Not in the budget’, comes the word from above. Then there is software, marketing and branding, in this case. To me, there is a clear and obvious path for the stadium and the NY Islanders, in particular, to take. Re-Branding and Local Marketing.

Islanders_small_logo

WE'RE ALL ISLANDERS © NY Islanders

The Islanders latest sticker logo contains the slogan, ‘WE’RE ALL ISLANDERS’. That clearly brands them as part of the Kioli philosophy, ‘Keep It On Long Island’, in other words, Local Marketing, that’s easy. New media is built for local marketing.

So there’s the answer, brand and market to solve this business challenge. In addition, what fascinated me most, after doing this additional exploration, is what powerful tools branding and marketing can be for a business; how they can be assets and even best friends when used properly and when there is no other choice.

SOURCES:

NASSAU VOTERS REJECT PROPOSAL TO OVERHAUL COLISEUM

THE NY ISLANDERS

PROFESSIONAL SPORTS ON LONG ISLAND

NY METROPOLITAN AREA SPORTS TEAMS

THE DIGITAL BRAND MARKETING MISSION STATEMENT

About Alison Gilbert

Through decades as an entrepreneur, I developed ventures in over a half a dozen industries including HEALTH FOOD | GRAPHIC DESIGN | BUSINESS PROMOTION | HOLISTIC HEALTH | DECORATIVE PAINTING | SOCIAL MEDIA | PUBLIC SPEAKING | WRITING. Eventually under the umbrella of ALISON*S ART, INC, they evolved into the dba MARKETING BYTES, a hybrid company specializing marketing small business using social media marketing and traditional graphic design services. Currently retired, I am focusing on teaching social media marketing graphic design and visual journalism. I can be messaged through www.facebook.com/alisondgilbert and tweeted @MktngBytesMaven and @AlisonsArt.

Filed Under: Branding & Marketing, Business, Business Networking, Digital & Internet Marketing, Sales & eCommerce, Traditional Marketing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Long Island Goes Local: The Kioli Business Summit 11.3.11

November 5, 2011 by 6 Comments
Alison Gilbert's DBME press pass

Alison Gilbert’s press pass © DBMEi.com

As one of the original contributing authors and business supporters of Digital Brand Marketing Education, I received proof of my proudest accomplishment the other day in the mail, my PRESS PASS. I tried it out, wearing it around my apartment and even wanted to wear it to sleep on my pajamas. But reason overtook excitement. I decided to wait until this past Thursday, November 3, 2011 for its first official outing, the Kioli BUSINESS SUMMIT at the Inn at New Hyde Park on Long Island.

Kioli ID tag © Kioli.org

Kioli Exhibitor ID tag © Kioli.org

I am no newcomer to events such as this having attended tradeshows, workshops and seminars as far back as the days when the Coliseum (New York not Rome) was home to NYC tradeshows and the Jacob Javits Convention Center was merely a cruise ship sized dream for becoming the primary host to the world of vendors and buyers for many, many industries.

After four hours at the Kioli Business Summit, including my eating a delicious lunch, listening to seminars on ‘Growing Sales’, ‘Banking, Borrowing & Investing’ and ‘Social Media & Search Marketing’ as well as attending an on-going networking tradeshow, my tired feet insisted that it was time to call it a day.

The previously scheduled Happy Hour was canceled due to a wedding that took precedence over continuing our celebration of LI Business. The news of this came as a mixed blessing, relief to my tired feet but disappointment to my boundless networking energy.

What is Kioli? To quote the November 20th, 2008 edition of The Long Island Press, it “is a catchphrase. An acronym to be more exact. It is a philosophy and a movement. It stands for Keep It On Long Island, but it means many things. (Kioli has actually become a verb as well as an acronym. To kioli means,  ‘to keep it on Long Island’.

Kioli defined

Kioli defined © kioli.org

“It means keeping our money here where it cannot be manipulated by treacherous Wall Street investments. It pleads with consumers to spend money in local businesses that are owned by local residents. Businesses founded by investments made by Long Islanders that result in profits staying here and circulating through our economy. It is a movement that dreams of providing our children with affordable housing alternatives and productive skilled employment. It is a notion whose time has come and Kioli.org is where it resides.”

LI Press

LI Press Logo © LI Press on facebook

The Long Island Press, a free weekly Long Island based newspaper distributed through out the Island and dedicated to “informing, entertaining and educating the opinion leaders of Long Island”, is the founding member of KioLi.org. “In the fall of 2008 a handful of companies, both for profit and nonprofit, came together to form a movement called ‘Keep It On Long Island’ (Kioli) for the purpose of stimulating business in the local economy. In 2009, the movement found a home online at www.kioli.org. Today these companies are known as Kioli Founding Members . . . .”

They are Alure Home Improvements, Farmingdale State College,  Schwartz & Company,  Sperry Credit Union, MCL Dental Lab, Cactus Salon & Spa, Men On The Move.

Since its beginning three years ago, Kioli has been busy, very busy with the business of keeping business alive and well on Long Island. This is a serious challenge due to both the cost of living to stay here and the fact that jobs are hard to find because businesses here have been compromised by the current economic crisis.

Long Island is no exception to the hit our nation has taken. But there is a palpable ‘kioli’ spirit in the air. It is my opinion that this spirit was well represented at the Kioli Business Summit. I felt the spirit present in the amount and types of businesses, nonprofit organizations and business people who define LI for me.

Photo-of-Items-from-Kioli-Summit

Photo of items from Kioli Business Summit © Phil Jacobs

As I collected dozens of promotional items, exchanged innumerable business cards, introduced myself and shook hands with my fellow business owners, I had the opportunity to experience and feel this spirit at work, in the flesh, for the first time. I realized the foresight and dedication the original founding member businesses had.

Most importantly, I came to understand how both consumers and businesses on Long Island must think and stay local in order for Long Island to survive. That is what ‘Keep It On Long Island‘ means. Everyone on Long Island has a stake in this.

Fortune 52 Event Oct 17, 2011

Fortune 52 Honoree Event Oct 17, 2011 © LI Press

Even a major national social media company, Constant Contact, that is not Long Island based has provided us with a direct, full time and in-person link to the heart of their products. Ellen DePasquale, was a Kioli Summit speaker  in the afternoon  and a Kioli participant, giving a seminar at SUNY Farmingdale (a Kioli founding member) in the morning.

Best of LI 2012

Best of LI Competition 2012 © LI Press

The Long Island Press, Kioli’s founding member, plays a huge part in ‘kioli’ daily. In addition to its weekly publication both online and on paper, it is host to and reporter of many local activities. It adds an extra spark to the mix with its ‘Best of Long Island‘ yearly competition and Beverly Fortune’s ‘Fortune 52‘ and the honoree events. Felice Cantatore, Executive VP, bears highlighting as well. When he is not representing the LI Press or boxing, he is the ‘poster man’ for Kioli. I see him at every LI Business event I attend. And I am sure he goes to many more.

With the ability to travel from one end of the Island to the other in under two hours (depending upon the traffic) and in seconds (depending upon the cooperation of the Internet, WiFi and 3G), Long Island is in the process of becoming one business community. Although it is comprised of two counties (actually four if you count Brooklyn and Queens) and countless municipalities, towns, villages and cities, those boundaries are fading and in my opinion need to continue to be replaced by a sense of one common goal, Kioli.

Nonprofits at Event

‘Giving is Good Business’, Nonprofit Organizations  at the Kioli Event © Phil Jacobs

Common concerns and cares as well as a love for the life that we have here on Long Island are partly what glue us all together. With the extraordinary assistance of skyrocketing technology, we are becoming one. Not only does Kioli serve to ‘Keep It On LI’, but these types of gatherings and movements also strengthen that intention and further the unification of LI into one local business community. Kudos to Kioli, its founding members, its present participants and activities, as well as its energy in working towards this economic lifesaving destination.

SOURCES:
Who Cares About LI?  Kioli Business Summit Announcement
Kioli Business Summit (Advisory provided by Google)
Keep It on Long Island
About Kioli
The Long Island Press
The Founding of Kioli.org

About Alison Gilbert

Through decades as an entrepreneur, I developed ventures in over a half a dozen industries including HEALTH FOOD | GRAPHIC DESIGN | BUSINESS PROMOTION | HOLISTIC HEALTH | DECORATIVE PAINTING | SOCIAL MEDIA | PUBLIC SPEAKING | WRITING. Eventually under the umbrella of ALISON*S ART, INC, they evolved into the dba MARKETING BYTES, a hybrid company specializing marketing small business using social media marketing and traditional graphic design services. Currently retired, I am focusing on teaching social media marketing graphic design and visual journalism. I can be messaged through www.facebook.com/alisondgilbert and tweeted @MktngBytesMaven and @AlisonsArt.

Filed Under: Business, Business Networking, Conferences & Education, General, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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