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	<title>Proteus Design Studio Blog</title>
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	<description>Web Design Company &#124; Internet Marketing &#124; Web Strategy &#124; UI/UX</description>
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		<title>A Guide to Building a Successful Blog</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/02/06/a-guide-to-building-a-successful-blog/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/02/06/a-guide-to-building-a-successful-blog/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 07 Feb 2010 03:28:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[viral marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amazing blogs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[successful blogs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=708</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every day there are thousands of new blogs launched, but only a few get read by more than a several hundred people.&#160; What is it that makes the most successful blogs a success?&#160; There are many variables to that equation.&#160; One thing's for sure, the most successful blogs don't become a hit overnight.&#160; The most [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p style="text-align: justify;">Every day there are thousands of new blogs launched, but only a few get read by more than a several hundred people.&#160; What is it that makes the most successful blogs a success?&#160; There are many variables to that equation.&#160; One thing's for sure, the most successful blogs don't become a hit overnight.&#160; The most successful blogs require creativity, consistency, and just plain hard work.&#160;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">A blog can be your company's hub for communicating with its' target audience.&#160; It is where ideas and opinions are exchanged.&#160; Think of it as your opportunity for gaining feedback directly from your customers on your products and services.&#160; A blog can be your vehicle to gain valuable insight into your customers' wants, needs and desires.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">When used strategically, blogs can exponentially amplify the effectiveness of your offline advertising.&#160; Your blog is an integral part of your online presence and allows you to demonstrate thought leadership in your industry.&#160; Your blog is a platform that allows you to add value to your online community and be perceived as a trusted resource.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Successful blogging is just as much an art as it is a science.&#160; At Proteus Design Studio, we have put together a guide to building a successful blog.&#160; In the guide you'll find tips for creating useful content, strategies to maximize content distribution, and valuable resources for making social connections.&#160; Please share this information with anyone you know that may find it beneficial.&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;</p>
<div style="width:665px" id="__ss_3092915"><strong style="display:block;margin:12px 0 4px"><a title="Create An Amazing Blog E Book" href="http://www.slideshare.net/Proteus72/create-an-amazing-blog-e-book-3092915"></a></strong><object id="__sse3092915" width="665" height="400">
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<div style="padding:5px 0 12px">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/Proteus72">Proteus Design Studio, Inc.</a>.</div>
</div>
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		</item>
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		<title>Our Military&#8217;s Web Strategy for Winning on the Social Battlefield</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/02/01/our-militarys-web-strategy-for-winning-on-the-social-battlefield/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/02/01/our-militarys-web-strategy-for-winning-on-the-social-battlefield/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:30:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internet marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[air force]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[army]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coast guard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conversation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fanpage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine corps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[military]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MySpace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[navy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[online advertising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youtube channel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=636</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Having one of the most challenging recruiting tasks of any organization in America requires nothing less than an exceptional marketing plan. The five branches of the military each have a distinct military mission and therefore recruit a little differently. More specifically, I would like to discuss why I feel the U.S. military is using the internet to market more effectively than almost any civilian corporation on earth.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p><img width="225" hspace="10" height="219" align="left" class="size-full wp-image-666" title="Color Guard" alt="The Joint Service Color Guard" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ColorGuard.jpg" />Having served in the Marine Corps for ten years as well as co-founding and operating a web strategy company, I offer a unique perspective on our military and its&rsquo; Web Strategy. The United States has the world&rsquo;s second largest military, after the People's Liberation Army of China, and has troops deployed around the globe.  With an &ldquo;All Volunteer&rdquo; military force of 1,454,515 people serving on active duty and an additional 848,000 people in the seven reserve components, I think most people would agree that the military&rsquo;s recruiting mission is of an epic scale compared to other organizations.</p>
<p>Having one of the most challenging recruiting tasks of any organization in America requires nothing less than an exceptional marketing plan.  The five branches of the military each have a distinct military mission and therefore recruit a little differently. More specifically, I would like to discuss why I feel the U.S. military is using the internet to market more effectively than almost any civilian corporation in the world.</p>
<p>Just like any other organization, it is first necessary to have a thorough understanding of the military&rsquo;s mission or business plan, in order to develop an effective web strategy.  Let&rsquo;s take a brief look at each branch of our military to gain a better understanding of their role in providing our overall national security.</p>
<p>I will be discussing the Military Branches in order from largest to smallest.</p>
<span id="more-636"></span>

<table id="wp-table-reloaded-id-1-no-1" class="wp-table-reloaded wp-table-reloaded-id-1">
<thead>
	<tr class="row-1">
		<th class="column-1">Branch</th><th class="column-2">Size</th><th class="column-3">Mission</th>
	</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="row-hover">
	<tr class="row-2">
		<td class="column-1">United States Army</td><td class="column-2">1,090,000+</td><td class="column-3">Preserving the peace and security, and providing for the defense, of the United States, the Commonwealths and possessions, and any areas occupied by the United States; supporting the national policies; implementing the national objectives; overcoming any nations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of the United States</td>
	</tr>
	<tr class="row-3">
		<td class="column-1">United States Air Force</td><td class="column-2">333,507</td><td class="column-3">Responsible for the preparation of the air forces necessary for the effective prosecution of war except as otherwise assigned and, in accordance with integrated joint mobilization plans, for the expansion of the peacetime components of the Air Force to meet the needs of war</td>
	</tr>
	<tr class="row-4">
		<td class="column-1">United States Navy</td><td class="column-2">332,000</td><td class="column-3">To maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas</td>
	</tr>
	<tr class="row-5">
		<td class="column-1">United States Marine Corps</td><td class="column-2">243,000</td><td class="column-3">Responsible for providing force projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces</td>
	</tr>
	<tr class="row-6">
		<td class="column-1">United States Coast Guard*</td><td class="column-2">91,915</td><td class="column-3">It is unique among the military branches in that it has a maritime law enforcement mission (with jurisdiction both domestically and in international waters) and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its mission set</td>
	</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<p class="small">Data Sources:  Wikipedia entries for <a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1264997613706*/" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army">Army</a>, <a target="_blank" _prevhref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_force" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force">Air Force</a>, <a target="_blank" _prevhref="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy">Navy</a>, <a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1264998064970*/" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps">Marine Corps</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1264999066186*/" target="_blank">Coast Guard</a></p>
<p class="small">*Special note - Although I served in the Marines and am somewhat biased, I think it&rsquo;s pretty amazing how the Coast Guard, as small as they are, have such a big challenge in terms of their mission.  Due to the fact that they are the smallest branch in size, their recruiting efforts don&rsquo;t have to be nearly as aggressive as the other military branches.  Therefore, I won&rsquo;t be discussing their recruiting website.  Also, their target demographic is typically a few years older than that of its&rsquo; DOD counterparts.  Their message is very much like that of a civilian corporation rather than a military organization, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re Hiring&rdquo;, literally.</p>
<h1>What is the Military&rsquo;s Product (what are they selling?)</h1>
<p>They are selling what would be considered by any expert in sales, the most difficult product of all to sell, intangible benefits. Intangible benefits such as self-discipline, motivation, honor, and pride of belonging to name just a few.  They are also selling the opportunity for higher education, career training, leadership development, worldly experience and travel.</p>
<h1>Websites and Product Message</h1>
<p>After carefully analyzing each branch&rsquo;s recruiting website I was able to identify differences in messaging that address each unique demographic or target audience.  The common demographic across all the military branches, though, are eligible males and females between the ages of 18 to 26 (approximately).</p>
<p>Over the past 200 years the military has been perfecting their recruiting efforts and understand their customer audiences better than most public corporations.  But what I find particularly interesting is how quickly the military has fully embraced the use of the internet as an effective marketing vehicle and they have clearly put the pedal to the metal!  Most corporations, however, have been slow to adopt or reluctant all together.  More specifically, in regards to the use of <a href="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/index.php/social-media-and-web-20.html" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265014304148*/" target="_blank">social media</a> platforms to reach their target audience.</p>
<h1>Strategy</h1>
<p>On each branch's website, you&rsquo;ll notice how they have integrated their T.V. commercial into the site providing maximum brand awareness and increasing the effectiveness of its&rsquo; broadcast reach.  The following is an excellent example:</p>
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<p>One of the biggest sales objections that a recruiter faces are the physical challenges that Boot Camp presents to a potential recruit.  Most young people are intimidated by the horrific stories they hear about how Drill Instructors are constantly in your face screaming and yelling.  Most prospective recruits are also apprehensive when it comes to facing the extreme physical challenges like combat water survival, repelling from a 50 foot wall, and the confidence course (an extremely challenging obstacle course each Marine Recruit must successfully negotiate in order to earn the title, Marine).</p>
<p>The second biggest challenge for all the branches is parental consent.  Many parents are apprehensive about the thought of their children serving in the military.  Each service has addressed this sales objection with a special website geared just for the parents of potential recruits.  These sites are extremely easy to navigate and answer all of the most common questions and concerns that most parents have.  All recruiting sites are also translated in Spanish as a significant portion of the military&rsquo;s prospective recruits are Spanish speaking.</p>
<h1>Breakdown of each Branch&rsquo;s Recruiting Website</h1>
<h4><strong>U.S. Army</strong></h4>
<p><a href="http://www.goarmy.com/#/?marquee=officership&amp;channel=careers" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265009383779*/" target="_blank"><img width="640" height="400" align="top" class="size-full wp-image-669" title="Army Recruiting Website" alt="US Army and Army Reserve Recruiting" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ArmyWebsite.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>Designed to appeal to high school students both female and males. Their message is geared toward the young adult that wants to develop the qualities that are in demand by civilian employers. They are clearly advocating that the Army will make you a stronger person. I would like to note that they have cleverly left that interpretation up to the individual. In any case it can only be construed as a positive benefit that will result from becoming a U.S. Soldier.</p>
<p>The Army&rsquo;s site has one of the most advanced features I have ever seen on a website, the &quot;<a href="http://www.goarmy.com/ChatWithStar.do#" _prevhref="http://sgtstar.goarmy.com/ActiveAgentUI/welcome.aspx" target="_blank">Ask SGT STAR</a>&quot; feature. It is a database driven application that allows the visitor to ask a virtual Soldier any question that would typically be asked by a prospective recruit. What a <a href="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/index.php/san-diego-web-based-content-management-systems.html" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265014248397*/" target="_blank">powerful database</a>! It answered every question I asked ranging from pay to duty station preferences. It even addresses questions on family housing and includes a sample floor plan.  Most impressive!</p>
<h4><strong>U.S. Air Force</strong></h4>
<p><a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265009603649*/" href="http://www.airforce.com/"><img width="601" height="397" align="top" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/AFWebsite.jpg" alt="United States Airforce Website" title="US Air Force Recruiting Website" class="size-full wp-image-668" /></a></p>
<p>They don&rsquo;t make an obvious attempt to reach out to either gender. Approximately 20% of the Air Force population is female compared to the Marine Corps&rsquo; 5%. This should not be surprising as the majority of duties in the Air Force are combat-support and do not involve direct combat. What is obvious from a customer demographics perspective is that the website clearly represents diversity in terms of race. The primary benefit to the prospective recruit that I noticed is self improvement through higher education. The Air Force&rsquo;s marketing message is clear in its appeal to those who value continuing education.</p>
<p>When one thinks of the Air Force, the first thing that comes to mind is cutting-edge technology. The Air Force&rsquo;s recruiting site truly lives up to that branding image. It is probably one of the most interactive sites on the internet. This site has countless activities that engage and stimulate the interests of a young high tech enthusiast. From <a href="http://www.airforce.com/games-and-extras/" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265013972580*/" target="_blank">video games</a> that simulate piloting and destroying enemy targets with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to simulations that allow you to learn more about training military working dogs, the Air Force recruiting website delivers a user experience that is unparalleled in <a href="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/index.php/search-engine-optimization.html" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265014118609*/" target="_blank">online marketing</a>.</p>
<h4><strong>U.S. Navy - Accelerate Your Life &trade;</strong></h4>
<p><a href="http://www.navy.com/" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265009833261*/" target="_blank"><img width="630" height="399" align="top" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/NavyWebsite.jpg" alt="Navy Recruiting Website" title="America's Navy - A Global Force for Good" class="size-full wp-image-667" /></a></p>
<p>Many young people in high school are in a rush to grow up and be viewed by friends and family as adults. I can&rsquo;t think of a life decision that requires more careful consideration than making a 4-6 year commitment to serve your country in the military other than getting married and having children. The Navy&rsquo;s recruiting website is every bit as impressive as the other branches.</p>
<p>The major feature that differed from the other sites and caught my immediate attention, was an interactive area that connects directly with the female demographic. It showcases <a href="http://www.navy.com/women/" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265013789625*/" target="_blank">women in the Navy</a> and allows the user to learn about the role(s) they have in the Navy. It&rsquo;s a very engaging experience that most likely dispels any apprehension or concerns that a prospective female may have when it comes to meeting the challenges associated with serving in a male dominated military. This is an awesome feature and clearly illustrates the importance the Navy has placed on internet marketing.</p>
<h4><strong>U.S. Marine Corps</strong></h4>
<p><a href="http://www.marines.com/" target="_blank"><img width="640" height="401" align="top" class="size-full wp-image-670" title="Marine Corps Recruitment Website" alt="Marine Corps Recruitment Website" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/MarinesWebsite.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>Designed to appeal to the male, high school student, who is looking for the ultimate challenge of self-discipline.  Their message in itself is a challenge and is aimed directly to a small target audience.  The Marine Corps needs candidates that are highly motivated and willing to take the challenge of becoming a member of the World&rsquo;s Most Elite Fighting Force.  It&rsquo;s no surprise that only one in every one million Americans claims the title, &ldquo;United States Marine&rdquo;.  Can you tell I served in the Marines?</p>
<p>The Marine Corps faces its&rsquo; biggest sales objection straight on by providing one of the most incredible user experiences I&rsquo;ve seen on a website. They include excerpts of video taken from the recruits&rsquo; perspective while engaging in the most challenging activities during training. They have the entire <a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265013493305*/" href="http://www.marines.com/main/index/making_marines/recruit_training/marine-bootcamp">12 weeks of Boot Camp</a> broken down on one, navigation friendly page. This user experience allows for the visitor to see first- hand the challenges Marine Corps Boot Camp Offers.</p>
<h1>Summary</h1>
<p>Each branch of service is augmenting their online presence with <a href="http://youtube.com" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265012813512*/" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, <a href="http://facebook.com" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265012835329*/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://myspace.com" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265012876886*/" target="_blank">MySpace</a>, and <a href="http://twitter.com" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265012897302*/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.  They are benefiting from the power that social media offers in spreading their message virally.  As a member of Facebook and a former Marine myself, I decided to become a fan of the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marine-Corps-News/95583701669?ref=ts" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1265012302664*/" target="_blank">Marine Corps&rsquo; Fanpage</a>.  Within minutes, I was bombarded by other fans asking me about my experience in the Marine Corps.  Most of them are young people that haven&rsquo;t reached the qualifying age yet, but had already decided they are joining the Marine Corps.&nbsp; I was surprised at the amount of questions they were asking in regards to the Marine Corps.&nbsp; I think they were intimidated to talk to the recruiter.&nbsp; This was a way for them to get their questions answered without feeling pressured by a potential sales pitch.&nbsp; It just goes to show that your customers are going to talk about your product with other people outside of your organization.&nbsp; Companies can benefit by monitoring the conversation and learning about what concerns their customers have in terms of their product.</p>
<p>Once they have a better understanding of those concerns, they will be better able to address them via the social platforms they utilize. There is no other marketing tool more powerful than word of mouth. Conversations about your products by your prospective customers is your most powerful marketing tool.  The military is one organization that &ldquo;<strong>Gets It</strong>&rdquo; and definitely participates in the conversation.</p><img style='display:none' id="post-636-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/02/01/our-militarys-web-strategy-for-winning-on-the-social-battlefield/',title:'Our Military&#8217;s Web Strategy for Winning on the Social Battlefield',tweet:'Having served in the Marine Corps for ten years as well as co-founding and operating a web strategy ',description:'Having served in the Marine Corps for ten years as well as co-founding and operating a web strategy '})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-636-blankimage").onload();</script>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>World&#8217;s Ugliest Web Design Makes $1 Million</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/27/worlds-ugliest-web-design-makes-1-million/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/27/worlds-ugliest-web-design-makes-1-million/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:05:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web Design/Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[viral marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[$1 Million Home Page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ugliest web design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ugly web design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=616</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Like most college kids, Alex Tew needed money for his university expenses while attending the University of Nottingham in the UK. Utilizing the internet as an income vehicle, he devised a plan that would ultimately yield $1,037,100. His plan was simple. He would sell $1 pixels in 10x10 pixel grids. The total size of the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.milliondollarhomepage.com/" target="_blank"><img width="260" vspace="5" hspace="15" height="209" align="right" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/milliondollarwebsite-300x241.jpg" title="milliondollarwebsite" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-617" alt="" /></a>Like most college kids, Alex Tew needed money for his university expenses while attending the University of Nottingham in the UK.  Utilizing the internet as an income vehicle, he devised a plan that would ultimately yield $1,037,100.  His plan was simple.  He would sell $1 pixels in 10x10 pixel grids.  The total size of the grid for the webpage was 1000x1000 pixels.  The buyers provided him with small images to be placed in their grid that could be linked back to their site.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The ultimate goal of the website was to generate $1 Million.  The site went live on August 26, 2005 and became a massive hit within just a couple months.  By the end of October, 1400 people claimed 500,000 pixels.  The final block of 1000 pixels were auctioned off on eBay for an astounding $38,100,&nbsp; well exceeding his initial goal of $1 Million.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">How did his idea take off?  He began by selling his first block of pixels to friends and family.  Sales grew slowly initially by word of mouth.  Once multiple block holders started promoting the page URL, it took off virally.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p><img style='display:none' id="post-616-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/27/worlds-ugliest-web-design-makes-1-million/',title:'World&#8217;s Ugliest Web Design Makes $1 Million',tweet:'Like most college kids, Alex Tew needed money for his university expenses while attending the Univer',description:'Like most college kids, Alex Tew needed money for his university expenses while attending the Univer'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-616-blankimage").onload();</script>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Is Social Media Destroying Obama&#8217;s Approval Rating?</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/26/social-media-destroys-obamas-approval-rating/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/26/social-media-destroys-obamas-approval-rating/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:57:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social influence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[approval ratings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[president obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[presidential campaign]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=597</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Are the same technologies that were skillfully used to crush his opponents during the 2008 presidential campaigns going to aid in destroying the President&#8217;s approval rating? Democratic&#160;presidential candidate Barack Obama utilized various social media platforms to establish a grassroots movement that revolutionized presidential campaigning. He successfully connected with activists, donators, and voters in record numbers [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p style="text-align: justify"><a href="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/obama.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-599" title="obama" hspace="20" alt="" vspace="5" align="right" width="95" height="95" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/obama.jpg" /></a>Are the same technologies that were skillfully used to crush his opponents during the 2008 presidential campaigns going to aid in destroying the President&rsquo;s approval rating? Democratic&nbsp;presidential candidate Barack Obama utilized various social media platforms to establish a grassroots movement that revolutionized presidential campaigning. He successfully connected with activists, donators, and voters in record numbers via the Internet. He was also able to set new fundraising records by gaining support from millions of individual small donors.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify">It is well known that the President has inherited a host of challenging issues including but not limited to the War in the Middle East and the economic recession. Most would agree that these challenges will take at least a decade to resolve regardless of who&rsquo;s in office. The fact is that the President&rsquo;s approval rating has dropped below 50% and many analysts suggest this number will continue to decline.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify">As social media communities such as Twitter, Facebook, and DIGG continue to grow at alarming rates, what will this mean for the President&rsquo;s approval rating?&nbsp; Will he stand a chance for re-election in 2013?&nbsp; How much clout or social influence do his critics have on social media platforms?</p>
<p><br />
&nbsp;</p><img style='display:none' id="post-597-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/26/social-media-destroys-obamas-approval-rating/',title:'Is Social Media Destroying Obama&#8217;s Approval Rating?',tweet:'Are the same technologies that were skillfully used to crush his opponents during the 2008 president',description:'Are the same technologies that were skillfully used to crush his opponents during the 2008 president'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-597-blankimage").onload();</script>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Twitter Addiction</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/22/twitter-addiction/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/22/twitter-addiction/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:23:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[addicted to twitter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[addiction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Followers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[retweets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tweets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=583</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[document.getElementById("post-583-blankimage").onload();]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p style="text-align: center;"><img width="550" height="413" align="middle" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/twitteraddiction.jpg" alt="twitter addiction" title="twitteraddiction" class="size-full wp-image-584" /></p><img style='display:none' id="post-583-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/22/twitter-addiction/',title:'Twitter Addiction',tweet:'',description:''})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-583-blankimage").onload();</script>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Social Media &#8211; Learning Why Your Customers Buy</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/21/social-media-learning-why-your-customers-buy/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/21/social-media-learning-why-your-customers-buy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:32:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brand Awareness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[branding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[positioning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[products]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=549</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Customers buy because of their perceived need. Most of the time, their perceived need is actually a want. Many companies fail to recognize this difference and therefore make costly mistakes by developing products and or services that don&#8217;t catch on. There are several factors that determine why customers buy a product or service from one [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p><img width="200" vspace="5" hspace="10" height="149" align="right" alt="Learning Why Your Customers Buy" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/customers-300x224.jpg" title="customers" class="size-medium wp-image-553" /> Customers buy because of their perceived need. Most of the time, their perceived need is actually a want. Many companies fail to recognize this difference and therefore make costly mistakes by developing products and or services that don&rsquo;t catch on. There are several factors that determine why customers buy a product or service from one source over others. The main factors are&nbsp;as follows:</p>
<p><strong>Brand Awareness </strong>- Is your customer aware of your existence? They need to know about you as a source or option. Your location, whether it be brick and mortar or the first page of Google are important factors in determining your Brand Awareness and market penetration.</p>
<p><strong>Product Features and Benefits </strong>- We are all customers. Have you ever compared features of a particular product or service? We all do it. A good example is when shopping for a Cell Phone Service Provider. We compare the features of various plans offered by the competing companies. Most importantly as customers though, we focus on the benefits. What will that cell phone do for me? Maybe it&rsquo;s the security and peace of mind to know that I can call anytime or anywhere during an emergency? Or maybe it might make me feel good to know that my monthly bill will be a flat rate every month.</p>
<p><strong>Product or Service Pricing </strong>- Let&rsquo;s face it, there are customers that price shop. Then there are customers that are willing to pay more for what they perceive as a better value. Have you heard the term, &ldquo;Getting the most for my money&rdquo;?&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Brand Reputation </strong>- what does your market think about your brand? Dominos Pizza recently learned that the majority of their market had the opinion that their product sucks. They learned specific details as to why their customers felt their product was inferior against their competitors. Dominos then used social media to their advantage by asking for customer input to develop a new and improved product.</p>
<p><strong>Word of Mouth </strong>- What are your customers saying about your company, product or service? Results from studies have shown that a satisfied customer may share their buying experience with 1-3 people. On the other hand, if they had an unpleasant experience with your company, they are likely to share that information with 10 people. This is one of the reasons customer loyalty is so important. Social media and customer rating sites have made it extremely easy for customers to review and share their buying experience. Smart companies are learning these new marketing concepts and using them to their advantage.</p>
<p>The most successful companies today are leveraging their knowledge of the fore mentioned concepts with social media technologies. In my blog post titled, &ldquo;<a href="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/06/corporate-marketing-simplifying-the-social-media-challenge/">Corporate Marketing&ndash; Simplifying the Social Media Challenge</a>&rdquo;, I discuss a simple and effective way for companies to approach their social media strategy.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Connect with me:</p>
<ul>
    <li><a href="http://www.twitter.com/proteus72" target="_blank">Twitter</a></li>
    <li><a _prevhref="http://www.facebook.com/christopherturnquist" href="http://www.facebook.com/ChristopherTurnquist" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li>
    <li><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/sandiegowebdesign" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li>
    <li><a _prevhref="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/mailto:cturnquist@proteusdesignstudio.com?subject=Social%20Media-%20Learning%20Why%20Your%20Customers%20Buy" href="mailto:cturnquist@proteusdesignstudio.com" target="_blank">E-Mail</a></li>
</ul><img style='display:none' id="post-549-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/21/social-media-learning-why-your-customers-buy/',title:'Social Media &#8211; Learning Why Your Customers Buy',tweet:' Customers buy because of their perceived need. Most of the time, their perceived need is actually a',description:' Customers buy because of their perceived need. Most of the time, their perceived need is actually a'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-549-blankimage").onload();</script>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How to Come Up with Great Blog Topics</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/15/how-to-come-up-with-great-blog-topics/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/15/how-to-come-up-with-great-blog-topics/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:50:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Copywriting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog post]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog topics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[copy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[copywrite]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=498</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I can&#8217;t think of anything to blog about today! This is a very frustrating feeling that most everyone who writes has experienced at one time or another. Your blog already has a general theme, but for your next post, where do you begin? Coming up with the right topic can be the toughest part of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p style="text-align: justify;"><img width="115" vspace="5" hspace="10" height="127" align="left" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ideas.jpg" title="ideas" class="size-full wp-image-520" alt="" />I can&rsquo;t think of anything to blog about today! This is a very frustrating feeling that most everyone who writes has experienced at one time or another. Your blog already has a general theme, but for your next post, where do you begin? Coming up with the right topic can be the toughest part of writing. Blogging is supposed to be an enjoyable experience, not a nightmare that you avoid. Yesterday you came up with a great topic, what about tomorrow and then the next day? Does this have to be a constant battle?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">When we speak with our clients, we find this to be the biggest killer of what should otherwise be successful blogs. In this post I am going to provide you with a strategy that you can use over and over again to create &quot;<strong>Great Blog&nbsp;Post Topics</strong>&quot;. I&rsquo;m sure people may have other names for this approach, but I&rsquo;m going to call it the <strong>&ldquo;Opposites&rdquo; Chart</strong>. The concept here is to draft two lists at the same time, side-by-side of&nbsp;each other. The lists should be based on opposites. Here are some examples to explain better:</p>
<p><em><strong>Like/Dislike </strong></em>- things you like and&nbsp;dislike&nbsp;about your career, hobbies, or personal life</p>
<p><em><strong>Usual/Unusual </strong></em>- Things that happen all the time and things that happen rarely.</p>
<p><em><strong>Fun Things/Things that Suck</strong></em> - Things you do that are enjoyable and things that&nbsp;suck.</p>
<table width="410" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1" align="center" border="thin solid #666666";>
    <caption>
    <h3><strong>Residential Construction</strong></h3>
    </caption>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td bordercolor="#666666">
            <h3 style="margin-left: 40px;"><em>Things I like</em></h3>
            </td>
            <td>
            <h3 style="margin-left: 40px;"><em>Things I hate</em></h3>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Using Nail Guns</p>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Working with Concrete</p>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Working with Electrical</p>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Reading Blueprints</p>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Hanging Doors</p>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Driving Bobcat Tractors</p>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Camaraderie</p>
            </td>
            <td>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Clean Up</p>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Rainy Days</p>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Working with Heights</p>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Installing Drywall</p>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Shopping for Supplies</p>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Digging Holes</p>
            <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Wearing Safety Gear</p>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Your&nbsp;lists should help to quickly produce enough topics to last an entire year. Just make sure you save them for future reference. Not all topics are going to be clear winners. Remember to ask yourself these 4 questions when choosing your next&nbsp;<strong>Blog Post Topic</strong>:</p>
<ol>
    <li>Do you have&nbsp;extensive knowledge on the subject?</li>
    <li>Do you feel&nbsp;strongly about this topic?</li>
    <li>Do you think your audience will relate with this topic?</li>
    <li>Is the topic providing something of value to&nbsp;your readers?</li>
</ol>
<p style="text-align: justify;">I wish you much success with your blog. As with everything in life, you will only get better with practice. If you would like more information on blogging or the use of social media for business, please contact our <a href="http://www.proteusdesignstudio.com"><strong>web design company</strong></a>.</p><img style='display:none' id="post-498-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/15/how-to-come-up-with-great-blog-topics/',title:'How to Come Up with Great Blog Topics',tweet:'I can&rsquo;t think of anything to blog about today! This is a very frustrating feeling that most ev',description:'I can&rsquo;t think of anything to blog about today! This is a very frustrating feeling that most ev'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-498-blankimage").onload();</script>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>5 Crucial Steps for a Successful Facebook Fan Page</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/14/facebook-fan-page-for-businesses/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/14/facebook-fan-page-for-businesses/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:30:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Pilar Guerra</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[facebook applications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[facebook fan page]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[profile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social networking]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=337</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Before you start inviting or suggesting your Fan Page to your Facebook and business connections, use the following methods to get the biggest bang out your invite.  People will be more likely to join your page if they see there's an effort being made to stimulate their interest.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>In a previous post, <a href="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/22/how-to-create-a-facebook-fan-page"><strong>How To: Create a Facebook Fan Page</strong></a>, I took you through the Fan page creation process.&nbsp; If you decided to create one you're probably asking yourself, &quot;Ok, I have this fan page set up, now what do I do with it?&quot;&nbsp; Well it's going to take some effort on your part to get the ball rolling, unless you happen to be a well known brand of course.&nbsp; As much as we all would love to have instant fans in the thousands, in this land of information overload, we are but a small glimmer in front of a big glowing sun.</p>
<p><img width="660" height="504" align="top" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Create-New-FB-Page.png" alt="Create a New Facebook Page" title="Create New FB Page" class="size-full wp-image-474" /></p>
<p>So before you start inviting or suggesting your Fan Page to your Facebook and business connections, use the following methods to get the biggest bang out your invite.&nbsp; People will be more likely to join your page if they see there's an effort being made to stimulate their interest.</p>
<ol>
    <li>
    <p>As I'm sure you've heard before &quot;<strong>content is king</strong>&quot;, especially relevant and engaging content.&nbsp; One of the fastest and easiest ways of producing content for your Fan Page is to <strong>feed</strong> your company blog to it.&nbsp; Of course, this will only work if you're company is posting to the blog <strong>at least</strong> 2 to 3 times a week, though more would be best.&nbsp; Your posts should be informative, helpful, conversational, and don't forget to bring a little of your company's personality into the mix!</p>
    There are different methods of connecting your blog to the Fan Page.&nbsp; It can be as simple as setting up your Fan Page Notes to Import your Blog, or you can use a 3rd Party RSS application.&nbsp; We use <a href="http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/" target="_blank" title="NetworkedBlogs Facebook Application"><strong>NetworkedBlogs</strong></a> to feed our blog which is much more robust than the Notes option.&nbsp; It's also a great way to find your Facebook friends' blogs, if they have it registered on NetworkedBlogs, as well as subscribe to some of your favorite bloggers.</li>
    <li>
    <p>Create a &quot;<strong>Landing Page</strong>&quot; tab that will encourage people to join your Fan Page as well as give them a &quot;<strong>Call to Action</strong>&quot;.&nbsp; The CTA should be something easy and non-intrusive.&nbsp; We use the <a title="Static FBML Application" target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=4949752878"><strong>Static FBML</strong></a> application to create custom Landing Page Tabs, it adds a box to your Page in which you can render HTML or FBML (Facebook Markup Language) for enhanced Page customization.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Upload <strong>Images </strong>or <strong>Videos </strong>of your product(s) or service.&nbsp; If you are uploading videos, make sure they are short and to the point.&nbsp; The <a href="http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2513891999" target="_blank" title="YouTube Box Application"><strong>YouTube Box</strong></a> application is an excellent tool to publish and manage your videos from your YouTube profile if you already have one or are planning on creating one.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p><img width="228" height="280" align="right" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/FB-Fan-Page-Badge.png" alt="Facebook Fan Page Badge" title="FB Fan Page Badge" class="size-full wp-image-477" />Place a <strong>Fan Page Badge</strong> on your company website and/or blog.&nbsp; Let your current visitors know that they can now interact with you via Facebook.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Keep your fans <strong>engaged</strong>!&nbsp; They joined your page because they found it interesting, make sure they stay interested.&nbsp; Update your page with new content as often as you can and then let them know about it.&nbsp; Use the <strong>Insights</strong> tool to keep track of what works and what doesn't and then adjust as best as your company can.</p>
    </li>
</ol>
<p>I hope you find this post helpful in getting your Fan Page started and on the road to great success.&nbsp; As long as you're providing quality information you will begin to see an increase in your fan numbers.&nbsp; Just make sure that if a Fan posts a question or comment on your <strong>Wall </strong>or <strong>Discussion</strong> board you or someone at your company responds in a timely manner.&nbsp; After all that is why we're doing this in the first place <img src='http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Please feel free to share your experiences in the comment section below or if you have a suggestion to add to the list, I'd love to hear it!</p><img style='display:none' id="post-337-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/14/facebook-fan-page-for-businesses/',title:'5 Crucial Steps for a Successful Facebook Fan Page',tweet:'In a previous post, How To: Create a Facebook Fan Page, I took you through the Fan page creation pro',description:'In a previous post, How To: Create a Facebook Fan Page, I took you through the Fan page creation pro'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-337-blankimage").onload();</script>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>12 Hot Tips For Ranking Higher in Google</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/12/12-hot-tips-for-ranking-higher-in-google/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/12/12-hot-tips-for-ranking-higher-in-google/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:38:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Search Engine Optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internet marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=411</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is absolutely critical for your website to be found in the major search engines.&#160; The majority of traffic that a website sees from search engines will come from Google. That being said, we have complied a comprehensive list of informative resources to assist you with website search engine optimization. Extremely Helpful Sites &#38; Guides [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p style="text-align: left;">It is absolutely critical for your website to be found in the major search engines.&nbsp; The majority of traffic that a website sees from search engines will come from Google.  That being said, we have complied a comprehensive list of informative resources to assist you with website search engine optimization.</p>
<h4>Extremely Helpful Sites &amp; Guides<img width="215" vspace="0" height="194" align="right" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/sem-seo.png" title="sem-seo" class="size-full wp-image-425" alt="" /></h4>
<ul>
    <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.searchenginewatch.com">Search Engine Watch</a></li>
    <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.webmasterworld.com/">Web Master World</a></li>
    <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum30/">Google News at Web Master World</a></li>
    <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.searchengineforums.com/">Search Engine Forums</a></li>
    <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.marketleap.com/help/seo101/default.htm">Market Leap SEO 101</a></li>
    <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.apromotionguide.com/index.html">Website Promotion Tutorial</a></li>
    <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.akamarketing.com/">AKA Marketing<br />
    </a></li>
    <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35291">Google Webmaster/SEO Help</a></li>
    <li><a href="http://www.sitepronews.com/" target="_blank">Site Pro News</a></li>
    <li><a href="http://www.searchengineworld.com/" target="_blank">Search Engine World</a></li>
    <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.selfseo.com/">Self SEO</a></li>
    <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.tools.seobook.com/">SEO Book</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Search Engine Optimization can be a daunting task.&nbsp; It is often extremely labor intensive and requires constant maintenance to stay competitive.&nbsp; If you have additional resources that you would like to share, please comment.&nbsp; If you have questions concerning search engine optimization or increasing your sites visibility, please call our <a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1263327350700*/" href="http://www.proteusdesignstudio.com"><strong>web design company</strong></a>.</p><img style='display:none' id="post-411-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/12/12-hot-tips-for-ranking-higher-in-google/',title:'12 Hot Tips For Ranking Higher in Google',tweet:'It is absolutely critical for your website to be found in the major search engines.&nbsp; The majori',description:'It is absolutely critical for your website to be found in the major search engines.&nbsp; The majori'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-411-blankimage").onload();</script>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/12/12-hot-tips-for-ranking-higher-in-google/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Twitter Success is Selling Yourself, Not Your Stuff</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/12/twitter-success-is-selling-yourself-not-your-stuff-2/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/12/twitter-success-is-selling-yourself-not-your-stuff-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:31:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internet marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interactive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tweets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=371</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The easiest and fastest way to become successful with Twitter is to be human. Make a real contribution to others. Share useful information that others can use. That&#8217;s what people really want. What they don&#8217;t want is to be sold to. Spend a short amount of time on Twitter and you will quickly see that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p style="text-align: justify;"><img width="90" hspace="15" height="90" align="left" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/twitterbluebird-150x150.jpg" alt="Using Twitter For Business Success" title="twitterbluebird" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-354" />The easiest and fastest way to become successful with Twitter is to be human. Make a real contribution to others. Share useful information that others can use. That&rsquo;s what people really want. What they don&rsquo;t want is to be sold to. Spend a short amount of time on Twitter and you will quickly see that a lot of people just don&rsquo;t get it;&nbsp;there are tons of those types of people&nbsp;on Twitter. You can&nbsp;use this to your advantage&nbsp;to stand out from the crowd.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><img width="105" vspace="5" hspace="15" height="105" align="right" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/coffee-shop-150x150.jpg" title="coffee-shop" class="thumbnail wp-image-396" alt="" />It&rsquo;s simply about being transparent and being you. It&rsquo;s about meeting people and being genuine. The best part is,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s especially easy to use Twitter to find&nbsp;people&nbsp;you have common interests with. Just search for them using the keywords that best describe your interests.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">You have to give, in order to receive. Take a real interest in getting to know those that follow you. Take a look at their blogs. Click on the links they share. The best compliment you can give on Twitter is a Re-Tweet, so do it. It will pay dividends in the long run. And before you even realize it, you will have followers swarming in to follow.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">There is so much garbage being tweeted that it just gets tuned out. Be the one that sends the Tweets that people look for. This is what will make you a winner on Twitter. Once you&rsquo;ve gotten their attention through genuine friendship, your followers will look for opportunities to refer you business. Just my thoughts, what are yours?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">If you have any questions regarding the use of Twitter for your business or social media in general, please contact our <a href="http://www.proteusdesignstudio.com"><strong>web design company</strong></a>.&nbsp;</p><img style='display:none' id="post-371-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/12/twitter-success-is-selling-yourself-not-your-stuff-2/',title:'Twitter Success is Selling Yourself, Not Your Stuff',tweet:'The easiest and fastest way to become successful with Twitter is to be human. Make a real contributi',description:'The easiest and fastest way to become successful with Twitter is to be human. Make a real contributi'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-371-blankimage").onload();</script>
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			<wfw:commentRss>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/12/twitter-success-is-selling-yourself-not-your-stuff-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Social Media and a Rock Brand</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/08/social-media-and-a-rock-brand/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/08/social-media-and-a-rock-brand/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:05:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brand management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celbrity status]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celebrities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[publicity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reputation management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rock bands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=318</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Building a Brand with social media is a long term commitment and is time consuming. With that in mind, you need to have a strategy to leverage the support of your fans. The most successful companies are benefiting from their fans acting as evangelists. In order to do that, your fans need a reason to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="225" height="259" align="right" class="size-medium wp-image-320" title="rock_star_cat" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/rock_star_cat-261x300.jpg" alt="" />Building a Brand with social media is a long term commitment and is time consuming. With that in mind, you need to have a strategy to leverage the support of your fans. The most successful companies are benefiting from their fans acting as evangelists. In order to do that, your fans need a reason to get excited about your brand. Here are some questions that may help you with that challenge.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">What is different about my product or service? What will make my fans tell others about my product or service? What digital information or media can we produce for people to share that is useful, interesting, or humorous? How can we tie it in with our product or service? Who are our fans? What are their likes and dislikes? What are their fears and concerns? Can we solve a common problem amongst our fan population? What have I seen from other companies that I have liked and passed on? Why did I pass it on?</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Can you think of more questions? Please comment with your thoughts and suggestions&hellip;<br />
&nbsp;</p><img style='display:none' id="post-318-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/08/social-media-and-a-rock-brand/',title:'Social Media and a Rock Brand',tweet:'Building a Brand with social media is a long term commitment and is time consuming. With that in min',description:'Building a Brand with social media is a long term commitment and is time consuming. With that in min'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-318-blankimage").onload();</script>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/08/social-media-and-a-rock-brand/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Top 50 Tips for Creating an Amazing Blog</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/07/top-50-tips-for-creating-an-amazing-blog/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/07/top-50-tips-for-creating-an-amazing-blog/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:33:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[help]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=304</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I hope this list gives you some useful ideas so that you can create an amazing blog. Create a good, unique design Easy to navigate site Posts that are Consistent and regular Content that is helpful and useful Create blog posts on niche topics that aren&#8217;t oversaturated Original content using your, unique voice Easy to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<h4>I hope this list gives you some useful ideas so that you can create an amazing blog.</h4>
<h4><img width="300" height="226" align="top" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/dog_blog_talk_2-300x226.jpg" title="dog_blog_talk_2" class="size-medium wp-image-306" alt="" /></h4>
<ol>
    <li>Create a good, unique design</li>
    <li>Easy to navigate site</li>
    <li>Posts that are Consistent and regular</li>
    <li>Content that is helpful and useful</li>
    <li>Create blog posts on niche topics that aren&rsquo;t oversaturated</li>
    <li>Original content using your, unique voice</li>
    <li>Easy to share content- social media sharing tools/widgets</li>
    <li>Comment on other blogs to become known</li>
    <li>Make it easy for readers to subscribe</li>
    <li>Organization with categories and sub-categories</li>
    <li>Content variety including multimedia</li>
    <li>Functionality- the ability to interact</li>
    <li>Announce your latest blog posts on Twitter</li>
    <li>Write powerful headlines for your articles</li>
    <li>Don&rsquo;t sensor yourself- Be You!</li>
    <li>Monetize your blog- Banner Ads, Text Ads, etc.</li>
    <li>Reference and link to other blogs</li>
    <li>Engage with commenter&rsquo;s</li>
    <li>Who, what , where, why, when format</li>
    <li>Use storytelling</li>
    <li>Conciseness and brevity</li>
    <li>Inspirational thoughts and ideas</li>
    <li>Accuracy, sourcing, and references</li>
    <li>Provide examples and demonstrations</li>
    <li>Blog Post Topic diversity</li>
    <li>Imagery and Illustration</li>
    <li>Humor and occasional fun</li>
    <li>Quotes and Acknowledgement</li>
    <li>Controversial discussion</li>
    <li>Sticky CTA&rsquo;s (Call-to-Action) Entice visitors to return</li>
    <li>Participate on LinkedIn &ldquo;Answers&rdquo;</li>
    <li>Distribute posts using social bookmark sites (Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Etc.)</li>
    <li>Proofread, Proofread, Proofread</li>
    <li>Scannable Posts</li>
    <li>Create relevant &ldquo;Top 10&rdquo; Lists</li>
    <li>Create &ldquo;How To&rdquo; articles</li>
    <li>Write a &ldquo;series&rdquo; post</li>
    <li>Don&rsquo;t duplicate other people&rsquo;s content</li>
    <li>Provide a picture of yourself and an &ldquo;About Me&rdquo;</li>
    <li>Optimize the blog for the Search Engines (SEO practices)</li>
    <li>Use Squidoo and Hubspot to write articles that point back to your blog</li>
    <li>Use Youtube to host and embed video to your blog</li>
    <li>Use Google Analytics to Analyze and Improve Traffic Demographics</li>
    <li>Write content that will still be relevant tomorrow</li>
    <li>Offer a download (free E-book or Guide) to build a e-mail distribution list</li>
    <li>Develop a personal brand</li>
    <li>Add your Blog Link in your E-mail Signature</li>
    <li>Tweet useful news articles on Twitter besides your blog posts</li>
    <li>Don&rsquo;t over promote yourself or your products</li>
    <li>Submit your blog to blog directories</li>
</ol>
<p>If you have questions on blogs, blogging, or social media in general, please contact our <a href="http://www.proteusdesignstudio.com">website design company</a>.</p><img style='display:none' id="post-304-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/07/top-50-tips-for-creating-an-amazing-blog/',title:'Top 50 Tips for Creating an Amazing Blog',tweet:'I hope this list gives you some useful ideas so that you can create an amazing blog.       Create',description:'I hope this list gives you some useful ideas so that you can create an amazing blog.       Create'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-304-blankimage").onload();</script>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/07/top-50-tips-for-creating-an-amazing-blog/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>20</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Corporate Marketing &#8211; Simplifying the Social Media Challenge</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/06/corporate-marketing-simplifying-the-social-media-challenge/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/06/corporate-marketing-simplifying-the-social-media-challenge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jan 2010 12:46:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media strategy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=285</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Companies need a simple way to approach their social media strategy that doesn&#8217;t necessarily start with technology. It can be broken down into an easy, three pronged approach and here are our recommended components. Monitor:&#160;In most cases, companies dive into the social media mix by jamming their traditional mainstream media messages into a social media [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="215" height="161" align="right" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/email_marketing_event2-300x225.jpg" title="email_marketing_event2" class="size-medium wp-image-286" alt="" />Companies need a simple way to approach their social media strategy that doesn&rsquo;t necessarily start with technology. It can be broken down into an easy, three pronged approach and here are our recommended components.</p>
<ol>
    <li>
    <p><strong>Monitor</strong>:&nbsp;In most cases, companies dive into the social media mix by jamming their traditional mainstream media messages into a social media venue. It just doesn&rsquo;t work that way. The two-way dynamic of social media requires a different, more delicate approach. Careful, unbiased listening skills are a necessary part of a successful social media strategy. In order for companies to start off on the right foot, they must&nbsp;have an&nbsp;open mind to discover new possibilities and insight that their customers and potential customers will invariably deliver.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p><strong>Engage</strong>: Companies have to take an active role in social media by engaging with their audience by providing thought leadership. This can be accomplished by participating in relevant conversations with key influencers in their industry. Their goal here is to make a positive impression with influential participants that are outside the company. The company ultimately needs to be perceived as the industry leader and a subject matter expert.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p><strong>Integrate</strong>: A company&rsquo;s marketing efforts should be integrated with their traditional marketing channels such as seminars, trade-show events, radio, television and print advertising. Social media has always been a challenge to measure in terms of ROI. When possible, it is advisable to use social media technologies to drive traffic to channels that can be measured through analytics software. Also, it pays to have a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution in place for tracking customers and managing prospects. Managing your company&rsquo;s internet presence can and should be scalable.</p>
    </li>
</ol>
<p>Our simplified three pronged approach is not an end all, but provides an easily definable starting point that any company can begin to execute. What are your thoughts?</p>
<p>If you would like more information regarding internet marketing or social media, please contact our <a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1262811995504*/" href="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/index.php/contact-us/proteus-design-studio-inc.html"><strong>web design company</strong></a>.</p><img style='display:none' id="post-285-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/06/corporate-marketing-simplifying-the-social-media-challenge/',title:'Corporate Marketing &#8211; Simplifying the Social Media Challenge',tweet:'Companies need a simple way to approach their social media strategy that doesn&rsquo;t necessarily s',description:'Companies need a simple way to approach their social media strategy that doesn&rsquo;t necessarily s'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-285-blankimage").onload();</script>
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		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>7 Secret Website Tactics That Sell Like Crazy</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/05/7-secret-website-tactics-that-sell-like-crazy/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/05/7-secret-website-tactics-that-sell-like-crazy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:56:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internet marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website conversion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website optimization]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=274</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[People buy from sources they like and trust. How do you build these qualities into a website so people feel comfortable enough to buy? Here are seven proven tactics that are used on almost every successful website. Call to Action - Every successful website has a well defined call to action. This is a predetermined [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>People buy from sources they like and trust. How do you build these qualities into a website so people feel comfortable enough to buy? Here are seven proven tactics that are used on almost every successful website.</p>
<ol>
    <li>
    <p><strong>Call to Action</strong> - Every successful website has a well defined call to action. This is a predetermined goal or action that we want our website visitors to take once they have arrived at our site. The website has to communicate these goals clearly and consistently. The following are good examples:<br />
    <em><strong>- Call today for a free consultation<br />
    - Start your free trial today<br />
    - Free delivery with every purchase over $120</strong></em><br />
    <em>Helpful Tip: Avoid choice overload; too many choices equals lower sales</em></p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p><strong>People Imagery</strong> - Include the &ldquo;human element&rdquo; on your website page design. Smiling faces communicate a sense of customer service as well as build trust. A well placed graphic of a person or people that is relevant to your industry helps build trust and confidence immediately.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p><strong>Credit Card Logos</strong> - Most businesses today take credit cards as payment even if their website is not a shopping cart. The logos of Visa/American Express placed at the top and bottom of a site instill buying confidence in your company.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p><strong>Contact information</strong> - such as a phone number needs to be placed at the top of the site. This again builds confidence on a subconscious level. People like to know that they can reach your company easily if there is an issue with a transaction.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p><strong>Guarantees, warranties, and cancelation policies</strong> - make sure the link to this information is visually noticeable on the homepage. This minimizes the level of risk perception in the buyers mind.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p><strong>Secure Checkout Logos</strong> - ensure that the secure payment logo or image is visible. Online shoppers look for this indication before using a credit card.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p><strong>Shipping Information</strong> - do your best to provide and link to an explanation of your policy regarding shipping and delivery. When appropriate use a graphic such as the UPS or FedEx log to establish brand familiarity and trust.</p>
    </li>
</ol>
<p>The art of converting website visitors to customers is a very complex science. No two websites are the same. It takes a lot of time and effort to get a website optimized for success. If you have any questions or would like additional information on how to increase the performance of your website,&nbsp;contact our <a href="http://www.proteusdesignstudio.com">web design company</a>&nbsp;at <a href="http://www.proteusdesignstudio.com">www.proteusdesignstudio.com</a>. <br />
&nbsp;</p><img style='display:none' id="post-274-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/05/7-secret-website-tactics-that-sell-like-crazy/',title:'7 Secret Website Tactics That Sell Like Crazy',tweet:'People buy from sources they like and trust. How do you build these qualities into a website so peop',description:'People buy from sources they like and trust. How do you build these qualities into a website so peop'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-274-blankimage").onload();</script>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Homeless Guy Goes Viral</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/01/homeless-guy-goes-viral/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/01/homeless-guy-goes-viral/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:36:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[internet marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[viral]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[viral marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web 2.0]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=270</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[document.getElementById("post-270-blankimage").onload();]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p><img width="250" height="333" align="top" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/obamaguy.jpg" alt="Homeless Guy Goes Viral" title="obamaguy" class="size-full wp-image-271" /></p><img style='display:none' id="post-270-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/01/homeless-guy-goes-viral/',title:'Homeless Guy Goes Viral',tweet:'',description:''})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-270-blankimage").onload();</script>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2010/01/01/homeless-guy-goes-viral/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>100K Blog Visitors in 30 Days</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/31/100k-blog-visitors-in-30-days/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/31/100k-blog-visitors-in-30-days/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jan 2010 06:19:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Search Engine Optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internet marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[linked]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social bookmarking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social networking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video sharing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=262</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Are you ready to get busy and build a nice stream of blog traffic? Just remember that in social media, meaningful content is king. The following is a list of actions of what you&#8217;ll need to do to see the first 100,000 blog visitors in 30 days and hopefully many more thereafter! Make profiles on [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p><img width="227" height="150" align="right" class="size-full wp-image-263" alt="100K Blog Visitors" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/InternetAdvertising2-e1262325537832.jpg" /> Are you ready to get busy and build a nice stream of blog traffic?  Just remember that in social media, <strong>meaningful content is king</strong>.  The following is a list of actions of what you&rsquo;ll need to do to see the first <strong>100,000 blog visitors in 30 days</strong> and hopefully many more thereafter!</p>
<ol>
    <li>
    <p>Make profiles on each <strong>social bookmarking</strong> site listed at <a href="http://www.socialmarker.com" target="_blank">SocialMarker</a> - The initial setup of these profiles will be time consuming, but it will save you hours of manually bookmarking your blog posts on all the bookmarking sites.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Complete at least <strong>two </strong>(2) high quality, <strong>relevant blog posts</strong> that are meaningful to your audience a day.<br />
    <em>Helpful Hint: Write several blogs in advance and schedule them to be time released with your blog administrator software.</em></p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Make profiles on all the<strong> video sharing</strong> sites listed on <a href="http://www.tubemogul.com" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1262324396145*/" target="_blank">TubeMogul</a> -The initial setup of these profiles will be time consuming, but it will save you hours of manually uploading your videos on all the bookmarking sites.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Produce <strong>one </strong>(1) <strong>video </strong>a day using either a camera or video editing software such as Microsoft Movie Maker.  You can even make a Powerpoint presentation and upload the slides into Movie Maker.  Write a script and record your voice or use music for a nice touch.  Embed the finished product to your blog.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p><strong>Distribute </strong>each <strong>blog pos</strong>t using <a href="http://www.socialmarker.com" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1262324493124*/" target="_blank">SocialMarker</a> on a daily basis.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p><strong>Distribute </strong>each <strong>video file</strong> produced using <a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1262324593987*/" href="http://www.tubemogul.com">TubeMogul</a> on a daily basis.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p><strong>Create profiles</strong> on <strong>social networking sites</strong> such as <a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1262324641805*/" href="http://www.facebook.com">Facebook</a>, <a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1262324665286*/" href="http://www.linkedin.com">LinkedIn</a>, and <a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1262324684814*/" href="http://www.twitter.com">Twitter</a>.&nbsp;  Both Facebook and LinkedIn have a feature that will allow you to setup a news feed from your blog.  Each time your blog is updated, the friends in your network across these sites will receive your post.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Use <strong>SEO strategies</strong> and tactics that are explained in detail on <a target="_blank" _prevhref="http://www.seobook.com" href="http://www.seomoz.org">SEOmoz</a> and make sure to apply these techniques to your blog site.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Ensure to <strong>install </strong>some sort of <strong>sharing widget</strong> on your blog.  There are many available depending on your blog technology.  One of my favorites can be obtained at <a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1262324886338*/" href="http://www.sharethis.com">Share This</a> and is feature rich.  This will allow your viewers to distribute your blog posts virally.</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Rinse and Repeat!</p>
    </li>
</ol>
<p><em>Helpful Hint:  Good, high quality, content is essential to other people finding it useful and wanting to share it!  If you have any questions regarding <strong><a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1262325034242*/" href="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/index.php/web-design-and-development.html">web design</a>, <a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1262325068576*/" href="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/index.php/social-media-and-web-20.html">web strategy</a></strong> or <a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1262325101291*/" href="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/index.php/search-engine-optimization.html"><strong>internet marketing</strong></a>, don&rsquo;t hesitate to contact <a target="_blank" _prevhref="javascript:void(0);/*1262324990834*/" href="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/index.php/contact-us/proteus-design-studio-inc.html">Proteus Design Studio</a>.</em></p><img style='display:none' id="post-262-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/31/100k-blog-visitors-in-30-days/',title:'100K Blog Visitors in 30 Days',tweet:' Are you ready to get busy and build a nice stream of blog traffic?  Just remember that in social me',description:' Are you ready to get busy and build a nice stream of blog traffic?  Just remember that in social me'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-262-blankimage").onload();</script>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/31/100k-blog-visitors-in-30-days/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Coffee &#8211; Good for Internet Marketers</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/30/coffee-good-for-internet-marketers/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/30/coffee-good-for-internet-marketers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:44:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[internet marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coffee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creativity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[designers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graphic design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[java]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=245</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am up this morning at an earlier than usual time (4:30 A.M. PST).&#160; I am drinking my first cup of coffee and can't help but realize how much I love coffee.&#160; I beleive like most people that too much of anything can be bad for you, but I wanted to generate this list of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p><img width="198" height="149" align="right" class="size-full wp-image-249" title="coffee_beans" alt="Coffee is good for Internet Marketers" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/coffee_beans3-e1262200838374.jpg" />I am up this morning at an earlier than usual time (4:30 A.M. PST).&nbsp; I am drinking my first cup of coffee and can't help but realize how much I love coffee.&nbsp; I beleive like most people that too much of anything can be bad for you, but I wanted to generate this list of ten known health benefits:</p>
<ul>
    <li>
    <p>Coffee use can lower Parkinson&rsquo;s risk</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Coffee can lower diabetes risk</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Drinking 4 or more cups of coffee a day may help prevent gout</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Coffee may protect against bladder cancer</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Coffee may lower your risk of cavities</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Coffee can reduce the risk of chronic liver disease</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Coffee jump-starts short-term memory</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Coffee treats asthma</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Coffee can prevent the development of colon cancer</p>
    </li>
    <li>
    <p>Coffee can treat headaches</p>
    </li>
</ul>
<p>Lastly, I feel coffee makes us more creative.&nbsp; Have a fun and productive day folks!</p><img style='display:none' id="post-245-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/30/coffee-good-for-internet-marketers/',title:'Coffee &#8211; Good for Internet Marketers',tweet:'I am up this morning at an earlier than usual time (4:30 A.M. PST).&nbsp; I am drinking my first cup',description:'I am up this morning at an earlier than usual time (4:30 A.M. PST).&nbsp; I am drinking my first cup'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-245-blankimage").onload();</script>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Best Marketing Colors for 2010</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/29/best-colors-for-marketing-in-2010/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/29/best-colors-for-marketing-in-2010/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:47:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[graphic design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[color choices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[colors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[visual communication]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=226</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What colors will be used in the design world for marketing in 2010? Your brand creates an emotion?&#160; The question is, is it the right emotion to positively influence your audience?&#160; The following information will give you some insight as to which colors may work best to achieve your marketing goals through visual communication. Here&#8217;s [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>What colors will be used in the design world for marketing in 2010?<img width="200" height="200" align="right" alt="Brand Marketing Colors" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/easy-game-e1262133794788.jpg" title="easy-game" /></p>
<p>Your brand creates an emotion?&nbsp; The question is, is it the right emotion to positively influence your audience?&nbsp; The following information will give you some insight as to which colors may work best to achieve your marketing goals through visual communication.</p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s a list of frequently used colors and what emotions are generally associated with them:</p>
<ul type="disc">
    <li><strong>WHITE</strong> &ndash; White is associated with innocence, purity, peace and contentment. It&rsquo;s considered clean and sterile. It&rsquo;s cool and refreshing. White can have a calming, stabilizing influence.</li>
    <li><strong>BLACK</strong> &ndash; Black is the ultimate power color.&nbsp; It suggests strength, potency, authority, boldness, seriousness, stability and elegance. It&rsquo;s distinguished and classic, great for creating drama. Black has more weight than other colors. Too much can be ominous.</li>
    <li><strong>Gray or Silver</strong> &ndash; Gray can be associated with conservative qualities and considered traditional. Business-wise, it symbolizes high tech and suggests authority, practicality, earnestness and creativity.</li>
    <li><strong>GOLD</strong> &ndash; Gold suggests wealth. It&rsquo;s considered to be very classy.</li>
    <li><strong>BLUE </strong>&ndash; Blue is the favorite color of many businesses. It suggests sanctuary and fiscal responsibility. It inspires confidence. It is the most popular and second most powerful color. Darker shades are authoritative. Dark and bright blues represent trust, security, faithfulness and dignity. Paler shades can imply freshness and cleanliness, although they can imply weakness.</li>
    <li><strong>RED</strong> &ndash; Red stimulates many kinds of appetites. Red commands attention, alerts us and creates a sense of urgency. It&rsquo;s considered the sexiest of all colors. Red symbolizes heat, fire, blood, love, warmth, power, excitement, energy, strength, passion, vitality, risk, danger and aggressiveness. Financially, it&rsquo;s associated with debt.</li>
    <li><strong>YELLOW</strong> &ndash; Yellow is the sunshine hue and is a spiritual color. Yellow represents a warning, but it can also bring happiness and warmth. The most preferred yellows are the creamy and warm ones. Bright yellow can be irritable to the eye in large quantities. Yellow speeds metabolism. It&rsquo;s often used to highlight or draw attention.</li>
    <li><strong>GREEN </strong>&ndash; People associate green with the color of money, as well as nature. Olive greens are associated with health and freshness &mdash; a good choice for environmental concerns. Green suggests fertility, freedom, healing and tranquility. Green represents jealousy. Businesses use it to communicate status and wealth. Green is a calming, refreshing color that is very easy on the eyes.</li>
    <li><strong>BROWN</strong> &ndash; Brown is associated with nature and the earth. Dark browns represent wood or leather. Brown and shades of cream are associated with warmth and coziness. Brown suggests richness, politeness, helpfulness and effectiveness. It is solid, credible, mature and reliable. Light brown implies genuineness.</li>
    <li><strong>ORANGE </strong>&ndash; Orange is associated with vibrancy and the tropics, as well as warmth and contentment. It can instill a sense of fun and excitement. It implies health. It suggests pleasure, cheer, endurance, generosity and ambition. It can make an expensive product seem more affordable. It appeals to a wide range of people, both male and female.</li>
    <li><strong>PINK</strong> &ndash; Pink is considered to be a very feminine color. It represents gentleness, romance, well being and innocence.</li>
    <li><strong>PURPLE </strong>&ndash; Purple represents royalty and luxury. In darker shades, it&rsquo;s considered a wealthy color. It suggests spirituality and sophistication. In paler shades, such as lavender, it&rsquo;s feminine and romantic.</li>
</ul>
<p>When choosing your color choices for your next graphic design project, make sure you consider your marketing goals and the emotion you want your audience to experience.</p><img style='display:none' id="post-226-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/29/best-colors-for-marketing-in-2010/',title:'Best Marketing Colors for 2010',tweet:'What colors will be used in the design world for marketing in 2010? Your brand creates an emotion?&',description:'What colors will be used in the design world for marketing in 2010? Your brand creates an emotion?&'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-226-blankimage").onload();</script>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>37</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is your website Hot or Not?</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/29/is-your-website-hot-or-not/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/29/is-your-website-hot-or-not/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:17:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Web Design/Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web design contest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web design critique]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web design review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=193</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Add your website URL to CommandShift3.com to see if viewers choose your design over other sites. Two website screenshots are displayed at a time. The viewer then clicks on the one they like better. Pretty cool! document.getElementById("post-193-blankimage").onload();]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
Add your website URL to <a title="CommandShift3" href="http://commandshift3.com">CommandShift3.com</a> to see if viewers choose your design over other sites. Two website screenshots are displayed at a time. The viewer then clicks on the one they like better. Pretty cool!
<p style="text-align: center;"><a title="CommandShift3" href="http://commandshift3.com"><img class="size-full wp-image-216 aligncenter" title="CommanShift3" src="http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/CommanShift3.jpg" alt="" width="564" height="378" /></a></p>
<strong> </strong><img style='display:none' id="post-193-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/29/is-your-website-hot-or-not/',title:'Is your website Hot or Not?',tweet:'Add your website URL to CommandShift3.com to see if viewers choose your design over other sites. Two',description:'Add your website URL to CommandShift3.com to see if viewers choose your design over other sites. Two'})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-193-blankimage").onload();</script>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Merry Christmas!</title>
		<link>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/25/merry-christmas-2/</link>
		<comments>http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/25/merry-christmas-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chris Turnquist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/?p=186</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[document.getElementById("post-186-blankimage").onload();]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2V-FFC6KdEA&#038;hl=en_US&#038;fs=1&#038;"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed wmode="transparent" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2V-FFC6KdEA&#038;hl=en_US&#038;fs=1&#038;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><img style='display:none' id="post-186-blankimage" onload="Meebo('discoverSharable', {element: this.parentNode,url:'http://proteusdesignstudio.com/blog/2009/12/25/merry-christmas-2/',title:'Merry Christmas!',tweet:'',description:''})"><script type='text/javascript'>document.getElementById("post-186-blankimage").onload();</script>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
