Allow me to introduce you to my nephew, Jordan Benker. I know him as Jordy, and he is a very talented young musician. Why am I writing about Jordan today? Obviously, I care about him and I want to see him succeed. But I've got another angle. This past week I observed something very interesting happening with Jordan while following his Facebook posts. There was a discussion saying that his name trended worldwide on Twitter... Continue Reading

If you've been using AdSense for Search, you'll know that last year, Google shut it down. If you wanted to continue to offer your users a search function -- and earn revenue from ad clicks when those users conducted their searches -- you needed to use Google's Custom Search Engine and attach it to your AdSense account. Continue Reading

I'm trying to blog regularly for a number of reasons. First, it keeps me sharp. Blogging on a regular basis makes me think about things that are important to me. Second, it allows me to share with others. Whether or not you agree with what I say, think, feel or believe, my articles are an extension of my self. Third, it keeps my blog healthy with the search engines. Google and the other engines like... Continue Reading

Carpe Diem, goes the phrase. Literally translated "Seize the Day" from Latin, I first became familiar with the term from the film Dead Poets Society. While the film had a depressing twist, I am coming to understand more and more the need to take hold of the moments in our lives. It seems like just yesterday that my son was born. I remember changing that first poopie diaper as though the smell still lingers in... Continue Reading

I'm not a very good cook, so I tend to eat out a lot. I don't do a lot of fancy dining, but it's not unusual to find me and my family at a national chain or local diner. My experiences as a patron of restaurants has helped clarify what I believe makes a good waiter and what makes a bad waiter. Waiting tables is a difficult job. Hectic kitchens... unruly customers... angry cooks... wrong... Continue Reading

The biggest mistake that people make when they start using Twitter is to look at the numbers. They see the figure under the followers link and they believe that the bigger the number, the more successful the twitterer. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Chris Harper) Let's face it: it's not hard to find flaws in a lot of online videos. I'm not above reproach myself. I often look back on my work and question my tactics or execution. As online video producers, we generally don't have the same budget or tools at our disposal that feature-length filmmakers do. Having said that, there are some things that you just can't do if you want people... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Fletcher Groeneman) If you are looking to create a distinct and memorable brand for yourself or a product, you will more than likely discover thousands of techniques and strategies to aid you in the process of branding. Branding is what defines you in the mind of the consumer; it is your calling card. Without it, you don't exist in the world of commerce. Discover the foolproof method for developing your brand... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Chris Harper) When most of us hear the phrase "show and tell" our minds naturally drift back to those awkward events from our childhoods that required us to bring something interesting to school to share with the class. Drawing on that tradition, YouTube has launched a new Show and Tell channel that they operate in partnership with the Art Directors Club, that aims to show off interesting and effective ways that... Continue Reading

Last month, two of my team members had an opportunity to go to Monrovia, Liberia to work on a project intended to save lives of those in the malnourished and HIV-stricken country. Chris Harper, my Video Producer, and Sarah Jane Griesemer, VP of Project Management, accepted the call to go to Liberia and meet the needs of people through a project called The Peanut Butter House. What they experienced during their week-long trip was undoubtedly... Continue Reading

If you are an expert in your niche, there are those who will seek out your wisdom. Your blog is a great place to share your knowledge. Provide value for your readers and you are more likely to be bookmarked and earn repeat visits. Keep providing value and you'll find yourself with raving fans. The same thing goes for social media sites. Twitter, Facebook and others provide many opportunities to share your expertise. But your... Continue Reading

Christmas. Seems like we measure a good part of our year by the celebration of Christ's birth. I know. For many people Christmas is very much a secular holiday. A time for family and friends. A time for decorating and hanging pretty lights. A time for the wonder of Santa Claus and flying reindeer. And a time for gift-giving. And regardless of whether or not Target has the cajones to allow the nice Salvation Army... Continue Reading

Alright, so maybe it wasn't the legal dispute of the century. But you've got to admit, for two little iPhone flatulence apps, we sure did make a stink! As you may recall, the fun and games began when Air-O-Matic, the creators of Pull My Finger, contacted me with a demand for $50,000. Why? They claimed that my use of the phrase "pull my finger" in a small portion of our online marketing campaign was responsible... Continue Reading

Twitter looks so easy, doesn't it? You don't have to plan and research like you do when you're writing a blog post. You can write whatever's on your mind and hit the Update button. Random thoughts make for perfectly good tweets. You don't have to think about search engine optimization. Tweets do turn up on Google but links in tweets don't count towards page rank and there's no way - or reason -- to optimize... Continue Reading