When you think of “email marketing” your first thoughts might turn to the word “spam,” and you’ll think we’re talking about all the spam email that relentlessly clogs up our inboxes.   However, email marketing doesn’t have to be synonymous with spam.  An appropriate metaphor would be that spam emails are the billboards that ruin the view when you’re traveling as opposed to tasteful signage that helps you locate your destination or sites of interest as you travel.  When done properly by using a company such as Software Projects, email marketing can generate sales leads, build brand advocates, enhance brand image, and  remind your audience of your product offerings.   Email marketing can help you and your customers interact with each other in an efficient and respectful manner.

There are a few companies whose emails I eagerly anticipate.  I do a large portion of my shopping online, and I’m always looking for a good bargain on items I regularly buy.  Here are some examples of products I buy from email marketing:  k-cups for my coffee maker, books for my classroom, software for my computer or decorations for my new home.  Email is my preferred method of communication between businesses and myself.  Don’t call me at home.  Send me an email.  Then I can respond to it at MY convenience.  It’s quick.  It saves me time and effort.  Most of all, it doesn’t interfere or interrupt my other activities.

There are benefits to email marketing as opposed to using snail mail.  The first inherent benefit is that email marketing is a great marketing tool.  The second is that it is relatively inexpensive when compared to the cost of snail mail.   The third benefit is that it’s quicker to implement.  You don’t have to design postcards or letters, wait for them to be printed, address them and stamp them and get them ready to go.  Email marketing is also much easier in terms of tracking response and return on investment. 

If you are serious about learning more about email marketing, check out Software Projects.   There’s you’ll find the support for all your email marketing needs.

Fifteen minutes of fame?  I don’t think I’ve ever had fifteen minutes of fame.  The closest I’ve come to fame was when I shook hands with Mohammad Ali at a NAACP dinner in Atlanta -  probably over 30 years ago.  That 5-second brush with fame is the best I can do, and there are no photos or videos to document the event. However, the fame I’m talking about here is not fame associated with someone famous.  It’s about YawpBox - the place where imaginative videos that you create yourself and share with people across the nation can provide you with your 15 minutes of fame - or perhaps even a few extra minutes.

YawpBox is the newest website where you can post your videos.  It’s your chance to show your videos to people across the nation.  Since user-generated videos are one of the highest growth areas in entertainment, it is the ideal place for you to claim your 15 minutes of fame there. 

One feature of YawpBox is the weekly thirty minute magazine style show named YawpBoxTV.  It is filmed before a live studio audience in Dallas, Texas.   The cool thing about YawpBox TV is that it is the first television show where YawpBox members are the sole contributors of the content.  That’s right - user-generated videos with commentary from Lex and Terry, the YawpBoxTV hosts.  The content can be raw, witty, funny, lightehearted or serious.  There’s as many new ideas as there are people who dream of producing their own videos.  Lex and Terry will have regular challenges to help tweak your imagination to create great videos for a nation-wide audience.

So if you’re interested in making videos for publication on the internet, you can head right over to Yawpbox and try your hand at it.  Use your creativity, imagination and energy to put your ideas to video.  What’ve you got to lose?

RT and I tried to install our new printer today, but it required that our computers have Microscoft Vista instead of XP.  We weren’t sure how to proceed because what we needed was a Vista upgrade.  I started researching Vista and I found www.CostCaptain.com  - and online resource that provides authentic Microsoft Products.  They have special pricing for academic institutions, administrators, teachers and students of accredited academic institutions, along with public libraries and home schoolers.

CostCaptain provdes 100% Authentic Microsoft products at academic discounts.  They have Microsoft Office 2007 from $129 and Vista Upgrades from $89.  Add their friendly customer service, the availability of gift certificates and the convenience of online shopping, and it becomes even more attractive.  Buyers must provide proof of academic eligibility before the product is shipped.

There’s no doubt that the iPod and iPhone are two of the hottest items this holiday season.  I don’t have an iPod, but I’d really like one.  Of course when you get such an expensive toy as the iPod, you want to have the right ipod accessories to make sure that your investment is secure and treated well.   The PDO Store has every accessory for not only your iPod and iPhone, it has accessories for Blackberries and Treos, too.  There are screen savers and skins, armbands and cases.  Whatever you  need to protect you “i”, the PDO Store has it.

If you’re looking for Search Engine Marketing, then you should definitely check out Apogee Search.   Apogee Search is one of the largest Search Engine Marketing firms in the world.  I had an informative and enjoyable time looking through their website.  I particularly learned a lot by reading some of the posts on the Apogee Search Blog.  There were articles such as “10 Tips for Holiday Paid Search Copy” - which provided some great advice and ideas.  Apogee also offers a free search engine marketing analysis.

Apogee’s roots are in the southwest - and Houston in particular.   They have been able to put their Houston SEO clients at the top of search engine results using key words.  Apogee Search designs solutions that will maximize leads, customers, revenues and profits.