My Latest Activities...
I have some exciting news to report. First, I'm pleased to announce that I applied and was selected to be the San Jose Green columnist for sfexaminer.com. I'll be reporting on green business news, and have already posted a few articles already. View the link to see the column and subscribe, and feel free to contact me if you have any story ideas I should follow up on.
I was thrilled to be named one of "Top 39 Writers to Follow on Twitter," just last week.
Thanks so much to writer and marketer Sharon Hurley Hall.
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Are You Subscribing to carriewriterblog.com?
I write about social media, communications issues, funny anecdotes, marketing, book and film reviews, noteworthy videos, and interviews with cool people. And starting in May, I am going to be offering contests for book giveaways and other prizes, eligible to all subscribers as of May 15th!
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Technology Update
For those of you using gmail, Gmail Labs just launched about a dozen new features that offer greater functionality in your e-mail. I experimented with most of them, and in the end decided to enable about 6 of the features I found most useful. Read more here...
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About CarolineJaffe-Pickett
Caroline Jaffe-Pickett is an award winning writer and editor, with nearly 100 published articles on topics such as real estate, education, health and fitness, and food and lifestyles. Her work has appeared in magazines such as Redbook and American Health, and newspapers such as Bay Area Business Woman, as well as Our Town and the West Side Spirit (Manhattan Media Group.) She has a strong interest in the environment (green issues) and sustainability, as well as the arts.
She is the winner of the Heekin Foundation novel-in-progress award, a finalist for the Katherine Anne Porter award for short fiction, and 3rd Place winner for her short story "Art" in the West Side Spirit "The Word is New York" contest.
In addition to article writing, she currently enjoys helping clients with new media projects such as e-newsletters and blogs, web site content, writing and editing, social media, public relations coaching, and corporate profiles.
650-206-2682
carrie@carriefreelance.com
carriefreelance.com
carriewriterblog.com
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I've been a big fan of Michael Stelzner (white paper guru) for years, and have been getting the inside scoop on his exciting upcoming Social Media Success Summit for the last few weeks. I also downloaded the Social Media Marketing Industry Report and it is awesome, with a lot of info about patterns and trends in marketing that I never would have discovered otherwise. That is why I am sharing with my readers all this great info about the report and the online summit, so you can see for yourselves.
Social Media Marketing: Time Trap or Opportunity Magnet? New Study Reveals the Answers
Report exposes best tools and benefits of social media marketing
A surprising 64 percent of marketers are spending five or more hours weekly using social media sites like Twitter, according to the just-released Social Media Marketing Industry Report, sponsored by Social Media Success Summit.
"Social media marketing is an engagement with online communities to generate exposure, opportunity and sales," says report author Michael A. Stelzner, founder of WhitePaperSource, "and the real shocker is that experienced folks are investing more than 20 hours each week with social media."
Businesses of all sizes are leaping into the social media pool-and many are well-known brands. Computer giant Dell recently reported a million dollars in sales by issuing coupons on Twitter. Even Ford is using social media to interact directly with its customers.
"Social media has helped Ford quickly achieve its goal of being a top social brand and has broken down the more conservative communications processes that were in place," said Scott Monty, head of social media for Ford.
However, for most marketing pros, social media marketing is a fresh new phenomenon-and it's not just for the young professional. Among the 880 marketers surveyed, 72 percent have been at it for only a few months, and the median age was 40 to 49.
"This is a story nobody else is telling," explains Stelzner. "Most marketers know the future is social media, but they aren't sure how their competitors are playing the game."
The big questions marketers most want answered about social media are also revealed in the report. Knowing where to start and if there is real money to be made were among the top questions pros want answered.
The leading benefits experienced by social media marketers included:
#1: Generated exposure for the business (81%)
#2: Increased traffic and subscribers (61%)
#3: Established new business partnerships (56%)
The report's sponsor, Social Media Success Summit 2009, promises to provide answers to many of the lingering social media questions marketers face. A complimentary class on social media is available for immediate download here.
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5 Tips on Greening Your Work Space
 We should always be thinking about conserving resources each and every day, and particularly this week, in honor of Earth Day. Here are some tips on how to go green in your communications:
- Start Loving PDFs. Don't print unless you have to, and when you do print, use recycled paper or paper you can resuse. Don't send hard copy mail unless you need to. A good trick is to save a document or web page as a PDF, and then keep the file on your desktop so it's handy when you need it.
- Avoid Buying New Office Supplies. There are great items you can find around your home, or at yard sales or consignment shops, that you can reuse to make functional and attractive supplies. Save mini egg cartons and mount them on the wall to make fun bulletin boards. Plastic strawberry containers can be used to hold small items like stamps and rubberbands. Here's my favorite - use an old pill bottle to hold items such as push pins or loose change.
- Go Electronic. Pay bills and send invoices through e-mail as much as possible. You'll save on postage and envelopes, and you'll also save time.
- Decorate with Plants and Flowers. I recently added several plants to my workspace, and they provide great atmosphere, while adding a touch of the outdoors. Succulents make great indoor plants, and ferns thrive on low light, in case you don't have many windows or natural light.
- Recycle Printer Cartridges. Many office supply stores such as Staples, offer rebates and incentives if you bring in your used cartridges. Check online or at your local supply store to find out their offerings.
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