Thrive – Spring 2009


Cheerfulness is the atmosphere in which all things thrive.
Jean Paul Richter
 

So long as the human spirit thrives on this planet, music in some living form will accompany and sustain it, giving it expressive meaning.
Aaron Copland
 

I don't have any fear of intimacy, but rather thrive on it, which is rare in a public person.
Jack Nicholson

What does it mean to be thriving in these challenging times®? (By now, that phrase must be registered by someone somewhere.) OK, so you may not have as much in your retirement account. You may not have job security. You may not have a job.

Likely, though, you have put time and thought into expanding your network. As a result, you may be thriving in unexpected new ways. We see it all the time now. People are going out of their way to help each other make connections and explore opportunities. Take it as a sign of great things to come.

Connect with Touch Point
Want to expand your network? Join old friends and meet new ones at a Touch Point event that High Point is hosting in early June. We'll gather for food, drinks and LinkedIn tips from local experts. Send us an e-mail to learn more.
HOT POINT

Aww, Shucks
We couldn't have done it without you: High Point was recently named a Constant Contact All Star. We're proud to be recognized as a group that communicates regularly with our clients and partners, maintaining sound permission-based e-mail marketing and list management best practices. Thanks to all of you and to Constant Contact, the engine that drives this e-newsletter.
TRY THIS

Web Site Making the Grade?
Looking for ways to make your Web site thrive? One helpful tool is the free Website Grader from HubSpot. It measures a site's marketing effectiveness by scoring site traffic, search engine optimization, social popularity and other technical factors. It also provides basic advice on how the site could be improved by applying best practices for Web marketing.

While there are more sophisticated tools out there, this might be just the thing for smaller companies or even your own pet Web projects, like the school, church or personal sites that many of us help maintain on the side.

A key best practice for every Web site, no matter the size, is to keep content fresh. Count on High Point to help you bring those fresh words to every Web project.

WORDWISE

Search Engine Optimization Best Practices
When you put forth the effort to provide well-written, relevant Web site content, you want to make sure that your site is a hit with the search engines. In late March, We attended Nina Hale's "Getting on Google" seminar as a part of our continuous effort to keep current with the latest thinking and best practices in search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM).

Here are a few of the best practice highlights:

  • Include well-crafted, unique titles and meta descriptions on each page of your site.
  • Choose your target keywords carefully and include them in your titles, meta descriptions, alt tags and content (including headers and link text).
  • Include keyword optimized links from reputable sites that have relevant content whenever possible.
  • Don't bother with search engine submission.
  • Include a properly formatted site map.
We consider search engine optimization to be an important part of any Web project we work on and always try to incorporate SEO best practices.
HIGH POINT HIGHLIGHTS

Twin Cities Spine Center
When Twin Cities Spine Center wanted to update its Web site, the staff looked to Peggy Lauritsen Design Group and High Point Creative. We provided a new approach to the copy by highlighting the Center's international reputation as well as their research and fellowship programs.

Combat Digital File Overload
Looking for some ideas on how to manage all your digital files? Here are some simple ideas (PDF) to help you get started.

Phone: 651-426-4012
E-mail:  newsletter@highpointcreative.com
Web: www.highpointcreative.com
On Point: Subscribe now or find previous issues in the archive.
About: For 20 years, High Point Creative has delivered smart creative solutions with a focus on strategic thinking, effective copywriting and flawless execution. Look to us to provide the right words for your next project.

Email Marketing by