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QR Codes: Get Qute, Get Traffic!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

QR (Quick Response) Codes – you’ve seen them but how do they work? What do they do? How can you benefit from them?

McCool Design QR Code

QR Code for http://McCoolDesign.com

The basic concept is that folks with QR Reader software on their smartphones (iPhone, Blackberry, Droid, etc) can instantly take a picture of the QR code and reveal the hidden information which could be some promotion text, a link to your website or even a phone number which the phone device could then call.

How could you use this for your business/movie/music promotion?
The use of QR codes is growing, as is the accessibility of devices which are enabled to decode these visual messages. More and more people who are switched onto this technology are looking for these QR codes and you can take advantage of this curiosity factor.
Create a print materials (postcards, business cards, posters) promoting a product with a link to the product on your website. Publish a newsletter article with a QR code offer a discount code for use on your website. Use a QR code in traditional marketing formats e.g. newspapers, magazines and printed media.
Use it on products such as T-shirts, flyers etc to communicate your contact details.

Create your own QR Codes for your business/group and watch the excitement build!

It presents another fun opportunity for you to get your message “out there” to your market audience.  You may even get traffic from people that wouldn’t otherwise hear about you or your service just because they saw a code, snapped it and visited the link/read the message/called the number!

McCool Design is offering FREE barcode image generation for all new web/graphic design projects thru May 31, 2010.

Filed in Barcodes (QR, Printing, Promotional/Marketing, Social Networking, Tip Of The Week, beetagg, etc), guerilla marketing, print items, special offer! | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

[motw] NETWORK (1976)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Network (Two-Disc Special Edition) (1976)

Network (Two-Disc Special Edition) (1976)

Media madness reigns supreme in screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky’s scathing satire about the uses and abuses of network television. But while Chayefsky’s and director Sidney Lumet’s take on television may seem quaint in the age of “reality TV” and Jerry Springer’s talk-show fisticuffs, it’s every bit as potent now as it was when the film was released in 1976. And because Chayefsky was one of the greatest of all dramatists, his Oscar-winning script about the ratings frenzy at the cost of cultural integrity is a showcase for powerhouse acting by Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight (who each won Oscars), and Oscar nominee William Holden in one of his finest roles. Finch plays a veteran network anchorman who’s been fired because of low ratings. His character’s response is to announce he’ll kill himself on live television two weeks hence. What follows, along with skyrocketing ratings, is the anchorman’s descent into insanity, during which he fervently rages against the medium that made him a celebrity. Dunaway plays the frigid, ratings-obsessed producer who pursues success with cold-blooded zeal; Holden is the married executive who tries to thaw her out during his own seething midlife crisis. Through it all, Chayefsky (via Finch) urges the viewer to repeat the now-famous mantra “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not gonna take it anymore!” to reclaim our humanity from the medium that threatens to steal it away. –Jeff Shannon

Filed in Classics, Movie Of The Week [motw] | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

[totw] Avoid the Noid – the Facebook Faux-pas…

Friday, February 5, 2010

Don't lose sight of your site!


“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes–and ships–and sealing-wax–
Of cabbages–and kings–
And why the sea is boiling hot–
And whether pigs have wings.”

Yes, the time has come… to address the pitfalls and perils that social networks can befall those that spend good money on their websites.  I’ve seen many entertainers and performers get swept up in the ecstasy of instant gratification that social networks like facebook can afford.

Unfortunately, if this drug is allowed to take control of the user and not tempered with moderation or the use of intelligent design as an antidote, the user’s own website begins to show signs of despair, abandonment, and apathy.  Wasting away on the great vine known as the world wide web, the site withers and stays stagnant, the number of loyal visitors wanes as they realize that no new content has been added in months, maybe even years.

The facebook drug

the facebook drug...promo or poison - it's all in how you use it or abuse it.

The user floats on the high gained from facebook’s easily-gained drug – posting photos from appearances, announcing upcoming events, interactions with fans, etc.  Upon reaching the facebook plateau of 5,000 “friends”, many then create fan pages and try to drive all 5,000 “friends” to become “fans” as well as trying to convey to those in the waiting list to join the “fan page” instead.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against facebook – after all, I use it myself and recommend others use it as well as other social networks as well.  HOWEVER, use them responsibly and with tolerance and moderation.  While there are millions on facebook and twitter, etc., there are BILLIONS on the world wide web.  You heard me right, not everyone is on facebook and, to the dismay of the owners of facebook, not eveyone WILL be on facebook!

The solution? Use these devices and networks to drive traffic TO your site…not AWAY from it! ALL activity on these should tease and entice the friends and fans to follow the link to your site for the FULL details, the entire gallery, the upcoming events calendar, etc.  Use the “Share on Facebook” toolbar button feature to post links to your blog posts, your calendar page, your photo gallery and enter text that drives traffic TO your site.  Don’t put all your eggs in one basket or one social network.  They, like all new fads and trends, are fragile and the cyber A.D.D. that all surfers have will kick in and move on to the next new, shiny thing…just ask the owners of MySpace!

Never fear, it’s not too late to rejeuvenate your site’s pulse and vitality – take all those pictures and such that you gave exclusively to facebook and put them where they truly belong…YOUR SITE. Then give your site the respect and nurturing that it and your talent deserves.  Don’t be afraid to dip your toes in new cyber pools, just make sure your suit is secure before you dive in.

Filed in Promotional/Marketing, Social Networking, Tip Of The Week, guerilla marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

[motw] What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Introducing the MOVIE OF THE WEEK [motw]:

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane. A study in form, style, tempo and tempest – this movie is a MUST for any collection.

Special Features

  • Commentary by author and film historian Charles Busch and film historian John Epperson (a/k/a “Lypsinka”)
  • New documentary “Bette and Joan: Blind Ambition”
  • 1994 documentary “All About Bette” hosted by Jodie Foster
  • “A Film Profile: Joan Crawford” featurette
  • “The Andy Williams Show” excerpt featuring Bette Davis
  • Vintage featurette: “Behind the Scenes with Baby Jane”

via Amazon.com: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (Two-Disc Special Edition): Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Victor Buono, Wesley Addy, Julie Allred, Anne Barton, Marjorie Bennett, Bert Freed, Anna Lee, Maidie Norman, Dave Willock, Robert Aldrich, Susan F. Walker, Ellen Krass, Kenneth Hyman, Louise Gallop-Roholt, David Ansen, Henry Farrell, Lukas Heller: Movies & TV.

Filed in Classics, Movie Of The Week [motw] | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

[botw] A Confederacy of Dunces

Monday, February 1, 2010

A Confederacy of Dunces

“This book is quite simply a comic masterpiece, a novel brimming with original characters, absurd situations, and at its heart a blustery, vulnerable mama’s boy named Ignatius J. Reilly. He is one of the most startlingly original characters in modern fiction, and his efforts at hitting the job market after his mother smashes their car will leave you in stitches.

A word on the history of the novel is worth mentioning here. The author, John Kennedy Toole, committed suicide in 1969, and his mother found the hand-written manuscript in her son’s papers. She brought them to a publisher, who dreaded having to read even a portion of the work and to notify Toole’s mother that it stunk. Instead, he was blown away by Toole’s draft, and the rest is history. The novel earned him a posthumous Pulitzer Prize, and it is universally hailed by critics.”  – J Mullin

Filed in Book Of The Week [botw], Pulitzer | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

FREE DOWNLOAD: Kindle for PC or iPhone

Friday, January 29, 2010

Want the benefits and functionality of the Kindle Reader but short on change?  If you have a PC or an iPhone, there are FREE downloads! If you’re a Mac user, you’ll have to wait a little – they’re working on it.

FREE Kindle download for PC

FREE Kindle download for iPhone

FREE Kindle download for iPhone

Filed in FREE Download, Gadgets, Kindle, wireless reader | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

[totw] Leave a Promo Trail…

Friday, January 29, 2010

Business Cards: NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEM!

That’s right, I don’t care where you’re going or what you’re doing but if you’re leaving the house…carry your cards!  I recommend having 2 sets – one that is your all-encompassing card that has all of your contact information on it and the other that serves as a leave-behind promo card that entices prospective fans/clients to visit your website!  You never know where you’ll find your next fan/client!

Jen Porter's Promo Card

Jen Porter's Promo Card with 2010 Calendar on reverse

I recently designed Jen Porter’s promo cards and the added feature of a calendar on the back gives the finder a reason to hold on to the card!  Jen mails these out with CD orders as well as putting them out on tables when she performs at a venue (be sure to leave one per seat).

I do this for my cards as well — always leaving them wherever I go.  Tuck a couple into the border of a bulletin board (laundromat, restaurant, wal-mart, target, community center, etc), leave a few by the magazines/newspapers in bars, clubs, bus stops, etc.  I even tuck a couple around the back seat of taxicabs — unless you know you’re the last fare of the night, who knows who may see your card the rest of the night or until he cleans out the backseat!

The key is to never underestimate the power of FREE random placement!  If YOU looked there (regardless of reason)…many other people look there as well…GO FOR IT!

I’ve even created a GET NOTICED Starter Kit that includes 250 business cards and 100 postcards for $40 + s/h. This includes basic typesetting and graphic design and larger quantities are available — just ask for pricing. Contact me today with promo code: GETKit

Filed in Printing, Promotional/Marketing, Tip Of The Week, guerilla marketing, print items, special offer! | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

[botw] The 10 Things You Need to Eat

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The 10 Things You Need to Eat: And More Than 100 Easy and Delicious Ways to Prepare Them by Anahad O’Connor & Dave Lieberman.

Okay, so I’ve decided to add BOOKS to my -of-the-week posts.  After hearing the authors on the Derek & Romaine Show on OutQ (Sirius 109 | XM 98), I have to start with this one!

I’m waiting for my copy to arrive but trust me, these guys know how to healthy-up your diet and bring fun back into mealtime!  Get yours today and get one for a friend while you’re at it!

Happy reating!

Filed in Book Of The Week [botw], Healthy Living, cookbooks, food | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Space Saver: Belkin Pivot-Plug Surge Protector

Monday, January 25, 2010

Perfect for the home office, this single unit can power and protect 12 items without losing a single outlet! Regardless of the size of the plug, eight of the twelve pivot to accommodate varying shapes. No more stringing a chain of power strips together – this one solves the puzzle!
Belkin Pivot-Plug Surge Protector

Filed in Gadgets, Space Savers, power strips, surge protectors | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Read Anywhere with Global Coverage!

Friday, January 22, 2010

The NEW Kindle has GLOBAL 3G coverage ensuring that you’ll be able to download and read your favorite print materials globally! You can also choose the larger Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device but both have incredible grayscale and easily viewable, even in direct sunlight — just like a book or newspaper!

Check it out and go mobile!

Filed in 3G, Gadgets, Kindle, Uncategorized, wireless reader | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)