Blog entries

Where To Find Me

Sandy — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 23:35:56 +0100

I know. I haven't posted in a while.... again.

I've been fortunate to be very busy with my wonderful clients.

For frequent posts about social media, green business and the arts, find me on Facebook: Click here>>>

I also manage websites and post on social media sites for clients: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (primarily).

Happy Mother's Day!

Sandy — Sat, 07 May 2011 13:28:12 +0100

Sweater, n.: a garment worn by a child when its mother is feeling chilly. ~ Ambrose Bierce

Have a happy Mother's Day, ladies!

(For frequent updates on Social Media resources, look for me on Facebook: Wilson Communicates, LLC)

Remembering 9/11

Sandy — Mon, 02 May 2011 12:19:39 +0100

Today is a good day to reread this TIME magazine article from September 14th, 2001.

God bless our troops and their families!

Twitter for Business

Sandy — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:46:15 +0100

I continue to be amazed at companies that aren't connected to their audiences and partners through Twitter.

While not all companies need to leverage Twitter to connect with their audiences, I'm concerned that so many don't consider Twitter as a valid communications platform.

Bnet has a great article about using Twitter for business - click here to read it.

Google's +1 Button

Sandy — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:46:55 +0100

Google Is Going After Facebook And Twitter With +1

Google now has a "check it out" button, which are suggestions that accompany your Google searches.

I think anything that saves time is a very good thing.

Earth Day Jacksonville 2011

Sandy — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:17:52 +0100

More than 50 public & private organizations will commemorate the 41st Earth Day @ the Jacksonville Landing on Saturday, April 16, 2011.

Activities begin at 10 a.m & offer a full day of entertainment, education & community involvement.

Follow @EarthDayJacksonville on Twitter and plan to be there!

Blogs and Festivals, Right Whales and Steel Drums

webmaster — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:52:02 +0100

I've been working on client blogs and forget about mine. Physician, heal thyself... again.

I've also been working on the Second Annual Right Whale Festival.

Stop by Seawalk Pavilion on November 20 bewteen 10 am and 3 pm. Bring the children and enjoy live music on the stage, an Environmental Services, Inc. Right Whale Obstacle Course, the opportunity to play Creative Pandemonium steel drums, a ton of educational vendors and... it's FREE for the commmunity.

Click here Read More...

Dos Caminos Guacamole

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 01:53:32 +0100

Craving Dos Caminos Guacamole

2 Tbs fine chopped cilantro leaves
2 tsp fine chopped white onion
2 tsp minced jalapeno chile pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 large avocados
2 Tbs. finely chopped plum tomato
2 tsp fresh squeezd lime juice

Mash cilantro, onion, minced chile, and salt together against the bottom of a bowl. Add the avocados and gently mash the avocados with a fork till chunky smooth. Stir in tomatoes and lime juicRead More...

National Speakers Association - Great folks

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:20:50 +0100

We're just back from the National Speakers Association 2010 Conference.

It was an excellent conference with a plethora of valuable workshops and seminars covering a variety of topics - social media, networking, marketing and speaking resources (of course).

I attended to gather ideas on how to best market a client's Speakers Bureau. I walked away with a lot more than that.

There is a welcoming attitude that is palpable in this great group of folks. FamilyRead More...

Eco-Speakers

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:22:59 +0100

Looking for an environmental expert who would add value to your Green Conference or meeting? Environmental Services,Inc. (ESI) has a Speakers Bureau with topics ranging from "Archaeological Investigation of the Titanic" to "Zoo-archaeology."

Click here to check out ESI's list of existing conference and seminar presentations. They will also customize a presentation for you.

Full disclosure: ESI is a client.

LinkedIn Customer Service

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:35:37 +0100

I'm perplexed by LinkedIn's customer service strategy.

What customer service policy you ask?

Exactly.

After my friend, Cathi, asked me for LinkedIn's phone number because she could not log in to her account, I jumped on Google to search for an answer and quickly discovered that there isn't a phone number for LinkedIn Customer Service.

There isn't an email address either. And forget about a Chat option.

I'd love to read their Social Media Policy but I suspectRead More...

Memorial Day

Sun, 30 May 2010 14:04:42 +0100

Memorial Day marks the beginning of the summer season.

More important: Memorial Day is a day of remembrance. Many of you will spend the day tomorrow remembering the ones you love and the ones you have loved who have bravely served our country.

Every year at this time, I think of my lifelong best friend's father Charlie Lewis, who died serving his country in Vietnam and I silently thank him for his sacrifice. I never met Charlie and know him thRead More...

Sharing A Nice Email From Lisa Hurley

Fri, 21 May 2010 17:06:35 +0100

I've never met Special Events Magazine Lisa Hurley in person but she has just become one of my favorite people!! How nice!

Lisa sent me the following via email and said that I can share the note:

Dear Sandy:
Thank you so much for keeping me in the loop on your big DMC client. You shared such pertinent information that I kept your release for months, using it when I worked on the next issue dealing with this topic.
Your hard work on behalf of your client shows the powerRead More...

Green Dogs

Thu, 20 May 2010 23:41:25 +0100

Michael gave me a DOG book for Mother's Day with a note that said: Pick one!
So, I picked an Anatolian Shepherd & he said: No...too aggressive.
I picked a German Shepherd and he said: No... way too aggressive.
I picked a Bulldog and he said: No... too ugly and they slobber.
I threw in a Chihuahua just to test him and he said: No... too little and they're yappy.
So, I said: Michael, what kind of dog do you think I should I pick?
And he said: Why don't you pickRead More...

Facebook Updates

Sat, 15 May 2010 18:19:16 +0100

So, like a lot of folks, I'm on Facebook. I use Facebook to catch up with friends and to stay connected in an increasingly disconnected world.

I created my Facebook Wilson Communicates. LLC Business Page today. I'm going to post social media and green resources there.

We all have a lot to learn about online privacy and safety. With that in mind, I found some interesting articles about Facebook Privacy to share:

Facebook Privacy Settings: How To Fix YourRead More...

Greening Easter

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 13:00:57 +0100

Baskets /Bags
Use grocery store recycle bags. These bags come in a variety of patterns including colorful flowers. This will also give you an opportunity to discuss recycling with your children.

Straw
Use your paper shredder and shred virtually any paper for the basket straw.

Eggs
If you don't want to recycle colorful, plastic eggs, here are some tips for Naturally Dyed Eggs:

Blue eggs - boil with blueberries
Purple eggs- boil iRead More...

Physician, Heal Thyself! Virtually!

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:33:48 +0100

March has been a busy month for me! Working on client websites and building strategic social media channels has been great fun and sometimes challenging - however, in the process, I've neglected my little blog.

March Tip:

Need help managing your Twitter account? Here's pretty much everything you could possible need to move Tweetward: The Only Twitter Application List You'll Ever Need. I really love Twitter Keys, though I wouldn't use this for business TweRead More...

Using Aviary For Easy Image Edits

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:29:56 +0100

I just used Aviary to edit an image for a client newsletter. What's Aviary?

"Aviary is on a mission to make creation accessible to artists of all genres, from graphic design to audio editing. We're a privately held company currently headquartered in Long Island, NY, with team members around the world. " (Aviary online)

Aviary is soooo easy to use and it's a FREE online service!

While I have Photoshop, sometimes I find it clunky to use. I tried Aviary jusRead More...

Discovering New Online Resources

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:52:39 +0100

Yesterday, I discovered a couple of great online resources - Evernote and Fill Any PDF Form. Both services are free and easy to use.

Evernote is an online, visual bookmark service. You can also email quick notes to Evernote and access these notes from virtually (excuse the pun) anywhere.

Fill Any PDF Form is THE free service I've needed. I anticipate that FAPF will save a lot of time and eliminate the need forRead More...

My Punchbowl Saves Paper

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:30:09 +0100

Over the weekend, I discovered My Punchbowl, which is an online invitation and party-planning resources. They also offer great quality e-cards.

Check it out and save some paper! I signed on for the Premium level.

River Response 2

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:21:22 +0100

One of the best things about having my own business is having the luxury to choose where I spend my time.

Since April 2009, I've had a lot of fun partnering with the Jacksonville Public Library in providing several art exhibitions with themes that highlight our beautiful St. Johns River. The Library is a downtown gem and Alisha has been fabulous!

Our next exhibition is the River Response 2 art exhibition at the JPL Main Branch on 303 N. Laura Street, JacksonviRead More...

When a Click Isn't Just a Click

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:19:05 +0100

I've noticed a trend on Twitter lately where folks post an article link that supposedly drives readers to an article but the link actually drives readers through a Facebook page that only displays the article "teaser"and where the reader finally accesses a link to the article in question.

I'm tired just writing that. What in the world are you thinking? Are you actually trying to use Facebook as an aggregator?

If you want to drive folks to your Facebook paRead More...

Sign of the Times - Pay to access online content

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:51:42 +0100

I remember when the New York Times tried to charge for access to online content several years ago.

Well, that failed. Like most, I wouldn't pay for online content back then, but the times are a changin'.

For a while now, the news industry has been trying to figure out how to survive. As actual newsPAPERS disappear and the reality that businesses won't pay big bucks for online ads, it makes sense that media outlets should charge for quality content genRead More...

Everything Old Is Virtually New

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:59:21 +0100

I stumbled on this very cool Elon University website: Imagining the Internet: A History and Forecast this past weekend.

"The Imagining the Internet Center's mission is to explore and provide insights into emerging network innovations, global development, dynamics, diffusion and governance. Its research holds a mirror to humanity's use of communications technologies, informs policy development, exposes potential futures and provides a historic record. It works to illuminate issuesRead More...

It's 2010 - Happy Green Year

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:11:51 +0100

We're back from our travels and happy to report good green planning all along our ho-ho-holiday way.

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning in beautiful Callaway Gardens and loved their natural decorations @ the Lodge and Spa. Located on top of Pine Mountain, Georgia, Callaway Gardens is committed to eco-friendly living, environmental education and renewable energy year-round!

As we passed through nearby Atlanta on our way to Nashville, we learned that Atlanta hRead More...

Season's Greenings

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:17:45 +0100

I avoid paper. Usually, at this time of year, I send an html greeting to my friends.

Yesterday, however, I stumbled on these cool eco-friendly holiday cards soooo, last night, for the first time in years, I pulled out my snail mail address book and began some furious addressing.

o<|| : o} > Santa is real darn happy.

Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:56:09 +0100

We switched to LED lights for our holiday tree last year.

Real or fake tree? We go real to support the local economy.

This year, we're recycling our year-round grapevine wreath and are using solar powered spotlights. We also bought live plants from a local garden center that we'll replant after the holidays. We're "wrapping" gifts with reusable shopping bags from PUBLIX.

We're going green gradually - eco baby steps are better than none, rightRead More...

Twitter Rules

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:15:53 +0100

Today, I learned that another "Social Media Expert" held a workshop recently in Jacksonville, Florida where this expert advised her paying attendees to Twitter/Tweet at least three times a day if they want to be successful.

One young paying attendee of this "Social Media Expert's" workshop now sincerely believes that a company 's Twitter/micro-blog strategy MUST include three posts per day for that particular communications channel to be successful for that particular company. SimplistiRead More...

JAXdotcom Twitter Business List

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:31:53 +0100

I love Jacksonville.com - the Times-Union online paper.

They added me to their Twitter Business List.

What's not to love?

Dub Me Now Digital Business Card

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:11:56 +0100

OK, everyone knows I don't do paper business cards, right?

I've tried a few digi-card options but haven't been especially happy with the results.

Well, I stumbled on a new digital business card "Dub Me Now" in my ongoing quest for cool online gadgets. I love it!

Check it out - it's the best digital business card (on my horizon, anyway) & the locate button is way too easy. When two people have downloaded the (free) DUB software on their PDAs, they can pRead More...