Checks Unlimited - Business

Nancy McCord asked:


Twitter is the current top “hot property” on the Web, but its popularity and how to use it has mystified many business owners. Many people think that they want to, or should be using Twitter, but simply do not understand the platform, its use, or its place in building web exposure. This article will demystify Twitter and help you to learn how to use it in the workplace and to promote your business.

First, I have to say that I had been confused on how to use Twitter to benefit my own business until I downloaded TweetDeck. TweetDeck is a desktop application that allows you to review and post status updates on Twitter and Facebook simultaneously. I consider it a “must have” application for anyone who wants to make sense of Twitter. TweetDeck allows you to sort the people you follow on Twitter into groups, allows you to limit the number of Tweets (Twitter micro posts) to be shown at any one time, and also allows you to remove all Tweets you have seen with one click. Additionally, using TweetDeck, finally a Twitter search on a topic makes sense.

Since using TweetDeck, I have had a much better Twitter experience. As a Twitter newbie, visiting your own Twitter home page is intimidating; it consists of post after post from people who you are following, who you may not know much about, and it just seems like a huge volume of content. To get started effectively first group the people who actually have something interesting to say on TweetDeck and voila, you have a powerful tool that keeps you at the forefront of what is happening in your industry and on the Web.

So how do you get started with Twitter? Well the first thing is to start on Twitter yourself to understand what you like to read, who you like to follow, and to clearly identify what you like about Twitter. For me, it boils down to this: I like to follow people in my industry who say something of value, who provide a link to a new application or point me to an interesting new article, video, or blog site that I should review but may have never have found myself. Based on what I like, and the people who I find interesting to read, I now write my Twitter posts using this same formula to grow my own Twitter audience.

What I also like about Twitter is that the people who I follow also know how to show their true personality in their Tweets. Ye,s I do like to know what Danny Sullivan (famous search engine marketing guru) ate for lunch, but better yet is the link to the video he thought was funny. I love following Ashton Kutcher (movie star married to Demi Moore who just hit 1 million Twitter followers in April). Man, that guy is really funny and is having a ball with Twitter. His posts are great and he has just earned the status of the user with the most followers. This is why you can’t hire someone to “Ghost Twitter” for you. It’s about showing the real you – you can’t fake that!

So how can you use Twitter for business? Twitter is an excellent tool for linking and this is the real value for businesses. By using Twitter to point people to content on your website, articles you have written either on or off your website, or by linking to a service you want to highlight, you drive traffic. On top of that, Google actually indexes Twitter and so your Twitter page can appear in the organic search results so make sure your bio is well thought out. Don’t waste time using Twitter to point to blog posts, use TwitterFeed to post your blog posts directly onto Twitter. If you have a blog or website, you’ll get new Twitter followers by posting your TwitterFeed right onto your web pages. People who may not have known your Twitter ID can simply click the bottom “follow me link” and start following you on Twitter.

What’s important to be successful in using Twitter is to identify what you personally like about this new media and then deliver the same type of things that you like back to your own followers – work to provide value not drivel! So you’ve got to play with Twitter and learn how to use it first before you can really become successful with it for your business.

So how do you get followers? Well, I started by following everyone (who I found by doing a Twitter search) who had the last name McCord. Then I searched for web design, search engine optimization, and pay per click. Any site profile that looked good, I clicked to follow the writer. It was that easy. Many times people who you follow yourself will choose to follow you. That’s how you initially build up your Twitter base. Over time you will start to identify your “Twitter voice” and refine the type of Twitter presence you want to have by changing your content style and the things that you Tweet about. As you refine your presence, you will build a following.

Another cool Twitter use is that you can reply to any of your followers by simply putting an @ in front of their Twitter ID. For example to send something to my attention use @mccordweb at the very front of your Twitter posting and click enter. Just remember that this post is seen by all followers on my site and on your Twitter site. If you need a more private exchange, go to the direct message link on the Twitter.com site and select a follower by Twitter ID name and send your message from there. This note will be private. If you are using TweetDeck you can click on a follower’s Twitter ID icon and then select to send a direct message or @reply to them. TweetDeck will automatically insert the correct syntax for you in the Tweet.

For many businesses the ability for users to communicate with top management using Twitter is an invaluable resource. This one-to-one exchange allows a company principal to keep tabs on customer viewpoints, concerns, and interests. As a Twitter reply or direct mail does not use email and does not require a response, this is a great way to tap into social networking to test new ideas and to ask for user feedback. For example, if you have a new software product ask your Twitter followers for feedback on a specific feature, or provide a link to your beta version for their testing.

How you use Twitter is all about your personal business needs. The best advice that I can offer to you is that you need to use Twitter a bit yourself first to understand the medium and to find out what you like to read best using Twitter. Then, create your own Twitter network sharing information that you find interesting and have some fun.

Currently I am following 204 people and 183 people are following me on Twitter. Personally I find Twitter great fun and a very cool way to find out first what’s happening in the world before you see it on TV, read it on the Web, or see it in the newspaper. That’s the real power of Twitter; you share, you find out, and you know, all by a person-to-person exchange of information.

For those of you clicking in from my e-newsletter the rest of the content on Twitter applications and uses follows.

Below are some of the Twitter applications that I like and use regularly for my business.

Twuffer – I love this one, it is a Twitter post scheduler. Some people feel that Twuffer defeats the immediacy of Twitter posts or Tweets, but I like it as I will schedule Tweets on days that I am not blogging to keep my followers advised of things I find important. It is easy to use, allows you to Tweet ahead, and lets you select a posting schedule by day and time. If you are pushing content on a service or product this is an excellent tool to use. Set your Tweets up one week or one month at a time and feed your content to readers in addition to your regular Tweets. Make sure to use www.TinyUrl.com to change any long URLs you point to in the Tweet to a Twitter-friendly short version to save space.

Twitter Feed – This is another one of my top favorites. TwitterFeed allows me to show my blog posts from “The Web Authority” directly onto Twitter. It also allows me to post my Tweets back on my blog (by installing a widget) in my blog template – very cool cross interaction! I pick up many Twitter followers with this technique. Readers come to visit my blog and then choose to follow me on Twitter.

Twitter Grader – This one is a vanity application that allows you to see where you stack up against other Twitter users. Twitter Grader measures the power of a Twitter user based on followers, number of updates, and posting frequency.

 

TweetBeep – With this application, you can manage your online Twitter reputation. Alerts will be emailed to you whenever a Twitter user Tweets about your business, name, or domain. You select the alert criteria and what to watch for using TweetBeep. This is great for a business that is concerned about branding and online identity. PR professionals should make sure to use this tool to watch for comments about their clients.

Twitoria – Clean up your Twitter followers by finding out which people never use Twitter or post infrequently so you can delete them right from the Twitoria interface.

 Qwitter – If you want to know when someone stops following you, sign up for this service. Actually, this can be an excellent tool to find out what a reader hated that you posted about and caused them to “chop” you, so you can fine tune your message. If you get a flood of drops after a Tweet, it allows you to learn that people don’t like a certain type of Tweet – instant feedback at an anonymous level!

One big thing about Twitter that I have not even mentioned yet but is actually one of Twitter’s best features is the ability to text-in Tweets from your mobile phone. Although you can’t easily link to great content typically on the fly like this, the ability to connect with others without being tethered to a computer is an opportunity to show the “real you”. Maybe your followers do want to know what you are eating for lunch or about a seminar you just attended, just be kind and don’t vomit out Twitter spam using your Blackberry on meaningless drivel.

You can easily set up the ability to receive text messages from your Twitter account to your cell or Blackberry, but be careful as you may be inundated if you have a large following. I would recommend receiving Twitter updates via text message to your cell only from a small group. For example if you have a project team, set up a Twitter account for each member to allow them to post just to this small unique circle of team members. The value to track and interact with each other at anytime and anywhere using Twitter by computer or by cell phone adds real value for work groups and teams – particularly team managers. Twitter even allows you to make this type of group private.

Another feature of Twitter is the ability to add hashtags in front of keywords in your Tweets to help with sorting to allow others to find your important content. For example if you wanted to Tweet about a recent earthquake in LA you would use #laearthquake in the front of your Tweet.  By using hashtags you enable Twitter to return your information for topic searches on newsworthy Tweets. You can visit Hashtags.org for more information on the current hot hashtags that are in use for today so you can follow, add to the topic, or create your own. For example in Twitter World, Fridays are the day you post with #followfriday and enter in the Twitter IDs you want to recommend to others.  You would be amazed at the cool new people you can follow and interact with from recommendations of the people you follow.

In conclusion, Twitter is one of the hottest new mediums to arrive on the Internet scene since Facebook. Although it is not exactly “new”, Twitter has just recently become very high profile. If you are in business, Twitter definitely warrants your attention. Not only is it a very smart new tool to use in your marketing arsenal, but I think that the more you use it you will grow to love it and find it fun to use. The ways that you can use Twitter are endless:  for teams, for family members, for business networking, to stay at the forefront of news, to promote yourself and your services, and to just have fun connecting with others online. Just remember you can’t really make sense of Twitter for business without using TweetDeck or another similar aggregating and sorting application. Thanks for reading, see you on Twitter, you can reach me at @mccordweb or visit me at www.Twitter.com/mccordweb.

About the Author

Nancy McCord is the founder and President of McCord Web Services LLC which provides search engine marketing, web design, blog writing, and webmaster services globally. Since 2001, Nancy McCord has developed a national reputation as an expert on search engines, blogging, and how businesses can harness the power of Web for profit. You can visit Nancy and her firm at www.McCordWeb.com.

David Riklan asked:


While Ted Kennedy is no longer with us, his actions and his word will long outlive him.

As we mourn the loss of the late Senate icon, many commentators will be writing about the political impact Edward Kennedy has made in his long public service career. Today, I’d like to call attention to an equally important part of his legacy.

In an era of empty sound bites and political speeches written around cheap jokes and partisan applause lines, few brought public oratory to such heights as the Kennedy clan. The Kennedy family dynasty of Teddy, JFK, and Robert Kennedy changed the way that Americans view their political leaders.

The Kennedys used political speech as a tool to inspire bold political projects that would transform society. But they also peppered their political speeches with soaring words and inspiring thoughts about political courage, about success in life, about personal honor – inspiring Americans to be the best in all aspects of their lives.

In honor of Senator Edward Kennedy’s recent passing, we’ve compiled our ten favorite inspirational quotes from the Kennedy family.

Don’t sacrifice your political convictions for the convenience of the hour.

- Edward M. Kennedy

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.

- Robert F. Kennedy

We must use time as a tool, not as a crutch.

- John F. Kennedy

Each time someone stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.

- Robert F. Kennedy

Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.

- Rose Kennedy

And so, my fellow americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

- John F. Kennedy

Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change.

- Robert F. Kennedy

Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind.

- John F. Kennedy

The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.

- John F. Kennedy

The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die.

- Edward M. Kennedy

To find more inspirational quotes from the Kennedy’s and others, we are making available for free for a limited time the Absolute best Inspirational and Motivational Quote Book ever written.

This book is based on an exhaustive Internet Study and it contains the Top 501 Most Popular Inspirational and Motivational Quotes of all time. We are making a limited number of copies of our book available for Free in PDF format. Great Quotes for Writing, Speaking and to Motivate Yourself in virtually any situation.

Download the book for free at http://www.selfgrowth.com/inspirationalquotebook3.html

Kevin Sinclair asked:


Have you ever thought about writing a song? Do you love music? We all know that a song is so much more than the musical background you hear throughout. No, the whole song comes together with the lyrics. The lyrics make the song it makes the music. Typically, the lyrics are written before the melody and music are added. The lyrics and the idea behind the lyrics lay the ground for the music to come afterwards.

Think about your favorite songs. Why are they your favorite? For many people, the words within the song grab their attention. For me personally, my favorite songs are those that have meaning. Rather, it evokes a particular feeling within me or it tells about a specific time in my life. The lyrics tell a story. They can tell any story, rather it be about love gone bad, an ever-lasting love, a person, a group of people, or a time in ones life. You are telling a story to the listeners and hoping they can relate to that story in some way.

Getting Lyrical Ideas

Most lyrics you hear in song come from the everyday life of the lyricist. It’s a good idea, if you are serious about writing song lyrics, to get yourself a journal and keep it with you throughout the day, jotting down your ideas. You never know when a lyrical idea will come to you. Be watchful and mindful of your interactions throughout the day. Some areas that may bring you ideas for lyrics may include:

. General conversation – While speaking to anyone throughout the day, such as friends, family, or colleagues, you may find that something they have to say gives you an idea.

. Happenings in your surroundings – Your environment can tell as story as well. While you’re in the cab, while walking down the street, on the subway, or anywhere you might be. Something might occur, even the slightest thing, which could jog a lyrical idea.

. Newspaper – Current events, articles, or even advertisements.

. Magazines – Real life stories, fashion, and other events could spark an idea.

It is important to keep in mind that your lyrics should have meaning to you. They should flow in a seamless way. You see, as mentioned earlier, lyrics tell a story. Therefore, treat your lyrics as a story first. Write your story, then you can begin to break them up in to song lyrics with rhyming other important aspects after your story is finished.

Lyrical Tools

Throughout the years, lyricists have relied mostly on the trusty old pen and paper to write lyrics. To many, they will not use anything but pen and paper to write their lyrics. However, in the computerized world of today, more and more lyricists are turning to the computer to write songs.

There are a variety of tools available to any songwriter on the computer and off. For example, rhyming dictionaries are great when you are having troubles coming up with rhymes to specific words. On the computer, rhyming and replacing words is extremely easy, and most often performed with a simple click of the mouse. Many programs such as Microsoft Word and other specific songwriting software programs offer an integrated thesaurus that is perfect for coming up with alternative words and phrases to increase the impact of your lyrics.

However, the most important tools are your own thoughts and ideas. You can choose the pen and paper method or the computerized method; however, your ideas are what make the lyrics to begin with.

Crafting Your Ideas Into Song Lyrics

You have your ideas; you’ve chosen your method of writing, now what? Now it is time to start forming your lyrics. This is likely the hardest part of writing the song, much harder than coming up with ideas. Now you have to work verses and choruses to form your songs. Rhyming is ultimately important. This is where your rhyming dictionary comes in handing.

Typically, the end of the second line rhymes with the end of the first. However, in some cases, the end of the third line will rhyme with the first.

For example:

As we grow older,

The world gets colder,

Because the love is gone

Though we keep going on

And keep our love in a song.

Don’t forget your chorus; this is what brings the song together. You decide where your versus go and where the chorus comes in and repeats. Writing lyrics to a song is a wonderful way to express yourself. It tells a story in the way you see it and feel it.

nike air yeezy asked:


In order to provide customers some original shoes, Nike gets down to collaborate with Kanye West to design the Air Yeezy which rebels against the convention by mixing up the past to create some uniquely new shoes. As Kanye West is an energetic musician, it is necessary for the Air Yeezy to support Kanye West and sustain from beginning to the end. One essential requirement of the Air Yeezy is to present great comfort for the wearer. There are many perfect features in the Air Yeezy, such as debossed ankle collar pods, extra-thick sock liners, a forefoot support strap, original functional tension lace loops, as well as Phylon tooling inspired from the 1987 Nike Air Assault. With the help of these features, the Air Yeezy has been endowed with a perfect performance to satisfy Kanye West’s strict demand for ideal shoes.

It is certain that the Nike Air Yeezy can make Kanye feel comfortable throughout the whole performance. The premium full grain leather has been well used in the making of the uppers of the Air Yeezy. And some unique Kanye and Nike’s details also have been used to decorate these shoes. These shoes also have the Nike Air Assault outsole which has the glow-in-the-dark properties and can lighten in some cases. The premium grade good-quality leather has been well used in the making of the forefoot support strap. Some clean seams also can be found in these shoes. The “Y” recurring pattern decorated across the Air Yeezy which resembles the elephant print is designed by the inspiration from the Jordan brand.

Such a kind of design, created by West and Nike Director Mark Smith, has some significant meaning.

The Sports HQ asked:


Golf Clubs Tournament Results | WGC Bridgestone Invitational

The WGC Bridgestone Invitational was held at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Vijay Singh won with a score of 10-under 280. Singh used the following golf clubs: Cleveland HiBore XL driver, Launcher Steel fairway wood and an Adams a3 Boxer 19-degree hybrid wood in addition to Cleveland CG1 irons (4-PW) and CG12 golf wedges. Finally, Singh was using a Never Compromise GM2 Exchange #7 belly putter to win the invitational.

Golf Tournament Results | Legends Reno-Tahoe Open

The Legends Reno-Tahoe Open was held at the Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno, Nevada. Parker McLachlin shot an excellent game to win on 18-under 270, using the following golf clubs: Titleist 909D2 driver, 909F2 fairway wood and Titleist 585.H utility metal clubs in addition to Titleist AP2 irons (4-PW) and Vokey Design wedges. McLachlin finished each round using an Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball putter.

Golf Clubs Tournament Results | U.S. Senior Open

The U.S. Senior Open was staged at Broadmoor, East Course in Colorado Springs, U.S. Eduardo Romero secured the title on 6-under 274 using the following golf clubs to secure his U.S. Seniors Title: 1) Callaway FT-5 driver 2) Sonartec TD 17-degree hybrid and Callaway X 18-degree hybrid (2H). Callaway X-20 irons (3-PW) and Cleveland CG14 wedges in addition to a Odyssey White Hot XG#1 putter completed his line-up of golf equipment.

Golf Tournament Results | Cox Classic

Ryan Hietala secured another win at this year’s Cox Classic – staged at Champions Run, Omaha, Neb. – scoring 19-under 265 using the following golf clubs: Cleveland HiBore XL driver with HiBore XLS fairway wood and Cleveland LDI 2 hybrid. Hietala was also using Cleveland G Red irons (3-PW) and Cleveland G14 wedges with a Rife 2 Bar Hybrid Blade putter completing his set of golf clubs used at the Cox Classics.

The Sports HQ is part of Sports PLC – the pioneering online retailer specialising in the manufacturing and supplying of golf, sports, leisure and fitness products throughout United Kingdom and Europe. Sports PLC offers factory direct prices through its online portfolio of e-commerce stores including: thesportshq.com, golfballs.co.uk and forgan.co.uk – by sourcing direct from the manufacturer you can expect typical savings of up to 85% off full retail prices.

Jeremy Gislason asked:


Facebook is one of the most popular social networking mediums, and their membership numbers are increasing quickly. It is a great tool for networking; but like many tools available for networking on the web, promotional or marketing activities are frowned upon. 

So be careful when using Facebook and do your online marketing activities under the radar, or you might miss out on a powerful tool to boost your business.

In this article, I’ll give you some vital pointers to maximize the power of Facebook.

1) Just like any other social site, be careful what you put in your profile.

You don’t want to be seen as a link spammer. And you don’t want to give away too much personal information either (unless you don’t care that thousands of people may see your profile).

Just be careful with any personal details you put out there for others to see, such as where you live and pictures of your children. You do not want to pick up a stalker, especially when you are networking with strangers.

2) Don’t make the mistake of using your business name as your profile name, as this is against Facebook’s terms of service.

You are allowed to create other Facebook pages to brand your company, products or websites.

3) Respond to any friend requests and carefully send your own invitations. Make them personal and interesting.

Developing a great network is your long-term goal to generate a slow, but steady traffic stream to your websites. Use this tool to your advantage without being pushy or overbearing. Facebooks members **** spamming (who doesn’t?) and will carefully watch out for anything that violates their Terms of Service (TOS).

If you want to see profiles of those from another network, add them as your friends using the “Add to Friends” button. Follow the steps in the Edit tool to fill out any information you want others in your network, or others you accept as friends, to view.

4) Use various applications of Facebook.

Facebook has many applications which would make your networking experience easier or more enjoyable. Examples are applications for adding footage or photograph albums to your profile for others to see.

I’ll discuss two other powerful Facebook applications in a moment.

5) Use Facebook’s “My Questions” application to find out what people are exactly looking for concerning your niche

This is where posters answer certain questions about themselves and what they are looking for on Facebook. They will also list their interests. Use this in your networking activities.

Unless they have expressed an interest in your field, do not invite them to join your friends list. Of course, you can still ask them if you genuinely want to be their friend. 

But if you are there to network for your website business, then choose your friends wisely. This is how you are building your list and getting traffic to your website. So you have to manage your time well and eliminate non-productive activities.

Again, be very careful about Facebook’s TOS. Do not go against it because breaking the rules will get you banned.

6) Use “Facebook Discuss.”

It is Facebook’s answer to instant messaging. Chatting, or IM’ing, on Facebook is truly quite easy when you use Facebook Discuss .

Just go to your Facebook page and you can start using Facebook Discuss immediately. At the base of each Facebook page, you may see your Facebook Discuss tools.

The first of the 3 Facebook Discuss tools is the online friends tool. This simply tells you which of your Facebook buddies is online at this time. The next Facebook Discuss tool is notifications that may let you know if you have any new Facebook notifications right from the tool. The 3rd tool in Facebook Discuss is the real discuss tool.

 7) Create and join Facebook groups.

Just as they have subscribed to your blog, they’re going to join your Facebook group. So people looking on Facebook for related groups would feel welcome to join.

Facebook groups are viral selling mechanisms. Search Facebook for groups on your topic and related ones. In each of these groups, you can post a message on the group Wall or debate board, or you may use the Post a Link feature to inform the group’s members of your group and your blog.

By promoting your Facebook group at first, rather than promoting your blog, you decrease the chance the group director will remove your message. Any Facebook member can make a group and invite users on their pals list to join.

A form prompts you to give the group a name, passing outline and class. At the following stage, you can customize your group’s available applications, upload a profile photograph and set privacy levels.

A secret group is fascinating for work-related activity, but it will not show up in search results. Choosing a closed group might be the best idea for you to protect your privacy. You will be inspired to choose members from your friends list to join the group.

When you start a group on Facebook, you can invite members to join the group and share their thoughts, viewpoints and consultations about your product, idea or start-up. Invitations to join a Facebook group can be through your Facebook buddies, your Yahoo contacts, etc.

Integrate your application into specific areas of the Facebook profile

A Facebook application can take on a lot of forms; but in order to entirely implement the selection of integration points and deliver a full user experience, it is advised that you integrate your application into specific areas of the Facebook profile.

This permits millions of viewers to see your business everywhere on Facebook and attract potential patrons, who would naturally visit your start-up Internet site.

Remember to follow all Facebooks rules; otherwise, you’ll risk getting banned and your account deleted. This is not what you are looking for. Instead you want to use the group feature to promote your website within Facebooks rules. Do not overstep by thinking you can get around the rules. Use Facebook features to your advantage and you will see an increase in your website traffic.

T-Shirt Magazine asked:


When it comes to getting your designs printed on your shirts, you always want to make sure that the quality of your designs on your t-shirts turn out the way you wanted. Do you want a print quality where you can feel the ink on the shirt or do you want the print smooth and soaked deep into the shirt fabric? Are you printing bright colors or dull colors? When thinking about this, you gotta have an understanding of the different t-shirt printing processes to see which one suits the feel that you’re going for. Know the technical aspects of printing. Here’s some of the most common t-shirt print processes available to you.

Screen Printing

A screen is made of a piece of finely woven fabric (or in other words a t-shirt) stretched over a frame of aluminum or wood. Some areas of the screen are covered with a non-permeable material to form a stencil, which is a negative of the image to be operator meaning that the open spaces are where the ink will actually show up. The operator begins with the fill bar at the end of the screen and behind a reservoir of ink. The printer then lifts the screen to prevent contact with the shirt and then using a slight amount of downward force pulls the fill bar to the front of the screen. This effectively fills the mesh openings with ink and moves the ink reservoir to the front of the screen. The operator then uses a squeegee to move the mesh down to the t-shirt and pushes the squeegee to the rear of the screen. The ink that is in the mesh opening is transferred by capillary action to the t-shirt in a controlled way. As the squeegee moves toward the rear of the screen the tension of the mesh pulls the mesh up away from the t-shirt leaving the ink upon the t-shirt’s surface.

Direct to Garment Printing (DTG)

DTG is a fabric printing method that prints an image directly onto the t-shirt through a modified version of a traditional inkjet printer. Basically,instead of using a screen and a stencil to apply ink to the shirt, the ink is printed directly onto the garment. DTG offeres more flexibility than screen printing in terms of color variation and turn around time.

Heat Transfer Printing

With the heat transfer process, ink is transfered on a carrier paper to the t-shirt. When heat and pressure is applied to the carrier paper, the ink is transfered onto the t-shirt. A common way that this is done is by applying an iron to the carrier paper for a period of time until the ink appears on the shirt.

T-ShirtMagazine.com = T-Shirt Madness

T-Shirt Magazine asked:


So you wanna start a t-shirt collection? Oh,it’s no easy task. It’s just like collecting art, minus the square frames and hard to pronounce names. If you wanna be a real tee maniac, it’s about time you officially start a t-shirt collection. Read T-Shirt Magazine’s guide to collecting t-shirts first.

A good collection has both breadth and depth. Breadth: a variety of t-shirt styles, colors, and brands. Depth: a focus on a certain style, color or brand. Maybe you try collecting 10 red t-shirts as your focus but 2 of every color to have a variety.

Get as many limited edition t-shirts as possible. It’s always good to have a few rare pieces in your collection. Plus, it ***** going out with some crazy shirt on thinking you’re all cool and original and then seeing someone wearing the exact same one.

Buy t-shirts from underground brands. You’ll be one of the only people to own a shirt if it’s from a brand that’s not out there yet. On top of that, when the brand does blow up you can say you started wearing it way before everyone else did.

Keep all your t-shirts in good condition. You don’t have to be a neat freak about it but don’t stain them permanently or tear holes through them regularly. Who wants to walk around in beat up t-shirts anyway?

Buy t-shirts that are considered collector’s items. Shirts based on significant events, iconic figures, or pop culture are good additions to your collection. T-shirts of your favorite bands, shows or movies are great additions.

Have a story for every t-shirt. When buying a shirt for your collection, remember where you got it from, what made you buy it or some notable thing that happened that day. Makes for a good conversation when someone compliments your t-shirt or sees your closet.

When starting off, think quality over quantity. It’s better to have a few really cool t-shirts than a bunch of t-shirts that ****. You don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for quality, but once in a while you should blow $100 on a single t-shirt if you can afford it.

Pick a few brands whose t-shirts you like and get all the latest releases. Having a truckload of random shirts is cool, too, but having t-shirts from a select few brands shows you’ve developed a taste.

Now you’re ready to officially start a t-shirt collection.

WHAT T-SHIRTS ARE MAKING IT TO YOUR COLLECTION?

Douglas Firebaugh asked:


have YOU been?

Unless you have lived in a cave the last 4 years, you have probably heard of this. It is a rocking hot social networking site that seems to be almost everywhere today. It is on the news. It is on the radio. It is on the minds of millions of folks a day.

It is called “Facebook” and over 175 million people are active on this site.

Ok- I know that you may be asking,” A LAW about facebook?” Yes, 10 of them for marketing and business success in what you do. I am a marketer and have been for 20 years. I built a training and consulting business that does business in over 20 countries, because of social media and the internet. And there are marketing laws that all marketers and business professionals must follow if they are going to have Success in the marketplace online.

It is the same for Facebook.

Lets cover them briefly:

1) The Law of Visibility on Facebook.

You MUST be visible on facebook of you are going to get your message out. You must spend time on facebook and get to know people. You must put yourself together a “facebook blueprint” and work it. How many hours a week are you going to be seen on FB? How many times are you going to befriend someone this week? How many times are you going to upload photos this week? All of these things put you in the ‘Visibility Zone” on facebook, and on the radar as far as people on facebook. Be SEEN and be THERE on a daily basis.

2) The Law of the Powerful Facebook Profile.

Why would people want to get to know you? One of the first things they check out is your facebook profile. What does it say- but better yet- what does it DO? Does it make people curious and want to get to know you? Does it make them think? Does it make them smile? Does it make them see that you have Value for their life and can help change it?

Powerful facebook profiles are NOT based on what is said in your profile- but what it DOES.

Does it direct them to DO something? Does it tell them you are person they MUST know? Or someone that has a nice picture and a nice profile- with no magnetism? Put yourself OUT THERE and tell the world WHY they need you as a friend, and get them to take action towards YOU.

3) The Law of the Facebook WALL.

You MUST use your Wall to market or message. many folks regard their Wall as a communication utility like email. It is not that. You already have a facebook email. The Wall is for you to BUILD- BRICK BY BRICK- MESSAGE BY MESSAGE- NOTE BY NOTE- VIDEO BY VIDEO- your Brand on Facebook. Every time something happens with you- it goes on your Wall. Don’t stare at the wall- CLIMB THE SUCKER and make your message the PEAK of the page- and keep yourself out there with the Wall. And answer the messages on your Wall. Thank people for sharing with you their visit or message. This will show up on THEIR wall. This will set you apart from most on facebook. The Wall is simply a BILLBOARD of what you are doing and your friends are doing on Facebook. Use it often and wisely.

4) The Law of Your Facebook Network.

You are part of a local facebook network and you have access to that network to befriend them. I live in Birmingham Michigan, and the network i am a part of is the Detroit network. There are 640,926 people in my network that I could potentially MEET LIVE in a local place and get to know them and connect with them. You have local folks as well. Where do you find your network?

Click on “settings” and then click on “network.” You will find it there. This is a GOLD MINE of people in your local area to CONNECT and Construct new trust bridges that may lead to business down the road.

5) The Law of the Facebook Notifications.

This is an overlooked and rarely talked about utility. Notifications are part of your “facebook email system.” Go to “email” at the top of your Facebook profile page, and then click on “notifications.”This is list of who is thinking about you, talking about you, including you in tags, and generally is pointing to you. This is a GOLD MINE of people that have PROVEN they are behind you and willing to make you a part of their Facebook experience. Pay attention to the facebook notifications. Thank them for their thoughts of you on their Wall and let them know you appreciate it. Include them as well on your tags and other activity on facebook. The notifications are GOLD and is a prospecting Vault of Leads. And make sure you stay CONNECTED to them.

6) The Law of Facebook Link Love.

The Link application on Facebook is a HOT commodity. It allows you to post a link that you like and then sends it out on the news feed that is on your home page. It picks up the image that you want on the link page, and allows it to be a LIVE link. Send out other people’s LINK and givem some LOVE. Do NOT just send out your own links. Let others do that. Find interesting links of others and send them out.

WHY? EXPOSURE for you. You will be given credit for the link. People LOVE link love. If you send out a LOT of other people’s links on facebook, they will start sending out YOUR links. Been there done that.

7) The Law of Facebook Groups.

Join groups. Join a LOT of Groups. Start your OWN groups. The join MORE groups. Why? Here are a few reasons: EXPOSURE. CONNECTION to other Group members. AUTHORITY. Start your own and be a Leader. INCREASE YOUR REACH.Groups extend your reach into Facebook. MULTIPLIED PROSPECTS. There are more people in a group — then on a profile page.

Duh. Build a list in your own group and then you can become an admin and email messages to them. Make them messages of VALUE and interest.

The Law of Facebook Events.

Attend events. Attend more Events. And then attend many MORE events. Why? It allows you to leave a message on the events page wall, and create exposure. I attend at least 2 facebook events every week- to learn- and to network. Events can be found on the new Facebook page in the upper right under “Upcoming”-these are the events that are upcoming. There is one unique twist: You have birthdays under the “upcoming” tag- and you can send presents to folks. THIS will get their attention as it shows up on their wall and the news feed as well. Attend as many events as you can. make them worth your while- learn and grow from them. BUT’always leave a RSVP message about attending or not- with an encouraging message. This will show your professionalism, and caring.

Event UP! This will do you well on facebook. Put the term “events” in the search box, and it will find every event that is going on in your network of friends. It is a GOLD MINE of new possibilties of business. Become a master of events!

9) The Law of Facebook Multimedia- Videos and Photos.

People LOVE photos and videos. They are the most looked at and watched pages on facebook. Make some videos and upload them. Upload some photographs. Not only will the be seen on your wall and the facebook news feed, but also will allow you to “tag” others on these. This means that you can pick out people you have befriended and let them know you are thinking of them. And when you tag someone- it shows up on THEIR wall. Not isn’t THAT cool? It is called EXPOSURE!

10) The Law of the Facebook NEWS FEED.

This is the big kahuna of Exposure on facebook. This gets you out to ALL of your friends and creates a massive exposure vehicle that can keep your brand in front and recognized. You also will be many times on the “featured” part of the new news feed on the right. This gives you HUGE exposure. Whatever you do, like change your status, upload a video, write and publish a note, or just comment on another person’s message on the facebook news feed- it SHOWS UP in the news Feed. Be seen- and be seen often if you are trying to brand yourself on facebook.

Yes, you need to establish relationships, and build community. But if you are going to MARKET on facebook-then you need to at least get a guideline of what and how to do it. The 10 Social Media Laws of Facebook hopefully gave you some idea in your social media marketing.

blessings…doug firebaugh