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Introducing…Heather "Action" Jackson: Marketing Maven, Monkey Dancer and Sinatra Breakfast Buddy

Posted on March 14, 2012 in Blog Posts, eMail Tips, Facebook, Featured, Interviews, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter | 0 Comments

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Heather Jackson and I do the monkey dance. I also own 2 marketing businesses, Hammerhead Creatives and ActionJackson Marketing. Hammerhead Creatives specializes in custom logo’d apparel and promo products- aka SWAG like the sweet thermal bags you get at the conference. Through ActionJackson Marketing I provide e-mail newsletter marketing services including presentations to businesses and associations as well as individualized training and campaign management. As an Authorized Local Field Expert for Constant Contact, I am able to offer extended services and expertise.


What will you be teaching at the Geek Girl Tech Conference this year?

Sick of spam? (Who isn’t?!?!) Want to make sure your customers don’t think your e-mails are spam? (and thus delete them.) I will be teaching you how to create, write and manage your e-mail newsletter marketing campaigns so that you can be sure your e-mails are opened, read and impactful. Topics of discussion include best practices, tips & trends, how to improve your open/click/share rates, writing killer subject lines and analyzing result. E-mail marketing is extremely powerful if done the right way. I will also be available to answer any general marketing questions as marketing is my passion.

 

What was your favorite part of the conference last year?

The help desk is an amazing resource- to get 1 on 1 training and actually come away with something concrete is awesome. Then of course I loved the post party.

 

PC or Mac?

oohh…just switched to a Mac and having some growing pains (I need GGC help!) but love the intuitiveness of it…but I love my Android that let’s me run my business anywhere.

 

When did you first know you were geeky?

When I wrapped a Geek Girl Coozie around a tasty beverage.

 


Star Wars or Star Trek?

Starfish. As a native Californian, I’d way rather be in the ocean than in the theatre. I have not missed a polar plunge in 10 years and swam every month in 2010 in Nantucket Sound (yeah- that was on a bet.) There’s a good chance I am part mermaid.

 


Choose 5 people from any moment of time to have dinner and drinks with. Who would they be and why?

Margaret Sanger – hugely courageous and impactful. Among her great accomplishments, her newsletter was entitled The Woman Rebel: “No Gods, No Masters.” I love bad ass women.

Stephen Colbert- There is nothing better than hanging out with smart & funny people; I put a premium on laughter. Stephen makes me laugh out loud daily; also I like to be with people who clearly love what they do (and are good at it.)

Babe Didrikson Zaharias – fellow Norwegian and amazing athlete. A world class track & field and basketball star, she was best known for her golf prowess (she was the first female to compete in The LA Open, a mens’ PGA event, in 1938, a feat unmatched for 60 years.) Babe was also an accomplished seamstress, harmonica player and pool shark; I am sure she was funny too.

Neil Diamond – if you’ve ever been to one of his shows, you’d know why. Give me some of that unbuttoned purple glitter shirt, a big bad American flag and sing me Forever in Blue Jeans or anything else. (Note: he did point directly at me and sing “I’m a Believer” in San Francisco, 1993, seat 1G; heaven in a 5 color silk shirt and black stirrup stretch pants.)

Our Hound, Miller- I’d love to know what she is really thinking (I think) and how she stays so patient and sweet in spite of all our antics. She probably has some good cat jokes too.

 

Who do feel has had the most impact on technology in your time?

Tough to go with other than Steve Jobs don’t you think? Product, strategy, branding…best in all areas. If my mom thinks an iPhone is the bees knees (and she can operate it) what more can you say.

 


Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook as long as I don’t fall into the vortex…but I do try to put my phone away when I am out with friends as they deserve my full attention.

 


Tell us something about you nobody knows….

When I was 10 my grandfather was President of the Tournament of Roses and in addition to riding in the parade on an antique fire truck, I got to have breakfast and even say grace with Grand Marshall Frank Sinatra (yes his eyes are really blue.)

Introducing….Adrienne Baumann: Email Enchantress and Orinthologist

Posted on February 29, 2012 in Blog Posts, eMail Tips, Facebook, Featured | 0 Comments

Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Adrienne (as in “Yo! Adrienne”) – I am Geek Girl #8, one-half of the dynamic Geek Girl “Greek Girl” duo, and occasionally have been spotted as Super Girl.  By day, my business Koinonikos provides social media management services to small businesses. I’m also part of Constant Contact‘s Local Experts program, which gives me additional super powers.

 

What will you be teaching at the Geek Girl Cape Cod Conference this year?
I’ll be teaching “3 Keys to Email Marketing” and “The Power of Email Marketing Leveraging Social Media”.  It’s good stuff for anyone who sends e-mails for their business; we’ll cover some great best practices!

 

What was your favorite part of the conference last year?
I always love seeing people’s eyes light up as their brains fill with new geeky knowledge!

 

PC or Mac?
PC, with occasional Mac envy.

 

When did you first know you were geeky?
I guess I knew I had geek in my blood when I made my first e-Trade in my crib…which is even more incredible considering it was the 70s.

 

Star Wars or Star Trek?
I’m a big fan of the original Star Trek series and the Next Generation, but I have to choose Star Wars!  Watching those movies now is just as awesome as when I was a kid; however, those old Star Trek episodes look a little hokey.  Plus, I still have a crush on Han Solo…

 

Choose 5 people from any moment of time to have dinner and drinks with. Who would they be and why?
John Lennon, John Belushi, John Candy, John Cleese, and Pope John Paul II – because it’d be a raucous great time, everyone would know each others’ names, but it wouldn’t get too out of control. (said with a wink, of course)

 

Who do feel has had the most impact on technology in your time?
Steve Jobs. ‘Nuff said.

 

Facebook or Twitter?
The ADHD in me appreciates Twitter, but I gotta have both!

 

Tell us something about you nobody knows….
I was a member of my high school Ornithology Club for four years, and President my senior year, effectively making me a geek AND a nerd!

Wanted: San Diego Geek Girls

Posted on May 31, 2011 in Android Tips, Blogging, eMail Tips, Facebook, gmail, Google, How do I..., InDesign, Interviews, iPhone Tips, Mac Tips, Meetups, News, PC Tips, Photoshop, QuickBooks Tips, Social Media, TechBytes, WordPress | 0 Comments

Do you love the ocean?

Long walks on the beach?

69 degree average temperature year round?

Fish tacos and Stone IPA?

Then you MUST be a San Diego Geek Girl! And we want you!

We just started a Meetup Group to find Geek Girls in the San Diego area who might be interested in being a part of future Geek Girl Boot Camps in the area, as well as the successful “Hire a Geek Girl” program.

If you are a programmer, designer, social media maven, Quickbooks queen, PC or Mac afficionado, foursquare junkie, code toad or IT rock star…then join our Meetup Page and suggest some topis to discuss, events to partake in and perhaps just an all-around networking meetup and get to know ya party.

And if you are interested in sponsoring any of our events, we would love to have you involved and come and speak to the group!

Join us today and get involved with helping others get empowered in tech!

P.S. Geek Guys are so invited.

Sparrow: Bringing FUN back to your email!

Posted on May 30, 2011 in eMail Tips, gmail, How do I..., Mac Tips, Social Media | 0 Comments

 

I simply love Sparrow Mail – the new Mail for Macs! And the first social email client. Just updated my latest 1.1 version on my iMac and MacBook Air and even used the Facebook integration. Also found some great Sparrow Mail tips for you if you really love it as much as I do!

The ease!

The efficiency!

The coolness factor!

Not to mention full IMAP support, a unified box, quick replies, multiple accounts, labels and now, Facebook profile pictures!

We have also included a great Cheat Sheet on this post.

There is a cost for Sparrow Mail, but if you are like me, the cost is minimal compared to watch you can do with your mail. Go to the Apple App Store and download Sparrow Mail now. Follow them also on Twitter and Facebook.

Do you use Sparrow Mail? Do you think you might try it? If so, let us know what you think!

Syncing Your QuickBooks Contacts with Constant Contact

Posted on April 26, 2011 in eMail Tips, How do I..., QuickBooks Tips | 0 Comments

How much money to you spend a year advertising to the great unknown about your business in order to sell them goods or services, to pull in new business, to increase revenue, get them to follow you on social media?  Probably a good bit.  If you use social media and email you probably spend some of your time currency as well as dollars.  Now how much energy and dollars do you spend advertising and generating business revenue from within your existing client base, from those that have already bought into your ideas and products?  In theory those guys are the easy sell.  They already know you and believe in you.  A great way to do that is to use a web email site like Constant Contact to communicate with your clients past, present and future.  Now the question is how do you use your existing list of customers, most commonly found in your accounting system, to help generate revenue or just deepen the relationship.

If your accounting system is QuickBooks and your email marketing program is Constant Contact importing your contacts is very simple.

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Top 10 Reasons to go to Geek Girl Boot Camp…

Posted on February 25, 2011 in Android Tips, Blogging, eMail Tips, Facebook, gmail, Google, How do I..., InDesign, Interviews, iPhone Tips, Mac Tips, News, PC Tips, Photoshop, QuickBooks Tips, Social Media, TechBytes, WordPress | 2 Comments

Here are the Top 10 Reasons to go to Geek Girl Boot Camp on Saturday, March 19th from 8 am. to 6 p.m. at the Cape Cod Community College in West Barnstable:

10.) Not a Geek? Not a problem. It’s meant for all types of computer users; newbies, the hesitant, the self-taught, hard-core geeks, and people just wanting to empower themselves with all things geeky. Knowledge is Good!

9.) Not a Girl? Not a problem. The demographics of Boot Camp range from our youngest at 10 to our oldest at 84. And guys are totally welcome!

8.) Open schedule. Go to any workshop you want (some may have max capacity, etc)

7.) Come with friend/fellow co-worker and divide and conquer on workshops and share. Make new friends. Then learn how to make friends online with Facebook and Twitter!

6.) Outstanding Value. 8 hours of computer instruction, demos, discussion and the famous Geek Girl Help Desk, for less than the cost of 1 hour with a computer tech. Bring a laptop and take advantage of the opportunity!

5.) It’s Local! Right in your own backyard! No need to travel to Boston or Silicon Valley to get the latest on technology. It’s so simple!

4.) You’ll have fun! End the day with a schwag bag full of goodies and a tshirt, mix and mingle with attendees and speakers at the cocktail party where oodles of giveaways will be handed out to winners. (And martinis.)

3.) The Essential Geek Girl Handbook. Containing Top Ten Lists for workshops, speaker bios, ads from sponsors, glossaries, resources and filled with your own notes, this full-color book will be your reference source long after Boot Camp is over.

2.) Demos. Check out computers, smart phones, tablets, video cameras, digital cameras and other consumer products before buying. Get information from the people who use the products every day.

And the #1 Reason to go to Geek Girl Camp….

1.) Just so you can shock your know-it-all teenagers, your impatient spouse or that know-it-all guy in your office and say, “No thanks, I don’t need you to fix my computer. I went to Geek Girl Camp and I can do it myself!” Priceless…

It’s not too late! Register NOW!

Just a Thought: Donate a Scholarship to a Student or Woman in Need! This is a wonderful way to “Pay it Forward” – You can stay anonymous or we can post your name on the website. Contact us for more information.

See you at Boot Camp!

The Geek Girls

How to Add a Constant Contact “Join My List” Tab to your Facebook Fan Page

Posted on July 15, 2010 in eMail Tips, How do I..., Social Media, TechBytes | 0 Comments

If you have a Facebook Page like us, interaction is an extremely important part of your social media strategy. So much so, that every part of your Facebook Page should have a call to action or something for the occasional visitor as well as for your biggest fans. So why not have a tab available right on Facebook where your visitors can add their email address instantly, without even having to go to your site? Constant Contact, our only permission-based email system partner and valued sponsor of Geek Girl Camp, makes this process so easy.

Of course in order to do this, you must already have a Facebook Page and a Constant Contact account. If you do not currently have a Facebook Page, we can help set one up for you! If you are not currently using Constant Contact, but want to, simply go here and signup!

Here is a step-by-step how to guide:

First, Go to the “Constant Contact Labs – Join My Mailing List” Application Page.

From this page, click on the “Add to My Page” link on the top left hand side.

Before you do that, why not “Like” this Page as well – there is a good chance you might receive some valuable resources and great update info right into your Facebook stream in the future!

After clicking the “Add to My Page” link, a pop-up will appear.

Click the “Add to My Page” button, Then close the window.

From here, you need to mosey on back to your Facebook Page.

See where there is a “+” button on the top navigation? Click that and scroll down to where you see a tiny Constant Contact logo and select “Join My List.”

You will probably see the following page with a “Oops” on it. Do not fear. Just scroll all the way down and click “Application Settings”.

You will then have a small box appear. Click where it says “allow”.

Follow the directions on the next page by entering your Constant Contact Username and Password, then just click the “Log In” button.

Then, a small box will appear to ask if you want to publish to Facebook an update for your users to see on what you just did. Go for it! Let everyone now know you have the application installed so people can signup for your emails right on Facebook.

Select from your default list on the dropdown where you want the emails to go to and check off any other lists you want displayed. Finalize this by clicking the “Save Settings” button.

Voila! All done! When you go back to your Page, you will now see a “Join My List” added to your fan page navigation.

And, if you want this button front and center, just drag and drop it to where you would like it. Easy cheesy!

Always remember that the more choices you provide your visitors – without overwhelming them – is always a good option for interaction. This makes it so easy for people coming to your Page to just signup for your newest emails.

Now you just need to make sure your emails are dazzling and deliver your message!

But that’s for another TechByte in the works…stay tuned!

And don’t forget to “Like” our Facebook Page and get tons of awesome resources, offers and info on events!

Netiquette: Don’t CC When You Can BCC

Posted on June 18, 2010 in eMail Tips, How do I..., News, TechBytes | 0 Comments

CC and BCC are email tools to use when trying to get your message out to a few people or to 50. However, they should be used quite differently or else you will find yourself on the wrong side of netiquette, whether sending to a customer or friend.

CC stands for “Carbon Copy”. Do you watch Mad Men? Notice how the ladies type on their typewriters with a piece of carbon paper then use that to roll out copies to all the, um, Mad Men? Think of CC on your email client as just that. Sending an important item to one person, than CC’ing the rest of the group should only be used when you are trying to have a multi-person conversation with feedback, and you want everyone involved on that conversation and can see others that are in the conversation. Most of the time, it is for people you know, and they know you.

When do you use BCC? BCC stands for “Blind Carbon Copy”. Meaning, your list is “blind” to everyone else. This should be used (sparingly) when sending anything. For one, some people think it is a sneaky way to send emails without the other’s knowledge. So limit that.

The one time you should be using BCC, is when you feel absolutely compelled to send a chain letter, jokes you only think are funny, political diatribes and other useless information I just do not want. Ever. But, if you send them as a BCC, I won’t get nearly as angry than if you send it by CC. On a BCC reply, I will just write “UNSUBSCRIBE” and please ask you to stop. If you CC me with 150 other people I do not know with a Nigerian Prince offering a million dollars, I will unsubscribe and have you blacklisted. Blacklisting may be a little harsh, but I will not be happy.

So, lesson here today. Use CC when you need to send an email with a multi-person conversation and in need of feedback and communication from (hopefully) people you all know and/or work together.

Only use BCC on useless garbage you feel compelled to send to many people for fun, just because if you don’t, you will have bad luck for 12 years if you don’t send it out to 250 people immediately. So says Saint Jude. Or Saint Oprah.

And, if you are the recipient of a CC or BCC chain letter or garbage of that ilk and you do not want anymore emails, even if it is from your sister-in-law or best friend from 1st grade, the most courteous and best thing you can do is simply unsubscribe from their future emails. You can also try to explain why they need to stop, even though it may fall on deaf ears. Always educate others.

And, if you are constantly sending out information on your business, you need to get a permission-based email system like Constant Contact to use that has an opt-out/unsubscribe at anytime. It’s the law. Constant Contact is a valued sponsor and partner for Geek Girl Camp. We highly recommend them for the best permission-based email system available. Check them out here.

Hurt feelings over email do not take precedent on your valuable time. And sanity.

STOP THE MADNESS!