5 Signs that you are an Email Marketing Grinch

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Malia Ramos

Email marketing can be a beneficial route for most small businesses who are looking to improve upon their public relations efforts and reach out to potential customers. Yet, the art of email marketing is as intricate as crocheting a blanket for grandma this Christmas. The recipients of your marketing emails want to read something that doesn’t take too much of their time and that will benefit them in some way.

Emails can represent a side of your business that you may never expect.

Don’t take away the joy of your business by being an email Grinch. Here are a few cold-hearted methods that can damage your email marketing efforts:

1). Your Headline is Dull: You want your marketing emails to be opened at the very least. Create a compelling subject line that grabs the attention of your recipients. Subject lines that lack pizazz can be easily categorized as spam to potential customers.

2). Your Emails Aren’t Mobile Friendly: According to Email Analytics, in the United States, 75% of people are Continue reading →

Facebook Posts Linked With Twitter: Just Say No!

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Paige McDaniel

At first glance, linking Facebook posts to your Twitter feed seems like the best idea. It’s a quick shortcut that allows you to have content on both platforms and makes social media management, well, manageable. But as most of us know, taking the shortcut because it’s easy doesn’t mean it’s the best route. In this case, just say no! This type of social media management can wreak havoc on your company reputation. How?

This link needs to be broken.

1. It Makes You Look Fake

If a customer is following both your Facebook posts and tweets and receiving the exact same information, there is one word that is probably going to pop into their head: robot. They’ll start to think that everything is automated and that you simply have no social media management skills. Yikes!

2. It Makes You Look Uneducated

… In social media that is. Twitter and Facebook are two completely different animals and need to be treated as such. Facebook posts are allowed 5,000 characters. Twitter gets 140. If you’ve written a lovely 1,000 character Facebook post (that, by the way, is a whole different discussion), it’s not going to show up well on Twitter. You will have cut off words and no call to action. The last thing a customer wants to see on Twitter is “I posted a new photo on Facebook.”

3. It Makes You Antisocial

The funny thing about social media is that it requires you to be social with your audience. If all Facebook posts are automatically posted to Twitter, then the chances of you responding to messages, retweets and comments are about zero. Twitter was created to reach customers faster and in real time. Don’t cheapen that valuable asset to save yourself a minute or two. Take a moment, a couple times a day, to actually log onto Twitter and be social.

There is a time and place for social media management shortcuts, but linking Facebook posts with Twitter is not the way to go. Try to separate the two and see what happens; I bet you’ll be impressed with the results.

Photo Credit: t r e v y

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Adam & Eve – WARNING: Adult Content

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Emily Sidley

Media Contacts:
Three Girls Media Inc. (408) 218-2391
Emily Sidley – Email Emily Sidley
Paige McDaniel – Email Paige McDaniel

Click to download larger version

What is it? Adam & Eve is the nation’s leading Internet retailer having served over 10 million customers through its website and catalog, and thousands more through their retail stores. With a long-standing history having a “sex positive” motto, Adam & Eve products have been spicing up the bedroom and enticing lovers for over 40 years. Adam & Eve sells only the highest quality products for individuals and couples looking to indulge in a positive sexual experience. Their signature products include:

Vibrators
Dildos
Ben-wa balls
Cock rings
Love cushions
Lubricants
Cleansers
Movies

Each product with erotic content is carefully reviewed either internally or by a certified sex therapist or psychologist to ensure that the items Adam & Eve sells reflect a healthy portrayal of human sexuality.

Adam & Eve Vibrating Silver Bullet – Click to download larger version

What is “sex positive?” Adam & Eve wants consenting adults to be aware they have the right and opportunity to enjoy safe sexual experiences within their own moral boundaries. The company funds an initiative to:

Inform adults about the issues, trends and cultural influences on the American sexual experience;
Advocate sexual honesty, and encourage adults to exercise their political influence to maintain their freedom; and
Entertain adults, encouraging them to “lighten up” about sex and view it as a healthy, normal and positive experience that can be enjoyed within the privacy of one’s own home.

Adam & Eve Couple’s Enhancer Ring – Click to download larger version

Who is it? Phil Harvey, founder of Adam & Eve, created the company as part of his master’s thesis in family planning while studying at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 1971. The inception of Adam & Eve came after Harvey’s time with the Peace Corps. He traveled throughout Africa, noticed the rapid spread of sexually transmitted diseases and identified a growing problem with overpopulation. Harvey challenged laws that made it illegal to sell/distribute birth control through the U.S. mail and from this endeavor, the Adam & Eve catalog was born. By doing this, Harvey created the first ever mail order contraceptive/sex-based business in the United States. For the first decade, Harvey experienced great success, and Adam & Eve was becoming a mainstream household name. This unfortunately caused a conservative uproar within the Reagan administration. Throughout the mid-1980s and into the early 1990s, Harvey fought against what he believed to be a corrupt and power-hungry justice system to ensure each American’s right to participate in healthy sexual encounters while being active in their own sexual decision-making. Today, Adam & Eve is the largest and most respected adult product company in the country.

Adam & Eve Personal Lubricant – Click to download larger version

How much is it? Adam & Eve products range in price depending on the individual item. Signature products range from $6.95 to $99.95. There is a price point for every budget.

Eve’s Slim Pink Pleaser Vibrator – Click to download larger version

What else? The Adam & Eve company culture is one based on giving back. Over 25% of all revenue is donated to international charities through DKT International, a non-profit continuation of Phil Harvey’s original mail order business. DKT provides family planning, health care and sex education materials to nine Third World countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. It ranks among the top international family planning and AIDS prevention organizations worldwide. Adam & Eve also supports sexual health education by sponsoring the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) & the Center for Family Life Education (CFLE), the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS) and others.

International family planning experts have called Harvey’s efforts one of the most effective front-line strategies against the spread of AIDS. Not only is each purchase of Adam & Eve benefiting others overseas, it is helping those right in our own backyard with annual donations being made to local charities such as Relay For Life, the Make-A-Wish foundation and many more. Employees also get involved by volunteering monthly for Meals on Wheels, the Christmas Angel Tree (where employees bring in gifts for children), Thanksgiving dinner boxes, various food collections, blood drives, etc.

Adam & Eve Purple Venus Butterfly – Click to download larger version

Where can I get it? Adam & Eve signature products are available for purchase at www.adamandeve.com, through their mail order catalog and at over 50 retail stores with plans underway for 75 more locations.

Adam & Eve Bunny Kiss – Click to download larger version

Story Ideas:

Liberate yourself! The Top 10 Toys for Self-Satisfaction: A positive sexual experience does not always include participation by a sexual partner, and with the Adam & Eve signature toys, satisfaction can be brought into your own hands. In fact, Adam & Eve has one of the most stringent product approval processes in the industry.

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem: the Perks of Shopping for Your Sex Life Online: Spicing up your sex life no longer requires you to put on your shoes, hop in the car and head down to the store. While there is no shame in shopping in stores, sometimes individuals prefer to shop in the comfort of their own home. This story could highlight the enormous adult mail order business, the convenience of shopping online and how a person’s sex life will benefit from their confidential purchases.

Knocking on the Back Door – Positive Products for Anal Pleasure: Ensuring a positive sexual experience is the goal at Adam & Eve. Trying new things can be intimidating, but branching out often is just what you need to spice up the bedroom. This story could serve as a guide to those looking to try something new.

Fighting for Sex Education World Wide: With 25% of Adam & Eve’s profits going to support sex education, family planning and health care in nine Third World countries, the company is one of the leading international organizations of its kind promoting AIDS prevention.

From Back Alleys to the American Mailbox: Historically, the concept of human sexuality was so taboo that sex shops were only deemed appropriate in a back alley or secret setting. Today, it is completely appropriate for an adult catalog to arrive in your mailbox without anyone blinking an eye. This story could highlight the evolution of sex products, from being sold in those back alleys to the American mailbox and retail stores nationwide.

Adam & Eve Masturbator Lube – Click to download larger version

5 Inspirational Quotes for the Small Business Owner

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Emily Sidley

With the passing of Nelson Mandela last week, the Internet was flooded with advice and inspirational quotes from this compassionate visionary. Although many of his quotations speak to personal growth and leadership, there is a lot of wisdom small business owners can take away from them and apply to their marketing and public relations efforts.

5 Inspirational Quotes from Nelson Mandela

These inspirational quotes from Nelson Mandela apply to public relations.

Here are a few inspirational quotes from Nelson Mandela that I especially like. Yes, they speak to personal growth, but they can all be applied to marketing and public relations, too.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Being a small business owner can be overwhelming at times. As you look at your overarching goals, sometimes they can seem impossible. But by creating a marketing plan to break your public relations activities into smaller to-do list items, you can take it step-by-step instead of all at once.
“I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.” Who do you rely on for advice? Whether you brainstorm public relations ideas with employees, business partners or friends, the important part is that they are engaged and thinking independently. Continue reading →

Fans of Snapchat – 3 Ideas for Business Success

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Stefanie

How will you snap?

Social media marketing is a constantly evolving resource that can no longer be ignored by small business owners or brand managers; the various platforms have quickly become a primary source for information. With changes happening so frequently, it is essential to have an understanding of how new tools and features can be used to positively impact your brand’s online presence. In this blog post, we introduce the social media app known as Snapchat and three ways your small business or brand manager can use the tool for positive impact. Continue reading →