An email to a friend.

Friend, I think you should get more involved with LinkedIn.
I’m seeing more benefits as I explore LinkedIn.

Do you think you have time to add more connections to your LinkedIn?
As you said, Samuel your in LinkedIn all the time. Yea, I’m in there everyday now.
Once you build your network you can stay on “top of mind awareness” with your network and the entire LinkedIn network.

Today I discovered “polls”. It would be great for you (friend is in the financial biz) to send out a poll asking about people’s investments or ask questions about the market.
****
Examples:
Do you think we are still in a recession? Yes-No
What investments do you have for retirement?
401K, Stocks/Bonds, Savings, Can in the backyard/mattress
****
But first, you need to have a network. It’s very easy…send an invitation to the ones you know…and they accept… very simple. No, I can’t do it for you.
After you connect with others look at their connections…most of the time they know ppl you know…then invite…that makes it easier so you don’t have to look up their email addresses.
You know how it is…you’ve used LinkedIn…you’ve research other peoples connections and then asked them about their connections…that’s fine, ppl have to be reminded.

I’ve noticed that I’m getting unsolicited emails in the form of an email newsletter from all over the country using my “services” email address. People are phishing everywhere during this time of economic downturn. So what should I do and what have I been doing?

1) Mark them as Spam – this helps your email software to determine if it is spam or not.
But it’s best to 2) Unsubscribe – unsubscribing takes you off the list – so you don’t even receive the email to begin with. Next you should 3) Research where they are phishing for your email addresses.
For me, being a webmaster, I have my email address everywhere…so I need to research where that “services” email is and encrypt it.

Encrypt it? How do you do that? Consult with your webmaster or internet service provider…they’ll be able to help you encrypt your email address on your website so that it can’t be phished. Your webmaster can use an “email riddler” from this website… http://www.dynamicdrive.com/emailriddler/

Also don’t put your email out on the web to be phished…just waiting to be taken.

I’ve written about this in another post here and here as well.

If you need help, contact us at Samuel Little Graphic Design

Today, I attended a social networking seminar presented by Nhat Pham (http://www.linkedin.com/in/nhatpham) with the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce on LinkedIn, Facebook for businesses and Twitter. Even though I have been LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/samuellittle) for about a year now, it was good to hear it from an expert like Nhat. The seminar was just today so I haven’t been able to use what I’ve learned…I’ll have more posts on that later. One thing that I did do immediately is put my LinkedIn web address link on my email signature.
My first impression from a marketing stand point is that users can target their market like never before! Focus on your target.

In LinkedIn there are many ways you can focus on what it is that you do best and present yourself as such on your LinkedIn pages over a broad network. You can research companies and individuals that you want to contact. As Nhat said, people will answer a LinkedIn email quicker than regular email…I think most likely because you’re apart of a common group.

As for Facebook for business, again…tailor your page to what your target market is. I don’t have much to say about this right now…I’ll post more later once I set up my Facebook page.

As for Twitter, Nhat said you can search anything…the whole Twitt network. That’s amazing! Search by keyword, demographics and the lot to see what people are talking about on any subject you want. I’m going to research this and see if it will be beneficial to me. I’ll get back to you on that as well.

Nhat spoke of a website called Ping.fm. A web site that allows you to update all of your social networks at once. This could be very helpful in getting your messages out but remember that most medias have a character count limit…so you need to know what that is before your words get cut off.

Another tool is Google Alerts. Nhat said that through Google Alerts you can be alerted when someone is searching for your name or company name. So when I’m alerted then what do I do with that information? I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. I think that’s very interesting.

This is all of the information I have for now from my seminar this morning…I’ll be back with more as I learn more.

One other thing that Nhat said which I thought was really funny. At the beginning of the meeting his “PC” was going so slow to pull up movies, links and web sites…he said and I quote…”I wish I had brought my Mac”. Why did he say that?…because Macs work. Sorry, I just had to mention that…I’m a 25 year + veteran of Apple MacIntosh products….from the MacPlus (1985) onward.

Update:
091909: I thought this was really funny…Nhat Pham said put your photo in your profile …nobody knows you as a lighthouse or as Garfield or as a cartoon.  LOL. Show your FACE!
Remember people always say “It hard for me to remember names”. But it’s easy to remember FACES.

Nhat also mentioned Hi-Tech and Hi-Touch. Hi-Tech is using the online services to connect but we also need to remember that we need Hi-Touch as well to make those connections real. He said to go from Hi-Touch to Hi-Tech and back to Hi-Touch to form bonding relationships. Like, I was telling a colleague of mine… I Hi-Touch and Hi-Tech, then when I go to organization meetings or industry trade shows I use those events as a vehicle to get back to Hi-Touch.

I also want to thank John Tyler Community College (Chester) for allowing us to use their facility for the seminar.

Samuel Little is an advertising design specialist specializing in publication layout, design, production, printing and delivery with Samuel Little Graphic Design.

Do you have your contact information registered with your domain name? Because if you don’t…you could very well loose your domain or have to fight for it.

There are 4 contact information areas that will insure that you are the owner and also allows your webmaster/hostmaster can manage your domain properly.
The 4 contact areas are:
Organization: Have your contact information here
Administrative: Webmaster’s contact information goes here. Updates to your domain will get sent to this contact information via email.
Technical: Webmaster or your contact information here
Billing: Have your contact information here (depends on who is in charge of billing)

*If your webmaster/hostmaster or another party has their contact information in all 4 contact areas…you could loose your domain if they can prove that they are the true owners of the domain and you’re not. It could be a fight that this point.

This is a new warning request that ICANN sends to all accredited registrants to insure the contact information is correct. Which brings up my question of “Who owns your domain?”
ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) requires all accredited registrars to ask their domain administrators/registrants (your webmaster) to review domain name contact data annually, and make any changes necessary to ensure accuracy.

Under ICANN rules and the terms of your registration agreement, PROVIDING FALSE CONTACT INFORMATION CAN BE GROUNDS FOR DOMAIN NAME CANCELLATION (to review the ICANN policy, visit: http://www.icann.org/whois/wdrp-registrant-faq.htm).

For more information about your domain(s) contact your webmaster/hostmaster or SLGD at domains@slgd.com.
SLGD offers an additional year free with the transfer of each domain to it’s services. Domain transfer is $11.99/yr.
Visit www.slgdhosting.com for all SLGD internet services.

In my industry…I need it today or tomorrow is normal. That’s just how it is in our industry of graphic design and advertising. Clients always think of the handout, the business card or the posters at the last minute. Because they’re business preparing the big picture. Hey! that’s ok! We’re here for you…this is what we do. Call us (804-545-7503) even if you don’t have a last minute project. When having a last minute project it’s best to hire someone with experience because the last thing you don’t want to do is spend precious time and money with a bad product at the end. Samuel Little Graphic Design will steer you in the right direction.

Here’s a few questions we’ll ask when you call:
• What is the project you want done?
• What is your deadline?
• Where do you need the project delivered or is it for pickup?
• For a printed piece, we’ll need to know this: quantity, size, colors (usually 4 color), 1 side or 2 sides, stock (paper). Once we have this information we can get a quote for you from the printer. We use local printers to support our local economy and you should too…it pays off.
• Do you have the materials (photos/text/copy/logos/font names/colors) to produce the piece or do we have to produce it?
• How many people are in the approval process. The less people, the faster the proofing process goes. So, if you have a fast turn-around project, we would suggest having one person have the final say…otherwise it could be costly in dollars and time. And most of the time – time we do not have.

If all of these questions are answered then I can give you a time schedule and costs of the project.

Give Samuel Little Graphic Design a call at 804-545-7503 (or visit our web site for more information) for your print design and printing projects. We have the experience and know-how to complete a project on time. We ask the right questions to get the best results for any project. We don’t promise what we can’t deliver. Samuel Little Graphic Design has been in business since 1995 with over 25 years of graphic design and advertising experience.

Samuel Little Graphic Design is helping with a merger from Archadeck to Outdoor Living Brands.

Samuel,
You continue to be a wonderful and very dedicated partner of Archadeck. You respond so quickly every time I have needed resources or information and you are always concerned that everything is still working and leads go to the correct place. I haven’t taken time to thank you yet but thank you very much.

Brightest Regards,

Robin Steele
Interactive Marketing Manager

Archadeck | Outdoor Lighting Perspectives
2924 Emerywood Parkway
Richmond VA 23294
OutdoorLivingBrands.com

Samuel Little Graphic Design is a web and print advertising company.

This was our 3rd annual Ukrops 10K. Congratulations to the runners/walkers this year: Sarah Garcia, Victor Garcia, China Garcia-Little (newcomer), Samuel Little and Donna Gregory (newcomer).

The weather station was calling for rain over the weekend of the race (March 28, 2009). So we were prepared same as last year for the rain. There is no preparedness for rain…just that you know you’re gonna get wet. As race day came it looked like there was not going to be any rain and there wasn’t. It was a good day for a race. Not hot, not cold…but just right.

Most of the crew trained for the race, I did not. In fact, I trained less this year than last year and it showed. I had a blow out on my right ankle about the 4th mile marker…so I limped the rest of the way. Donna and I stuck together during the race, this was Donna’s first big race…she said she had been in some 5K races earlier in this year. I hope we have her hooked. Sarah on the other hand, did great, she beat her past record and ran the 10K in less than an hour…we are really excited for her-woohoo. We are also excited for my wife China. Only about a year ago she would walk sparingly. Now after a few months of training, (she works out at the gym about 4-5 days a week) she’s beating us in the 10K. We’re really glad to see her out there with us participating.

After the race we found each other and got our usual refreshments, a bagel, powerade, banana, apple and some freebies from the vendors. And of course we were all walking funny from the soreness. After, we got home and took photos, Victor & Sarah took China and I out for lunch…(thanks). After China and I got back home it felt really good to take a nice long HOT shower. I’m sure the rest did the same…and a lil nap as well.

The race was managed by sportsbackers.org

This year’s race was not sponsored by Samuel Little Graphic Design with a commemorative t-shirt like in the past. But a t-shirt design was made…the printing of the t-shirts were not in the budget this year. To the right is this year’s design for the 3rd annual 10K t-shirt by Samuel Little Graphic Design>

The 3rd Annual Run/Walkers of the Samuel Little Graphic Design - Ukrops 10K, March 28, 2009: Sarah Garcia, Victor Garcia, China Little, Samuel Little & Donna Gregory. In memory of Sarah Lee Little.

Sarah Garcia, Victor Garcia & Samuel Little

Third annual SLGD Ntelos 8K race, 2008.
My thanks goes out to Victor and Sarah Garcia on a successful run/walk in the Ntelos 8K this year on November 15, 2008. They were sponsored by Samuel Little Graphic Design (SLGD.COM) a web and print advertising design company. This is the third year that SLGD has sponsored it’s members for the Ntelos 8k. Just days before the race it looked like it was going to be cold and rainy and it was looking like we were not going to the race. So the morning of the race we decided go and make the best of whatever came our way. Once we got to the race location, it was overcast but no rain…perfect weather for a race. As you see in the photo that we’re huffing and puffing because it was actually hot not cold for the race. I had to shed my hat at around the last mile of the race which kept in most of my body heat. This race is a personal goal for me to reach each year and it’s great to have others join me so that they can reach their goals as well. Sarah beat us all this year. Congratulations Sarah! Sarah Garcia and Victor Garcia both beat their times from last year. Samuel’s time was about 2 minutes longer than last year’s time which he contributes to his iPod earphones not staying in properly which required attention. Time for new earplugs! Samuel Little Graphic Design, designs a shirt for it’s runners/walkers for the race each year.

SLGD t-shirt design - 3rd Annual Ntelos 8k, 2008

Here’s is this year’s shirt design with the wording on the back of the shirt was 3rd Annual 8K, location, the date, a rabbit running and the SLGD logo. The SLGD logo was on the left breast area of the shirt. Need a t-shirt design for your event? Give us a call! (804-545-7503)

We are in the progress of our training for the Ukrops 10K in March…you’ll see us most weeks at American Family Fitness on Hull Street Road where we train. Sign up and get healthy… All you have to do is go to sportsbackers.org, sign up, make a commitment and do it! Every year we will add another member to the team…hint, hint. See you all at the Ukrop’s 10K – March 28, 2009, Rain or Shine! Thanks again, Team!

Samuel Little, president of Samuel Little Graphic Design, was named the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce’s Member of the Month for volunteering his time and services for the organization’s Fun in the Sun event. His firm specializes in the design and layout of marketing materials, such as logos, brochures, advertisements, direct mail and more, from conception to the finished product. He currently serves as creative director for the Chesterfield Observer, metro Richmond’s largest weekly newspaper. For more information, call 545-7503 or visit www.slgd.com.

Brochure designed for Atlantic Merchant

I had the pleasure of working with Bill Baker of Atlantic Merchant on a brochure for his company. Atlantic Merchant is one of my favorite clients because they allow me to design great marketing materials for them. And what’s the next best thing to having a great client and a great designer? It’s a great printer. This brochure was printed by one of our favorite printers Zooom Printing…they definitely have a niche. Thanks Zooom for a great print job…as always. The photos were all royalty-free and downloaded from a graphics service we have a subscription to. The credit cards on the front were scanned and photo manipulated in Adobe PhotoShop. This brochure will be used by Atlantic’s bank customers as a handout of their services for credit card processing services. Zooom produced 10,000 brochures for Atlantic and delivered them within 7 business days.
FYI: Atlantic has contracted us to do a flyer next, then a trade show booth display.

A note from the client:
Samuel,
I just received the brochures you designed for us and they are fantastic!
Since this was our company’s first brochure, we relied on you from start to finish. You were very easy to work with, kept us informed all throughout the process and delivered an outstanding product. We look forward to working with you in the future on other marketing pieces.

Thanks Again!

Sincerely,
Bill Baker, EVP
Atlantic Merchant Services, LLC

Samuel Little Graphic Design are specialists in brochure design. Visit our web site at www.slgd.com/brochures.html for more brochure designs and information.