The Ultimate SEO Audit

An SEO Audit is a status check of the overall health of your SEO program. In order to move the dial in natural search, you need to know what you're doing right, what needs… [more]

The Ultimate SEO Audit The Ultimate SEO Audit

Search Engine Optimization: Introduction + Education

The Introduction to the Introduction This post explores the elements of executing effective Search Engine Optimization. This series doesn't aim to provide you with any "secrets"… [more]

Search Engine Optimization: Introduction + Education Search Engine Optimization: Introduction + Education

Web 2.0 Expo: A Stream of Consciousness Report

SAN FRANCISCO The economy may be in a tailspin, but last week's Web 2.0 Expo proved that some start-ups have enough wind in their sails to see it through to the other side.… [more]

Web 2.0 Expo: A Stream of Consciousness Report Web 2.0 Expo: A Stream of Consciousness Report

31 WordPress Plugins To Enhance Your Blog and Life

It's 2009. Every business needs a corporate blog to accompany their corporate website, and every individual needs a personal blog to share their thoughts - or portfolio -… [more]

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A Conversation With Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey

SAN FRANCISCO Jack Dorsey Yesterday fellow Daily Anchor Editor Ella Keeven and I met with Twitter co-founder and Chairman of the Board Jack Dorsey for a little chat over… [more]

A Conversation With Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey A Conversation With Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey
Thumbnail image for A Little Bit of Good News in a Bad News World

A Little Bit of Good News in a Bad News World

It seems like every time we turn on the news these days, we hear a glass-half-empty attitude about everything. And for good reason. There are a lot of bad things going on in this world right now. It has gotten to the point where I can hardly bear to watch the nightly news. Lately, I just turn it off, because it can be so [...]

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Thumbnail image for The Best Articles We’ve Read This Week: The Feb 20 HitList

The Best Articles We’ve Read This Week: The Feb 20 HitList

This is the second in a series of Friday posts in which we’ll cover the best articles we’ve read all week. Most will be new, some will be old, but hopefully they’ll all be useful, interesting or entertaining.

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Thumbnail image for The Perfect Sales Pitch: What Would Aristotle Do?

The Perfect Sales Pitch: What Would Aristotle Do?

As a Rhetoric and Media Studies major, Aristotle’s teachings are the foundation of my approach to many aspects of business. What can we learn from his methods of presentation, persuasion and appeal to help boost Sales in a downturn?

If your presentation skills are lacking, then use this as your starting point.

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Thumbnail image for How to Handle PR: A Lesson From CB2′s Near Disaster

How to Handle PR: A Lesson From CB2′s Near Disaster

This week CB2 – by Crate and Barrel – failed to deliver a table to the set of HGTV’s Color Splash because it had neglected to process the transaction. CB2 then botched their chance to make amends by refusing to lend a floor sample to HGTV for 4 hours to film their final segment. In the end CB2 relented, but the damage had been done. Here’s a look at what went wrong.

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Thumbnail image for Recession Proof Industries: A Few Unexpected Industries That Are Up When the Economy is Down

Recession Proof Industries: A Few Unexpected Industries That Are Up When the Economy is Down

A while back we wrote about how to find a job in a recession, and we recommended you look into industries that are expected to keep growing despite the downturn. Most of those industries were pretty obvious, though, so here’s a look at some unexpected industries that continue to rock through the recession.

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Thumbnail image for The Professional Confessional: DIY or Die – Follow Up

The Professional Confessional: DIY or Die – Follow Up

Last week’s Pro/Con column had me left in the lurch by several colleagues and struggling to complete a lengthy RFP on my own. The shit continued to hit the fan, proving to be one of my largest f-ups to date, so I offer this follow-up.

My assessment that only self-reliance would equal success needs serious re-evaluation. I attempted to complete the RFP with just about a week remaining leading up to the due date…

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Thumbnail image for Groceries: Same Price, Less Product

Groceries: Same Price, Less Product

In the increasingly critical push to cut costs while avoiding layoffs, some companies are finding a solution in the mantra “same price, less product.” Last night on NPR I heard Michelle Norris interview Ben Popkin of The Consumerist about the recent trend of companies decreasing the size of their products in grocery stores while maintaining the same price, effectively raising prices on the sly.

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Thumbnail image for WSJ: Best and Worst Ads of 2008

WSJ: Best and Worst Ads of 2008

The WallStreet Journal has released their list of the best and worst ads of 2008, so head on over to the WSJ and vote for the winner [and the loser.] Here’s the short-list…

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Thumbnail image for 85 Twitter Tools

85 Twitter Tools

Here’s a look at some of the tools that have been feeding my Twitter addiction, and some other highly-recommended tools that I’ll be checking out this week. The strength of Twitter lies in its open API and 3rd party tools. If you’re looking to get the most out of Twitter, these tools will help you do just that.

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Thumbnail image for Behavioral Advertising to Remain Unregulated by FTC

Behavioral Advertising to Remain Unregulated by FTC

The FTC has issued only modest changes to a 2007 federal policy on behavioral advertising, the practice of tracking user behavior online and then tailoring advertising accordingly. Behavioral advertising will remain self-regulated by Internet companies, and the report contains only “recommendations.”

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Thumbnail image for Closed for the Holiday: See you on Tuesday

Closed for the Holiday: See you on Tuesday

In honor of the President’s Day holiday, The Daily Anchor is staying in our PJs and taking a vacation day. We hope you’re able to do the same. Tune in tomorrow for more marketing, sales and advertising goodness.

- Andrew, Rebecca, Ella, and Mike

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Thumbnail image for How to Market in a Recession? Ask Laiola Owner Joe Hargrave

How to Market in a Recession? Ask Laiola Owner Joe Hargrave

If you’ve been laid off and are in San Francisco this weekend, you’re in for a treat… literally. Laïol restaurant has offered to comp the meal of anybody who has recently been laid off. I think this is a genius marketing promotion.

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Thumbnail image for The Best Articles We’ve Read This Week: The Feb 13 Hit List

The Best Articles We’ve Read This Week: The Feb 13 Hit List

This is the first in a series of Friday posts in which we’ll cover the best articles we’ve read all week. Most will be new, some will be old, but hopefully they’ll all be useful. The list isn’t huge and it isn’t exhaustive, because if it were there’d be no chance you’d read them all.

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Thumbnail image for A Conversation With Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey

A Conversation With Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey

Yesterday fellow Daily Anchor Ella Keeven and I met with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey for a little chat over a cup of coffee. Well, a latte, drip coffee, and cappuccino, respectively.

Here’s a look at how Twitter got started, what’s changed, and the recent buzz about how they’re planning to monetize the site… and Jack’s favorite iPhone Twitter client (there’s like 30.)

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Thumbnail image for A Great Email Marketing Tool

A Great Email Marketing Tool

I took the opportunity to check into a fairly young player in the email marketing space, Act-On Software.
The user interface is clean and easy to use, requiring zero HTML coding to produce email templates. With a “per active profile” pricing structure as opposed to a monthly email limit and attractive pricing, Act-On is worth a look; a feature-rich multi-step marketing tool that aims to demystify intelligent lead generation for the masses.

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Thumbnail image for Case in Point: The Value of Word of Mouth Marketing

Case in Point: The Value of Word of Mouth Marketing

Recently, I had the pleasure of volunteering for a fundraiser here in the Bay Area. We helped set up and were then told that one of the wineries sent a few cases of wine but no representative, so pouring their wine would be our job for the night. My first thought was ‘why wouldn’t you send a representative from your business to talk about your product to 300+ wine drinkers?’

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Thumbnail image for Twitter to Begin Charging Brands for Use. Maybe. Sort of. Not really.

Twitter to Begin Charging Brands for Use. Maybe. Sort of. Not really.

Yesterday the mediaverse was abuzz with talk that Twitter was going to start charging for commercial use of its service. I just met with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, and not only is that old news (they’ve been talking about it for a year,) but most “news” reports yesterday missed the mark. Here’s the real story.

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Thumbnail image for The Professional Confessional: DIY or Die

The Professional Confessional: DIY or Die

I’m actually stunned to admit being guilty of this; usually I’m a pretty Do-it-Yourself (DIY) guy. In my current position, 99% of the time I take the position of “If you want something done right, you’ve got to Do It Yourself!” It’s that other 1% that really screwed me this time.

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Thumbnail image for Best Craigslist Job Hunting Post Ever (Warning: vulgar)

Best Craigslist Job Hunting Post Ever (Warning: vulgar)

Last week Ella Keeven offered insight into how to better position yourself in a job search by thinking of yourself as a product, but I’ve found another novel approach to job hunting… A colleague forwarded me the following Craigslist post, and while it’s wholly vulgar and wide outside the usual tenor of The Daily Anchor, I thought many of our readers would relate to this one man’s frustration.

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Thumbnail image for When to Quit Your Day-Job to Focus on Your New Business

When to Quit Your Day-Job to Focus on Your New Business

At what point should I leave my day-job to focus 100% on my new business? I’m being stretched thinner and thinner every day and find myself physically unable to give 110% to each of my responsibilities, and yet the prospect of leaving a stable, well-paying job in a recession is downright scary if not completely asinine. Then again, I think that a recession is actually the best time to start a new business.

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