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	<title>&#38; Associates Blog</title>
	<atom:link href="http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress</link>
	<description>Marketing Tips and Ideas For Success</description>
	<pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2009 17:19:31 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>The  Art of Now: Why Re-branding and Getting Your Message Out Now May Be Just What Your Business Needs</title>
		<link>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/re-branding-doing-public-relations-why-now-why-wait/</link>
		<comments>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/re-branding-doing-public-relations-why-now-why-wait/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 May 2009 19:01:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/?p=169</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
“Life unfolds in the present. But so often, we let the present slip away, allowing time to rush past unobserved and unseized, and squandering the precious seconds of our lives as we worry about the future and ruminate about what&#8217;s past.”
&#8212;-   Jay Dixit from “The Art of Now” an article that appeared in Psychology [...]]]></description>
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<p class="MsoNormal">“Life unfolds in the present. But so often, we let the present slip away, allowing time to rush past unobserved and unseized, and squandering the precious seconds of our lives as we worry about the future and ruminate about what&#8217;s past.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&#8212;-   Jay Dixit from “The Art of Now” an article that appeared in Psychology Today Magazine.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Doing it now can mean jumping into the game quickly.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>We talk to clients every day who want to redo their branding and start a public relations program but they hesitate for a variety of reasons: “I haven’t budgeted for this project.” “I do everything myself and always have.”  “I’m not used to having anyone work on my business but me.” “The economy is slow and I’m saving cash right now.” “I don’t have time to look into anything new right now.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>We’ve found through our  experience that the idea of having an expert or outsider work on a company’s business is often a daunting proposition&#8211;especially for a small business.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Here are a few questions to ask yourself about your business and be honest with yourself about why you aren’t taking the next steps to grow your business?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>1)<span>    </span></span><span>Do you just like doing everything yourself? Do you just not want anyone to get involved with your marketing? This is where clients often get their most enjoyment from&#8211;marketing&#8211;because it is very creative. Where are you this year as compared with last year? Are you happy with the results?<span>  </span>Just because you enlist an expert to help you grow your business more professionally doesn’t mean that you won’t be part of the process and contribute ideas and concepts &#8212;its just that these ideas and concepts may be executed in a more efficient, professional manner that produces results. Think: Your ideas, but better!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>2)<span>    </span></span><span>I don’t want to spend any money. Where are you spending your money now? Where are you spending your time? Is it in the same places and are you getting results from these habitual spending practices? Would fresh ideas and new approaches open up new markets and bring you new clients? How will you know if you don’t explore this option? What is your time worth? If your business is taking years to do their launch and another is handling it more efficiently with outside assistance and professional design, you may want to revisit the notion of handling things in-house or waiting to do your branding when you have reached a certain level of sales. You may want to factor what your actual (real hours that you spend each month on your business) hourly &#8220;wage&#8221; is based on the number of hours you work and you may realize you would do better delegating some responsibilities to others even if it&#8217;s for short bursts of time as with preparing for a major trade show.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>3)<span>    </span></span><span>Why are you doing everything yourself? Handling everything yourself is counter productive. If your business is a vanity project for you then keep doing it the way you are doing, but if you want to grow your business eventually to sell, to pass on to your children or to expand into a nationwide business, do you think it’s possible to do this all yourself? No one else does. One of the greatest things about being an entrepreneur is that you can enlist help and support and contract with folks to take care of some parts of your business that you may not be an expert in. If you need to be the expert and the “go to” person for everything in your business then you may want to start considering delegating. Until you learn this you won’t be able to grow your business. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span>4)<span>    </span></span><span>The economy is slow and I’m saving cash right now. Yes the economy is slow, but this is where new opportunities are. Other weaker competitors may be downsizing and cutting their public relations and advertising spends, it may be a prime time for you to gain exposure in media and with your brand because others are operating in the “fear” mode while you are operating in the here and now and moving progressively forward you can take advantage of some great pricing out there for banner ads, radio, media coverage, trade shows and event participation. Locking in sponsorships with key events can position your company as a “player” in your category, but you can’t do this if you have your head buried in the sand thinking that some day money will fall from the skies and then and only then will you be able to think about advertising, marketing, public relations and branding.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>5)<span>    </span></span><span>Can I cope with the growth? Will this change my business and is this what I really want?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It&#8217;s as simple as making a flow chart and looking at your organization. Do you have the bandwidth to suddenly handle a surge of new business? Is your website capable of selling your product efficiently online?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Would an article in &#8220;O Magazine&#8221; suddenly send you into a panic? Would you need to rethink your brand strategy, your communications, the photography for your product and other aspects of your business? The time to think about these things is BEFORE you launch your brand, communications and vision out to the public. There are solutions for all your businesses&#8217; needs. Step back and take a 4000 foot view of your business. This means getting out of the daily grind of thinking that you are bogged down in your own business dealing with operational issues. Focusing on growing your business will produce greater results. This includes: improving your company&#8217;s brand, image and visibility in the marketplace. If your website was done by your brother-in-law to save money, yet it can&#8217;t complete a sale online or provide statistics and metrics about visitors per month, it&#8217;s time to move on and get the website redone and correctly.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>6)  What will a new logo, brand or package design do for my business? I’m just fine the way I am.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>A new logo and brand can do many things. It can help a reluctant buyer change their mind that your product is &#8220;ready for prime time&#8221; and finally submit that purchase order. If the product, brand, and press kit are professional looking you have a better chance of it meeting with a better reception with prestigious publications and TV shows. <em>Real</em><em> Simple</em>, <em>O,</em> and <em>Rachael Ray</em> and <em>Martha Stewart Magazine, The Wall Street Journal</em> and <em>The View</em> are sent hundreds of products and press kits. Yours needs to stand out and be professional. Your brand needs to speak to the types of customers you are trying to attract and the story needs to be compelling and interesting.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">7) Why don&#8217;t you have the time to look into new ways to grow your business? Have you ever watched a new competitor on the horizon a little jealously because they are getting great press, their product is appearing on store shelves and you are hearing about them from people in your community? What is their secret you ask yourself? Often the launch of a new company or product that is successful is fully planned and integrated. When you consider that this new competitor may moving faster and gaining ground in your category it may be because they spent money on a worthwhile and effective campaign. While yours may be a three or ten-year-old-company it may take a long time to get that kind of visibility if you are spending your money and time in the wrong places. Getting somewhere faster can actually save your company money and man hours.  Consider your brand as an investment. What is this investment worth? What should the investment accomplish? And how long will it take if you continue to handle things the way you have been? If your company&#8217;s website and communications materials aren&#8217;t optimized for Search Engines  (Google, Yahoo, Explorer, Safari, etc.), you are missing opportunities and leads for your business. What is it worth to have pre-qualified customers find you and order your product? What is an ongoing commitment from a 100+ retail store chain worth to your business? Only you know the real answers to these questions for your particular business. Sometimes it just makes sense to budget and move forward instead of waiting, wondering and watching as other newer businesses start overtaking your category.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Sandra Evans is the Founder and Co-Creative Director of &amp; Associates an integrated marketing, design and branding, public relations firm that specializes in producing results for clients. www.andassociates-ca.com</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">info@andassociates-ca.com</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">415 887 9230</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Tips to Make Your Design Project Go More Smoothly</title>
		<link>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/tips-to-make-your-design-project-go-more-smoothly/</link>
		<comments>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/tips-to-make-your-design-project-go-more-smoothly/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2009 22:05:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[branding]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[design]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[strategy and planning]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[agency]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[managing creative projects]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[public relations]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/?p=125</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
 



 
 
These design tips have been developed to save you money, time and provide the most efficient process to ensure the best results, minimize mistakes and reduce cost overruns due to client changes. These procedures are common in any design practice. 
1) The client needs to decide if the agency will be taking a larger [...]]]></description>
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<p><strong></strong></p>
<p><strong></strong></p>
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<div id="attachment_138" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 280px"><img class="size-medium wp-image-138 " title="istock_000005344985xsmall" src="http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/istock_000005344985xsmall-300x199.jpg" alt="Creative talent and client needs to work together for the best result." width="270" height="179" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The Creative team and the client needs to work as a team for the best results. These tips should help you understand the process.</p></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">These design tips have been developed to save you money, time and provide the most efficient process to ensure the best results, minimize mistakes and reduce cost overruns due to client changes. These procedures are common in any design practice. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">1) The client needs to decide if the agency will be taking a larger project management role for the project or if you have internal staff capable of managing some of the details. It makes sense to have the agency handle the additional responsibilities if you don&#8217;t have the &#8220;bandwidth&#8221; to have someone internal handle the project from start to finish. This could also mean that the agency manages printing. This is the first &#8220;process&#8221; question that should be addressed when talking about your project: How will it be managed and who is doing what on the project.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><strong>TIP: THE ADDITIONAL COST FOR HAVING THE AGENCY MANAGE THE PROJECT START TO FINISH IS NEGLIGIBLE WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THE AGENCY CAN ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT WILL BE DONE CORRECTLY AND YOU WILL RECEIVE THE FINAL MATERIALS ON TIME. HANDING OFF PRINTING OR KEY DETAILS TO INTERNAL STAFF AT YOUR OFFICE CAN MEAN THAT THE PROJECT IS DELAYED OR WORSE, NOT DONE CORRECTLY.</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">2) It is the client’s responsibility to provide the &#8220;specs&#8221; for the job: i.e., the sizes, specifications and printing information to the design firm or agency for their specific project(s) before the agency starts the project.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">For example, before the firm can design an advertisement they will need the size and will need to know if the ad will have a border, will it bleed? Is it four color? What is the line screen or resolution of the ad? The print publication can send the client an ad sheet you can send this along to the design firm. If you bought a certain size ad then you need to tell the firm what the specs are.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">This is also true regarding packaging projects or trade show booth graphics or any design project. Do you have the actual booth size, label size or even best a template or outline of the print area? Do you have the printing specifications? It can be helpful to know what type of printing process will be used for the project.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">3) Content development and copy writing. If your budget includes copy writing and the design firm is developing and handling this for you, you need to supply in a word document an outline and any information that will be associated with the project. It may also be a good idea to have a &#8220;creative input&#8221; session either in person or as a conference call before the project starts.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Do not supply outlines or final content information as an email as emails get lost and revisions and changes sent as individual emails will definitely not make this process as efficient as it can be. Do not supply final content as a scanned document or PDF. It needs to be in a word document. Research information is fine to send as a scanned document, but final content should always be in a word doc.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Please don’t point the design firm or agency to the website or a past brochure for your &#8220;final content.&#8221; If you are responsible for providing the final content for your project, then you need to provide it in a final approved document. The design firm won&#8217;t know what on the website or brochure is current or what is to be deleted. Invariably there will be changes to your old content so its best to take the time to put it into one final approved document and a word document is best. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you are supplying the content (no fees to the design firm or agency for copywriting) then you need to supply the design firm or agency with all final copy in a word doc. Once they receive your final approved content, then they can begin your project.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>TIP: IF YOU AREN&#8217;T ABLE TO DEVELOP AN OUTLINE, YOU MAY WANT TO HAVE A STRATEGY SESSION WITH THE DESIGN FIRM TO DEVELOP THE PROJECT PLAN AND LT THEM TAKE THE FIRST STEPS AND A LARGER ROLE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PRINT  MANAGEMENT, BUT BE PREPARED THAT THIS WILL COST ADDITIONAL FEES. </strong></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">You can ask the design firm or agency to do the due diligence and research for your project specificiations, but by having the design firm call your suppliers, vendors, printers or manufacturers or magazine to determine the specifications for your project this raises to new level the project management done by the design firm and they will likely have to bill you for additional project management time. If your idea is just an idea at this phase, you may enlist the design firm early but be prepared for additional costs.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The design firm or agency will call the printer to make sure all details are covered once they are in production, but it is the client’s responsibility to provide the specifications about the job to the firm. Otherwise you could be facing additional charges or worse, surprises when you receive the final product. Design firms are happy to work with clients on these issues, but having at least one conversation about how the process will be undertaken is always a good idea before the project starts.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">4) Quality of images, photographs, logos, and previous design elements that firm is to use.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The design firm or agency will need your previous design as Adobe Illustrator files, PhotoShop and not PDFs.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">They will need logos to be 300 dpi resolution or higher a either EPS files, jpeg, Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop files.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you supply any photographs or graphics that you want the design firm or agency to use, they need to be jpeg or tiffs and 300 dpi or higher resolution.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">5) Changes, Revisions to Content</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Minimizing changes is always a challenge for print and design projects. The best approach to do this is to have one document with all the final copy approved. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">We suggest that clients send a word doc with the current content and either use the Track Changes tool in Word or add the changes and then highlight them in yellow.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Do not send changes in emails.  Emails, especially separate ones with separate changes will likely be confusing so we advise that you put the changes into a word document.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Changes need to be as complete as possible. If you send additional changes beyond one time then you will likely be charged additional time to make the changes.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s best to send the new revised complete content with the changes. This way the designer won’t get confused about what stays in and what is to be deleted.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>TIP: USE THE TRACK CHANGES TOOL IN WORD AS THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY TO PREVENT CONFUSION.</strong></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Note about changes – Please realize that this is your brand and product and that you have been “living with it’ for a long time. Many clients think that design and agency firms can instantly “fill in the blanks” for information that we don’t have. We will need the actual information from you.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">6) Approvals</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Please try to send your comments and/or changes within 48 hours or at least 72 hours from when you receive the presentation from a design firm or agency:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Please gather all your changes/comments (if they are from several people, compile them into one word document).</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>TIP: HAVE ONE PERSON BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING THE FEEDBACK, SYNTHESIZING THIS INFORMATION AND PRESENTING IT TO THE AGENCY. DESIGN BY COMMITTEE AND APPROVAL BY COMMITTEE WILL DEFINITELY MAKE THE PROJECT TAKE LONGER AND TIME USUALLY TRANSLATES TO ADDITIONAL FEES.</strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">If approved, send back approved. Some agencies require signed hardcopies.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">If not approved, send back need these changes.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>TIP: FORMALIZE YOUR APPROVALS. HAVE A SYSTEM FOR THIS SO THEY ARE EASILY TRACKED.</strong> It could be as simple as subject line from project lead says: PROJECT #1234 APPROVED if using email. Sign and date a  print copy and scan or fax or messenger back to agency. This is important. Once you sign for something it&#8217;s finished and billed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Once approved and signed off, the design firm will start to prepare to send final materials to the printer (if the design firm is managing the printing for you) and the client is responsible for the printed product. So be sure to really look at these and approve carefully for all final printed materials.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you aren’t detail oriented and think you can’t find all the details, please find someone in your office who is. You will be glad you took this extra step!</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>TIP: FIND SOMEONE WHO IS GOOD AT DETAILS TO HELP IN THE APPROVAL AND CONTENT PHASE</strong></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">7) Who’s on the team for this project?</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Please try to provide the design firm or agency with one approval person.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">It helps to have another person to help facilitate the project such as an admin or assistant.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The design firm or agency may have questions and will need to have someone available or someone who knows how to reach you.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">These procedures aren’t designed for the benefit of the design firm or agency. They are actually a win-win for the client and the agency if you follow them judiciously. Because printing and design is so precise and particularly if you are simultaneously working on several projects you will be glad that you took the time to learn from the pros how to more efficiently work on creative and design projects with design firms and agencies.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you follow these tips you may save money which you can use on other things for your company: Possibly ad an additional trade show, print ad or another design project by keeping design and text changes within the scope of the original budget. Remember that old saying in the building trades: </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Measure Twice, Cut Once.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It&#8217;s best to have your content and strategy complete and check and recheck the work before sending it to a firm. And if you need help getting the project started, enlist the design firm but determine in advance how much of the project management role they will handle for your project. If you have a large trade show and event schedule, it may make sense to have the design firm handle the additional project management details for you. Communication  and having a clearly defined process in advance will help you achieve the best results for your project and meet your deadline.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sandra Evans is the founder and Co-Creative Director of</span><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">  </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">&amp; Associates a design, branding, event, marketing and public relations firm. For more information visit:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.andassociates-ca.com">http://www.andassociates-ca.com</a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">info@andassociates-ca.com</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></p>
<p> </p>
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		<title>What is Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) and why should I care?</title>
		<link>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/what-is-latent-semantic-indexing-lsi-and-why-should-i-care/</link>
		<comments>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/what-is-latent-semantic-indexing-lsi-and-why-should-i-care/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:49:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wayne</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[SEO]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[latent semantic indexing]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[lsi]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[rankings]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[related terms]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[search results]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/?p=119</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Google and other search engines have been required to constantly improve their algorithms to provide relevant content to searches. No longer is it enough to have a certain percentage of a keyword phrase in your copy, or a certain number of inbound links in anchor text (all still important). Now, the Search Engines are looking [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Google and other search engines have been required to constantly improve their algorithms to provide relevant content to searches. No longer is it enough to have a certain percentage of a keyword phrase in your copy, or a certain number of inbound links in anchor text (all still important). Now, the Search Engines are looking to make sure there are plenty of related words in the copy to increase the quality of the search results.</p>
<p>LSI considers words that are not necessarily literally semantically related but that are used in the same context and is more like humans categorize and classify information. LSI knows to connect “Apple” both with “Oranges” and also with “Computer” as it is used in context in common speech.</p>
<h2>LSI and The Fractal Connection</h2>
<p>The 20th century Mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot used mathematical equations to produce images called fractals which map the probabilities of word occurrences in English. Interestingly, the way we use language and classify documents can be described by mathematical equations similar to those that describe other chaotic systems. Therefore the seemingly mathematical and abstract principles and concepts underlying LSI are surprisingly similar to how humans use words and organize documents.</p>
<p>Because of this, web content that performs well under LSI analysis is likely to be more thoughtfully written, higher quality content and not something a robotic word machine could crank out. What this means to our search engine optimization (SEO) efforts is that every word on the page and not just our chosen keyword is important. In fact, this very document is being written with this in mind, weaving in words we know are seen by Google as related so that this article will stand up well to semantic analysis (one of those related phrases).</p>
<p>Using LSI is both art and science working toward the continual improvement of our web page rankings. Used correctly, it can propel a simple web article or blog post into the top 10 Google results in a matter of hours, and I have done that many times recently.</p>
<h2>How to improve SEO using LSI</h2>
<p>By placing additional weight on related words in content, LSI has a net effect of lowering the value of pages which only match the specific term and do not back it up with related terms. In fact, some pages may have their rank lowered by being “over-optimized” for one particular phrase.</p>
<p>So, mix up your anchor text and keywords used. For example, if I were working on SEO terms, I would also use various anchor text combinations so that the linkage appears more natural.</p>
<p>Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) is good for the web searcher because they get more relevant, compelling content. It’s good for the search engines because it increases the quality of the content in their databases. And its good for your business because it ensures you’ll have content that drives more traffic to your site for more conversions and sales.</p>
<h3>LSI Secret Weapon - NEW!</h3>
<p>&amp; Associates uses a powerful software tool that combs through the top 10 Google results for any keyword phrase and produces a report showing the most common  2, 3 and 4 word phrases that are showing up on these top ranking pages. A new article or post written based on these phases can reach top rankings in a matter of hours. Allow us to help you achieve these results for your targeted phrase. We have made it very affordable for small businesses. And besides, you leaving money on the table by NOT getting your web page onto this valuable piece of commercial real estate.</p>
<p>Where do I learn more? See technical doc here:<a onclick="javascript:urchinTracker('/outbound/javelina.cet.middlebury.edu/lsa/out/lsa_definition.htm?ref=/');" href="http://javelina.cet.middlebury.edu/lsa/out/lsa_definition.htm" target="_blank"><br />
Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI)</a>, by Clara Yu, et al., National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education, January 1, 2002.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Contact &amp; Associates</p>
<p><a href="mail to: info@andassociates-ca.com">info@andassociates-ca.com</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Wayne Marshall</p>
<p>Online Marketing Strategist</p>
<p>&amp; Associates</p>
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		<title>Marketing and Advertising Executives Polled About Marketing Topics at Key Conference</title>
		<link>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/marketing-and-advertising-executives-polled-about-marketing-topics-at-key-conference/</link>
		<comments>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/marketing-and-advertising-executives-polled-about-marketing-topics-at-key-conference/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:14:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[branding]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[social networking]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/?p=92</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
 

 
At the recent &#8220;Masters of Marketing&#8221; Conference by the Association of National Advertisers, 1,200 client-side marketers, media and creative agencies, and others were polled via handheld devices about their marketing mix, budgets, plans, and tactics throughout the event. The results are shown below.
Adjustment to current marketing and media plans to account for the recent downturn [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!--StartFragment--></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/ana-mom.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-116" title="ana-mom" src="http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/ana-mom.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="97" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>At the recent &#8220;Masters of Marketing&#8221; Conference by the Association of National Advertisers, 1,200 client-side marketers, media and creative agencies, and others were polled via handheld devices about their marketing mix, budgets, plans, and tactics throughout the event. The results are shown below.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Adjustment to current marketing and media plans to account for the recent downturn in the financial markets: </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>33% say spending will be reduced </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>33% say spending will be constant / marketing mix will be reallocated </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>27% expect to spend more </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>8% will keep everything status quo</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>CEO view of marketing efforts with respect to growth:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>56% think of brand building as an investment </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>21% think it&#8217;s an unaccountable but necessary expense </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>15% are not sure </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>8% consider it an unnecessary expense </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Preferred social media site for driving brand growth:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>32% say none </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>20% say YouTube </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>18% say Facebook </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>12% like them all </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>10% say LinkedIn </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>6% MySpace </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>3% Twitter</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Plans for marketing expense in 2009 vs. 2008:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>26% plan to increase spending more than 10% </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>13% plan to increase spending less than 10% </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>28% will hold stable </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>14% will decrease spending less than 10% </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>19% will decrease spending more than 10% </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The largest branding discipline offering opportunity for growth:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>28% say social media integration </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>19% say grassroots, viral public relations </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>17% say traditional 30-second spots </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>16% say web advertising </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>7% say one-page advertisements in a newspaper/magazine </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>7% say direct marketing </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>5% say radio</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Company&#8217;s current measurement method of brand growth:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>70% say sales and net income </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>15% use third-party brand equity valuations </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>9% think shareholder value </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>4% measure by household penetration </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>3% say company culture </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Source: Association of National Advertisers, October 2008</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>© 2008 MediaPost Communications</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p><!--EndFragment--></p>
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		<title>How Important is Branding and Design?</title>
		<link>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/how-important-is-branding-and-design/</link>
		<comments>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/how-important-is-branding-and-design/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:15:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[branding]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[design]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[advertising]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[marketing tips]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/?p=71</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Can brilliant branding and design take a middling product that’s going completely unnoticed in its category and turn it into the clear leader while increasing sales exponentially?
It’s not only possible, but it’s happened before. A perfect example: Absolut Vodka.    

Most people don’t know that Absolut was nothing special when it was first introduced in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><!--StartFragment--></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Can brilliant branding and design take a middling product that’s going completely unnoticed in its category and turn it into the clear leader while increasing sales exponentially?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>It’s not only possible, but it’s happened before. A perfect example: Absolut Vodka.    <a href="http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/absolute.jpeg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-77" title="absolute" src="http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/absolute.jpeg" alt="" width="105" height="150" /></a><br />
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Most people don’t know that Absolut was nothing special when it was first introduced in the US market – it wasn’t even considered a super-premium vodka. In fact in the first year only 10,000 cases were sold.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>As far as consumers were concerned, quality vodkas were Russian vodkas. What was a Swedish vodka to do? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>The answer was branding and design.<span>  </span>Instead of trying to copy the Russian vodkas, Absolut hired professionals to create a unique look and feel. It was fun, it was smart, it stood out and it set Absolut apart. The result: three years later, Absolut had overtaken the leading Russian vodka in sales. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Now not every company has the ad budget Absolut does, but the same principals still apply. In fact, brilliant branding and design is even more important for small companies, because your target audience should be enticed by your product the very first time they see it. And if they aren’t, you may not get a second chance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><strong>Rule number one: consistency</strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/images.jpeg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-76" title="images" src="http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/images.jpeg" alt="" width="150" height="113" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Nike could put its swoosh on almost anything and consumers would recognize it – smaller companies don’t have that luxury. The key is consistency. As a small brand, your target audience is only going to see your product, marketing materials or ads infrequently, so the more consistent your message and look, the more chance you have of making connections in their mind.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Consistency also increases consumer trust. It makes your company and product seem more professional, more premium and more trustworthy. We have all been trained by the big brands to expect flawless, consistent design, and the more your company can deliver it the better you’ll do.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><strong>How do I begin?</strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Contact <a href="http://www.andassociates-ca.com">&amp; Associates</a> – we’ll show you how we took a beverage brand with weak, inconsistent marketing material and reinvented them with a fresh, modern, consistent design that honors their heritage.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Josh Feldman</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Art Director</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">&amp; Associates</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Sources:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span><a href="http://www.wharton.universia.net/index.cfm?fa=viewArticle&amp;id=491&amp;language=english">http://www.wharton.universia.net/index.cfm?fa=viewArticle&amp;id=491&amp;language=english</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>http://www.absolutad.com/absolut_about/history/story</span></p>
<p><!--EndFragment--></p>
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		<item>
		<title>A Brief History of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)</title>
		<link>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/a-brief-history-of-search-engine-optimization-seo/</link>
		<comments>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/a-brief-history-of-search-engine-optimization-seo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:32:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wayne</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[SEO]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[incoming links]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[lsi]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[ranking]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[search engine optimization]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/?p=67</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of preparing a web page to encourage the search engines to rank it highly on their results pages for certain keywords. Some sites get hundreds of visitors PER DAY from organic (FREE) search listings. It can be easy or hard to get there, depending on the keyword [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of preparing a web page to encourage the search engines to rank it highly on their results pages for certain keywords. Some sites get hundreds of visitors PER DAY from organic (FREE) search listings. It can be easy or hard to get there, depending on the keyword phrase. Being on the front page of Google is like owning Park Ave in Monopoly and having a steady source of traffic and revenue.</p>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-90 alignright" title="googlescreen" src="http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/googlescreen.gif" alt="" width="300" height="227" />This SEO process includes both &#8220;on-page&#8221; and &#8220;off-page&#8221; factors.  On-page SEO includes the title of the document, using heading tags, and using the targeted keywords appropriately on the page. Off-page SEO mainly consists of incoming links to your site from other sites and the text they use to link to you, called anchor text.</p>
<p>Not too long ago, when on-page optimization was the only thing that really mattered. All you had to do to get onto the first page of a search engine was to stuff your pages and meta tags full of the same keyword phrase. The more times the phrase was repeated, the higher the page would appear.</p>
<p>But the search engines soon caught on, and they had to take steps to correct this.  They started penalizing sites that repeated keywords too often.  They began to ban sites that used “hidden” keywords. They had to take action, because their visitors were not getting the quality results they were looking for.</p>
<p>Search engines had been working harder and harder to counteract these measures, but for years, they weren’t very effective.  Once the search engines caught on to one trick, webmasters found another way to exploit the system.</p>
<p>Then Google developed a unique algorithm that virtually eliminated all of those on-page spam techniques.  They gave some weight to on-page factors, but they also included a new system that helped determine the importance of pages.</p>
<p>They decided that sites that were truly high quality would have a large number of sites linking back to them.  This system has come to be known as Google PageRank, or PR. Google itself has a PR 10 and new sites usually start with a  PR of 0. The higher the PR number a page has, the more important it’s believed to be.</p>
<p>Of course, PR itself also began to be abused.  People figured out that all they had to do to increase their PR in Google was to get thousands of links pointing to their site. They started spamming guestbooks, free-for-all link sites, and other low quality sites to get links.  Then Google changed their algorithms again to give less weight to links from low quality sites and more weight to higher quality sites.</p>
<p>Another big part of off-page optimization is the actual text that other websites use to link to you, known as anchor text. Anchor text is used to tell people what a particular site is about, but it also tells the search engines what the site is about.  If your site sells mens shoes, and you’re trying to optimize a page specifically for “mens shoes,” then you should have sites use that text to link to you as often as you can.</p>
<p>Backlinks are arguably more important than on-page optimization. Backlinks from sites that are in the same niche as your site are weighed especially well, especially if those links are on pages with high PR.</p>
<p>The more links from reputable sites that you can get, the better your page is likely to rank, especially if your on-page factors are also well-optimized. The best way to get backlinks is to use free Web 2.0 social sites such as Squidoo, Hubpages, Wordpress, Wetpaint and many others who have high PR and pass on some of that authority to the subpage you can easily create.</p>
<p>Lastly, there’s a new kid on the block with the Google algorithm and it’s called <a href="http://www.kaizen-marketing.com/20/latent-semantic-indexing-lsi-and-good-seo-practices/">Latent Semantic Indexing or LSI</a>. Basically, LSI means that Google is looking at your on-page content AND the incoming links, not only in terms of your primary keyword phrase, but also taking into account the related or themed keywords that are associated with that phrase. Shoes would be related to clothing and socks, for example. There are ways to analyze the top ranking web pages to see what Google thinks the themed words are for those pages and create content based on those reports. An active blog site can have front page Google rankings within 20 minutes using this strategy and I have done that recently with a few keyword phrases.</p>
<p>Of course, all this takes time and the expertise to do the above tasks correctly. Most small business owners do not have the time to do this well and often rely on search engine optimization companies, many of whom are unscrupulous and still try to get by with the same old tricks that used to work but clearly do not now.</p>
<p>In contrast, <a href="http://www.andassociates-ca.com">&amp; Associates</a> has the necessary skill and also high integrity to get your keywords to the front page of Google and others at an affordable fee structure. Contact us and we will offer you a free site evaluation based on your home page and the top 5 keywords you would like to rank on.  We will also offer a 30% discount off the keyword research report that is always our first step regarding SEO. We outsource to a service by <a title="SEO Services" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker('/outbound/www.seoresearchlabs.com/');" href="http://www.seoresearchlabs.com/">SEO Research Labs</a>, who provide a comprehensive report with a minimum of 300 keywords showing search volumes and those with few competitors (low hanging fruit).</p>
<p>Wayne Marshall<br />
Online Marketing Strategist<br />
&amp; Associates</p>
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		<title>Reaching Your Marketing and Sales Goals Requires Planning</title>
		<link>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/reaching-marketing-and-sales-goals-requires-planning/</link>
		<comments>http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/reaching-marketing-and-sales-goals-requires-planning/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:53:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sandra</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[branding]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[design]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[public relations]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[strategy and planning]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[advertising]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[planning]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[product launches]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[sales and lead generation]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[trade show marketing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/?p=8</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“80% of success is showing up” -  WOODY ALLEN
When attending trade shows, sales presentations and any important marketing and sales opportunities&#8230;
Are you doing all you can to take care of the other 20%?
One of the most common mistakes and missteps that companies make is to not spend adequate time on planning and strategy for their [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/istock_000002336235medium.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-9" title="istock_000002336235medium" src="http://andassociates-ca.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/istock_000002336235medium-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="270" height="179" /></a>“80% of success is showing up” -  WOODY ALLEN</p>
<p>When attending trade shows, sales presentations and any important marketing and sales opportunities&#8230;</p>
<p>Are you doing all you can to take care of the other 20%?</p>
<p>One of the most common mistakes and missteps that companies make is to not spend adequate time on planning and strategy for their events, conferences and product launches. Often day to day operations take priority and forecasting is overlooked when planning successful trade shows, conference, sales meetings, product launches and sales presentations.</p>
<p>Consider that your trade show, advertising, travel and payroll budget for these events and product launches can account for some of your largest expenditures for the year. It makes sense to develop a plan, outline goals for each department and discuss how to best achieve the results from your trade show or product launch spend.</p>
<p>Here are 12 questions to ask before your next trade show or product launch:</p>
<p>1) What is your goal for your sales team for this event?</p>
<p>2) What is your messaging strategy for the conference attendees or launch?</p>
<p>3) What is your messaging strategy for the media?</p>
<p>4) Which product or products are going to be the focus of the show or launch?</p>
<p>5) What publication targets are most important to this target audience?</p>
<p>6) Does your branding, graphics and photography match your current product and company image? Is it consistent across all materials?</p>
<p>7) How do you plan on communicating your messaging to your target prospects? Web, print, speaker strategy or panel (other?)</p>
<p>8) Will the product(s) and samples be ready in time for this important launch or show?</p>
<p>9) Have you purchased advertising in relevant publications and websites likely to be read by the attendees?</p>
<p>10) Do you have a methodology for capturing customer data and for following up after the conference?</p>
<p>11) Have you appointed one person or a team to be in charge of managing the launch and or show? Do they have adequate experience?</p>
<p>12) How will you measure your results from the show or launch?</p>
<p>If you answered don’t know or no to some of these questions, then you may want to consider adding the help of an outside firm to aid you with keeping goals and timelines on track while you and your team manage the marketing and daily operations of the company. Another alternative is to assign one person as the “go to” task person but often in-house staff are either too busy or not experienced in all the elements needed to manage a successful conference or product launch: advertising, operations, logistics, media relations, marketing, direct mail and management of personnel.</p>
<p><strong>JOIN OUR BLOG AND POST A COMMENT</strong></p>
<p><strong>Do you have a marketing tip or trade show horror story you&#8217;d like to share?</strong><br />
<strong>POST A COMMENT</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.andassociates-ca.com/wordpress">www.andassociates-ca.com/wordpress</a></p>
<p>Sandra Evans is the principal of &amp; Associates</p>
<p>&amp; Associates is a full service marketing, design and public relations firm. Efficient, affordable and measurable results.</p>
<ul type="disc">
<li><a href="http://www.andassociates-ca.com/landingpage">Strategic Planning &amp;      Marketing</a><a href="http://www.andassociates-ca.com/landingpage"> </a></li>
</ul>
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<li><a href="http://www.andassociates-ca.com/landingpage">Branding &amp; Design</a></li>
</ul>
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<li><a href="http://www.andassociates-ca.com/landingpage">Public Relations </a></li>
</ul>
<p>Contact: <a href="mail to: sandra@andassociates-ca.com">sandra@andassociates-ca.com</a><br />
Visit <a href="http://www.andassociates-ca.com">http://www.andassociates-ca.com</a> to learn more.</p>
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