Do you work or volunteer for a non-profit organization? Are you still using Morse code to collect donations? Have you resorted to eating the Cheeto you found in the seat cushion because you were too busy organizing your volunteer list? Me too! But the only reason I ate the Cheeto was because it was on a Saturday afternoon and the walking distance to the kitchen seemed unattainable…five second rule still applies.
Here at Schipul, one of our key areas of focus is marketing for non-profits and if anyone understands the whole ‘Cheeto debacle,†it’s us! We are now offering Non-Profit Online Optimization (NPO2)that will allow your organization to effectively take action and maximize your potential in the non-profit arena.
With our guidance using various different tools and resources, your organization will be able to:
Effectively manage data, events, donations, etc. while expanding your reach within the community using Salesforce Foundation.
Lie on the beach, drink a Mai Tai and accept donations via text message. Simply livin’ the dream.
All this and more is possible with NPO2s! And the best part of all…no more eating cushion crumbs!
Saving the world is a tough job and we want to assist you. In other words, consider us your Planateers. With our powers combined…you’re Caaaaptaaaain Planet! Might I remind you that Captain Planet was one of the greatest heroes of our time…flying through the air in his teal skin tights. It could bring a grown man to tears.
For our Friday Fun post this week in honor of Memorial Day Weekend, we thought we’d highlight some of the awesome events going on in Houston this weekend! So if you don’t feel like making the drive to Ennis, Texas for the annual Polka Festival, enjoy a staycation here in Houston!
Get your play on in Houston this weekend! Image by Flickr user bigpinkcookie
Showings all weekend beginning Friday at 2 p.m., tickets $15 adults, $10 children
Night at the Museum 2 opens today! Check it out in IMAX at the Houston Museum of Natural Science and get free general admission to the museum with your ticket!
In anticipation of the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, NASA brings interactive exhibits to (Schipul client) Discovery Green for a showing of Disney’s Wall-E.
Parade of colors, speaker W.E.B. (“Willie”) Blackmons, flyovers by the Texas Air National Guard, and a performance by the Houston Highlander Pipe Band.
Remember, the Schipul offices will be closed on Monday for Memorial Day. If any issues arise, you can e-mail support@tendenci.com and we will respond when we get back on Tuesday. Have a safe and happy long weekend!
Fellow Schipulite, Courtney (right), and Houston Humane Society's Public Relations Director Lisa (left) having some play time with spunky Bonita!
Are you ready….to let the dogs out? Go ahead, give a good bark…you know you want to. We also know that between your busy schedule, American Idol mayhem and tweeting about #medievelmovies that good Ol’ Cranston hasn’t seen a bathtub since the Philadelphia Eagle’s last Super Bowl win. Folks, I’m not sure if you’re aware…but that has been a really, really long time. So what’s a dog with an extreme odor issue to do?
The Houston Humane Society (Schipul client) and Whole Foods Market invite all Houstonians and their furry friends to Shampooch, a benefit dog wash this Saturday (May 23, 2009) from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. The event will take place at ALL Houston area Whole Foods Market locations:
How perfect is Shampooch? You can take care of that long-overdue grocery list while Cranston gets a taste of the good life…cleanliness. And not to worry, your beloved is in the hands of the Houston Humane Society staff and volunteers where they will bathe, lather, pamper, and quite possibly treat your pooches to a delightful song and dance number. Alright, the song and dance number is optional…I just thought since ‘Keyboard Cat†was such a hit that, well you know…it’s just a thought. Whole Foods Market will be providing all-natural products used for the washes. All donations will support the HHS’s efforts in promoting humane treatment towards animals. For more information contact Lisa Pogue 713.341.3311 or via e-mail lpogue@houstonhumane.org.
If you would like to adopt the adorable Bonita featured in the picture go to the Houston Humane Society shelter and ask for tag 240.
Both the speaker and conference directories have the potential to be extremely valuable resources for connecting speakers and listeners! According to Compete.com, SlideShare had 1 million unique visitors in February 2009, proving it is already successfully connecting presentations to a wide audience.
If you are a professional speaker or planning a conference, we highly recommend you take advantage of these exciting tools!
Do these tools make sense for me?
You should register in the speaker directory if you have a presence on SlideShare (including a healthy number of quality presentations), and have spoken for at least one conference in the past (this is required in the registration form).
You should post your conference on SlideShare if you are willing to provide a discount (coupon or promo code) for SlideShare users. This is a great opportunity to get the word out about upcoming events in your organization!
You should not post your name or conference on SlideShare if you are looking for an opportunity to spam SlideShare’s database. Common sense works best here.
Mobile Site! m.slideshare.net
Also, be sure to check out SlideShare’s new mobile site, m.slideshare.net! Here’s what it looks like right now on my iPhone:
Hold the presses! If your voice is worthy of making headlines, why isn’t Schipul helping you make your voice heard?
Good news! Schipul is offering blogging services to our clients. Join us in kicking-off this new service by attending our blogging seminar today.
So, what took us so long to offer blogging services to our clients? It’s not like we aren’t avid about blogging; in fact, many of our employees voice their personal passions via blog posts. For example, MagsMac ‘N’ Cheese is a blog which translates the techie lexicon into easy to understand terms for the emerging tech geek.
We have guided community organizations in creating fun and factual blogs, like the Houston Zoo’s Frog Blog.
Schipul has also helped organizations such as the Houston Arts Alliance take advantage of the blogging mouthpiece to amplify their voice around the Houston area.
Whether the blog is for your organization, your company, or your own personal musings, Schipul is here to serve you with a customizable line of blog offerings.
It is no secret we at Schipul LOVE the Houston Art Scene, so of course we’re super excited about one of our artsy client’s events! Join the Schipulites from 5:30- 7:30 pm to help The Houston Arts Alliance kick off their inaugural viral video campaign THIS Wednesday at the Space125Gallery.
At the Art-the heART of Houston event you’ll be elbow to elbow with some of the best artisits Houston has to offer and you’ll get to enjoy some awesome wine from 13 Celsius. You’ll even be home in time for the debates! And did we mention it is all FREE??
You’ll also get a head start in taking part in the heART of Houston viral video campaign. What does that mean? It means that anyone and everyone can submit a 60-second video of their favorite local artists and share why they’re “the heART of Houston.” You’ll vote on the best, and there’ll be rockin’ prizes for the winners!
For more details, come play with us this Wednesday from 5:30-7:30 pm at the Space125 Gallery. We hope to see you there!!
I think I’ve seen the book before at Barnes and Noble and pretty much overlooked it because it was a book about sales so it didn’t really apply to me.Going into the seminar by Gitomer I definitely was not very excited and had really low expectations.I’ve found that most speakers have decent but unoriginal speeches (except for Ed Schipul’s speeches-you never really know what he’s going to say!).The speaker will tell some cutesy anecdotes, then spout out some inspiring quotes from people like Winston Churchill , or Viktor Frankl .Of course I am inspired by those great men.While I love hearing stories I also love to hear speakers who truly make me laugh and think with their own original ideas.
I was pleasantly surprised when Gitomer told the hilarious story of how he cold-called Roger Staubach’s office and told Staubach to his face how much he hated the Dallas Cowboys.After that incident, Staubach now uses Gitomer’s sales seminars to teach over 3,000 of his sales employees.Now that’s cool!
After that story, I decided that Gitomer was worth listening to.During the presentation, I was thinking yeah this is great, but how does that apply to my clients who are marketing their businesses online and how can I help them use these very same principles that Gitomer is telling us?
It’s apparent that a lot of people are going to be tightening their financial belts after everything that is going on in the economy right now like the Bailout and Hurricane Ike recovery.So I came up with a few ideas and strategies on how to get the most out of your Internet Marketing campaign while our economy gets sorted out.
1. Stay in front of your audience with newsletters‘ Gitomer said if you aren’t sending out a newsletter once a week then you aren’t staying in front of your audience.Your newsletters should be filled with information that your audience can use.For example, if you are a home builder you can write in your newsletters weekly do-it-yourself tips.You know, stuff that is actually helpful!After all, it’s really all about what your customer wants anyway, right?
2. Connect with your customers using Social Media (Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube)‘ Just having a standard website can be pretty impersonal.So why not let your customers find out a little more about you and engage them on a personal level? I know that’s directly against what I just said about newsletters, but the truth is your audience does want to know what you can do for them. Next they want to know your expertise and if you actually know what you are doing.
Here’s what Gitomer suggested: Get some of your top clients and record them giving testimonials about your company.Let your clients speak for you. Gitomer said to make DVDs and slide them under doors.But my idea is better.Post your video on YouTube and put the video on your website.Not only are you letting your customers learn about your, but you’re also creating a stronger web presence by linking to other websites.Remember to keep it light and fun.Don’t be to promotional.Use these tools to meet and interact with people.
3. Update the content on your site ‘ If the content is the same as it was three months ago it’s time to refresh!Adding new content to your site keeps your site visitors interested so that they will come back for more.Stale content is the equivalent to turning off the open sign and the lights and locking the doors.People are going to think you’re out of business.Plus, fresh content will help you get found in the search engines.Gitomer said, ‘Get Googleable.â€Gitomer said post white papers, articles you have written or that have been written about you, and let people know when you’ve won awards and achievements.I have nothing to add. He’s right.This guy knows what he’s doing.Type in Jeffrey Gitomer and he’s listed on the first 78 page results.
4. Keep statistics’ If you’re not using Google Analytics on your site, why not?Sign up now for Google Analytics and track the visitors on your site. This is where you actually get to see the real numbers and ROI.
The amazing thing about all these options is that, for the most part, they are free! All you’re really spending is your time and it could really payoff in the end.I don’t want to be a doomsday prophet, but the business that are able to keep their customers happy and loyal are the ones who are going to thrive.
So build your connections with your customers and stay in constant contact.Maybe you won’t see results right away but you will eventually.Gitomer told us, ‘Small errors in judgment can cost you your entire career.â€As an example he used Peter Best, the original Beatle’s drummer who quit three months before the Beatles went on their first world tour.Gitomer estimates that that error in judgment cost Best $2 million dollars.Gitomer’s encouraging words were, ‘Be your Best, not Peter Best!â€
We updated the Tendenci software yesterday afternoon. Included in this update:
1.Calendar Events – Export now in Rich Text for Microsoft Outlook (as opposed to just plain text)
2.Newsletter stack overflow prevention – more characters are allowed in the newsletter generator and a friendlier error message now displays if exceeded.
3.CEV reminders can be turned on/off with site XML variable. Contact support for assistance in turning off the reminder.
4.New function to display calendarevents in CSS so that it works with CSS layouts
5.Birthday emails – this was funded by Kolache Factory. It allows admins to design and send an email to users on their birthday. Help file coming soon!
We have added a lot of excited new dynamics for our second year and think it’s going to be a blast. Don’t forget… if you can’t make it out for the whole two day affair, you’re more than welcome to drop by for just a day or even just a session!
So without furthur ado…
Day One:
8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Come see us in the Tendenci Lounge! Members of the Programming and Support teams will be available for questions all day! The Lounge will be a great place for you to network with other Tendenci users, Schipul staff, or just drop in and check your email.
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.: Registration (a necessary evil)
8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.: State of the Union Address with Ed Schipul, CEO… Lets talk about where Tendenci is going and how far we’ve come together (because we just couldn’t do it without you)!
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.: Breakout Sessions Room One: Tendenci Toddlers – Intro to Tendenci – A Quick Boot Camp Room Two: Tendenci Titans – Advanced Tendenci – Improve Your User’s Experience On Your Site
11:00 a.m – 11:45 a.m.: Understanding Site Analytics – From DeepMetrix to Google… We promise we’ll try to keep this as fun and as painless as possible! Rumor has it our SEM Director, Jason McElweenie has something cool up his sleeve (don’t tell!).
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.: LUNCH (WOOHOO!)
1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Fireside Chat with Programming & Support Teams… You’ll have all morning to submit questions and get them answered. This will be a great opportunity to hear other people’s Tendenci experiences and use them yourself!
2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Breakout Sessions Room One: Organizing Your People Through Tendenci… How are you keeping track of your users?? Room Two: Maximizing the Calendar Events Module… Everyone loves a good event. How do you tell your members about yours?
3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.: Fireside Chat with the Partners of Schipul–The Web Marketing Company. This will be a great opportunity to talk with the Partners and hear the real deal on Schipul and what we’re about.
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Day Two:
8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Come see us in the Tendenci Lounge! Members of the Programming and Support teams will be available for questions all day! The Lounge will be a great place for you to network with other Tendenci users, Schipul staff, or just drop in and check your email.
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 am: Registration (in case you could only come for one day!)
8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.: Keynote Speaker – How Tendenci Makes Companies Soar… This talk will focus on an extra special Tendenci superstar. Announcement soon!
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.: Breakout Sessions Room One: Tendenci Toddlers – Keep Your Members in the Know With Newsletters Room Two: Tendenci Titans – Driving Campaign Strategies Through Your Newsletters
11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.: Breakout Sessions Room One: What’s the Point of Social Media Anyway? Room Two: Little Known Facts About Tendenci – What Are You Missing?
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.: LUNCH
1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Breakout Sessions Room One: Fireside Chat About Billing/Accounting Room Two: Hands-On Social Media Profile Creation… This will be a chance to really get your claws into the meat of Social Media. Schipulites and other Tendenci friends will be on hand to help!
2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Interactive Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Session… Another Jason McElweenie trick is expected for this panel. Lets make SEM fun! 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.: Closing Comments with Ed Schipul, CEO 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: Closing Reception; Location TBD PAAAAAAAAAAAAARTY!
As you can see, it’s all about communication and enabling you to better address your communities!
Don’t forget:
1. Bring your laptop! University of Houston has free wireless and sessions will be interactive! 2. No spare change needed for parking – University of Houston has you covered! 3. Need a detailed list of presentations? You’ll find them here soon!
The Schipul office is pretty diverse, but one thing we have in common is our love for the Arts, especially the homegrown stuff. So we thought, what better way to celebrate the inaugural Schipul blog post than with a celebration of the Arts Community in Houston.
Oftentimes, Artists just don’t get the recognition they deserve, so we wanted to create a Schipul page just for them! We try to hit up as many of the events hosted by the artists on this list as possible (from shows by our fav graffiti beat boys to events hosted by a Houston staple, the Orange Show) but it is easy to lose track of what’s going on in such a busy city.
To cut down our frantic end of day gtalk messaging and Twitter DM’s searching for something cool to do, we created this page and wanted to make it public to you. what is wrong?
Check out the Schipul Page for a comprehensive list of who’s hot in Houston Arts… and PLEASE if we left anyone out, tell us about them in the comments section!!! We know there is a ton more aweseome artists our there and we would love to hear about them.
Do you work or volunteer for a non-profit organization? Are you still using Morse code to collect donations? Have you resorted to eating the Cheeto you found in the seat cushion because you were too busy organizing your volunteer list? Me too! But the only reason I ate the Cheeto was because it was on a Saturday afternoon and the walking distance to the kitchen seemed unattainable…five second rule still applies.
Houston Humane Society’s Shampooch!
