LOOK OUT—the New Year is bearing down on us like a freight train—to borrow one of my husband’s wonderful colloquial expressions. Time to start making New Year’s resolutions. Number one on my list this year is to post to my blog once a week. What’s yours? I’ve asked many people this question recently and most say that they are setting goals of blogging more or getting more involved in social networking.

I’ve met lots of great folks through social networks, people like Michael Albany, of Aston, Pennsylvania for example. He is a photographer and the owner of Michael Albany Photography. We didn’t actually met, we connected via LinkedIn, a business-oriented social networking site. I was impressed by not only his corporate photography but something special that Michael does. He takes photos for the unemployed, those who need a professional photo for LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or other social media profiles and he does it for FREE! He says it’s just his way of giving back to the community. Learn more at www.michaelalbany.com/blog.

Another very talented individual, also on LinkedIn, told me that he had tried social networking and not seen any results. He said that he has an incredible portfolio, amazing website (take my word for it he REALLY does) and he is on Twitter. I have heard this complaint before and have even said it myself. What I know is that social networking isn’t something that happens overnight and that it is a process that involves a lot of time and dedication. I started my blog in March 2009 and since then have gotten on Twitter, created a Facebook fan page, held a contest and really, really worked on my LinkedIn profile. All this while continuing to work and care for my family. I have begun seeing results this month, results that I hope will continue to snowball throughout 2010. Wish me luck!

My New Year’s wish for YOU is that you take time to celebrate each and every day of 2010 —  CLICK HERE to download your 2010 Retail Promotional Calendar. Now you can celebrate National Karaoke Week, National Bathroom Reading Month and many more unique events.

Have a blessed New Year.

I once had an Art Director who nicknamed me “Eagle Eye.” She often asked me to look over her color proofs before she released them to the printer. This was before design was done on computers, when any last minute change could cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to make. While it is always good practice to have a second set of eyes review any work before it goes to press, my keen ability to spot things that are out-of-place is not always as appreciated in other areas of my life.

I went to see the movie  “Julie & Julia” yesterday with my husband. What a great movie! One of the main characters is American chef, author and television personality, Julia Child, played by Meryl Streep. Throughout the movie, 6’ 2” Julia competely dwarfs her husband and her unusual height is an issue many times. The studio went to great lengths to create this important visual effect with Streep, who is only 5” 6”. All was going well until the end of the movie, that’s when I noticed the pair of five-inch heels Streep/Julia was wearing while cooking at her stove! When Julia’s husband, played by actor Stanley Tucci, walked to her side, I also noted that he is five inches shorter than Streep/Julia in those heels….hmm. Now the movie has lost it’s “detail” credibility with me.

Don’t lose your credibility over the details. When working with photos never “flip” photos if they contain:

• Buttons. Men’s clothes button left over right and women’s clothes button right over left. Flip the image and they will be buttoned for the wrong gender.

• Trademark moles and scars. Cindy Crawford’s mole is always on her left, if the image is flipped it moves to the right and weakens her brand.

• Wedding rings. Traditionally worn on the left hand, rings will be on the right hand if the photo is flipped.

The secret really is in the details—and they do make a difference.

Image facing correctly on the left. Image facing incorrectly on the right.

Why is it that new business owners will spend thousands of dollars on inventory, buildings and equipment only to neglect advertising and marketing? 

A couple of years ago I attended a Chamber of Commerce networking event. It was held at a new, upscale furniture store and the husband and wife owners were our hosts. As I roamed about the store, drinking wine and greeting other Chamber members, I met the husband’s mother-in-law. She confided in me that her son-in-law had invested everything in the store and that she prayed it would be a success.

When I met the store owners and questioned the husband about advertising, I learned that he had assigned all advertising and marketing to the Store Manager. As I ate my way across the room, sampling strawberries from the chocolate fountain, and cheeses and veggies from the buffet, I finally found the Store Manager. He quickly let me know that he had their advertising under control and he happily showed me the Grand Opening ad that he had just ran in the local paper that day. The ad was one-half page of white space with a very small store logo in the center. Under the logo, in very small type it said “Grand Opening”. I can’t remember for sure if the address was even listed.

I was horrified when I saw this “Institutional Ad”. An Institutional Ad is fine for well-known companies trying to increase brand awareness – not for stores like this one without name recognition. As a matter of fact, many large, well-known companies don’t have the budget to run an ad that’s not driving home some critical selling feature or encouraging the consumer to act.

It was no surprise to me when this store closed in less than two years. Why would someone invest everything and then turn something as important as their advertising over to an unqualified employee? With the relatively recent invention of the computer, anyone who can learn the software programs can produce advertising and they do! But not the kind that inspires and motivates the public to take action – that takes an experienced professional.