HUG

5/10/12 Glassybaby Cancer Fundraiser

synactable — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:01:46 +0000

Date: Thursday, May 10th
Time: 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Venue: Governor Thomas Bennett House
Address: 69 Barre Street Charleston, SC 29401
Cause: Assisting Cancer Patients at Roper Hospital

The Roper St. Francis Benefit

The monetary strain from cancer treatment can make even the most basic of needs impossible to maintain. Glassbaby mixes art and love into an innovative solution. The organization has now given over $890,000.00 to assist cancer fighters who maintain overwhelming living costs.

Glassybaby travels to Charleston on May 10th and will donate 10% of proceeds directly to Roper Hospital. Glassybaby has been featured on Martha Stewart, Yahoo! News, and is even partly owned by Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezo.

Please plan on attending this “tour” of Charleston and check out their website at http://www.glassybaby.com/

About Lee Rhodes

Glassybaby founder Lee Rhodes was recently named Entrepreneur magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year. She is the very first woman to achieve the honor. Her story is an inspiration to many.

Lee was fighting her third battle with cancer while raising three small children in 1998 when she first dropped a tea light into a handmade, colorful, glass cup. Lee found hope and healing in the soothing light and experienced the peace and calm she needed to heal. She was determined to spread that joy to others. Lee began hiring artists to make more colorful, glass votives and Glassybaby was born.

Glassybaby’s Past Events

Social Media Checklist

synactable — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:50:49 +0000

Phase 1: Social Media Strategy Development

1) Tracking and Reporting Setup

Analytics
Webmaster Tools

Google Webmaster Tools
Bing Webmaster Tools

Social Media Software
Conversion Tracking
Website Access

Server
FTP
CMS

2) Recording Benchmarks

Traffic

Analytics

Total Referral Traffic
Traffic per Social Media Platform

Alexa
Compete

Backlinks

Total Links
Links Acquired Through Social Media

Conversion Rate

Website Wide
Social Media Referrals

Klout Metrics

Total Score
True Reach
Amplification
Network Impact
Influential Topics

Shares per Page/Post
Clicks per Posted Link
Grader
PeerIndex

3) Data Mining

Business Strategy and Goals

Social Media Questionnaires
Company Social Media Goals

Persona Profiling

Full Persona Analysis and Report

Target Market Research
Common Keyword Usage per Persona

Terminology Habits
Potential Opportunities in Targeting Common Keyword Misuses

Persona Purchasing Habits

Generational (Age) Differences
Color Psychology Preferences
Tendencies by Location
Changes in Purchasing Habits by Sex

Sales and Marketing Department

Current Sales Demographic Breakdown
Monthly Sales Breakdown
Past, Present, and Future Marketing & PR Campaigns
Targeted Branding Goals

Decide on Overall “Voice” for Social Media Branding
Research Industry Hashtag Usage

4) Competitor Analysis

Competitor Social Media Presence

Twitter
Facebook
Google+
LinkedIn
Relevant Industry Platforms

Klout Score
Reach Per Platform
Grader

5) Budget Planning

Estimates

Increased Traffic
Increased Website Conversion Rate
Branding Valuation

Planned Budget Allocation for Optimal ROI

Phase 2: Strategy Implementation and Management

1) Social Media Marketing Implementation

Social Media Profile Setup

Twitter
Facebook
Google+

Company Page
Author Pages

LinkedIn
Relevant Industry Platforms

RelationshipBuilding

Social Media Authorities
Bloggers
News Outlets
Industry Experts

Determine Optimal Daytime Usage

Timing
Frequency

Create Company Social Media Regulations
Implement Even Post Distribution

Posts with Links
Posts with Pictures
Replies
Reposts
Questions

Plan for Listening to Relevant Ongoing Conversations

Industry Experts
Potential Customers
Competitors

Website Social Media Integration

Share Buttons
Profile Buttons
API Setup
Dynamic Facebook Pages

Custom Profile Designs

Twitter Background
Facebook Landing Page

Branding Consistency Throughout Networks

Profile Picture
Company “Voice”

2) On Site Content Strategy Implementation

Blogging

Comments
Social Integration
RSS
Publication Rate
Promotion

RelationshipBuilding

Blog Communities
Conferences
Local Meetups
Blog Commenting
Forums

Guest Blogging

Author Tag Usage

FAQ Section
Help Forum
Static Page Creation

Phase 3: Reporting and Analysis

1) Reports

Analytics

Total Referral Traffic
Traffic per Social Media Platform
Traffic to Added Pages

Brand Feedback

Use in Positive Conversations
Use in Negative Conversations

Acquired Links
Klout Metrics
Grader
Peer Index
Change in Total Reach per Platform
Clicks per Posted Link

2) Budget Analysis

Tracked ROI

Estimated ROI to Real ROI

Previous Month Review
Plan for Month Ahead
Any Changes to Long Term Plan

About the Author – Brian Rogel

Senior SEO Manager at Silverback Strategies, Co-Founder of Helping the Underprivileged Grow, & Actor/Producer for Joey’s Town TV Show. Google+

SEO Checklist

synactable — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:02:43 +0000

Phase 1: SEO Strategy Development

1) Tracking and Reporting Setup

Analytics
SEO Software

Keyword Tracking

Webmaster Tools

Google Webmaster Tools
Bing Webmaster Tools

Local Pages

Verification
Login Information

Website Access

Server
FTP
CMS

Conversion Tracking

2) Recording Benchmarks

Traffic

Analytics
Alexa
Compete

Keywords

Rankings
Traffic per Keyword
ROI Relevance
Opportunity for Improvement
Branding Importance

SEOmoz Metrics

Backlinks

Total Links
Linking Pattern
Link Acquisition Rate
Nofollow/Dofollow Ratio
Link Diversity

Type
Strength
Domain
Neighborhood

Anchor Text

Brand Percentage
Partial Match Percentage
Direct Match Percentage

PageRank

PR to DmR Ratio

Conversion Rate

All Website Traffic
Organic Search Engine Traffic

3) Data Mining

Business Strategy and Goals

SEO Questionnaires
Company SEO Goals
Most Pertinent Industry Keywords

Persona Profiling

Full Persona Analysis and Report

Target Market Research
Common Keyword Usage per Persona

Terminology Habits
Potential Opportunities in Targeting Common Keyword Misuses

Persona Purchasing Habits

Generational (Age) Differences
Color Psychology Preferences
Tendencies by Location
Changes in Purchasing Habits by Sex

Sales and Marketing Department

Current Sales Demographic Breakdown
Monthly Sales Breakdown
Past, Present, and Future Marketing & PR Campaigns
Targeted Branding Goals

4) Competitor Analysis

Competitor Ranks

Overall
Geographically
By Keyword

SEOmoz Competitor Tool
Website Analysis

Onsite
Backlink
Metrics

5) Budget Planning

Estimates

SEO to PPC ROI Curve
Increased Traffic
Increased Website Conversion Rate
Branding Valuation

Planned Budget Allocation for Optimal ROI

Phase 2: Strategy Implementation and Management

1) Keyword Targeting

Rank Keywords by Importance

Keyword Conversion Relevance

Search Query Either Indicates:

“Ready to Buy”
“Looking for Information”
“Irrelevant to Company Goals”

Exact Monthly Search Traffic per Keyword
Current Monthly Traffic Acquired per Keyword
Current Ranking for Keyword
Keyword Competition
Potential for Increased Traffic

Group by Personas

1-2 Head Terms & 2-3 Long Tail Terms per Group/Page
Choosing Landing Pages for Keyword Placement

Currently Available Pages
Pages Needed to be Created
Google Places Landing Page

2) On Page SEO

MetaContent

Title
Description
Keywords

Images

Alt Attributes
File Names

Links

Internal Anchor Text
External Anchor Text
Total Amount of Links
Placement on Page

HTML Tags

Header
Bold
Italics

Page Specific Keyword Usage

Saturation
Hierarchy

URL Slug

3) Technical SEO

301 Redirects
Canonical URLs
Nofollow Usage
MetaTags
Domain Expiration
Schema.org
Website Wide Keyword Usage

Saturation
Hierarchy

Search Engine Submissions

XML Sitemap
Video Sitemap
Robots.txt

Link Juice Distribution

Linking Hierarchy
URL Hierarchy

Coding Validation

HTML/XHTML
CSS

Website Load Time
Webmaster Errors

4) Content Strategy

Blogging

Comments
Social Integration
RSS
Publication Rate
Promotion

RelationshipBuilding

Blog Communities
Social Networking
Conferences
Local Meetups
Blog Commenting
Forums

Guest Blogging

Author Pages

Personal Google+ Accounts
Author Tag Usage

FAQ Section
Help Forum
Static Page Creation

5) Local SEO

Website

Information Presence and Accuracy

Company Name
Address
Phone Number
Email Address

Local Landing Page

Location Specific
Keyword Targeted
Page Authority

Google Maps

Verification
Profile Completed

Images
Categories
Description
Link to Landing Page

Consistent with Website

Company Name
Address
Phone Number

Reviews

Quality Score
Total Amount
Consistency
Complaint Responses

Citations
KML Sitemap

6) Link Building Program

Outreach

Industry Webmasters & Bloggers
Affiliated Companies
Wholesalers
Partners
Sponsorships
Vendors
Events

Article Marketing
Guest Article Creation
Social Media Links/Profiles
Link Bait

Widgets
Badges
Contests

Viral Content

Videos
Images
Infographics

Static Infographics
Dynamic Infographics

Phase 3: Reporting and Analysis

1) Reports

Rankings
Traffic
Keyword Expansion
Acquired Links
Link Metrics
Google Maps Queries

2) Budget Analysis

Tracked ROI

Estimated ROI to Real ROI

Previous Month Review
Plan for Month Ahead
Any Changes to Long Term Plan

About the Author – Brian Rogel

Senior SEO Manager at Silverback Strategies, Co-Founder of Helping the Underprivileged Grow, & Actor/Producer for Joey’s Town TV Show. Google+

Google Duplicate Content SEO Tips

synactable — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:21:08 +0000

As a forewarning, there’s enough information regarding duplicate content to write an entire book. I’ll just be highlighting the main points to avoid drowning you in text.

How To Avoid Google Duplicate Content Penalties

Duplicate Content Problems:

1.) Duplicate content on your own website splits link juice and can also create keyword confusion between pages.

2.) Search Engines think http://yourdomain.com and http://www.yourdomain.com are different websites with identical content.

3.) Google panda updates have paid particular attention to penalizing websites with duplicate content.

Duplicate Content Solutions:

1.) Internal Link Structure – For a new website this is crucial. Make sure to stay consistent on how you link throughout your site. Always stick to either a www or non www format. It’s also good practice to choose a format with or without a trailing slash for each link (yourdomain.com VS yourdomain.com/). Even though Matt Cutts has stated in an interview that Google has become very good at looking past this trailing slash discrepancy, it is helpful to create a plan early on and then stick with it.

2.) 301 Redirects – 301 redirects are hands-down the best way to tackle this linking problem. For the example below the code redirects anyone trying to enter http://synactable.com/ to the desired URL site http://www.synactable.com/. It will also fix backslash discrepancies.

Search Engines see this redirect and credit the majority of incoming link juice to the right page. The only downside is you need to have access to your server’s .htaccess file in order to accomplish it.

3.) Canonical URLs – This code is placed into the head tag of a webpage and it acts like a flag to search engines. The code lets search engines know which URL should be credited with the page content and incoming links.

Canonical URLs are particularly important to use when running blogs. There are many times when the same page of content ends up with multiple URLs. Examples include the URL of a page after accessing it from a tag, category, or date. The Canonical URL allows all of these pages to remain functional while also alerting search engines which URL is considered the original content.

It’s also very important to make sure all internal links point to the main URL instead of any variations that were created.

4.) Webmaster Tools – Most search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing have Webmaster tools. These tools are a great medium between webmasters and search engines. Google has a specific place to declare if you would like the www or non www to be the URL used.

5.) Sitemaps – Make sure to submit an updated xml formatted sitemap to each search engine’s webmaster tools. This will let them understand which pages to look for and how you prefer the URL to be seen. One of the easiest way to create an xml sitemap is through a free sitemap generator.

Accomplishing Goals: A Step-by-Step Approach

synactable — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:54:25 +0000

Quality of life and setting goals are extremely important for anyone struggling with an illness. Regardless of prognosis, setting goals during the path to recovery can help a person stay focused and motivated. There are a number of methods people can use to keep focused on their goals, but perhaps none as effective as logging and cataloging.

Writing Down Goals

By using a journal or some other catalog to keep track of your health goals, they become more tangible. Celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels explains why writing goals is so important in an article about weight loss. Among the reasons being touted are that the brain sees written goals as being more real, and written instructions give direction. Even though these tips were written regarding weight loss, they can be applied to virtually any goal for a person fighting an illness.

By having the goal written down, it makes it easier to take a step-by-step approach to battling an illness or disease. For example, if part of your recovery is relearning to walk, you might write down what the incremental steps are and treat each milestone as its own goal. This helps to prevent frustration if the process seems to be taking a long time, and is incredibly motivating when you start achieving these small goals.

Staying on Track

Writing down goals in multiple places also helps for maintaining focus. Too frequently, we’ll have a goal in mind and then become sidetracked with something else. It’s not that we’re inherently flawed or don’t want to achieve success, it’s just many of our lives are extremely hectic. This rings especially true for individuals battling disease. From those battling diabetes to those diagnosed with a more serious illness like mesothelioma cancer, patients have to worry about not just the regular day-to-day tasks of life, but also with conquering the illness.

Having a tangible reminder of one’s health goals is among the best ways to stay focused. Write your health goals down in several places and keep them posted where you’ll see them at least a couple times a day. This will serve as a reminder of your progress, so even when you get busy, you won’t forget about your goals and what you’re hoping to accomplish during your healing efforts.

Having general goals can help improve anyone’s quality of life. This is even applicable to people without an illness. By writing down a list of hopeful experiences in life, people keep their desires in mind and end up with clear paths to reaching those goals.

Ultimately, being able to set that path is what’s important. If we never take the time to think about what we want to do in life, we’ll never take the time to figure out how to reach that point. Writing down goals, whether places we want to go or books we want to read, can help even the best of us to live out our dreams. Uplift and inspire yourself.

About the Author – Melanie Bowen

Melanie is an awareness advocate for natural health and holistic therapies for cancer patients. She writes for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance about the benefits of tracking thoughts and goals.

2/11/12 – A Dog For Kate Fundraiser

synactable — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:41:04 +0000

Date: Saturday, February 11, 2012
Fundraiser Venue: Online
Event Night Venue: Mellow Mushroom
Address: 309 King St. Charleston, SC
PR By: The Becket Agency
Cause: A Dog For Kate

About the Fundraiser

6 year old Kate Hanchon (pictured above) suffers from Type I Diabetes. We’ll be raising money to help her get a diabetes service dog. Our goal is to raise $19,000 in 24-hours.

The results of the fundraiser will be announced at Mellow Mushroom in downtown Charleston, SC at the finale party Saturday night. The party starts at Mellow at 10 p.m. on Feb. 11th and includes drink specials and a charity pizza designed by Kate herself.

About Kate

Kate is a smart 6-year-old who loves to read, dance and play with her friends. She loves school, swimming and art.

At the age of 5 Kate was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. She has to constantly be aware of her own body and the cues it gives her about her blood-sugar level. If her sugar level becomes too high or too low it can become life threatening.

Sleep is the most dangerous time for a Type I Diabetic because the blood sugar can drop perilously low and the diabetic is not even aware of it. Kate’s father checks her blood sugar every three hours during the night.

A Diabetic Alert Dog senses abnormal blood sugar levels long before symptoms can occur. They have a 99% detection rate and cost $19,000. The high cost is due to the extensive training the dog receives and continues to receive after it is matched with a family.

With your help, Kate is looking forward to meeting her new service puppy, Sprinkles.

How to Donate

Donate Online
You can donate right now by clicking: Donate Online

Donate by Mail
You can also send donations directly to the service dog organization:
Warren Retrievers
P. O. Box 429
Montpelier, VA 23192

*Make sure to tell them it’s for Kate Hanchon*

Donate in Person
Come to Mellow Mushroom downtown Saturday, February 11th anytime between 10:00pm and 1:30am. Mellow Mushroom will be donating a portion of their proceeds from the night to A Dog For Kate.

RSVP on Facebook

Something to Believe In... a Dog in a Day
By Melissa Carr | View on Facebook

When: Feb 11 10:00pm - Feb 12 1:30am

Where: Mellow Mushroom Charleston
309 King Street, Charleston, South Carolina, United States

» View map

Official After Party and Results for the day long drive, "Dog in a Day," featuring specialty drinks and beats from DJ 504!!

The Website is live: www.adogforkate.com Please feel free to donate https.00 or more to the cause. We will give the results at midnight at the Mellow Party.

Time to gather up your friends to eat and drink for a cause. We are raising money to help a 6 year old Kate get a diabetes service dog. Please feel free to invite those on your friends list.

Mellow Mushroom is g... See full description

10/1/11 – The Saloon VIP Charity Event

synactable — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:09:13 +0000

Date: Saturday, October 1st
Time: 10:00pm – 2:00am
Venue: Market Street Saloon
Address: 32 – D N. Market Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Cause: Region III Adoptions

Event Information:

HUG will be onsite accepting cash donations in support of Region III Adoptions. These are foster children without an adoptive placement, some even in group homes and emergency shelters. Please come to support a great cause and make sure everyone has a happy holiday.

Tickets to the Sunday October 3rd, showing of Rain, A Tribute to the Beatles will be raffled off. Entry per toy and per $5.00 donation.

Let’s Recap

Waived cover charge (enter before 11pm)
$3.00 vodka/bourbon drink specials
$10.00 buckets of beer
The chance to win tickets to Rain, A Tribute to the Beatles
Beautiful Market Street bartenders
Supporting an incredible cause

Businesses Can Help Too

Businesses are welcome to sponsor a child for Christmas or help support the cause by creating a gift tree in their office. Interested businesses can contact HUG for more details.

Wish List Gift Ideas

So far the “wish list” consists of: game stop giftcards, walmart giftcards, mp3 players, skateboard, board games, junie B Jones books, transformer toys, pokemon trading cars, educational toys for toddlers, books, hannah montana items, justin bieber items, barbies, lego sets, race cars, art kits, bracelet-making kits- need lots of gifts for pre-teens and teens!

RSVP on Facebook

HUG benefit for Region III Adoptions
By Melissa Carr | View on Facebook

When: Oct 1 10:00pm - Oct 2 2:00am

Where: THE MARKET STREET SALOON - Charleston, SC

» View map

It is time to start thinking about Christmas and also about those that will not have a Christmas this year. Bring a toy to the VIP event at Market Street Saloon on 10/1/11 and get waived entry (until 11pm), 10.00 buckets, 3.00 vodka/bourbon and whatever else we can get away with. We will be accepting cash donations as well. These children are foster children that are not placed in an adoptive placement, some are even in group homes and emergency shelters. We want to make their Christmas spec... See full description

7/23/11 – Courageous Kidz Concert

synactable — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 05:41:21 +0000

Date: Saturday, July 23
Time: 8:00pm – 12:00am
Venue: Silver Dollar
Address: 478 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Cause: Courageous Kidz

Bands:

Rian Adkinson
Fish Taco

Local band Fish Taco will open for Rian Adkinson July 23 at the Silver Dollar on King Street, Charleston SC to support Courageous Kidz, a nonprofit providing a “Safe Haven for Kids with Cancer.” Bands will take the stage at 8:00pm and will play throughout the evening.

This will be an 18+ event and the proceeds will benefit Courageous Kidz.

There will be a door charge to those that are under 21.

RSVP on Facebook

HUG Band event for Courageous Kidz
By Melissa Carr | View on Facebook

When: Jul 23 8:00pm - Jul 24 12:00am

Where: Silver Dollar

» View map

This will be an 18+ event. The proceeds will benefit Courageous Kidz http://www.facebook.com/pages/Courageous-Kidz/338393620492.

Confirmed Bands:

Rian Adkinson - Atlantic Recording artist
http://www.reverbnation.com/rianadkinson
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rian-Adkinson/155730564493549

Fish Taco - the next big thing on the Charleston music scene.
http://www.charlestonscene.com/news/2011/may/18/comedy-music-and-improv-from-the-streets-to-the/

There will be a door charge to those that are un... See full description

RSVP on Twitter

7/8/11 – HUG Charity Concert

synactable — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 04:47:36 +0000

Date: Friday, July 8
Time: 6:00pm – 1:00am
Venue: Tattooed Moose
Address: 1137 Morrison Dr, Charleston, SC 29403
Cause: Crisis Ministries

Bands:

Zero to Never
Soul Fish
Cherry Bomb
The Krays

Please feel free to invite any of your friends!! In fact this is encouraged!!

NO COVER, but donations accepted for Crisis Ministries.

If you would like to donate items from their wish list we will be collecting the following items as well:

Non-perishable food items (Large cans are best)
Laundry detergent
Paper towels
Packaged socks
Powdered Gatorade
Toilet paper
Cleaning supplies
Copy Paper
CARTA Bus Passes
Diapers
Deodorants and toiletries

RSVP on Facebook

HUG benefit for Crisis Ministries
By HUG Chs | View on Facebook

When: Jul 8 6:00pm - Jul 9 1:30am

Where: The Tattooed Moose
1137 Morrison Dr, Charleston, South Carolina, United States

» View map

Soul Fish 6:00pm -8:00pm
Cherry Bomb 9:30pm-12:30am

Please feel free to invite any of your friends!! In fact this is encouraged!!

NO COVER, but donations accepted for Crisis Ministries for their capital campaign for a new shelter. The funds will be specifically earmarked for the Health Center portion. Let's heal them from the inside out, so that they may build themselves from the ground up!

If you would like to donate items from their wish list we will be collecting the following items as w... See full description

RSVP on Twitter

6/29/11 Charity Happy Hour at Suede

synactable — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:44:42 +0000

Date: Wednesday, June 29
Time: 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Venue: Suede Supper Club
Address: 816 Johnnie Dodds Blvd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
Cause: Crisis Ministries

Come by on the 29th to relax, enjoy a beverage, listen to music, support a great cause, and learn all about Crisis Ministries’ new capital campaign.

No Cover!

The happy hour specials are from 5-7 and since Suede is a tapas bar there will also be munchies available for purchase.

Guest DJ:

DJ Cassidy – of Cassidy & the Kid (Facebook Page)

Crisis Ministries’ Capital Campaign:

Crisis Ministries has started a capital campaign for a new building for their dorms, soup kitchen, offices and medical clinic. For those of you that have taken the tour, you know this is something that will greatly assist in the ability to minister to more people.

We are kicking off our campaign to support the development of the Health Center specifically. We need to fund-raise at least 300,000.00 to make the goal of the project. These donations will be specifically for the medical center itself. If you or your company is interested in donating you may contact myself or Steffanie Godsill with Crisis Ministries for more information.

The commitment made needs to be pledged hopefully as early as possible, but as late as October. You or your company can split the payments over the course of three years, but need to pledge the full amount as early as possible.

HUG has lots of opportunities for businesses to get involved by straight donations, sponsoring our upcoming art installation, donating auction items or services.. etc. Please come on out and see what we can do together as a community!

RSVP on Facebook

HAPPY HOUR for HUG and Crisis Ministries
By Hug Chs | View on Facebook

When: Jun 29, 2011 (5:00pm - 8:00pm)

Where: Suede Supper Club
816 Johnnie Dodds Blvd

» View map

Official Page: http://www.hugdaily.org/charity-happy-hour-at-suede/

Why are we drinking this time?
To learn about Crisis Ministries' new capital campaign. (More on that in a minute)

We will have DJ Cassidy of Cassidy & the Kid (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cassidy-the-Kid/117197541678426) from 5-8pm. Happy hour specials from 5-7. Suede is a tapas bar so there will be munchies available for purchase.

No cover!!

We will have some pretty awesome raffle prizes and great giveaways too!
... See full description