The PR Lawyer - Tips for Marketers, Attorneys and Legal Marketers

Search, Social and Content Marketing Webinar Hosted by Arnie Kuenn

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Jenei) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 18:30:00 +0000

by Liz Jenei

I recently participated in a webinar hosted by Target Marketing Group: “How to Win at Search, Social and Content Marketing” by Arnie Kuenn, CEO of Vertical Measures. Kuenn shared details regarding how to achieve success through search, social and content marketing in today’s Google-driven world.

The most important point I took away from the webinar is that people using the Internet are mostly online for one reason: to find the answer to a question.

Of the people using Google as a search engine, 46 percent are searching for answers to a question and 26 percent are looking to be educated on a particular topic. Combined, there is an average of 72 percent of the people using online search engines to seek an answer to a question —so when you think about how to create content that will populate at the top of Google searches, draft your content in the form of questions people ask and the answers people are seeking.

Kuenn says one of the easiest ways to come up with good search worthy content is to start within your own company by asking your employees the simple question: What do you get asked most about our company or the services we offer? This is something our CEO, Gina Rubel, has been saying for years. In fact, she tells staff and clients to keep a notepad next to the telephone to record the questions that are most frequently asked. The answers to those questions will almost always serve as excellent blog content or content for website FAQs.

Those same questions are inevitably the questions that qualified and interested parties are going to search on Google, Yahoo! and Bing to seek answers.

Another great tip is to use Google-suggested search to find top industry keywords. You can do this by going to the Google Adwords Keyword Tool under “Tools and Analysis” and conducting a search for keywords relevant to your topic. I should also note that you need a Google account to access Google Adwords – a simple and free Gmail account will suffice.

For example, if I was the marketing manager for a law firm in center city Philadelphia, I would most certainly have the key phrases “Law Firms Located in Center City” in either a blog on my website or on the company website itself after seeing that it’s one of the first phrases to populate on Google.

Another important point Kuenn makes is that spending most of your efforts in compiling effective, smart and compelling content can be even more successful than social media tactics. While social media is effective and can drive viewers to your website, well thought out, searchable content statistically drives more views than social media.

New content is also important. Kuenn highly suggests having a company blog and updating it as much as possible. Companies that blog (or create new content) 15 times or more a month have five times the amount of traffic than those which do not have new content.

So when it comes to having a search worthy site, the key point to remember is to have great, searchable content which is updated regularly and incorporates keywords.

Kuenn’s full PowerPoint presentation of How to Win at Search, Social and Content Marketing is available on Slideshare.

I Left My Cell Phone at Home! Can I Live a Whole Day Without It?

noreply@blogger.com (Rose Strong) — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:55:00 +0000

Image from Mashable.com

By Rose Strong

Every morning I pack my lunch into my L.L.Bean Boat and Tote™ bag, get my travel mug of coffee, give the cats their treats and back out the door, making sure it’s locked. Starting my car, I adjust the radio, put on my seat belt and off I go.

Then there are the mornings when I feel I’m forgetting something.

I start driving down the road, bopping my head to the music or listening intently to a story on NPR that caught my ear. I’m halfway to work when I realize I’ve forgotten my cell phone. Suddenly, I begin to panic...I mean, really start worrying about how I’m going to get through the day without it.

What is wrong with this picture? I have only started carrying a cell phone regularly for about six or seven years. Much of that time, I didn’t have good service, so it didn’t matter much. I live in a somewhat rural area in Pennsylvania where cell phone service was spotty at best and only in the last couple years has it been good enough that I don’t have dropped calls when at home. Point being, I have lived a lot of years without a cell phone, so what is the big deal?

I don’t make many phone calls or send many text messages, but it does keep me connected to my family and friends. I carry a smartphone that, of course, comes with a data plan for using WiFi and 4G, however, I use it as my home phone as well. I have a land line, but it’s only used for Internet purposes since I live far enough from others to not be offered something faster than a high speed DSL service.

There have been many important messages that have come through that cell phone to make me want to keep it on my desk every day: an ultrasound video of my great nephew, an update from my sister-in-law about our oil tank spillage in our basement at home and the scary texts from my partner when she thought she may have been having a cardiac episode and was being taken to the hospital. It was that day I realized, I would never be without a cell phone. The visit to the emergency room took more than 13 hours and I had to communicate with family quickly about what was happening.

So, what do I do on the infrequent occasions when I leave my cell phone at home? Since I live 18 miles from the office, I bite the bullet and turn around to retrieve it and hope I don’t get a speeding ticket on my way into work to make up for the lost time. Of course, I send an email to the Furia Rubel staff from my driveway that I’m running late before getting back on the road.

I’ll admit, I’m on my cell phone a lot. It’s mostly for the social networking and fun stuff: Facebook, email (both work and personal) Words with Friends, Solitaire – I am addicted to that silly card game – and my camera. I take photos all the time, some I share and many I don’t. I am hooked on Instagram and Pinterest and a Craigslist app comes in handy for my yard sale fun on weekends which I combine with a MapQuest app to find my way around unfamiliar neighborhoods. I use my phone when I’m in the car as a passenger. I am not addicted to it. Really, I’m not. I know because I took this test and I don’t suffer from all of the symptoms!

Cute great nephew photo!

With that said, as a rule I don’t use my phone in the company of others at a dinner table or during social events unless I’m showing off a photo of my adorable, four-month-old great nephew or scenes from a day trip my partner and I took recently or a client affair that the Furia Rubel team attended.

I believe in giving my time to those I’m with. I think it’s still important to show appropriate social skills and find myself worrying that the youth today aren’t going to know how to manage communicating face-to-face if they can’t look up from the glowing screen in their hands.

I am sure I could manage to go without my phone for a day or two. I choose not to. What I do choose is a balance between being connected to others through wireless signals and making connections face-to-face.

What do you remember about the days before cell phones? Do you also panic when you leave the house without the magic box in your hand? Let me know your thoughts in the comments of this blog. I’d love to know that I’m not alone.

Remember Faces, but Not Names? You're Not Alone

noreply@blogger.com (Rose Strong) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:54:00 +0000

By Rose Strong

I have never felt completely comfortable in social situations. Be the event for business or pleasure I’m not always at ease, although you’d never know it. I can move around a room and make conversation with everyone and seemingly enjoy the occasion. All the while, my brain is spinning about what to say next, if what I said last was appropriate and witty or if I’m making a total fool of myself.

I can keep my distress so under wraps that I am able to introduce myself to those I don’t know. Then, I immediately forget their name. I can meet someone and only minutes later when introducing them to my coworker, partner or friend -- whoosh…………..the name has flown out of my brain and I’m left feeling completely embarrassed.

For years, I’ve heard and even made use of the cliché myself, “I’m great with faces; I just don’t remember names.”

As I am getting ready for two local events where I’ll be representing my company, it has occurred to me that perhaps I need to do a bit of research on how one can recall someone’s name after meeting them.

The all-time big tip you find doing this research is: repeat, repeat, repeat. I knew this from talking with others and reading it in books and magazines like this article from Forbes that suggested you do repetition of the name of the person you’ve just met both internally and vocally.

One thing Gina Rubel, our CEO, recommended is to immediately add the person’s name to your cell phone notes or even text yourself. One thing she also does when she’s going to an association function, is to review her contacts and make sure they all have photos attached to their vcards in Outlook. That way, the photos of people she’s previously met are on her cell phone when she attends the networking function. She also creates subfolders in Outlook for all of those similarly-situated contacts. That way, she can go straight to that list on her iPhone and scan 100 names as opposed to 3,000.

In looking for additional ways to improve my recall of names, I began to wonder why so many of us have such difficulty with this task. I found some great suggestions, and reasons we don’t remember names.

One thing I can say is that I’m happy I’m not in this boat all alone. It seems when we are introducing ourselves or someone tells us their name, we are often internally preoccupied with how we are handling the social activity or how we may be coming across to others making our auditory perception not as tuned in to the goings-on around us. The article by Kris Hallbom, co-director of the NLP Institute of California explains this more succinctly and gives some great tips on how to recall names.

Hallbom reveals one tip I hadn’t thought or heard of before: the use of touch and imagining using your finger to write the person’s name. Making the actual movements helps to embed their name into your head for better recall.

A tremendously interesting story on the BBC’s website brought this all into perspective and there’s some scientific evidence as to why so many of us have an easier time recognizing a face, but not recall a name.

So, here’s a brief list to help recall names:

•    Repeat – Repeat the person’s name aloud several times in the course of the initial meeting and internally later.

•    Pay attention – Yes I know, this sounds like a no-brainer, but as mentioned before, we’re often so concerned with how we may come across that we aren’t concentrating on what the other person is saying.

•    Associate – This can be a bit tricky, but use something that will remind you of the person, such as a color or pattern they’re wearing. For example: teal Theresa, leopard Linda or navy blue Drew. If you’re a history buff or celebrity watcher, sometimes associating with those who may share first names of a historical character or celeb is helpful.

This is only a short list, but this blog from HealthStatus.com has a dozen more ways to help recall names.

And if you’re looking for a way to fake it till you make it, this article by Gretchen Rubin, and author of the Happiness Project, gives you six ways to do just that.

Do you have any special methods for recalling names? If so, share it with me in the comments, I can use all the help I can get!

Maximizing Talk Shows and Roundtables: Philadelphia Media Panel May 16, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Rubel) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:41:00 +0000

Philadelphia Bar Association Bar-News Media Committee - Media Panel Discussion

Co-sponsored by the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) and Delaware Valley Law Firm Marketing Group (DVLFMG)

Featuring:

Rachel Cieri
Managing Editor, SmartCEO Magazine

Lynn Doyle
Host/Executive Producer of "It's Your Call with Lynn Doyle" on The Comcast Network

Hank Grezlak
Associate Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, The Legal Intelligencer

Wally Kennedy
News Anchor, KYW Newsradio

Moderated by:

Gina Furia Rubel, Esq.
Chair, Bar-News Media Committee (Moderator)

President/CEO, Furia Rubel Marketing and Public Relations

Other panelists to be announced.

Join award-winning Philadelphia region broadcasting and print trailblazers who will discuss the unique challenges of producing and hosting talk shows and roundtables on legal topics. Our all-star panel will share their experiences and challenges reporting on law-related issues, while providing attendees with insights on how they may become better resources and/or interview subjects.

Date:
Thursday, May 16, 2013

Time:

12:00 PM

Location:
Philadelphia Bar Association
1101 Market Street
11th Floor Conference Center
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Registration Info:
Lunch is available for $8.00 for members of the Philadelphia Bar Association and PPRA.

Cancellations require 24 hour notice to receive a refund.

Mobile Website Design and Development: Font Treatment and Readability

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Powers) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:51:00 +0000

By Laura Powers

Responsive, mobile and dynamic are some of the terms used when discussing the development of websites to be viewed on screens smaller than a traditional desktop screen. Whichever term you use for your company's small-screen optimized website (and method you use to achieve the creation of it), in the end, it all boils down to user experience. You must ask yourself, "Are users being quickly served the relevant information on our mobile site that they are looking for? Are they able to read and navigate the site easily?"

One critical element in the design and development of a mobile site is the treatment of the text to ensure "readability" on small screens. Size, contrast, spacing and placement should all be critically considered during the planning phase when determining how information will be restructured for display. This article from designmodo.com, describes the importance of mobile typography and shows some great (mostly consumer website) examples.

We'll be posting more information on design and development considerations for small screen mobile sites in future posts.

In the meantime, how does your site measure up?

Text, Call, Tweet or Google – How to Communicate After Disaster Strikes

noreply@blogger.com (Rose Strong) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:27:00 +0000

By Rose Strong

In light of the recent tragic bombing at the Boston Marathon, we have learned there are different ways to get in contact with family and friends during disasters besides just calling. Although not all these methods are guaranteed to help you connect with your loved ones, technology since September 11th, 2001 has moved forward swiftly and an entire social media infrastructure was born. Our use of both technology and social media in our everyday lives has brought with it, a speedy way to connect in times of crisis.

I try not to be a Doomsday predictor, but I’d be a fool to think this was the last we’d see acts of terror on our home shores whether set by an angry energy from our own country or by extremist foreign forces.

Here are several links explaining how best to try and contact loved ones in the event of an emergency:

The Red Cross has a Safe and Well tool and with a few simple clicks and some information you can find out about a family member or let your family and friends know you’re okay.

Just as the bombings were becoming breaking news, Google put out its Person Finder which is similar to the Red Cross’s site.

Christina Bonnington’s article on Wired.com explains how to directly contact folks in the midst of disasters and explains that texting is a much better way to contact than calling, especially in the wake of the cell phone shut-down in the middle of the catastrophe in Boston.

Like many others, my heart goes out to the people of the city of Boston and my wish is for them to begin the process of healing and soon feel a sense of peace.

Stock Image Use for Marketing and Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Jenei) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:32:00 +0000

By Liz Jenei

I’ve had a lot of experience with purchasing stock images, and for those who haven’t, rights and regulations may not even come to mind when you are in need of an image (photograph, vector image or illustration) on your website, blog, social media post or for an advertisement.
In this post, I will share with you some key terms to know regarding stock photos—what they mean and how to avoid a law suit.

Royalty Free (FR) Images
A royalty free image is one that you can use as many times as you want, for as long as you want under the company in which it is licensed. For example, if you knew you were going to be running a couple of ads using the same tree with different clients—you could license a Royalty Free image of a tree to your company and use it on any client you wish, because the work being produced for all of the clients is done through your company. When using this route, it’s most cost-efficient to start a Royalty Free image folder on your company server so you can use those images whenever you need to for any client at no additional cost. If you are working with a client that wants to hold the rights to the image, then you will have to license the image to that client specifically and can only use the image for that client’s ads. You should also save a copy of the email indicating that the image is royalty free in the event that an intellectual property dispute arises in the future.
A few great stock photography houses from which you can lease Royalty Free images are: istock.com, shutterstock.com.

Rights Managed (RM) Images
A Rights Managed image is one which you essentially rent for a certain amount of time. When you license a Rights Managed image through a stock image company such as Getty, or Corbis, you will be prompted with questions such as: How long will the image be visible? What type of ad will it be (email, website, direct mail piece)? If the image is used on a website – will the image be on the homepage of the website? For how long will the image be visible? If the image is running in a magazine, what is the circulation of that magazine? What states or countries will the ad be running in? All of these answers will factor into the price of the image and if it can even be licensed. When an image is up for rights renewal, you can then negotiate a new license, extending your rights to use the image or you can decide to discontinue using the image.

Rights Managed images also have the option of paying for exclusivity, which means only the company in which the image is licensed to has the rights to use the image during that license. Also with Rights Managed images, there is the option to buy an image out completely, owning exclusive rights forever on that image. There are two great options when rebranding a company, especially so a competitor doesn’t use the same image on their website or in an advertisement—and it may be less expensive to purchase an image as opposed to producing stock imagery – but that is not always the case.

Where Rights Managed and Royalty Free Image Use Gets Tricky
When it comes to Royalty Free images—a good rule of thumb is any still life images (i.e.—no people or places) are good to purchase and use without worrying about liability issues as long as you purchase from a stock photography company, then license and use the image properly. This means never using Google Images as a stock house, downloading something and then placing it in your ad or website without a care. Most images from stock houses are coded, and all day they have computer software scanning the Internet for illegal use of their images.

Where you do have to be particularly cautious, especially when using Royalty Free images, is any image with models or places in the photo. If the image has either, it is imperative that you ensure that the image you purchased has a signed model release form, which means the model has both agreed to be in that photo, and that he has signed his rights in the image to the stock house where it is for sale. If the image does not have signed model release information available on the site after some research, reach out to the company before purchasing and ask if they have one on file. This is especially important if you are using a photograph of a celebrity. The only instance where you can get away with not having a signed model release is if the shot is only of a body part (i.e., a foot or a hand) or if there is crowd of people, especially if the shot is from the back and no faces are able to be identified.

This rule also goes for locations. If you want to use an image of the Big Ben Clock Tower, you might have to get special clearances – reaching out to the image provider can generally give you the correct information when it comes to landmarks or cities. If it’s a cityscape, including a bunch of identifiable buildings, you are covered, but if it is a shot of one identifiable building, it is always best to double check with the image provider. Checking clearances is also important when using a picture of a house. It is important to obtain a signed property release form from the owner before using an image of someone’s property because if you use it without getting that proper paperwork, chances are that there could be a lawsuit.Just because an image is on a stock photo website does not mean it has a signed property or model release form, so making a quick phone call or shooting an email to customer service before using either a person or a place can end up saving you from a lawsuit or fine.

Have you checked your image rights lately?

Punctuation – Does it Really Matter?

noreply@blogger.com (Rose Strong) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:06:00 +0000

by Rose Strong

Although I won’t claim to be a punctuation expert, something I heard on the BBC World News not too long ago made me spin around in my kitchen, almost spilling my morning coffee. The district of Devon has voted to do away with the apostrophe in its street-name signs, claiming that they were confusing.

First, my perception of the people of England (after one season of Downton Abbey, of course) is they are seemingly bound by tradition and the proper use of punctuation would be no exception.
When I get puzzled about where to place a semi colon or how to use parenthesis, I check my Little Brown Handbook, copyright, 1983 or seek information online, as things have changed a bit over the years on the punctuation front. This article explains some very interesting amendments to how the roles of certain marks in writing have evolved.

Bewilderment wracked at my foggy, morning brain for just a moment during the broadcast until I heard the journalist interview a professional proofreader. She said she shudders at the thought of the town being ‘apostrophe-less.’ That gave me a bit more faith in my view of the United Kingdom and their adherence to convention as a country.

Then I thought what it would be like to go through life without these small dots, dashes, specks and combinations thereof on a page. These symbols that we learned of as youngsters in school are part of the backbone of communication. When I read them on a page, I don’t consciously say to myself at the end of a sentence: STOP, but I know that’s what a period means. It’s like blinking or breathing; you just do it without thinking, but if you can’t do it, it is clearly evident and noticeable.

The following are a few examples of business or street signs with apostrophes, placed incorrectly. What do you think?

Terrace parking and sheriffs van’s only. It should be: Terrace parking and sheriff's vans only.
Max say’s you must be 48 inches tall to ride alone. Better written as: Max says: You must be 48 inches tall to ride alone.
Come in for health and beauty at it’s best. Correctly stated: Come in for health and beauty at its best.
Fine assorted tea’s. This would be better as: Fine, assorted teas.
You’re holiday is in safe hands. Written Correctly: Your holiday is in safe hands.

What would be more confusing than reading through a sentence without the comma to tell you to pause for just the slightest second? How could one express on the page, emotion of any kind without an exclamation point or the ellipsis? Of course it would be sheer bedlam for the cast of a play to try and act out their scenes without even a hint of these marks in the script. Punctuation expresses meaning and putting the dots, dashes and slashes in the wrong place can change an entire sentence as this small article about National Punctuation Day that occurs every September 24, explains.

From author of the bestselling guide, Eats Shoots & Leaves and Eats Shoots & Leaves, Illustrated Edition, Lynne Truss, comes The Girl’s like Spaghetti , a follow up guide for children about the lowly apostrophe. Well, this is one book I’m putting on my Amazon Wishlist as I’m sure I could learn a thing or two. Maybe the district of Devon should get it too. Punctuation, when used effectively , gives us the ability to set a tone in a story, communicate effectively and wage a crusade against confusion caused by the apostrophe.

Do you have any favorite punctuation blunders? I’d love to hear them.

Social Media: The Best Times to Post and Why

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Jenei) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:17:00 +0000

By Liz Jenei

Social Media has become an everyday norm. With platforms being flooded with millions of people live tweeting through their favorite TV shows, and posting pictures of what they had for lunch, it is critical to time your business content sharing for maximum views and engagement.

Almost a half of the country lives in the EST Time Zone, with the next largest group of people living on Central time. It is important to keep this in mind when applying these suggested times written throughout the post.

Twitter

MediaBistro published a study that indicates the best time to post on Twitter as 1 p.m.

According to by Dan Zarrella, the author of “The Social Media Marketing Book,” surrounding social media behavior data, Twitter has the highest level of re-tweets from 2-5 p.m., and more people use Twitter towards the end of the week than on a Monday. Surprisingly, more people read their Twitter feeds on the weekends than they do on a Monday or a Thursday. Want to post something on a Friday? Posting before 3 p.m. is crucial because after that, Twitter traffic dips very low.

By using a scheduling tool such as Hootsuite you can compose and schedule tweets to be sent out over time. This allows you to tweet over the weekend without having to work on the weekend. But if you’re going to schedule your tweets, be sure to monitor in real time. You also want to ensure that what you have scheduled to post is innocuous – especially in the event of major breaking news that could taint the perception of others as to why you posted such a thing at that moment. There have been many faux pas posts that were scheduled and then posted at inopportune moments.

LinkedIn

The Houston Chronicle states the best time to post on LinkedIn is in the evening.

“Early evening, starting between 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. is another great time of the day to publish content to LinkedIn, because you are catching users at the end of their work day.”

Zarrella says the best days to post are Tuesday through Thursday. Saturdays and Sundays are often high traffic days for LinkedIn, but not as popular as mid-week posts.

Facebook

The problem with Facebook is that if you flood your friends’ or followers’ feeds too much, they will delete or unfollow you. It is easier to flood friends’ feeds on Facebook than it is on Twitter. Keeping this in mind, it is best to share Facebook links and posts every other day as opposed to daily.

According to a blog post written by Mashable regarding the best time to post on Facebook:

“Links sent between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. get the most traction, with Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. being the best time to post on Facebook all week.”

Email

5-7 a.m. seems to be the time for the most open rates for emails sent and once a month corporate email frequency gets the highest click-thru-rates, says Zarrella.

People pay the most attention to emails sent on the weekends, but people are also inclined to unsubscribe more on a Saturday or Sunday than a weekday.

Blog Posts and Google+

Blog posts and Google+ seem to have their highest traffic at 10 a.m. with the optimal time for engagement being between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Men are reported to read blogs in the evening and experts warn that Google+ engagement drops significantly between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Comments spike on Saturdays and Sundays (probably because people have more time to comment) but blog views take an overall dip on Saturdays.

Pinterest and Instagram

A study conducted in 2012 and published by MediaBistro indicates that the best time to post on Pinterest is 11 p.m.

Statigram gives us the ability to determine the times and days that our Instragram photos get the most likes. The rates of usage appear to change depending on the audience targeted. Keep in mind, however, that Instagram is less of a corporate business tool than a photo social media sharing tool.

Many marketers use Instagram as an easy way to cross promote images on Facebook, Twitter and other social sharing sites – since it can serve as a one-stop shop.

When it comes to social media, every platform is slightly different as are the audiences who use those platforms and those that you target. By making the most of user engagement statistics, you can enhance your social networking presence and engage more strategically.

Smile: They Can Hear You!

noreply@blogger.com (Rose Strong) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:29:00 +0000

by Rose Strong

Furia Rubel Communications is all about getting a message out. In our efforts to do this we use a combination of integrated marketing strategies and tactics including social media, website optimization, video sharing, public relations, business development and many electronic methods for getting a client’s point across to the right audience. However, the telephone is often the first line of interaction we or any business may have with their clients, prospects and partners.

Before the term arborist came into fashion, my father was a tree surgeon. While I was growing up, he had his own business. During my formative years we lived in a home where we had two telephones, a house line and a business line. This was before there were multiline phones for home use. Each phone had a different ring and to make sure answering was speedy, we had one of each on the two floors of our home and a business phone line in our barn.

From a very young age, I was taught proper phone etiquette and how to professionally answer a call. It was drilled into my sister and me that we were the gatekeepers for our father’s business, so there was no tolerance for being anything other than pleasant and courteous on the telephone. In drafting this post, I found a resource from Lehigh University’s Library & Technology Services which is a great reference and includes many of the same things I learned from my parents regarding proper phone etiquette . The resource also details proper decorum when using voice mail.

With an upbringing like this, I have little patience for someone at the other end of the phone to sound anything other than polite and interested. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t need chipper or grossly over-the-top, sickeningly cheerful, but keep the monotone sound, sighing and irritation as if I’m a huge bother for another time, perhaps when the boss calls.

This early training provided needed skills when I entered the ranks of the employed as a teenager and worked in a flower shop while studying floriculture and horticulture in high school. It was retail sales and just as this blog explains: every customer was your best customer, so make them feel that way.

In a career change about 15 years ago, I began working for a national health insurance company as a customer service professional. Notice the title doesn’t say representative. We were, of course representing the company whose phones we were answering, but they wanted us to see ourselves as professionals. The “we”’ I speak of is the class of 19 who participated in a three-month training program together before being set loose in the tank with the piranhas. Besides learning the details of health insurance, the company’s computer systems and how to actually work the telephones, our class was taught how to answer the phones properly.

Of course we had a script, but one of the things they strongly impressed upon us was to smile while talking, it could be heard by the caller and the simple act could make an otherwise difficult call turn into a pleasant experience. Dealing with health issues and money is volatile, so any trick to tame a dragon was worth it. And after seven years at the job, it was true. I’m not advocating a full-on open-face grin, but just upturned lips can help you sound happy, interested and helpful, which is what the person on the other end wants to hear after often going through a circle of automated menus. Knowing they’ve reached someone who cares often soothes the savage beast.

Marketing and communications often starts with the ring of a telephone. A company can market with all sorts of online promotions today with sites such as Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, website and branding campaigns and email marketing, but if you don’t give that old-fashioned customer service during the first few moments of that initial phone call, you’ve lost them. So, put a smile in your voice, callers can hear it and it really does make all the difference.

Optimizing Search Engine Marketing (SEM) for Mobile with AdWords Enhanced Campaigns

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Powers) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 03:22:00 +0000

By Laura Powers

Google recently announced their intention to combine AdWords desktop and mobile search through AdWords enhanced campaigns. This means that one search advertisement and keyword bid will be shown on both desktop and mobile, allowing businesses to streamline their ad campaigns to target audiences.

With these changes, every Google paid advertisement has the potential to be viewed on a mobile device. All signs point to a steady increase in mobile device usage among internet users. Now, more than ever, it is important to ensure that marketing campaigns and online initiatives are optimized for mobile where appropriate.

Measuring and tracking marcom initiatives is always critical. With this shift in AdWords, a phone based call-to-action in tandem with a URL based call-to-action is imperative. By inserting unique phone numbers as well as unique URLs that are trackable, AdWord campaign performance can be measured and leads can be examined. Campaigns can then be systematically evaluated over time for effectiveness.

Furia Rubel typically recommends the Marchex platform for phone number consolidation and tracking. As Marchex users, our clients are able to delegate separate phone numbers for Adword campaigns, print advertisement campaigns, company websites and other marketing initiatives. Phone calls are a natural response to an online ad displayed on a mobile phone. Optimizing AdWord campaigns with unique phone numbers, as well as URLs, will be a necessity for search engine marketing as we move through 2013 and beyond.

The LinkedIn Top Percent Marketing Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Jenei) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:27:00 +0000

By Liz Jenei

The past couple of years have been filled with people occupying the streets in protest of the 1 percent versus the rest of the 99, so when I received an email from LinkedIn telling me I was for once in the exclusive top percent, I was elated – even though it had nothing to do with money.

A day later, my co-worker was also congratulated by a LinkedIn email stating that she was in the top 1 percent of most viewed profiles on the site. An hour later, when I was just about to hop on Twitter to boast my ranking for everyone to see, I saw a colleague had tweeted that she was congratulated as well.

It seemed like my exclusive congratulatory email wasn’t so exclusive after all.

In mid-February, LinkedIn sent an email commending its top users on being in the top 1, 5 or 10 percent of viewed profiles in 2012. The proud email seemed sincere until the LA Times reported that 10 million other users got the same exact one. Since LinkedIn has a span of 200 million profiles, the elite top 1 percent email was sent to two million users alone.

After receiving the email, thousands of people with LinkedIn accounts who received such high rankings ran to their favorite social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, and proudly showed their hierarchy to the world. In fact, the email made it quite easy to do because by clicking the read more button, it brought you to a page with a lovely letter congratulating you on your success more formally and an easy share tool that allowed you to brag about your status to all your social media followers on Twitter, Facebook and of course, LinkedIn.

The tactic of their marketing team seemed to have worked and suddenly countless of social media outlets and news publications were reporting on its outcome.

But how did the LinkedIn marketing team know it would work so well?

I think Media Bistro says it best when they write: “Never underestimate the power of an ’aren’t you special’ message.”

Sure some of the tweets were not necessarily the exact response LinkedIn was hoping for, which was written out in their easy to share tool, but regardless of the responses people were tweeting, boasting or even making fun of it across the Web.

On the other hand, even though the LinkedIn marketing ploy seemed to have gotten people talking, it also left a lot of others feeling like they had been tricked.

As one of the most credible social networking websites, many professionals rely on LinkedIn as a valuable tool for their marketing, business development and information gathering needs. Taking advantage of the predicted egos of its users may have been more of a risk than LinkedIn had anticipated. It did get people talking, but the congratulations also left a lot of people questioning LinkedIn’s integrity. While I think part of the marketing plan was poking fun at social media’s constant strides in making everything seem newsworthy, at the end of the day the tactic did get people talking. Some say all press is good press. Others disagree. I’d love to know if LinkedIn gained or lost members or advertisers as a result of the ploy – because what marketing is really about is measurable and quantifiable results. If their goal was to get the attention of 10 million users, then they completed their mission.

Did you get a congratulatory email from LinkedIn and if so, did you share the accolades on your social networking profiles?

10 Must Reads About LinkedIn, Twitter, Social Media and More

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Rubel) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:34:00 +0000

I recently shared a number of article links on my various social networking profiles. However, I believe these articles are so valuable that I am re-posting links here. Enjoy.

LinkedIn

The Secret Benefit of LinkedIn Endorsements - (Social Media Today)

8 Ways to Get More Leads for Your Business on LinkedIn - (Social Media Examiner)

Twitter

Your Tweets Are Now More Important Than Your Resume - (Business Insider)

6 Truths About Using Twitter that Traditionalists Might Not Want to Hear -
(JeffBullas.com)

Seven Easy Ways To Expand Your Business With Twitter - (Soshable.com)

Social Media Tips and Tricks

How to Size Images for Social Media: Cheat Sheet - (Entrepreneur.com)

How to Choose the Right Social Media Management System to Scale your Social Media Marketing - (JeffBullas.com)

Blogging / Writing / Content

The Science of Storytelling (For better blogs) - (PRBlogger.net)

PR Firm Gets Client’s Site Blacklisted for Duplicate Content - (Spinsucks.com)

Business Productivity

Multitasking Paradox - (Harvard Business Review)

QR Codes – Personalizing with Custom Mobile vCard Profiles

noreply@blogger.com (Rose Strong) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:16:00 +0000

Posted by Rose Strong

My first exposure to QR Codes was about two years ago when I signed up for my first smart phone. I wasn’t sure what QR Codes were exactly, but these little images were popping up all over, on magazine pages, food packages, price tags, storefront windows and billboards. When I found there was an app for them, I installed it immediately.

Today, these tiny boxes are everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. Check out this story from National Public Radio about a new company using QR codes on headstones to keep loved ones nearby.

It seems that within the first few years of their incorporation into our consumer landscape QR codes were designed by computer engineers, but today evidence from this Mashable.com posting points to designers making sure these little squares have somehow become part of our landscape and won’t easily be overlooked.

Also, take a look at what marketing and advertising folks are doing to grab our attention. Boredpanda.org and the blog Hongkiat.com have some great and strange examples of QR codes that stand out among other advertising that we see every day.

With that said, many companies using QR Codes wind up employing them without defining the strategic use of such technology or succumbing to the pitfalls of bad design.

Interesting embedded content for a QR code would be a virtual business card, a company video on YouTube, a registration for an event, a discount price on an item along with a way to purchase it, a coupon for a discounted or free item and/or an event admission.

I asked Furia Rubel’s Vice President of Marketing, Laura Powers to give some insight into how our company has been working in QR codes for our clients.

“Recently, Furia Rubel developed a custom mobile profile platform that displays a content-rich profile for an individual on a mobile device,” she said. “A QR code designed to link directly to this profile has many significant marketing and advertising uses. Furia Rubel creates the individual's custom QR code as well as the tailored and customized mobile profile.”

Additionally, Laura explains that this platform works within a company's database-driven website and can be modified within the website's content management system. Once the profile is set up, it doesn't need to be updated separately from the main website. Content is tied directly to the website, so when the individual's page is updated on the company website, the mobile profile is automatically updated too. Tracking and reporting on these custom mobile profiles can be handled through Google Analytics.

Laura thinks that using QR codes this way is more useful than simply downloading an individual’s contact info or viewing their website. These profiles provide valuable biographical information, downloadable contact information for your device, links to connect on social media and one-touch buttons for directly contacting a person right from the page which the QR code provides.

Have you used QR codes? If so, what have you used them for? Does your company have a QR code and have your clients, customers and/or partners found it useful?

How to Spread Love on Valentine’s Day and Grow Your Business

noreply@blogger.com (Liz Jenei) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:59:00 +0000

Posted by: Liz Jenei

Although Valentine’s Day is mostly associated with showing your loved ones affection by showering them with candy and flowers, here are five ways to use the holiday strategically to spread the love, grow your business and pay it forward in the name of social good.

1. Say Thank You and Connect
Instead of writing a love letter to just your Valentine or friend, use the holiday as an excuse to write an email or handwritten letter to someone who has inspired you recently and let them know that they are doing a great job. It could be a congressman, activist, a client or even a local hero—anyone you think deserves recognition. Tell them how appreciative you are of their work, and you could even ask them to meet for coffee. This way you are not only saying thank you to someone who deserves it, but for those you don’t know personally, you are also expanding your network.

2. Organize an Office-Wide Fundraiser
The week before Valentine’s Day, send an email out to your company telling them you are organizing an in-house fundraiser for a local charity of choice. Ask everyone to bring in $1 to $5 to give to the cause by Thursday, February 14th and you can give candy out to those who donate as a thank you. Think about the organizations that are most affected by the types of products or services you provide. It is always important to align yourself with targeted industries and organizations. Some examples of where donations can be sent are: your local food pantry or homeless shelter, the Sandy Relief Fund via The American Red Cross Disaster Relief program, your regional United Way or the ASPCA.

3. Speak and Treat
Provide a free seminar on a topic of value to a local nursing home or educational institution the week of Valentine’s Day. It could be a resume writing workshop at a nearby college, or a tax filing question and answer session at a nursing home. You could even bring some healthy Valentine’s Day themed treats as a way to thank attendees.

4. Wear Your e-Heart on Your Sleeve
Use Valentine’s Day to increase your social networking connections. Link an article relating to the special day on your Twitter-account, and hashtag a few keywords to optimize views such as #valentinesday or #Vday. If you decide to organize a charitable event, talk about it using hashtags #socialgood #volunteer #charity #philanthropy or something similar. This will help bring views to your social networking profile, expand your network and potentially drive traffic to your business. Try to link a post that has to do with Valentine’s Day and your business, like this one provided by Search Engine Watch about Valentine’s Day marketing tips and keywords or even the one you are reading right now.

5. Volunteer
Valentine’s Day is a great excuse and reminder to volunteer and give back to your community. Whether you volunteer at a local soup kitchen, or donate a coat or blanket to the Salvation Army, helping those who are in need is a wonderful way to spread the love and boost your moral. You can even ask your company to get involved-- asking everyone to bring a warm clothing donation either they or one of their family members has outgrown for when you schedule your donation pick up. This could also help with the overall internal moral of the office staff because doing good makes you feel good.

So this Valentine’s Day, besides giving your sweetie a box of chocolates, use the holiday to grow your business, and pay it forward, because there is certainly more than one way to spread the love.

New Jersey Bona Fide Office Rule Change Closes Doors - The Legal Intelligencer Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Leah Ludwig) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:47:00 +0000

As you know, Gina F. Rubel is a regular blogger for The Legal Intelligencer. She often writes about legal marketing and ethics, social media and the law and much more. Last week, Gina shared a post about a recent state Supreme Court amendment to NJ Rule 1:21-1 (Bona Fide Office). Gina shared the following excerpt from the ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct which highlights the specific revisions to the rule:

"The modifications, which take effect Feb. 1, drop a controversial mandate that required lawyers to maintain a fixed physical office location. However, the amended rule instructs lawyers who don't have a fixed office location to:

maintain a system ensuring ‘prompt and reliable communication’ with clients, other attorneys and courts, such as a telephone service staffed during ordinary business hours, or a promptly returned voicemail or email service;
be available for in-person consultations requested by clients at mutually convenient times and places;
designate an actual location for inspection of files and records, hand deliveries and service of process; and
fill out a form appointing the clerk of the New Jersey Supreme Court as agent for service of process.”

Read the full blog post and learn more about the modifications to NJ Rule 1:21-1 by visiting The Legal Intelligencer blog.

Digital Footprint Can Damage Job Seekers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

noreply@blogger.com (Leah Ludwig) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:19:00 +0000

Furia Rubel Marketing and Public Relations President and CEO Gina F. Rubel was recently interviewed for a digital dirt article published in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The article explores how those seeking job opportunities need to be keenly aware of their digital footprint. More specifically, Gina shares how she utilizes social media as part of her staff hiring research and strategy.

To read the full article, go to Digital Footprint Can Damage Job Seekers.

Facebook Graph Search – Are You Ready? Big Brother is Watching You.

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Rubel) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 17:10:00 +0000

Image courtesy of Facebook Screenshot

Facebook unveiled Graph Search, the latest approach to search for information on its social networking platform. The new functionality, i.e. "graph search" gives users the ability to search within their own social graph for specifics while asking questions in English – just like Apple’s Siri minus the voice command (which I’m sure is in the works somewhere at Facebook Central).

You can ask, “Which of my friends work in legal marketing, which of my friends live in Doylestown or which of my friends are lawyers?” and you will get results based on who you interact with the most and the people that meet the question criteria. You can then go so far as to say, “Which of my friends are single, which of my friends were born in 1959 or which of my friends went to Drexel University?” (Yes, I went to Drexel and no, I was not born in 1959.)

Sample Facebook Graph Search Results

Facebook was kind enough to run a sample graph search for me showing me other people in my network who live in the same hometown as me. Good thing that my husband was at the top of that list. Can you imagine if he showed up living somewhere else?! And a shout out to my friends, Natalie Wi and Maria Martino Evans ... you showed up in my sample search too.

This new search functionality is only available in limited beta right now but I suspect that like all changes to Facebook, the company will roll it out publicly when they feel like it and there will be little ability to opt-out of having people search your content for things like, “Show me all photos taken at the beach.”

Since I travel quite a lot for business, I do like the ability to quickly filter a search to ask who lives in the city of my destination. I’m also thinking that this will be useful for planning family vacations. Recently, I asked, “Has anyone been to Yellowstone? Seeking suggestions for a family vacation.” With the new graph search, I could just say, “Have any of my friends been to Yellowstone?” Then, I could follow up directly for advice from others.

Needless to say, Big Brother is watching you! How do you feel about it?

UPDATE 2/4/13

I was on a waiting list for Facebook Graph Search until today so I turned it on (for better or for worse).

What I didn't know until using it is how refined your searches can actually be. Take a look at the image below. It's a screenshot of a search for "Friends who went to Widener University" - of course with all of their personal information redacted. I can then search further by gender, relationship, employer, current city, hometown and more. I can think of tons of valuable uses for this - especially for when I travel. Of course, for Facebook, it means more targeted advertising and higher revenues. For the rest of us, if we're going to play in the social media sphere, we just have to accept the fact that there's no such thing as privacy anymore.

Facebook Refine This Search Graph Feature

How to Stop Following Inactive Twitter Accounts with Manage Flitter

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Rubel) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Did you know that Twitter users are limited to the number of accounts they can follow in comparison to the number of followers they have? I didn’t know this a few years ago when I reached 2,000 followers, but since then, I have had to continually manage my following to follower ratio. This is certainly not a problem for high profile individuals, celebrities or push-content accounts that share popular posts like Pete Cashmore of @mashable, @huffingtonpost or @ladygaga (who has the most followers at more than 33 million), but it is the case for most Twitter users.

There are various Twitter “Following Rules and Best Practices” that you should be aware of. The rule as it relates to the ratio I eluded to above states:

“… every user can follow 2000 people total. Once you’ve followed 2000 users, there are limits to the number of additional users you can follow: this limit is different for every user and is based on your ratio of followers to following. When you hit this limit, we’ll tell you by showing an error message in your browser. You’ll need to wait until you have more followers in order to follow more users…”

Image from ManageFlitter.com

During the last few years, I have found that I frequently hit my following limit and have to go back and un-follow users (especially at conferences when I’m actively networking and building relationships) who either no longer interest me or are inactive – a task that I used to do manually until I discovered Manage Flitter.

Manage Flitter allows users to filter followers and those they follow on Twitter so that users can make better use of the social media platform. Before using Manage Flitter, I was following more than 500 accounts which have been inactive (i.e. not shared a Tweet) since before 2012. That was close to 10% of the accounts I was following. I have since stopped following all of those accounts so that I can create more opportunity to follow active and engaging users.

And did I mention that Manage Flitter has a FREE option? Once you have subscribed by allowing the application access to your Twitter account, you can sort in various ways including: activity, no profile picture (another reason you should have a photo attached to your twitter account), not following you back, “fake-following” (Be careful with this one. I found many followers who are not “fake” in that list.), non-English accounts (which may or may not matter to you), and more.

Manage Flitter does seem to encourage users to un-follow accounts that don’t follow them back – but this is not a philosophy to which I subscribe absolutely. For example, I follow many media outlets which push content out but don’t necessarily engage in social media interaction. I follow them because I am interested in the news they have to share and as a result, I don’t expect them to follow me. Same holds true for celebrities with whom I don’t have a personal relationship, etc.

You can also learn more about each account, including volume of followers, following and messages, by hover the cursor over the username.

Bottom-line: If you’re going to use Twitter, then use it. That means actively engaging, sharing information of value, and managing who you follow by using tools that add to your productivity such as ManageFlitter.com. I’m hooked.

Cover Girls: Furia Rubel Executives Featured on Cover of W4 Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (Leah Ludwig) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:00:00 +0000

In December 2012, the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce featured several influential Bucks County, Pa. executives on the cover of its monthly member publication, W4. Gina Rubel and Laura Powers were highlighted for their dedicated service to supporting the organization through technologies such as websites, apps and promotions. Click here to see the cover in full.

How to Swat the Bug: Surviving the Flu Season at Work

noreply@blogger.com (Rose Strong) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:51:00 +0000

Posted by Rose Strong

You sit at your desk and start to hear it. Someone in the corner cubicle sniffling and coughing, another in the restroom sneezing and blowing their nose. Then they start dropping like flies. The phone calls and emails start coming in saying your fellow employees are sick and staying home. It has arrived: flu season has settled in at your workplace.

How do you survive it?

This 2012-13 flu season started early and nasty, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Statistics show that hospital admissions are up across the country with 29 states showing elevated flu counts and it’s widespread across 47 states. According to FluView, but the CDC, 3,710 people have been hospitalized since October 2012 and 20 children have died.

Here in Pennsylvania , we have six counties impacted with cases totaling between 391 and 976 and other counties are not far behind. Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, Pa , reported putting up a tent outside their emergency room to handle the overflow of flu cases. Currently, Philadelphia isn’t in the red zone on the Pennsylvania map, but is shown surrounded by counties with high flu tallies, so it would seem to only be a matter of time before it hits the metro area.

These aren’t numbers to sneeze at! The flu is serious. It’s not a cold that you just let run its course, but something to be avoided, if possible.

So, how do you make it from now until the end of this year’s flu season without succumbing to the infection? It isn’t easy, but there are ways to prolong your survival and possibly beat it. Of course, there are the standard practices of staying away from people with the flu, like those who refuse to stay home when they’re sick, but how do you do that when you have to interact?

Here are a few hints for staving off the bug as long as possible:

Get the flu shot. I know this is controversial; however, it is an option. If you decline the flu shot, there are some other worthwhile ways to fight the viral invasion mentioned in the article by Ragan.com, such as avoiding crowds and close contact with those infected and a few other ideas that may help.

Wash your hands. It’s the old saying that washing your hands will cut down on germs. It’s true, but do you know how to wash your hands? This article from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gives good advice. Washing hands every time you sneeze, cough or blow your nose can be impractical, but I keep a pump bottle of hand sanitizer on my desk for those occasions when I don’t want to jump up to run to the restroom for a full-blown hand washing session. Following the steps several times a day mentioned in the article is highly beneficial.

The flu goes techno. You may wind up with the flu despite all these preventative measures. Consider making a date with a recliner and a cup of tea. To occupy yourself, you may want to check out the following apps available on your smart phone or tablet. These may be helpful if you’re a business traveler or commute via public transportation. Some of these apps are appropriately medical in nature and would be great for those in health care and the general public, such as the CDC’s Influenza Application. Others are games or ways of tracking the flu to help with the boredom you may experience when you’re down and out with the bug itself.

And remember, if you have the flu, don’t try to brave it out and go to work. Stay home. This Fox News video explains about the overall cost to employers and the loss of productivity due to the flu. In today’s business world, you may be able to work remotely for which your co-workers will thank you. But, even if you can’t work from home, it’s better to just stay home and avoid infecting the office. More than ever, we need to think about the number of people compacted into offices, classrooms, airplanes and the like and consider how we spread illness. Bacteria and viruses are transmitted via elevator buttons, door handles, computer keyboards, bus and train seats and the random pen you may pick up for a quick note and they hide in many other places not mentioned in this list.

You might consider seeing a doctor for some beneficial remedies and perhaps eat some chicken soup , which even the medical community says has tremendous value to those who succumb to a yearly viral attack.

PRSA Philly 2012 Pepperpot Awards - Furia Rubel's Awards & Acceptance Videos

noreply@blogger.com (Leah Ludwig) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:56:00 +0000

As you may have already heard, Furia Rubel was the recipient of several Public Relations Society of America - Philadelphia Chapter 2012 Pepperpot Awards in December. Our agency compiled acceptance videos for two of our three honors in the categories of brand management and website design. Below see our animated acceptance videos - we are not only proud of the awards, but also our accompanying videos...

Furia Rubel has long been Philadelphia personal injury law firm Feldman Shepherd Wohlgelernter Tanner Weinstock & Dodig LLP's agency of record, providing strategic marketing and public relations counsel and services to the law firm. We designed a new website focused on increasing awareness of Feldman Shepherd’s successes while reinforcing the firm’s brand and national reputation through a myriad of communication tactics. The campaign resulted in more than 14 million media impressions and a consistent increase in visibility supporting business development.

Seeking top-of-mind awareness among existing and potential clients, Para-Plus Translations, Inc. contacted Furia Rubel for strategic assistance in 2011. In 2012, we designed and launched the new Para-Plus website, www.para-plus.com, garnering a top nod from PRSA Philadelphia. The website was designed to segment translation and interpretation services while providing more user-centric content and a streamlined experience. The results were increased site visits by 120 percent within 40 days, increased average length of visits and more online inquiries with less emphasis on phone screening.

We do hope you enjoyed these videos featuring illustrations by Pat Achilles and animation by TD Post & Animation.

Where’s the Handwriting? The Importance of Handwritten Correspondence.

noreply@blogger.com (Rose Strong) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:23:00 +0000

Posted by Rose Strong

Since we’ve just gotten through the holidays, I was thinking about all of the cards, photos, newsletters and gifts sent to and from Furia Rubel in the past month. It seems to me that the holidays are still a time to send something to those we care about or those who have made even a small difference in our lives over the past year, however, does anyone send a personal note anymore?

Many years ago, right out of high school, I worked as a florist. As a business that provides people with something unique for the special events in their lives, we always handwrote each message on the tiny card that came with each purchase – especially when the giver didn’t order in person or for some reason didn’t write their own message. Today when you have a flower delivery, like anything else, there is typically a computer- generated card pinned to them and it’s just not quite the same.

Where has the art of writing a letter gone? It seems to have gone by the wayside in exchange for schedules filled with technology that make deadlines tighter and our lives too cramped with other things to take time to correspond with paper and pen.

At Furia Rubel, we send out personal birthday greetings to our clients, friends and others who we work with throughout the year. It’s a nice gesture that has always gotten great feedback from folks. This past year, we designed our own branded birthday cards for these occasions. Marketing and PR is all about making lasting relationships and we think personal notes for any occasion help to encourage good will and strengthen relationships.

Personally, as one who has never been able to send a birthday message without the word belated on the card, however, my intentions are good as I have a stash of beautiful stationery and cards just waiting to be sent. And with email, text messages, Twitter, Facebook and other social media, we tend to send messages using these vehicles instead of setting aside a few moments to pick out a card or even use some note paper and write to someone.

During a recent conversation here at the office, a co-worker remarked about how disappointing it is to see that people send condolence messages via social media. It would be hopeful that folks are also incorporating a handwritten letter or card immediately after hearing of a death through Facebook or Twitter, but considering the state of technology today, I’m not so sure people aren’t just Tweeting their sympathies.

Who among us doesn’t get a small thrill out of seeing a handwritten envelope peeking out of the stack of bills in the mail? I know it can brighten my day to receive a short note from a friend or family member. And that’s where the key to this comes in for me; a short note is all it takes. Just a small gesture of saying hello, wishing someone cheer or giving an update on happenings in and around my own life.

It’s hard not to think about the letters sent back and forth across the sea during WWII, from love notes sprayed with perfume and home-town updates to Dear John letters. They were all handwritten and brought with them a sense of the personal through the handwriting, the stationery, the stamps, the possible scent of lavender and mostly the emotions that can only be conveyed and interpreted through the written word. Today, our soldiers and their families keep in touch with email and Skype, still personal, but very different from reading those words on paper.

Not one to make resolutions in the new year, I do try to make goals to improve upon some of my many shortcomings and this year I want to write more letters by hand. Knowing I can make someone else feel good with such little effort is a goal that I hope to achieve this year. How about you?

Damages: Recap from TLI Litigation Summit, Part V - The Legal Intelligencer Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Leah Ludwig) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 22:27:00 +0000

In September 2012, Gina F. Rubel attended The Legal Intelligencer's first annual Litigation Summit and captured highlights from various programs shared throughout the event. She recently authored a blog for The Legal titled, "Damages: Recap from TLI Litigation Summit, Part V," which recaps the damages program presented by Frank D. Tinari, the principal economist of the Tinari Economics Group, along with Kristin Kucsma from the same organization; Jane A. North, a partner with Deasey, Mahoney, Valentini & North; and Lawrence R. Cohan, a shareholder with Anapol Schwartz. Read the full blog post and take-aways from the program at Damages: Recap from TLI Litigation Summit, Part V.

How did this happen and why? Contemplating Newtown.

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Rubel) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 14:03:00 +0000

Friday, December 14, 2012 is a day that Americans will remember for a lifetime if not for many generations to come. A day when the nation's heroes became 20 innocent children and seven elementary school educators and administrators – all of whom felt safe and secure when they arrived at school that morning. Today we ask ourselves, "How did this happen and why?" "Who is to blame?" "How do we stop this from ever happening again?" We have no real answers.

Like most parents, immediately following the news that there was a massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, all I wanted to do was to see our children. My husband called to tell me what he had heard on the news as he was driving home. His immediate thought was to protect our nine-year-old son from hearing the news on television so that we could deliver the horrible message in the gentlest way possible. And so we did. I then called our daughter who was visiting with a friend and told her that I needed her to come home. And so she did. That night I held them both a little tighter and both a little longer. And our parents called us just to say, "I love you."

The following Monday, our children had the blessing to go back to school but this time with the knowledge of the terrible tragedy that had occurred just three days prior. As I kissed our son and said "I love you" in front of the school, all I could ask of God was to keep him and all others safe. Then I drove past my daughter's middle school and asked God to keep her and everyone in the school safe as tears began to fall once again with the reality of Dec. 14th living in a nation of lost innocence.

A friend of mine had this to say: "I drove by my son's school today and my heart stopped. . . . I lost my breath, then I stopped. . . . I took a moment to thank God that it was not his school, in our town, on some random Friday, for some un-godly reason."

I thanked God for all the same things. But as I contemplate this horrible tragedy, it is ever apparent that it did happen in "our town" because those children have relatives who are our friends. Those heroes and their families are our neighbors. We live here in America where the national debates center around funding cuts in education, unemployment and healthcare, gun control, and rising taxes –all of which affect our personal safety physically, emotionally, mentally and financially. And we ask, "How did this happen and why?" We have no answers.

As a child, I remember my mother talking about where she was when Kennedy was assassinated. She recalled how she found out about the tragedy, how the nation came to a stop, how the nation mourned, and how all eyes turned to the television to say goodbye. They asked, "How did this happen and why?"

On January 28, 1986, when I was in 11th grade in Catholic school, I remember sitting in our homeroom watching the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger when all of a sudden it went from being an epic launch to a national disaster. The 30 or so young ladies and our teacher all began to cry when we understood that we had just witnessed the loss of innocent lives. We asked, "How did this happen and why?"

On September 11, 2001, I was sitting at my desk in work when my father called and told me that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I turned on the news and witnessed the impact of the second plane, the uncertainty of the national news media as to what could be happening, the gut feeling that this was terrorism and that America had lost its innocence, and the fact that I had to leave the office (despite my boss's missive that we had work to do) to pick up our daughter. I had to go home to be with my family. As we cried, we asked, "How did this happen and why?"

And as the incidents of the Columbine High School massacre unfolded in April 1999 and the stories of the Aurora, Colorado Movie Theater massacre unfolded earlier this year, we all asked ourselves, "How did this happen and why?"

And still, we have no answers. In fact, we may never have real answers. We may argue, debate, and fight about the "issues." We may read missive after missive in the media and on social media. We may hear people pontificate about the right and wrong answer. But yet, we will never learn absolute truth in this lifetime.

What we do have is the knowledge that each moment of life is precious and sacred. We are privileged to live in America where we have freedoms of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Where we have the Constitution and its Amendments to protect us from ourselves and our government. Where we can debate issues openly without the fear of punishment. Where we can love who we wish and live how we choose. Where we can fight for equal rights for all. Where food is plentiful and education is free. We may never have the answers to "How did this happen and why?" but we must also never forget what happened in Newtown, CT.

So today, let us all curb our judgment and anger towards others, listen a little bit harder even if we disagree, thank God for what we do have, pray for all those directly affected by last week's horrible tragedies, and vow to make a difference in our communities which were all truly affected* by the loss of lives and innocence on Dec. 14, 2012.

*To everyone directly affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre I send my heartfelt prayers – for the children are angels and the adults are true heroes. May you find peace someday, somehow. Godspeed.