by Asia Matos | Dec 22, 2012 | Marketing
The ability to learn is detrimental to success, and the passion for learning only speeds the process. As we approach 2013, we are also going to encounter a new dawn of learning and adaptation. Businesses will continue to collect more data and adapt to the shifts in consumer needs. But not everyone in your organization can always be kept up to speed with the newest, hottest resources in your industry. That’s where business libraries come in. In every organization, there should be a library – filled to the brim with the newest books about their industry. For people who prefer e-readers and the digital frontier, there should be an online collection that the employees can visit and view the resources that their organization’s leaders deem important. A database – if you will – of all the books, articles, white papers, podcasts, case studies, and blogs that you can manage into one single resource specifically for the people of your organization and for your industry. For employees who want to learn about C#? BAM! They can search on their company database and find that they recommend Lynda.com. Or this book on Oreilly.com. You get the idea.WHY? It inspires the people of your organization to keep up. The digital worlds of marketing and technology are constantly changing. Forrester and Gartner are constantly bringing new sources of information to the table. Every year, at least 10 great books on marketing and technology and other business fields are written. There are certain bloggers that you might want to pay attention to, not to mention your competition. It could also aid in your own internal...
by Asia Matos | Dec 18, 2012 | Marketing
UPDATE 1.8.2013: Small hiatus on cram school. Was asked to read Made To Stick instead. Will resume post-haste! UPDATE 12.23.2012: So far, I’ve knocked out CRM Fundamentals, Data-Driven Marketing, Content Rules. Working on C# Essentials, Social Media ROI, and Programming C# 5.0. I’ve been contracted to ghostwrite for an undisclosed firm . Since I’ve been writing for them (as they seriously needed to produce some great content) I realized that it’s time to use my freakishly spongy brain and start engulfing knowledge about the marketing and technology world. I can’t write the most thought-leading articles if I have no clue about the subject matter, right? So here I go: Day 1: CRM Fundamentals, C# Essentials Day 2: CRM Fundamentals, C# Essentials Day 3: Data-Driven Marketing (Driving to Lousiville, KY) Day 4: Data-Driven Marketing, Content Rules (Coming back from Lousiville, KY) Day 5: CRM Fundamentals, C# Essentials Day 6: Programming C# 5.0 (or 3.0) Day 7: Programming C# 5.0, Social Media ROI Week 2: Programming C# 5.0 , Professional Sitecore Development Week 3: Social Media ROI , The New Rules of Marketing and PR Week 4: Likeable Social Media, .NET Framework Essentials Week 5: Inbound Marketing, Visual Studio Essential Training Week 6: The Digital Edge, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Step by Step *Phew* I know. It looks intimidating. This week will actually be most advantageous because of my 12+ hour drive to Louisville. That allows me to cram in at least two books over the course of two days. Anyone well-versed in the marketing technology world who has some books to recommend, please do! I could always stand to add to...
by Asia Matos | Dec 5, 2012 | Marketing
I’ve mentioned before that I’m a custom framer at a pretty awesome art store in Atlanta, GA. One vital thing, however, about custom framing that many people forget is that it ultimately doesn’t have to match your couch, or your walls, or your rug. Your decorative needs will change over time. Unless you’ve got life perfectly planned out and you know you’re going to live in one house forever, you will change your mind about how you want to present your home over time. Colors, patterns, and trends might go from one thing to the next over the course of a few decades. If you’re like my grandma, her home changes every few months. But the art in your home? It doesn’t. The actual physical artistic entity does not change. It might age, but with proper TLC and modern conservation practices, even that has slowed down. What you are left with is a timeless piece – so frame it accordingly. It doesn’t have to match the exact color of your house or your wall. In fact, don’t make it! It might seem kitschy and convenient to make them match, but in my experience, pieces tend to disappear when the matting and/or the frame is the exact color of the wall. Why have the art in the first place if it’s just going to die and disappear into plaster heaven? I say: coordinate. Don’t match. Coordinate. It’s so much more powerful to frame a piece with a mat color and a frame that coordinates with both the art and the decoration that’s already present in your home. That way, you get...
by Asia Matos | Nov 24, 2012 | Marketing
