Here is an excellent video about how you can Enhance your LinkedIn profile by doing the following: adding Applications adding a YouTube Video (first you must open a Google Account - it's free) adding a list of books you are reading adding Powerpoint presentations you've done. (First you must open a SlideShare account and then upload your Powerpoint to SlideShare). Watch the video. If you have questions, please email me at info@vernongirl.com Cheers, Courtenay Continue reading

(True story by Courtenay Pitcher) In downtown Vernon, it was a gray day threatening to rain. October 5th. I was lamenting to myself about trying to find work. He was about to cross the street towards me. I was in my Oldsmobile Intrigue with my ticker on, waiting to turn right. A young man, it was hard for me to tell his age. Maybe he was just over a teen. He was in jeans, wearing a red and white jacket and similar colored backpack. His hair was blond on top with dark brown roots showing through. He could have been... Continue reading

Here is a video on how to add Facebook tabs to customize your fan page. It's a quick tutorial that you should find very helpful for adding a newsletter sign up page, graphics, custom html code, or video to make your Facebook fan page more useable. Contact me for other ideas. Continue reading

Here is a slideshare presentation on social media that I gave today in Salmon Arm. Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook are presented along with social media stats and ideas. Continue reading

Lava Marketing has changed its business name to The Original Lava Marketing Co. This post is about that and how to register your company name in British Columbia. Continue reading

Article marketing is a free link-building strategy. With original and informative content, you can generate more traffic to your website. Check out this information about article marketing that I've compiled, along with a long list of article marketing sites you can submit to. Continue reading

What is the best gift you have ever received? Six and a half years ago when my family lived in Kelowna, we were evacuated from the Okanagan Mountain Park fire. I reproduce my story of our evacuation for you and tell you about my best gift ever. Continue reading

Do you have any of these dilemmas: Your sports team needs a logo. You are getting married and you want a logo for the invitations or seating place-holders. Your company's logo needs to be refreshed, revamped, modernized, or recoloured. You have a logo, but it's never been the greatest quality (it's a little fuzzy). You have a signature event that requires a logo. One of your printing partners is requesting your logo in a vector format. You have a colour logo, but you need to provide it in black. Find out what you should know about logos. Continue reading

You've probably heard of the word "autoresponder" in email marketing, but do you understand what it means or how it works? Autoresponders are a really slick way of automating email campaigns. The system is useful for blogs, newsletters, training materials, incentives, special offers, tips or any kind of message you want to use to stay in touch with customers, sell products, inform, prompt, promote or remind. If you want to save time or ramp up sales, consider their benefits. Continue reading

Your website is a marketing space that can be taking full advantage of the holiday season to inspire purchases and promote holiday-themed products, incentives or specials. Here are nine holiday marketing promotion examples from majour brands. Continue reading

Born Standing Up is the name of the book funny man Steve Martin authored in 1997. An excellent read. There are at least four key messages from Martin that can teach us how to be more successful: Continue reading

The next time someone asks you to go for coffee, here are some questions to ask and some things to consider so you don't regret saying "yes". Continue reading

A heartfelt thank you to our family pet, Julie. Continue reading

This video, that gets really interesting eight minutes into it, examines an interesting perspective...what if we use rewards found in games towards learning, business, health, government, or marketing? Watch this video to get a new perspective about motivation. It's wonderful. Continue reading

Lava Marketing launched a new website. We break many conventional rules to serve our clients better. Continue reading

Connecting with people of different backgrounds can unlock creativity and lead to innovation. Read this blog post to find out about how I saw a Healer to tap into my creativity and to connect to a seventeen minute video by Steven Johnson on uncovering new ideas. Continue reading

Promote an event, find events to attend and build relationships using events on LinkedIn. Continue reading

Find new people to connect with on LinkedIn with its Advanced Search feature. You can connect to people in your city or town or general area. Continue reading

Explain the features of your product or service using left to right selling for a sure sale. Continue reading

Do you have a list of email and postal mail addresses you could access if the right marketing opportunity came along? Read about how Lisa Salt, Vernon, B.C. real estate agent capitalized on a Hollywood movie to promote her name and thank her clients in a depressed real estate market. Continue reading

Networking is an opportunity to ask questions and gain valuable information about local business people and their connections. Continue reading

According to Kelly Diels (owner of Cleavage, a blog about sex, money and meaning) inspiration is fickle. It's a friend with benefits for copywriters. Something that rarely comes, except maybe each six weeks. So copywriters must find inspiration in the mundane. We all lead lives with responsibilities. Some of us are mothers, wives, workers. "Prisoners can still write brilliant poetry between beatings." she says. But Diels had more than that to offer during the two hour Red Shoe Blogger Writing Workshop I took July 2010 in downtown Vancouver. Read my interpretation of her wisdom... Continue reading

Slideshare of How To Grow Your Business With Social Media, by Courtenay Pitcher. Chalk full of statistics and slides about LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Blogging. Useful demographic information too. Continue reading

A website can serve you will if it meets your marketing and business objectives. Here are some ideas for how... Continue reading

An image of my seven year old Quinn fishing off the boat on Kalamalka Lake near Vernon, BC on Saturday, June 12, 2010. Continue reading