Simplify360 is a company that is being ‘touted’ more and more in social media ‘circles,’ which comes as no surprise, considering that this company is based on offering social media management services through its’ ‘unique’ cloud-based platform.

They have JUST announced that they are now ‘partnering’ with Be First, a Montana-based social and content marketing company. Be First Inc currently manages over one million Twitter Followers, several  Facebook profiles and several LinkedIn profiles, for companies located across the United States. In addition, Be First produces and publishes content to online papers with eight million page views per month.

The partnership with Be First allows Simplify360 customers to utilize the Be First network as a vehicle for distributing their own content and driving traffic to their business. Media agencies, market research companies, as well as enterprises, will be able to leverage the Be First network to grow their own social followings. Which, as we know, is a ‘must-do’ when speaking about increasing a business’s cash flow.

The Simplify360 social media platform allows companies to effectively grow and manage social followings while at the same time monitoring what’s said from both a positive and a negative perspective. The platform also allows for the publishing of content, which is something more and more companies are interested in working into their own media and marketing plans.

This new partnership came about as a result of Be First initially becoming a client of Simplify360.

“Be First Inc  is managing so many Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn profiles that we soon found that we had to find a tool that would consolidate most of the work we needed to accomplish in one place,” said Sherry Gillam, President of Be First. “We have   Read More>>>>> 

Sumner Redstone (even though others will put up a fight about this and say it was Bill Gates) is the man who issued the words: Content is King!  Redstone is widely considered to be THE media magnate – someone who was and is absolutely sure that content is the one and only thing that will increase business, make a brand popular with the people, build sales and etch your company’s name into the minds of millions of people out there.

More and more businesses – from small, upstart companies to corporations that are among the ‘best of the best’ in their specific industry – have altered their marketing plans over the past decade with each new development in the world of technology. From the creation of the internet to the establishment of cell phones and their increased capabilities, to the popular sites of Google, Facebook and Twitter, companies have learned that content is the one thing they must master in order to build their client list.

But the one problem that is still being dealt with is: What constitutes valuable content? As an individual and small business owner I speak from both sides of the fence. As an individual, I am like the other 96% of people out there in America who are described as ‘news junkies.’ This term is not used lightly – as if this large group simply goes on the internet to read about the latest celebrity break-up; we are actually researchers. Before buying a product we want to know all there is to know about that particular product. We research the latest news of people we admire and/or ‘follow’ (i.e., politicians, publishers, artists, etc.); we study all the new devices, articles, products, etc. they use and promote, and then head straight to that business’s website. In other words, we follow the ‘buzz.’  Read More>>> 

Social networking is a subject we’ve been speaking about more than a little bit in the past few weeks, and willbe speaking about more and more as time passes. Why? Because, let’s face it, the World Wide Web is now the ONLY way to get the ‘name recognition’ you need and be able to ‘brand’ your product, service, etc. all at the same time. These are facets that you must have in order to run a successful business nowadays.

This week I really want to talk about the two ‘staples’ of social networking that you really have to concentrate on in order to become a ‘cut above the rest.’ In this article, we are delving into the sometimes annoying world of website building.

We ALL know how unbelievably frustrating this particular facet of business can be, especially if you are not a designer or computer programmer and can not afford to employ one. You can literally sit for eons on the Internet and come across all different kinds of sites that offer you free templates to use for building your own website. Not to mention, you will also run across a plethora of companies that will offer to set up the website, make it as beautiful and/or commercial as necessary to increase your business and cash flow, and also offer to host the website – making sure to add, subtract, or edit anything you need to keep up with the changes and trends happening in your particular industry. This, however, can run into a great deal of money to make it all come together the way you want it to.

When I first began my own website search, I came across thousands of sites. I mean, everything from graphics that were in 3-D to websites that would speak to the buyer, play videos, and basically do everything but cook your dinner, were available. There were lists of companies that were not highly expensive; all the business owner had to pay was a monthly charge, and they can choose among a huge variety of color concepts, graphics, the ability to download pictures, set up events, set up a blog in order to tell all the clients out there what they’re missing by not purchasing your products – pretty much everything you could think of that would create the ‘world’ that you want to show to your customers and/or fans.

Let’s just say, after studying far into the nights, weekends, etc., I found out quickly that creative ingenuity and a heck of a lot of imagination were the two main ingredients to building the perfect website.  Read More>>>> 

Our luck remained with us when we found ourselves at a talk given by the Serenity House Tea Society - a completely apropos name for the serene majesty and beauty that surrounds you during your stay on St. Simons. The company headquarters for the Serenity House Tea Society is yet another building that calls this particular Golden Isle home. And, today, we’re going to take you on an amazing journey.

From the 1800s until now, you will experience the world of tea; and, as the owner’s motto states quite clearly: you will…“Transport yourself with Serenity House Tea Society and leave your passport at home.”

And that is so true. You see, with Serenity House Teas you can quickly find yourself in India by tasting real Chai tea that is ingrained with cardamom pods, cloves and more. The Society can also bring you to Morocco with their Nana-Mint tea; China, with Heaven’s Green; South America, with Mate; and, South Africa with Rooibos and Honeybush. They can even teach you how to flavor a tea at home with fresh organic Lavender that comes from France.

You will never know until you experience Serenity Teas, how unbelievable the beverage really is; in fact, I can tell you that there’s so little you know about this subject that you’ll find this journey absolutely fascinating. We’re talking about a beverage that has so many different varieties you can find one purely dedicated to spiritually enhancing your mood, as well as some that are specifically created to relieve your stress.

There are approximately 3000+ teas available from around the globe, and each has its own combination of leaves, flowers, herbs, roots, and spices that create an infusion in hot water. Each and every tea has its own properties and all are created by a variety of processes.  Read More>>>>  

Can you imagine how tired those horses’ hooves would be today if they had to type on one of these keyboards instead of riding the trails? Man! Even, I’ll Have Another - the King of the horse-racing world this year – would’ve had a tough time adapting to all the new ways we get our messages out, loud and clear.

Actually, no, I’m not kidding. (Well, certainly about the horses having to type). But this is a new ‘issue’ we are gong to be speaking about for the coming months. This is the world of social media. A world that now is filled with everything from blogs to text messages, to Facebook, Twitter and having the ability to fill up YOUR Inboxes with so much mail it’s not even funny. Of course, once upon a time, all of this used to fill up your real mailboxes which bothered you even worse.

Each week we will delve into a new area of social media. We will discuss the slow collapse of the ‘brick-and mortar’ store in many industries. If you don’t believe me just look at the new Amazon reign that will soon turn the world of publishing on its ear. So…is this better? Is social media – the wave of the future – the revolution that allows small businesses that you would otherwise disregard completely the ability to draw in a clientele and make money? Is direct marketing a thing of the past now that blog campaigns and email express options are in? In fact, with Facebook adding and changing applications, as well as Google, to allow you to create announcements, sale notices, new product ads, etc. AHEAD of time so that you don’t have to hire people to ‘man’ your computers 24/7, there is more and more social media doors opening wide.

In addition, the generation gap on this one is almost humorous. Parents and children always have a gap whether it be in music, literature, dating, what have you – but with this – social media – the World Wide Web, cell phones, and this 21^st century technology – the gap has become far more advanced. It s actually hysterical to hear my own daughter live and die by these creations; she ends up sounding like R2-D2 because I have NO idea what she’s talking about. And then I get to see my mother shake her head and rue the day that people stopped reading books and writing letters. Read More>>>> 

I want to talk about life! The ups, the downs, the stress - you know what I mean…

MassageLuXe is a company that has become one of the greatest companies out there when it comes to luxury, pampering and offering the ‘good life’ to people who SO need a taste of that. On top of all that, massage is the therapy that is now being recommended for just about everything. Osteoporosis, arthritis, pinched nerves – actual illnesses that are making our lives just a little bit (okay, who are we kidding, a lot) more miserable in this day and age.

Stress relief can come in all forms; some people like to sit and read, others listen to music, others imagine what fun it would be to throw a Slushie on their boss…But what if you could do that AND at the same time have someone give you a massage and rejuvenate you, make the aches and pains go away? That’s what we’re talking about! Changing your life with a ‘must-have.’

Oxygen is a must-have – so, however, is a brand new pair of shoes! I want all readers to really see and feel what a ‘must-have’ MassageLuXe is by taking a walk with me through ‘a day in the life’ of a mom. Afterwards, I can promise you, you will RUN to the MassageLuXe in your neighborhood or build one yourself and become a franchisee because MassageLuXe is a ‘must-have’ for YOUR city!

…The alarm clock rings (one piece of technology in your life you would always like to throw out the window). Or, in my house, the day begins with the dog barking at least an hour before the alarm clock actually rings. So, you struggle out of bed. The aches, pains, cramps, everything is right there with you to let you know what birthday is actually coming up next and, it no longer is ‘twenty-something.’ Your body is tired – especially in the desert heat of the Southwest. Here, it’s already, oh, five hundred degrees outside and a stick of butter could melt in your air-conditioned house (I know, so much for air conditioning). Robotically you groan, moan, rise, put the dog out so he can bark at the garbage trucks and other things in the neighborhood, and you get a little bit of glee out of this moment because he is now waking up the neighbors before their alarm clock rings. After all, if you’re up at five a.m., they should be too.  Read More >>>>  

We have been speaking about this company over the past few weeks and the response has been astronomical from businesses to artists; from writers to independent organizations. Be First, Inc. has a proven rack record that shows them to be the best social media advertising group in the world today!

Be First, Inc. is a company that lives up to its reputation as “the branding experts,” and with each and every week this company brings another ‘golden nugget’ of information to the business world, and shows what a business, corporation or individual needs in order to make their branding a complete and utter success.

The wealth of information that Be First, Inc. provides is monumental, AND it is very much needed. For all types of businesses and entertainment out there in the world today, there will be no money coming in if there is not a marketing plan set in place and branding going out. Your name, your product, your Service, your music, books – whatever it is that you happen to want to promote to the rest of the world – NEEDS to be promoted by the absolute best. Your name needs to become a brand all its own, and only then will you achieve the success you ultimately deserve.

Now, the whole world knows about Facebook, Twitter, etc. – the downsides and upsides of people and businesses using these particular platforms to make their company and themselves become larger than life. What people may not know is that very recently, Google’s new network has been working quite diligently to outdo Facebook and it‘s many applications for its customers. In fact, these two powerhouses are coming to terms with the fact that more and more businesses, artists, writers, etc. are making their names over the internet. They want branding, and they have given up the old ways of signage, business cards, etc. to get their name ‘in the door.’

Google+ and Facebook seem to be caught in a world where each one wants to shine and come out as the best, actually disregarding Twitter which is odd, seeing as that at least Twitter offers the ‘gift’ of being ‘real-time’ where people do not have to wait for their messages to go out into the world and begin the branding. Of course, for consumers and customers no one really cares how much Google and Facebook fight. In fact, it very much reminds everyone of Apple versus Microsoft. In the end, all the people and businesses cared about was what the two companies were going to do for them. God bless America, right? In the end, when two monumental forces collide the consumer is the one that gets to reap the rewards. And that, my friends, is the way democracy should be. After all, we’re the ones working our behinds off for success, the least these megaliths could do is offer stellar services and a way for us to market and bring in the money.

Google+ is what the program is called. Not exactly the most creative of phrases, but Google has already proven to run the internet. More people get on their machines and go for Google research than anything else in the world – even grabbing a book from the library is out now.

When Google+ AP opened, millions received that colorful “platform” on their screens introducing the new-found program. Of course, I, as many others, didn’t even know what this was all about. The end-user simply saw this as yet another advertising option with no actual reasoning behind it. It took only about a week for the world to find out they were wrong. Google+ API has suddenly drawn-in consumers, editors, developers, and artists from all over the world trying to set up their “Buzz” and links in order to get their customers to know who they are and brand more and more every day. This, of course, IS close to the Facebook “Lists,” where the consumer or business gets their lists created for them. Seeing as that Facebook has been around a long time already, it will be interesting to see if many people use this specific marketing platform – or just continue with Facebook as they have been.

Google+ Search is something else that’s new – although, to this writer, let’s face it – if I want to search for something, I already head straight to Google anyway – nothing new there. Of course, with this addition, now a business or consumer can search for their topic, and then filter the information received into various results – categories such as: “Google+ Posts” and “Sparks.” As everyone already knows, the Facebook search is powered by Bing…and not very good.

Facebook is adding a few applications that are completely “Twitter-based,” as if seeing the monumental overload of people switching to Twitter in order to receive ‘real-time’ updates and be able to send ‘real-time’ messages to their followers.   Read More..>>>>>> 

Much Needed Advice From THE Name in Social Media!

Our lives are on the internet.  Our businesses are on the internet.  The global economy is running on mobile apps., internet sites, blogs, events, discussions, etc., and now that the digital landscape has grown to astronomical proportions, the internet has officially become the main source of communication that any individual or business utilizes to sell their products and services.  From companies to artists – the internet is the one thing in this recession-wary world that that is generating revenue.

Many sites and companies claim they have a firm hold on the internet super-highway, but there is one company that actually DOES have the knowledge, track record and expertise to make sure that businesses, corporations, organizations, and artists get the ’traffic’ they need in order to increase their business.

Be First, Inc. has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are the social media advertising group in the world today! Not to mention the professionalism, ethics, creativity, and hard-working individuals that make up Be First, Inc. will be a perfect match with you and your company’s needs.
Be First, Inc. is a company that lives up to its reputation as “the branding experts,” and each week we will be going over a major service, as well as providing much-needed advice from the wealth of information that Be First, Inc. provides. This week we are going to take a look at the world of Facebook.  When Facebook was actually accepted into the dictionary, the world knew this was going to be around for a good, long time.  It is certainly no fluke. Let’s face it, Facebook is THE place to build followings, sell products, get reviews, and bring every single aspect and goal that you have, to the global marketplace.  In fact, Facebook has become THE branding site for anyone and everyone – offering the ability for clients to meet up with people from all walks of life and find their target audience.   Read More…>>>> 

The statistics that we have spoken about regarding the absolute wretched care and conditions of nursing homes has also not been overlooked.  In fact, the statistics are frightening. And with each new day comes more statistics and news regarding the hideous care that our loved ones are receiving.  This situation is not only very difficult for the person needing care, but it is also a huge struggle for the families who absolutely love their mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, uncle, etc., and how much they truly do NOT want to put them into a nursing home situation.  They would love to provide either private care in their family member`s home, or find a way to simply quit their jobs to take care of their loved ones full-time. Of course, the latter solution is absolutely impossible.  This recession-wary economy is already scaring the “pants` off of everyone – and quitting a job is next to impossible.

When we first began our in-depth look into ADL Caring Companions the information we found was truly amazing. This is a company that was founded in San Antonio, and soon opened an office in Dallas, Texas, and has shown families and senior citizens that “good` care is possible, as long as an ADL Caring Companion is part of your loved one`s day.

I want all of you to take a moment to consider just one state at a time. Take Florida, for instance.  By 2030, Florida`s population will comprise 6.2 million above-65 people, whose number stands at 3.3 million today. This means more nursing homes will be required in Florida to accommodate an additional 2.9 million people by 2030.  BUT, each and every one of us need to understand a very simple fact. Seniors do not want to end their lives in nursing homes. Think about it. Passing on while being in a nursing home - not surrounded by family or friends – is absolutely what anyone would call a poor quality of life. “  And that is the one concept that ADL Caring Companions is trying desperately to stop.     Read more..>>>>> 

The Precious Gems Publishing house has managed to take what was a mere dream and make is a reality.  In a matter of weeks my book went from a word document to an actual manuscript with a cover any author would go nutty for.  VAALBARA: Visions and Shadows have come to life before my eyes and I owe this wonderful experience to everyone at PGP!

There are so many big publishing houses out there and facing many failed attempts, I had really given up.  I closed my laptop for the last time and said my farewell to being an author in early August.  While sitting at my own private waterfall Amy from PGP & Be Wisdom  asked me to listen to her interview on Wisdom Radio.  It was there where I first heard a whisper of hope, PGP would not give up on me, or other aspiring authors like myself.

If you want to work with people who care about you and your work, you will be in safe hands with Precious Gems Publishers.  No other care more about the Author and making their journey a pleasant one.

My sincere appreciation to all you have done for me.

Michelle Horst

Author – VAALBARA: Visions and Shadows