Schipul RSS Feed

WordCamp Houston on 7-Aug-10 8:30 AM

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 13:30:00 GMT

WordCamp Houston
Start Date: 7-Aug-10 8:30 AM
End Time: 7-Aug-10 8:00 PM
Location: Houston Musuem of Natural Science, Houston, TX 77030
Speaker: Matt Mullenweg

Event Details:

Houston’s first WordCamp is a one day camp dedicated to serving beginner to advanced, businesses to bloggers, and everyone in between. Content Management Systems are quickly becoming the most efficient way for web designers, bloggers, business owners, and non-profits to manage and organize online content. WordCamp Houston provides three learning tracks, all geared at challenges for specific audiences.

Houston Musuem of Natural Science

5555 Hermann Park Drive

Houston, TX USA 77030

Intro to Web Analytics on 10-Aug-10 1:30 PM

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Intro to Web Analytics
Start Date: 10-Aug-10 1:30 PM
End Time: 10-Aug-10 2:30 PM
Location: Online via www.gotomeeting.com
Speaker: SEM Team Member

Event Details:

The website is running, the numbers are coming in and it all looks great! But, now what?

Google Analytics and other web analytics tools provide valuable and ongoing information about the metrics of your visitors and how they find your site. Let our Schipul Team help you understand the numbers and what actionable items this presents for updates to your website.

We will cover:

How to setup Google Analytics
How to access reports
Basic Metrics and what they mean
Top Content and Keywords driving traffic
Setting up Measurable Goals
Understanding visitor trending
Adding Custom reports and data comparisons.

Online via www.gotomeeting.com

Online Webinar - Intro to Facebook Marketing on 24-Aug-10 1:30 PM

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Online Webinar - Intro to Facebook Marketing
Start Date: 24-Aug-10 1:30 PM
End Time: 24-Aug-10 3:30 PM
Location: www.gotomeeting.com
Speaker: Schipul Staff

Event Details:

Are you looking to begin marketing your business or product on Facebook? The you should tune into this webinar for some Introduction to Facebook Marketing Tactics. We will cover the following:

Setting up your profile
Facebook Groups Vs. Facebook Pages
Facebook Events
Viral Dynamics of Photos
The Power of Status Updates
Sharing and Liking Content
Facebook News Feed
Recommended Strategies for Marketers

Webinar Dial information will be emailed out to all attendees.

www.gotomeeting.com

IABC Houston Luncheon on H-E-B Employee Communications sponsored by Schipul on 26-Aug-10 11:15 AM

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:15:00 GMT

IABC Houston Luncheon on H-E-B Employee Communications sponsored by Schipul
Start Date: 26-Aug-10 11:15 AM
End Time: 26-Aug-10 1:00 PM
Location: Brennan's of Houston, Houston, TX 77006
Speaker: Kate Rogers

Event Details:

Join us for a intriguing look at how one of Texas' most successful companies does Employee Communications.

Make sure to bring a notepad and be ready to write notes as Kate Rogers, H-E-B Chief Communications Officer, talks about

Driving employee engagement through multiple communication channels
Development of our Employer Brand – Because People Matter
Creating and sustaining a culture of service and appreciation – Partner Recognition
Development & management of PartnerNet – our web-based portal
Connecting employees through technology/ creative ways to use internal social media
Measurement and Results

And this will mark a wonderful return to Brennan's after a long absence. Brennan's is better and more beautiful than ever! They're happy to welcome us back, and we can't wait to be there. Join us for this very special return "home."

Photos courtesy of Ed Schipul

Finally, we are so grateful for the amazing team at Schipul, the Web Marketing Company, for sponsoring this event. These guys have been a primary source of programming for us over the years, taught us a lot of about social media, and are an awesome business partner. Thanks to all!

www.schipul.com

Brennan's of Houston

3300 Smith St

Houston, TX USA 77006

The Furniture, Arts and Decor Expo- Show Your heART Houston on 28-Aug-10 10:00 AM

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:00:00 GMT

The Furniture, Arts and Decor Expo- Show Your heART Houston
Start Date: 28-Aug-10 10:00 AM
End Time: 29-Aug-10 5:00 PM
Location: George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX 77010
Event Details:

The Furniture, Arts and Decor Expo will feature the works of art created by artist in the "Shade of Hope" fundraiser.The painted shades will be exhibited and sold at the Expo and they will also be available for purchase ahead of time in an online gallery. All proceeds from the shade purchases will go to the Furniture Bank. The pieces will be displayed at the Pre-Party the evening before the Expo, giving the artists exposure among sponsors and donors. Artists are welcome to come to The Furniture, Arts, and Decor Expo to see all of the pieces beautifully displayed!

George R. Brown Convention Center

1001 Avenida De Las Americas

Houston, TX USA 77010

Online Webinar - Intro to Wordpress on 31-Aug-10 1:30 PM

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Online Webinar - Intro to Wordpress
Start Date: 31-Aug-10 1:30 PM
End Time: 31-Aug-10 3:00 PM
Location: Online Webinar
Speaker: Schipul Staff

Event Details:

Wordpress is one of the most popular blogging platforms in the world because of its focus on usability, clean design, and its ability to add on free plugins for just about anything.

But Wordpress isn't just for blogging anymore. Many sites use Wordpress as their CMS (Content Management System).

Maybe you already have a Wordpress site and you're trying to figure out how the heck to use it, or maybe you've been thinking about Wordpress as an answer to your web woes and want to see what all the fuss is about!

In this training we'll go over:

What is Wordpress? What can it do and why is it special?
How do I use Wordpress? We will go through the admin panel and review:
- How to create and publish blog posts and pages
- How to find and add plugins
- General Theme Management
- How to add and modify users
Pitfalls to avoid

Online Webinar

Business Writing Seminar with John Sturtevant on 16-Sep-10 7:30 AM

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:30:00 GMT

Business Writing Seminar with John Sturtevant
Start Date: 16-Sep-10 7:30 AM
End Time: 16-Sep-10 4:30 PM
Speaker: John Sturtevant

Event Details:

Looking for some guidance in crafting your organization's message and improving your written communications?

Client and Schipul pal John Sturtevant (of The Writing Workshop) is conducting a Business Writing Seminar to 'Get the confidence and skills you need to think clearly and write what you mean!'

The Business Writing Seminar syllabus:

Clear Writing Essentials

You’ll learn to organize your thinking and write what you mean, without the clutter of useless words and complexity.

What you’ll learn:

How to be clear – The single most important goal in writing.
Purpose – Why are you writing? What are you writing? What do you want to accomplish?
Audience – Who is your reader? What’s his perspective? What are his expectations?
Plan, write, revise, edit – A process to help you think clearly, organize your ideas, focus your objectives, take less time, and have more fun writing.

Analysis

You will learn how to dig deeper, understand your objectives, consider options, choose a direction, and organize your ideas.

You will learn how to use these planning tools:
Analytical questions - How to look beyond the obvious.
Brainstorming - How to generate ideas and form connections.
Outlining - How to organize your ideas and structure a logical document.

Analysis Exercises

You will participate in a series of exercises designed to help you examine a situation thoroughly, and ask the right kinds of questions.

What you’ll learn:
A 4-step process that’s guaranteed to improve your efficiency.
Practical ways to uncover your real objectives for writing.
How to keep your words from obscuring your ideas.
How to address the 4 most common reader attitudes.
Ways to avoid jargon, clichés and pompous language.
How to motivate your reader to take action.

Persuasive Communication Skills

We’ll look at the principles of persuasive communication. You will learn how to structure an argument, introduce facts, support claims, and make clear recommendations – all essential to persuasive communication.

We’ll analyze a given business situation and produce an outline for an effective argument.

What you’ll learn:

The 5 most common communication mistakes business people make – and how to avoid them.
Commitment, Structure, Coherence – the model of a tight presentation.
29 questions to help you think and write analytically.
How to achieve cooperation and encourage action through writing.
The 7 essential components of an effective argument.
Sentences & Paragraphs
The Sentence - People use them every day, but don’t know what they are.
The Paragraph - Your document’s rhythm section.
You will learn how to write effective sentences and paragraphs to make your writing clear, logical, and persuasive.
Revising & Editing
We’ll look at writing examples and revise them to improve style, structure, word choice, and clarity.
Style - How to set the right tone for your audience and purpose.
Clarity - What’s clear for the writer is often confusing for the reader!
Loud, later, slow - A 3-step technique to help strengthen your writing.

4888 Loop Central Drive

Houston, TX 77081

Online Webinar - How to create a Facebook ad that works! on 16-Sep-10 1:30 PM

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Online Webinar - How to create a Facebook ad that works!
Start Date: 16-Sep-10 1:30 PM
End Time: 16-Sep-10 2:30 PM
Location: Online Webinar
Speaker: Schipul Staff

Event Details:

Join in this webinar to learn how to create a Facebook ad for your business that gets results.

We will cover the following:

Facebook ads vs. Google ads
Designing your ad to convert
Targeting your ad
When keywords are good and when they are bad
Testing your ads
Tweaking your ad campaign and pricing

Webinar login information will be sent to all participants.

Online Webinar

www.gotomeeting.com

Introduction to Social Media on 21-Sep-10 1:30 PM

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Introduction to Social Media
Start Date: 21-Sep-10 1:30 PM
End Time: 21-Sep-10 3:00 PM
Location: Online Webinar
Speaker: Schipul Staff

Event Details:

Social media this, social media that. What the heck is social media already?!

Well, guess what? It’s debunking time! Join us while we introduce you to one of the greatest new worlds out there – the Great Wide World of Social Media.

The “Introduction to Social Media” webinar will answer the following questions:

What is social media?
Why should you care about social media?
-People are talking about you without you!
-What you can and should do about it
What are the types of social media tools out there?
How do businesses and organizations use social media?
-Basic tenets
-Businesses making good with social media
How can I structure a successful social media strategy for my business?

The presentation will include discussions and illustrations of real-life examples, too! So whatcha waitin’ for?

NOTE: This event is FREE for current Tendenci clients. If you are a current Tendenci client, call 281-497-6567 for a special registration code. For non-Tendenci users, the cost will only be $15 for this awesome training!

Online Webinar

www.gotomeeting.com

Online Webinar: Introduction to Search Engine Marketing - Training for Marketing Your Web Site Ethically and Strategically on 23-Sep-10 1:30 PM

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT

Online Webinar: Introduction to Search Engine Marketing - Training for Marketing Your Web Site Ethically and Strategically
Start Date: 23-Sep-10 1:30 PM
End Time: 23-Sep-10 3:30 PM
Location: Online Webinar
Speaker: SEM Team Member

Event Details:

Introduction to Search Engine Marketing training will cover the basics of optimizing a website and planning a successful paid placement campaign in Yahoo! and Google to help you increase your exposure on the Web and build your brand.

What we will cover:

How does a search engine function in relation to your site, what is it's purpose and what are algorithms?
What is the difference between search engine marketing and search engine optimization?
How do I optimize my Web site ethically and strategically?
What are natural listings and tips to improve results?
What strategy is involved in a paid placement campaign setup?
Why don’t I appear at the “top” in Yahoo! and Google and why is this OK?

This Houston-based search engine marketing training course will prepare you for your own work in ranking naturally , advertising in the search engines and help you increase your business leads from the search engines.

There is no charge for Schipul's search engine marketing training in Houston. Seating is limited to 15 for this session and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so register TODAY! Additional search engine marketing training sessions will be offered in the future to accommodate all who are interested.

Online Webinar

Company Anniversary - Founded in 1997 on 1-Sep-10 8:30 AM

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:30:00 GMT

Start Date: 1-Sep-10 8:30 AM
End Time: 1-Sep-10 5:30 PM

Schipul Offices

Company Anniversary - Founded in 1997 on 1-Sep-11 8:30 AM

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:30:00 GMT

Start Date: 1-Sep-11 8:30 AM
End Time: 1-Sep-11 5:30 PM

Schipul Offices

Company Anniversary - Founded in 1997 on 1-Sep-12 8:30 AM

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 13:30:00 GMT

Start Date: 1-Sep-12 8:30 AM
End Time: 1-Sep-12 5:30 PM

Schipul Offices

Company Anniversary - Founded in 1997 on 1-Sep-13 8:30 AM

Sun, 01 Sep 2013 13:30:00 GMT

Start Date: 1-Sep-13 8:30 AM
End Time: 1-Sep-13 5:30 PM

Schipul Offices

Company Anniversary - Founded in 1997 on 1-Sep-14 8:30 AM

Mon, 01 Sep 2014 13:30:00 GMT

Start Date: 1-Sep-14 8:30 AM
End Time: 1-Sep-14 5:30 PM

Schipul Offices

Company Anniversary - Founded in 1997 on 1-Sep-15 8:30 AM

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 13:30:00 GMT

Start Date: 1-Sep-15 8:30 AM
End Time: 1-Sep-15 5:30 PM

Schipul Offices

Company Anniversary - Founded in 1997 on 1-Sep-16 8:30 AM

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 13:30:00 GMT

Start Date: 1-Sep-16 8:30 AM
End Time: 1-Sep-16 5:30 PM

Schipul Offices

Company Anniversary - Founded in 1997 on 1-Sep-17 8:30 AM

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 13:30:00 GMT

Start Date: 1-Sep-17 8:30 AM
End Time: 1-Sep-17 5:30 PM

Schipul Offices

Accelerating Fundraising through Social Media By Ed Schipul as Published in Nonprofit World May 2010

Dan Keeney — Sat, 01 May 2010 17:00:00 GMT

There hasn’t been much cause for celebration at many nonprofits lately. The public has been distracted by the faltering economy, volunteers have been hard to find, and donor databases have dried up.

One bright spot has been the emergence of social media tools that can boost fundraising. Organizations that are testing social media strategies are realizing how much potential these tools have. Fundraisers can click the mouse a few times and connect with people passionate about their cause, helping them spread the word, volunteer, and donate.

We’re still early in the adoption curve. According to Blackbaud’s analysis of Giving USA data, online donations amount to only 5% of the contributions nonprofits receive. And it’s not a panacea. Only a small fraction of the 180,000 organizations that use Facebook Causes have raised more than $1,000.

But wasn’t it just a few years ago that people couldn’t imagine shopping, watching movies, and making friends online? What makes us think online donations to charitable causes are any different? In fact, in the first five days after the Haiti earthquake struck in January 2010, the top Facebook Cause for Haiti earthquake relief – benefiting Oxfam America – had raised over $100,000, signaling a significant shift is upon us.

The Best Fundraising Punch

For now, the social media tool that delivers the greatest fundraising punch is Facebook Causes, which empowers people to mobilize their social networks to benefit U.S. registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits or Canadian registered charities. Every single Facebook user has the tools to create a Cause for an issue or campaign, recruit others to join, keep everybody informed with updates, and raise money.

Facebook Causes processes donations automatically via credit card, tallies the results, and reports donation activity via a public "scorecard." The Causes platform works because it’s deeply embedded in the world’s leading social networks (there’s an application for MySpace, too), and it can:

• Create community, and spread awareness.

• Connect people and ideas in new ways.

• Attract new donors and raise money for specific projects and programs.

How to Get Started

How does it work? First, your organization becomes a Causes partner. You receive a profile and access to a dashboard, where you can track donations and download donor contact information. When you’re ready to start your own Cause, you can use the Facebook Causes application. Since Causes is a third‑party application, you can have Causes, a Fan Page, and a Group on Facebook, if you so desire.

Keys to Success

How do you make the Facebook Causes application really sing?

• Choose an attention-grabbing title. Think of it as a headline. You want to captivate potential supporters.

• Convey a sense of urgency so people know you need their help now.

• Make your case in three points or less. As with other fundraising communication, the case needs to be simple and to the point.

• Provide a concise description of where the Cause is currently, where the Cause is going, and what your goals are. Remember to include relevant links.

• Use an evocative photograph that inspires people to take action.

• Recruit, recruit, recruit. Use the recruiting tools associated with the Facebook Causes application to invite the maximum number of potential supporters every day, which is 60. But don’t stop there – take your recruiting outside the Facebook borders to newsletters and e‑mail, too.

Facebook Causes is a great way to connect with and mobilize believers in your cause. Successful nonprofits of the coming decade will find ways to aggressively leverage this and other social media tools.

Resources (www.snpo.org/members)

How to Make Social-Media Fundraising Work for You (Vol. 27, No. 2)

Also see Learning Institute programs on-line: Resource Development and O for Opportunity: Exploring New Revenue Opportunities for Nonprofits (http://www.snpo.org/lino).

1-May-10 12:00 PM

April 2010 Schipul newsletter - tips, updates and more!

Katie Laird — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Hello!

Spring time has arrived here at Schipul and with it, brings exciting new projects and news that we would love to share. A lot has been going on so let’s jump right in!

Social Media Tips, Tricks and News just for You!

The internet changes faster than the speed of light and we know that it can feel tough to stay ‘in the know’ around what’s happening on the Web. Check out the latest news below!

1. Do you use Twitter as a marketing tool? If you plan on connecting with clients on Twitter, be sure to read this official Twitter 101 for Business guide for great case studies and the best practices to help you Tweet your way to success!

2. No it’s not a playground game – the hottest mobile application these days is FourSquare, a free tee tool that let’s you (or your clients!) check-in from any location around town. Read this piece on the business potential of location-based services like Foursquare and check out this fun article on the ‘5 Stages of Foursquare Use’ to learn how you can get the most out of this interactive tool.

3. Speaking of great online marketing tools, Facebook has launched a new weekly email update feature to help you track you Facebook’s page’s marketing success - read this great Facebook marketing blog post for more info!

4. Shooting you next podcast or video blog doesn’t have to be a Hollywood production. It can be as easy as shoot-and-uploade using Qik video. Qik is mobile video tool that allows you to upload videos shot from your cell phone. Schipul client Congressman Culberson has pioneered the way Qik is being used on the political scene. How can you revolutionize YOUR industry with video?

5. One last thing…. If you own an iPhone (or iPad!) and need to organize your world, consider downloading the Evernote iPhone App. This allows you to create notes, Snap photos, and record voice memos from your iPhone and sync them with your computer at home or work. One cool feature is you can take photos of business cards and it will recognize and record the text automatically. Be sure to download it!

Join our Get Satisfaction client Community!

We have started a new online space to share your thoughts, needs, ideas and feedback on our Schipul services and products: the Schipul Get Satisfaction community!

Have a request for an update you'd like to see in Tendenci? Want to see a new training on our calendar? Have some ideas you'd like to collaborate on with another Schipul client? Chime in on Get Satisfaction!

The Schipulites will be posting regular discussion topics and will be monitoring your updates and feedback.

While this won't replace our regular customer Support services, this will be another great resource for you to gain new insights, see our latest company announcements and see other Schipul clients frequently asked questions.

Client Congratulations Corner

We're so proud of our great clients—here are just a few exciting new site releases! Congratulations, we are honored to call you part of the Schipul family.

Carbo Ceramics

www.carboceramics.com

CARBO Ceramics is the world’s largest

manufacturer of ceramic proppant

and works hard to make petroleum businesses more efficient. Our team we helped CARBO make their Web presence more efficient by using both Tendenci and Drupal Modules!

Cinco Energy

www.cincoland.com

Cinco is an Energy service company offering GIS mapping and energy services In the Oil and Gas, Renewable, Financial, and ROW industries. Their new Tendenci-driven site makes it easy to keep in touch with clients and market their progressive services.

North Carolina Assoc of Women Attorneys

www.ncawa.org

The North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys (NCAWA) connects female attorneys with networking and personal development opportunities, with the goal increasing participation of women in the justice system. We love their new site!

Upcoming Schipul classes and speaking events

Webinar: Intro to Web Analytics
Day: April 14th 1:30 - 2:30pm
Location: Online Webinar

Webinar: Intro to Twitter
Day: Thursday, April 15th 1:30 - 2:30pm
Location: Online Webinar (www.gotomeeting.com)

Recipess for Social Media Success
Day: Friday, April 16th 8:30 - 10:30am
Location: Kenny and Ziggy's (2327 Post Oak Blvd Houston, TX)

PRSA SW Conference - Is Twitter a Time Waster or Brand Builder
Day: Friday, April 16th 2:00 - 3:00pm
Location: Sheraton Oklahoma City, OK

Webinar: Intro to Facebook Marketing
Day: Thursday, April 22nd 1:30 - 3:30pm
Location: Online WEbinar (www.gotomeeting.com)

Connect with the Schipul Crew Online!

Let's face it, Schipulites live on the Internet. Come hang out with us out on the web! We love our clients!

As always, thanks for your business and happy Spring!

=

8-Apr-10 11:00 AM

Schipul and Drupal: How the Open-Source Community Helped Realize the Dreams of our Clients

David Stagg — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:00:00 GMT

At Schipul, we believe the cheese often moves. Our proprietary software Tendenci has been the bread and butter (in terms of revenue) for our company each year, but we know the Tendenci software specifically may not always be the best fit for a client. Sometimes, if the client wanted a simple site, using Tendenci would be like trying to force a square peg through a round hole.

It would be incredibly imprudent to believe that one shoe fits every consumer. Because of this, Schipul has come to embrace the open-source community. There are incredibly intelligent developers creating and modifying flexible content management systems like Wordpress and Drupal daily. In turn, their hard work gives Schipul the opportunity to present options other than Tendenci to our clients. We can create highly custom platforms for our clients at a cheaper cost to them and with a more direct focus on their business's workflow and consumers.

Drupal Development with the Web Entertainment Guide

At the beginning of 2009, a woman named Michelle Mower came to us with an idea: She wanted to be the go to Web site for all things relating to Internet TV. She wasn't talking about watching normal television shows on the Internet like your favorite sketch from this weekend's Saturday Night Live; rather, a very specific niche of television which actually doesn't involve television at all. Webisodes are individual episodes of a sitcom or drama that are only released on the Internet, and she wanted to create a resource for them and their fans.

Everyone knows of IMDb—you can go find out next to anything you could possibly want to know (and more) about a particular movie. But where do you start when it comes to this new breed of Web Entertainment? Michelle was already knee-deep in the webisode community having been Program Coordinator Houston's SWAMP (Southwest Alternative Media Project) for quite some time, but she wanted a place to disseminate the information, quickly and easily. This is where the Web Entertainment Guide was born, in collaboration with Michelle, Schipul, and the Drupal community.

A Drupal site was the perfect choice. For example, Tendenci didn't come with a Webisode module, and it certainly wouldn't make business sense to write and implement one that would only be used by a very small subset of our clients. But what did make sense was to take the Drupal development platform and utilize its "from the ground up" customization:

We could create a Webisode content type using Drupal's community-submitted CCK (Content Creation Kit) module, that contained any fields Michelle wanted.
We could tag and organize Webisodes any way we wanted to allow for complete search capability. Want to view all Webisodes by Horror genre (like myself)? No problem.
We could create four separate blogs within the Drupal framework she could have writers contribute to.
We could extend the Webisode reach by creating an Interview content type where all Michelle had to do was put the Interview information into the system once, and Drupal could spit it out in a number of places throughout her site without her having to do anything.

Moving Forward with Drupal Development

Don't hear me wrong: Tendenci still serves its purpose and is a wonderful product option for protential clients and is one that continually satisfies current customers. But when the project doesn't fit the Tendenci bill, Drupal and Wordpress have been go-tos that will impress even your hard-to-impress friends.

It's important to give thanks to those out there in the Drupal community who put in the hard work to make our jobs easier. And if you're looking for a custom project, let us know. Give us a call and we can talk about Drupal sites with you. We love it and know you will too.

23-Dec-09 8:00 AM

Web 2.0 in the White House: What is the impact of Social Media on the American Government?

Margaret McDonald — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT

When President Barack Obama was just another hopeful on the campaign trail, we saw him embrace Web 2.0 technologies in a way that has morphed the old way of campaigning into something new and unprecedented.

Now that President Obama is in office, he has taken his use of technology to an even higher level with his special town hall titled "Open for Questions" that aired online last Thursday on the WhiteHouse.gov.

Ed Schipul recently weighed in on the topic of Obama's town hall meeting in an article by David Beizer published on Federal Computer Week.

“What’s interesting is you usually see innovation in local communities and [then] working its way upward in society,” said Ed Schipul, a social-media expert and chief executive officer of Schipul – The Web Marketing Company. “What is surprising is that we are now seeing innovation from the executive branch going down.”

A marketing professor at Saint Joseph’s University, Scott Testa, thinks Obama's town hall will lead to the adoption of similar practices by other agencies.

“The lead is definitely going to be the president’s office and the administration, and it will filter out to other areas of the government,” Testa said. “Historically, governments have been late adopters, so I think it will be a wait-and-see situation as some of these early initiatives come online.”

While Schipul agrees with Testa that Obama's green light for the use of Web 2.0 will be a wonderful outlet for the government, he does warn that it may take some time for all of the agencies who adopt these new policies to understand exactly how to use them.

“We’re not out of the woods yet because we don’t necessarily have a way to respond to 92,000 people [during an online town hall],” Schipul said.

According to Tom Kellermann, vice president of security awareness at Core Security Technologies, security is also going to be a big issue on the Web 2.0 frontier.

Agencies, for example, should test Web applications for security vulnerabilities and their user communities for their susceptibility to client-side application attacks to manage the risks posed by Web 2.0, said Kellerman.

For more information on President Obama's town hall, check out his reca p on the White House website.

30-Mar-09 9:00 AM

March 2009 Schipul Newsletter

Margaret McDonald — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Hello [firstname],

Welcome to the Schipul newsletter - our very first in this exciting new year! Read on for upcoming training classes, tips/tricks and the very another installment of our Schipul Book Club.

Year of the Story: A Brand New Schipul Web Site!

Have you checked out our freshly updated Schipul Web site yet? You should, because it's all about you!

Our shiny new homepage features a 'Stories' section where we post Community-focused events, news and announcements that we want to share with you. If we're excited about it, chances are it will end up on our homepage!

Is your organization doing something exciting you'd like to see on the Schipul homepage? Shoot Maggie an email with a graphic and it will be your turn!

We've also made it easier to see our updated Blog posts, as our homepage also automatically updates whenever we contribute new content to our Schipul Blog, Tendenci Blog and SEM Blog.

What else is going on around Schipul? WE'VE EXPANDED!

Now that the expansion is complete, we have an extra sales wing to help us better serve our awesome clients!! This expansion will also enable us to continue to improve our Web marketing services and help our clients connect, grow and profit online.

The team is actually moving into the new space this week, but here this a special sneak peak just for you guys. You should stop by and say hello!!

Web Marketing Tips, Tricks and Other Cool Stuff

Tell your story any way you'd like.... with Empressr!

Here is what our very own Fayza thinks of the tool.... "I learned about Empressr, an online rich media presentation application, at the SXSW Film & Interactive Trade Show. It’s probably one of the best things to happen to my professional workflow. As someone that does a great deal of presentations, both online and offline, I am never working on my presentation in the same location. It’s a hassle to transfer a presentation from one computer to the other, and have to worry about the presentation’s format from computer to computer. Empressr eliminates that worry, and prevents me from being tied to any particular machine! My favorite attributes about Empressr are the familiar, easy-to-use interface, and the ability to easily import media files from Flickr, Google, Yahoo, or YouTube with a mere drag and drop."

Wordpress Tip: Dominate Google with All In One SEO!

As the Schipul Wordpress family grows every week, we want to be sure that clients are still keeping a close eye on their site and blogs' search engine marketing friendliness. Enter the All in One SEO plugin!

This little plugin (which is basically just an addition to your behind-the-scenes site controls and functionality) helps you optimize your post and page titles, automatically generates your meta information and let's you fine tune just about everything search engine related on your Wordpress site.

So be sure to keep your site and blog updated regularly with fresh and relevant content (and lots of links!) - and look to great tools like All In One SEO to give you that extra kick. Questions? Call our amazing SEM team at (281) 497.6567, ext. XXX.

You're STILL not on twitter?! Here are some twitter tips and tricks to convince you to join!!

Twitter is a social networking service that allows users to publish short micro blog posts called tweets. While Twitter is growing in popularity and definitely causing a lot of buzz, what does it mean to your organization?

3 ways your organization can use Twitter :

Build a base of followers! Use tools like search.twitter.com to find people tweeting about topics relevant to your business or organization. Reach out to them! Follow them and start a (real, transparent) conversation!
Customer service! Use Twitter as another avenue to take care of your customers or members! Respond to questions, complaints, and compliments!
Get the word out! Spread the word about upcoming events! Link back to blog posts or other points of interest on your website!

Want to learn more? Be sure to check out Fayza Elmostehi’s online webinar “Introduction to Twitter” April 16 at 1:30 PM CST. Tendenci clients attend FREE!

Check out Schipul on Twitter at twitter.com/Schipul

Other friends on Twitter:
Client - Houston Zoo
Client - Kolache Factory
Houston friend of Schipul – Houston Museum of Natural Science

Client Congratulations Corner

We love our clients! Here are a few Schipul full design and Wordpress clients that recently went live:

YMCA Houston

Reality Spikes

Beau Rivage Poker

Schipul Book Club: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

It is time again for the Schipul Book Club! Every newsletter, you'll be seeing a new book that we're digging and offering you a chance to get on (for free!!).

Malcolm Gladwell is a master storyteller; he leads readers down winding yellow brick roads and provides them with insight into the mystifying and foresight into their future. He explains those “simple truths” about life and society usually kept secret by Sociologists in a way that your average Joe can understand and embrace them.

In Outliers, Gladwell irrevocably proves that there is no magic potion for success. Success is a beautiful balance of nature, nurture and quite a bit of luck…. Combine those three things with the 10,000 hours Gladwell insists you need to obtain “expert status” and it looks like an insurmountable hill to climb.

Want to win a signed copy of Outliers? Leave a comment on ________________ about who your favorite Outlier is and why.

Upcoming Trainings from Schipul

Introduction to Social Media presented by Maggie McDonald

WEBINAR

Tuesday 31-Mar-09 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM CDT

Social media this, social media that. What the heck is social media already?! Well, guess what? It’s debunking time! Join us while we introduce you to one of the greatest new worlds out there – the Great Wide World of Social Media.

Introduction to Twitter presented by Fayza Elmostehi

WEBINAR

Thursday 16-Apr-09 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM CDT

Everyone is atwitter about twitter! Interested in learning what a little more about twitter? Then attend this webinar that will cover topics from the basics to a little hard core twitter etiquette.

Recent Articles from Schipul

Social Media Programs: Cultivate, Don't Control as published in PR Tactics January 2009

This article was published in the January 2009 PR Tactics publication. Written by our CEO, Ed Schipul, this article was written help public relations professional wrap their brains around the 4 basic pillars of a Social Media program: 1. Planning 2. Recruiting 3. Training 4. Promotion. A few years ago, it could be a bit lonely when I hit the road to spread the word about the impending impact of social media technologies on the practice of public relations. How times have changed....

Recent Press Releases from Schipul

Schipul – The Web Marketing Company to Guide Social Media Strategies to Promote Beau Rivage Resort & Casino’s Spring Break Poker Classic

MGM MIRAGE Mississippi Operations has selected Schipul – The Web Marketing Company to design and execute a comprehensive social media strategy to promote the Spring Break Poker Classic. The collection of 21 poker events begin on March 27 at MGM MIRAGE’s Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Miss.

Ed Schipul explores the Social Networking Explosion on KPRC's Beyond the Headlines

KPRC TV in Houston devoted a half hour to social networking on its program, Beyond the Headlines, which featured Ed Schipul of Schipul - The Web Marketing Company, Ashley Minor an independent consultant, and Laura Mayes of kirtsy.com.

Stay up to date with our RSS feeds.

26-Mar-09 12:00 PM

Social Media Programs: Cultivate, Don't Control as published in PR Tactics January 2009

Ed Schipul — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:00:00 GMT

A few years ago, it could be a bit lonely when I hit the road to spread the word about the impending impact of social media technologies on the practice of public relations. How times have changed. Today, you can’t find a professional development seminar for PR that doesn’t concentrate on social media. Everyone seems to have guidance regarding the best ways to implement a social media communications program.

Many in the public relations community have jumped on the social media bandwagon thinking it puts the PR practitioner in control. Countless articles and blog posts argue that the public relations function should be in charge of designing and implementing corporate social media programs. It has turned into a turf battle, pitting PR against marketing.

All of this completely misses the central point of social media. Any effort to “control” a social media initiative is almost certain to doom the effort.

Jazz and Social Media

The most important person in an orchestra is the conductor, whose job is to guide the preparation and execution of a symphony. To their credit, many in public relations think of themselves as conductors. They know what they want to accomplish and set out to accomplish it with precision.

A completely different mindset is necessary for social media.

While research and strategy continue to be essential for successful social media programs, flexibility and improvisation are equally important. Instead of thinking like a conductor, a PR practitioner needs to think like an improvisational jazz musician. You may have an idea where you would like a piece of music to go and you can help to get it started, but nobody can dictate how the piece of music will develop as everyone in the group collaborates on the fly.

Staples of public relations planning such as linear step-by-step implementation timelines may help you sleep better at night, but they are completely irrelevant for social media. Instead, plan for unpredictability and accept that successful social media efforts are largely driven by people outside your control or influence, some of whom are suspicious of or oppose what you stand for.

Accepting and even embracing their opposition can add to the credibility of your initiative.

The Proper Role of PR

Instead of seeking to control social media initiatives, public relations practitioners should concentrate on the four pillars of social media success. These include: planning to assess whether social media makes sense for your organization and integrate the efforts with the rest of the public relations program; recruiting social media participants from within the organization; training the organization’s social media participants to ensure high standards and mitigate risks; and promotion to build awareness of your initiative.

Notice that none of the four pillars describes actually participating in the social media effort itself, let alone leading it. Instead, the PR person’s role is to cultivate an environment in which social media activities can blossom and succeed organically. In some organizations, the PR person is the only one who has the time or inclination to be involved in blogging or posting photos or videos online.

Here are some tips to implement each of these ideas:

Planning – Define what you want to accomplish through social media and what role the social media initiatives will play in your company’s overall public relations program. Realistic objectives can include establishing or strengthening the company’s position as industry thought leaders, driving qualified leads back to your corporate Web site and reinforcing personnel recruiting efforts. Take time to listen to customer feedback, which should guide your planning, and examine the best ways to measure results so you can adjust course as the effort progresses.

Recruiting – Even though you will be inclined to take the reigns and implement the social media program, it is essential that you step back. Instead, identify internal experts who “get it.” If you look closely, you will probably find some who are blogging, connecting on Facebook or posting videos on YouTube. These are the social media mavens in your ranks who will drive your program. Don’t be discouraged if these are not C-level executives – your leaders probably don’t have the time to devote to the effort. Even front-line personnel can help your effort be genuine and real. If your search hits a dead end, describe your interests to human resources and your corporate recruiters so they consider social media activities when assessing job candidates throughout the organization.

Training – Participating in social media activities requires a great deal of trust and autonomy. You can’t have a committee meeting about how to respond to every comment posted on the company’s blog. Therefore, the public relations counselor’s role is to accurately assess where best to devote time and attention, and build consensus for the initiative internally. Even if the CEO isn’t personally participating, the company’s leadership needs to be briefed. Finally, before going live with the effort, educate everyone involved about the subtle nuances of online interaction such as the importance of disclosure and being generous with credit and links. This work offline can ensure high standards and mitigate risks.

Promotion – Learn where the individuals with whom you intend to connect are congregating and have your mavens participate. Did you catch those three important points? First, social media is intimate, enabling interaction between individuals. You can reach a large audience, but never lose sight of the individual. Second, you should not be in dissemination mode. These are dynamic interactions in which what you receive is probably more important that what you send. Third, it is all about participation. Remember, it is PR jazz and everyone is collaborating in what is created.

Ultimately, social media initiatives are about connecting in thoughtful ways. See an interview in your local business paper about a client? Have your maven post a congrats message on their Facebook wall. Heard a prospect speak at a recent conference? With your guidance, your maven can shoot them a Twitter or a brief mention on your blog about the knowledge they shared. It is not about your organization – it is about your connections with others.

Through it all, the most appropriate role for public relations is as a strategist, facilitator and promoter.

5-Jan-09 11:00 AM

November 2008 Schipul Newsletter

Alexis Hamil — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Untitled Document

Happy Thanksgiving! Well, almost. It doesn’t take a holiday for us at Schipul to say we are thankful for you!

Here are some recent updates from the Schipul team on new services and exciting announcements. Hope your holiday season is off to a great start, we'll be thinking about you as we nibble on turkey legs and sip homemade eggnog this week.

Brand new! Wordpress Blog design and hosting services

The Schipul team is very excited to announce a new line of services to help you grow your online marketing campaigns – Wordpress Blog design and hosting! We can help you set up your Wordpress Blog, hook you up with a template or custom Blog design and even provide $20/month hosting!

We have already guided prominent Community organizations just like yours through the Blogosphere, like the Houston Zoo’s Frog Blog, Houston Arts Alliance and our own brand new Schipul Blog.

Blogging is a cost-effective way to communicate with a large audience on a very personal level. Schipul has a team of experienced Bloggers that can’t wait to get you started!

Be sure to check out our customizable line of Blog service and design offerings – and keep an eye on our training calendar for upcoming Blogging and Social Media classes. We love our client Bloggers!

Coming soon! Drupal-powered Web sites from Schipul

Options are good - strawberry, chocolate, vanilla.... oh wait, we're talking about Web sites here, not ice cream. Well, good thing we like Web sites so much too!

In the spirit of appealing too all flavor preferences (and to help you power your organization's Web sites in the best way possible), Schipul will soon be offering Drupal hosting services in addition to our Tendenci software.

So what exactly is Drupal anyway? Drupal is an open source software that helps you power your site with Content Management, blogging utilities, powerful analysis tools and much, much more. Drupal is popular with non profits and entrepreneurs because of the Drupal Community and its amazing flexibility and customization. Stay tuned for more details!

Coming soon! Tendenci Software Support Forum

The Schipul gang is hard at work on a brand new resource for our Tendenci software users - a Tendenci Support Forum!

The Tendenci Forum will be an online place for users to seek Web site support, a spot to facilitate discussion between users and a super resource for Tendenci tips and tricks. Look for more information on our Tendenci Support Forum soon -- we expect to launch in early December!

Congratulations to Kim Hodgson on Mazzy! (the newest Schipulite)

Production team member Kim Hodgson and her husband Josh recently welcomed their beautiful daughter Mazzy to this world on September 18th. We are incredibly excited to have a sweet little future Internet geek and wish the new parents much love and luck (and hopefully a little sleep too).

The Schipul team welcomes new members!

Albert Hughes, Production Team Member

In 2001 I graduated from Clear Brook HS in Friendswood, TX and then decided to enroll at Prairie View A&M University to pursue a degree in Business Management. After 4 long years of doing what people do at college I walked across the stage in May 2005.

After graduation I worked at various places such as an elementary school, a landscaping company and a facilities management firm. In March of 2008 I made the decision to search for a company that would help me learn more about web marketing, content management systems and business management. Five months later the decision paid off unbelievably as I found out about Schipul The Web Marketing Company. After a few thorough interviews and prayer I had finally found THE place for me.

I am now a member of the Schipul Production Team where I field support requests, manage projects and instruct clients on how to use the Tendenci Software.

My favorite tools of the trade are Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and the Firefox add-on Firebug. When not at work you can find me recording music, taking pictures or filming something for independent artists or my Church. I am still very passionate about the internet, sports, music and business and his career goal is to eventually combine them all into one.

Alexis Hamil, Communications Intern

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I graduated from Cypress Springs high school in 2002 and expect to graduate from the University of Houston this December with a double major in English and psychology. I’ve been told my psychology background will help me understand the Schipulites, but everyone seems amazing (and sane) so far!

As a self-proclaimed bibliophile, I am blessed to have found a company that encourages such bookish behavior. Reading and writing are two of my passions and my long term goal is to become the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. Until then, I hope to absorb everything I can at Schipul and be a productive part of the team!

Derek Key, Production Team Member

I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and spent the first few years of my life there. Around the age of 10 or 11, I escaped the insanely cold winters and headed for the warmer weather of Texas. Other than a few years spent getting my degree in Advertising from the University of Texas in Austin, I have lived in Houston since.

I dig old records, music that makes you move (even though I can’t), movies, spending time with my family and friends, creative inspiration, bad television and turkey sandwiches. I am an Internet nerd and technology geek and am excited to learn and grow at Schipul.

Dave Wrangler, Production Team Intern

Dave is another one of our latest Schipul additions on the Production Team. Currently Dave is a student finishing his Entrepreneurship/Marketing degrees at the University of St. Thomas.

In his non-Schipul hours, you can find Dave making beautiful music all over Houston and beyond. His mad musical skills were recently featured on a Berlin radio channel and you can find him spinning classic Country records at his regular Vinyl ranch Houston music event.

Stay up to date with our RSS feeds.

25-Nov-08 1:00 PM

Physicians Can Use Social Media Tools to Bond With Patients

Alexis Hamil — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Physicians, to their patients' delight, have caught the social media bug. An increasing number of physicians are taking advantage of networks such as Facebook and Twitter to enhance communication with their patients.

While the authority of an M.D. provides a platform from which to speak in face-to-face interactions, doctors who are social media newbies must first hone their listening skills.

Ed Schipul was recently quoted in an article on Physician's Financial News entitled, Physicians Can Use Social Media Tools to Bond with Patients:

“Doctors approach social media as if they know everything, and it’s just not like that,” says Schipul. “Doctors are brilliant, but just because you’re brilliant doesn’t mean I’m going to have you repair an engine on the airplane I’ll be flying, because you’re not trained in that area. First, you have to walk in the room and listen.”

The room, in this case, is virtual, and Schipul says that social media are phenomenal tools to enable listening.

The article also offers Jennifer Texada's, program manager of digital and new media at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, insight:

At M.D. Anderson, listening is helping patient advocacy staff assist patients with problems they have, such as being lost in the hospital or understanding a particular diagnosis. “We listen to what the conversations are about in social media, and we pass that on to patient advocacy,” says Texada, adding that physicians are active, too.

Ed Schipul offers a creative solution for physicians who are wary of embarking into social media themselves, but want to better connect with their patients:

“If I was a doctor and was doing social media outreach, one of the first things I would do is send an e-mail to all of my employees and ask if any of them are already blogging and active in social media,” suggests Schipul. “They’re already on my payroll. And if they’re doing [social media] and they’re excited about it, then all I have to do is change their job responsibility.”

Physicians' Financial News offers information on managing personal and professional business and finance matters that medical school's seven year curriculum forgot to cover.

31-Oct-08 10:00 AM

Schipul Featured in Houston Chronicle for Crisis Preparedness

Dan Keeney — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:00:00 GMT

As the response to Hurricane Ike continues, all the employees of Schipul - The Web Marketing Company tip our collective hat to the first responders and volunteers who are working hard to help Houston regain its footing. Thank you so much for all you are doing for our community, our families and friends.

In the hours leading up to Ike's landfall, CEO Ed Schipul spent some time talking about crisis preparation with the Houston Chronicle's L.M. Sixel. With responsibility for maintaining the Web presence of a number of important community assets, such as the Houston Chapter of the American Red Cross and Reliant Park among others, Schipul takes business continuity and disaster preparedness very seriously.

The article that resulted from the discussion, "Workers play a variety of roles during a storm," describes Schipul's approach to disaster preparedness:

At Schipul, a Houston-based Web services provider whose clients include the Houston Red Cross and Reliant Park, founder and CEO Ed Schipul has to keep the computers working and asked for five volunteers.

They definitely have a sense of pride, said Schipul. And when it comes time to consider promotions, their extra effort will be recognized.

But who is on deck during the hurricane doesn't necessarily mean they're the most essential, said Schipul.

"Technically, I'm a non-essential person," said Schipul, who was hunkered down in his office Friday. But he's got his network administrator there just in case servers go down.

And the programmers, while reachable remotely, aren't in the office. The very fact they're good makes them non-essential in a storm because they've written the programs well, he said.

Read the entire article here. After the Chronicle interview, Ed expanded on what he considers to be the fundamentals of cultivating a team that can be counted upon to keep the business operational through even the worst of circumstances:

Hire good people, train the heck out of them, and let them run – this means that perhaps even the upper management is “non essential.”
"Essential" is defined by only one thing and that is your crisis response plan. Be prepared, and pick the team that can respond to unexpected consequences.
Work hard to eliminate or at least minimize inefficiencies and duplicative work by doing work "once for all time for all users." By doing this, a good employee, depending on their job responsibility may not be needed in a crisis either.
Leaders must work themselves out of a job.
At Schipul, the emergency response team overlaps the “essential” employees who respond in a crisis.
The emergency response team, and volunteering for a position that is critical in a crisis is DEFINITELY a way to differentiate yourself and receive higher pay and/or promotions in the future.

Schipul will be conducting an after-incident assessment to determine what aspects of the crisis response worked well and what can be improved. All of this is intended to ensure the safety of our employees and their families, to eliminate or minimize downtime for our clients, and to provide clients the excellent customer service they deserve and expect.

13-Sep-08 8:00 AM

Social Media Strategy: Step Back and Let Others Take the Lead

Dan Keeney — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:00:00 GMT

PR Week, the only weekly publication that directly targets the public relations industry, this week is featuring an article authored by Ed Schipul, founder and chief executive officer of Schipul - The Web Marketing Company. The article, "Social Media Programs: Cultivate - Don't Control," takes issue with conventional wisdom in the marketing and communications fields. While many so-called social media experts suggest that PR, marketing and advertising professionals can and should take an active role in implementing social media strategies, Ed warns that doing so can squelch the greatest positive impact of social media, which can only come through true authenticity.

"Any effort to “control” a social media initiative will doom the effort," says Schipul, who is scheduled to speak at the 2008 PRSA International Conference in Detroit. "successful social media efforts are largely driven by people outside your control or influence."

He says that instead of trying to control all aspects of social media strategy, PR practitioners should concentrate on the following four pillars of social media success:

Planning – Set realistic objectives (i.e., positioning the company as an industry thought leader, driving qualified leads back to your corporate Web site, and strengthening recruiting efforts). Take time to listen to customer feedback and examine the best ways to measure results so you can adjust course.

Recruiting – It is essential that you step back. Identify staff members who are blogging, connecting on Facebook, or posting videos on YouTube. These are the social media mavens in your ranks who should drive your program. Don't be discouraged if these are not C-level executives – your leaders probably don't have the time to devote to the effort.

Training – Participating in social media activities requires a great deal of trust and autonomy. Assess where best to devote time and attention, and build consensus for the initiative internally. Before going live with the effort, educate everyone involved about the subtle nuances of online interaction such as the importance of disclosure and being generous with credit and links. This work offline can ensure high standards and mitigate risks.

Promotion – Learn where the individuals with whom you intend to connect are congregating and have your mavens participate. You can reach a large audience, but never lose sight of the individual and remember that these are dynamic interactions in which what you receive is probably more important than what you send.

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company offers a range of Social Media Consulting services, providing a powerful double-punch of tech savvy public relations and effective communication technology to your organization's Web marketing plan. Schipul's Social Media Consulting expands your organization's outreach to an enormous online audience and enables you to interact with your visitors through engaging rich media and online conversation.

Strategic brainstorming do determine if this the right course for you
Connecting you with good online and book resources
Teaching online culture
Blog set up and content collaboration
Help building a presence on social web sites
Strategic and spamless e-mail marketing to existing network
Integration with Search Engine Marketing
Reporting to configure tracking and analytics
Consulting on how to monetize your activity
Guidance in how to set up a podcast
Cross promotion of video and audio assets you may already have
How to balance design for beauty with design for entertainment and design for sales

PR Week has a weekly circulation of nearly 17,000. See the entire article here.

12-Sep-08 1:00 PM

Schipul The Web Marketing Company Puts Creativity Front and Center for Locke Bryan Productions

noemail@schipul.com — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:00:00 GMT

New website makes it clear that film and video company's work stands out in a crowd HOUSTON, July 14, 2010 - Schipul - The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com), a leading Web marketing and Web design company, today announced the release of www.lockebryan.com, a new and visually arresting website for Locke Bryan Productions. Released in tandem with a new logo and corporate identity, the new website emphasizes Locke Bryan Productions' key differentiators: creativity, experience and talent. Locke Bryan Productions is a full service creatively driven film and video production company. Schipul used the open source Drupal content management platform to organize and present Locke Bryan Productions' impressive portfolio of work. It was important for the website to reflect the fact that Locke Bryan Productions is a fun, relaxed group that happens to do really spectacular work, said Camille Bryan, co-founder of Locke Bryan Productions. We wanted people to be able...

Personal Brands Opportunities and Threats of at T3PR Technology PR Conference with Ed Schipul

noemail@schipul.com — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT

HOUSTON, June 8. 2010 - Schipul - The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com), a Web marketing, design and software company, announced that CEO Ed Schipul will present Personal Brands: The Opportunities and Threats, at the upcoming T3PR Conference 2010. Presented by the Public Relations Society of America's Technology Section, Schipul's presentation will discuss the business case for encouraging employees to develop personal brands. Social technologies enable employees to create their own brands and many organizations are struggling to adapt, said Schipul. What we have discovered is that personal brands can be disruptive to the status quo of many companies, but if encouraged and supported appropriately, they can reflect positively on an organization and contribute to a company's profitability. PRSA T3PR Conference in NYC June 2010 View more presentations from Ed Schipul. Schipul will encourage T3PR participants, who provide PR support to technology...

Young Women's Alliance Uses New Tendenci-Powered Web Site to Manage Growth

noemail@schipul.com — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:00:00 GMT

Tendenci software’s membership management functions automate many aspects of operating an association AUSTIN, TEXAS, May 27, 2010 – The Austin, Texas-based Young Women’s Alliance is operated by volunteers so it looks for ways to streamline and automate tasks. So when the 350-member organization examined ways to improve its Web site, www.youngwomensalliance.org, Young Women’s Alliance selected Tendenci (www.tendenci.com) online management software to power the site. Utilizing a template designed by Schipul – The Web Marketing Company, the new Web site has a clean, appealing look and is easy to navigate. Along with Young Women’s Alliance’s monthly meetings, the Web site serves as a focal point for the organization. With Tendenci, the new Web site not only connects and updates members, it makes it easy for new members to join and pay, collects annual dues, and handles event promotion, registration and payment. “As an organization...

Congratulations to the Atlanta Association of Legal Administrators for Website Honors

noemail@schipul.com — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:00:00 GMT

AALA’s Tendenci®-powered website named best by Association of Legal Administrators ATLANTA, May 17, 2010 – Schipul – The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com), a leading Web marketing and Web design company, today praised the Atlanta Association of Legal Administrators (AALA) for winning top honors for its website from the international Association of Legal Administrators (ALA). ALA named the AALA website (www.atlanta-ala.com), which is powered by Tendenci online management software, the best website among its large chapters (more than 100 members). Tendenci is developed and marketed by Schipul. Launched in early 2008, the AALA website leverages many of the most powerful features of Tendenci that are proven to deliver maximum value to membership organizations. Tendenci maintains AALA’s member database, automates new member sign-ups, promotes upcoming events, and manages event registrations and online payments. With Tendenci, the AALA website makes...

Schipul The Web Marketing Company Appoints Business Development Professional

noemail@schipul.com — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:00:00 GMT

HOUSTON, April 14, 2010 – Schipul – The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com), a Houston-based Web marketing and Web design company, has announced the appointment of Michael Coppens to the business development team. Coppens is responsible for strengthening relationships with current clients and forging new client relationships. “We are confident that our clients and prospective clients will benefit from Michael’s proven track record in identifying customer needs and developing mutually beneficial business relationships, said Ed Schipul, president and CEO of Schipul – The Web Marketing Company. Michael’s knowledge about and enthusiasm for social technologies that are changing how organizations communicate will be instrumental in continuing to expand Schipul’s community of clients and partners.” Schipul also announced the expansion of its West Houston headquarters in Kirkwood Atrium 3 located at 11757 Katy Freeway. Schipul now occupies...

Schipul The Web Marketing Company Receives AMA Houston 2009 Tech Sector Marketer of the Year Award

noemail@schipul.com — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:00:00 GMT

Schipul promotes Web marketing, social media for companies, nonprofits and government through comprehensive marketing initiative HOUSTON, March 16, 2010 – Schipul – The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com), a leading provider of Web marketing and social media consulting services, was recognized last night as the top Houston Tech Sector Marketer for 2009 by the American Marketing Association’s Houston Chapter. Schipul was an early adopter of social media tools that have dramatically changed the communication landscape and has been an outspoken advocate for strategically and ethically integrating social media into marketing strategies. Approximately 200 Houston-based companies, organizations and institutions were nominated by their industry peers, marketing leaders and chapter members for their innovative and effective marketing programs. As the winner in its Tech Sector Marketer category, Schipul was among the 40 Best of Category winners announced last night...

Schipul The Web Marketing Company's Culture Queen to Examine How Company Culture Can Beat the Recession

noemail@schipul.com — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:00:00 GMT

Katie Laird to lead panel discussion at 2010 the SXSW® Interactive Festival HOUSTON, March 3, 2010 – Schipul – The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com), a leading provider of Web marketing and social media consulting services, today announced that Communications Manager Katie Laird will lead a panel discussion about company culture at the SXSW Interactive Festival. In the session, “Kicking Recession Ass with a Killer Company Culture,” Laird and business consultant Kelsey Ruger will examine the importance of finding and keeping the right people and creating an environment that breeds success. The SXSW Interactive Festival brings together approximately 11,000 Web developers, designers, bloggers, wireless innovators, content producers, programmers and social media experts. Laird’s session is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Sunday, March 14th. “Company culture is often dismissed as wasteful during difficult times,” said Laird. “We...

Yellowstone Academy Uses New Tendenci-Powered Web Site to Strengthen Donor Relationships

noemail@schipul.com — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:00:00 GMT

Web Marketing Strategies Help Provide Resources Students Need to Reach Their Full Potential HOUSTON, February 10, 2010 - Yellowstone Academy, Houston's only private faith-based elementary school serving children living in extreme poverty has launched www.yellowstoneacademy.org, a new Web site powered by Tendenci (www.tendenci.com) online management software. The Web plays a critical fundraising role for the school, which relies solely on donations from individuals, corporations, congregations, organizations and foundations to meet its operating budget. Yellowstone serves 288 students in pre-K through 6th grade from families whose median annual income is approximately $8,000. Designed by Schipul - The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com), Yellowstone Academy's Web site immerses visitors in the feel of walking down the halls of Yellowstone. It uses words, pictures, and video to show how Yellowstone is using education and intensive intervention to help children living in poverty to...

New Web Site Helps Brennan's of Houston Build Excitement for Houston Reopening

noemail@schipul.com — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:00:00 GMT

HOUSTON, January 19, 2010 – Brennan’s of Houston has taken another major step toward reopening, launching a new interactive Web site, www.brennanshouston.com, powered by Tendenci® online management software (www.tendenci.com). Designed by Schipul – The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com), the new Web site is building excitement and keeping customers informed during the final weeks of renovation. Brennan’s of Houston’s location at 3300 Smith Street has been closed since September 2008 when a two-alarm fire along with the whipping winds of Hurricane Ike left a brick shell of ashes. The launch of its new Web site is a way to stay connected and relevant despite the nearly 18 month closure. “We are in the memory business, so it is great to have this interactive platform that enables customers to submit personal notes that describe the great memories they have,” said Cecily Nichols, office manager for Brennan’s of Houston....

Schipul The Web Marketing Company Appoints Operations Manager

noemail@schipul.com — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:00:00 GMT

HOUSTON, December 9, 2009 – Schipul – The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com), a Houston-based Web marketing and Web design company, has announced the appointment of April Kyle as operations manager. Kyle, who has been with Schipul since February 2009, is responsible for the day-to-day management of financial and human resources matters. “As we continue to grow, the challenges of operating the business become more complex, so it was time to have a person focused on increasing our effectiveness and efficiency,” said President and CEO Ed Schipul. “April has proven to be a valuable leader who understands all facets of our business, keeps us focused on fulfilling customer needs and helps us to capitalize on opportunities and minimize risks.” Schipul was founded in 1997 and has benefited from significant changes in how the Internet is used as the hub of marketing and communications. Along the way, Schipul’s services have expanded to include...

Search Engine Marketing Intern

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Title: Search Engine Marketing Intern Description: The Schipul Search Engine Marketing team seeks a motivated individual who desires to grow our search engine marketing (SEM) and search engine optimization (SEO) team and provide PHENOMENAL service to our great clients. Our team incorporates SEO tactics with Web marketing tools and techniques to help increase our clients' sales online. We are looking for smart, passionate and ethical applicants with solid leadership potential. This is a FULL TIME, PAID and TEMPORARY position. The position will last for 90 days. At the end of intern term an offer of full employment MAY be extended. Responsibilities include: Optimize client Web sites for search engines Manage paid placement advertising in the search engines Create keyword spreadsheets through industry research of niche focused terms and competitive research for other terms Advise clients on creating unique...

Welcome to Our New Guy Kris Kristofferson

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:30:08 GMT

The Schipul team welcomes our new member/puppet, Kris Kristofferson. It's a long story, but if you're a fan of The Bloggess you'll be excited too!

Help Turn Houses into Homes

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:25:09 GMT

Blinds.com presents "Shade of Hope". A fundraiser asking artists to create works of art using window blinds to raise money for the Furniture Bank of Houston.

The Pink Ribbons Project

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:34:10 GMT

Pink Ribbons Project is launching an online campaign asking you to submit a photo to remind people to sign up for regular checkups!

Word Camp Houston

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:41:22 GMT

Houston’s first WordCamp is a one day camp dedicated to teaching Wordpress to bloggers and businesses, and everyone in between!

Check Out a Short Film for a Great Cause!

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:13:50 GMT

Support ZENFILM and Houston's Fiesta movements as they screen their short film and try to win a car for a local NPO.

The Ultimate Geek Vacation Guide

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:10:02 GMT

Summer has arrived! And every day this month, a different Schipulite will post a great tip for all those geeks ready to vacation. Be sure to check back each day!

48 Hour Film Festival is Back!

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:37:18 GMT

Schipulite Chris Minor and his team "The Posse" will be particpating in the 48Hr Film Festival. 68 teams will be competing to produce the best short film in just 2 days!

The Houston Art Car Parade is back!

Mon, 03 May 2010 20:48:16 GMT

Our client The Orange Show is hosting the annual Art Car Parade this weekend. Be sure to come out and check out these amazing cars!

48 Hour Film Project @ SWAMP Salon

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:46:11 GMT

The 48 Hour Film Festival is back in town! To kick-off the season, SWAMP is hosting 48 HFP at their monthly salon. Come join us to see a selection of films from previous years!

Comicpalooza Film Festival!

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:28:46 GMT

SWAMP is pleased to sponsor the 2010 Comicpalooza Film Festival, March 26 - 28 at the George R. Brown convention center in Houston, Texas.

Schipul Web Design Partial Client List

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:30:11 GMT

Every web site design project requires the talents of numerous marketing people both inside and outside of the organization. Without any one link, the chain is not complete. We owe these people a debt of gratitude and look forward to working with them for years to come. Thank you for the opportunity to serve through marketing and web design and Tendenci software. You can also view our graphical website design portfolio here. Schipul Full Design sites with the Tendenci software: AAJC - Asian American Justice Center ACAOM - American College of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Ace Advertising Signs - Houston Unique Large-Scale Sign Solutions Automotive Consulting Company - Complete Direct Marketing Campaign and Promotional Gifts. Alameda Condominiums - Santa Fe's new high-rise condos, one and two bedroom residences Alonti Catering - Catering for Businesses Allied Concrete - Concrete provider for residential...

Jonti Bolles Curriculum Vitae

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:58:39 GMT

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company 11757 Katy Freeway, Suite 930 Houston, TX 77079 Read the public wiki of Jonti's CV here Employment 2007- Present Schipul - The Web Marketing Company SEM Manager Houston, Texas 2006-2007 MindOH! Program Manager Houston, Texas 2005-2006 EduNeering / Now Kaplan Learning Strategic ELearning Analyst Houston, Texas 1995-2005 Prairie View A&M University School of Architecture Visiting Assistant Professor Prairie View, Texas 1997-1999 HOK Consulting On Call Consultant for Advance Services Team ...

Katie Laird (happykatie) - a geek with heart

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:37:24 GMT

Katie Laird (aka: happykatie, or Katya if you're in the Russian literary mood) serves the Schipul team as Communications Manager - wrangling internal and external communications, marketing and PR efforts, as well as providing support to clients wanting to make an impact. Katie started working at Schipul in 2005 as a graphic designer, has a strong background in marketing and online communications from her former life in the energy benchmarking world and 10+ years as a blogger and active online enthusiast. With a passion for people, good ideas and technology you can find Katie out and about with her co-founded nonprofit technology group Houston NetSquared, her entrepreneur radio show The Overtime Show and running a crazy life drawing club called Houston Dr. Sketchy. Read the official stuff on Katie's CV here. An active Blogger for over 10 years, you can find Katie writing online at some of these spots: ...

Katie Laird bio and headshots

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:28:46 GMT

Katie Laird is the Communications Manager for Schipul-The Web Marketing Company, creators of the Tendenci software application. Katie oversees both internal and external communications, marketing and public relations. She is a fixture on the Schipul and Tendenci blogs (http://blog.schipul.com) and the Tendenci software blog (http://blog.tendenci.com) and coordinates the company's Social Media efforts. Katie's extensive public speaking history includes presentations for Mom 2.0, the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), the American Marketing Association (AMA), the Houston Technology Center and South by Southwest (SXSW) interactive. She has also served as a guest lecturer at Rice University, University of Houston and Texas A & M Prairie View, and counsels parents and teachers throughout Houston on Internet safety concerns for children. Katie also co-hosts The Overtime Show, a business and entrepreneurship-focused radio show. ...

Katie Laird - Passionate Public Speaker

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:49:54 GMT

Katie Laird is a passionate speaker on a variety of technology, social media, marketing, communications and strategy topics. A frequent speaker in the Houston, Texas and national markets, Katie loves teaching and speaking to a variety of industries and organizations. Looking for a professional, energetic and creative speaker for an upcoming conference or event? Whether your group numbers in the hundreds or is a more intimate gathering - whether it's your CEO, your membership organization or a group of college students - Katie will deliver. Need a keynote, luncheon presenter or panel moderator? Katie's years as a business radio show host, event emcee and marketing trainer make her a consistent, reliable and prepared addition for any event you throw her way. She's seen it all (electrical outages, broken projectors, enormous crowds, inclimate weather) and handles it with grace and a sense of humor. Public speaking topics ...

Katie Laird Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:19:14 GMT

Katie Laird // Communications Manager Schipul - The Web Marketing Company 11757 Katy Freeway, Suite 930 Houston, TX 77079 Employment 2005 - Present Schipul - The Web Marketing Company Strategic Advisor / Communications Manager Houston, Texas 2002 - 2005 Phillip Townsend Associates (PTAI) Marketing and Communications Houston, Texas Education University of Houston Downtown Studied International Business and Communications (2002 - 2005) Houston, Texas University of Kansas Studied International Business and Communications (2000 - 2002) Lawrence, Kansas Professional Membership and Activities American...

The Ben Gillin Experience

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:25:05 GMT

Ben Gillin is a Graphic Designer at Schipul The Web Marketing Company and has been on board since October 1, 2009. Ben's greeting on his website reads as follows: Hello! My name is Ben Gillin. I am a graphic designer. I drive my jetta while rocking a beard, I love the 80's and the Ninja Turtles, I also make websites and drink Coffee. Ben Gillin migrated to Houston in 2005 from McAllen, Texas which happens to be so far south that if you live there for 10+ years you become honorary Mexican no matter your ethnicity. It's pretty neat. Ben moved to Houston to finish up school at The Art Institute of Houston and to get his degree in Graphic Design. In school Ben fell in love with his now wife Maria but she prefers to go by Maru. Ben made her the best animated video on earth to propose to her at Domy Bookstore. You know you are jealous. See it below. Ben worked at Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas for 2 and 1/2 years as a graphic...

Tendenci Hosted Software Solution

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:12:46 GMT

How do you fit all that functionality into that little bitty price tag? The Tendenci® hosted software solution is by far our most popular way to go live with a new site. For as little as $200 per month, your site can have: a rich content management system for simple text updates a complete user management database including membership options a graphical calendar of events with online registration options a search engine friendly article and press release notification system an automated newsletter generator for pushing news to your users and a host of other software features (see the Tendenci site for a complete list!) In addition to all of this functionality, the Tendenci hosted solution includes: Web hosting in our incredibly secure server environment Software training Security updates Back-ups Automatic software updates Monthly website statistic reports SQL database for your contacts To...

A.Hughes - Personal Brand

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 03:18:30 GMT

In 2001 a guy named Albert graduated from Clear Brook HS in Friendswood, TX. He then decided to enroll at Prairie View A&M University to pursue a degree in Business Management. After 4 long years of doing what people do at college the young guy from Friendswood walked across the stage in May 2005. After graduation he worked at various places such as an elementary school, a landscaping company and a facilities management firm. In March of 2008 a decision was made to search for a company that would help him learn more about web marketing, content management systems and business management. Five months later the decision paid off unbelievably as he found out about Schipul The Web Marketing Company. After a few thorough interviews and prayer he had finally found THE place for him. Albert is now a member of one of the two Interactive Client Teams at Schipul where he fields support requests, manages projects and instructs clients on how to use the Tendenci Software. His...

Ed Schipul Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:11:31 GMT

Ed Schipul // CEO and President Schipul - The Web Marketing Company 11757 Katy Freeway, Suite 930 Houston, TX 77079 (download Ed's CV here) Employment 1997- Present Schipul - The Web Marketing Company CEO and President Houston, Texas 1995-1997 Lyondell Computer Analyst Houston, Texas 1993-1995 Universal Computer Systems Regional System Consultant Houston, Texas 1991-1993 Circuit City Stores, Inc. Operations Manager Houston, Texas Education Texas A&M University B.S. Political Science // Minor in History (1990) ...

Customer Service Satisfaction Survey

noemail@schipul.com — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Objectives: The purpose of this surveyis to find out if clients expectations were met when they contacted a Schipul Team Member for support or training.

Release Date: 26-Feb-09 4:00 PM
Expiration Date: 27-May-22 4:00 PM
Schipul would love to get your feedback on your recent customer service experience. Please fill out the very short and hopefully painless survey below. Your participation is very much appreciated!

Customer Satisfaction after Website Launch

noemail@schipul.com — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Objectives:

Release Date: 1-Feb-08 1:00 PM
Expiration Date: 1-Dec-11 1:00 PM

The Schipul team is dedicated to providing you with the best experience possible.

We are eager to hear your feedback, please fill out the very short (and hopefully painless) survey below. Your participation in this survey and your business is very much appreciated!

For another place to add feedback and ideas, be sure to visit our Get Satisfaction page: www.getsatisfaction.com/schipul. Thanks so much and congratulations!

Schipul Customer Service Satisfaction Survey

noemail@schipul.com — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Objectives: The purpose of this survey is to get an idea of the overall satisfaction of clients after a recent contact with a Schipul representative.

Release Date: 30-Jan-08 11:00 AM
Expiration Date: 29-Apr-08 11:00 AM
The following survey will only take a few minutes. Please answer the questions to the best of your knowledge. We appreciate your help in making Schipul's customer service better!

Greater Fort Smith Ad Club Social Media presentation

noemail@schipul.com — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:00:00 GMT

Objectives: Thanks for attending Ed Schipul's Social Media presentation!

We want to hear your feedback and ideas from last week's Greater Fort Smith Advertising Club presentation.

Release Date: 19-Oct-07 11:00 AM
Expiration Date: 17-Dec-08 11:00 AM

SEM - Lost Client Exit Survey

noemail@schipul.com — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 21:00:00 GMT

Objectives: To improve our Search Engine Optimization services and client support.

Release Date: 26-Apr-07 4:00 PM
Expiration Date: 25-Jul-10 4:00 PM
Thank you for filling out this brief survey. Your time is precious and we are grateful for your feedback.

Feel free to be as candid as possible in your answers. We greatly benefit from your honesty and are always looking for ways to improve. What could we be doing better? How could we have made you as a client happier?

We wish you the best of luck and are always available for further discussion - (281) 497.6567.

Red Cross Volunteer Communication and Engagement (Internal)

noemail@schipul.com — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 22:00:00 GMT

Objectives: So how are we doing communicating with our volunteers? This is an initial snap shot survey to help the marketing team understand the current level of volunteer engagement.

Survey completion is anonymous. Aggregate results will be shared without any individually identifying information. We need and value your honest feedback to help us improve volunteer communications.

Release Date: 5-Aug-06 5:00 PM
Expiration Date: 10-Aug-06 10:30 AM
Please read each question carefully. Note in particular that some questions ask what YOU think. Later questions ask what you believe the VOLUNTEERS think.
Given the opportunity information from this survey will be used to develop a more comprehensive survey to be sent to the volunteers and other stake holders.

Internal Tendenci Training Session - how'd we do?

noemail@schipul.com — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Objectives: To gain feedback on the Internal Tendenci Training Session - was it helpful, too technical, not technical enough, etc.

Release Date: 21-Jul-06 11:00 AM
Expiration Date: 19-Oct-06 11:00 AM
Please fill out the survey - feel free to remain logged in or to log out if you wish. Honesty and constructive criticism is appreciated.

Lost Client Exit Survey

noemail@schipul.com — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 17:00:00 GMT

Objectives: To improve our Tendenci product, Web marketing services and client support.

Release Date: 19-Jul-06 12:00 PM
Expiration Date: 17-Oct-10 12:00 PM
Thank you for filling out this brief survey. Your time is precious and we are grateful for your feedback.

Feel free to be as candid as possible in your answers. We greatly benefit from your honesty and are always looking for ways to improve. What could we be doing better? How could we have made you as a client happier?

We wish you the best of luck and are always available for further discussion - (281) 497.6567.

Texas Lottery Commission Keynote Speaker Evaluation

noemail@schipul.com — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Objectives: To gather event attendee reactions and comments to Ed Schipul's presentation material.

Release Date: 4-Apr-06 11:00 AM
Expiration Date: 3-Jul-06 11:00 AM

TSAE Blogging and Podcasting 'Learn @ Lunch' Attendee Survey

noemail@schipul.com — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 15:00:00 GMT

Objectives: To gather TSAE Blogging and Podcasting 'Learn @ Lunch' attendee reactions and comments to the presentation material.

Release Date: 22-Feb-06 9:00 AM
Expiration Date: 23-May-06 9:00 AM
Thank you for attending TSAE's Blogging and Podcasting 'Learn @ Lunch' seminar with Ed Schipul.

We hope that you learned a lot and had fun doing it. Please provide answers to the following questions so that we may better serve you in the future.

Please feel free to contact Ed directly with any questions or comments at:

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Ed Schipul, CEO
(281) 497.6567, ext. 500
eschipul@schipul.com

Thanks!

Social networks are like cocktail parties: You bring all these people together and there's nothing to do... We've given them something to do, created interaction and this entire virtual-goods system.

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:54:11 GMT

"Social networks are like cocktail parties: You bring all these people together and there's nothing to do... We've given them something to do, created interaction and this entire virtual-goods system." (source)

Mark Pincus

I deal with temptation by yielding to it

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:18:29 GMT

"I deal with temptation by yielding to it"

Mark Twain

the important thing is not to stop questioning; curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when contemplating the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous struct

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:26:07 GMT

"the important thing is not to stop questioning; curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when contemplating the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of the mystery every day. The important thing is not to stop questioning; never lose a holy curiosity." (source)

Albert Einstein

When I was young, I found out that the big toe always ends up making a hole in the soc. So I stopped wearing socks. (

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:05:32 GMT

"When I was young, I found out that the big toe always ends up making a hole in the soc. So I stopped wearing socks." (source)

Albert Einstein

“Let me make the statement, therefore, calmly and carefully, that domestic disloyalty, the hostility of neutrals, and the lies of the German propagandists, all combined, were not half so hard

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:11:13 GMT

“Let me make the statement, therefore, calmly and carefully, that domestic disloyalty, the hostility of neutrals, and the lies of the German propagandists, all combined, were not half so hard to combat as the persistent malignance of a partisan group in the Congress of the United States. … One might as well have babbled about establishing “closer relations” with a water-moccasin.” – How We Advertised America, pg 51

George Creel

“My work as a press agent on Broadway, the entertainment center of the nation, was an ideal existence for a young man of twenty-three who had been judging cows in a cattle ring and passing tests

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:58:34 GMT

“My work as a press agent on Broadway, the entertainment center of the nation, was an ideal existence for a young man of twenty-three who had been judging cows in a cattle ring and passing tests in agronomy. I hobnobbed with actors and acresses whose names shone on marquees; I went backstage whenever I wanted to, had free run of most theaters to catch a glimpse of an act, had the privilege of writing pieces for the press, worked with glamorous newspaper people, and, best of all, I was independent to think and act on any notion that seemed to have merit as a promotional idea. And for this I received seventy-five dollars a week.” – biography of an idea: memoirs of public relations counsel Edward L. Bernays

Edward L. Bernays

“I hear you are working hard,” Mr. Bissell said to me one day. I replied, “I should work hard, for I have so many easy months.”

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:50:48 GMT

“I hear you are working hard,” Mr. Bissell said to me one day.

I replied, “I should work hard, for I have so many easy months.”

He insisted on the details, and he learned that I was leaving my office at two o’clock in the morning and appearing again at eight. Like all big men whom I have known, he was a tremendous worker. He had always done the average work of three men. So the hours that I kept gave him interest in me, and he urged me to join his office force.

In the early stages of our careers none can judge us by results. The shallow men judge us by likings, but they are not men to tie to. The real men judge us by our love of work, the basis of their success. They employ us for work, and our capacity for work counts above all else.

My Life In Advertising Pg 41

Claude Hopkins

Here's the thing: brands do not listen. People listen. And not only do they listen, they respond. -

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:49:44 GMT

"Here's the thing: brands do not listen. People listen. And not only do they listen, they respond." - Twitterville

Shel Israel

“Terminal niceness,” is how she describes an aspect of Xerox’s culture, during her all-hands speech. “We are really, really, really nice.” Maybe the “Xerox fa

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 16:49:50 GMT

“Terminal niceness,” is how she describes an aspect of Xerox’s culture, during her all-hands speech. “We are really, really, really nice.” Maybe the “Xerox family,” she says, should act a bit more like a real family. “When we’re in the family, you don’t have to be as nice as when you’re outside of the family,” she says. “I want us to stay civil and kind, but we have to be frank — and the reason we can be frank is because we are all in the same family.” Nods of recognition ripple across the audience.

- Ursula Burns quoted in the New York Times

The term mutual reciprocity refers to the give and take associated with any human relationship. It says that, for a relationship to be healthy, the giving and the taking must eventually bala

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:56:04 GMT

"The term mutual reciprocity refers to the give and take associated with any human relationship. It says that, for a relationship to be healthy, the giving and the taking must eventually balance – much like a bank statement. The Law of Mutual Reciprocity says that, to the degree you give others what they need, they will tend to give you what you need. If you treat people right, they will tend to treat you right…" - Absolute Honesty, Johnson Phillips, Page 97

Larry Johnson, Bob Phillips

How do I update my Facebook Instant Personalization settings?

Fri, 07 May 2010 15:34:01 GMT

Facebook has recently updated their site to allow integration with other 3rd party websites, like CNN, USA Today, Yelp, and many others. By adding the famous "Like" button across the web, Facebook allows a user to link any piece of content to their wall which is then shared with all your friends!

On the other hand, what Facebook doesn't tell you is that they changed your privacy settings.

This new feature called "Instant Personalization" allows other websites to access your information to personalize your experience. Also, these sites connect with your friends so a user can track what their friends are interested in. This wouldn't be such a problem if Facebook told you exactly what you were doing, but they assume that users want other websites to access their information without their knowledge. To change this, follow the directions below.

1) Click on "Account" and under the drop down menu click "Privacy Settings"

2) Under Privacy Settings click "Applications and Websites"

3) In Applications and Websites click "Instant Personalization" at the bottom.

4) In Instant Personalization, make sure you read the features carefully to understand if this is something you would be interested in. If not, deselect the bottom button labeled "Allow select partners..." As you will see, Facebook has already decided to select this for you.

And you're done! You have now protected more of your information from being accessed.

Twitter Speak Some basic definitions to get you started!

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:39:41 GMT

Tweet A post on Twitter. 140 characters maximum! Note: There is no way to edit a tweet. You can delete, but it will still be cached on Twitter in search. Follow To subscribe to someone’s Twitter stream (you get updates on your homepage). Unfollow To unsubscribe from someone’s Twitter stream Block Set it so someone cannot follow you or see your tweets when they’re logged in. Too many “blocks” and that person will get banned from Twitter. @User (mention) When you mention someone in your tweet who has Twitter, be sure to use the @ sign in front of their name. When someone does this to you, it will show up in a different place in Twitter so you’ll be sure to see it. This is the best way to get the attention of someone on Twitter. Note: Twitter is smart and will figure out that punctuation after the name is not part of the username. ...

How to get started on Twitter and why?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:12:39 GMT

There has been many conversations on whether or not Twitter is a useful social media tool that helps marketing your business. What is Twitter and why should I care? Read this post before moving forward. Here's is a to-do list for getting started on Twitter: Sign up on Twitter. If you are interested in tweeting for your business make sure you use your brand name and logo for consistancy. Your user name will also be your URL name: http://www.twitter.com/ Find people of relevant interest and follow them. They will in return follow you too if they respect and like your content. Or maybe they just want to stalk you. Make your first tweet. Ideas for good tweets that are relevant and useful: Post events and links Give fans props on their ventures Post news that is helpful to your organization Give people updates that will promote them and your brand. Tweet once day ...

Tweeting Tips for Twitter

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:12:31 GMT

Terminology

Some of the examples that we used for the terminology definitions:

@User (mention): http://twitter.com/qcait/status/1596280243
RT (retweet): http://twitter.com/qcait/status/1594192097
HT (hat tip): http://twitter.com/qcait/statuses/1530395719
OH (overheard): http://twitter.com/qcait/statuses/1491974756

Hash tag (give context): http://twitter.com/qcait/status/1595770014

To shortern URLs

To shorten URLs, use http://tr.im . It will give you reports of who has been clicking on your URLs.
There is also a Firefox plugin for tr.im. Link: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10232/

To search for things

Go to http://search.twitter.com and search for topics that pertain to you to find people that might be interesting to follow.

I also suggest searching for your company name, and subscribing to the RSS feed for that search so you will see if anyone posts about you.

Direct link to the feed: http://search.twitter.com/search.atom?q"x3dsokol+volleyball

What to tweet about?

Tweet about anything relevant to you and your business. ex: fundraisers, helpful links, events, cool information and developing news. Make it relevant to the people who follow you.

Twitterfeed – Setting up automatic tweets

You can set up any RSS feed to automatically post to your twitter when it gets updated.

I do this with my blog. Example: http://twitter.com/qcait/statuses/1573152609

Set this up by signing into http://twitterfeed.com and creating a feed. You will need to enter your twitter username/ pass, and paste in the RSS feed you want to use. You can do this for each time your website, YouTube, or any site that supports RSS.

Help! What is Twitter?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:12:10 GMT

What is Twitter about? I don't get Twitter. Twitter confuses me. Why would I use Twitter?

Here you go, friends.

Introduction to Twitter - Online Webinar from Schipul - The Web Marketing Co. on Vimeo.

How to Create a Facebook Ad

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:57:26 GMT

Is this help file for me? If you are interested in paid advertising through Facebook for your business, product or service then this help file is for you. There are many ways to advertise on Facebook and creating a targeted ad is one way. The ad will show based on demographic information found within user profiles. You can potentially reach over 200,000,000 active Facebook users with targeted ads. Where do I see Facebook ads? You will see ads that have been targeted to you on your Facebook page above highlights in the right-hand column. See the area labeled Sponsored. The ads shown on your page are targeted towards you based on the information you have in your profile. Let’s get started: To create an ad, you need a Facebook user account. Once you have that, you can login and scroll below your newsfeed, down to the footer, and click on Advertising. Once you are in the Ads Manager area, click on the Create an Ad button on the right. Now you have entered the Advertise...

Getting started on Facebook for non-profit organizations

Wed, 13 May 2009 21:00:12 GMT

This is a help file originally written for Children's Museums in metropolitan areas that lists how to get started on Facebook. If you can read between the examples, most of this can be used for any organization that has a need for a presence on Facebook. DON'T BE AFRAID OF TEXT. Read on this is good stuff! Completion of Profile: Complete your Facebook profile if you have not already. In your profile, add links back to your main site, blog, twitter,myspace, and other sites that represent your organization. Survey your current staff To find who has interest. Get the evangelists on board and put them to work. Invite others who have genuine interest and time to be an admin to help with marketing efforts for your new page. Encourage others within you organization to add themselves to Facebook and become part of the Facebook Network. Explain your Facebook initiative to them, including the goals you want...

Flickr Social Marketing list for Metropolitan Area Children's Museums

Thu, 07 May 2009 17:10:19 GMT

This is a help file for Children's Museums in metropolitan areas that lists how to get started on Flickr. If you can read between the examples most of this can be used for any organization that has a need for a presence on Flickr. Complete Profile Complete your profile on Flickr and add your logo to as the icon – edit your profile page to do this. http://www.flickr.com/people/yourflickrname/ Add images of Exhibits categorized by sets Tag and title all image with good key words EX of image tags: Children’s Museum of Houston Children’s Museum Exhibits Museum Exhibits Houston Area Kids Houston Attractions Name of the exhibit Houston, TX Etc. The more *relevant tags the better Note – you can use these tags on every set. They are general enough to relate. Add descriptions if possible to each image to help tell the story and further engage ...

Help! What is social media?

Thu, 07 May 2009 17:09:47 GMT

Gotcha covered right here.

Introduction to Social Media from Schipul - The Web Marketing Co. on Vimeo.

Email Subject Lines, Links and Numbered Lists

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:42:38 GMT

The burden of communication is on the communicator; not the recipient. Therefore proper email etiquette is to use strong subject lines, links, numbered lists and reasonably short paragraphs. Specifically emails must use: Subject Lines - all emails need a well articulated and relevant Subject Line. Examples of good email subject lines: Client X going live on Tuesday July 29 before Friday Board Meeting Training help file on email etiquette posted on schipul.com Feast with the Beast Presale Facebook AD text (sent to the zoo) Bad subject lines torture your coworkers with anxiety which lowers morale and greatly reduces profitability. Every time an email is sent with a bad subject line, a baby seal dies. This is sad. Save the baby seals! Use good subject lines! Links - ease of use changes behavior. Ease of use changes behavior. Without links people will NOT click through to see work that has been...

Katie and the Overtime Show at the first ever annual Wine Conference

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:33:01 GMT

Katie Laird and her 'Overtime Show' radio program covered the first annual Wine Conference and connected with sommeliers, vineyard owners and culinary business owners on their social media and business strategies.

Katie, Quaker and 2009 Election Day

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:33:01 GMT

Katie was invited by Quaker to attend an election day event social media breakfast - the event was featured on several news channels.

Katie showcases business blogging

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:33:01 GMT

Katie highlights the different kinds of company and personal blogs that can help businesses grow their brand and their profits at the American Marketing Association of Houston.

Katie speaks on crafting, technology and parenting at Mom 2 Summit

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:33:01 GMT

Katie led a table discussion topic on parenting and connecting with DIY and crafting passions through the Web.

Britt Bravo and Katie Laird at the national NetSquared nonprofit conference

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:33:01 GMT

Britt and Katie mug for the camera at the annual NetSquared nonprofit technology conference. Katie is a co-founder of the Houston chapter of NetSquared - a monthly meetup group that features a new nonprofit and connects socially minded community leaders to technology and marketing lovers.

In the studio with Katie and The Business Maker's radio show

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:33:01 GMT

Katie Laird conducts an interview for the Business Maker's radio show with JR Cohen and

Don't fear your employee blogs

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:33:01 GMT

Katie Laird presents on ways companies can leverage their employee brands and blogs to impact their bottom line positively. The presentation was followed by panel discussion on social media for business.

The truth behind business blogging panel discussion

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:33:01 GMT

Katie Laird was invited to present on utilizing personal brands and blogs to create value for businesses at the American Marketing Association of Houston.

Houston Arts Alliance 'heART of Houston' event

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:33:01 GMT

Katie helped organize, run and document the Houston Arts Alliance 'heART of Houston' kick off event.

AIGA Houston luncheon table talk leader

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:33:01 GMT

Katie led a table talk at a 2009 AIGA Houston luncheon on using social media to network and grow your business leads.