An Island made from plastic bottles by Richart Sowa



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Where some see a simple garbage Richard Sowa saw a way to make his dream. More than 150,000 plastic bottles used to create this magical floating island, talk about creative recycling! Watch this video to learn more about your almost completely sustainable development now calls home. This will make you think twice before just throwing a lot of things we consider trash.

Online Marketing News: Buy Button Bonanza, Everyone’s Getting ‘Near Me’, Facebook Snags The Spend

Engage Your Visitors

How to Write Better Titles Using Data-Driven Strategies [Infographic] – How much time did you put into the title of your last blog post? If your answer was, “Not much,” don’t worry — it’s often the most overlooked component of content. Check out this infographic to learn more. Search Engine Journal

Google Says “Near Me” Searches Have Doubled This Year – Search queries that contain a location qualifier such as “nearby” or “near me” have doubled in the past year, according to Google Trends data from March. Eighty percent of those searches come from mobile devices. Search Engine Land

STUDY: Different Engagement for Different Types of Content on Facebook – Do different types of content on Facebook lead to different types of engagement? Social media news aggregator NewsWhip has the answer. SocialTimes

Twitter Brings Programmatic to Social With Amplify Update – The microblogging service has introduced a program called Auto Amplify. The new feature reduces lots of manual work and helps brands better manage their campaigns in real time. ClickZ

Facebook Video Soars Past 4 Billion Daily Views – Showing no signs of slowing, daily video views on Facebook have jumped 1 billion since January. Marketing Land

Twitter Unveils Official Consulting Partners: IBM Is First Up – IBM has worked with Twitter as a strategic partner since October, and the relationship has helped the social-data purveyor recognize something important: Twitter needs more preferred consulting partners. Ad Age

Pinterest Unveils New ‘Action Buttons’ – The social networking site revealed the plan for its long-awaited revenue-generating feature. Inc.

The Majority of B2B Companies Are Using Incomplete Data – Almost three quarters of the records in B2B marketing databases are inaccurate or incomplete, according to a new study by Dun & Bradstreet NetProspex. Direct Marketing News

Twitter Unveils New Audience Insights Dashboard – Twitter is looking to entice more advertisers to the platform with a new Audience Insights dashboard, covering a wide range of analytics options. Similar to Facebook insights, Audience Insights includes an overview of various demographics, interests and purchase behaviour data, enabling Twitter advertisers to dig deeper into their audience and better target their content – both through paid and non-paid means. Twitter

Facebook Accounted For 75% Of Social Ad Spending Globally In 2014 – The global social advertising market grew 41% to $15.3 billion in 2014; Facebook is maintaining dominance despite lack of presence in the giant China market. Marketing Land

STUDY: Interaction with Instagram Posts Trounces Facebook, Twitter – When it comes to interaction with posts, Instagram blows away parent company Facebook and Twitter, according to a recent study by social analytics provider Quintly. SocialTimes

Uber Partners With Foursquare to Combine Local Search and Transportation – Uber has formed yet another partnership, this time with local search recommendation app, Foursquare, that will give the car service an even greater advantage over competitors like Lyft and Curb. Search Engine Watch

Facebook Adds “Call Now” Click-to-Call Feature to Newsfeed Ads – Local advertisers now have a new tool for converting social network users to leads and sales, thanks to Facebook’s new ‘Call Now’ button for News Feed ads. Mobile users who tap the button call the business immediately. Social Media Today

Google Confirms “Buy” Button Is Coming To Search Ads – Google has just confirmed the report that it will enable “buy now” buttons on some mobile ads. Marketing Land

What were the top online and digital marketing news stories for you this week?

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Infographic: Marketing Domination Media


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The first fully solar-powered school district should happen this summer



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Students in a small region of southern Iowa again see the great technological changes in the fall. The more workers were to transform school buildings in the first district of Iowa completely powered by the sun.

In January, the district WACO farm installed a large solar collector behind the building of the primary school in Crawfordsville. In July, work should begin in another solar farm next to the main building of the school in Wayland. When all is done, solar energy should provide more than 90 percent of the electricity needs of the district.

From the street, WACO elementary as little primary school building in the city. But Superintendent Darrell Smith said that when he heard the buzz of the orders of the collector panel behind the school, it’s the sound of money in the bank.

“The first conversation we had was, ‘How can we reduce General Fund spending and save money for the district wanted to help the general fund and has evolved”? We were the first to go full sun in Iowa, “Smith said.

The director said that the initial configuration of the solar panel has already had an impact, saving about $ 20,000 in energy costs, while from the beginning of the year. After that, Smith began looking for ways to expand the use of solar energy throughout the district.

Another large solar park is expected to land next to the main building of the school in Wayland. Smith believes will bring the percentage of the area supplied by the sun to more than 90 percent. Given cloudy days in Iowa, he said here that almost 100 percent of solar energy as expected.

On sunny days, the solar panels should provide the district as much as 110 percent of the energy used. With net metering, the surplus is returned to the system of Alliant Energy and brought credit to the district.

WACO solar Conversation became a teaching moment this spring as 5 and 6 students took daily measurements ahead and calculates the output power. Professor Chad McClanahan said students began rooting for sunny days for the system to produce more energy.

“That gives you a sense when you can see what is happening and it makes a difference when it comes to science and green energy, and then say” Come look, “he said.

Superintendent Smith said WACO struggled trying to reach the final push spring sun. The original solar park was financed by a tax of one cent local option. But this money might not cover an additional system. The district wanted to take advantage of solar tax credits and private investment needed to buy the system with a lease-back and eventual sale of the district. Iowa law has no rules to cover this type of financial agreement.

Smith said the Iowa Department of Education has worked with the neighborhood and eventually found a way to make the project a reality. So when the sun shines at the end of August, this means more savings for the district of about 500 students.

It is expected that members of the Board of Directors of the WACO school for open tenders and approve the solar expansion in mid-June At least a dozen school districts in Iowa contact the responsible WACO ask how they did it.

5 Ways to Woo Your B2B Social Media Audience & 3 Brands That Are Doing it Well

WOO-SOCIAL-MEDIA-AUDIENCE

Have you ever been in a relationship where one partner wanted more, and the other was hesitant to take the next step?

Many B2B marketers are facing a similar roadblock. They’re ready to ask social media followers to “marry” them, but some of those followers are beginning to question why they liked the brand in the first place.

A recent study found that only 20% of CMOs are using social media for engagement. Two thirds of CMOs also report that they’re not ready to cope with social media.

Even though B2B marketers typically have a more difficult time forming a loyal fan base on social media than their B2C counterparts, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a substantial opportunity to create connections. It is essential that all B2B marketers keep in mind that the goal isn’t to form a relationship with companies on social media, it’s to form a bond with the individuals that work within the companies that you are targeting.

If you really want to create a lasting relationship with your audience that is mutually beneficial, consider the following recommendations to begin taking the next steps towards engagement.

5 Tips for Wooing Your Social Media Audience

#1 – Understand Audience Habits

What is one of the best ways to get to know someone? By asking them questions about themselves. The same logic applies to your online audience.

One of the first steps B2B marketers can take is to gain a true understanding of prospects social media habits and needs. This insight can be compiled in a few ways including”

  • Talking to your existing customer contacts. Never take your current customers for granted. They not only have similar pain points of your potential customers, but you also have a direct line of communication with them.
  • Using social media listening tools to help determine when your audience is spending time on specific social networks.
  • Gaining insight into what they care about. Platforms such as Twitter and Facebook provide insight into what your audience interacts with the most.

#2 – Be a Good Storyteller

Another great way to relate to your partner is to share stories that they can relate to. Unfortunately, B2B customers have often gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to well-developed storytelling.

Remember that the point of social networks is to create a social interaction, not to boast about product or service benefits. Put marketing effort toward developing engaging questions, creating case studies and user scenarios.

#3 – Offer Variety in Social Media Publishing

Dating someone can quickly become boring and routine if you always take them on the same date, order the same meal and have the same conversation.

Similarly, your social media audience looks forward to interacting with brands that offer a variety of content types and visuals. Examples of content types that can be shared on social media include:

  • Moving Imagery
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • News Articles
  • Influencer Content
  • Crowdsourced Information

The list of types of information that can be shared on social media is nearly limitless.

#4 – Introduce Fans & Followers to Their Favorite “Celebrities”

How awesome would your significant other think it was if you took them to a concert to see their favorite band and got backstage passes so that they could meet the band members in-person.

Within each industry there are “celebrities” or influencers that are known as being authoritative on a particular subject. Promoting content that is co-created with industry influencers can be an excellent way to build credibility with your B2B social media audience.

#5 – Next Steps Sometimes Require an Investment

Once you’ve solidified the relationship with your partner, you may want to invest in purchasing a token to signify the commitment. Often, that  investment can be in the form of an engagement ring. The ring can signify your readiness to take the next step and their acceptance symbolizes their commitment to join you.

Social media advertising can both generate interest and be the tipping point for your social media audience to take the next step. Before making the leap into social media advertising it is essential that B2B marketers ask:

  1. What do we want to accomplish with a paid advertising campaign?
  2. How much are we comfortable investing?
  3. What will we be promoting with our advertisements?

3 B2B Companies Engaging Audiences on Social Media 

HP: Facebook

HP Facebook

You may not think that the top beaches, or asking followers to share what is on their summer reading lists will help sell electronics. However, HP is sharing content that their consumers care about and can connect with. HP has a business model that appeals to both B2C and B2B consumers alike.

FedEx: Twitter

FedEx Twitter

Not only did FedEx host the #FedEx400 to raise awareness for autism, but they provided an excellent play-by-play of the event for their online audience to consume. Their social media team also does a fantastic job of humanizing the brand by sharing images and tweets about national BBQ month near their headquarters and stories that feature their customers.

GE: LinkedIn

GE LinkedIn

GE has so many products that their social media strategy could quickly become scattered and overwhelming. However, they’ve done a fantastic job of providing a glimpse into information that matters most to their customers.

Are You Ready to Begin Wooing Your Social Media Audience?

Just like any relationship, it takes time to build trust, authority and loyalty with your social media audience. Also, it’s a relationship that must be nurtured consistently in order to grow and evolve.

What do you believe is your biggest opportunity for connecting with your social media audience?

Image: Shutterstock


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The Benefits of Installing Solar Panels



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Solar panels are special devices that capture sunlight and convert it into usable electricity. Cells from these panels are arranged on a large area for maximum efficiency. As the sun shines on the surface, the lenses capture sunlight and channel for energy.

Reduce energy costs

Although you will have the initial burden of installing solar panels, once you have completed the renovation of most of their expenses you will be terminated. From this point, you will receive free energy due to the sun shining on the surface. This may be an exceptional economy, if you live in an area with abundant sunshine because you can use that energy to power your home heating, refrigeration and other power needs. Many houses are experiencing a savings of about 50 percent of their previous electricity costs, with some even eliminate your electricity bills completely.

Increase Home Value

Solar panels have an easy to use, low maintenance, with exceptional life expectancy. You can anticipate a manufacturer’s warranty of 25-30 years for this. You can also anticipate overall life expectancy of 40 years for this addition to your home. The addition of this technology to your home can greatly increase the value of your home, too. This feature is also a positive point of sale if you are thinking of putting your home on the market at some point in the future. In fact, the addition of a solar power system can increase the resale value of a house by up to $ 6.40 per watt, depending on where you live. It is also common for homes with solar panels to sell 15 percent faster than homes without.

Reducing carbon footprint

The average household in the United States highlights about 7.4 tons of carbon dioxide every year using electrical processes. The emission of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is directly related to global warming. Results of global warming include melting glaciers, coastal erosion, and endangered animals. Using the sun’s energy can also save each year more than 16,000 liters of water. When you rely on the sun for part or all of the electricity needs of your home, you can feel good about the lack of contribution to the extraction and refining of fossil fuels at home. You and your family can reduce their impact on ecosystems and natural forests, which are adversely affected by the current process of extraction of those resources.

Creating Jobs

The solar industry is a variety of jobs, including design, development, manufacture, installation and maintenance of systems. Additional races are also involved in the cultural and political integration of the industry. The installation of this system in your home can support this sector and contribute to the continuing need and creating new jobs.

Solar technology continues to grow as the people involved in its design and development continue to seek this renewable energy option. The features are more accessible and less expensive, so it is a possibility for the owners. Explore your options to see if the solar panels meet your needs.

Akon hopes to Provide 600 Million Africans with solar power



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Akon began its “Akon Lighting Africa” “to bring millions in Africa electricity through solar energy.

According to reports, rapper and producer tries to get people in Africa to electricity thanks to this initiative.

The eyes of the Academy ultimately provide 600 million people in many African countries currently without electricity there.

Co-founder of the foundation Baithily Samba said: “Africans expect graduates of this center to develop new innovative solutions, technical He told the Academy, which can benefit from Lighting Africa Akon and go further..”

70 percent of Africans are said to be under 35 Akon Lighting Africa also eyes that provide thousands of jobs for job seekers.

B2B Content Marketing Playbook: Tips to Prepare You for the Big Content Game

B2B-CONTENT-PLAYBOOK

The 2015 B2B Marketing Report from Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs sheds a pretty bright light on the true state of B2B content marketing. While 86% of B2B marketers are using content marketing, only 8% rate their content marketing efforts as “very effective”. It’s not so different than teams participating in sports like football. Sure, everyone is playing, but who is actually really good at it?

Fundamental blocking and tackling are key for a winning football game. The same can be said for implementing a successful B2B content marketing program: mastery of the fundamentals is essential. With B2B content creation in particular, marketers must be prepared for everything from understanding the voice of the customer to developing the right mix of content assets.

For most B2B marketers, staying on top of the B2B content marketing game takes practice, practice and more practice to be successful. Drilling those basic skills can mean the difference between winning and losing the business customer acquisition game.

Here’s the good news: We’ve put this B2B Content Marketing Playbook together to provide you with all the content marketing formations you’ll need to play the B2B content game right and maybe even win a content marketing championship!

shutterstock_221686972

Learn the Language of Your Customer

Writing killer content for business buyers takes practice. Part of that practice involves understanding the language of the industry that you’re writing for. It is important to strike a balance between incorporating the proper industry terms while not overstuffing your content or using jargon in the wrong context.

Here are a few steps you can take to catch on to the terms you need to know:

  1. Talk to your current customers – learn their pain points, goals and the words they use to describe what’s important
  2. Review the website content of your customers and their competitors – learn to speak like a native
  3. Search for and absorb information from reputable content sources online – where do your customers discover and consume industry and solutions information? What publications, influencers and peers do they listen to and read?

Connect with the Right Content Marketing Resources

Believe it or not, sometimes you’ll need to bring in reinforcements. Determining whether you need to hire experienced industry copywriters for the short or long-term, depends on the project.

No matter how long contract copywriters or content marketing agency resources are a part of your marketing team’s efforts, learn as much as you can in the time that you’re working with them. Be wary of writers that claim to have industry expertise but don’t provide examples of their work.

When interviewing potential resources, keep the following in mind:

  • How long have they been creating content for the specific industry?
  • Have they written content for a reputable content source or company?
  • What is their process for understanding content goals, customer voice and actual content creation?

Map B2B Buyer Personas to Content

To deliver the most relevant and useful information to B2B buyers, its important to identify distinct customer segments and the stages of their buying experience. To write specifically for a group of buyers and what they care about, it’s useful to create a persona that represents their common interests, behaviors, pain points and goals.

For each persona and buying experience or journey, customers will have different types of questions depending on where they are in the process. The B2B content you create should address the needs of a specific customer persona as well as the broad to specific questions they need answered when investigating the kinds of solutions your company offers.

Let’s assume for a second that the product is a marketing automation tool and the target customer is a large brand seeking a solution to help deliver their marketing in a more structured and meaningful way. It’s important that content is created for any one of the positions/needs below:

  • Director of Marketing: Is interested in seeing if there is a better way to create, distribute and track content.
    • Stage: Awareness
    • Sample Blog Content: 10 Signs You May Need Marketing Automation
  • Marketing Manager: Has been given a directive to create a cost/capability comparison for a variety of different marketing automation solutions:
    • Stage: Engagement
    • Sample Blog Content: 5 Features & Benefits of XYZ Marketing Automation
  • VP of Marketing: Needs to determine if Marketing Automation will be a sound investment for the organization.
    • Stage: Conversion
    • Sample Blog Content: 7 Ways Marketing Automation Saves Money & Improves Efficiency

The examples above only scratch the surface in terms of potential personas, stages in the buying cycle and types of content that can be used to meet the needs of your customers.

playbook fumble

Lead Your Content with Key Points

It’s likely that the professionals searching for B2B solutions have responsibilities outside of purchasing the product that you’re promoting via content marketing (aka, they’re busy). Keep that in mind when you’re determining how to structure content.

Blog posts for example, should quickly summarize key points so that the reader can decide if they would like to continue reading. This sets the stage for what they’ll find in the blog post.

The B2B and H2H Tug of War

B2B customers desire content that meets both their personal and business needs. How can you strike that delicate balance?

  • Be specific
  • Show empathy
  • Focus on solutions
  • Inject voice and personality
  • Create content for where they live (social, mobile), not just where they work (blogs, publications)

shutterstock_90027943

Incorporate Multiple Types of Content

Did you know that there are well over 30 types of Content Marketing tactics? Based on the product or service that content is being created for, and the audience, there is an incredible opportunity to provide multiple content types to provide buyers with the best possible information experience. Examples of tactics that have traditionally worked well for B2B marketing include:

  • Case Studies
  • White Papers
  • Blog Posts
  • eBooks
  • Digital Newsletters
  • Email Marketing
  • Webinars and Real World Events

Also consider the “human” side of B2B marketing through social media, mobile and visually-focused content. After all, buyers are people too.

Include Calls to Action (CTAs)

B2B content should almost always include a call to action of some sort. It’s important that you always give readers direction on what to do next, whether it’s to consume another piece of content, subscribe, share or make an appointment. Here are some things to keep in mind when considering B2B content CTAs:

  • Don’t Be Shy: Your CTAs should stand out as a clear next step. Instead of burying your CTA at the bottom of the page, consider using your content header or sidebar.
  • Keep it Simple: While you may want to know everything about the person completing your CTA, you have to remove the barrier to entry. Ask for only the necessary information you need to accomplish your goal.
  • Offer Value, Again: Remind the prospect what they’re signing up for. Be sure to reiterate that they are signing up for XYZ webinar, which will help them accomplish ABC.

Experiment with Landing Pages

Landing pages create an enormous opportunity for capturing information that can be used to effectively nurture B2B leads. When experimenting with landing pages here are a few tips to keep in mind:

  • There may be different levels of decision makers and different stages of the buying cycle.
  • You can increase the value of good content by requiring form completion
  • Take some time to A/B test your page content and forms
  • Always include testimonials

Why Mastering the Game of B2B Content Marketing is Essential

Jumping head-first into a game of B2B content marketing without mastering the blocking and tackling basics can quickly have you experiencing more losses than wins. In order to create successful B2B content, understand who your customers are, what they care about and how the product that you’re marketing helps solve their business problem. Speak to your target buyer using their language, using the kinds of content they prefer and with offers that will be the most compelling for them to take action.

In football, it’s often said that the best defense is a good offense. Stay on top of your B2B content marketing game by incorporating the basic rules from this B2B Content Marketing Playbook into your content routine.

Photos via Shutterstock: FirstSecondThirdFourth


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B2B Content Marketing Playbook: Tips to Prepare You for the Big Content Game | http://www.toprankblog.com

The post B2B Content Marketing Playbook: Tips to Prepare You for the Big Content Game appeared first on Online Marketing Blog – TopRank®.

Top Digital Marketing Takeaways From Authority Rainmaker

Brian Clark Authority Rainmaker Cover

What does it take to become an authority in your industry? How can we make better sense out of an integrated approach to digital marketing?

According to the presentations we saw at Authority Rainmaker 2015, it takes the passion to learn and pursue knowledge, the expertise that warrants credibility and respect of your peers and the time and effort to earn your place as an industry thought leader.

While only in it’s second year, Copyblogger’s Authority conference brought the passion and expertise that will no doubt result in achieving authority status among digital marketing events in the industry.

Alexis Hall, Lee Odden and I had the pleasure of representing TopRank Online Marketing for this informative and entertaining event, which took place at the beautiful Ellie Caulkins Opera House in downtown Denver Colorado. We met interesting people, created great blog and social content and learned lots of great digital marketing tips to share with our agency team.

Here are some of our favorite takeaways:

Buyers Hold the Power – Daniel Pink

D Pink AR2015

Today’s buyers are extremely savvy. They have access to information and tools, that previously were only available to the sellers. Marketers have an enormous opportunity to begin serving these customers in a more meaningful way.

Find out how by reading The New Era of Sales and Content Marketing – Daniel Pink

Content Marketing Pros Follow Similar Paths to Success – Joe Pulizzi

Joe Pulizzi

Content marketing has exploded in popularity and for very good reason. Done right, it gets huge business results at a fraction of the cost of more conventional marketing tactics. Several trail-blazing businesses and thought leaders have been instrumental in driving the adoption of content marketing by not only proving the model, but in many cases defining it.

For companies who have yet to achieve content marketing greatness, make sure you’re on the right track by following Joe Pulizzi’s 6 Steps to Building a Massive Audience

Cleverness Doesn’t Pay When it Comes to Landing Pages – Sonia Simone

Sonia AR2015 2

Clever titles may work great for BuzzFeed and Reddit content, but they can be confusing in the context of landing pages. The goal of any landing page isn’t to get a laugh, it’s to motivate action and confusion is the enemy of action.

Learn how to turn your landing page CRO up to 11 in Dr. Evil’s Guide to Landing Page Design and Optimization.

Search Engines Are Getting a Lot Smarter – Danny Sullivan

D Sullivan AR2015

As powerful and revolutionary as search engines are, the past year has seen some truly game-changing upgrades at Google. From the Hummingbird algorithm update which moved Google ranking factors far beyond just keywords and links, to the Mobile Friendly update which is helping to usher in a new era of mobile friendly websites, search marketers have had plenty to keep them busy.

Learn more about the where search is now and likely to be going in: Danny Sullivan on the State of Search Marketing in 2015 

Craving More Authority Rainmaker Insights?

This eBook features additional insights and tweetable tips from the marketing experts that appeared at Authority Rainmaker 2015.

Complete List of Coverage From Authority Rainmaker 2015

Below are links to the presentations we covered at Authority Rainmaker:

Thank you to Brian Clark, Jessica Commins and the Copyblogger team for putting on a such a great event! I know most of the attendees would agree, this is a digital marketing event worth repeating and we’re looking forward to what’s in store for next year.

Whether you attended Authority in-person or vicariously through social shares and posts like this, what were your favorite takeaways from Authority Rainmaker?


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Solar Attic Fans Can Reduce Your Energy Bill



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A simple way to reduce your electricity bill

Many owners of Hawaii spend a small fortune to run fans and air conditioning in trying to keep your house cool. Most homes, houses, especially older, depends trade winds to keep your home from becoming unbearable.

Generally people who are trying to beat the heat was just installed an expensive air conditioning system. What they do not realize is that they could reduce their energy bills and save money simply by improving ventilation. It goes without saying that if you can keep the heat naturally, will have less and less fans air-conditioning, lowering their energy consumption.

How to keep your home cooler Naturally

The radiant heat from the sun hits the ceiling in each sunny day. Most roofing materials absorb much of the heat, especially asphalt or clay tile roofs. Hot air rises, but can be trapped in their attic or vaulted ceiling. If the hot air does not escape properly migrate down at home and continue becoming hotter and hotter inside. That is why it can often be cooler outside than inside your home.

Consider as a natural ventilation fan that moves air. Ideally, you want a high constant volume of air circulating in your home.

What do you want to set it is known as “Thermal Flow,” which comes out cold air and warm air is out. This thermal air flow can be adjusted by a combination of the contribution or soffit ventilation and adequate attic ventilation. There is only enough to allow hot air; You must ensure that fresh air is circulating.

There are several ventilation systems create ways to exhaust hot air:

Box vents – These vents are more common and less expensive upfront. They are usually made of plastic or metal. You can add additional vents to improve ventilation but not usually work on vaulted ceilings

Vents Whirly Bird – These are a step above a ventilation shaft and works well when a breeze blows. The problem is they are in a ball bearing system and eventually lead and become noisy.

Evacuation Ridge – A very good ventilation solution because it creates a large flow of air through the ridge peak. Ventilation puzzled edge and actually creates low pressure area on both sides of the ridge vent literally suck the hot attic air. This “aspiration” is known as the Bernoulli effect, the wind passing over a structure actually creates a lifting action or traction. The lifting effect of the difference in air pressure is the same force that allows aircraft to fly and sail boats.

Solar attic fans – These have proved more effective in removing unwanted heat. The small built in solar panels literally cause a fan to suck the hot air out. Solar fan 30 watts is usually sufficient for every 1,200 square feet of attic space. Some solar fans are specially designed for installation in vaulted ceilings. Best fans have a brushless motor system and a guarantee of 20 years. We see a lot of units manufactured in cheaper foreign failing within 5-8 years.

Solar Energy Air Conditioner – If natural ventilation does not solve the problems of overheating, air conditioning with solar energy can be a great alternative. These refrigeration units are fully managed by the power of the sun. They are autonomous units and because they are not binding on the electrical system of your home, do not require special license HECO.

The two ceiling fans, solar energy and solar air conditioners are the most powerful way to get the hot air outlet. Being solar devices, they can still qualify for solar tax credits.

Stand Out or Don’t Bother: Sally Hogshead on Harnessing Your Fascination Advantage

Sally Hogshead Authority Rainmaker

Why is Jägermeister the bestselling liquor brand that no one likes?

Because it’s toxic taste is what sets it apart from all the other liquor choices behind the bar. The worst it tastes, the more people talk about it. That creates a unique experience that people seek out.

This illustrates what Sally Hogshead suggested in her opening keynote at Authority Rainmaker – different is better than better. Sally is a best selling author, keynote speaker and marketer who has consulted for brands ranging from BMW to Target.

Sally says that the uniqueness of a brand is what can be translated into their competitive advantage. When you are able to put that competitive advantage into words, it translates into something people will evangelize and purchase.

The same logic for brands can apply to individuals too. Your unique advantage is what will makes people hire you, promote you and remember you.

The key is knowing what your unique advantage is, how to describe it and harness it to focus on doing what you are good at.

Sally Hogshead tell us how to leverage your Fascination Advantage® in order to stand out and transform your career.

What is the Fascination Advantage?

In ancient Latin, facsinare means to bewitch or hold captive so people are powerless to resist.

Sounds pretty powerful, right? Your fascination advantage, is the thing about your authentic self that will allow you to captivate.

According to Sally, there are 7 primary fascination advantages. For most people there 2 advantages where they communicate most confidently and effortlessly.

The 7 Fascination Advantages:

  • Innovation: Creative brainstormers
  • Passion: Relationships builders with strong people skills
  • Power: A leader who makes decisions
  • Prestige: Over achievers with higher standards
  • Trust: Stable and reliable
  • Mystique: Solo intellect behind the scenes
  • Alert: Precise detail manager

The combination of your primary and secondary advantage are what create your archetype. Once you know your archetype, you can open the door to harnessing your best self.

Find out your type here: howtofascinate.com/you (Code: copyblogger)

49 Personality Archetypes

10 Things you Can Do Better Once You Know Your Fascination Advantage

Once you know your fascination  archetype, you know what differentiates you from others. Remember, different is better. Once you know what makes you better, you can leverage that to do even more.

Number 1: Create your anthem

An anthem is a very short phrase that describes how you are different. It is the easiest way to describe your unique value.

Typically a combination of an adjective (describes you) and a noun(describes what you do). For example Cutting Edge Social Strategist.

Number 2: Update your marketing copy

One you have your anthem update your LinkedIn profile or resume to speak to your unique advantage.

Number 3: Stand out to get hired and promoted

Now that you have been able to condense and communicate your unique advantage, continue to leverage that in the job you choose and the tasks you complete. When you focus on being the best authentic you, it becomes very easy for the right people to hire you to do the right things.

Number 4: Don’t become a commodity

A commodity is interchangeable. Competing with everyone else who is saying the same thing you are, is a hard way to make a living. Use your Fascination Advantage to side step the competition, as you offer a unique value proposition.

Number 5: Avoid tasks that do not speak to your strengths

If you are a Catalyst (Passion + Innovation), then be careful of tasks which focus on very detailed follow up. Focus on your strengths and if possible, pass the tasks you are less adept on to someone who is the best at them.

Number 6: Be more convincing and confident 

When you are at your most authentic and natural you will be most convincing. For example, an Innovation archetype will be at their most compelling when speaking about creative ideas, rather than the details of a project (leave that to the Alert archetypes).

Number 7: Build better teams

Great teams are built on diversity. Having a balanced team will allow others to take the lead where you are not comfortable. If you only hire people who speak the same language as you, you’ll be at a disadvantage when completing tasks that require other skills. For example, if the primary advantage of your whole team is passion, there will be great banter, but not much follow through.

Number 8: Convert People into advocates

Powerful brands aren’t merely purchased, they are evangelized. Honing in on what you excel at, will encourage people to not only hire you, but to spread that word around. Good word of  mouth, is a great way to build your career and business. If you can’t offer value on a project, it’s best not do it at all.

Number 9: Do more with less (less money, less words, less time)

If you are able to harness your Fascination Advantage, you can do more with less. Fascinating brands get more reach and recall with less budget. You can do the same by focusing on your strengths, spend less time communicating is words and platforms that are ineffective.

Number 10: Take advantage of a short attention span

The average human attention span in only 9 seconds today. With only 9 seconds, what is the most fascinating thing you can say? Speak the language of your advantage and you will be more likely to captivate your audience in a very short time period.

Imagine that you as an individual can be as compelling as some of the most powerful brands in the world. Look inward to your natural self, in order to determine, develop and harness your competitive advantage for marketing, for business and for personal success.


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© Online Marketing Blog – TopRank®, 2015. |
Stand Out or Don’t Bother: Sally Hogshead on Harnessing Your Fascination Advantage | http://www.toprankblog.com

The post Stand Out or Don’t Bother: Sally Hogshead on Harnessing Your Fascination Advantage appeared first on Online Marketing Blog – TopRank®.