If you have done any Email Marketing you have found that HTML emails look great in everything but Outlook. Two major reasons are Outlook uses Word as its render(the engine that displays what you see) instead of Internet Explorer and as a Security precaution it doesn’t show images until you tell it to. You can tailor make a nice looking HTML email for Outlook once you are aware of the issues that come up with its rendering, however the security measure that stops you from seeing images is a larger hurdle, since there is no way as the Email Marketer to turn that feature off.

The question I am asked often is how many people actually click on the link that will download the images and display the email correspondence correctly. Because the majority of people use Outlook in the business market, I expect that a large part of them understand that is just the way it works (or have went into their preferences and turned that off). If you use Outlook as your email client, how do you feel about these special issues, what would you change? Or what program do you use to view email with, if not Outlook? I would like to hear your thoughts on the subject and how you deal with it.

No matter what type of business you work in, organization is key to being able to succeed. As part of our 20^th Anniversary celebration, each Shrub was given a Willow branded notebook to jot down thoughts, to-do lists or meeting notes to help us better stay organized. Although to-do lists might not be for everyone, they are my best way to stay organized. In addition to to-do lists, I have noticed that if specific due dates are provided for tasks, it ensures that they aren’t sat on and forgotten. There is nothing worse than realizing a project is due at the very last minute!

So this begs the question, do you have any tips and tricks on remaining organized?

Not another blog post about ghost blogging. Yes, it is…I apologize.

During the past couple of years, I’ve attended a number of conferences and luncheons where the topic of ghost blogging brought on lively debates. Most recently, I attended the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) Annual Conference in Dallas last week. There, when the topic of ghost blogging was questioned during a media relations session, the conversation only lasted a few seconds. Plain and simple, in the legal world, ghost blogging is not an acceptable practice. Next topic please.

If only it were that simple across all industries.

Well, since it’s not, I want to know what you think about the topic. Is it OK for someone to blog on behalf of someone else without informing the target audience? Is the practice of ghost blogging ethical?

Personally, I’m not a fan of ghost blogging because it lacks authenticity, but do think there is some gray area, especially when agencies work with their clients to plan, shape and schedule blog entries.

Discuss.

After being highly involved with trade shows in recent months, it’s been great to see how we can take our booths to the next level with engaging graphics and interactive elements. How do you optimize your trade show booth?

Here is a great source for some ideas and pointers: 6 Advanced Trade Show Strategies and Tactics.

I’ll admit it. I was sucked in. I was sucked into the world of Pinterest several months ago. I found it very easy to spend evenings getting blurry-eyed repining cool things I stumbled on while browsing. A new social media diversion! So I was a little startled when Jamie Law, one of our wonderful clients at Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation shared this article.

“YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE ENTIRE RISK ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SITE, APPLICATION, SERVICES AND SITE CONTENT REMAINS WITH YOU.”

Really? Maybe I should have read the Terms of Use before clicking that little check box on the form.

You mean that I could be responsible for copyright Infringement for repining someone else’s work? And Pinterest (Cold Brew Labs) is teflon? Not only do they accept no responsibility, but they pin it on me! (No pun intended.) And all their potential legal fees! (That’s what defend, indemnify and hold harmless really means.) Not trying to scare you. Just want you to be aware. I’m sure this is an area of law with respect to intellectual property that we’ll be hearing more about in the near future as Pinterest continues to grow. Just remember . . . Pin at your own risk!

Read the article here. And share your thoughts. Will this change your attitude about Pinterest and how you use it?