PRUnderground

By Alex Miranda
Once again Google came up with another update. If you have not heard of it yet, you will soon. It is called the “Search, plus your world” update. This Google update really gets personal. However, in order to use it, you must be signed in to Google Plus. It seems that Google is really going after Facebook by having everyone sign up for a Google Plus account. Why not, after all they are the worlds biggest search engine.

Social media is one of the most popular ways for companies to keep in touch directly with their customers and vice versa, and here at John Fowler, we want to make sure that you can follow us on whichever social media platform you prefer, which is why we now have a Facebook page that you can like, allowing you to receive updates from John Fowler Holiday Parks and post your own messages or photos from your holiday to our wall.

Pictures of people enjoying themselves in our caravan parks are always welcome, and lots of people like to thank the staff that make their trips possible on the page as well.

As for us, we post messages about competitions, news you might find interesting and other bits and pieces, so that you always know what’s going on at your favourite holiday destination. You can find the page at www.facebook.com/johnfowlerholidayparks

About John Fowler HolidayParks:

John Fowler Holidays have parks throughout Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, all with excellent facilities for a family holiday. Every park is within walking distance of a beach, and some even have their own private beaches.

To book, contact John Fowler Holidays on 01271 866766 or visit www.johnfowlerholidays.com

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday approaching, many shoppers are flocking to online retail stores. With the holiday shopping in full swing, we must all be aware of the scams that are circulating online. Many shoppers feel very safe when shopping online at major retailers’ websites such as Walmart, Macy’s and Sears. No one would think that a retailer such as Sears goes against their return policy and makes it difficult and costly to cancel an online order and request a refund.

Here is how Sears handled an order I had just placed online:

I had a $25 gift card from Sears. On Black Friday I figured it was the perfect opportunity to make use of my gift card.  I had found a heating mattress pad for my bed . It was reasonably priced at 62.99 and included free shipping (next day it was down to $56 that’s another story) . I filled out all the required information such as name, email address, telephone number and shipping address. Before I added my credit card information, I added my gift card information.

I found it strange the $25 gift card amount was not applied when I clicked submit. At the bottom of the submit button it read “Available funds will be applied once your order is placed”. This meant I could not see the discount until I entered my credit card information and paid for my purchase. This is where the problem began. Unfortunately for me, they never deducted the $25. What happened next blew my mind.

I called their customer service number at 1-800-349-4358. A customer representative answered the phone and I explained what happened. I asked her if she could apply the $25 to my order which I had just placed. Her reply was, “There is no way we can make that happen” I then asked to cancel the order I placed minutes before. Her answer, “sorry we cannot do that either”. At first I though, ha ha very funny joke right? Wow, was I wrong. After going back and forth with her, I asked to speak with a supervisor. I waited a total of one hour and thirty five minutes for a supervisor.

Here is where it got really really bad.

The supervisors name was Heather. Her employee number was 400597. I explained my ordeal to her and she pretty much gave me the same answer. She told me that I would have to wait for the shipment to arrive and then ship it back to them at my cost. Once they received it, they would then issue a refund. Let me understand this again.

If an order is placed online and 2 minutes later you call to cancel the order that has yet to leave the warehouse, you must then wait until it is delivered. You will then have to go through the process of shipping it back at your cost plus a restocking fee.

This did not make any sense for many reasons.

• Why would Sears spend money shipping the item I do not want?
• Doesn’t it cost the company money to ship it out?
• Wouldn’t they save more money if the simply gave me a refund?
• How long before I get a refund?
• Can you imagine how much money they would save if they would save if they made this simple change?

Their manager had no control over anything. Heather could not even answer the simplest questions. It was as if she was reading from a manual. She did not want to hear what I had to say and hung up the phone on me. That is a major no-no!!

I went to their Twitter page and voiced my anger. Right on their Twitter page it says, “The Official Sears Twitter Page. Questions, comments, issues? What do you like about Sears? Jared & team, at your service.” I did not hear back from them at all. So much for Jared & team!!. So not only was their customer service and refund policy terrible, their social media response and support services was a perfect example of how to fail in the social media world. I cannot make this up!!

I went on to the Better Business Bureau website and found that even though they had over 17746 complaints against them and still had an A- rating. Hmnnnn, that makes no sense at all. Shame on you BBB.

So maybe it is just me being angry. Maybe I am wrong and it makes more sense if they spend the money shipping me a product I do not need and then I ship it back to them to receive my refund….Duhhh, it still does not make sense. OK corporate at Sears give me some answers. I am a firm believer that when you have an excellent customer service team and give the customer what they want (within reason), you will have a much bigger customer base. Your profits will rise as a result. However, with bad customer service and policies that make no sense, then you have angry customers spreading a very bad virus via social media and other platforms.

What do you all think about this policy? Have you had a similar experience? Let us know.

A free service, Stitches ‘n Dishes is California’s only network of vendors, venues and their fans, providing news, schedules, reviews, high-quality photography, video and media coverage on its website.

Christopher Ford, Co-Founder of Stitches ‘n Dishes announced the launch of the website’s latest prize drawing – an Apple iPad 2 WiFi tablet computer on the Stitches ‘n Dishes blog and Facebook page on November 5, 2011.

The website is fully dedicated to the mobile foods industry, focusing on food trucks, food stands, caterers, and bakers. Stitches ‘n Dishes provides original articles, reviews, video and photography on its blog site, Facebook fan page, Twitter feed and in its weekly newsletter, “The Dish!”. The website also includes information about California county fair dates and events at each of 78 venues, with photos, schedules and Twitter feeds, as well.

“Stitches ‘n Dishes is creating a buzz around mobile foods and entertainment venues that gives people the opportunity to find events at any of the California fair grounds and their favorite food vendors on one website. And now they’re giving away an iPad 2 to make it even easier,” said Nick Nicora, Vice President of Business Development, Western Region at Ovations Food Services, a national food and beverages service, providing alcohol, catering and concessions at California county fair grounds and entertainment venues across the country.

Entries for the Apple iPad 2 WiFi in the Project Stitchlink drawing are being accepted through December 31, 2011. To be eligible for entry, participants must be at least 18 years of age, and California residents. “We’re giving away a free iPad 2 WiFi as a way of saying ‘thank you’ to our loyal readers, and to spread the word about what we’re doing. Our website appeals to food lovers and anyone curious about the mobile food phenomenon. If you’re curious about food trucks, and their growing popularity, you’ll love our site,” said Andrew Nicora, Co-founder of Stitches ‘n Dishes.

Entry requirements for the no-purchase-necessary drawing are posted on the Stitches ‘n Dishes blog (http://stitchesndishes.com/stitchs-treats/win-ipad2/). A random drawing will be held within seven days following the closing of the contest. The winner will be announced in the Stitches ‘n Dishes newsletter, “The Dish!”

“We understand that our readers have embraced today’s mobile technology and that it plays an integral part in how they make decisions regarding their mobile dining experience, and they share those decisions with their friends and families” said Ford. The incredibly thin, light design of the iPad 2 gives our readers the flexibility and freedom they value on a very powerful platform that includes two cameras for FaceTime and HD video recording, a dual-core A5 chip, 10-hour battery life, over 200 new software features in iOS 5 and iCloud all with WiFi capability. We couldn’t be happier to give one to a loyal reader.”

About Stitches ‘n Dishes:

Stitches ‘n Dishes, the creation of Christopher Ford and Andrew Nicora, and inspired by “Stitch”, an American Staff. Terrier mix / Bichon Frise, provides marketing, advertising and PR services to the mobile foods industry and it provides consumers with a single source for original articles, reviews, food photography, California fairs and events, discounts, contests and giveaways.

Stitches ‘n Dishes is California’s first provider of a platform that stitches a link between food lovers, entertainment venues and mobile food operators, and the first fully dedicated marketing, advertising and development resource available to food vendors in California.

Last month, Ford and Nicora gave away an iPod Touch 4th Generation handheld device, and gift certificates at various mobile restaurants. The two plan to continue offering prizes each month to their “VIP” readers – subscribers of The Dish!

“All of our contests, drawings, and giveaways are open to newsletter subscribers only. We consider our subscribers to be our VIP’s who deserve to be recognized. This is our way of showing our appreciation for their continued support,” Said Ford.

Participants should visit the Stitches ‘n Dishes website for entry details.

Contact:

Christopher Ford, Co-Founder
Stitches ‘n Dishes
chris@stitchesndishes.com
916-612-9954

Rodney Washington
Stitches ‘n Dishes
rodney@stitchesndishes.com
858-413-7526

We’ve all heard – and experience first-hand on a daily basis – that Facebook is the standard in social networking. With more than half a billion users, Facebook is a common household name and in the top echelon of internet destinations every day. One common misconception, though is, “if you build it, they will come.” After all, don’t we all create fan pages, then immediately begin asking all of our friends to “like” them? We soon learn, it’s not so easy to attract and entice people to click that elusive “like” button, and all too often, we become frustrated in the process. But, converting Facebook fans into customers is really as simple as buying groceries.

In many cases, many business owners do not actually use Facebook as a means to increase SEO, and ultimately their brand awareness. Most commonly, small businesses believe that they need to create fan pages in order to attain large fan bases, and ultimately sales without actually understanding their fan bases or their behavior. It’s not just about fan count, and it’s important to understand the actual value of a fan. More importantly, it’s vitally important to understand the social network, its interconnections and the interactions amongst fans and the people they influence. Key questions to be keenly aware of are: How many people does your business influence? How many of those people will take action on your content? How many people can these people reach? Summed, the key question is, are you a mover and a shaker? Does your content, and ultimately your business, wield power and influence in a sphere of activity amongst your fans?

A true fan base is grown organically – this doesn’t necessarily mean “slowly”, but in many cases, growing a fan base is a lot like using a crock pot.

Converting fans into customers requires a consistent effort focused on developing an engaging relationship with fans. Creating campaigns that attract customers, rather than fans, offering a special discount or coupon to convert fans or attract new fans, and creating a thank-you campaign to start conversations with new fans or followers are a few techniques mobile food vendors use to convert fans to customers.

Read Christopher’s comprehensive article (here), explaining why a blog is central to the social network, and how Facebook plays a role in improving SEO and search engine placement. “It reads like a roadmap,” said Gabe De Armond, an independent Marketing and Advertising Consultant in Charlottesville, NC. “Chris explains that fan count isn’t as important as turning fans into loyal customers, and he points out the number one mistake most mobile food vendors make. He really hit the nail on the head with this one.”

About Stitches ‘n Dishes:

Stitches ‘n Dishes, the creation of Christopher Ford and Andrew Nicora, and inspired by “Stitch”, an American Staff. Terrier mix / Bichon Frise, provides marketing, advertising and PR services to the mobile foods industry and it provides consumers with a single source for original articles, reviews, food photography, California fairs and events, discounts, contests and giveaways.

Stitches ‘n Dishes is California’s first provider of a platform that stitches a link between food lovers, entertainment venues and mobile food operators, and the first fully dedicated marketing, advertising and development resource available to food vendors in California.

Contact
Christopher Ford, Co-Founder
Stitches ‘n Dishes
chris@stitchesndishes.com
916-612-9954

Rodney Washington
Stitches ‘n Dishes
rodney@stitchesndishes.com
858-413-7526

StitchesnDishes.com, an online platform for mobile food operators and their fans has announced a drawing to give an i-Pod Touch fourth generation mobile device to one of its readers in November, 2011.

The launch of Stitches ‘n Dishes (http://www.stitchesndishes.com) was driven by the creative vision of founders Christopher Ford and Andrew Nicora after observing an absence of a single source that provides a platform where people can discover new mobile food dining options, reviews and high-quality food photography.

The two embarked on a quest to create California’s premier source for food trucks, concession stands, caterers, mail order bakers, as well as California county fair grounds. Stitches ‘n Dishes provides original articles, reviews and photography on its blog site and in its weekly newsletter, “The Dish!”, and it is adding video and a magazine to its growing distribution. The website includes information about California county fair dates and events at each of 78 venues, with photos, schedules and Twitter feeds, as well. In today’s web-savvy generation, it made sense for the duo to award an i-Pod Touch to a loyal reader.

The experience of a great meal is a dance between sight, smell and taste; we wanted to stitch together a platform that touches all three beautifully, and brings the latest in food and entertainment directly to the consumer. What better way to do this than to put it in their hands?” said co-founder, Christopher Ford. Stitchesndishes.com is the first website of its kind in California that will bring mobile foods to the desktop. Ford and Nicora plan to partner with mobile food operators and venues to offer discounts, prizes and giveaways as a means to promoting their businesses and venues, and plan to expand across the country by 2013.

“Stitches ‘n Dishes is creating a buzz around mobile foods and entertainment venues that gives people the opportunity to find events at any of the California fair grounds and their favorite food vendors on one website. And now they’re giving away an i-Pod touch to make it even easier.” said Nick Nicora, Vice President of Business Development, Western Region at Ovations Food Services, a national food and beverages service, providing alcohol, catering and concessions at California county fair grounds and entertainment venues across the country.

On October 1, 2011, Ford and Nicora announced the “Share it to Win it” drawing to win an i-Pod Touch fourth generation media device. “We understand that our readers have embraced today’s mobile technology and that it plays an integral part in how they make decisions regarding their mobile dining experience, and they share those decisions with their friends and families” said co-founder, Andrew Nicora. Stitches ‘n Dishes will award the i-Pod Touch in a random drawing on November 9, 2011. To win, entries must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. (PST) on October 31, 2011. Entries requirements are detailed on the Stitches ‘n Dishes website at http://stitchesndishes.com/stitchs-treats/win-ipod-touch/

About Stitches ‘n Dishes:

Stitches ‘n Dishes, the creation of Christopher Ford and Andrew Nicora, and inspired by “Stitch”, an American Staff. Terrier mix / Bichon Frise, provides marketing, advertising and PR services to the mobile foods industry and it provides consumers with a single source for original articles, reviews, food photography, California fairs and events, discounts, contests and giveaways.

Stitches ‘n Dishes is California’s first provider of a platform that stitches a link between food lovers, entertainment venues and mobile food operators, and the first fully dedicated marketing, advertising and development resource available to food vendors in California.

Contact
Christopher Ford, Co-Founder
Stitches ‘n Dishes
chris@stitchesndishes.com
916-612-9954

Rodney Washington
Stitches ‘n Dishes
rodney@stitchesndishes.com
858-413-7526

Diversity University is pleased to announce a social media contest for companies that want to find innovative ways to deal with diversity issues in the workplace. The contest asks the question “What do your employees need most in diversity training?’’ Companies can answer the question and make submissions through Diversity University’s social networking channels. They can be entered through Facebook at DiversityUniversity, on Twitter @diversityu, on Diversity University’s blog at diversityu.com, or e-mailed to mybusinesscase@diversityuniversity.com.

The contest is held from September 12, 2011 to October 11, 2011. The winning submission will be judged by a panel and will be announced the week of October 18, 2011. The prize is a 15-20 minute customized e-learning course to address the winning workplace issue through Diversity University’s program. The winning submission also becomes the property of Diversity University and the company that made the submission. The value of the course is $5000. Patti Massey, president of Diversity University says of the contest, “We have seen an impressive amount of activity on our social media channels regarding diversity issues. Although we have several e-learning courses dealing with a variety of diversity issues, we are always eager to provide relevant content to address current situations in the workplace. So, we have decided to reach out to determine specific needs. This is a great way for others to join in the conversation and find a collective voice around diversity issues.”

About Diversity University:

Diversity University along with its content partner, Pope & Associates, has been developing innovative diversity programs for companies since 1976. A variety of programs is available including on-site training, consulting, e-learning, coaching and more to help companies leverage the diversity within their workforce.. In recent months, Diversity University has helped companies online through their compelling blog posts about diversity in the workplace. Through the work of Diversity University and Pope & Associates, corporations have become more inclusive and engaged.

The Black Man Survival Guide, the leading self-help African American website, celebrates its 1 year anniversary with the launch of its new free banner advertising program. This program gives businesses that support the community the opportunity to offer their services to a targeted group of readers looking for solutions to problems. “AfroDaddy.com is not about us, it is about the African American community sharing knowledge with each other on how to succeed and prosper” says Darrell Garrett, Senior Editor at AfroDaddy.com. “The more businesses we can showcase on the site, the more opportunity African American men and women can get access to the professional services they want and need”.

There are currently 104 mini-banner spots available and businesses will have the opportunity to display their banner ad free of charge through September 30, 2011. If at the end of the free term they want to continue their ad they can pay a fee according to the current media kit price sheet or their ad it will be replaced by a new banner ad of another business, organization or blog that supports the community. “Ideally we will have 104 new ads rotating every month.” says Garrett. There are so many helpful resources out there that we are not aware of. More exposure for these businesses means more clients, which means more money re-circulating in the black community.

AfroDaddy.com is currently a top ten-ranking site in several search categories in Google and is receiving nearly 20,000 page views per month and growing. The site is ranked in the top 2% in the U.S. by Alexa and by Hubspot. The target market is young black men, black fathers, women, and all African Americans looking to improve their lives financially, socially and spiritually. If you have a business that provides products or services to this target market then we encourage you to take advantage of this free program by emailing us at advertising@afrodaddy.com with: your reason for wanting to advertise; why your products or services benefit the community; and a 115 x 115 graphic for inclusion. Companies will be selected based on the content of their email request and ideally all spots will be filled by September 1, 2011.

About AfroDaddy.com – The Black Man Survival Guide:

AfroDaddy.com is the leading self-help website for African Americans, focused on providing young black men, black fathers and all African Americans the answers to questions about how to survive and prosper in America. The cornerstone of the website is The Black Man Survival Guide, which contains Survival Articles, Did You Knows and Q & A related to food, shelter, clothing, health, love and money. The website also features articles on entrepreneurship and careers, as well as special sections related to fatherhood, parenting and education. Visit the website at www.afrodaddy.com or on facebook at www.facebook.com/TheBlackManSurvivalGuide

Celebrate Madison Nonprofit Day with a wide variety of family-friendly, fun activities and education workshops.

Madison Nonprofit Day is Thursday, August 11, 2011, and you are invited to participate (http://www.madisonnonprofitday.org). Bring friends, family, or even colleagues and “be a part from the start.” We have activities running from the morning to the evening, so start your day with us.

You can join us at Wirth Court Park on Madison’s east side for Art in the Park, a family-friendly event that will keep you and any young children entertained while introducing you to some of Madison’s nonprofits that provide amazing resources for arts, crafts, and performance to the city. Music, storytelling, performance, and games and activities will be available.

Once you’ve gotten your fill of sun and fun, join us for lunch with the Taste of Atwood Luncheon. Some of the Atwood-Schenk neighborhood’s amazing restaurants give back to the community by hosting this pre-cursor to ‘A Taste of Madison.’ Local favorites such as Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery, Monty’s Blue Plate Diner, Bunky’s Cafe, and Lao-Laa Xang join together to provide you a free lunch. Don’t miss it.

There are also photo exhibits, garden strolls, petting tours of rescued farm animals, educational workshops, and so much more. You can pick and choose the activities you want to attend. But we do hope you’ll finish your day watching some of Madison’s finest young thespians, the Young Shakespeare Players, put on a marvelous performance of Romeo & Juliet. From morning to evening you can enjoy the activities, engage with local nonprofits, and enhance your personal or professional education.

Madison Nonprofit Day started as a day to raise awareness about Madison’s diverse nonprofit sector and how it contributes to the daily well-being of the community, and has grown into a full-fledged community event.

“It’s a day of fun and engaging activities that allow the community to explore firsthand many of the services they receive from nonprofits without notice.” said Alnisa Allgood, organizer for Madison Nonprofit Day. “We have kids, parents, grandparents, organizers and activist alike, out and about, having fun, while discovering, learning, and interacting with some of the great nonprofits that serve Madison.”

The full schedule of events and activities is available from the Madison Nonprofit Day website (http://www.madisonnonprofitday.org/schedule). Some workshops and activities have limited participation, so please RSVP to reserve your space.

Thursday, August 11, 2011, is Madison Nonprofit Day and you’re invited to participate from start to finish. You can take part in as many activities as you can find the time for, so plan your day.

Contact Alnisa Allgood at (608) 241.3616 for more information or asisitance. Visit our website to register and create your own schedule of events (http://madison.nonprofit-day.org).

About Madison Nonprofit Day:

Madison Nonprofit Day is a community collaboration project created to raise awareness and promote Madison’s nonprofit sector and its contribution to the economic development and stability of the Greater Madison Area. The project is currently maintained by Nonprofit Tech, an independent 501(c)(3) providing support for nonprofit missions through technology, social media, research, and education.

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By Alex Miranda
There are very few services that have the ability to provide content and get it ranked high on Google within minutes. With a social media press release (SMPR) you can do just that. An SMPR is also very search engine friendly as you will see.  What if I told you that for under $20 not only will you rank high on Google within minutes but you will also increase traffic to your website dramatically.