Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Five Great Extensions for Your Chrome


Most of us here have been won over by Google's Chrome internet browser by this point, so we thought it would be cool to share some of our favorite add-ons for those of you who have recently taken the plunge and switched to Chrome.
  1. ChromedBird - for all of your Twitter needs
  2. Blog This! - post to your Blogger blog from anywhere on the web with a single click
  3. Evernote Web Clipper - save interesting content from the web in a clipboard for easy access later
  4. IE Tab - for those pesky websites that just won't display properly in Chrome
  5. Delicious Bookmarks - save bookmarks to your Delicious account with a single click
There you have it. Some great extensions to get you going with Chrome. You are now ready to take the next step into the future of the GWO (Google World Order).

Oh, and is it just me, or does the Google Chrome logo look a lot like those Simon memory games from the 1980s?

Friday, March 26, 2010

Book Review: The New Rules of Marketing & PR


Recently, our team read Robert Scoble's book 'The New Rules of Marketing & PR' to redefine the strategy of our products and services. We found that Scoble's approach to the new rules are parallel to ours here at StateNewslines.

Here are a few key points that may encourage you to buy your own copy:

  • Social Media not to be overlooked: Nowadays, everyone is a Journalist. Scoble reiterated the fact that each of us are journalists in our own way, whether through social media, blog posts or written conversations. As businesses, we must intertwine ourselves in the conversation.
  • Buyer personas: Although redundant, he clarified the questions we should ask ourselves as we shape new products: Who are our specific buyer personas? What problems do we help solve? How do we target each of those buyers? How do we define our buyer personas?
  • Over-inform rather than under-inform! Consumers want a web site to tell them something they didn't think to ask. By dispensing excessive information regarding your product/service, you are allowing the assumption that your company has nothing to hide. Therefore, creating a friend-like relationship. Buyers like to do business with people they like.
  • Look Busy: News releases, aka press releases, should be consistent and target a specific buyer. Instead of mass media outreach, target specific news publications that your buyers read frequently and develop relevant messages with keyword-rich language used by them. Create a schedule of releases and send no less than 100 releases a year, equivalent to at least 2 per week.
For more information on David Meerman Scott or his books, visit www.davidmeermanscott.com.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Big Source Update!

Now this one is a doozy. We've recently added a whole lot of publications to our database for your headline browsing pleasure. We're now showing new feeds from publications in DC, Georgia, Alabama, Massachusetts, Arizona, Arkansas and Connecticut.

Got a minute? Here's a rundown:

DC
The Afro-American - http://www.afro.com/
Voice of the Hill - http://www.voiceofthehill.com/
Bolling Air Force Base - http://www.bolling.af.mil/
Institute of World Politics - http://www.iwp.edu

GA
Columbia County News-Times -
http://newstimes.augusta.com/
Marietta Daily Journal -
http://www.mdjonline.com/
Forsyth County News -
http://www.forsythnews.com/news/
Global Atlanta -
http://www.globalatlanta.com/
The Jackson Herald -
http://www.jacksonheraldtoday.com/
The Barrow County News -
http://www.barrowcountynews.com
The Post-Searchlight -
http://www.thepostsearchlight.com/

AL
Atmore News -
http://www.atmorenews.com

MA
Boston Weekly Dig -
http://www.weeklydig.com
The Valley Advocate -
http://www.valleyadvocate.com
Bay State Parent -
http://www.baystateparent.com
Bay State Banner -
http://www.baystatebanner.com/
The Jewish Advocate -
http://www.thejewishadvocate.com
The Banner -
http://www.telegram.com/section/coulter11/
The Item -
http://www.telegram.com/section/coulter/

AZ
Surprise Today -
http://www.yourwestvalley.com/
Peoria Today -
http://www.yourwestvalley.com/
The Ahwatukee Foothills News -
http://www.ahwatukee.com
Bajo El Sol -
http://www.bajoelsol.com
Wrangler News -
http://www.wranglernews.com/

AR
The Morning News -
http://www.nwaonline.com
Pine Bluff Commercial -
http://www.pbcommercial.com/
The Weekly Vista -
http://bvwv.nwaonline.com
Gentry Courier-Journal -
http://gentry.nwaonline.com
McDonald County Press -
http://mdcp.nwaonline.com/
La Prensa Libre -
http://pl.nwaonline.com/
The Herald-Leader -
http://hl.nwaonline.com/
The Times of Northeast Benton County -
http://tnebc.nwaonline.com/
Washington County Enterprise-Leader -
http://wcel.nwaonline.com/

CT
The Catholic Transcript -
http://www.catholictranscript.org


You can see all of the latest headlines from these publications and more over at www.statenewslines.com.

Whew. Our source maintenance manager deserves a raise.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

WV Newsline iPhone App Now Available

Let the good times roll. WV readers, you'll be pleased to know that our WV Newsline app has made it through the rigors of Apple's approval process and is now available for free download in the iTunes App Store.

Smokin.' Hot.

If you're not in WV, no worries-- we will have apps for your state in the App Store in the very near future!

The StateNewslines iPhone apps use the same login as the desktop website, and give you access to all state and local headlines from the palm of your hand. And again, it's totally free.

Head on over to the iTunes App Store and give the WV Newsline app a spin. We promise that it's totally awesome.

Oh, and whether you love or hate the app, please rate us in the App Store!


Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Helpful Tools: Capture Your Screen with Jing

We use a lot of online tools throughout our daily work here at StateNewslines, and we wanted to begin sharing some of these with you. One app we're pretty big fans of is a nifty piece of software that goes by the name of Jing.

Jing is a small program with a lot of functionality. The premise is simple enough-- it lets you capture your screen and create an image or screencast complete with voice over. If you need to illustrate how to use a certain website or how to complete a certain web task for a colleague, Jing is perfect for creating a short video to do just that. You select the area on your screen you want to make a video of, hit record, and then you can talk as you illustrate on the screen.

Once you've finished your screencast, you can then add post-production elements like arrows, text boxes, and highlights to further enhance the video. You can then take your completed screen capture or screencast and share it on the web or through email.

Jing has both free and paid versions of their software available at http://www.jingproject.com.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Publications Added for Florida

Good news for Florida readers! We've added feeds for a number of publications in your area. Here's the list of the newest additions:
Lots of news to dig into there. Head over to the FL Newsline to see the latest headlines from these publications and many more. Enjoy!

Friday, March 5, 2010

Help the Relief Efforts in Chile and Haiti

We want to do our part to help out those in great need after the disasters in Chile and Haiti. During the month of March, we will be donating $1 to the American Red Cross for each new user that joins the StateNewslines community. These donations will be used to help the relief efforts currently ongoing in Chile and Haiti.

Join the StateNewslines community for free to donate

If you are already a member of the StateNewslines community, please share this post with your friends. Joining gives you access to all of our news, sports, and political headline links, allows you to personalize your news and search headlines.

If you would like to make a personal donation please visit www.redcross.org for more info.

Thank you,

The StateNewslines team
www.statenewslines.com

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

New Sources Added in PA

We recently added feeds for some publications in Pennsylvania. Check out the list of newly added sources:
You can see all of the latest headline links from these publications over at www.statenewslines.com