About LevelSet Solutions

LevelSet Solutions is a collection of highly experienced and talented professionals who joined forces because of their passion to help companies grow and succeed. Its vision is to provide superior planning, execution, and success. LevelSet Solutions suite of services include Internet marketing and business technology solutions and custom software. Its passion coupled with its superior project management and ability to execute on smart plans makes LevelSet Solutions an asset and unique partner. For more information, visit http://www.levelsetsolutions.com, call 248-629-9207 or engage at Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn

ALLEN PARK, Mich., Mar. 24, 2010 – On Tuesday, March 30, 2010, Belle Tire is hosting the first ever Tire Man Tweetup featuring Detroit Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko. Belle Tire will host the meet and tweet with this Pistons star, fans and friends at the location at 770 Brown Road in Auburn Hills, Mich.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 from 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Belle Tire, 770 Brown Road, Auburn Hills, Mich. 48326

At the Tweetup participants can enjoy giveaways from Belle Tire as well as hot dogs and refreshments. Detroit Piston Jonas Jerebko will be signing photos for fans and Tire Man will be on location. One registered attendee will win a set of tires courtesy of Belle Tire.

What is a Tweetup? A Tweetup is a meet up event for those who use Twitter as a communication tool. It is a great way for those with similar interests who actively communicate with each other online to “meet and tweet” offline. Even those who are not familiar with Twitter can use this great opportunity to meet some new friends, and everybody can come and meet Detroit Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko in person.

Organized by @Tire_Man on Twitter, this Detroit area Tweetup is a chance for all of those who Micrblog in the Detroit area to network, have a little fun and meet a Detroit Pistons player. To sign up, please visit the Tire Man Tweetup Event Page on Facebook….

Also, join the conversation by becoming a fan of Belle Tire on Facebook, following @Tire_Man on Twitter and those attending the event can feel free to add pictures to the Belle Tire – Tire Man Tweetup flickr pool. This is simply a group where members share their photos. Visit the Tire Man Flickr pool...

If you’re interested in following along from home or any other virtual location, the event’s hashtag is #TireTweetup. Include this in all tweets pertaining to the event.

About Belle Tire
Allen Park, Mich.-based Belle Tire was founded in 1922 when it opened the first Belle Tire location in Detroit, Mich. Today, the company has expanded to 80 locations across Michigan and Ohio. Belle Tire offers discount tires and variety of car care needs, ranging from auto glass repair, auto glass replacement, brakes, alignments, batteries, shocks and struts, exhaust system repair, batteries, and oil changes. For more information about Belle Tire, visit http://www.belletire.com/. Join the Belle Tire Advantage today, http://www.belletireadvantage.com/.

The transitionally homeless need most of all, a fresh start, the time and assistance to rebuild their lives. This begins with transitional housing where they can shelter as they address their issues. Help get a family back on its feet with donating as little as $1/month. http://www.homeaid.org

Frugal consumers have been a big story this past year. The average consumer has been searching for bargains. Coupon usage is way up as are sales of private label consumer goods. With household budgets strained, it is imperative that consumers get the best value for every dollar spent. One area where consumers have saved is in car purchases. Many consumers have delayed a new car purchase or bought a used vehicle rather than a new one. In addition, millions of late model vehicles are coming off warranty so the repair and maintenance of these vehicles is now the responsibility of the consumer.

While it is a wise fiscal decision to retain a current vehicle, the repair decisions that consumers make can save them money as well as insure the safety of the vehicle. Certainly, a consumer is wise to maintain a car properly. Putting off scheduled maintenance can cost more in the long run delaying vital maintenance can result in very costly damage. It is wise both financially and from a safety standpoint to take good care of vehicles as they age. A well maintained car will last longer, deliver significantly better gas mileage, be friendlier to the environment and, most importantly, be safer for you and your family.

By far, independent repair centers offer the best value in car maintenance. There are more independent repair centers than dealerships in many convenient locations. Their technicians are just as well trained in fact, today’s independent shop technicians are better trained and more skilled then ever. And, most importantly, automotive service is their sole mission.

A consumer’s local repair facility is usually the best choice for everything from minor maintenance to major repairs. Oil changes are a good example. A full service repair shop can change your oil and check out other vital components tires, filters, radiator, transmission for just a few dollars more. Those few dollars can add thousands of trouble-free miles to your car and better gas mileage, too!

One thing consumers should be aware of is the brand of parts being installed in their cars when repairs or maintenance are being performed. Consumers should insist on quality parts from recognized and respected parts companies.

The same rules associated with consumer products do not apply to auto parts. There is no list of ingredients to compare one product from another as with consumer goods. They may fail prematurely, costing consumers more in the long run and may even pose significant safety issues depending on the critical nature of the part.

Cheap auto parts have been flooding the country and it is wise to be aware of this so you can direct the repair shop to install quality parts from full service suppliers those automotive parts manufacturers that provide essential services such as product specifications, quality control, product liability, research and development. A smart consumer will always ask about the parts when repairs are being performed. Most shops will be glad to share this information with you.

So save on maintenance and repairs by using a good independent repair shop but always “know your parts.” That is the smart choice that will save you money in the long run and will insure your safety as well.

The Automotive Aftermarket Supplier Association is a trade organization representing North American Automotive Aftermarket suppliers. Visit http://kyp.aftermarketsuppliers.org for details on the “Know Your Parts” campaign.

After having some good conversation with my friend Dr. Paula Dore-Duffy on a weekend ski retreat (a few weeks ago), we both were reflecting on this blinking stuff and what it felt like to actually enjoy some time away from the “distractions.” Paula works as a Neurologist by day and moonlights with a growing business called Tree In A Box, LLC. After we were both explaining our increasingly productive and busy schedules, she intrigued me with one of the books that she was reading on our trip called Distracted, that I am going to be reading next.

With all of the information at our disposal and knowledge that we seek at our finger tips while juggling other tasks, we are more networked than ever. Yet we tend to communicate even with our friends and family via instant messaging, email, and passing face-to-face moments that are postponed and then interrupted when they do occur with more multitasking, pings, tweets and distractions.

Teaching my little girl to ski.... no distractions.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. Businesses today are understanding the value in strong digital marketing strategies with business objectives and sales results beyond just being excited or “distracted” about social media. I am passionate about delivering a wide array of savvy marketing strategies for many great clients. I thrive on delivering results.  But what about having a life distracted from living? We need to balance our lives, work hard/play hard. Stepping back and relaxing – removing the distractions is not only healthy but can cultivate greater ideas and creativity.

Growing up, I liked to read a quote that my sister painted for my dad, which he then framed and hung in his work area in our basement.

“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” ~Henry Van Dyke

Whether I am spending my time with family, friends, clients, prospects, ect… I want to make the most of it all.  I want to work hard and play hard. But I have to say, if I keep blinking, I think that I’m going to notice a few more gray hairs too! I certainly don’t want to miss out on my kids growing up.  After recently listened to a sermon on a Father’s wisdom, balancing work and family….  Kids will not remember how much money you made but will remember the time you spent with them. Remember to balance it all out. What are some things you do to handle the distractions and stress of today’s world?

Elf Yourself has gone live in its fourth straight year this 2009 holiday season. OfficeMax has enhanced the fun application this year with new features and capabilities allowing consumers to customize their videos of dancing elves with their own pictures. The Facebook Connect tie-in allows users to upload pictures from the social network and to post their Elf Yourself videos directly to their profiles, as my wife did. That social element goes beyond the application itself drawing laughs from many of our friends and family members.

Hastings Entertainment Provides Free Social Interactive Yule Tool

Then we came across another fancy free social interactive that enables a user to personalize a full-motion e-card video starring themselves and their loved ones or even celebrities in either a “Naughty or Nice” greeting, which is available at http://www.yuletool.goHastings.com.

The user can attach their own personal sentiment and send it to anyone they’d like via email. The Yule Tool was created and developed by Capitola Media of San Francisco, California. The free Yule Tool e-card is designed to be a fun interactive way to celebrate the holidays. This brings up the question… Why haven’t audiences grown tired of interactive tools such as these? Maybe it is not so much the tool as what users can apply to it that keeps it fresh and relevant.
For example, after showing my colleague Dave Lemeiux this Yule Tool, he sent me a pretty funny version of his personalized Yule Tool greeting that he made using Kwame Kilpatrick his wife and girls, seen here: http://yuletool.gohastings.com/card.php?id=1431177947.

This silly personalized message, states: “I’m with both my girls!!!” For those that live in Southeast Michigan, this is probably more of a sad display of our rough history rather than a funny joke. However, that is a nice feature of this Yule Tool… the ability to add a personalized text message in the greeting, which is one advantage over the Office Max Elf Yourself rendition to spread Holiday Cheer to your friends and family.

Twitter users can also follow YuleTool on Twitter.com/YuleTool
@YuleTool’s last Tweet: 13 Days, 12 Hours, 39 Minutes until Christmas of ’2009 – ‘Is It Okay to Give Used?’ http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/11/prweb3255854.htm“.

Recently , Jenn and I were profiled on Metromode Media, an online weekly publication that highlights the positive happenings in the Metro Detroit region (go to www.metromodemedia.com) to learn more.

Metromode has recently launched a new Talent Retention Program to highlight available opportunities and profiles of professionals who have landed or created jobs in the area. I love how Metromode is disputing the myth that you have to leave Michigan in order to find a job! This is an ongoing initiative and they are always looking for new people to profile. So give them a shout if you are creating jobs or have landed a job here in Michigan recently!

Click here to read the profile of Doug Menzer on Metromode.

Click here to read the profile of Jenn Weesies on Metromode

The Marketing Capability: The Future is Digital

“Customers have dreams… and they have things that they want to do in their lives. One of the things that technology does; it can make those dreams come true.” – Barry Judge (CMO, Best Buy)

Keep Building Trust…

When I sit with clients, prospects and colleagues, I try to spend the time both teaching and learning. In particular, when I coach many of the smart people that I am thankful to work with, on a variety of digital marketing and social media business strategies, I have a tendency to often lose them. This is most likely because of the speed that I explain things.

I have a bad habit of assuming that people know what I am talking about because I get very passionate about sharing my experiences and knowledge. Ask my wife and she will not only agree but laugh that I am stating this fact.

The critical focal point in the first sentence above, however, is learning. I have found that as I am teaching others, I can actually learn more than I am teaching in many cases. For example, (take a social assessment and strategy development for a B2B company) – I’ve consulted with some very intelligent and savvy business people in the B2B arena on social assessment projects – but I’ve learned to become a better listener. Which, ( …BTW) – allows me to be a better learner and ultimately a better teacher.

Outside of an extremely detailed assessment ( among other deliverables) – including “listening” to the social landscape of:

* Brand mentions

* Competitors

* Customers, across several industries

* Service offerings/products

Prior to developing a strategy – the recommendation to begin improving their web sites is sometimes needed first and foremost. As my colleague Shauna Nicholson states, “It’s like dressing up before you go out to a business event.” However, what if your client really likes their current site? (Even if it has not been updated since 2001) Feeling that there is nothing needed for improvement. In fact, they feel that:

* The creative is great. (In reality: It looks like 1998 is calling!)

* It has functionality and conversions are great. (In reality: They don’t know the potential that they are missing.)

* It must be optimized correctly, right? Just leave it and let’s move forward with Twitter and Facebook, right?

How do we explain this most basic step? Putting your clothes on before you go out… a small (but very important) part of the overall strategy, without irritating or losing a client? Here are some slivers of the website technical optimization pie that can hit a cord with a President of a large B2B organization.

Let’s say that Google, Yahoo and Bing are the hosts of a major trade show in your industry. Anybody that you ever dreamed of getting in front of is your audience – and they are at this trade show, which gives you many opportunities to tell them all who you are and what you do. You go outside of your booth passing out some really great items to draw them to your booth (as well as having the opportunity for your hosts to draw traffic to your booth…) But, what happens when they get there?

Let’s look at what you are telling your hosts first:

Page Title - Does your page title (or tradeshow banner) effectively tell Google (or your trade show host) who they should recommend visiting your booth?
(Is it relevant and descriptive to the industry you serve?

Meta Description – Does your meta description effectively tell Yahoo what you do?
(Does it match the visible text?)

Meta Keywords – Are your keyword effective and relevant?
(Are they consistent with the content page by page? (Each page individually optimized?))

Then… there is your audience (what if they come):
They’re Heeere! Once your users show up, is your website clear, consistent and easy to navigate? Or is it cold, gloomy and/or hard to understand? I’ve personally spent more time at trade show booths that have occupied my attention (without overwhelming me) and offered great information. The same goes for websites. So, you have a 24-7 (365 days a year) trade show going on and your okay with a dingy booth with incomplete messages and no one hanging around, eh?

Driving traffic to a site can be the easy part – in some cases, outside of the fact that we want to get relevant traffic – we want to look the part. Do we have a nice outfit on, have our hair combed, teeth brushed and flossed with a smile on ready to do some business?