The hardest step to take in preventing heart disease is the first step! Here are some suggestions to make that first step easier! If fitness is not your thing, take that first step to making it part of your day. A simple action that benefits your heart is walking. Exercise can be fun, especially when you do it in a group setting, so consider a lunch break walking group. Thirty minutes a day is all it takes! You can track of your progress by easily counting your steps each day with a pedometer!

Did you know that walking can:

• Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol)
• Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol)
• Lower your blood pressure
• Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes
• Manage your weight
• Improve your mood

Weight is certainly a concern for heart health. Did you know something as simple as cutting soda from your diet could improve your heart? How? Well, estimates show that two cans or glasses of soda per day add approximately 24 to 35 pounds per year. Dropping the soda means dropping those pounds.

Replace the soda with water! Water is crucial to your health. It makes up, on average, 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. You can make it easy on yourself by keeping a water bottle with you during the day.

At CorporateSNOBS.com, we want to invite you join in on the fight to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke! We have a great collection of themed products in support of National Heart Month. We will donate a percentage of sales from the collection to the American Heart Association. Find out more and check out all of the great products on our website. Don’t forget to wear Red on Friday, February 3, 2012!

- Choose a shirt that you would wear. A shirt that is comfortable and one that will stand the test of time. You don’t want a shirt that shrinks or falls apart after the first wash.

- Design your t-shirt with simplicity in mind. Remember your shirt is not a work of art hanging in famous museums, requiring detailed understanding. Sometimes the loudest message comes with the fewest words. Create a design that can be read within a few seconds to ensure maximum effectiveness for your marketing (i.e. bold fonts, contrasting ink, good spacing and flow).

- Take it social. Incorporate social media addresses into the design of the logo t-shirt. While the t-shirt may promote your logo and brand, once someone is active on your social media sites, you have a potential customer for years to come. Consider adding a QR code to the design. QR codes are great additions because a simple snap of the code and visitors are delivered right to your doorstep! You can control where users arrive via the code and can also change out the destination.

- Kick up the t-shirt style with tie dye designs available at CorporateSNOBS.com. All of the shirts are unisex and can be ordered blank or customized with a screen printed logo or message. These shirts are excellent for your events!

Whatever your need, depend on CorporateSNOBS.com to provide you with brands you know and trust.

If you do a Google search for “Facebook Likes” or “Twitter Followers” you will see countless options for buying likes and followers. This avenue of adding numbers is practically guaranteed to not give you a return on investment. In fact, the only person who will see any business benefit from this practice is the company who sells you the likes!

True social media success does not happen overnight, so going from a handful of fans and followers to enough to fill your local sports stadium within a few days, does not add to your bottom line and increase brand awareness and loyalty. There will always be debate about this, but consider the following scenario.

Your business is one that produces a specific diabetic related product. Now imagine if you had 10 followers who found you via your website, but you wanted your numbers out of the double digits. What did you do? You purchased 500 likes (or fans) from a website that guaranteed their results. Now you have 510 “followers” but only 10 of them are diabetic. What have you achieved? It is safe to say those 10 fans or followers are much more valuable to you than your purchased numbers.

The saying that you reap what you sow can be applied to your social media marketing efforts. Invest in the time it takes to use your platform at the promotional product for you business and grow your numbers organically and you will reap the benefits. Invest in the purchase of fans and followers and the only thing you will reap is a hit to your wallet via the purchase price of your fans and followers.

Don’t be discouraged by your numbers. You can still have great expectations…just remember it takes time to achieve those expectations!

CorporateSNOBS on Twitter

CorporateSNOBS on Facebook

Today’s technology also gives you a great connection tool via social media.

Be Social – Give them Something to Talk About
Months before the tradeshow, you can begin marketing your attendance at the show by reaching out to your existing followers, as well as potential new followers. Many tradeshow attendees plan their agenda ahead of their visit, so you want to ensure you are a key destination while they are there. Here are some ways you can use social media to continuously drive buying customers to your booth:

1. Inform attendees in your platforms about what they can expect at your booth. Be creative to drive more buzz.
2. Highlight surprises in store for attendees during the show.
3. Cross promote the tradeshow on your social media platforms and include verbiage that will ensure you show up in other site’s feeds.
4. Promote a specific hashtag that you will use before, during, and after the show.

Promote with Products
Create promotional items such as pens or lanyards that will be actively used during the tradeshow keeping your brand and social media initiatives in front of others. Another great opportunity to showcase your brand and social media marketing initiatives is by sponsoring items that are given away to all tradeshow attendees, such as tote bags or badge holders.

Become Part of the Discussion!
Don’t forget, attendees will be active on social sites while they are at the show. Use the hashtags you have promoted, as well as hashtags designated for the overall tradeshow.

As you begin to think about post-tradeshow marketing, begin to capitalize on your booth visitors by alerting them to your social sites. Consider driving the booth visitors to your social media platforms to create a community discussion during the show. The use of promotions and giveaways via the social sites during the tradeshow creates a sense of urgency for potential customers and followers to join you on your social sites. Once they are apart of your sites, you have an excellent opportunity to engage with them and grow the relationship long after the tradeshow has past.

Be the Paparazzi
Take plenty of pictures of your booth while it is active with customers and make use of these pictures on your Facebook page.

Streamline video of interviews and testimonials from customers who are actively interested in your products and services. Use the videos on numerous platforms and begin to create your Youtube channel for new customers. Be sure to get permission from each customer to use them on your platforms.

Social media platforms will continue to grow as new ones surface. Whatever you are currently using, consider branching out into the emerging platforms. Your client base is diverse and so are their social media outlets. Be where your customers are and you will continue to benefit from this relatively inexpensive marketing tool.

Keep your iPad protected from bumps, dust and scratches with our silicon protective skin. With custom design, this cover boasts perfect cutouts for your screen, joystick, audio port, speakers, power button and charge port. The texture of the silicone cover provides you with a comfortable grip and also prevents sliding on flat surfaces.

Want a more executive feel? Cover your iPad with the Griffin Elan Passport. With a folio design that flips open, the Passport protects your investment from scratches and smudges. The inner cover includes pockets for ID, business cards and more. The back of the Passport features a small cut for the iPad 2’s camera, but will still fit the original iPad perfectly as well.

Another very functional option for protection is the Griffin Standle for iPad. The polycarbonate hard shell shelters your iPad from scratches, bumps and smudges. A portrait stand folds into the case when not in use, and the foldaway carry handle locks into place, creating a stand for landscape viewing.

Don’t forget your other iPad needs. Stay charged with a portable docking station or an Energy Star Certified PowerBlock. The Griffin PowerBlock 2.1 Amp for iPad allows you to charge your iPad, as well as your iPod or any other USB-chargeable device keeping you connected for as long as you need to work. Whether you are anticipating the upcoming release of the newest iPad or you are well established with the earlier versions, rest assured that Corporate SNOBS will have all of the accessories you will need. Visit us online at www.corporatesnobs.com.

The fundraising process doesn’t have to rely on yesterday’s methods. Consider items people actually want to buy and something that people will use on a day-to-day basis. Visualize a product with purpose for the active lifestyle, but also creates a sensible solution for the fundraising pocketbook. The answer? Check out the cinch sack or the silicone bracelet.

A lightweight backpack style tote that is perfect for carrying books, shoes, workout accessories, or thing else you need at hand. On top of versatile uses, the cinch sack continuously advertises your organization making it a great item for fundraising efforts and ongoing support from parents and friends.

The classic style is a great addition to your fundraising initiatives. Wrapping paper or candy bars quickly lose their glitz, but your supporters will welcome the cinch sack for its affordability and function.

For the eco-minded consumer, we also offer a recycled cinch sack. This stylish options is made from 51% post-consumer Cyclotex nylon recycled material. A zippered pocket is a great addition to this earth friendly carrier. Tuck away your keys, iPod, or any other small item that you want to keep separated for easy reach.

Want something smaller? We have the perfect item—the silicone bracelet. You may remember their rise to fame in the early 2000’s when cycling great Lance Armstrong used a yellow silicone bracelet to represent his Livestrong organization. Since then, numerous non-profits and organizations daunt the personalized silicone bracelet to unite their supporters. With a low production cost, these bracelets have the potential to generate a significant profit margin for your organization.

The start of the school year doesn’t have to bring another round of fundraising dread. Consider these two items for a fresh addition to your fundraising arsenal and watch your success soar. After all, there’s only so many ways to use frozen cookie dough!

The days gone by have given us some great battles but nothing prepared us for 2010

2010 was the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac, but for the tech world, it was the Year of the Tablet. It is hard to imagine a world without tablet computers, but realistically, it has only been a little over a year since Apple introduced us to the iPad.

Fans of Apple lined the sidewalks awaiting the arrival of this amazing device. Stores ran out of stock. Orders were placed. As with all Apple products, the buzz was immense before and after the debut. Apple is notorious for already having one foot in front of the other, even when their new product is virtually unknown. So even now the new buzz awaits the next generation iPad.

The rest of the tech world won’t sit on their hands while Apple gains ground, so enter the Samsung Galaxy Tab. With a strong app presence and the powerful Android operating system, the Galaxy Tab has quickly become a formidable competitor for the iPad. Before long, you have an hour long presentation from the sales clerk on all the options in tablets, each with its own benefits and biases.

After taking the time to consider all the options, choose the tablet that best meets your needs. However your decision in who to trust with the protection of your new toy isn’t that hard. Allow Corporate Snobs to offer you the best sleeve to keep your investment safe and sound.

Check out our selection of media sleeves. A couple of options include the sleek version that will protect a media tablet or a 10.4” notebook, or the multi-functional Case Logic sleeve. Media sleeves are also great for storing and protecting your e-reader. Both the Nook (from Barnes and Noble) and the Kindle (from Amazon.com) also fit perfectly into a media sleeve.

Visit us online to check out our full selection of media sleeves.

In the end it all comes down to the return on investment. Everyone wants to see their invested time, efforts, and money pay off with success or improvement. Nobody wants to spend money on something that simply does not pay off in the end!

Of the advertising methods available today, promotional products are a timed-test, proven and promising investment. Why is this so? Well there are quite a few reasons for this. Promo products get your business name in front of many people and get you on their minds. They are good both for retaining current customers and reaching new potential customers. Best of all, you don’t have to empty your pockets to pay for them. Depending on what you choose, they can be reasonably priced.

Cost effectiveness

Some things can be bought for half a cent, especially if purchased in bulk. For a fraction of a penny, you can get your business out in the forefront. When a person uses, wears or otherwise displays your promo product, it gets seen by other people. That gets you another possible prospect or maybe even three or four more prospects!

When it comes to advertising and promotion, it is very hard – or maybe even impossible – to get results like these with the little amount you’ll spend. Most of the advertising programs out there charge high prices without always giving you the results.

Tracking

When you are using promotional items, it is possible to track the results of their distribution. Depending on how and why you are using them, you need to make sure to set up a process to determine how profitable they are for you. Measuring and analyzing the results is crucial for success. Without knowing this you won’t know what next steps to take in your promotional efforts.

Customer interaction

Consumers tend to be more favorable towards a company that gives them something for free. By interacting with your customers this way, your company builds loyalty and a positive image. Remember that every customer you have has the potential to bring some of his or her friends into your client base. If people see that their friend is satisfied and loyal, they are more likely to try you out as well.

Return on Investment

Let’s look at the potential ROI here, so you can see how these things can really work for you. Imagine if the cost per impression for the promo item is half a cent and you give a customer a can cozy with your logo on it. Now they go to a party and use that can cozy and some of their friends see it and ask about your company.

After hearing a glowing review of your product quality and company, they go to your site and buy your product, which costs, for the sake of discussion, $5. So as you can see, this is the way it goes; you invested a half cent and made a profit.
Promo products are cheaper than virtually any other type of advertising. They typically offer a greater return, the ability to track results, and a positive customer interaction. These are only some of the things that make promotional products a worthwhile investment for any business!

If you are a frequent business traveler, you know that scenario is a distant memory, never to be revisited. September 11, 2001 changed us all. . Along with our new branch of government, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created to oversee and protect travelers in the US. Today, speed has been traded for safety when traveling by air and leaving travelers with one hurdle in the way of that race to the runway—increased screening.

At the encouragement of the TSA, manufacturers began producing laptop bags that offered a clear, unobstructed view of a laptop. Creating this style of bag allows the traveler to open the bag, without taking out the laptop, and get through screening in a more expeditious fashion. These bags are now more commonly referred to as “checkpoint friendly” bags.

One popular checkpoint friendly bag is the Verve Checkpoint-Friendly Compu-Messenger. This versatile travel companion offers quick access to your laptop as well as functional storage for other items such as your phone, iPod, headphones, and other traveling amenities. Designed to comply with TSA standards, this bag offers a laptop-only section which unfolds laying flat on X-ray belt, expediting airport security.

It is important to remember that any traveler is always subject for additional screening. Whether your second home is on a 747 or you are simply a casual vacation traveler, getting through security with ease makes everyone’s travel more enjoyable. Plan ahead and leave unnecessary items at home. Pack your laptop efficiently and thoughtfully.

The TSA offers these additional tips for your checkpoint friendly laptop bags:

• Your laptop bag has a designated laptop-only section that you can lay flat on the X-ray belt.
• There are no metal snaps, zippers or buckles inside, underneath or on-top of the laptop-only section.
• There are no pockets on the inside or outside of the laptop-only section.
• There is nothing in the laptop compartment other than the laptop.
• You have completely unfolded your bag so that there is nothing above or below the laptop-only section, allowing the bag to lie flat on the X-ray belt.

Follow these tips and you could again experience a taste of days gone by as you waltz through the concourse on your way to the bright lights and big city…or just to Scranton for another business meeting.

Happy Traveling!

1. Know Your Audience

You need to consider the type of audience you’re catering to at every point of the planning process. You’ll consider your audience for the types of advertising merchandise you offer, but also for the type of speaker you hire as well. Ask yourself how many men and women will be at your meeting. Decide on the takeaways you want your audience to get. You might even compare the remarks or themes of past speakers to help you find someone similar.

2. Set the Details

If you have a wide selection of speakers to choose from, you can narrow down your choices by setting the details of your business meeting. For example, setting the exact date and time naturally filters out speakers who aren’t available on those times. You also need to consider your budget and how much you’re willing to pay.Read full article