Facebook Cover Photo Features Webconsuls Team

Two weeks ago I talked about adding some finishing touches to your Facebook business page. In particular, I urged you to create your business Facebook "cover photo" and to think through what message you wanted to send with that photo. Of late, I used our Webconsuls Facebook page to feature our clients' Facebook cover photos. All the while, I was working with our Webconsuls' team members to determine what our cover photo should say about us.

Here is a little of how this process went: We are not a traditional brick and mortar business, so we knew we wouldn't present a photo of our storefront. We also knew that our team members live in five different states and three time zones, so getting together for a group shot was not going to happen. Additionally, we felt that taking the approach that we use on our Twitter page, that is listing our services, would not really make us unique or tell our story.

So how do we tell Webconsuls' story? What makes us unique?  I remember when Dick and Dennis first decided to form Webconsuls. They went back and forth about what to name their business, how would they convey their vision.  The good news is they committed this history to a press release and here is what they wrote November 16, 1999.

'The name Webconsuls was chosen very deliberately. A consul is an official appointed by a government to advance the commercial interest of its citizens in a foreign country. Webconsuls is conceived as describing "a firm which advances the commercial interest of its clients on the World Wide Web." As Dick Fay recently remarked, "Web sites do not automatically produce dollars. Success is realized when web sites are carefully marketed and targeted, those activities being integrated into a tailored, well–orchestrated business campaign."'

And so, between a few emails and phone calls the Webconsuls' team decided our cover photo should be a collage of the team members. It is not about being techies or understanding all the latest software and tools, but more about being people who work with other people to promote the success of our clients' businesses. It is a collaborative process and we think that is what our current cover photo says.

Webconsuls' FACEBOOK Cover Photo April 2012 - click on it to enlarge!

What do you think? Notice I said current, because we can refresh it and keep it vital. Like any collage it tells a story...Dennis, Judy and Dick meeting 31 years ago at an ARCO training seminar, Malik's college graduation and enjoying a California sunset, Heidi receiving her master's from NYU and "horsing around", Alycia and Bill celebrating their wedding in Hawaii, Dick supporting his beloved DUKE and the Phillies, Dennis meeting with clients, Daniel working with animals and 'dressing to the nines', Keith enjoying life and supporting the Toronto Blue jays...the story goes on.

We look forward to your comments or stop by our FACEBOOK page and "like" us.

Can You Spare 10 Minutes Over the Next 10 Days?

***UPDATE: December 22, 2010 - ALPENGLOW WON! They are getting ready to go to New York City. Thank you for your support. Here you can watch the video announcing their winning.  ***





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I really mean it: can you spare 10 minutes over the next 10 days to vote for 6 young people and 1 very dear friend of mine (Mary Bastoni-Rebmann)?

Do you have a FACEBOOK profile? Here is all you need to know.  DOVE Hair Care is sponsoring a contest called "Brush With Greatness Sing 4 All" - you can read The Conway Daily Sun's story (see page 14) about this Glee Group called ALPENGLOW and how they became one of the four finalists. The Grand Prize is an opportunity to perform the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein song, “My Favorite Things” as the opening act for the world renowned Radio City Christmas Spectacular on December 28, 2010, in New York City.
Now you can go here Dove Hair Care Brush with Greatness, watch their video and vote for ALPENGLOW. Remember you can vote once per day through December 20th. It does not cost you a penny, just 1 minute per day for 10 days. 

Can you spare 10 minutes over the next 10 days? 

In the meantime, have a laugh enjoy a photo of me (on the left) dressed as a nun. The Mount Washington Valley Theatre Company produced The Sound of Music the summer of 1997. As a fundraiser my friend and I dressed as nuns and sold raffle tickets.

Sister Judith and Sister Lydia - 1997

Just a few of my DOVE products!

Related articles

• Dove and Idina Menzel Launch a 'Brush with Greatness Sing4All' Musical Contest (stylelist.com)

Escheatment Is Not an Expletive!

Normally, when I write a post on this blog it is in response to another blog that I have read and commented on. But today I would like to talk to you about that other social media tool, FACEBOOK. Do you have a Facebook account? Do you use it for business or pleasure or a combination of both?  Quite honestly, my Facebook account started out as a personal account, but it has evolved over time. Now I find it to be a pretty good way of staying in contact with clients, as well as friends.  But all this aside, this post deals with escheatment and how my FACEBOOK "friend" helped me find some very lost money! Do I have your attention yet?  Just remember, escheatment is a strange word, but it is not an expletive!

Let me introduce you to Nicole. Nicole and I have known each other for about 10 years. She and I worked together in the IT department of Mercury Insurance Services. The photo you see here was taken at our holiday party in December 2002. Nicole is the sane looking one! But let's get back to escheatment.

On May 14, 2010, Nicole posted the following status on her Facebook page:

"Reminding everyone to search their names on the unclaimed property sites to see if the State is holding funds in your name. Reclaiming is easy and free. Good luck!"

Here is the link she provided: Missing Money Free Search for Unclaimed Property - Officially endorsed By The States and Provinces

I couldn't resist. I checked the site and found my husband's name listed as having funds being held by the State of New Hampshire, we moved from NH in October 1997. I sent a message to Nicole:

"This was fun. I am thinking you are still part of the Escheatment Project! Anyway, it seems Dennis left some money behind in NH. I will keep you posted."

Nicole messaged back to me:

"It is a curse Judy. Everyone I train to take over the darn thing leaves the co or the dept. I saw this topic trending on Yahoo last night and thought I would post the reminder. I see infomercials are trying to sell this as a secret to wealth (you contact owners and charge them a finder's fee). Best of luck to you guys on the journey of reclaiming!"

Here is the bottom line, as you might be able to discern nobody really wants to be assigned to a company's Escheatment Project. It is complex law and each state has their own way of having a company interface with the state's treasury department to account for the abandoned property and to transfer the property from the company to the state. This is a Quality Assurance manager's testing nightmare!

But now many states are participating in this Missing Money site and you can search the database and follow the simple instructions. You never know...Dennis was pleasantly surprised.

Thanks to Nicole and FACEBOOK.

Let me know if you find any lost money and be sure to tell your friends to read this post about ESCHEATMENT! (Who comes up with these words?)

Waiting for Godot on Broadway

Last night your Sunday blogger, Dan, was literally Waiting for Godot on Broadway. Since Dan is traveling today, sans laptop, he asked me to post a blog for him. You may remember reading Dan's May 24, 2009 post Waiting for Godot is Back on Broadway. In that post Dan reported that he was able to get tickets to last night's performance of Waiting for Godot and he was beside himself with anticipation. After all, Dan was going to see this Tony nominated production with Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, John Goodman, and John Glover.

I am sure Dan will want to write his own review of this production, so I will take this opportunity to tell the sidebar story of how our Facebook friends played a "role" in Dan's ultimate adventure last evening.

When Dan first discovered that Waiting for Godot was playing on Broadway he went on line to see if and when he could secure tickets. It appeared that the only seats available at Studio 54 for the time frame that Dan could be in New York City were in the back side aisles. So Dennis suggested that we call Angela DeCicco, our longtime friend since 1992 and Facebook friend. I called Angela and asked her if she was familiar with the seating at Studio 54. She asked us why we wanted to know and when we told her that Dan was trying to get tickets for Waiting for Godot, she said "Don't worry. Tell me when you want to go and I will have Matt (her husband) order "house seats" for you." For those of you not familiar with the term "house seats", they are 'not available through the box office. "House seats" are some of the best seats in the theater, set aside for use by cast members, producers, the creative team, and others directly involved in the production.' Keep in mind, these seats are not free of charge, you pay regular price, but they are the best seats in the house and Matt Stern (Angela's husband is a well respected Stage Manager on Broadway) secured these seats for Dan! Just for fun, here is a photo of Dan with Angela taken on Broadway April 1997, when Angela was starring in the Broadway production of Les Miz.

But back to Facebook...a couple of weeks ago I reconnected with a friend through Facebook, Beverly Brennan. She in fact is also a mutual friend with Angela. Beverly contacted me last week to say she had just read on Facebook that Dan was going to the city to see Waiting for Godot. She reminded me that she now works for ON Location Education and she tutored the two little boys who play the part of BOY in Waiting for Godot. I asked Beverly if there were anyway she could arrange for Dan to be able to go back stage after the performance. Beverly sent an email to the stage manager, but didn't hear back. So last evening when the production ended, Daniel made his way to the stage door and waited. The door opened, a gentleman asked Daniel if he could be of help and Dan said something to this effect: "I am a friend of Beverly Brennan, the tutor for Matthew Schechter, and I am wondering if I can say hello to Matthew." The gentleman asked for Dan's name and said he would be back in a few minutes. The next thing Daniel knew he was backstage being introduced to Matthew Schechter and his parents. Matthew gave Dan a tour of the stage, introduced him to Bill Irwin and John Glover. All in all, quite a night for Dan and his friend, Josh.

Now if all this isn't enough excitement...last evening I casually asked Daniel how were the "house seats"? He calmly replied, "They were perfect, Row H, dead center...and by the way I was seated right next to Harrison Ford!"

I have said it before, Broadway is filled with magic and the unexpected! Comments, anyone?