Monday, September 26, 2011

Wed, Jul 13, 2011 @ 03:45 PM

If you've been reading our blog and other marketing blogs out there, hopefully you're convinced that setting up a Facebook Page can be beneficial to your business. With Facebook now amassing over 750 million active users, it's hard to deny that your prospects and current customers are using Facebook to connect with others and gather information to influence their purchasing decisions -- probably about the very products and services you offer! And if you haven't created a Page yet, what on earth are you waiting for?
But creating your business Page is only the first step. Nurturing a Facebook presence that actually provides business benefits takes some work. That's why we've gathered the following 20 expert tips to help you take your Facebook marketing to the next level.
We couldn't have said it better ourselves!

1. Ask Questions

"It’s not enough to be broadcasting promotional messages — brands should make an effort at engaging with their audiences. Asking questions is a great way to kick off that two-way dialogue." - Erica Swallow, Mashable

2. Don't Over-Automate

"Don’t automatically feed your blog posts or your Twitter updates into your Page. Often, automated content doesn’t make it into users’ News Feeds." - Ekaterina Walter, social media strategist, Intel

3. Don't Make it All About You

"As a rough rule of thumb, post four status updates on items about outside news items or discoveries for every post promoting a product. And when you do mention a product or service, try to do so in a helpful way." - JD Lasica, Socialmedia.biz

4. Leverage Testimonials & Feedback

"Use Facebook to engage directly with your customers and make them part of your marketing efforts... Ask customers to share their successes on your wall and get feedback on new product features." - Leyl Master Black, managing director, Sparkpr

5. Be Human and Personable

"The most successful B2B pages often combine demonstrations of expertise with humor and personality, sounding more like a real conversation than stilted marketing and sales speak." - Karlie Justus, Social Media B2B

6. Offer Variety

"Mix it up a little between videos, photos, questions, information, etc. Don’t have your own videos? YouTube is a treasure trove of ‘em, and sharing sites like Reddit and Digg are great sources to discover stuff people like." - Linda Bustos, GetElastic

7. Be Active

"Don’t take it for granted that you have a page available. No matter how great you’ve made it, if you aren’t active, it defeats the whole purpose of having one." - Orli Yakuel, TechCrunch

8. Post Engaging, Thought-Provoking Content

"Unless they’re interesting enough to draw comments, simple status updates aren’t going to move you into Top News feeds. Publish content that naturally encourages click-throughs or creates discussion." Jim Lodico, Social Media Examiner

9. Make Requests

"Want your fans to express their views on a topic? Ask them. Want your fans to share their favorite content with you? Ask them. Want your fans to share your content? Ask them. You get the point." - Ekaterina Walter, social media strategist, Intel

10. Address Negativity With Tact

"Should there be a negative comment, which scares many B2B companies, address it with understanding and sincerity. In most cases, transparency and listening go a long way in stemming off negative feedback." - Dave Folkens, TopRank Online Marketing Blog

11. Keep it Fresh

"Update your group or fan page on a regular basis with helpful information and answers to questions." - Debbie Hemley, Social Media Examiner

12. Be Consistent

"Nothing makes for a bad Facebook Group or Page than stagnant content. Like a corporate blog or dynamic website, you need to engage people regularly. Even if it’s just posting a new message board topic each week, do something on a regular basis (the more frequent the better) to elicit a response from folks." - Jason Falls, Social Media Explorer

13. But Don't Go Overboard

"One or two strong Facebook updates per day is better than a half dozen scattershot updates that fly by and don’t have the staying power to attract people’s feedback." - JD Lasica, Socialmedia.biz

14. Encourage Action

"Don’t be afraid to ask users to share objects or click on the Like button—especially if you’re new to Facebook. It can take a little while for a Facebook page to gain momentum. Anything you can do to help it along will only speed the process." Jim Lodico, Social Media Examiner

15. Promote Your Page Offline

"If your business is run from physical premises, put a placard on the front desk letting your customers know you’re on Facebook." - Mari Smith, Social Media Examiner

16. Offer Contests and Giveaways

"Contests and giveaways should not require much effort on the part of your fans but should offer something real and valuable to them." - Candis Hidalgo, content and social media marketing director, FaceItPages.com

17. Provide Incentives & Motivation

"If you want to get people to Like your Facebook page, and become more familiar with your products and services, a strong incentive can help achieve this." - Graham Charlton, Econsultancy

18. Think Strategically About Timing

"Because you have just a short window of opportunity to gain traction with a Share (time decay factor), think carefully when planning frequency and content, and timing. Consider time zones – if you always post at the same time of day, Fans across the pond may never see your updates. Spread the love!" - Linda Bustos, GetElastic

19. Understand How Facebook Works

"Write for the newsfeed, not for your wall...Though some people will be led straight to your wall through a link or ad for example, your existing fans are going to see your update in their newsfeed...Remember that saying something like ‘check out our tab on the side’ is completely out of context for people seeing this update in their newsfeed." - Lauren Fisher, The Next Web

20. Analyze Engagement

"Monitor which posts attract the most Likes and comments (eyeball), and use Insights – Facebook’s own analytics tool – for data. (Integrating your Facebook Page provides much better data)." - Linda Bustos, GetElastic
What other expert tips would you add? What tips from your own experience can you share?

3 Things We Can Learn From IKEA's Facebook Campaign

Source:http://www.penn-olson.com/?p=8774

1.Facebook tagging: No complicated procedures; just be the first to tag your name on any product in the photo and I will give updates for that product FREE to you. Its easy to participate.

2.Helpful: Being sincere and generous would make customers more generous towards your brand too. The world works on reciprocity more than you can imagine.

3.Interactive: To keep your campaign engaging and viral, it has to be interactive. Users don't just read your ad and go, they respond and get more involved. IKEA made what could be a static showroom picture dynamic. That's no easy feat! It did not require an application, just photos. That just blows me away.

Grab attention, demand response, be memorable

Creating a successful social media campaign can be done with different tactics. It can involve elements of fun, humor, mystery, exclusivity, reward, novelty and et cetera. Your campaign is up for you to shape. No matter what you come up with, remember to grab attention, demand response and be memorable.

20 Expert Tips for Better Facebook Marketing

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/19851/20-Expert-Tips-for-Better-Facebook-Marketing.aspx

Posted by Pamela Seiple

Wed, Jul 13, 2011 @ 03:45 PM

Comments

facebook signup If you've been reading our blog and other marketing blogs out there, hopefully you're convinced that setting up a Facebook Page can be beneficial to your business. With Facebook now amassing over 750 million active users, it's hard to deny that your prospects and current customers are using Facebook to connect with others and gather information to influence their purchasing decisions -- probably about the very products and services you offer! And if you haven't created a Page yet, what on earth are you waiting for?

But creating your business Page is only the first step. Nurturing a Facebook presence that actually provides business benefits takes some work. That's why we've gathered the following 20 expert tips to help you take your Facebook marketing to the next level.

We couldn't have said it better ourselves!

1. Ask Questions

"It's not enough to be broadcasting promotional messages — brands should make an effort at engaging with their audiences. Asking questions is a great way to kick off that two-way dialogue." - Erica Swallow, Mashable

2. Don't Over-Automate

"Don't automatically feed your blog posts or your Twitter updates into your Page. Often, automated content doesn't make it into users' News Feeds." - Ekaterina Walter, social media strategist, Intel

3. Don't Make it All About You

4. Leverage Testimonials & Feedback

5. Be Human and Personable

6. Offer Variety

"Mix it up a little between videos, photos, questions, information, etc. Don't have your own videos? YouTube is a treasure trove of 'em, and sharing sites like Reddit and Digg are great sources to discover stuff people like." - Linda Bustos, GetElastic

7. Be Active

"Don't take it for granted that you have a page available. No matter how great you've made it, if you aren't active, it defeats the whole purpose of having one." - Orli Yakuel, TechCrunch

8. Post Engaging, Thought-Provoking Content

"Unless they're interesting enough to draw comments, simple status updates aren't going to move you into Top News feeds. Publish content that naturally encourages click-throughs or creates discussion." Jim Lodico, Social Media Examiner

9. Make Requests

10. Address Negativity With Tact

11. Keep it Fresh

"Update your group or fan page on a regular basis with helpful information and answers to questions." - Debbie Hemley, Social Media Examiner

12. Be Consistent

"Nothing makes for a bad Facebook Group or Page than stagnant content. Like a corporate blog or dynamic website, you need to engage people regularly. Even if it's just posting a new message board topic each week, do something on a regular basis (the more frequent the better) to elicit a response from folks." - Jason Falls, Social Media Explorer

13. But Don't Go Overboard

"One or two strong Facebook updates per day is better than a half dozen scattershot updates that fly by and don't have the staying power to attract people's feedback." - JD Lasica, Socialmedia.biz

14. Encourage Action

"Don't be afraid to ask users to share objects or click on the Like button—especially if you're new to Facebook. It can take a little while for a Facebook page to gain momentum. Anything you can do to help it along will only speed the process." Jim Lodico, Social Media Examiner

15. Promote Your Page Offline

"If your business is run from physical premises, put a placard on the front desk letting your customers know you're on Facebook." - Mari Smith, Social Media Examiner

16. Offer Contests and Giveaways

17. Provide Incentives & Motivation

"If you want to get people to Like your Facebook page, and become more familiar with your products and services, a strong incentive can help achieve this." - Graham Charlton, Econsultancy

18. Think Strategically About Timing

19. Understand How Facebook Works

"Write for the newsfeed, not for your wall...Though some people will be led straight to your wall through a link or ad for example, your existing fans are going to see your update in their newsfeed...Remember that saying something like 'check out our tab on the side' is completely out of context for people seeing this update in their newsfeed." - Lauren Fisher, The Next Web

20. Analyze Engagement

"Monitor which posts attract the most Likes and comments (eyeball), and use Insights – Facebook's own analytics tool – for data. (Integrating your Facebook Page provides much better data)." - Linda Bustos, GetElastic

What other expert tips would you add? What tips from your own experience can you share?

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Your personal space is your personal space. Respect it.NEVER SHARE PERSONAL THINGS ON FACEBOOK or twitter

"Much like the media, social networking sites reach everybody.Most status updates and pictures are to show how witty you are, a perception that is you.ITS A SUPERFICIAL WORLD.Your personal space is your personal space. Respect it.NEVER SHARE PERSONAL THINGS ON FACEBOOK. A rule of thumb is to announce in FACEBOOK only the positive - a new job, a celebration or new degree. Steer clear of washing dirty linen in public. Do not talk about your bad day at work , about your boss , client or your unpleasant marriage. Remember: 500 friends of friends do not need to know.

Your personal space is your personal space. Respect it.NEVER SHARE PERSONAL THINGS ON FACEBOOK. A rule of thumb is to announce in FACEBOOK only the positive - a new job, a celebration or new degree. Steer clear of washing dirty linen in public. Do not talk about your bad day at work , about your boss , client or your unpleasant marriage. Remember: 500 friends of friends do not need to know.

1. ADD GIRLS YOU THINK ARE CUTE

Spend a couple of hours per week, adding 5 to 10 girls you think are cute or really hot as a friend. Write an intriguing opening line in the “add message” box that pops up.

If you can’t think of anything funny or intriguing to say, just forget the message and add her as a friend anyway. Make sure your photos are up to date – Keep them fresh, like within the last couple of months .No nude girl photos in your album.

2. GET FAMILIAR WITH HER PAGE

Spend 15 minutes skimming through her about page, interests, past wall posts in her timeline and photos. Just get a good understanding of who she is, what she’s about and how she interacts with her friends.This will give you a better overview of her.

3. COMMENT ON NEW PHOTOS, VIDEOS AND STATUS UPDATES

When she posts a new photo, video or status update that you like, comment on it with a funny or positive message. Keep doing this for about 3 weeks, so she becomes familiar with you. Always post a funny comment or don’t post anything at all. Women like funny guys but if you’re always trying to be funny, it can wear thin pretty quickly. So use the funny lines every so often

4. SEND THE FIRST MESSAGE

After you’ve posted a few comments and liked her status updates, photos, videos etc, go ahead and message her to get the ball rolling.

Keep it brief, ask her opinion on something, so that she will likely respond. Women just can’t resist offering advice, it’s like breathing for them.If she responds to every message, it means she like you… so keep it up. Each message should be short and sweet, but you should be trying to connect with her. Try to really understand what she lives for, how she feels, and who she really is. Go with that goal and your conversations will be more interesting and connected.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

healthy foods that fight cholesterol and wil keep your heart healthy

Take to healthy foods that fight cholesterol and wil keep your heart healthy.

1. AVOID RED MEAT.

2. Eat TWO RAW GARLIC CLOVES every night .

3.Ayurvedic medicines like ashwagandha and arjun are the best.

4.Eat lots of whole fruit ( not juices )

5.Handful of nuts ( Almond )

6.Restrict sugar

7.Lots of Water

THE DAILY MANTRA : ONE BOWL OF OATS EVERYDAY

Oats:
Dietary fibre plays an important role in maintaining our health and protecting us against many diseases like diabetes, heart disease. Oats, oat bran, and oatmeal contain a specific type of fibre known as beta-glucan. It is a soluble fibre that helps in decreasing LDL (bad cholesterol). One of the special things about the way oats work unlike other fibres is that it lowers only bad cholesterol while levels of good cholesterol (HDL) remain unchanged. This means an even better ratio between total cholesterol and HDL, ensuring increased protection against heart disease. Oatmeal is the only wholegrain food recognised by the FDA to lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, thereby allows its claim as a heart protective ingredient in food labels. Studies also show that in individuals with high cholesterol (above 220 mg/dl), consuming just 3 grams of soluble oat fibre per day (an amount found in a bowl of oatmeal) typically lowers total cholesterol.

OTHER THINGS YOU MAY CONSIDER :

Soyabean:
Soy protein protects against various heart diseases and hypercholesterolemia as it decreases LDL (bad cholesterol) significantly, increases HDL (good cholesterol) and prevents oxidation of bad cholesterol to prevent oxidation in blood vessels.

Green tea:
Several studies have suggested that drinking either green or black tea may lower blood cholesterol concentration, blood pressure and inhibit clotting of blood, providing some protection against cardiovascular disease. While green tea benefits arise from catechins, black tea benefits arise from theaflavins, both of which inhibit oxidation of bad cholesterol LDL. Tea contains significant amounts of folic acid. Folic acid helps reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. A person could obtain up to 25 per cent of RDA for folic acid by drinking five cups a day.

Barley ('jau'):
Several scientific researches have found that barley has some unique health-promoting effects, particularly for the heart. Its cholesterol fighting effects seem to be even more promising than oats. Studies suggest that barley can lower cholesterol levels as much as 15 per cent in individuals with elevated cholesterol levels.
Like oats, barley too is a good source of "beta glucan", a water soluble form of fibre, which seems to retard fat and cholesterol absorption by the intestine. The fibre tends to bind bile salts, thus increasing cholesterol removal from the body, and fat soluble substances, tocotrienols (vitamin E) appear to suppress cholesterol synthesis by the liver.

Psyllium husk: (ISABGUL)
The good old 'Isabgol' is high in insoluble fiber (hemi-cellulose) and soluble fibre. Psyllium has also been known to exhibit cardio-protective role as it helps in lowering blood cholesterol, especially the undesirable fraction of serum cholesterol, lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides, apo-lipoprotein B and reducing inflammation. Cholesterol lowering properties of psyllium can be attributed to its high fibre content and presence of beta-sitosterol (a phyto-chemical).

SOURCE: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Foods-that-fight-cholesterol/articleshow/6629471.cms

Landfill Leachate Treatment

Landfill leachate is generated from liquids existing in the waste as it enters a landfill or from rainwater that passes through the waste within the facility. The leachate consists of different organic and inorganic compounds that may be either dissolved or suspended. An important part of maintaining a landfill is managing the leachate through proper treatment methods designed to prevent pollution into surrounding ground and surface waters

The physical appearance of leachate when it emerges from a typical landfill site is a strongly odoured black, yellow or orange coloured cloudy liquid. The smell is acidic and offensive and may be very pervasive because of hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur rich organic species such asmercaptans.

If leachates have a distinguishing characteristic, it is that they are variable. Flows change based on the weather – increasing during rainy periods, decreasing during dry and waste concentrations can change dramatically over the life of the landfill. As a result, no landfill leachate is constant over time, and no two leachates are the same.

When the landfill is a few years old the dominated fermentation phase is acidogenic and the leachate generated is generally referred as “young”.In that case, COD and BOD reaches very high concentrations. The ratio of BOD/COD is higherthan 0.7 and pH is low due to the high concentrations VFAs. Landfill grater than 10 years old aregenerally in the methanogenic phase and theleachate generated is referred to as “old”. Duringthe methanogenic phase, bacterias are degradingthe VF-acids and reduce the organic strength ofleachate, leading to the pH value higher than 7.In “old” leachate BOD decreases faster than CODand the radio BOD/COD is stabilized on the levelless than 0.2 [2,4].Anaerobic treatmentprocess is used mainly for young landfill leachate,which BOD5 and BOD5/COD ratio is very high[2]. However, Kettunen, et al. [10] performedthe treatment with UASB reactor were municipal landfill leachate was having COD higher than800 mg × dm−3 and the BOD/COD radio washigher than 0.3.Anaerobic processes of landfill leachate inUASB reactor allow complete removal of CODfrom 65 to 76% and BOD5 removal beyond90% [11].

Table 1

Characteristics of landfill leachate

Parameter Value

COD, mg O2 × dm−3 3500–4200

BOD5, mg O2 × dm−3 380–420

pH 8.2–8.4

Alkalinity mg CaCO3 × dm−3 4900–5200

Chloride mg Cl−× dm−3 1800–2500

Ammonia nitrogen, mg NH4+× dm−3890–994

VFA, mg CH3COOH × dm−3 500–900

landfill leachate quantity , 5%

UNITS OF TREATMENT OF LANDFILL LEACHATE:

1. Collection Sump: Areas in which rainfall is higher than average typically have larger sumps. A further criterion for sump planning is accounting for the pump capacity. The relationship of pump capacity and sump size is inversed. If the pump capacity is low, the volume of the sump should be larger than average. It is critical for the volume of the sump to be able to store the expected leachate between pumping cycles. This relationship helps maintain a healthy operation. Sump pumps can function with preset phase times. If the flow is not predictable, a predetermined leachate height level can automatically switch the system on. Other conditions for sump planning are maintenance and pump drawdown. Collection pipes typically convey the leachate by gravity to one or more sumps, depending upon the size of the area drained. Leachate collected in the sump is removed by pumping.

2. UASB Reactor:

3. Clarifier Tank :

4. Clear Water Tank:

5. Activated Carbon Filter:

LITERATURE STUDY: WASTE TO ENERGY CONCEPTS

Energy recovery as electric power is a feature of all waste-to-energy systems.

Evaluation of the applicability of the technologies of biomethanation, gasification/pyrolysis,incineration and landfilling as Waste-to-Energy options, and their comparison against composting as a competing technology for waste disposal, has shown the following:

• Biomethanation has emerged as a favoured technology for various urban and industrial waste.

• Gasification/pyrolysis have a distinct promise, and although there are limitations to its uptake, these can be overcome as the technology matures.

• Incineration is a mature technology for energy recovery from urban and industrial wastes and has been sucessfully commercialized in the developed countries. The recent focus has been on environmental compliance due to which it will become an expensive option.

• The present trend is in favour of material recovery facilities and a shift away from landfills for MSW disposal in developed countries.

• Compositing is not a WTE option and does not come out as worthwhile waste treatment process.

• Technologies like landfill with gas recovery and composting can become viable options for certain locations in

India

, as a short to medium term option.

Landfill Leachate Treatment Technologies

Landfill leachate may be characterized as a water-based solution of four groups of contaminants ; dissolved organic matter (alcohols, acids, aldehydes, short chain sugars etc.), inorganic macro components (common cations and anions including sulfate, chloride, Iron, aluminium, zinc and ammonia), heavy metals (Pb, Ni, Cu, Hg) , and xenobiotic organic compounds such as halogenatedorganics, (PCBs, dioxins, etc.).^[4]

Leachate treatment technologies fall into two basic types, biological and physical/chemical. In larger systems and depending on the treatment goals, integrated systems which combine the two are often used.
The typical processes used for pretreatment include equalization, aeration, pH adjustment and metals removal.

The most common biological treatment is activated sludge - a suspended-growth process that uses aerobic microorganisms to biodegrade organic contaminants in leachate. With conventional activated-sludge treatment, the leachate is aerated in an open tank with diffusers or mechanical aerators. After the aeration phase, the mixed liquor of microorganisms and leachate is pumped to a gravity clarifier.

The rotating biological contactor (RBC) is an attached-growth, aerobic, biological treatment process in which a series of discs are partially submerged in a tank of leachate. The disks eventually develop a slime layer, then rotational shear forces strip off the excess solids and carry them with the effluent to a clarifier, where they are settled and separated from the treated waste.

The carbon technique removes dissolved organics from the leachate. Although carbon systems may be useful with some older leachates, the cost of the carbon in the regeneration stage can make the process one of the most expensive treatment options.

Advanced Treatment The new landfill regulations have made some treatment systems obsolete. Many landfill operators are now choosing new systems that produce a cleaner effluent and can reduce capital and operating expenses. Such systems include:

* Recirculation and Injection. Direct recirculation distributes the leachate onto the landfill in a semi-closed loop process. While promising, this system has limitations of recirculating 100 percent of the leachate without literally soaking the landfill.

* Membrane Solution. Membrane technology can be adapted to many steps of purification and keep clean-up standards at a high level. Membranes can remove contaminants without extensive biological infrastructure or toxic chemicals.

* Reverse Osmosis (RO). Prior to 1988, reverse osmosis wasn't able to treat leachate successfully due to the core membrane design of spiral-wound modules, which were state-of-the-art at that time. While this method produced efficient results, it also promoted bio-fouling and premature clogging.

Disc Tube technology, developed by the Rochem Group, has been installed in more than 35 European landfills to treat feed waters that would foul conventional RO configurations. After the contaminated water is fed into the tubular chamber, its flow is controlled as it passes through a system of discs and over flat membrane cushions, removing clean water and concentrating the waste material. The turbulent flow reduces the membranes' tendency to scale or foul and requires cleaning less frequently.

The system removes heavy metals, suspended solids, ammonia and hazardous non-degradable organics including pesticides and herbicides without extensive pre-treatment systems. The pure water is clean enough for direct discharge into the environment and accounts for 75 to 92 percent of the leachate. The remaining concentrate can then be recycled to the landfill or further processed.

Siemens Water Technologies' PACT® systems combine biological treatment (activated sludge) with adsorption (powdered activated carbon) so that physical and biological treatment occur simultaneously. The system removes biodegradable and non-biodegradable pollutants in a single process

The most cost effective form of treatment for high levels of BOD, COD and ammonia is intense biological oxidation, and in the

the sequential batch reactor is the most common technology used. The sequence batch reactor (SBR) is a form of activated sludge treatment.

Granular activated carbon, in combination with biological pretreatment, is a proven and economical technology which is effective in reducing Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Adsorbable Organic Halogens (AOX), pesticides, solvents, organic compounds and other toxic substances to the strictest legal National and EC norms. The chemical composition and content of landfill leachate can vary greatly between landfill sites. The age of the landfill, type of waste and treatment processes already in operation are the parameters to be considered.

COD levels can range from 200mg/l to 2000mg/l. Carbon consumption is normally dependent upon the COD adsorption rather than the AOX. Therefore COD will be the determining factor in estimating carbon consumption.

However, an aerobic system must be used after the UASB reactor for the effluent to meet the standards defined for the proposed disposal method.

Combined treatment of leachate from sanitary landfill and municipal wastewater by UASB reactors

This study showed the potential of anaerobic treatment in an UASB reactor treating a combination of domestic wastewater and leachate in a 5% volumetric ratio of leachate. Under these conditions the reactor assimilated properly the leachate fraction incorporated. With a HRT of 8 h and a mean volumetric organic load of 2.84 kg m(-3) d(-1) COD removal efficiencies around 70% were obtained,

When installing a leachate treatment system, choose a plan that will provide the maximum amount of long-term flexibility to assure compliance with future regulations and discharge standards.

LEACHATE RECYCLE CONCEPT :The major objective of gas studies is directed towards maximizing production rates of gas by biodegradation of the waste while simultaneously reducing the period of time that gas is evolved by recycling leachate. It describes potential means of managing both leachate quality and quantity by leachate recirculation to aid in decomposition of the waste while also treating the organic material in the leachate and reducing the quantity of leachate that must be treated and hauled away from the site.