(If you are looking for gifts, decor, corporate gifting, inspiration, or fun, MenloVille, pictured above, decked for the holidays, is a great place to start. Tell Lisa we say, “hello”.)

Well, I’m a little late this year with the reminder.

ORDER EARLY AND AVOID RUSH PRINTING AND SHIPPING COSTS:

These are the things that seem end up being rushed in November and costing extra for rush shipping – prepping and ordering gift bags, greeting cards, holiday decor, gift certificates, gift tags, posters, etc…

Each year in November and December we get a slew of last-minute projects for which clients end up paying rush shipping and printing rates. (Reminder of our rush project policy.)

AND OTHER HOLIDAY ITEMS:

Plan your online marketing: e-mail campaigns, seasonal web site changes, and AdWords campaigns.

Are you sending cards, party invitations, and/or gifts to your clients and partners this year? Let’s get on that too!

Selling gifts? Check your inventory and the lead times of items you wish to stock. From October on-wards, order fulfillment and shipping from your vendors may take additional time. Also, be sure you stock plenty of festive packaging and shipping supplies if you plan on mailing items.

Holiday party? Book your caterer (you can’t go wrong with our client, Palace Cafe Catering!), asap. Start sending Save the Date invites early. Plan how you are going to invite people and take RSVPs.

Don’t forget your staff! Plan parties, gifts, etc…

This is also the time of year to think about partner marketing for the holidays. Consider gathering a group of businesses with similar clients to yours and use their mail lists and social media to get the word out about your holiday specials, events, etc…

Here’s some 2017 key dates to keep in mind…

OCTOBER

Halloween, Tuesday, 31th

NOVEMBER

Daylight Savings, Sunday, 5th

Veterans’ Day, Friday, 11th

Thanksgiving, Thursday, 23rd

Black Friday, 24th

Cyber Monday, 27th

DECEMBER

Pearl Harbor Remembrance, Thursday, 7th

Green Monday, 11th

Hanukkah, Tuesday, 12th through Wednesday, 20th

Festivus, Saturday, 23rd

Christmas Day, Monday, 25th

Boxing Day | Kwanzza, Tuesday, 26th

New Year’s Eve, Sunday, 31st

I love new camera lenses more than I love new shoes!  Here’s a practice shot – Autumn Garden Table.

Last month, our client Hayes Valley Medical & Esthetics invited us to their San Francisco location to try their new facial – Event-Ready Facial.  It was quite an experience, at least for me as I just lay there, while John took the photos and Licensed Esthetician, Holly Byerly modeled beautifully while working.

(BTW, fab manicure, Holly!)

This experience was unlike any facial I’d experienced before – more like a treatment visibly minimizing wrinkles and firming my skin.  And unlike any previous facial, it really is event-ready – no redness or splotchiness.

Photos have been used as a blog post promoting the facial, an instagram post (left), and will be Facebooked too.

Yes, many people will see me at absolutely the worst possible angle – neck and nostrils!  I’m not ready to add model to my resume, but if anyone wants to give me a luxurious, clinically-sound, and results-driven facial, I don’t have an issue with a few unflattering photos.

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Instagram does not have a share or repost feature as their intent is that content be original, rather than the same material shared around. There’s two ways you can repost on Instagram, with or without an app.

WITH AN APP

Visit Google Play or the App Store from your smartphone and search for “repost for instagram” or “repost for instagram”. You’ll get a lot of options – read the reviews and pick the one that works for you. Free apps have been fine for us.

Directions will vary for each app and type of phone, but this should give you enough info to work it out. 

Once you have the app installed:

1 – Be sure you are logged into the Instagram account to which you wish to post! If yes, go to #2 below. If not, you’ll need to be sure to memorize the Instagram handle of the post you wish to repost, and when you are logged into your correct Instagram account, search for the handle of the poster, and find the post you wish to repost.

2 – Click the three little dots at the top/right of the post – you’ll get a drop-down with several options if the poster’s settings allow a re-post.  Select “Copy Link”.

3 – Open your repost app and the post you just copied will be waiting for you at the top of the list. Click on it.

4 – You’ll have options for where to put the attribution mark and how it will look, whether to copy the original poster’s text as well as the photo (you’ll get to edit the text at the next step), and whether to post to your story or feed.

5 – You’ll be in Instagram now. If you wish, add multiple photos or videos to the post or apply a filter. Go to “next”.

6 – If you copied the text from the original poster, double tap the “caption” area and paste. Or write your own copy. Either way, you can edit the text or add hashtags.

7 – Add your location if you wish, and share.

 
NO APP

(Technically, not a re-post, but it gets the job done.)

On your phone, do a screen capture of the post.

Note the poster’s Instagram handle.

Open Instagram and use the cropping feature to crop out everything except the photo.

Then post as you do usually. Thank the poster and use a @hashtag with their Instagram handle.

(If you want to be re-posted, be a brand ambassador and do as this poster, @mercygoddard did – be a brand’s dream Instagrammer. She tagged the photo with our clients name so it was easy for me to find the post. Plus she made a great photo that fits our client’s brand and looks beautiful with her Halo Fab Blow Out.)