Chicago | Think Tank Live Digital Marketing Training and Consultancy

WordPress Theme Development Class

August 30, 2011 By beckydavis Leave a Comment

We all know that WordPress is one of the best ways to build a web site. It’s easy to use, easy to add and edit and is very SEO friendly. But, getting the theme design to work the way you want can sometimes be a challenge. If you’re a web or graphic designer, this class coming up at Truman College is a perfect way to get to learn about the WP file structure and how themes really work. Learn more about what’s covered in this WordPress class.

Class starts next week, so I encourage you to register now!

Call Truman to register at (773) 907-4440

Filed Under: Chicago, Design, Event, Events, WordPress

WordCamp Chicago July 30,31

June 24, 2011 By Mert Leave a Comment

The Think Tank events are being put on hold for a few weeks so that we can concentrate on organizing this year’s WordCamp Chicago. Several of the members of the Think Tank will be featured as speakers. Mary DuQuaine is this year’s lead organizer along with Heather Acton and Becky Davis.

Why dedicate so much energy to WordPress, you ask? Because your blog is the center of your online social media presence. WordPress is an excellent open source CMS platform that is user friendly and packs a big punch. There are SEO plugins available that can help you to make the most of your online content.

This year, WordCamp will be held at DePaul University’s Lincoln Park Campus. It includes two full days of training for $40.00 – an unbeatable price. Come and network with some of the best and the brightest internet marketers in Chicago.

Filed Under: Blog, Chicago, Events, WordPress Tagged With: WordCamp Chicago, WP Training

Chicago WordPress Workshop

May 12, 2010 By Mary Leave a Comment

WordPress Workshop – Social Media & Security Emphasis

Ready to start a blog? You’ve heard about WordPress and don’t know where to begin? WordPress is the most popular blogging program and can also be used to manage an entire website. We will cover the language of WordPress (terms and lingo) and help you publish your first blog post. Join us, and learn how to connect your WordPress blog to Social Media platforms like Facebook and Twitter and strengthen your online presence with the fresh content that Google loves.

Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010
Time: 9:00AM – 4:00PM
Where: I.M. Think Tank Office 222 South Riverside Plaza, 29th Floor, Chicago, IL 606o6

Admission: $199

Click Here to Register

Includes: Workshop, Coffee, Soda & Water throughout the day, 3 month subscription to IM Think Tank Membership Site.

Laptop Required
Please bring your own laptop computer. Make sure your laptop can connect to a Wireless Wi-Fi Network. Internet access will be provided to all attendees.

WordPress Installation Preferred

It will be best if you have a fresh copy of WordPress installed, hosted, and ready to go on your domain prior to the workshop. If you need help with this, please contact us at 312-725-2221 prior to the event. Otherwise, we will give you access to a fresh installation of WordPress on one of our test websites to practice on for the day.

Who Should Attend:

People interested in getting a comprehensive overview of WordPress. We will talk about using WordPress as a blog and as a CMS (Content Management System) and connecting WordPress to your overall Social Media Online Strategy.

Bloggers and Writers
Entrepreneurs/ Business Owners
Social Media/Marketing Professionals
Non-Profit Organizations
Web Designers and Developers
Students

Benefits for you:

· Hands-On Experience with WordPress

· Networking opportunity with other WordPress users

· 3 months free subscription in IM Think Tank Membership Site

What You Will Learn:

1-Day WordPress Workshop Schedule

MORNING SESSIONS

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Registration and Doors Open

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Welcome & Introductions

9:15 AM – 10:00 AM
Session 1: WordPress Overview – Using your blog as a Social Media Hub

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Session 2: Selecting a Theme, Adding Plugins, connecting with Social Media Applications

10:45 AM – 11:00 AM
Break

11:00 AM – Noon
Session 3: Copywriting Tips & Publishing Your First Blog Post.

Noon – 1:00 PM
Lunch – On your own, restaurants within driving distance.

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Session 5: How will Google find you? Search Engine Optimization Tools for WordPress

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Session 6: WordPress Security for Your Website & Common Sense Best Practices – With Rachel Baker of Plugged In Consulting

3:00PM- 3:15PM Break

3:15 – 4:00 PM
Wrap Up Session: Q&A – Adding Final Touches

Register Online Today – Registrations must be in at least 12 hours prior to event.

Parking – Use Amtrack Parking on Jackson and Clinton

Filed Under: Chicago, WordPress Tagged With: business training, WordPress Security

Chicago WomenTech Meetup Notes

April 29, 2010 By Mary Leave a Comment

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 was the first Meetup event for the Chicago WomenTech group and is being sponsored through Think Tank Live – Integrated Marketing Think Tank.

Some people may ask, “Why do women need to start their own tech meetup group?” The answers are clear and spring out of the fact that women are a minority group in the tech industry. We are joining together primarily to support one another in our work, to share ideas and network, and to learn from one another.

During the meeting we discussed several points:

Women use technology in a serious way on a regular basis.

It is important for women to have input into the design and function of technological tools because we can offer a different thought process, and we have valuable insights.

Traditional “tech” industry tools and communication tools are merging. We see this clearly in the business world, on the internet and with social media platforms.

We discussed the value of voices like Amber Case, a cyborg anthropologist, who provides fascinating observations about technology and human connectivity.

Where do we go from here?

Our primary focus will be to learn from one another. Our sessions will include varied formats: speakers, article discussions, sharing sessions where 2 or 3 members give short presentations on the latest trends in their area of expertise, and opportunities to leverage our network of tech-savvy women for lead generation and referrals.

We also plan to find a way to mentor or support younger women and girls who are interested in technology related careers – more info to come!

Upcoming Meetings:

Our next Meetup is scheduled for May 19 at 6:00 pm. The topic will be “What is Cyborg Anthropology?” Register here.

Note: Even though our group is women-focused, both women and men are welcome and invited to join.

Filed Under: Chicago, Communications, Technology Tagged With: Tech-savvy women

Website Success for Your Business

April 23, 2010 By Mary Leave a Comment

Speaker: Dan Barnes, of KD Interactive

Tuesday, May 4, 2010 at 6:00 – 8:00PM

Fee: $15.00

Location – 222 South Riverside Plaza, 29th Floor, Chicago, IL

Is your website trapped in a brochure? Do you want to improve your internet presence, but don’t know where to start? This session will answer your basic questions and get you on track to website success.

This meeting is designed to help Chicago entrepreneurs and business owners learn how to make the most of their internet presence, share ideas and network.

Business owners know the importance of having a strategic online presence. These days having a website is more involved than creating an “online brochure.” This session will help business owners explore the essentials for creating a comprehensive website that will help your business thrive.

Topics will emphasize how to create “Website Success for Your Business!”

Session Topics:

* The importance of website architecture.

* Defining your internet strategy.

* How to get seen by the search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing.

* Online marketing tips and strategies.

* Using social media to drive traffic to your website.

* How to attract people to your website and keep them coming back.

* Key considerations when choosing a website company.

Filed Under: Business Solutions, Chicago, Event Tagged With: Entrepreneur, Small business, Web Development, Website Marketing

WordPress Workshop – Social Media Emphasis

April 23, 2010 By Mary 1 Comment

WordPress Workshop – Social Media Emphasis

Date: Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Time: 9:00AM – 4:00PM
Where: 222 South Riverside Plaza, 29^th Floor, Chicago IL

Registration – May 5 – WordPress Workshop – Social Media Emphasis

(or)

Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010
Time: 9:00AM – 4:00PM
Where: ITT Rice Campus – 201 East Loop Road, Wheaton IL

Registration – May 27 – WordPress Workshop – Social Media Emphasis

Admission: $199

Includes: Workshop, Coffee, Soda & Water throughout the day, 3 month subscription to IM Think Tank Membership Site.

Laptop Required
Please bring your own laptop computer. Make sure your laptop can connect to a Wireless Wi-Fi Network. Internet access will be provided to all attendees.

WordPress Installation Preferred

Who Should Attend:

Bloggers and Writers
Entrepreneurs/ Business Owners
Social Media/Marketing Professionals
Non-Profit Organizations
Web Designers and Developers
Students

Benefits for you:

Hands-On Experience with WordPress
Networking opportunity with other WordPress users
3 months free subscription in IM Think Tank Membership Site

What You Will Learn:

1-Day WordPress Workshop Schedule

MORNING SESSIONS

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Registration and Doors Open

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Welcome & Introductions

9:15 AM – 10:00 AM
Session 1: WordPress Overview – Using your blog as a Social Media Hub

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Session 2: Selecting a Theme, Adding Plugins, connecting with Social Media Applications

10:45 AM – 11:00 AM
Break

11:00 AM – Noon
Session 3: Copywriting Tips & Publishing Your First Blog Post.

Noon – 1:00 PM
Lunch – On your own, many restaurants nearby.

AFTERNOON SESSIONS

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Session 5: How will Google find you? Search Engine Optimization Tools for WordPress

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Session 6: WordPress Security for Your Website & Common Sense Best Practices 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM Break

3:15 – 4:00 PM
Wrap Up Session: Q&A – Adding Final Touches

Register Online Today:

Parking – For 222 South Riverside Location in Chicago – Close and Easy Parking Available in the Amtrak Parking Lot on the corner of Jackson and Canal – The cost is between $18.00-$24.00 for the day, depending upon when you enter.

For ITT Rice Campus – Free Parking

Filed Under: Blog, Chicago, Event, social media, Uncategorized Tagged With: WordPress

Chicago WomenTech Meetup

April 22, 2010 By Mary Leave a Comment

Tuesday, April 27 at 7pm

Chicago WomenTech Meetup

I.M. Think Tank Office

222 South Riverside Plaza

29th Floor

Chicago, IL 60606

Fee: $3.00

You must register at least 12 hours before meeting at:

Chicago WomenTech Meetup

This is a new group designed for networking and idea sharing for Chicago women in technology related careers.

Who should join us?

Women trained in: Information Technology Directors, Digital Marketing Professionals, Search Engine Optimization Experts, Search Engine Marketing Specialists, Social Media Experts, Website Designers, Entrepreneurs, Professional Bloggers…. and the list goes on.

Men are welcome to join us, just remember the main focus is women claiming their voice in the tech industry.

Filed Under: Chicago, Event

Interview with Chris Campbell of Lakeshore Branding

February 21, 2010 By Mary Leave a Comment

Think Tank Live Topics

1.WebPages are More Than a Brochure

2.Inbound Marketing and Management:
Having a SEO Mindset for all Operational and Marketing Issues

Hi Chris, what is the history and story of your company?
Lakeshore Branding is a Chicago interactive marketing that helps companies drive more sales, leads and conversions by utilizing digital marketing. We started in 2007 as a search engine marketing consulting company has quickly grown to a small boutique online marketing agency. Our clients come from diverse industries at various stages of growth, from startups to Fortune 500.

Chris, what is your approach to internet marketing?
Our clients utilize us as a resource to help them identify new ways to get leads or sales online. Our team sometimes comes back with outside the box ideas. For example we have a client that started selling their product on Amazon and it now drives 70-80% of the sales each month. A traditional agency might have said lets do an ad buy or invest in search engine optimization. While both strategies can be effective, this strategy helped increase the bottom line of the business and turned a fixed cost into a variable based on sales.

What is your latest project?
We are really excited to be working with Apartment Vigilantes, a Chicago apartment rental service. We are helping them manage their entire online presence through online advertising, SEO and social media management of their blog, twitter and Facebook. We are working to build links so that they rank for Chicago Apartments, which had a quarter million searches last month in Google. We are excited because this will be a challenge to launch a new company into a very competitive keyword category. We are hoping that we can rank them for long tail phrases later this year for keywords like Lincoln Park apartments and Gold Coast Apartments.

We have been working with lots of local companies to help them grow their online presence like a Chicago plumber, a Nutraceutical fulfillment warehouse, a tinley park retirement community and products like shoe insoles.

What are you favorite tools for competitive intelligence?
Well I actually wrote a blog post on my 29 tools for website competitive intelligence. From that list Spyfu is great to analyze competitors pay per click advertising.

I really like the new tool from SEOmoz, Open Site Explorer for off page analysis and the URI Valet, which takes an in depth look at onpage SEO.

Any tips for people just getting started?
When I first got into internet marketing several years ago, I attended every class, workshop and seminar that talked about online marketing. I am a visual learner so I went out and bought a few dozen domains to test some different theories that I have learned and that foundation has lead to many of the successes that our clients have experienced.

I also spend a few hours a week reading current trends with the top online marketing blogs and I am in a book club online marketers. Get involved in the local online marketing community, share your ideas with your peers, attend local meetups and networking events. I learn more from the marketers in Chicago, than I have ever read or learned from an online blog post. This is why I am really excited to be a part of Think Tank. All I could think about the past few weeks was how exciting it will be to hear presentations from all the local experts.

What are the best restaurants in Chicago?
I am a huge fan of Chicago pizza, I consider myself some what of a pizza snob. I think the top places in Chicago are Gino’s East, The Art of Pizza, Giordano’s, Lou Malnatis and Pizano’s. For burgers I think the Metropolitan Club in Willis tower and State Restaurant in Lincoln Park have the best burgers in town.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
I would like to become a college professor and possibly become an angel investor in the next few years. I am very passionate about entrepreneurship and I hope that by teaching in a business school I can inspire some young minds of their true potential.

What inspires you creatively?
My biggest inspiration come from my team, clients and friends.

I am lucky to have friends with passion for life, its the optimize of glass half full that rubs off and creates a great circle of people to hang out with. The team at Lakeshore Branding are a bunch of rockstars, they get me excited to come to work everyday. Finally my clients are so passionate about their companies that

You can contact Chris Campbell on the phone at 312-229-0038 or email him directly at chris @lakeshorebranding.com

Filed Under: Affiliate Marketing, Blog, Business Solutions, Chicago, Integrated Marketing, Internet Marketing, SEO, social media Tagged With: chris campbell, conference, lakeshore branding, online marketing

Interview with Ryan Evans of Rand Media Group

February 12, 2010 By Mary Leave a Comment

Think Tank Live! Topic:

Opt In and Go Social – Social Media Optimization
Connecting SEO Strategies with Social Media for Results

Hi Ryan, please describe your approach to internet marketing:
I believe that an integrated approach is the best way to leverage the internet for marketing. People get fixated on the latest and greatest technique, but building a truly successful marketing campaign usually requires executing a variety of tactics simultaneously.

Tell why it is important to you to be a part of IM Think Tank.
Online marketing is a new and rapidly evolving field and there isn’t a playbook. I can’t think of a solvent business owner who doesn’t want to understand how to leverage the internet. Learning from experts who are in the trenches is the only way to learn about this industry. IM Think Tank has put together a great group of high-caliber professionals. I’m happy to share my knowledge, but I’m just as excited to be learning from other people who are at the top of their game.

What is your pet peeve about the industry?
I hate top ten lists.
What are you excited to see come about in the future of integrated marketing?
We are at the very beginning of the most significant transformation of communication in the history of humankind, which is changing the entire business landscape. This is destroying a lot of companies and industries, but it is creating enormous opportunities.

Wow, that sounds pretty dramatic, but how is marketing changing?
Ok, maybe I was being a little dramatic. But I do believe that this change is a big deal. With the democratization of media, the distribution channels of information are not so top-down any more. People can be a consumer of information one minute, a publisher the next minute and a critic the next minute. This makes communicating a message, especially a marketing message, a lot more complex.

A company message isn’t mindlessly absorbed by the masses as much any more. A marketing message can now be ignored, ridiculed, changed or spread by the masses. Companies now need to understand how to harness this dynamic process.

Recommend a website related to business on the internet:
I’m a big fan of Twitter. Sure it can be a huge waste of time, but it doesn’t have to be. It is the only place I know where you can learn, network and promote all in one place. You can learn from the smartest people out there, network with people all over the world and build an audience.

What makes Rand Media Group stand out from all of the rest?
We don’t have salespeople and we aren’t trying to push a one-size-fits-all solution. If we can help a company then we’ll work together. If not, we’ll point them in the right direction. We turn down a lot of business, but we have great clients who refer us other great clients.

Any tips for people just getting started?
Stop looking for shortcuts. Some aspects of online marketing can be technical and people think there is a super secret computer code that will gain them riches. I think people get brainwashed by seeing too many “automated wealth-generating systems” videos on Youtube. They think that if they just discover this one secret trick, they will have it made. It doesn’t exist. Stop looking for it. Successful marketing requires thought, work, patience and usually money.

What is your motto?
To do extraordinary things, you have to do extraordinary things.

What is the best restaurant in your favorite city?
Pequod’s Pizza, Chicago IL

What inspires you creatively?
The shower.

You can find Ryan at www.RandMediaGroup.com or reach out at
Twitter: @ryanevans

Filed Under: Chicago, Communications, Interview, Marketing Campaigns, Social Media Promotions Tagged With: Business, business owner, communicating, distrubution channels, media

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