We did a bit of custom code here and there as well to make it even easier for them to manage.

• We built a custom template for the site so it fits right in to the current Exploratorium website, maintaining the user experience.
• Custom post templates for the press releases allow the staff to easily create a release with video or images and include content directly from exhibits on-line or link to them for reference
• Custom press kit templates allow the staff to pull together a list of press releases, video and images on the fly and create a full press kit on any exhibit easily
• Featured releases get their own space and an image on the home page using custom fields
• The whole home page is widget based, so staff can edit content without having to get into the code
• A series of galleries were constructed to highlight selected images from the museum’s vast collection
• We did on and off site training for staff and supplied them with video tutorials for reference

Take a look at the new site and give us your feedback, we’d love to hear it!

Where did the idea come from?
The concept was inspired by Tom Foremski of Silicon Valley Watcher. Todd Defren and Shift Communications picked up the idea, and who better than a PR house to run with the idea and use their own tool to create a whirlwind of interest?

The company quickly released a template (download it here) and then a very Web 2.0 online tool to build your own Social Media release (PRX).

What makes a social media release effective?
In short, a well developed Social Media News Release will make it easier for a journalist to put together the information they need quickly, so they are more likely to run with the story. It will also provide a consumer with all the info they need in a medium they are getting more and more used to.

Social Media News releases are designed to take advantage of a number of social media distribution tools like Technorati, del.icio.us, StumbleUpon and Digg and make your release search engine friendly to boot. You can add links to your favorite bookmarking or rating sites and boost the visibility of your company to a much broader audience than traditional releases. Some sites offer rss feeds to their releases, so journalists can subscribe and instantly get the new releases as soon as you post them.

A good media release doesn’t stop at just the release itself, it reaches out and stimulates discussion, offering differnet viewpoints through varying media. You have an opportunity to take advantage of all of your social media outlets. For example, you may have images on Flickr, Videos on YouTube or a Facebook or Twitter account. Take the time to link to and from these elements with the press release. These cross links increase the probability that someone will discover one or all of the parts of the release, and hear your message. They may also start to talk about it using thise same social media tools and help start a viral marketing program you could dream of.

OK, I want one. Now what?
It’s an idea whose time has come to be sure, but for some companies building a Social Media News Release seems like a huge effort. If you don’t have the in-house talent to build a custom layout, here are links to a couple of options to get you started.

Get a free account at PRX Builder. Click a button, fill in in the blanks and voila, a Social Media Press Release.
This page has links to the API so you can run it on your website and a WordPress Plugin that allows users to build the PRX right in WordPress.

Conversation Marketing Offers an XHTML version as well, available in a zip file so you can just download it and click away.

Can we build it? YES, we can.
If you don’t want your releases to look like everybody else’s, we can easily design one specific to your needs. It’s not rocket science, but a simple layout that needs to be coded. You want a different look and feel or layout by department? You want it easy to update? Whether you are looking for an HTML page you can modify, a WordPress page or a MS Word doc you can turn into a PDF, we can do it for you.

So what are you waiting for? Get rid of your old press release and start sending a Social Media Press Release. Time to get to work.

Download to Print (PDF)

Greening You Launches

May 10, 2008
Tatu Digital Media is pleased to release a new WordPress blog called Greening You. The site has been in the works for just two months, and already it’s popularity is booming, and the collection of information it offers readers is growing.

Why another Green website?
Let’s face it, there are a load of websites about becoming more environmentally aware. A lot of them deal with the big issues of the green movement, like trying to reduce greenhouse gasses and information about saving energy. All of this is good, but it can be intimidating.

Greening you offers small ways that the average person can get greener –bit by bit– without having to make a Hurculean effort to do so. The goal is to be entertaining and informative and filter green news and information into easily digestible chunks. Videos and interactive learning tools will be presented alongside tips and tricks for getting green and maybe even saving you some money to boot!

Why WordPress?
WordPress is perfectly suited to a site like this. It takes full advantage of the social media bookmarking attributes of WordPress and allows posts and pages to be updated using WordPress as a CMS. We can add plug-ins and custom page layouts that fit perfectly into the overall design with no interruption to operation. In addition WordPress increases the linkability of the site, makes tagging and bookmarking easy, and this helps get the content the most possible coverage.

What we do
Tatu Digital Media prides ourselves on finding the best solution for each individual client. We don’t sell the latest greatest just because we want to play with our new toys. We listen to the client’s needs and help them determine what will be the best fit for each situation. Maybe that’s HTML, CSS, AJAX, Video or Flash. Perhaps the site is an older model and just needs some modernization or an on-line marketing campaign. We can perform a site audit, help you decide what’s best for you and your budget, and lay out a plan of attack to make the most impact possible. Visit our website to sample some of our work, and feel free to contact any of our clients to see if we have been effective for them. www.tatudigital.com

Greening You
greenteam@greeningyou.com

www.greeningyou.com
408.216.7423

Contact Info
Janet Fouts (CEO)
415.990.3991
fouts@tatudigital.com

www.tatudigital.com

About Tatu Digital Media
Tatu Digital Media helps clients define and build their on-line presence in a variety of ways. From consulting in social media strategy and marketing to Google Ad campaigns, SEO and website development, the company has offered a full suite on online services since 1996.
For more information visit www.tatudigital.com

Team Willow Glen
Team Website
Team page on Avon Walk siteAvon Walk Website

TatuDigital Media
Janet Fouts (CEO)
415.990.3991
fouts@tatudigital.com

www.tatudigital.com

Download to Print (PDF)

Team Willow Glen launches Team Blog

March 2, 2008
Tatu Digital Media is pleased to launch a website for the Willow Glen Team in San Francisco’s Avon walk (July 12, 123, 2008). The team will walk a total of 40 miles over 2 days in San Francisco and Marin to raise awareness and funds for the Avon Foundation.

Videos
Clcik an image below to view videos about the Avon Foundation and the walk.

TheCommercial	Why Walk?	Training
Team Spirit	Proud Moments	Avon Foundation

Why a blog?
The obvious advantage of using WordPress in this case is to take advantage of the social media distribution and tagging of WordPress, the installed some nifty SEO tools to get the word out even faster. With only a few months to raise over $20,000 the team needed to use every avenue for press possible. They also needed a place to keep track of training hikes and fund raising events, and to send possible donors to to learn more about the team.

The ease of posting to the blog with WordPress was an added benefit, and we added some custom features to add to the user experience.

What else?
Beyond the blog we created a Flickr account for the team’s photos and a e-list just for the team so they could arrange to meet for walks, talk about training strategies and generally get to know each other.

You can donate to team members on the website or join them and walk with them! Visit the website at www.bestofwillowglen.com/avon/

What we do
Tatu Digital Media prides ourselves on finding the best solution for each individual client. We don’t sell the latest greatest just because we want to play with our new toys. We listen to the client’s needs and help them determine what will be the best fit for each situation. Maybe that’s HTML, CSS, AJAX, Video or Flash. Perhaps the site is an older model and just needs some modernization or an on-line marketing campaign. We can perform a site audit, help you decide what’s best for you and your budget, and lay out a plan of attack to make the most impact possible. Visit our website to sample some of our work, and feel free to contact any of our clients to see if we have been effective for them. www.tatudigital.com

About Tatu Digital Media
Tatu Digital Media helps clients define and build their on-line presence in a variety of ways. From consulting in social media strategy and marketing to Google Ad campaigns, SEO and website development, the company has offered a full suite on online services since 1996.
For more information visit www.tatudigital.com

BigFix
Emeryville, California 94608
Tel 510 652-6700
Fax 510 652-6742
info@bigfix.com
www.bigfix.com

TatuDigital Media
Janet Fouts (CEO)
415.990.3991
fouts@tatudigital.com

www.tatudigital.com

Download to Print (PDF)

BigFix Launches Social Media Newsroom

November 12, 2007
Tatu Digital Media is pleased to launch another addition to the BigFix site. This one is
a social media newsroom to help BigFix connect with the media online and offer up their most recent news through a series of blogs, whitepapers, case studies, press releases and podcasts.

The "Buzzroom" contains three blogs, the Competitive Daily News- where BigFix gives their own view of the competition. The Blog of Blogs summarizes news in the security space from a number of well know bloggers and journalists. And last but not leasty The Relay, where BigFix’s editors post the latest company news and info.

Why WordPress?
WordPress is perfectly suited to a site like this. It takes full advantage of the social media bookmarking attributes of WordPress and allows posts and pages to be updated using WordPress as a CMS.

We customized the front end of these blogs so we can pull all of the most recenbt content onto the front page. Two most recent posts from each blog, a featured podcast, the top press releases and media releases are avialble, as well as all of the conact info that a reporter might need to do a story are all on the home page.

The obvious advantage of using WordPress in this case is to take advantage of the social media distribution and tagging of WordPress, the installed some nifty SEO tools to get the word out even faster.

What we do
Tatu Digital Media prides ourselves on finding the best solution for each individual client. We don’t sell the latest greatest just because we want to play with our new toys. We listen to the client’s needs and help them determine what will be the best fit for each situation. Maybe that’s HTML, CSS, AJAX, Video or Flash. Perhaps the site is an older model and just needs some modernization or an on-line marketing campaign. We can perform a site audit, help you decide what’s best for you and your budget, and lay out a plan of attack to make the most impact possible. Visit our website to sample some of our work, and feel free to contact any of our clients to see if we have been effective for them. www.tatudigital.com

About Tatu Digital Media
Tatu Digital Media helps clients define and build their on-line presence in a variety of ways. From consulting in social media strategy and marketing to Google Ad campaigns, SEO and website development, the company has offered a full suite on online services since 1996.
For more information visit www.tatudigital.com