This year we are going to be creating a new desktop wallpaper every month. We are mainly doing this as an exercise of our creativity, so please let us know what you think in the comments below. To download, simply right click on the screen resolution you need, and click save as.

With Calendar
1280x800, 1280x800, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 2560x1440

Without Calendar
1280x800, 1280x800, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 2560x1440

Welcome to 2012!

The past year at MJ Media has been the biggest year yet. With the departure of Josh from the company, and the amount of work we have been able to put out, it’s going to be tough to top the amount of activity we have enjoyed this year.

I feel that it is important for anybody to set goals, both personally and professionally, each year. You might recall from a sentimental post a while back, that I have already set one goal for MJ Media’s upcoming year, but I wanted to use this moment to expand upon that list.

So here it goes, the updated goal list for 2012!

• Launch an upgraded design and do some organization of the content of our website
• Rebrand our newsletter and improve the content
• Make our webinar series a huge success
• Take on the entire marketing program of a client
• Bring on some regular hired help
• Pick up at least 10 new clients
• Bring in $50,000 at MJ Media

I’d like to thank all of our clients for making 2011 such a great year, and wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2012!

~ Mike

As I am sure you have heard, Steve Jobs has passed away. I don’t normally get sentimental, but I’ve been literally driven to tears today. So, here I sit, watching Pirates of Silicon Valley, crafting this blog post.

Steve was a great man, and much of what he did during his lifetime has played a role in how I do my work. His passing brought up thoughts of another great man, my dad.

My dad is the same age as Mr. Jobs was. He introduced me to computers with the Macintosh Classic II that he brought home from work. He also introduced me to the internet, where the first site I visited was People.com, the second was not so work friendly (I was twelve).

But more than those things, my father has created me. Not just genetically, but my whole being. He taught me at a young age that the key to success was hard work, and not to expect things to be handed to me. Throughout my life I have pushed and fought to accomplish what I wanted. I’ve worked more 90 hours a week in hard labor in order to buy my first house before I was 20. I helped to start two companies within a year of finishing high school, one of which I sold my share and the other I am now sole-owner.

I feel like I have lost my way, I’ve set the cruse control for the last year to year-and-a-half. My dad would be pissed!

I can’t help but feel that I’ve been letting people down. I’ve let down my wife-to-be, my coworkers, myself, my company, and the whole point of this post… my dad.

So here is what I am going to do to resolve my lazy ways: I will make a pledge.

• I will be a great man.
• I will devote more time to my family.
• I will devote more time to myself.
• I will kick ass on a daily basis.

To know that I am successful with my pledge, I have set up these goals for the next year.

• To take my wife to Ireland on our one year anniversary.
• To get my weight back down to 185 lbs.
• To play at least 5 rounds of golf.
• To bring in $50,000 at MJ Media.

The other day we were able to attend the !gnite Social Media Conference in Midland. There were some fantastic speakers and a very impressive turnout. I was able to scribble down some notes that may not make total sense to you, but you may find a nugget or two that you can use.

When fans aren’t enough: Developing a successful social media strategy to drive business growth by Paul Warren, ddm Marketing & Communications
Mostly covered tools to use, some interesting ones:

Postling.com
Socialmention.com

Social + Virtual Media Marketing for Small Business by Mark Johnson

Brian Solis – Engage (book)
“We are now part of the community we wish to inform.”
“Engage or die.”
“Uncover the voices that define and steer your markets.”

Clients think in a 3d world.
If they are comfortable writing, they will be a blogger. This is a powerful market.
Invite them to speak about what they do in your booth etc.

Keynote - Shannon Paul, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

When building your team:

Content Creators & Analytics Readers

One dynamite panel, two digital tactics: Search engine optimization (SEO) & paid ads (SEM)

Erik Granning, Doner
Brian Ambrozy, Delightful Experiences and Icrontic.com
Bobby Mercader, FurnitureCrate.com
Evelyn Chou, Electro-matic

Focus on creating a technically good website.

Get AdWords Certified for $50

Use long-tail keywords to lower CPC

Optimize for conversions.

SEO: The goal now is to increase the amount and quality of incoming keywords.

MAKE SURE YOUR LOCATION PROFILES ARE ACCURATE (foursquare, Google Places, Facebook and Bing)

We are getting nearer and nearer to the annual Hell’s Half Mile Film and Music Fest! It’s been a lot of work in a very short period of time, and there is a lot of work yet to be done, but please check out the site and let me know what you think. We can’t credit for the look, that was the work of 989 Design, who did a great job creating an identity that could be reused in the years to come.

I decided early this year that I wanted to support to the fest because I feel that this event promotes creativity in the area like no other event. I think that the key to real improvement in this area is a strong creative community.

The amount of time and money we have invested in this event is probably in the $2000 range, which is a big commitment for a very small web design company like MJ Media. We will also be submitting some of our code from this project to the Open Source community to benefit other similar events. I’m so happy with our work thus far.