and distributors in advertising for thousands of different products. They host shows that feature

vendors from across the nation and presentations from inspirational speakers.

A few of Indoff’s corporate employees took a trip the ASI Show in Chicago last week and from

what I hear, it was a success!

Indoff’s President Jim Malkus, Vendors Manager Adam Heck, Social Media Coordinator Krista

Fisher, Promotions Administrator Randee Walsh, and Promotions Product Sales Partner Scott

Mueller were among the thousands that attended the Chicago ASI Show.

The group was able to visit almost every vendor at the show in a little under three hours! They

stopped by the Vendors that already work with Indoff as well as the ones that would like to.

Indoff’s social media team made sure to spread the word about Indoff’s involvement in social

media in hopes to create some new, strong relationships. They mentioned things like our monthly

Facebook contests, Twitter updates, and Pinterest boards. The team also talked to vendors like

SanMar, Vantage, and Primeline in hopes of getting them even more involved with Indoff.

There were definitely some perks to going to the show too. The “swag” the group received was

fun and practical.

“Some of our favorite items were the amazing car chargers that have various options on which

phone you may hook them up to - super practical.” said Krista Fisher, Indoff Social Media

Coordinator. “We loved the hand sanitizer, Chap Stick, shades, and footballs too! It is never a dull

moment at the show.”

The show as a whole was not only informational but a great time. It was a fun day trip to the

Windy City that I am sure the group can’t wait to do again next year!

Here Are Some Pictures From the Show!

earned over the years. In a sense, both of these are correct. On LinkedIn, you have your own

profile just like you would on Facebook. The only difference is your LinkedIn page highlights your

professional experiences, skills, and other important qualities making you not only marketable,

but relatable to others on the site.

LinkedIn is specifically targeted towards business people, young and old, and in any profession. It

links you to professionals in your line of work and cuts out all of the clutter (advertisements,

requests, etc.) that you may see on other social media sites.

Networking is probably the most important feature the LinkedIn provides. With millions of

members on the popular social media site, it is nearly impossible to not make a new connection

every day, if so desired. The different levels of connections offer opportunities to get to know

people you may not otherwise be able to get in touch with. This feature is ideal for those trying to

expand their business.

This is why LinkedIn is the perfect site to use while recruiting and doing business in general. On

LinkedIn, you can search for people with certain skills and experiences as well as within

companies and your “connections”. This is a good feature to use when looking for business

prospects and partners. LinkedIn can help you move forward whether in a job search or with

other business activities. It can, for example, put you in touch with a supplier that may link you

to a set of new customers or to experienced individuals that can help point you down the right

path.

Along with meeting people, LinkedIn is great for starting discussion boards on a wide array of

topics. People love to share what they know. By starting and participating in a board, you can get

insight on how other people like you do things and what has worked for them in the past.

Leading, or even just participating, in a discussion board can also establish and grow your

credibility in your industry.

Not only is LinkedIn good for networking and discussing popular topics, but it links you and raises

your rank up in search engine sites. This means if someone “Google’s” you, your company, or a

word tagged in your LinkedIn profile, there will be a greater chance for that person to find you

(This is also known as Search Engine Optimization). These days it seems like an online presence

is becoming more and more crucial so links, like this example, are a necessity.

LinkedIn has many features that can help aid in any professional engagement you may currently

be pursuing. Although there are many more great features on LinkedIn, other than the ones

mentioned, these seem to be the most popular takeaways. Networking, discussions, and SEO are

a great way to get things started, whether it’s a fresh business idea or a plan in need of a

revamp. LinkedIn is more than a “craze”. It is millions of members strong and can do wonders

when properly taken advantage of!

At #Indoff, we are trying to do just that; continue to gain exposure. Through social media, we have gained many connections and strengthened relationships. We take the time to make sure that we are not only strengthening our #socialmedia presence, but that our Sales Partners know how to effectively use many of the more popular social networks. By using webinars and tutorials and being there when a Partner has a specific question we are able to set them up for success.

Sites like LinkedIn have proved to be a great tool in connecting #Indoff with other, professional individuals and companies. With over 500 followers on LinkedIn, #Indoff interacts with industries like #MaterialHandling and #OfficeFurniture consistently. This allows for great networking opportunities for those working within #Indoff.

Networking is just what we are doing. By not only talking with our Vendors and Partners, but by using sites like LinkedIn, we have welcomed 38 new Partners so far in 2012.

Our Partners aren’t your average salespeople. They are a network of about 400 working in any of our five divisions; #MaterialHandling, #CommercialInteriors, #PromotionalProducts, #BusinessProducts, and #CommercialPrinting. Our Partners work independently in their own offices and on their own schedule, nationwide.

Indoff has been voted one of The Greatest Companies to Work For 2011 by Promotional Products Business (PPB) Magazine and One of the Best Places to Work 2011 by Counselor Magazine, the Promotional Products Industry’s two leading publications.

So how are you supposed to get your site to even be thought about?

Well BlueGlass, an internet marketing agency, has a way to get started. As found on mashable.com, here are a few tips on what you should be doing in order to gain an online audience. They start by giving a few quick tips that anyone can use and most likely get results from.

Tips for engaging an online audience:
• Captivating headlines
• Use the copy to sell the rest of the piece
• Promote, promote, promote!

According to the article, 80% of people will only read the headline of what you have posted. That’s a lot. The rest, only 20%, will go on to read the whole post. By thinking of something that is not only catchy, but either informative or inspirational, it is possible to grab some of the 80% and pull them in to hear what you have to say.

The “copy” is the first few sentences in your article, or other content, that explains what the reader will be reading throughout the page. (It’s kind of like a summary only a little shorter.)

This can also be where you lose some readers.

If the copy leaves nothing to anticipate, why would a reader want to go any further? You have already told the whole story in the first few sentences. Make the copy informational, but leave something for them to look forward to in the body of the posting.

Many people, including myself, choose to scan most articles instead of intently reading. You should make your content easy to read and to-the-point. The use of bullet points and small paragraphs will make it easy for the “scanners” out there to pull the important information and weed out the filler.

Lastly, the use of promotion is extremely important for any company.

The article also goes on to say that giving your customers or audience value will give them incentive to come back to you and your site in the future. The author explains, “Smart, persistent promotion — especially via social media— will help cut through all the noise online and make your content sharable and more effective.”

Although these tips may not get you millions of hits over night, it is a place to start. Remember to keep your content genuine, readable, and catchy and to build relationships with the online community. If you can make them aware of your presence and offer them some sort of value, there’s a good chance they’ll come running back for more.

Want to read the whole article? Click here!

Continuous updates are not only important to your current customers, but to future ones as well. If someone finds and reads a post that is out-of-date or has old pricing and promises on it, they may skip over you and go somewhere else with their business. After all, your blog site is only a Google search away!

Starting a blog can seem daunting. What do I write about? How do I even get started? Questions like these are common and are probably what stops some people from ever getting into the blogging world. Don’t let those questions stop you. Not only can we give you tips on how to start, but other Partners can as well!

Linking your blog to your Facebook account, for example, is a great way to not only prove to your clients that you are present in social media, but is a great way to send interested customers directly to you to make a purchase. Of course, different methods work for different people when it comes to blogging. We would love to hear what you do with your blog. This is also a great way to help other Partners that may need an idea to go off of in order to start their own blog.

Use the comments section to tell us not only how you blog, but topics that you would like to see and tips for beginner bloggers!

Take advantage of blogging! It’s free and can do so much for you and your business.

The Interview

If you could live anywhere in the world, no strings attached, where would you live? Why?
If satellite internet were affordable I would live everywhere, but since it is not, right where I am.

What is your favorite movie?
I can’t narrow to just one. Casablanca, Wizard of Oz, Jaws, Snatch, Fight Club, Big Lebowski, Bourne Movies, Ratatouille

What is on your iPod?
Rap, jazz, classical, hip hop, pop, rock, blues and reggae

What would you do with a million dollars?
Be happy about retirement.

Who was your childhood ‘hero’?
Aunt Elsie

Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
My mother
What is one thing you are most proud of?
Friends and family

If you could, what advice would you give to your 25 year old self?
Buy Apple stock

What is your favorite quote?
“There would be nothing to frighten you if you refused to be afraid.” Gandhi

What is your ultimate dream vacation?
See Elephants in Africa

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field of business, whether with Indoff or somewhere else?
Build solid relationships, the world is small and everyone is connected. Partnerships help everyone succeed.

How did you get into this business?
OKI Systems in Columbus Ohio hired me to sell Kelly Dock Equipment in 1988, my territory was eastern Ohio. 18K plus 10% commission

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Right where I am now.

What has been the most rewarding during your time with Indoff?
It is very gratifying to be a partner in planning, implementing and applying systems for manufacturers.

What is the best thing about Indoff?
Honesty. (With a bonus of freedom to make business decisions for the good of all.)

An article found on mashable.com - an independent website that covers digital culture, social media, and technology - explains just how important inter-generational communication is about to become.

(Read the full article here!)

According to the article, 46% of the workforce will be comprised of millennials by 2020. That is almost double of what it is today. This means you will eventually begin to do business with a younger audience. It is obvious that the way millennials work, whether it is with social media or among themselves, is quite different then the other three generations that also occupy the workplace. It is said that one in three millennials would actually consider social media flexibility over salary when taking job offers. That may seem outlandish to some, but that just proves how important a social media presence is and will become for a company.

So what does this mean for you?

It means that now is the perfect time to learn how to use social media to your advantage. Not only is it is an opportunity to create a social media presence that can’t be ignored by any generation, but it is also a chance to work with this up-and-coming generation and use their skills to your advantage.

When millennials talk about social media they’re not just talking about their Facebook profile. While Facebook is a great place to start, it is not the only social media site out there. Sites like Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube, for example, are great sites that can be easily linked to Facebook making your social media presence come to a complete circle.

Social media doesn’t come easy to everyone. To “Gen Y’ers” though, a day would seem pretty abnormal without contact with some sort of media. After all, millennials switch between media-related devices an average of 27 times per hour, according to the article. That’s almost every two minutes! That seems like a lot, and honestly it is, but these kinds of statistics are what defines this generation and ultimately creates an advantage for your company.

The shift in generations is inevitable so why not embrace it? Social media is a great platform to begin to connect with the millennials and start to think how they think. It will not only allow you to get a taste for what this generation craves, but it will open your business to new opportunities and networks!

Their products are vital components used in disciplines being implemented industry wide such as “5S” and “Lean Manufacturing”. Organizations that invest in a “5S” process gain productivity, create higher quality products and lower operating costs by simply implementing a system of waste removal, visual identification and efficient use of space.  “5S” stands for Sort, Set, Shine, Standardize and Sustain (+ Safety).

In addition to their broad line of productivity solutions, Akro-Mils now features the largest selection of Clear Bins, Totes & Containers in the industry.

As the industry leader, Akro-Mils strives to continually provide innovative, quality products supported by superior customer service and the fastest most reliable shipping in the industry.

Akro-Mils has been working with Indoff since the founding of their Partner Program in 1991. The relationship has always been and continues to be a very positive one. Akro-Mils is proactive when it comes to educating Indoff’s Sales Partners on their new product lines.

“Akro-Mils has worked with Indoff now for more than twenty years and we couldn’t be happier with the relationship and open flow of communication that has been established. Whenever we have a new product line to promote Indoff makes it easy for us to reach their Sales Partners by providing one easy point of contact.” said Greg Beaudin, Akro-Mils Midwest Sales Representative.

Indoff appreciates Akro-Mils long standing support and looks forward to growing our business together in the future!

This is where we need your help!

We would love to hear from you, our Sales Partners, and what you would like to see in our future posts. So far, we have done a post on NeoCon, social media, and our awesome IT department. We have many more great ideas for posts in the future, but we want to be able to incorporate your ideas too.

If you have topics you would like to see in our blogs sound off below in our comments section or via email at laura.rusbarsky@indoff.com!