Showing posts with label Marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marketing. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Marketing via Social Media: What Professional Firms Should Know

SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 15:  Facebook founder...
SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 15: Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during a special event announcing a new Facebook email messaging system at the St. Regis Hotel on November 15, 2010 in San Francisco, California. Facebook will launch a new messaging system aimed at enhancing it's social media product to its 500 million users. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
The recent explosion of Social Media - Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, in particular - has probably caused enough head scratching and unease among marketing directors to last them a lifetime. How does Social Media actually work? Who does it reach? How influential is it? What happens if you ignore it? How should it be used? And how much time should be devoted to feeding it? Nobody seems to have clear answers to these questions, and the few that do, speak a language that most ordinary human beings struggle to understand.

Marketing heads at large professional organisations, by which I mean commercial law firms, accountancy firms and financial services companies, are as concerned about Social Media as anyone else - which, on the face of it, is surprising, because traditionally these outfits have relied upon a relatively discreet universe of mainly corporate clients. Their business relationships are built on face-to-face contact (not Facebook to Facebook contact) and often long histories of proven service. Nevertheless, the perception exists that Social Media is an arena in which every serious player has to be visible, as if to be invisible there would mean being invisible everywhere - an unforgivable capitulation in this age of mass communication. Just such preoccupations drive much of the current interest in Social Media: a fear of missing out, of seeming out-of-touch, rather than excitement at the arrival of a new marketing opportunity. So is the promise really there? And are the fears justified?

The first thing to remember about Social Media is its name: not Marketing Media, but Social Media. The reason sites like Facebook caught on in the first place was not because people saw an interesting new opportunity to go shopping. They saw it as a way to keep in touch with friends old and new, and to reach out to people with similar interests. Though discrete retailing of one kind or another has crept on board, most users says they don't like it. The exception here is cultural product: music, films, books and (to a lesser extent) video games. But even here - very much at the mass consumer end of things - the amount of promotion users will tolerate is limited. Any marketing that firms do attempt must be discreet, as well as useful, readable and current. Achieving all this is easier said than done.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

How Google AdWords Can Help Your Business Grow With Pay Per Click Marketing

English: licence google adwords Français : lic...
English: licence google adwords Français : licence google adwords (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Internet marketing continues to climb in worldwide popularity. For modest to existing businesses, it is a vital method in securing internet attention and sustainability. Online marketing is additionally meant to successfully advertise your services and products to mass audiences. Although it might expand your organization's online reach, it may also help create brand name credibility and customer patronage. As a result, a small company may create prospects sales, and actually raise revenue. As a form of Search Engine Marketing, pay-per-click marketing is widely utilized and incredibly well-known. This form of online advertising focuses on potential prospects via a set of strategically placed business advertisements. Such as article marketing and keywords, these ads also show up on a variety of search engines. When clicked on, they're able to improve your web page rankings and achieve increased visibility for your business. They can also generate revenue for your company, in addition to link online searchers to your specified website, blog, or online store.

As an industry innovator in pay-per-click internet marketing, Google AdWords provides a selection of internet marketing tools for clients and customers. This progressive and cutting-edge marketing system is simply intended to help your small or current company grow. With AdWords, business people may generate advertising to showcase a variety of services and products. These ads can also be custom-made to target local, state, regional, national, as well as global customer bases. The good thing is that these advertisements can also be positioned together with keyword and links, which attach internet customers and shoppers right to your website. Not only does this boost web traffic to your websites, additionally, it generates a buzz which can secure profitable and timely results. Google AdWords will also be compatible with social networking platforms, which instantly promote your products and services and brand names to wider audiences.

Other benefits of pay-per-click marketing and advertising include posting numerous ads at cost-affordable prices. This lets you promote numerous advertising campaigns, which offers your small business increased coverage within this demanding market place. In contrast to expensive traditional marketing, Google AdWords additionally allows you to create as many ads as needed within time and price range. Additionally, you have the versatility to set your own spending plan, as well as place a bid on high-placement advertisements and key words. Business owners may also update their ads on a daily and weekly basis. This enables your content to stay fresh and recent, along with showing all your latest services and products. From promotional advertisements to specially marked discounts, Google AdWords can promote all your product sales with sustained outcomes.

So whether or not you own an existing online business, or are planning to launch a new one, Google AdWords truly offers a wealth of advantages and benefits. To learn more about how Google AdWords can boost your active marketing campaign, just check out the Web to access more information today.


Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/6816040


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Promotional Gifts: The Best Way To Market Your Business

See title
See title (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are many businesses offering related goods and services in the marketplace. Levels of competition has developed tremendously making it tougher for these firms to attract and preserve client. It's hard to improve a company's position and reputation by using its own services and products alone. Marketing has been one of several techniques, and Promotional goods are widely used tools to bring in more people artistically and properly.

Promotional gifts allow many companies to advertise their goods and services beyond standard billboards and TV advertisements, and through more cost-effective means. These things can be found in many types, such as pencils and pens, coffee mugs, notepads, caps, desks, lanyards, and customized calendar. Other forms of marketing include flyers, business cards, and brochures; nevertheless, this regular method only allures a few people nowadays.

Promotional products give organizations the possibilities to market themselves locally and globally. Unlike flyers of brochures, individuals are more likely to keep promotional products for their own use. Despite these products being practical tools for marketing, many organizations use them inefficiently, causing a not favourable impression in the market and waste of cash for the business.
Here are some suggestions on how to successfully utilize promotional products:

Give Folks Items that are Helpful

Trade shows are probably the finest approaches to hand out promotional products, nevertheless, some organizations give away worthless things that individuals will never utilize. This doesn't only show an unproductive approach of marketing but a total waste of components as well.

Best promotional items are the types that individuals could utilize each day. Several examples are pencils, pens, notepads, sticky notes, mugs, and also customized calendar. These things are practical necessities individuals could use in school or in the business office each day. They're also really cheap allowing you to purchase much more in quantity. The more things for your business to market, the bigger the target market you could obtain. If your firm has the funds, go for great items like USB flash drives and other small gizmos.

Quality over Quantity

Keep in mind that quality is definitely much better than quantity. Purchasing poor pens that simply clog just before they run out are inadequate manifestations of your business. These things need to project your business in a positive method. A negative impression on your goods will have a not favorable impact on your business. Do not buy very costly goods either. Find cheap things that are tough and useful.

Design Your Goods Properly

Your brand name on promotional products should be structured and suitable. It's not reasonable to match logos or company information on things that are too small. Calendars tend to be fantastic promotional items where you could integrate most of your business details instead of forcing them on a small pen. Your logo design and business details should also be obvious so your customers could see them.

There are many organizations offering Promotional goods on and off the net. Locate reliable organizations that will help your marketing endeavours successfully.


Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/7306425

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Saturday, October 6, 2012

Text Marketing Mobile Call to Action

Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun...
Image via CrunchBase
Let's face it, it's easy to sign up for a text message marketing service and have your own keyword and a short code for your customers to text into. But that alone won't make you any money and you will be no better off 30 days from now from when you first signed up to start mobile marketing. In order for text marketing to really increase your sales you need to promote your short code and give your customers a reason to text in. Here are the ten easiest ways to promote your text marketing mobile call to action:

  1. Add a new post to your Facebook wall. Do this every few days as new messages will gradually push your call to action down the page. You can also send a group message to all of your fans.
  2. Send a Tweet out and add "Retweet if you love this." Allow the message to get spread further than just your followers. People who love your business will want to share it with their friends.
  3. Tell your customers directly. Have you ever tried to check out at Kohls or another department store? They always ask if you want to sign up for their credit card and save 10% on the spot. Same goes for your mobile marketing campaign. Offer a reward on the spot for signing up. The auto-reply message will display on their phone in seconds after they text your keyword to the shortcode.
  4. Add the call to action to your Yelp review. Yelp users only visit an average of three business listing before deciding on a place to spend their money at. Give the readers on Yelp a great reason to visit yours by placing a mobile call to action that puts your offer right on their phone.
  5. Place a mobile phone graphic and the call to action on your website. Adding this is an easy way to capture and convert web traffic into real sales. Write a new blog post about your mobile campaign and what type of offers your customers can expect.
  6. Make up simple "box toppers," those of you in the pizza business know how powerful these can be to get customers to return to your business. Retail and restaurants should add the mobile call to action on the bottom of receipts or include it on a comment card you hand each visitor.
  7. Educate your staff. You can't do it all and the success of any marketing program often rests in their hands. Make sure your staff knows about the text marketing campaign, how it works, how it will benefit them and their excitement when telling customers about it will lead to higher opt-ins.
  8. Send an email blast out promoting the new marketing offer and describe the benefit customers will receive for signing up. We have seen businesses that offer something free to the customers on their next visit to grow their mobile database the quickest.
  9. Place a sign in your window. This will help capture opt-ins from people not visiting your business and leads to new customers trying you out for the first time. How many times has a coupon or special offer lead you to try a business for the first time? Give people a reason to spend money with you.
  10. Integrate into traditional marketing mediums such as newspaper, direct mail, radio or television. Don't go out and start a new campaign in these mediums if they are not part of your regular marketing strategy but if they are, adding the mobile call to action will increase their effectiveness by capturing opt-ins and delivering your offer right to their phone leading to higher redemption rates.

Most of these ways to promote your mobile call to action such as integrating with social media and other Internet sites takes less than an hour. Other methods are equally as simple and only take a little time. Building your list with mobile marketing is mostly hands-off and the results in redemption rates and return on investment are unmatched in marketing today. Take some time in the beginning and your text marketing efforts will pay off for months and years to come.


Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/4395215

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Marketing Your Business With Instagram

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09:  In this photo illust...
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09: In this photo illustration, the photo-sharing app Instagram fan page is seen on the Facebook website on the Apple Safari web browser on April 9, 2012 in New York City. Facebook Inc. is acquiring photo-sharing app Instagram for approx. $1 billion. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

While there is no capacity to allow links to various resources through the photographs, there is the option however to utilize hash tags in the comments section in an effort to further categorize any company specific photographs. These tags are extremely beneficial, as organizations have utilized them in marketing efforts to conduct sweepstakes and promotions involving users of this application. Many of these hash tag marketing efforts have gone viral and seen a tremendous uptick in user engagement and further brand communication. Since its inception, Instagram has continued to captivate millions of users and even been purchased by social media giant Facebook. In addition to its numerous features the service also has seen the birth of various spin-off services that allow users to turn their favorite Instagram photos into postcards stickers and even magnets.

The instantaneous effect and the unique set of editing features within this application really sets it apart from the rest. As such we have seen this social network skyrocket in popularity and various brands and corporations jump on this platform as a means of further interacting with their customer base. From a marketing standpoint, businesses now have another viable mechanism to promote their products and services while getting instant feedback from customers. Some organizations may see this as a more premature opportunity as they may primarily focus on more traditional avenues such as Facebook and twitter. The beauty of these social media applications in addition to some of the more prevalent Web 2.0 properties is their ability to cross-link with one another. By generating content for Instagram, companies also have a great benefit to their marketing campaigns as they can automatically set their uploads to be distributed to services such as Facebook twitter and even Flickr and e-mail. These integrated features are a terrific timesaver, as marketers do not necessarily have to visit each one of these sites individually to distribute this picture communication.

For businesses looking to utilize this social media application in their marketing campaigns is important for them to understand the effective use of hash tag keywords and the importance of consistency. While there are some resources available online today that will allow an organization to automate the posting process, having human interaction between this service and the content will be the best bet for any organization seeking to further interact with its customer base. On the Internet today customers and users want to interact with the real human being and not necessarily an automated system. Instagram represents another breakthrough in this fast growing and exciting social media landscape. The businesses that understand the marketing potential that services like this represent will be the ones who truly benefit from a greater return on investment.


Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/7270192

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A Beginners Guide to Video Marketing

Image representing YouTube as depicted in Crun...
Image via CrunchBase
Many internet marketers shy away from video marketing because they think it requires considerable technical skills and expensive equipment. This is a big mistake.

YouTube is now the world's second largest search engine. There are more daily searches on YouTube that on either Bing or Yahoo. If you are thus not actively marketing on YouTube, you are giving your competitors FREE reign of the world's second largest search engine.

The best thing about marketing on YouTube is that it is 100% free. If you are not engaged in YouTube marketing, it would be akin to Google offering you unlimited FREE AdWords advertising, and you said 'No Thanks'.

No only that, but videos posted on YouTube very often appear at the top of Google. Can you imagine, the massive traffic that would drive to your website. Best of all these videos don't need backlinks or SEO, they can get to the top of Google within 24 hours.

Video Marketing can be a very simplistic marketing method, once the marketers follow proven, tried and tested principles.

You don't need thousand dollar equipment or a PHD in movie making to become a proficient video marketer.

What you need is a step by step blueprint that will tell you exactly what to do. This will ensure you don't make costly mistakes, and that you get everything completed rapidly.

Video Marketing can be divided into 3 core steps;
  1. Video Creation
  2. Video Submission
  3. Video Marketing

Video creation involves the shooting of the video. The easiest way to shoot a video is using YouTubes 'Quick Capture' feature. In this process, you simply attach a webcam to your PC, and click the 'Quick Capture' button on your YouTube profile, upload page. You will be instantly recorded without the need for any expensive equipment or video editing software. This format is a great way to shoot videos quickly, and to build a relationship with your viewers.

Video submission involves the distribution to multiple video sharing sites. You should not focus solely on YouTube for your video marketing strategy. Consider submitting video to the other top 15+ video sharing sites such as Viddler, Revver, Veoh, Blip.tv, Metacafe and more. The fastest, easiest and FREE way to distribute your video to the top 15+ video sharing sites is by using a service called Tube Mogul. This will enable you to upload your video to each of these sites at the click of a button, and in doing so create multiple streams of traffic to your website.

Video marketing is the process of boosting your views by driving traffic to your videos. Article marketing, social bookmarking, blogging and forum posting are all excellent strategies for boosting your views.

You should make it a habit of posting videos regularly. Not only do you gain from the traffic, but you will get valuable back links every time you post a new video. That is provided of course that you included a live link in your description. This will boost the position of your site in the search engine rankings.

The beauty of video marketing is that you do the work once, and receive the traffic on complete auto pilot forever more. It is the nearest thing to passive income online because to make money online you need traffic, and this traffic is FREE and perpetual.

If you want to explode the traffic to your website using video marketing, then you should use a blueprint created by the video marketing gurus.


Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/4220696
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Friday, October 5, 2012

Mobile Marketing: Alternative Marketing Revolution

Mobile Marketing for Small & Medium Business |...
Mobile Marketing for Small & Medium
Business | Colorado
(Photo credit: SocialMediaVIDEOmarketing)

The growth in mobile phone marketing is exploding exponentially upwards with a mobile advertising market numbering over five billion consumers, this is five times the size of the internet market and growing rapidly and yet there is still very little competition in this very lucrative market, due to a lack of knowledge and the necessary skills needed to successfully tap into this once in a life time opportunity. Many internet marketers have come to the realisation that marketing via mobile phones is in the process of superseding the internet and they are quickly educating themselves in the new technologies and processes of mobile marketing so that they don't get left behind in the rush.

The Evidence is before Your Eyes!

Have you ever noticed that people tend to spend more time chatting on their cell phones and surfing the mobile net rather than sitting in front of their PC. It is an established fact that over 5 billion people walk around with a mobile phone - the market is five times larger than the internet. If you are seriously considering getting into mobile marketing, then I must congratulate you; as you will inevitably be getting in on the ground floor of this very lucrative business model; but first you will need to fully digest and understand just how explosive this mobile web marketing revolution really is:

Over 2 million smart phones have recently been sold by Apple while Google have recently released a report showing that over 160,000 Droid smart phones are being activated every single day, 24/7! Although the web is quite literally overrun with advertising, nobody has taken serious note of the alternative that is staring them in the face. There is still very little competition in mobile marketing. This massive market could be yours to fully exploit at will!

The statistics show that over HALF of all new Internet connections are from mobile "smart-phones" over 5 billion mobile phone owners are carrying miniature computers around with them in their pockets or handbags 24 hours a day seven days a week. Furthermore, statistics prove that over 90% of people keep their phones within 3 feet of themselves 24/7. And yet it is a fact that the majority of online marketers simply have no idea how to market to people who aren't glued to their PC.

The Facts About Mobile Marketing

Do you realise that with mobile advertising your Ad is going to be the ONLY Ad on the Page! For this very reason the conversion rates achieved with mobile marketing completely blow those achieved on internet marketing right out of the water. Imagine just how easy it would be to grab a person's attention without the distraction of numerous AdWords and flashing banners on the page. YOU are the one and ONLY call to action on the entire page!

With this form of affiliate marketing you do not need to learn any new tricks! ClickBank, CPA and the building of marketing lists work in exactly the same way on mobile as they do on your PC. (But it's a lot easier to do on mobile)....Once everything is fully implemented and running there is no need to constantly make changes as what works with mobile marketing STAYS working. No constant changes to 'algorithms', no 'spiking keyword bids'...etc...etc..

So What are You Going to Do About It!

It must be perfectly obvious to you by now; that now is the right time to take decisive action if you really want to break into this very lucrative area of mobile web marketing. Nobody has an absolute advantage over you at this present moment in time...but you will need to move very quickly, if you really want to find yourself in the exclusive and enviable position of being able to seize upon the prime assets within the mobile phone advertising market as this web marketing phenomenon explodes right around the globe!

You still have a little time left, but not very much...

The advent of mobile marketing has just begun... history tells us that it is always the early adapters to new technologies that reap the massive rewards on offer. People, who procrastinate and put things off, content to watch from the sidelines, eventually find that they have left it too late, to make any sort of impression. They find that the entire landscape has changed; the goal posts have shifted. They suddenly find themselves faced with insurmountable competition from those who were intelligent enough to jump in at the start. They have been left out in the cold!

Head on over and check out the sensational mobile monopoly system, you will be very impressed with what is being offered.


Article Source: 
http://EzineArticles.com/4851472

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Mobilized Marketing: How to Drive Sales, Engagement, and Loyalty Through Mobile Devices

Mobile-phone-advertising
Mobile-phone-advertising (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I've had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff about his book on my mobile marketing talk show and he is every bit as amazing in person as he is in the book.

Anyone...and I mean anyone that speaks the words "mobile marketing" should read this book. That means if you're an entrepreneur, a small agency owner, a consultant, a large agency, a brand marketer, client side, CMO, CEO, you name it...this is the book you should read on mobile marketing. There are a few others out there you should read too but not many dive into the logic and thinking behind the initiatives executed in this book.

It's a great read for beginners to mobile marketing and a must read for anyone looking to execute a mobile initiative. A lot of people get caught up in the hype and innovation of mobile but Jeff tells it how it is. He talks about the strategies that have worked while addressing the innovation. He show you proved campaigns from big brands as well small business like a car dealership.

Mobile is also not going to save your business. Jeff is very much a realistic marketer, business person and human being. No BS, no hype, he breaks down the mobile space very well so that anyone can understand it.

I highly recommend this book. Jeff Hasen is a great writer and one of the most knowledgeable people in the mobile space both of which are actively displayed in this book.

I've had the pleasure to interview some of the top mobile marketers in the industry on my show and I CONSTANTLY quote Jeff's book, his work, his insights and more. I very much see the space the way he does which makes it easy to agree with him but he backs everything up.

If you're in marketing it's a must read for sure.


Article Source:
http://www.amazon.com/review

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