Internet Marketing Solution
Facebook for Businesses- Why it’s okay to be “connected to your page.”
February 18, 2013
When you start a Facebook page for your business, you log into your personal account to create the page. Your personal account, along with any others you designate, then become “administrators” of the page with the ability to post to the page, view insights data and interact with other Facebook pages under the businesses name. This is, naturally, a set up that requires trust, and one that makes some organizations nervous. Every now and then, I hear questions like, “Why does my personal account have to be ‘connected’ to my page? Isn’t that risky/unprofessional/etc? How can I separate them?” There are a few different reasons behind these questions. Some are worried about accidentally posting as the page, rather than themselves, or vice versa. For some, it is a matter of principle; they want to keep their personal and professional lives as separate as possible.
Taking Lessons at Monsters University: Creative Internet Marketing Solutions
January 28, 2013
Although Disney has an occasional hit, it's a sad truth that they have a long history of misses when it comes to sequels, even with the help of Pixar. So when I started seeing previews for Monsters University, I was both excited and very worried. I LOVED Monsters, Inc, and the concept of watching those characters learn their trade in college did sound amusing, but with past examples like Little Mermaid 2, there is a high risk of what I would consider disaster. This is one of a few sequels/prequels that Pixar has coming up, and much of the public seems to share my wary indecision.
While as a viewer I may have concerns, as an internet marketer I am impressed. The advertising campaign for Monsters University is clever, thorough and fun. So how are they doing it?
Unrealistic Expectations or a Revenge Plan Gone Cold?
December 17, 2012
About a month ago, I wrote about a creative internet and traditional marketing campaign where Target and Neiman Marcus combined forces to create a holiday collection. The companies got very creative, drafting a mini episode of the ABC television show Revenge to draw attention to their collection. The campaign drew a lot of attention from the marketing and advertising industries. The videos continued to draw views, social media buzz and other engagement, but naturally the most important question was how this would translate into sales when the collection was released on December 1st. Both stores hoped that the collection would improve visitor traffic during a traditional slump between Black Friday and Christmas. Target and Neiman Marcus Think Outside the Advertising Box with Revenge Campaign
November 19, 2012
My roommate is a fan of the ABC show Revenge. She knows I’m interested in creative and unique ad campaigns, so when she saw the November 11th mid-season finale of the show, she knew I’d want to know about it. The entire episode was sponsored by two companies, Target and Neiman Marcus. These two companies have joined advertising forces for the holiday season. While it is common for brands as large as these to spread out their advertising budget to reach the largest market possible, Target and Neiman Marcus chose to purchase all of the advertising space for one episode of one television show. This in itself is interesting, but the ads themselves are even more interesting. Instead of running traditional ads, the companies teamed up with the show’s writers and actors to create a story within a story that they called “The Gift of Revenge.”
Don’t be Afraid to Perform Marketing Tests
October 29, 2012
Not every idea that you are going to have for marketing your business online will be a solid gold hit. Sometimes, no matter how awesome they sound to you and your team, your ideas will fail. Don’t worry; this happens to everyone at one point or another.
Now let’s change terminology a little bit. My background is in Physics, so I like to use the term marketing ‘tests’ because I like to view ideas as experiments where I can see what does or does not work in any given situation. So whenever someone in our office has an idea, we immediately see if we can turn that idea into a test in order to gain information before making a substantial investment in money, time, or resources. We do this to mitigate cost for our clients while simultaneously improving the effectiveness of their online marketing.
ToolsDay Reviews: Piktochart, a free infographic tool
July 10, 2012
Welcome to ToolsDay, our new blog series! From managing your social media agencies to organizing your schedule, there are an almost infinite number of tools aimed at those who are running or marketing a small business. In order to help you pick out the best ones, we will be periodically reviewing a free or low cost tool. You’ll hear both the good and the bad about the tools we use every day and recommend to our clients, new tools we think are promising, and those we think you should pass on.
For my first review, I decided to check out Piktochart. This is a free program that helps you create infographics. Infographics are an increasingly popular way to display information in an easy to digest, visually appealing format. They are a great element to add to your internet marketing solution for a few reasons. Well-made infographics are more likely to be shared than written content, which makes them great at driving traffic to your website or social media pages. They are particularly good if you are designing a business to business social media strategy, and having trouble finding visual elements to catch people’s interest.
5 Settings to Pay Attention to in AdWords: Delivery Method
May 07, 2012
In order to save money on advertising costs, many small business owners take over their own pay per click management. Setting up a Google AdWords campaign yourself can be a daunting task. This series details 5 important AdWords, and how you can best use them in your campaign. Here is the final part of this 5 part series.
Delivery method is a setting that dictates how your budget is used to deliver your ads. This setting is in the Campaign Settings tab under Bidding and Budget.
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Black Friday Goes Social
November 14, 2011
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means retailers are pulling out all the stops to prepare for their own important tradition, Black Friday sales. Most brands have already started online campaigns to get customers excited about the upcoming sales. Brands offering online deals and using the web to promote their sales is nothing new. Cyber Monday, the online equivalent to Black Friday, has been an extremely successful component of holiday sales for some time. Last year’s Cyber Monday sale set the record for the “heaviest spending day in e-commerce history” according to TechCrunch. What is new is the increasing number of brands working with social media agencies to find creative ways to incorporate a social element into their holiday sales.3 Tips for Starting a New Blog
October 13, 2011
Blogging is a powerful tool for marketing a small business. It’s a great way to get your name out online, and make connections with both potential customers and other business owners. With a little bit of Google keyword research, it can be a pivotal part of your SEO strategy as well. Unfortunately, the idea also seems to make a lot of people very uncomfortable. We talk to people all the time who know they need to start a blog for their business, but who tell us they are nervous about it, or that they just don’t know where to start. With that in mind, I’ve put together this list of tips to help get you get past your writer’s block and get started.
Having Fun with Your Internet Marketing
October 28, 2010
Yesterday I noticed a particularly fun and effective Halloween-themed marketing campaign. The Sears website has put up a zombie-themed home page. The page has pictures of zombies wearing their clothing and using their products with phrases like “accessorize like the living” and “tone while you lumber.” They put a lot of thought into the page, and it has several creative interactive elements including a “zombie gift guide” to help you pick out gifts for male or female zombies based on descriptions like “hungry” or “dirty.”
