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Posts Tagged ‘Marketing’

Optimizing Your Twitter Presence

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

As the world continues its transition to the digital space, the majority of companies have realized that social media is an essential piece of the marketing puzzle, Twitter being a key player. The site has experienced exponential growth over the past couple years, with 23.5 million unique visitors per month being reported in February 2010. While Twitter still has a long way to go to catch up to Facebook, it has proven itself as a powerful force in the world of real-time communications.

In order to take advantage of all it has to offer, we’ve come up with a key list of tools below:

Personalizing Your Presence

In addition to maintaining a wide database of pre-made Twitter wallpapers that you can simply select to install on your account, Twitbacks also allows you to customize a background of your own. This website specializes in helping you create backgrounds featuring a left-hand column that may include your social networks, links, photos, an extended bio, phone number and more.
MyTweetSpace is a user-friendly site that offers badges, fancy graphics and themes to help you personalize your Twitter presence. The standard backgrounds with badges are available for $5. In addition, the site offers backgrounds specifically customized for your business for a $79 fee.

Growing Your Account

Known as the “Twitter Yellow Pages,” Twellow allows you to search for people on Twitter in specific categories, such as: Real Estate, Green, Football, Teachers, Fashion Design, etc. You can also register yourself on the site and select the category, or categories, that you fit in best.
Nearby Tweets is a fun application that enables you to plug in your city, and see who is tweeting in your geographical area. While the standard public Twitter stream is bombarded with up to 12 million tweets per minute, Nearby Tweets gives you a microscopic view of who is saying what in your own community.

Platforms

Tweetdeck for desktop

Tweetdeck is a popular Twitter publishing application that is available in both desktop and mobile versions. Having just topped 15 million downloads as of July 2010, theservice sends out approximately 4 million tweets and status updates every day. The value in Tweetdeck comes in the ability to customize your personal Twitter experience by creating different columns, groups, scheduled tweets and searches.
Formerly Tweetlater.com, Social Oomph is a desktop-based application that is preferred by many due to the extensive number of features that it offers. The free version includes: scheduled tweets, keyword tracking, direct message inbox purging, extended Twitter profiles and the ability to save and reuse message drafts.

Analytics

Twitalyzer is a free service that provides a high-level overview of where you fall in the Twitter-scape and how you are making an impact. When you sign in using your Twitter account information, the site generates a report that shows you your impact, engagement, clout, retweet ratio, follower statistics, personality and more. Twitalyzer also provides a section with recommendations for you to create a bigger impact on the site.
TweetStats is a tool that allows you to take a broad look at how many tweets you are sending out monthly, daily and hourly, going back to the first tweet you sent during your first month on Twitter. Once you plug in your username, you will be provided with graphs and tweet clouds that offer an inside look into how you are using Twitter.

Tags: Business, Marketing, MyTweetSpace, Nearby Tweets, networking, online presence, social media, social networking, Social Oomph, tools, TweetDeck, TweetStats, Twellow, Twitalyzer, Twitbacks, Twitter
Posted in Marketing, media, social media | No Comments »

Should Interns Run Social Media Campaigns?

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Incorporating social media into your marketing efforts is essential in this digital world. While some businesses have decided to embark on this on their own, by assigning the task to their marketing department, others have turned to what they consider to be the most cost-effective solution – hiring a summer intern.

From the perspective of the Gen Y population, a “deep understanding of social media” or “experience launching viral digital campaigns” is what they do on a daily basis – updating their Twitter statuses every 5 minutes or creating new groups on Facebook.

Image: Business Insider

Sure, these students may claim they are “Social Media Experts” because they know how to upload a YouTube video or follow a Twitter hashtag. But, they may not possess the essential communication skills and strategy experience that are required to move your social media efforts forward.

Below we have listed some of the pros and cons of hiring a college intern or relying on rather than sticking with an external agency.

Pros

· If you are looking to bring on talent at the end of the summer, a summer intern is a great excuse to give someone a trial run before handing over a contract

· Summer interns can provide valuable insight if you are launching a campaign or your company target market is the 18-24 age group

· Low budget

Cons

· College students know how to chat with their friends on Twitter, but they often forget the purposes of managing this for a company rather than for fun

· Students may not be committed to your company the same way that an agency is, especially if they are not getting paid or receiving minimal compensation

· Agencies have worked with numerous companies with various needs, therefore they have familiar with best practices and understand what works better than someone who has only played with social media for personal purposes

· Summer interns require quite a bit of training to educate them on your company’s messages and core values

Interns are great assets for any business, but after you have spent numerous hours, endless effort, and invested valuable resources on building your brand online, it can be risky to leave a public media channel open to someone who is unfamiliar of the foundation of your company. Social media is your company’s face to the world. Make sure you know this face, and most importantly, that the face knows you and your company.

Tags: cost-effective, Interns, Marketing, online campaigns, social media, Twitter
Posted in Branding, Marketing, Strategy, media, social media | 2 Comments »

Application Sensation – Marketing Your Brand Through Mobile Applications

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

When the iPhone was introduced in 2007, the idea of a branded mobile application on a high-quality Apple product quickly caught the intrigue of marketers across the world. Although the iPhone wasn’t the first smartphone to allow branded applications, it sparked the rush for every company to out-do the competition with the most engaging and unique application to appeal to an audience constantly seeking stimulation and entertainment.

iPhone Applications

Since the original iPhone made its début, the number of mobile apps in the iTunes store has increased by leaps and bounds. An InformationWeek article from April 6 stated that 2010 would see the number of mobile application downloads increase to almost 6 billion applications, up from 2.4 billion downloads in 2009.

Keep in mind that this doesn’t just include applications designed for the iPhone – there are now thousands of apps available for every type of smartphone on the market. And with the introduction of the iPad and competing tablets, this marketing medium will only continue to thrive, especially as technology allows for more and more advanced features.

Have you considered creating a mobile application for your brand? The positive brand equity that comes with a properly executed application could definitely make it worth your while. But there are a number of considerations to review before pushing ahead blindly to create a mobile application just because it’s what the competition is doing. It’s important to take a strategic look at what you can do to make your application as relevant as possible to your audience.

A CNN source was quoted saying “At the heart of apps that have been successful and that will continue to be successful are apps that are practical and allow people to do something that they weren’t able to do before.” In addition, you want your application to be one that properly resonates with your brand and keeps the user engaged.

When thinking about building an application for your brand, consider:

Will this augment your customer’s experience with your brand?
What level of engagement are you looking to achieve?
How will consumers relate the application to your brand?
What value is this application providing to its users?

Many brands have been successful in creating mobile applications to enhance customer experience in a way that can’t be achieved through static webpages. Restaurants and amusement parks, such as Disney World, have created apps that allow visitors to upload line wait times in real-time. Yahoo! created a fully functional application for Fantasy Football season, which let customers trade players and make adjustments to their fantasy teams up until kick-off.

Consider how to translate the services that your business provides into a value that consumers can benefit from when they’re on the go. Given the huge number of applications in the iTunes store today, how will you stand out from the competition? Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience and challenge your vision of what might be involved in the best application that you can possibly create.

And if you want to take a peek into the future, check out these predictions of the Top Consumer Mobile Applications for 2012.

Tags: Ask An Expert, iPhone, Marketing, mobile applications, mobile technology, smartphones
Posted in Branding, Marketing, Strategy, media | No Comments »

Audience Sourcing: Find Your Target Market

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

It’s one of the biggest challenges companies face. They spend a large portion of time and resources to get it right and it’s ever-evolving: reaching your target market. But, there are some ways to make this process easier, less stressful and more educational along the way.

Research is the keystone of developing successful ways to reach your market. With accurate research in place, choosing the most effective way to reach your audience becomes an easier, less painful process. Often times when confronted with a vast amount of information, it’s easy to lose track and focus. Here’s a list of questions that will get the ball rolling in the right direction and help you reach your target demographic:

Who is your target audience?
Where are they located?
Are you using the most efficient platform to reach them?
How do you want them to feel about your brand?
Who is your competition?
Are they doing anything you’re not?

In answering these questions, you will have a solid foundation off which to build your next marketing move. Having a strategy and positioning in place will help your company garner their desired results from marketing.

Tags: demographic, Marketing, niche market, positioning, research, Strategy, target audience, target demographic, target market
Posted in Marketing | 1 Comment »

The Cents (and Dollars!) of Using Online Marketing

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

As we constantly move towards a society where daily tasks such as paying the bills, ordering food and shopping for clothes are being performed online, new opportunities to approach, reach and target your clients are beginning to emerge. Online marketing has a number of benefits, especially for small business owners. It’s fast, efficient, environmental friendly, but most of all, it’s cost-effective!

Besides the obvious benefits of eliminating mailing and printing costs, here are some important factors to take into consideration.

The two-way communication process. The feedback from your consumer makes it easy to adjust and update your online campaign. If you notice that certain copy or images needs to be changed, this is an easy fix. Imagine doing a print campaign and realizing along the way that you’re not getting the results that you’re looking for. The cost and time it would take to make the necessary edits would probably mean a financial setback for your business.

To receive feedback from the consumers while doing an offline marketing campaign requires the consumer to mail or call. People don’t have the time to do this and valuable information gets lost. Online marketing allows clients to have an ongoing communication with the actual company, and most importantly the company can very fast adapt according to their audience.

Another way to track the results of your campaign is to set up SEO keywords. The campaign can get customized and constantly updated based on your consumer’s reaction and feedback.

There are numerous communication channels to be utilized in online marketing. The primary channel is the web, but also e-newsletter, social media platforms audio and video. Speaking of email marketing, there’s nothing easier for a potential client to forward and/or share the email that is being sent out. Today, an increasing number of companies are integrating social media with e-marketing. TopRank’s online marketing blog featured an interesting post about the so-called “Share to Social” (S2S) link that can be imbedded in an email marketing campaign. When sending out an email simply include this link, which tells the receiver to instead of just sending or forwarding the email, he or she should also make sure to share it with more people by utilizing social media platforms. Links to the platforms are imbedded in the email, which makes it easy for the receiver to spread the word about your products and/or services!

Tags: blog, cost-effective, email marketing, Marketing, online marketing, print marketing, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, social media, TopRank
Posted in Marketing | No Comments »

Give Your Network the News

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

You’ve built an amazing network of contacts, potential clients and business partners. Great! But, think of your network like a plant–it only grows when it is fed and nurtured. Don’t go sprinkling MiracleGro on your contacts just yet. Networks are fed by information and engagement. So how can you engage your network?

Of course, you can use social media for quick updates and day-to-day engagement. But, don’t forget the power of a newsletter. You can send a mass online newsletter to your entire contact book or you can opt to send a print letter to your inner-circle. Either way works as long as you understand how to effectively position and utilize your newsletter. Here are a few quick tips and benefits to keeping your network in the know. A newsletter can be used for:

News and Information

Keep your network up to date about your accomplishments. A newsletter gives your company a chance to shine and showcase its success. Also, keeping your network in the loop about your current projects may peak their interest and they may even lend a hand (or a contact!)

Education

By including relevant links and resources in your newsletter, you make it more interesting and, thus, engaging. Your network will want to read your newsletter if you include interesting facts or links to articles written by yourself or well-known sources in your field. This also reminds your network that your company is a credible resource, with your finger close to the pulse of the industry.

Outreach

Sending out a cheerful and informative newsletter to a wide audience can help you expand your network. If your newsletter is effective and well-written, members of your network may pass it along to their friends and colleagues, allowing you to cast a wider net, increase brand awareness and explore new markets.

Reinforcement

Don’t let your network forget about you! Popping a monthly newsletter in their mailbox (electronic or not) reminds your network that you’re an innovator and expert that is constantly looking out for their interests.

Think newsletters are a thing of the past? Has social media replaced newsletters? Perhaps. But, there is something special about getting a personalized piece of mail that no tweet could replace.

Tags: company newsletter, e-marketing, eMarketing, Marketing, news letter, newsletter, online marketing, online newsletter, print newsletter, small business, social media
Posted in Marketing | No Comments »

Get in your customers’ inbox!

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Direct mailing marketing campaigns are quickly becoming a thing of the past. With the evolution of the digital world, people are spending hours upon hours each day in their email accounts and emailing has emerged as a primary form of communication. Although other media to reach your consumer have arrived on the scene, email is still a great way to stay connected to your clients and the benefits of email marketing are numerous. Email marketing allows you to send your network or current and potential customers information about your business, news updates or promotional offers. Not sure where to start with email marketing? Here are a few tips to get the ball rolling.

1. Choose a platform.

There are several platforms that you can use to distribute your email marketing. Find one that fits your needs and budget. Having trouble picking a platform? Check out some of the Perks recommendations.

2. Determine a strategy.

Ask yourself what you want your email marketing efforts to be used for. What is the end goal? Do you want to send your customers and network news? Promotional offers? Think about who will be reading your emails and the action you want them to take. Do you want them to visit your website? Call your office for a quote? Once you figure out what action you would like to be the result of your campaign, you can lay the foundation for successful email marketing.

3. Brand your email

Whenever you give a consumer information about your business, make sure it’s branded! Carefully craft content that is consistent with your brand identity and delivers the information in an action-oriented and empowering way. Design your email to make it visually appealing and make sure that it matches the rest of your branded materials.

Once your email platform, strategy and branding are in place, you are ready to reach out to your network in a tactical and decisive manner. Check out a few other email marketing tips and tricks to maxamize your email marketing efforts!

Tags: e-marketing, email marketing, eMarketing, Marketing, online marketing, small business, Strategy
Posted in Marketing | 2 Comments »

Social media for social change

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

A recent article in Time magazine, focused on the way Twitter has changed the face of the communication landscape. Though criticized at first for being superficial and lacking substance, Twitter conversation has taken a more meaningful turn lately. Believe it or not, Twitter has evolved from an outlet for those with increasingly short attention spans to a platform for social change and relevant conversation. And this has expanded beyond business endeavors to the nonprofit, and even political, arenas.

No one is really sure why this sudden change has taken place. It could be the American presidential election, the controversy surrounding social media in China and Iran, President Obama’s call to service or even simply the recent explosion of social media as a popular form of communication. Whatever the reason, it is becoming increasingly apparent that Twitter is being used to promote social causes as well as popular brands. Twitter has become the newest form of Cause Related Marketing. You don’t have to work for a nonprofit to promote a meaningful cause. Just pick a cause that fits your brand image and you can use Twitter to make a difference. Here’s how:

1. Connect with fellow advocates from around the word.

One of the greatest gifts social media and ever-changing technology has given us is that we are able to create a virtual “global village.” Your audience truly is just a tweet away. Entrepreneurs, social change activists and consumers or donors from Dubai to Sydney, from Rio de Janeiro to Beijing are literally at your fingertips. Find others who believe in the cause you are promoting and engaging in relevant conversations with them via Twitter. You never know just how far one tweet can take you.

2. Host a social media event.

The evolution of video technology has enabled us to engage with people across the country and around the world. Twitcam and other Twitter-based video applications are allowing us to host meetings and events via social media. Use these applications and resources to host conversations with contacts in different cities, states or even countries. Take your fingers off the keyboard and bring the conversation live without ever having to leave your chair.

3. Take the conversation with you.

Use iPhone and mobile device applications to take social media with you anywhere you go. Trick out your phone with the latest applications and your cause never leaves you. Relevant conversations, events, products and ideas are literally in the palm of your hand and you can make major social change from your phone. What a world we live in!

The world is changing and you can either resist it or embrace it. Be a part of the change and use the power social media to promote a busienss or a cause or anything that means a lot to you and make a difference in the world around you.

Tags: activism, Barack Obama, cause related marketing, China, iPhone, Iran, Marketing, nonprofit, small business, social change, social media, Time Magazine, Twitcam, Twitter
Posted in Marketing | No Comments »

Building a Strong Foundation: Marketing for Nonprofits

Monday, July 20th, 2009

One of the biggest marketing myths is that marketing for nonprofits is a whole different ballgame than marketing for businesses. In fact, marketing for nonprofits and for companies are really more similar than most people would think. The major difference is that in for-profit marketing you are selling a product or service, whereas in nonprofit marketing you’re selling something a bit more intangible–a cause.

Most nonprofits are affiliated with a cause or a charity, from raising awareness about eduction to the environment, every nonprofit is a champion for something. And it is that something what we as marketing experts are selling. So how do you go about selling an idea? How do we sell consumers something that they can’t see?

The answer is the same way we would sell a tangible object. Here are a few for-profit marketing strategies that we have translated to fit the needs of the nonprofit sector.

1. Emphasize Value Proposition

Every business must have a value proposition, or a statement of what makes your business better, brighter and faster than that of your competition; basically answering the question, “why choose us?” Nonprofits are not exempt from creating a solid value proposition. Look at your mission statement and ask yourself, “out of the hundreds of other nonprofits that service the same cause, what makes this one different?” Once you answer that, you have a solid foundation from which to build your marketing plan.

2. Plan Events

In the nonprofit sector in particular, hosting fundraising events is a great way to earn revenue and get the word out about your cause or foundation. Make sure the event is at a high-profile location (usually upscale lounges and clubs will allow you to host an event during the evening, before they get busy). Invite everyone in your network and include raffles, (donated) prizes and drink specials at your event to show your guests a good time. Using the event as a hook, you will have be the perfect chance to tell your already-captive audience about your past success and future goals.

3. Take pictures!

A picture is worth a thousand words. So tell your organization’s story through visual media including photos, videos and slideshows. Showcase the good work your nonprofit is doing through the newest technology.

4. Get on the social media train

Utilizing social media to spread the word about your cause is a great way to increase cause awareness and interact with your community. Get in touch with potential donors or even other nonprofits who help the same cause but in different locations. Share insight and advice with other nonprofits, chances are they are dealing with the same challenges as you are. (If they aren’t, then they already have or eventually will!) Just like in the for-profit sector, establishing relationships with key players in your field is crucial and there’s no better way to do this than social media.

Need more ideas or resources?Check out the following sites to wrap your head around marketing for nonprofits.

Eight Basic Steps to Marketing your Nonprofit Organization

Marketing & Communications Resources for Nonprofits

The Foundation Center

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

Tags: event marketing, Marketing, NGO, nonprofit, social media, value proposition
Posted in Marketing | No Comments »

Posts Tagged ‘Marketing’

Application Sensation – Marketing Your Brand Through Mobile Applications

Audience Sourcing: Find Your Target Market

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