As the Olympics wind down this week, the biggest and most buzzed-about issue hasn’t been the gold medals and world records, it’s been the International Olympics Committee (IOC) and its Rule 40. For context, Rule 40 lasts from July 18 to August 15 and prohibits all Olympians from promoting any sponsors that aren’t official Olympic […]
Social Media
A Lesson in Managing a Social Crisis, From an Unlikely Source
By now, you most likely have seen the blog by recent college graduate Cathryn Sloane, who argued that all social media managers should be under the age of 25. “You might argue that everyone, regardless of age, was along for the ride,” she wrote. “We spent our adolescence growing up with social media… no one […]
How to Develop a Social Media Strategy
Developing a true social media strategy is not as easy as hiring an intern to do everything and hoping it works. There are many moving parts and people who have to get involved in order to make social media a long-term success. We recommend formulating a plan and getting a top-down corporate commitment on why […]
Facebook’s Future: Certain or Not?
According to a survey by Reuters, four out of five Facebook users have never bought a product or service as a result of advertising or comments on the site. The poll also found that 34 percent of users were spending less time on the website than they were six months ago. Only 20 percent were […]
GM Pulls Advertising From Facebook, Journal Reports
Many companies have been questioning whether advertising on Facebook is effective, and General Motors Co. has just determined that they, in fact, aren’t. The company has planned to stop advertising on Facebook, revealing that their paid ads have had little impact on consumers, reports the Wall Street Journal. GM will still continue to expand its […]
Using Twitter to Your Advantage: Part 5 – Growing Twitter Followers
Now that you know how beneficial Twitter can be for all aspects of your business, how do you grow your followers? Target specific ones. Say, for example, you’re a marketing company. The people more likely to follow you back are those who follow users similar to you. Search for other marketing companies in the Twitter […]
The Best and Worst Times to Link up in Social Media
Social media is good for business. But often, sending out your links to the vast expanse that is the web can leave you wondering, Did anyone click on them? Did anyone even see them? Link shortening and tracking service bit.ly released results to a study of the best times to post to Twitter, Facebook and […]
Using Twitter to Your Advantage: Part 4 – Twitter for Public Relations
Most (if not all) members of the media have personal Twitter accounts. Search for and follow ones that report for news organizations local to your business. Develop relationships with them by retweeting their tweets and @-ing them with relevant links. If you do this enough times (while not bombarding them with information), they’ll see you […]
Using Twitter to Your Advantage: Part 3 – Twitter for Business
Twitter is useful for business because it’s a way to connect with your customers on a personal level. Users who follow you can ask you questions directly and give you feedback. You, in turn, can crowd source a problem or question to your followers if you are looking for feedback. Frequently tweet news and events […]
Using Twitter to Your Advantage: Part 2 – Twitter for Research
The great thing about Twitter is it’s updated in real-time, so if one of your followers tweets something, you’ll see it instantaneously in your feed (the list of tweets that comes up when you click the “home” button). You can utilize this in many ways. One is to research more about your industry. What are […]
Using Twitter to Your Advantage: Part 1
Twitter can be a powerful tool to drive visitors to your website. It’s a way to get short (140 character) messages out there to hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Here are some other uses of Twitter: Researching in real-time about a current event, trend or business. Promoting news for your business or organization. Developing […]
Changing Your Company's Facebook Page: The New Timeline is Here
Notorious for making format changes, Facebook is still on a roll – and now with one of the most dramatic redesigns ever. Recently completing the addition of Timeline for personal profile pages, Facebook has announced that the same Timeline feature, along with a new creative layout, is now being added to business pages. In other […]
Is There a Direct Relationship Between Facebook Likes and Sales?
While companies of every category encourage people to click their Facebook Like buttons, the accountability questions continue to surface: “How much does liking a company influence a purchasing decision and increase loyalty to the business?” The best way to determine if there’s a relationship between fans who’ve actually liked and purchased is to directly ask […]
What's Pinterest, and Why You Should Take a Look
Are you “pinning”? If not, maybe you should be. Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board, where users can pin images from all over the web to themed boards. The title of your boards are up to you, but you place them into categories, ranging from DIY & Crafts, to Architecture, to Geek, to Women’s or […]
"In and Out" 2012 Marketing Trends
OUT: Advertising in all the wrong places IN: Connecting in all the right places OUT: Websites that look like billboards IN: Websites that include videos OUT: Focusing on your business IN: Focusing on your staff, customers/clients OUT: Mediocrity – no one will remember your product or service IN: “Remarkability” – an experience customers/clients will share […]
Harness the Power of a Blog
Don’t underestimate the power of using a blog as part of your online marketing and publicity efforts. A corporate blog can establish your company as a thought-leader in its business category and enhance its overall Internet presence. In addition, a corporate blog can drive traffic to your website, attract new customers and clients at a […]
Where the Conversations Really Take Place
Where do conversations take place? You may be surprised to learn that 90 percent of conversations occur offline and the remaining 10 percent online. Despite the hype surrounding social media and the heavy use of Facebook and Twitter, the fact is that only a minimal amount of all conversations occur on social media sites! This […]
The Best Time to Send Email
A new study from online marketer Hubspot, confirms findings we learned about 6 months ago…the most effective time to send an email broadcast to your customers, no matter which business category you are in, is early Saturday morning. Weekend email campaigns tend to have a much higher click-through rate (CTR) than those sent during the […]
The Secret to Successfully Using Facebook and Twitter
Facebook and Twitter are important elements in any social media campaign. Using it successfully requires some thought and careful planning. Following are some really good tips: • Crafting a message is the most important element of any advertising campaign. The copy has to be original, creative, memorable and engaging –with a call to action. Without […]
Why YouTube Videos Should Be Part of Your Marketing Plan
Initially tagged as the renegade of the Internet world, YouTube has become an important part of today’s new media landscape and an essential element of your marketing plan. YouTube provides a valuable medium for all companies to showcase products and services – at no cost to you. According to ComScore.com, 25 percent of YouTube users […]