Facebook hashtags finally rolled off the assembly line and onto our computer screens.  With them come new opportunities to use social media marketing to build your business. By understanding a few simple points about using hashtags on Facebook you’ll be ready to get your business involved. What are Facebook hashtags? Hashtags are words used to organize similar ideas, events or topics.  They begin with a ‘#’ and are often found at the end of a post. When you see a hashtag on Facebook, click on it and you’ll see a list of other posts containing the same hashtag, in chronological …more

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you know that video is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways people connect on the internet.  Statistics about online video consumption show that within three years 55% of online traffic will be videos. YouTube is now the 2nd largest search engine, which means that when your customers want information a lot of them are turning to YouTube first.  Over 1 billion of them last month, to be exact. Why is online video important for my business? Now that we’ve either solidified what you already knew or frightened you into reading more …more

Advertising your business using online marketing is important, but it can be an overwhelming task.  Where do you start?  What method is best to reach more customers online?  There are several strategies you can use for your online marketing plan; you can choose one or several to reach potential customers.  Start with three quick steps to give your online marketing a quick boost. 1. Blogging Blogging can be a great tool to attract new customers and establish yourself as an expert in your industry. By using specific keywords that are relevant to your target audience your blog posts will be …more

Do you know the value of your business’s brand assets?  They are one of the most valuable marketing tools in your kit, don’t waste them!  Many business owners let them ‘happen’ instead of being proactive and evaluating what brand assets they want in their toolbox. What are brand assets? Brand assets are elements aside from your brand name that evoke a memory of your product.  Examples of brand assets include logos, slogans, jingles, spokespeople, mascots and even specific colors and shapes. When Facebook created its infamous thumbs-up ‘Like’ button, it effectively made the image a valuable part of its brand …more

Do you want your website to stand out from the competition and be found by people searching online?  If the answer to that question is a resounding ‘yes!’ then you should be asking yourself how to get your website on the first page of Google.  If your website can’t be found by search engines, you’re missing the opportunity to connect with potential customers.  Those customers will turn to your competitors, those who are easier to find on Google and other search engines. 1) Master the Basics The first thing you need to do is to make sure you get the …more

When you’re growing your business, broadcast media is a great asset in your marketing mix.  It may seem that the market is shifting to alternate advertising, but broadcast media should still be an integral part of your advertising budget.  As an expanding business, it may seem out of reach but with a media agency on your side it’s not as overwhelming as you might think. What is broadcast media and why should I consider it for my business? Broadcast media is the distribution of video or audio content to a large audience.  Traditionally it has been used to describe television …more

Have you ever visited a website only to find that the content hadn’t been updated since your last visit?  Did you feel let down?  Google feels the same way.  If you want your website to be important to Google and other search engines you have to regularly update the content. What does content development mean? Content marketing (also called content development) is the process of consistently adding value to your website by sharing information that your visitors, customers (and website search engines) will find interesting.  More than just updating your specials or switching some text, effective content marketing means expanding your website …more

Video content is vital in today’s marketing environment.  As more consumers choose video as their preferred method of online information consumption, businesses that don’t provide it will be overlooked.  Video marketing is no longer an option, it’s a necessity. Why Should I Use Video to Market My Business? 52% of consumers say that watching video makes them more confident in their purchasing decision.  While images, great content and a well-executed website all impact buying choices, video provides an opportunity to cultivate personal connections that no other medium can match. First contact with your potential customers often happens digitally.  One way …more

Why do your customers come to you?  Why should they choose you over your competition?  How can you see better results from your marketing? These questions can be easily answered when you arm yourself with competitive intelligence. Using the information you find, you can create a competitive analysis and develop an effective marketing strategy for your business based on the results. There are more ways to compete than on price alone.  By taking time to do a competitive analysis you’ll clearly show consumers why they should choose you over your competition.  It rarely has to do with pricing alone. What Is …more

Once you’re happy with your company website, it’s unlikely the first thing you’re thinking about is making changes.  What if you knew that making small changes would make you money?  If you knew that you could improve sales by 27% (like this mobile phone retailer) the idea would be too appealing to walk away from! A great website is the backbone of your online presence. Optimizing your website for maximum conversion is the way to make it work for you.  Often, what a majority of visitors find appealing is very different than a business owner’s personal preference. Determining which minor …more