Archive for category Entertainment

What are the B2B Buzzwords for 2011?

Posted by Sheryl Sargent in Entertainment, Internet Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Networking on May 20, 2011

Since it’s almost halfway through the year, we can say the cultural climate for 2011 is pretty much set in sand. (Check back with us in January 2012 for a definitive answer.) We marketers like to consider the “in” words, better known as buzzwords, for business that will dictate how companies captivate their targeted audiences.

So what’s the forecast for 2011? Being the nostalgic person that I am, I wanted to look back at the predictions made earlier this year and the latter part of 2010 to determine if they held water, while taking a glance at 2010 buzzwords as well. After a little research at the international, highly esteemed research library Wikipedia, this is what I discovered…

2010

…When someone turned off the lights. In this year, words like caution, recession-proofing, budgeting and downsizing became the operative words for business. However, 2010 also brought new importance to terms like relevance, reassurance, value-added, social media, and SEO as firms searched for alternative methods to preserve (or improve) customer retention.

2011

This year we’re finding our chi and thinking happy thoughts. Transformation, revitalize, creativity, emergence, reinvention, comeback, and reenergize are the keywords many business owners believed would set the pace, with ongoing emphasis on SEO, social media and now mobile marketing.

Our deduction?

We say these predictions are right-on. While seeking to recover from 2010, many firms are more aggressive about SEO and use social media and mobile marketing as vital resources to retain relevance and visibility. Meanwhile we notice evolving business strategies and management systems to bring new life to company.

Want to contribute your two cents? Join the conversation on Twitter. #buzzwords2011

Find out what we think and give us your business buzzwords.

b2b, B2C, Internet Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking

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The Social Media Test

Posted by admin in Brand Building, Brand Positioning, Entertainment, Internet Marketing, Social Networking on March 30, 2011

The Social Media Test

Pull out your scantrons and No. 2 pencils folks. It’s time for a pop quiz.

Answer true or false, tally up your score and post how you did. Good luck!

I have the gift of gab. So in regards to social media, I do most of the gabbing.
I have so much going on with my company, so I mainly use social media to talk about our awesomeness.
I’ve read a lot of asinine posts and I typically enjoy telling people how asinine their posts are.
I don’t (or my company doesn’t) have a Facebook business page.
I don’t (or my company doesn’t) participate in LinkedIn discussion groups.
I think social media platforms are mainly for pushing product.
Business profiles are supposed to be professional. No fun allowed!
I’m a leader not a follower, even if it is on Twitter.
So many people “Like” me on Facebook. It’s like high school (in my imagination) all over again – BUT I haven’t liked them back. I’m just not that into them…
That’s right, a blog…I completely forgot I have a blog…
No my business card does not feature my social media links…but I do have my fax number…
I don’t respond to negative posts on my social media profiles. I delete them. I don’t have time for this hater-ation.
It’s my account so I should be able to control the discussion.
I don’t ask people to check-in to my location, I’m not their mom (and if I was, I’d be too cool for that).
I’m not the “Mayor” of any location in my area…and I don’t plan on running…
My company logo is the profile pic for all social media accounts. My mug is just not meant to be in a ¾ x ¾ inch square.
There’s not a real person posting to my account. One less thing I have to do…
I say “Find us on Facebook” instead of providing the link…scavenger hunts are more fun anyway.
I don’t need to blog or tweet or anything. I just did all that jive a month ago…
It’s all about ROI. What the H-E-double toothpicks is ROE??
Social media is about ME!
Sharing is caring…Psyche!

All of your answers should be false. Give yourself a point every time you answered false.

…And in case you’re wondering what your score means…

0-15 “False” Answers: The bad news is you failed, but the good news is your hair looks great. Also, there is ample opportunity to improve your social media marketing strategy.

16 “False” Answers: So you passed with a ‘C’. It won’t go on my refrigerator or anything, but it’s ok. Work on changing those “Trues” to “Falses” and you’re on the right track.

17 -22 “False” Answers: So you’re the overachiever that messes up the curve for everybody. This is great news and your work has gotten you on Marion’s Dean List. Don’t stop there! Make sure you strengthen all facets of your online presence. Is your website optimized?

Read other “Dont’s” in social media, compliments of Don the Idea Guy.

Brand Building, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking

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Do I really need a mobile site?

Posted by admin in Advertising, Annual Design Report, Brand Building, Brand Positioning, Brochure Design, Catalog Design, Email, Entertainment, Lead Generation, Web Design on March 10, 2011

It’s no secret that mobile technology is starting to become more popular and some sites report that soon mobile devices will replace desktops as the computer of choice.

This is a perfect time for you to get a mobile version of your website. A mobile site is your website in an edited down version to mainly describe what a mobile user would need to know such as directions, phone number, products, services and any special deals you are promoting.

The way it works is when a user goes to yourdomain.com on a mobile device, a special redirect code directs the user to the mobile friendly site format. Most people who use their phones in order to look at a site only have a minute to view whatever it is they need. Therefore a mobile site allows them to view your information quickly, without a lot of scrolling side to side and up and down to find what they are looking for.

A few reasons why you should have a mobile site.

Your users are at some point going to view your site on a mobile device.
Trends show that smartphones will soon be in the hands of most people.
It’s a great way for you to reach your audience in a way that appeals to them.
Mobile sites are quick to download and more user friendly than websites.
All your SEO efforts for your regular site carry over to the mobile version if you set it up properly.

Contact the mobile web design experts at Marion to learn more. We have made mobile sites and we are familiar with the technology to not only use the mobile web but to make the mobile web work for you.

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Blogging Should Never Be Painful: A Quick ‘How to’

Posted by Sheryl Sargent in Brand Building, Entertainment, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Networking on January 20, 2011

I’ve been suffering from writer’s block for the past week and FINALLY I’m cured. Ironically, this is the topic that had me stumped:

HOW TO WRITE A MARKETABLE BLOG

(Sub-Rule: Stop Thinking So Hard)

If I adhered to this, I would’ve had this article for you last week…

By not adhering to this simple rule, you risk stifling your creative flow, and your readers will pick up on that…Then they’ll stop reading.

Rule 1: Develop a Strategy

Your blog should be consistent with your brand strategy. You should know who you’re targeting and the message you want to deliver.

Rule 2: Content Matters

Don’t let anyone tell you differently. Not only does content matter to the person reading it, but search engines pick up on it to. That’s why it’s important to have a catchy title with a keyword or two placed in the mix. Then (naturally) place those same keywords throughout your blog article for the web crawlers to find, aiding your site with a more visible ranking.

Rule 3: Get to the Point

Obviously, I’m a little lenient with this rule, but as rule of thumb, try not to give readers a textbook of information. That’s what Wikipedia is for.

Rule 4: Link Your Blog Off

Including internal links helps with search engine optimization (SEO). The more internal links you can reasonably include, the better.

Rule 5: Highlight the Important Stuff

For the skimmers out there, myself included, it’s ideal to have an article where the important points are emphasized through a bulleted list, bold print or all caps. Also, when it comes to creating a list, you can relay the same information, while making the article an easier, faster read.

Rule 6: It’s about Quality AND Quantity

Get in the habit of developing quality content frequently. The more blogs you release, the deeper your site becomes which, in turn, increases its visibility to search bots. This can potentially improve your ranking as well, especially if you jam pack it with relevant keywords.

Rule 7: Have Some Personality

This is important if you want to keep readers interested all the way to the end. Your blog should be just as personable as you.

Rule 8: Spell Check

(No explanation required.)

Now zealously start writing and get ready to publish your new and improved blog.

Up next…why you’re writing a blog in the first place…

Brand Building Services, Company Blogs, Internet Marketing Houston, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing

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