Thursday, December 3, 2009

Google Analytics Delivers the Best Results

Google Analytics is the enterprise-class web analytics solution that gives you rich insights into your website traffic and marketing effectiveness. Powerful, flexible and easy-to-use features now let you see and analyze your traffic data in an entirely new way. With Google Analytics, you're more prepared to write better-targeted ads, strengthen your marketing initiatives and create higher converting websites.

The reports show you how people found your site, how they explored it, what keywords were used, where they are from and so much more profound information. It is such an awesome way to see how your marketing investments are truly working by using this in your website.

We hope to help you get the right keywords, target your best markets, engage and convert more customers. Let us help you MAXIMIZE your advertising, marketing and deliver an effective campaign.

Be Clear. Be Seen. Be You.

Adrienne

Email Marketing also known as Eblasts

Be more productive by using cost-effective email marketing to your customers, vendors and new business.

Partnering with Constant Contact is a great way to offer more services to your clients, while generating more revenue for you.

Constant Contact
is a third party service that we use to send out eblasts because our databases have spam preventions in place so it is easier to have our emails get through when you use a trusted well-known ISP provider.

Using eblasts keeps your audience in the now with your latest sales, discounts, newsworthy information or changes.

This e-solution can provide a way to review reports of your interested audience. You can find out who opened your email, when and how many times from the time stamp. Update or adding contacts to your database is quick and easy. Templates are available, as well as survey/poll and event invite registrations.

It doesn't matter what type of service or industry or business you operate. Any industry can and should use this solution to stay connected to your network.

We want to position you as an expert. Let's talk about a valuable e-solution that will work for you.

Be Clear. Be Seen. Be You.

Adrienne

Host a Webinar

Webinars are great to have when you need to have an emergency conference call or to deliver breaking new ground information with your clients or internal training. The purpose of hosting a webinar is endless. You will be stretching out your budget to do more with less.

Let me be direct by saying that the telephone companies are losing capital ground in this area. Everything can be done through the internet connection for no major additional costs. Hopefully you have DSL or cable for good speed connection.

These virtual events are so simple to organize. You could extend your reach to remote attendees without additional travel cost. It offers convenience for a wider choice of keynote speakers and experts. In collaboration with others who are presenting it can include video, live, and/or recorded content, as well as online discussion or view Powerpoint presentations from the speaker's desktop.

The virtual dashboard is so easy to work with and user friendly. Attendees who don't have an internet connection can also be able to attend by dialing the VOIP number to listen into the conference. Also the dashboard features customizable poll questions for attendees to vote, a way to chat to all attendees or just selected attendees, the main admin can be able to switch presenters by one click of the mouse button and answer questions from attendees that send questions through the dashboard. It is absolutely a great form of communication worldwide.

Email registrations and reminders takes a minimal of time. It is much faster than telephone recruitment with staff to sending out printed invitations. It can be instant or it can be scheduled. It just depends on what your needs are.

Are you thinking about extending your traditional face-to-face events to online attendees? Learn from us how to host your next Virtual Meeting!

Be Clear. Be Seen. Be You.

Adrienne

Web Banners and Placement

Web Banners are the ads that are seen on websites when clicked on they will lead back to your website. It is also considered another form of brand recognition.

Of course your ad could be among many other ads seen in a timed rotation.

Web Banner placement on high traffic sites such as news media, local radio and popular social networking sites are proven the best placement options.

Rich Media Overlays are the new rage where a single company will appear over parts of the website content. Usually it will most likely be an interactive animation like a quick commercial which engages the user. Consumers can interact with an ad just as rich and full-featured as a complete web site. They can do this without leaving the site and content they were already browsing. The results can improve ad effectiveness to increase in branding and conversion opportunity, but without the negative experience associated with other intruding pop-ups.

Rich Media Overlays can be found on newly developed integrated platforms. All Clearchannel radio websites will be releasing a new version of their radio websites that will be launched for early 2010. I have heard rumors of networks integrating new platforms too.

Either way we have established relationships with media that could best suit your marketing needs and we look forward to introducing new forms of effective marketing.

Be Clear. Be Seen. Be You.

Adrienne

Web Commercials

If you live in the 20th Century, you are familiar with commercials that occur during your favorite TV show or movie. Morning News can be watched at the click of a play button that afternoon. Streaming media can be played while you wait for your past episode of Heroes to load.

What if you can have an affordable commercial produced that could be featured on your website, your own channel or a way to share your service with your new business prospects?

Online the rules are different from TV Broadcasting.

Today, the most tenacious companies that could never have afforded a national campaign will suddenly have one. This could be you.

Let's take a look at some commercials that could inspire your next commercial. That could be seen anywhere at any time.


World of Warcraft is an online game. Can you take a guess how they promoted their product?


Below features real people experiencing a haunted house called Texas Terror at Katy Mills Mall! There is several of these where patrons are giving their screaming reviews.


Consider embracing today’s rich internet environment to deliver innovative, creative digital media to your clients without breaking the bank.

Be Clear. Be Seen. Be You.

Adrienne

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Pay Per Impression

This is an online advertisement that is a single appearance on a web page.

It is often used in internet advertising.

Each time an advertisement loads onto a user's screen, the ad server may count that loading as one impression. However, the ad server may be programmed to exclude from the count certain non-qualifying activity such as a reload, internal user actions, and other events that the advertiser and ad serving company agreed to not count. For online advertising, the numbers of views can be a lot more precise. When the user requests a web page which creates a log entry. Also, a third party tracker can be placed in the web page to verify how many accesses that page had.

Pay Per Impression (PPI) is used to be able to be cost effective to the advertiser. Instead of Pay Per Click (PPC) which you are hoping that it will lead to turn into a sale this is a form of brand recognition. So regardless if they click or not, the value is your brand being seen. But the majority of choosing Pay Per Impression means you will actually pay for each advertisement clicked.

So your advertisement may be seen by 100,000 viewers but only 500 actually clicked on your ad. Your costs would be the amount agreed by the publisher's demand rate. It could be as low as cents. Which is WAY more affordable than traditional advertising.

People treat Social Networking sites as an authentic part of their lives, so you can be sure you to connect with real people with real interest in your products. Your ads can be targeted to your exact demographic — 24-30 year old women whose relationship status on Facebook indicated that they were engaged. And you will be able to monitor the activity with traffic reports.

A good case study came from Facebook. Over 12 months, CM Photographers had generated nearly $40,000 in revenue directly from a $600 advertising investment on Facebook. Of the Facebook users who were directed to CM Photographics’ website from the ads, 60% became qualified leads and actively expressed interest in more information.

Let me know if this is something that you are interested in because I would love to discuss this further with you.

Be Clear. Be Seen. Be You.

Adrienne

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Forum Posts

Posting on forums is a another form of marketing that has potential to helping your customers with their problems. Simply join conversations on relevant forums to provide thoughtful advice or recommendations.

This is not a scientific formula that works with everyone. It is not a guarantee that they will lead back to your website or follow you to see what else you have to say.

But the truth is people like to do business with people and not some machine in a corporate suit. People want to know what others experience before they buy it. So they read up on reviews. Or request people's opinion on certain subject matters. They completely can do this on a social network like Facebook or online member forums.

When the opportunity is available to comment on an article definitely take the initiative and make a comment. Your signature which should include a teaser and your website should always be seen after your comment. This is to continue your brand recognition.

Be Clear. Be Seen. Be You.

Adrienne

Press Releases, Press Releases, Press Releases

Press releases is really an organized way for media representatives to do their job. For them to get the who, what, when, etc. in a letter format. BUT it may take about 3 months prior scheduling for them to get the information out to the public or to get a news anchor to be interested in your subject matter or it comes with a price tag.

So here is my suggestion. Take the press release and format it into a newsworthy article to be read on the world wide web!

This is called web marketing! It is a series of article placement of useful, relevant information in directories across the web that is among other news worthy information. It is another way of getting your business in front of potential customers, again by offering advice they are looking for. Or announcing some fabulous success about your company or a new breakthrough that your business overcame a hurdle that saved millions.

Why would web marketing work?

The purpose of writing press releases or articles has a valuable impact. First inserting press releases or articles on various directories will most likely rank higher in search results than your web site. It has to do with the fact that the constant information changing. It absolutely makes it easier to get your name in front of potential customers or plays a role in brand recognition. It also produces valuable back links to your business web site, which improves your own ranking when certain words are searched. This is a great way you can talk about your business specifically or the services or products you provide.

Many local businesses struggle to find ways to promote themselves, get links, rank in search engines, and ultimately drive traffic to their websites. Most small businesses also have limited budgets making the task more difficult.

So many media reporters are researching blogs, online press releases and business directories to find the next BIG thing or some local news that would be great to share. Why not be out there as an expert, promote your grand opening, or that you just landed a great business relationship? Your news to your target market, journalists and other bloggers can be read through newsfeeds, search engine searches or other media sites that will ultimately drive traffic to your website or point of sale purchase.

This is something that I love to do. I enjoy sharing exciting news about executives, technology, successful case studies and EVENTS! This an awesome marketing solution to help you connect and engage with target audiences across the world.

Be Clear. Be Seen. Be You.

Adrienne

Business Fan Pages

In the beginning of how my company started was by referrals.

A friend was raving about a fabulous branding design that I did or a guest who attended a party that I coordinated. But the other half of my new business development came from the internet. People found me on a directory listing or they read one of my diversity business articles.

The social revolution is HERE. If you didn't see it coming...and you feel blind-sided, I am sorry but you are going to have to get it over it. And get with it.

It is here and it is only going to get BIGGER.

Do you know the best form of advertising? To this day hands down it is WORD-OF-MOUTH. So imagine WORD-OF-MOUTH combined with Social Media Networking.

It is a powerful method and it can be viral. It can give you the most results for the least expense. Truly this is the way business should work.

Don't you miss those days where you had a personal relationship with your mechanic? Or your banker? Or the baker at the grocery store? Sorry, I came from a small town. But you have to admit I have a good point. Would it not be nice to be able to share your thoughts about your experience or some things to help serve you the customer better or get some tips?

Our newspapers are good but it's the voice of real people that are helping make better buying decisions. The power of the people is HERE.

This is what Social Media Marketing is all about. I know that you have friends. It all starts with your friends of your business.

I would love to help you get started with a Facebook Fan Page of your business and networking your business friends. This is more than just listing your contact information. It is a way to stay connected with your customers, vendors, friends and prospects with relevant information instantly.

Be Clear. Be Seen. Be You.

Adrienne

Are you on THE LIST?

Web Directory Listings

In the research of working the Houston market a lot of keywords people use to find certain types of companies on industry or business related directories. It is important to be listed on directories. Very similar to traditional advertising methods. Such as picking up the phone book and looking up a category in the yellow pages to an alphabetic list of companies.

FREE is good to an extent as well as paying a one time fee is okay too.

In addition to this if you have not already done so I can create a listing with Google which will list your company name, address, phone numbers, web address, service description, industry category, hours of operation, payment methods and other payment details. The listing will work with Google Maps which has a global effect on locating your company. A postcard or telephone call will be verified by Google within 2 weeks of insertion.

Your company coupons, photos and videos can also be added to your business listing.

What is great about putting Coupons on Google is that your coupon can be placed on relevant local Google searches. Which is a cool way to bring new customers into your business or remind old customers that you are still around.

Google Base tries to give the most appropriate answer from different data sources. If you are selling products you can upload feeds automatically into Google Base and often get preferential placement. You can also upload your business, or special event too.

Also setting up networking business accounts for lead generation on various websites like LinkedIn.

Mainly, getting your business listed on major directories that are considered ranking worthy with minimal costs to no additional costs to you can be done. The more business listings will give you the best opportunity for your customer to find you.

Do you need a blog?

Adding a blog to your existing website. A simple quick link to your blog address.

This is not like a new website development that is going to take weeks to produce. Depending on how advance your Blog could be it can be done within hours. In my honest opinion I will confess...I have done all sorts of Blog Applications but I have resorted to cheat.

There...I said it. I cheat. I am using BLOGGER which is an application that is approved by Google. The king of search engines.

Blogging is real simple. You could spend a few minutes of time to hours to blog about subjects and it could be instantly PUBLISHED.

Let me be frank and explain why your website needs a blog.

Google (and the other search engines) love FRESH content. If you had a choice to choose between a static website and a blog, most likely you will go with a blog. The more you update, the more Google will crawl your site, and the more Google crawls your site, the easier it will be for potential customers to find your site and your business.

The key words and phrases used in your content is like bread crumbs to lead back to you.

Be Clear. Be Seen. Be You,

Adrienne

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Does Advertising Work?

Advertising does work. The truth is anyone can advertise their business. But very few can do it effectively.

For example, have you ever noticed the Garage Sale signs in neighborhoods? What causes more traffic to go to one sale vs another? Some may be a ripped up weathered cardboard box on a stake with a felt tip marker that says, "GARAGE SALE" with the address and time underneath the heading. Maybe with an arrow to show direction. Next you see at a major intersection or high traffic areas there are a series of staked large bright orange or green neon signs which say in super-thick lettering Garage Sale or Moving Sale with details underneath. Most likely the brightly colored backdrops will attract more attention.

The key to its effectiveness is to put a lot of thought into the planning of your advertising to make sure it is going to be effective as possible. Remember, advertising is a business tool that can be used to attract more customers and ultimately make your business more profitable. Plan your advertising well, be prepared to try new ideas and work at making your advertising stand out from the crowd and you will be well on the way to success.

Have a fabulous day!

Adrienne

Thursday, November 26, 2009

An Artist Named Jeff Sanson

True artists and illustrators are hard to find these days. But I was blessed to meet one who has a phenomenal talent in creating quality illustrations from the conceptualization stage to final art that can compel, educate, and attract viewers.

His name is Jeff Sanson. He has illustrated items on packaging for retail and food industry to technical dynamic drawings for the oil and gas industry.

His technique is his own and a trade secret. He has a fierce attention to detail. Check out his website that features his portfolio at http://jeffsanson.com/.

Jeff Sanson is a good guy to have at your fingertips to be able to produce quality artwork. Definitely down to earth, modest and humble. Jeff Sanson is definitely a pleasure to work with and gives a wow factor to any piece generated with his style.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Things to know before you sign a Radio Contract

It is best to have a designated advertising agency to plan, negotiate, book and audit media on a client's behalf.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of account executives that work for radio stations that will give you a nice pretty presentation that will give you the impression that RADIO is going to give you the best investment. They will attempt to convince you to believe in numbers that have been reported. Be aware because you don't want your campaign to be a hemorrhage pain to your advertising budget.

I have seen first hand that they will use their many years of experience to give them a cloute.

SIGNS to know if you have a bad account executive:

1) They offer to represent you on your behalf even to other radio competitors.
2) Your company name and/or representative's name is misspelled on all documents including the radio station's website's advertising directory links.
3) You have to sign a second contract because the first one was "misplaced".
4) When other stations that allegedly had contracts signed are calling to set up an appointment directly with you to get the facts straight.
5) You notice a lot of late AM spots after Midnight on your schedule.
6) You don't receive a weekly spot schedule BEFORE they are aired.
7) You have TWO remotes appear on the same night when it was clearly scheduled separately.
8) You don't receive air checks in a reasonable time frame or EVER when requested and are told that everything will be delivered 10 days after the campaign.
9) You can't seem to reach them by phone. But are prompt and attentive to take your money.
10) The ROI that was originally hoped for goes to the wind when you compare the web analytic reports and point of sale purchases.

I have a laundry list of shocking dumb moves account executives have attempted on clients.

There are 3 account executives that I have worked with that I would recommend. Alan Kent (Clearchannel's 94.5 the Buzz), Michael Cody (CBS Radio's Hot 95.7) and Luis Hernandez (Liberman's 107.9 XO). These fine gentlemen represent 3 different markets but each of them have integrity. They all have a fun-loving attitude and they will definitely be involved in your campaign from the beginning to the end.

Have a fabulous day!

Adrienne

Is Social Marketing considered valuable?

What is SOCIAL MARKETING?
Facebook, MySpace, eBlasts, Blogs, Blogging, YouTube

Basically it is another form of brand awareness. A way to reach a target market that may be interested in your product and/or service. These outlets will allow consumer interaction. Similar to results of word-of-mouth that can be contagious.

It is a great way to interact with your consumer or new relationships.

To have a website is just the beginning. A website is such a valuable asset these days, but you have to do more than just have a page up. Your website should be your voice, a showcase and a wealth of information. It is important to understand that you will eventually have to do something to promote your business. Social Marketing, Web Marketing and Internet Marketing are the most affordable compared to traditional forms of advertising. It is true. You have to stay ahead of the curve, be unconventional and find a way to be different to reach your target.

I love to talk about people and businesses! One of my duties at times is to write press releases and send it out to various media organizations. But sometimes there is such a long wait for a response, or to hear back if they agree to publish your story. So, one day I just started blogging on various media sites, published FREE press releases on some public sites, emailed all of the editors that I could get my hands on and then one day we started noticing the press releases published. The reason why is because we took the initiative to use unconventional methods that it sparked an interest.

Having your information on various blogging sites or having a keyword pertaining to your unique business to lead back to you; like a cookie trail is a very good thing.

Is it time consuming yes? Is it affordable? Yes. Is it valuable? ABSOLUTELY.

The only person that will really be your cheerleader are the ones who will value your relationship and business. They are the ones who will put the effort to get on a soapbox and rave about you.

I hope that you find the best soapbox. They are definitely out there.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Hatching a Fresh New Look

Currently, I am redesigning the I-SYTES website. The revamp will feature case studies, video testimonies and projects that we have produced for our clients in the past years. The one big thing that is going to be a change for the better is to use Google approved forms of web marketing. Like Blogger.

On the Blog I will try to update it with all sorts of tidbits of things that I face in the Advertising Market. I will definitely share juicy betrayals and office soaps to enlighten and hopefully help you to avoid certain follies. Or you just might get a good laugh. Either way, I am looking forward to my November release of the website.

Have a fabulous day!

Adrienne