Start with "Why"

If you haven't figured it out by now, reaching your target audiences can be simply complex. What's meant there is the old shot gun method is still easy. Getting responses is still difficult. At least until you consider how the social audience interacts. Engagement is the key to success. Being engaging however is the challenge. What can you say or write to invoke a conversation? Rather than asking a barrage of questions to start a dialogue, start by answering one simply question. "Why?" Starting with "Why" blows away the outer shell and pierces through to the inner belief. It encourages, inspires and instills integrity.

What are the core values of your company? Do you share and demonstrate them to your current and potential customers - or only to your staff at all employee meetings? Better yet - do you promote them in your marketing? And is that message engaging?

If you aren't, perhaps 2011 is the time for you to consider changing your strategies?

How are you engaging your prospects and customers?

Social Media Is Greater Marketing Priority for Small Businesses!

Facebook is now third most important marketing tactic Small businesses, while not yet at the usage levels of their larger counterparts, are warming up to social media marketing, according to a fall 2010 survey from small-business marketing firm Constant Contact.The businesses surveyed overwhelmingly considered word-of-mouth the most important marketing tactic for finding new customers, but that figure includes discussions that take place both online and offline. Websites and email marketing followed as the only other tactics a majority of small businesses said were “very important.”

The businesses surveyed overwhelmingly considered word-of-mouth the most important marketing tactic for finding new customers, but that figure includes discussions that take place both online and offline. Websites and email marketing followed as the only other tactics a majority of small businesses said were “very important.”



Social Media Is Greater Marketing Priority for Small Businesses

Emineo Media

Big Jump in Social Media for Holiday Marketing!

Three-quarters will market on social sites this holiday season

Holiday advertising budgets are shifting as marketers increase their reliance on online channels, according to research from BDO USA.

While print advertising remains on top for holiday spending, nearly 27% of retailers reported they would spend most of their budget for the period online, including on social networks. That was up just from 18% last year and puts online ahead of broadcast for the second year in a row.

Big Jump in Social Media for Holiday Marketing - eMarketer.

HOW TO: Optimize Your Social Media Marketing Strategy!

There’s nothing like the basics to help bring things back into focus when you feel lost. In “Marketing 101,” the acronym AIDA stands for Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action. This is the most simple and rudimentary of sales and marketing funnels and is still incredibly relevant today when it comes to social media and Internet() marketing strategies.

Each section of AIDA represents a section of your sales and marketing process and can help you set your expectations, decide what to monitor, and visualize the relationships between each part. Understanding the flow of the tools and tactics will also help you get your measurements and analytics in line with your goals.

Here’s a closer look at the breakdown of this marketing funnel, some tips on how to apply it to your social media strategy, and a look at how the model is evolving in the social media age.

via HOW TO: Optimize Your Social Media Marketing Strategy.

Emineo Media

Retargeting Used by Marketers for Cost-Effective Brand Lift!

According to a study by comScore and ValueClick Media, the display ad placement strategy with the most brand lift is retargeting.

While display ads may once have been considered primarily a direct response vehicle, and many marketers still rely on measures of declining clickthrough rates as primary display metrics, studies have shown that banner ads provide an important branding vehicle and should be considered as such. Given the cost, reach and effect of various display campaigns, retargeting provides a large benefit with reasonable costs.

Retargeting Used by Marketers for Cost-Effective Brand Lift

Emineo Media

Social Media Will Change Your Business - BusinessWeek!

The original title of this story was "Blogs Will Change Your Business,” published in May, 2005. It has received numerous revisions and updates and 5 years later; its essential reading for anyone interested in the relevance of the evolution of Social Media.

Look past the yakkers, hobbyists, and political mobs. Your customers and rivals are figuring blogs out. Our advice: Catch up…or catch you later.

Social Media Will Change Your Business - BusinessWeek######.

Social Media Working Better for Retention Than Acquisition!

Social media marketing has been around for several years, and as marketers begin to converge on best practices and use the channel in more uniform ways, it is emerging that their top goals are brand a

Social Media Working Better for Retention Than Acquisition

Emineo Media