A New Social Audience for SMBs!

Small and medium size business owners: Have you’re figured out (yet) how to make your voice heard among the thousands, if not millions of online conversations occurring all at once?

The whole buzz about using social media to get new awareness and create a following is real, but you have to be remarkable. If what you’re saying is the same as 10 or 100 other businesses out there, why should anyone zero-in on what you’re saying?

In order to garner someone's attention you have to either make a loud a statement, or just have something they absolutely want or need - or both. So how do you do that? Give something away!

With over 70% of consumers researching products and services online before making a buying decision, what do you think they are searching for? Certainly they're trying to ensure that what they are about to purchase is a quality product from a verifiable business. But what they're really searching for, more now than ever is a discount or a way to save a few bucks. EVERYONE wants to cut costs. And don't mislead yourself into thinking that wealthy people don't care about savings. A majority of the wealthy became so through frugality.

So if you truly want to be found online, make it easy for someone to find you. Offer steep discounts for a trial period. The relatively new and still growing coupon site is all the proof you need.

But there are other ways too. If your product isn't a consumable, how do you attract your target audience? How do you draw in an audience that could one day need your product or service? The short answer is, branding and awareness - right? Those typically take a lot of time and a substantial investment. Who has that? SMB's need and want the exposure in real time.

What's the hottest electronic device on the market today? Try offering one or two as part of a giveaway promotion and watch your traffic explode. Sweepstakes and giveaways are good short-term attention getters. But there's actually one addition tactic that produces both short and long term results. Scholarships.

Business branded scholarships haven't been a common term in the SMB vocabulary until lately. Historically, larger corporations have held the term and used scholarships purely as a way to give back to their loyal customers.

With the growth of the internet and social media sites, SMBs can also capitalize on the fruits that scholarships produce. Those being a constant flow of fresh new leads and traffic to your business and social media websites; visits by friends and relatives of those applying for the scholarships because they want to help the student and/or they need it just as badly; and, long-term commitment. If you're questioning long-term commitment, consider this. Have you forgotten the name of the first person who either extended or gave you financial support?

The going-to-college audience, 18-30 year-olds is the next generation of consumers. The sooner you can get to know them, and them to know you and your business, the sooner you can begin to instill your brand and its commitments in their minds.

What are you doing today, to reach the audience that will propel your businesses through tomorrow?

Jump-Start your Social Media Marketing!

Social Media has helped level the proverbial playing field and regardless of your business size and marketing budget, you can effectively and efficiently give your online presence a boost with a branded scholarship.

And for your efforts, you will get:

Recurring, unique visitors on your website

Countless Facebook fans

A relationship with Gen-Y and their friends & family

Higher search engine rankings

And, community acknowledgement for "giving back"

This ingenious interactive strategy captures the next generation of customers and jump-starts your social media marketing.

Download our FREE whitepaper to see how to laser-target your online efforts and engage the most-social online audience, 18-30 year-olds.

Get ahead of your competition by acting today.

Here's how we can help jump-start your social media marketing:

Guide you in creating a scholarship program

Write compelling copy that grabs and holds your audience's attention

Target your scholarship marketing campaign to engage the going-to-college audience (18-30 y/o)

Connect your online and offline marketing efforts

Optimize your business and social websites to maximize traffic

Emineo Media is a full service interactive marketing and web services firm. Yes, we develop award-winning web sites, but our specialty is developing, implementing and promoting business-branded scholarships across social media channels.

Contact us today for a free consultation.

info@emineomedia.com

The 2010 Inc. 500 Update: Most Blog, Friend And Tweet But Some Industries Still Shun Social Media!

A research report conducted By: Nora Ganim Barnes, Ph.D. reveals the growing social media trends with the Inc. 500. 

The Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth recently conducted a new in-depth and statistically significant study on the usage of social media in fast-growing corporations. This new study revisits the Center’s study of Inc. 500 social media usage for the fourth consecutive year, making it a valuable and rare longitudinal study of corporate use of these new technologies.

The new study compares adoption of social media among the 2010 Inc. 500 with previous years. The Inc. 500 is a list of the fastest-growing private U.S. companies compiled annually by Inc. Magazine. For details about the 2010 Inc. 500 and the complete directory of the included companies, please visit Inc. Magazine's website at http://www.inc.com/.

In 2007, the Center’s first study of this group and their use of social media was released and revealed that the Inc. 500 was outpacing the more traditional Fortune 500 in their use of social media. For example, at that time, research showed that 8% of the Fortune 500 companies were blogging compared to 19% of the Inc. 500. This difference continued in 2008 with 16% of the Fortune 500 blogging vs. 39% of the Inc. 500. This trend held in 2009 with the Inc. 500 blogging at a rate of 45%, while the Fortune 500 had 22% of its list with corporate blogs.  The new data shows adoption of blogs leveling off in the Fortune 500 but continuing to grow among the Inc. 500 companies.

Read full report

Download full report

Emineo Media

Solution makes global SEO an option!

For just over a year, experts have been issuing notes to publishers and advertisers that they needed a global platform. Translated content, logos and messages have been touted as a huge benefit for brands, but many brands havent figured out exactly how to complete this translation in an economical way. by Kristina Knight. A new release gives brands a solution for the search arm of campaigns. This month BrightEdge released their global Search Engine Optimization solution, which allows brands to tap into a single solution to manage their brands rank across search platforms around the globe.

"Our clients asked us to extend the platform's reach so they can drive the same ROI globally that they are seeing in the U.S.," said Jim Yu, BrightEdge CEO. "At home and around the world, the Web is increasingly cluttered and complex. Our clients use BrightEdge to break through this clutter and use natural search as a major revenue driver. Bringing our platform to international search engines will give companies a means to scale and drive new business in ways simply not possible before."

The number of search queries continues to increase month to month. The latest numbers from comScore finds that more than 15 billion searches were queried through search giants Google, Yahoo and Bing. Queries from Bing and Yahoo have potentially the highest accuracy rate, with users clicking through to a website after querying Yahoo or Bing more than 80% of the time.

According to eMarketer, the overall US ad spend will reach $36.3 billion by 2014, a 9% increase over 2008. According to Efficient Frontier, SEM spending is on track for between 15% and 20% growth in 2011. Researchers found that, year to year, SEM spending increased by 23% in 2010.

Solution makes global SEO an option - Search Marketing

Emineo Media

SMBs Look to Facebook and LinkedIn for Lead Generation!

The majority of small businesses still haven't figured out that social networks can help meet their marketing objectives. Many small businesses are aware that social networks exist, yet remain skeptical on the benefits they can have in their business profits.  The survey conducted by Ad-ology shares their findings and the perception small businesses have on social media.

Social media is becoming more popular among small-business owners, and many will be spending more on advertising, marketing and new business development in 2011, which will also impact the amount of resources devoted to social media.

More than 55% of small-business owners view Facebook as somewhat or very beneficial to their business, according to data from Ad-ology, which surveyed 752 US small-business owners. Other sites, such as Twitter and LinkedIn, also received nods from small-business owners, while group-buying sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial were lower on the list. Additionally, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn all saw significant increases in the percentage of small-business owners who view them as beneficial compared to last year. In the prior year’s survey, only 33.2% of respondents called Facebook somewhat or very beneficial, and only 18.5% said the same of Twitter.

Just as several social media sites are useful to small businesses, there are also many objectives companies find social media outreach useful for. Lead generation was the top benefit reported, selected by 57.2% of small-business owners. Ad-ology also found 54% of small-business owners highlighted monitoring what is being said about their businesses. Improving customer experience was another reported benefit of social media.

 SMBs Look to Facebook and LinkedIn for Lead Generation

Emineo Media

Parents of Young Children Prime for Social Marketing!

Age plays a major role in how likely a person is to be a social media user, but important demographic characteristics go far beyond simply how old a potential user is. Consumers’ life stages influence their presence on social media as well as their concerns as shoppers and buyers, which is what makes them of interest to marketers on social sites to begin with.

Preliminary results from a Media Audit study of social media users highlight the differences in usage and interest among adults in different phases of their lives.

While the youngest respondents without children were most active on Facebook, Twitter or Myspace, the presence of kids made adults overall much more likely to be on social sites. More than 60% of adults with kids of any age living at home used Facebook, Twitter or Myspace, vs. 51.3% of all adults, and the parents of young children were especially avid users. Among respondents with children under 6 years old, 67.1% had used one of the sites in the past month, while 58% of parents of teenagers reported the same.



These young parents also represent a group more likely than average to make many big-ticket, family-oriented purchases, such as cars, video cameras, PCs, large appliances or a new home. And parents looking to make these purchases for their families are more likely than average to be found on Facebook and similar sites, especially parents of kids under age 6.

Parents of Young Children Prime for Social Marketing

Emineo Media

Improve Your Blog SEO with Inbound Links!

Businesses continue to search for practical ways to improve their search engine rankings?

Here are 7 useful tips from Social Media Examiner to optimize your website and blog content and help increase ranking!

#1: Create Content Others Will Want to Share

#2: Distribute Online Press Releases

#3: Write Guest Posts

#4: Link to Others

#5: Share Content with Relevant Websites

#6: Create a Link Network

#7: Don’t Forget Internal Links

Click on the link below to read the full article.

7 Ways to Improve Your Blog SEO with Inbound Links

Emineo Media

How Many Marketers Are Using Social Media?

Nearly three-quarters this year

As consumer usage of social media continues to increase in the US and around the world, marketers have transitioned from cautious engagement to full deployment.

Next year, four in five US businesses with at least 100 employees will take part in social media marketing, eMarketer estimates. That’s up from just 42% as recently as 2008, and the number of marketers using the channel will continue to rise through 2012.

“Marketers that have spent the past few years ramping up their internal social media marketing infrastructure—and their presence on sites such as Facebook and Twitter—will take social media to new heights in 2011,” said Debra Aho Williamson, eMarketer principal analyst and author of the new report “Social Media in the Marketing Mix: Budgeting for 2011.” “And as they do, they will evolve the way they market across all media, not just online.”



How Many Marketers Are Using Social Media? .

Smart Marketing using Good SEO!

To construct a great content-rich website takes planning. A competent designer uses online architectural design principles, carefully combining information delivery and intuitive navigation to satisfy the visitor's needs (why they visited) while accomplishing their own business goals (why the website was created – generate sales ready leads, sales products & services, create awareness, etc).

Layout is vital to the online internet marketing of a site that will attract and also satisfy visitors. Simply put, designing an award winning website is not enough. The site needs to be placed in front of potential visitors or they will not know you exist.

Good SEO includes the integration of web design, development, and interactive marketing with focused traffic-generation tactics that is vital to the success of your site. Without smart marketing any great website will fail.

A focus on interactive marketing through website design, search engine placement, search engine marketing, submission, analytics, email, and branding programs is paramount to online success.

Emineo Media

More Time Spent on Social Media than Email Worldwide!

Email most common daily activity, but social racks up more hours

As the social media trend becomes a normal part of life for internet users the world over, it’s also becoming the most time-intensive activity on the web.

The TNS “Digital Life” survey of internet users around the world found in September 2010 that on average, surfers spent 4.6 hours a week on social sites, compared with 4.4 hours on email, the most common internet activity.

via More Time Spent on Social Media than Email Worldwide - eMarketer.

Emineo Media

A Study: Twitter Increases Student Engagement!

Communicating in 140-character segments may seem to contradict the goals of generally long-winded academia, but a new study has found that the two are less opposed than one might think. Students in the study who were asked to contribute to class discussions and complete assignments using Twitter increased their engagement over a semester more than twice as much as a control group.



The study used a 19-question survey based on the National Survey of Student Engagement to measure student engagement at the beginning and end of a seminar course for first year students in pre-health professional programs. Four sections (70 students) were given assignments and discussions that incorporated Twitter, such as tweeting about their experiences on a job shadow day or commenting on class readings. Three sections (55 students) did the same assignments and had access to the same information, but didn’t use Twitter.

via Twitter Increases Student Engagement [STUDY].

Emineo Media

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

What Really Drives Young Adults' Purchase Decisions?

Products that convey personal achievement and social interaction are valued:

Research has suggested that cause marketing appeals to US consumers, and that millennials in particular care about social and environmental issues.



Data presented by Resonate Networks at the October 2010 Pivot Conference in New York City confirmed the importance of such issues to young adults. Consumers ages 18 to 34 are more likely than their older counterparts to care about a variety of issues, including various civil rights and environmental concerns.

via What Really Drives Young Adults' Purchase Decisions? - eMarketer.

Emineo Media

UK Shoppers Are Global Leaders in Online Spending per Person!

Widely reported last week—by the Guardian, the World Advertising Research Council Warc and new media age magazine, among others—were the results of a study commissioned by Google from the Boston Consulting Group BCG. The headline figure brought a broad smile to faces more often creased with worry in recent months. According to BCG, the internet was worth £100 billion $139 billion to the UK in 2009. That was 7.2% of the country’s gross domestic product—not far behind the 9% contributed by the financial industry.

via UK Shoppers Are Global Leaders in Online Spending per Person - eMarketer.

Emineo Media

How Lawyers May Use Social Media in the Future?

There has been a tenuous union between lawyers and social media. The fact that so much information and conversation is made public can deter firms from jumping on board. That same hesitancy, however, gives some clues as to how social media may be used by lawyers in the future.

Social media is a big deal. Everyone from your mom to your nephew is probably online in some way. But you might not think to look up your lawyer’s Twitter() handle or read up on his or her firm’s blog.

More and more firms and individuals are coming online. To try and get a grasp on where social media is heading, we spoke with three social media savvy attorneys to help us read the tea leaves.

How Lawyers May Use Social Media in the Future.

Emineo Media

Social Media Increases Small-Business Exposure!

According to the American Express OPEN fall 2010 “Small Business Monitor,” small-business owners have dramatically upped their usage of social media for marketing in the past year.While just one in 10 business owners reported using social networking for marketing last year, 39% indicated they did in September 2010. The impetus is driving sales by connecting with consumers. Facebook was the clear leader among small-business owners, with 27% using the site to attract new customers, vs. 9% using LinkedIn, 8% using Twitter and 5% maintaining a blog.

Social Media Increases Small-Business Exposure

Emineo Media

Investing More Time Brings Sophistication to Social Media Efforts!

Nonprofits that spend the most time see the most success

Nonprofits, which have sometimes shown themselves to be ahead of their counterparts in the business world when it comes to social media marketing, are also divided depending on their experience with the medium. What makes the most experienced users stand out?

According to August 2010 research from Ventureneer, a provider of online tools for nonprofits, and Caliber, nonprofits that had been using social media the longest also tended to spend the most time on their efforts. Among respondents that had used social media marketing for at least two years, 68% spent at least 25 hours a week on it, compared with just 12% of nonprofits that had been active in the space for less than a year.

Investing More Time Brings Sophistication to Social Media Efforts
Emineo Media

3 Ways Small Businesses are Investing in Social Good!

This is Emineo Media's Sixth highlight of the recent 38 New Social Media Resources recently found on Mashable.

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

Lately, a lot has been written about how businesses are using social media to promote social good. Most of the attention has focused on the campaigns of large companies like Pepsi or Pedigree. While the success of those campaigns warrants exposure, small local businesses have also begun using social media to create positive change in their communities.

Below are some examples of how small businesses are investing in social good to partner with non-profits, raise funds and finance micro-loans.

If your company is raising awareness for non-profits through social media, let us know about your work in the comments below

via 3 Ways Small Businesses are Investing in Social Good.

Emineo Media

Corporate Blogging Goes Mainstream!

Becoming fully incorporated into media and marketing Blogging has been around for well over a decade—an eternity in internet time. Whereas blogs used to be a thorn in the side of traditional journalism, today they’re an essential ingredient in the media mix. Hardly a news organization exists that does not have a blog where its journalists post updates to breaking stories, offer personal commentary and engage in a dialogue with readers and viewers.

Corporate Blogging Goes Mainstream

Emineo Media

Brand Campaigns Drive Most Social Media Following!

According to emarketer; brand Campaigns Drive Most Social Media Following

Three-quarters of Facebook fans have signed up with pages after invitations or ads from brands

Research on social media users who follow brands has shown marketers the importance of offering deals and discounts on Facebook fan pages as well as the nature of brand following as a form of self-expression, through which advocates can show support for a company they love. But what triggers Facebook users to “like” a brand is typically some form of outreach.

Brand Campaigns Drive Most Social Media Following

Emineo Media