Apr 25, 2009

Right Strategy for Successful Social Media Marketing

By now, I'm sure you have heard some buzz about "social networking" or "social medial marketing." As a businessperson, perhaps you’re thinking,

“Maybe my company should blog, but my time is valuable and the last thing I need is another thing on my list. Is this blogging something just to be chatty or can I really get value for my business from it?"

Rest assured, yes, your organization should blog – but for more reasons that you might have guessed!

Every business is built by attracting, serving, keeping and growing customers. That requires sustainable business relationships with those customers, to get them buying from you and then coming back. In turn, that requires the right strategy.

1 • Blogging helps you connect with those customers at a personal level. It humanizes your marketing. You don't talk at them you talk with them.

2 • Strategic Business Blogging can also help you win the SEO battle so prospects first find you online, and then convert to customers when they like what they find.

You don't just walk up to a stranger and ask them to marry you. No, you make an introduction and take it step by step. Your attraction has to deepen. So too in a business relationship, you HAVE to make that great first impression, but cultivate it, knowing your prospect is not likely to make a serious commitment from a single contact. Business relationships are built on trust, value and communication (read more on prosperous business relationship-building at this link)

"When blogging is done right, it lets your prospect get to know you, what you have to offer, and what you value... in a less formal way than your company website -- making the ideal conditions in which the trust, value and communication a business relationship needs in order to thrive!" – Marcus, Founder of Promise Productions

CONCLUSION
Strategic Blogging = SEO opportunities + customer conversion opportunities. That’s why your organization should blog… using Covenant Designs' strategic blogging for the maximum results, that is :-)

Attract the most profitable customers with Promise Productions Marketing Communications Strategies and Solutions, call 972-822-3587.

Apr 24, 2009

Tap The Profits Of Effective Social Media Marketing

Covenant Designs is a marketing communications firm with 17 years of success. A year ago we offered Social Media Campaigns as the third leg in the stool of SEO and PPC for business online visibility. Social Media was emerging, and evolving rapidly. Today it is outright exploding and continues to evolve at an incredible pace, outstripping many previously-effective forms of marketing.

Social Media Defined
When we say "Social Media" we are talking about the online conversation on computers and smart phones about products, services and trends. Prospects increasingly check the "online wisdom" before signing up for ANY service/product. That means comments, reviews, personal testimonies, etc.. Today, this extends to such pervasive levels as checking out the corner dry cleaners' reputation online before driving 1/4 mile to visit them.

A good example is Amazon.com which was early to see the value of putting personal reviews of a product beside it to overcome the distrust factor. They were also a leader in showing what % of the customers buy that product, and if not, what product they buy instead.

While your business may or may not offer e-commerce, the Amazon example shows the value of veering away from the "official hype" a company might make about its own product and referencing what the man-on-the-street said about it. By including social commentary, Amazon boosted the validity and trust factor and increased their "yes" sales responses.

Where & When of Social Media

This online social conversation happens in chat rooms, in blogs and microblogs (i.e. Twitter). It happens on laptops and cell phones -- on-the-go and in-the-moment.

You will want to note that video is the most powerful form of communication we have apart from speaking face-to-face. Social Media is quickly moving to video and the more your business utilizes video at all levels of promotion, the more visibility and credibility leverage you will enjoy.

In today's information age, where the timing of decisions is increasingly important to capitalize on opportunity or gain an edge over your competition, information cannot wait for the evening news or even for a web site to report on the next day; it is already being exchanged in REAL TIME via Social Media. That is exactly where your business needs to be – in the real time conversation where decisions happen.

Just How Much Does Social Media Really Matter?
When there is significant money on the table or significant visibility to be gained, yes it matters a lot. Social Media goes a long way to overcome the trust hurdle it takes any human being or business to do something new.

In many ways, Social Media is giving power to the man on the street to voice his opinion and have that opinion actually make a difference. Let Covenant Designs put Social Media to work, creating positive first impressions for your business. Printing presses and TV stations can no longer filter, constrain or spin information because Social Media has just made an end run around them! Social Media is the new Public Relations Golden Egg and more.

Reach All Your Demographic's Segments
In order to be marketed to most effectively, each must be spoken to on their terms -- by "one of their own."

I mention this foundational marketing principle of communicating to each significant segment of prospects because your Social Media needs to do exactly that!

Why Should You Outsoure Your Social Media Marketing?
1 • Because Covenant Designs can focus and stay on top of this cutting edge media. The fact is that just in the past 2 weeks, new abilities and technologies have emerged that will take blogging and twittering to new levels. It just changes too fast to not have a dedicated Social Media expert working for your business.

2 • Because Covenant Designs has all the ingredients for the recipe for success. We have writing skills, visual communication skills, technical skill, and most rare of all -- cutting edge strategy!

Blog strategy is also evolving and the rules from 2 months ago are minuscule compared to the advantages today. Likewise, the unforeseeable evolution 2 months from now means you will miss significant new advantages unless you have dedicated attention in this area.

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change." (Charles Darwin)

This applies to any business as you require responsiveness where it happens most (social media) to be profitable for the long haul.

In this day and age, the person with the best strategy wins. Promise Productions provides marketing-savvy strategy that is responsive to your immediate ongoing business communication needs.

CONCLUSION
While there is more that could be said, the bottom line is that as of April 2009, not to mention traditional media, Social Media has already eclipsed many previously "forward online" kinds of activity. Your prospects are already online – making them ripe to be reached. Augment social media with video and you have pure dynamite!

Look, many people go to the gym, but few get outstanding results. Why? They lack the expert distinctions and follow through to seize those results. Likewise, while anyone can blog, most do not blog WELL, and those that do can blog more powerfully with what Covenant Designs offers.

If you are like most businesses you have very little social media and even that is haphazard and unfocused. That means no results. But on the other hand the right social media marketing strategy translates into significant market share and enormous profits.

It makes sense to put Promise Productions on a retainer to focus on Social Media strategy for your business. We are excited about forwarding your goals. Call today at 972-822-3587.


Learn More:
Social Media Marketing Strategy

Strategic Business Blogging

Our Social Media Marketing Blog Posts

Apr 23, 2009

Get A Social Media Marketing Specialist For Top Results

Does Your Business Need a SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST?
Some fascinating statistics were just released on April 16th from Nielsen Online. It confirms the hyper-explosive growth of social media that is overshadowing conventional web site use and conventional online marketing results.

According to the latest data, the average American Internet-user viewed over 2,554 web pages in March. As you look at the Internet trends and usage of users below, you can see the detail of what is really happening online today: (* and why you must embrace social media marketing!)

MARCH 2009 STATISTICS
* The average person visited 111 internet domains.
* They visited an average of 2,554 web pages.
* Average time spent on a web page was 56 seconds.
* More than 137 million people used at least one Google-owned site or application
* Facebook users spent an average of 3 hours and 16 minutes grooming their sites


In this light we see that Americans are online more than ever (over 40 hours per month), however they are flipping through web pages like magazine pages, spending less than a minute per pages. Tell me, do your website visitors stick to your website for more than 56 seconds?

• Is your value proposition so clear that anyone can grasp it in under a minute?
• Are you getting the results you need from those who spend less than a minute on your site?
• Do your prospects get the right impression of your company at first glance?
• How can you track the effectiveness of your investment in the Internet?

• How can you change clicks into customers?


It behooves every business that is serious about staying in business to devote the manpower and skilled talent to suddenly manage the growing maze of social media points of distribution. Larger corporations have already started hiring social media specialists. Major universities are now beginning to offer courses for Social Media Marketing. But the problem for the "rest of us" is this: how can you maximize your Internet results using social media marketing in a time of tighter budgets?

This is where a "Social Media Strategy Expert" comes in. He or she or "they" are the trained conductors who drive today's high-speed marketing train – adjusting and promulgating your key content in real-time to the masses who populate the social media sphere. This practice of feeding a consistent, professionally crafted and search-engine-enhanced delivery of your key content has been coined "Never Stop Marketing." Like a river that never stops flowing, Social Media Marketing never stops.


You can rest assured of these three key factors:

1 • A Social Media Marketing Expert possesses the know-how to manage and orchestrate the myriad of social media destinations. The specialist understands video production on the fly, instant blog blasts that virally syndicate to hundreds if not thousands of lateral and vertical marketing points to bring your business site more quantified and qualified traffic.

2 • The Social Media Marketing Expert is a professional copy editor/writer who understands the power of the pen and how to write attention-grabbing content.


3 • The Social Media Marketing Expert is a seasoned web designer, who understands and has experience with the many social media tools and site applications.


Sure, you could hire a new employee to your team. For a truly qualified applicant, that approach will cost you easily $50,000-85,000 plus vacations, benefits, insurance and other employee costs. Another problem is that if he or she doesn't possess all the skills and expertise needed, he or she may have to be trained. Further, you face the larger issue of even finding the right talent!

Colleges and Universities have not trained social media specialists. This industry is new and growing at exponential rates. The typical Ad Agency is not the answer there either as they are behind the times.

The fact is, only seasoned web professionals who understand both the technology and the marketing sides of the Internet are currently filling the first wave of jobs needed by big business.

With the advent of social media marketing and the 17 years of commercial web building experience, now you can outsource your trained, experienced and dedicated team of Social Media Specialists who are ready to forward your goals in less time and money than getting "up to speed" internally.

The value of their expertise and practical on-the-job experience means you are guaranteed a mearurable return on investment that you cannot achieve with a younger, inexperienced beginner.

Moreover, you don't have the increase your payroll or invest in more computers and systems to be successful with social media marketing. In fact, retaining your Social Media Marketing team is as easy as leasing a new car or truck for your business. Your investment is for only that you actually need. No long term contracts. No OSHA issues. No benefits to drain your business of more profits. Instead, retaining a professional team of Social Media Specialists insures that you have a creative and experienced team, directing your content through the maze of social media Web 2.0 site targets with dependable and measurable results.

During an average one-year contract, a team of specialists will manage your social media professionally, effectively and efficiently. The team approach will save you thousands in employee costs, give your business a true, hyper-marketing push by insuring that you have a professional team delivering social media success for your business.

The bottom line: the more exposure to your customers, more interaction with your customers and more dialog you have with your customers, the greater the probability that clicks will become clients.

~~~

If you need professional, creative social media help, let the professionals of Promise Productions Marketing Communications show you how easy and affordable Social Media Strategic Orchestration really is. We have offered web design and marketing expertise since 1992. Promise Productions offers effective Marketing, Video Production, Podcasting, Multimedia, Web Site Development, Strategic Blogging and Search Engine Marketing. Call 972-822-3587 to speak to a live person now.

Apr 21, 2009

Get More Punch From Your Business' Blog

That's right, more visibility from your blog by automating your posts to Twitter. This is great for business blogs who want better social media strategy without adding more to their workloads.

A Word About Twitter
Twitter accounts for at least 1/3 of Social Media these days and is expanding like wildfire. The Big Three in Social Media are (1) Blogging, (2) MySpace/Facebook and (3) Twitter microblogging. Twitter is on track to lead the way and become 2/3 of all Social Media activity.

To be honest, at it's worst, Twitter let's boring people announce their boring activities during their boring day. But for businesses, the Twitter advantage is anything but boring! With Twitter's skyrocketing growth, it is on track to be the best PR and News source on the planet period.

With Twitter you can get the inside scoop DIRECT from the source -- hours before "news recyclers" (People Magazine, CNN, etc.) get and relay the info - often with their adgenda and their spin on it. The fact is that all these sources are already getting the vast majority of their news from Twitter, whether they admit it or not. In a profound recent shift, you can get all your own news without the need for traditional news media or even online news services.

News sources USED to be valuable becuase they would go out and digg up and compile the news for you. That is simply no longer needed now that blogging and tweeting by individuals, celebrities, companies, goverments, etc. -- now already has news that is ripe and instantly sendable. Twitter has made news real time, faster than CNN or anything else.

It is like the farmer automatically sending you the eggs, meat, fruits and veggies you say you are interested in -- without going to the supermarket, or even searching for them at the Farmer's Market. No more even searching as the information highway comes to you at a whole new level.

The information supermarket has just become obsolete. Just as the phone book has been obsolete for years yet continued to be used occasionally here and there, traditional media, online media, etc. has just been lapped by the ultimate RSS feed - Twitter.

YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
In a nutshell, you want your news to get out there into the hands of prospects and others to perpetuate the buzz about your services. With new services such as PingFM and TwitterFeed, now all your blog posts can be automatically converted into condensed Twitter posts -- more than doubling your blog's effectiveness!

Face it, just as anyone can wear a bikini, but only some should -- anyone can blog, but only those with worthwhile content and strategy should blog. The rest is not worth looking at.

Attract your prospects; don't repel them with a mediocre social media presentation. You want your buzz managed effectively, professionally and with a customer-centric smile! That is what Promise Productions' Social Media Campaign services will do for you. Every action we take is marketing-savvy becuase we are geared to maximize your profits.

We let you focus on day-to-day business operation, while we stay on the cutting edge of what will get you out there. Let us maximize the results from any size marketing budget -- call 972-822-3587.

Apr 15, 2009

10 Deadly Sins That Are Killing Your Direct Mail Profits

Direct mail is still a great way to generate positive cash flow for all kinds of businesses. It puts your message right into their hands. But is it the right message?

Direct mail must avoid these 10 pitfalls in order to produce significant profits. A smart direct mail marketing communications strategy will produce loyal customers who are ready to buy your products and services. At Covenant Designs, we have been doing direct mail and postcard campaigns for 17 years and typically product 3-6% response rates with some responses even higher than 10%.

As we have all experienced, lots of sales letters are regarded as junk mail these days. When was the last time you opened a sales letter in the mail and actually read it? Why not? Because the letter did not entice you, didn't speak to you – didn't give you a reason to care.

Remedying these 10 deadly sins will release thousands and thousands of dollars that are otherwise missing from your direct mail and marketing campaigns.

#1. Vague Targeting
Your letter doesn't speak to anybody in particular.

 Have you identified your ideal customer and made sure your mailing list targets them? Companies fail to get to know their market, and it undermines, not just their sales letters, but their marketing as a whole.

Take some time to study your target audience - what makes them tick? What problems do they face? What are their values? What motivates them? Only then can you send a sales letter that speaks directly to their wants and desires.



#2. Missing or Poor headline.


Sales letters need to attract the eye – to grab you. Without a headline, a sales letter is just a chunk of words that can easily be ignored. Just look at the headline of this post: it speaks directly to YOU, doesn't it? It speaks in the present tense, and it implies that there is information in this article that you need to read now (true). That's a big reason why you are reading this, isn't it? So do the same – motivate your readers to keep reading!

#3. Failed to Focus on BENEFITS and are bogged down in Features
If you do not understand the distinction between benefits and features in marketing, then you will experience frustration and struggle in your marketing. 

This is the biggest, most common mistake that companies make in their sales letters.

If you get a letter that says, "Hey! Look at what we've got! Look what we've done! Aren't we great?!?", you're going to throw it away in a heartbeat, right? 

What do people want to hear about? Themselves. It's simple human nature – our focus is on our present needs.

Instead, your direct mail needs to talk about them: "Hey! You know that problem you have? This is how we can help you out..."

 If you are writing about your business, you are writing a FEATURE. That's not what you're supposed to be writing. If you are writing about the consumer, you are writing a BENEFIT. That's what people want to hear about - what's in it for me?



#4. Failure To Motivate A Response

If your response rates are down, you may not be giving your market enough of a reason to contact you. Where's the offer? Give them a discount or some form of special offer for responding to the letter. If the consumer reads your entire sales letter, but they are not motivated to take action IMMEDIATELY, you did it wrong. 

(Tip: pinpointing the exact benefits that matter most to your prospects is essential to motivating a response)

#5. Assuming they'll simply take your word for it.


Face it, you need proof. That means statistics that show it works. That means testimonials from people who have enjoyed the benefits. People won't just listen to you based on what you say - show them what others are saying.



#6. Unattractive Design.


How is your communication formed? Is it just a mass of words? Then forget it. You may as well have mailed them a letter in Chinese. At least put in some sub-headlines or lists. Photos are even better! They need something they can easily scan to get the gist of the letter beforehand. It will encourage them to read, to understand the benefits, and to respond.

#7. You didn't Break Down the Barriers.


This is a biggie. Barriers are things that keep prospects from doing business with you. Usually RISK is their barrier – they worry that they are investing their time or money in something that won't work. You need to guarantee them that it will be worth it. Offer them a 30-day, money-back guarantee. Give them a reason to take the plunge, risk-free, and there's a good chance they will.



#8. You don't have a "P.S." at the end.


The "P.S." is a great way to hit the last few skimmers - people who aren't reading. Sum up your biggest benefit, combine it with your offer, and throw it in as the last line in your letter. Then watch those response rates soar!

For example:

"P.S. Stop wasting your time resharpening old kitchen knives! Order your complete set of Mighty Sharpy Steak Knives and use them for 60 days at no cost!"



#9. Nothing makes you stand out.


Who are you targeting and why? You need to position yourself as something unique. Differentiate yourself from the competition. What's your advantage? If you are just like the others, why should anyone choose to do business with you?



#10. They're not even opening the envelope.


If your letter comes in a plain white envelope, you're going to lose. One way around this is to use oversides postcards with color printing on both sides. We've had great success with these.

But for letters in an envelope, print your strong headline on the outside of the envelope. Consider hand-addressed envelopes. Make it distinctive in color, size or shape. Or, as many companies do, take advantage of the "lumpy mailer", where you put something in the envelope that makes it feel bulky - so people will tear it open – intrigued just to find their free gift. Your visual presentation needs to stand out from the rest of the mail. How is your sales letter standing out?


P.S. For professional results from your direct mail or postcard campaign let the experienced marketing communication experts at Promise Productions position you for massive success. Call 972-822-3587

Apr 11, 2009

Dallas Web Site Design & Website Development

You company's web site is a primary tool to showcase your services and products. Your website needs to be as well designed as it is informative to entice your audience to ENGAGE with your company -- turning prospects into clients.


That means your web site development must be marketing-savvy as well as possess design and programming skills. Our talented team research your company, your value proposition and your marketplace to make sure the website we create for you will be a winner.

We analyze your objectives and audience to design a web site that reflects your brand, promotes your product, and motivates your audience while staying within budget and meeting your timeline.

Content management and e-commerce solutions can also be integrated into your website to streamline your productivity online and increase sales.

We can also integrate Internet Video Marketing and Social Media Marketing into your web strategy for outstanding ROI. Our Search Engine Optimization strategies and Pay Per Click campaigns complete the picture by:

• Putting your business in front of your ideal prospects – the most interested customers who have intent to purchase.
• Promoting your brand with the right image to your market.

• Precision visibility to forward your business' goals.


Giving your website the impact it needs to get noticed and get results, call 972-822-3587.

Apr 9, 2009

Marketing Savvy Dallas Video Production



Our talented team of Dallas video production professionals has the capability, experience and flexibility to provide all your media needs.

Our video production and video editing is marketing-savvy to maximize your results. Beginning with your initial consultation, we help you define your needs, identify your audience, determine your goals, and design your communication strategy.

Promise Productions provides outstanding value and compelling solutions for:
Corporate communications video
• Marketing video production
• Sales video production
Training video production
• Advertising video production
Dallas High Definition Video Production

Most anyone can point a video camera at something a press "record". But to communicate, persuade and motivate your audience to take action -- that is where the Marketing Communications side of our video production savvy comes in.

We produce video projects for Broadcast, Internet, Infomercials, Marketing, Training, Safety and Orientation. Your project can integrate with all other promotion and visibility objectives such as the development of a CD, DVD, website or marketing campaign.

The overview is just the beginning. Our team is here to support you on the road to results. So call our Dallas video production department at 972-822-3587.

Apr 7, 2009

8 Reasons To Social Market Now

Social Media only continues to have a more and more powerful impact on promoting brands... on making the cream of the crop of products and services rise to the top of awareness that is both direct and grass roots at the same time.

Want to increase your business' products and services? Want positive buzz about what your company offers? Well without a gameplan, you've got no game. Here are the top reasons to make Social Media Marketing a priority in 2009:

1. Social Media marketing goes where other marketing cannot. It extends beyond your web site and, when done with savvy strategy, goes far beyond to reach prospects and decision makers, generate leads and inform your demographic.

2. Harness the Power of Attraction in your marketing: social media is different than other forms of advertising media that rely on interrupting the prospect and pushing their pitch onto them. It works more subtly by influence, recommendation and casual comment. But make no mistake, it is not the less powerful for all of that. It works by attracting, not pushing; by sharing not telling. This way prospects engage in the process of discovery and learn about you by intrigue, not the typical advertising pitch that is rapidly losing credibility.

3. Social media reaches a community and list building paradigm that’s much more comprehensive, natural and intimate than conventional databases and mailing lists. Your audience truly "opts in" because they searched for what you are talking about. (So you'd better have something worthwhile to say)

4. Social media marketing is all about communication. Your goal is to provide information of value and thereby engage customers in dialog about your brand, products and services. Social Media Marketing speaks shoulder-to-shoulder as equals instead of talking at the customer with a stiff speech.

In addition, Social media can forward after-the-sale support as well as disseminate product tips to customers.

5. Social media is less expensive than other forms of marketing media (be that email, radio, printed or otherwise). In the process, it educates, informs and gently persuades. An additional benefit is that social media marketing can help reach target markets that are difficult or expensive to reach using conventional advertising.

6. In traditional advertising, your cost goes up the more people you reach (more printing and postage with direct mailings, a printed magazine or newspaper that has many readers charges more for its ads than one with a small readership, prime time TV or premium channels costs more because of more exposure than the little stations on off hours, in pay-per-click you pay for each click, etc.. In the traditional approach you pay because you are pushing visibility to more and more people.

Not so with Social Media marketing. Because it is based on attraction, people tune in to your "radio station" as it were -- your message. And in the same way that the radio station does not pay more for more listeners, you do not pay more for a potentially worldwide audience.

That means that if your product or service is not attractive, then you will fail at social media marketing and no amount of fake spin and hype will increase your profits. So either get out of business or find a way to be innovative and offer true value -- and then use marketing communications to tell the story of your value.

Because reach doesn’t determine cost, your social media marketing strategy can target a narrow vertical market while at the same time casting a wide net.

7. Search engines like social media, and social marketing can boost your organic ranking in these search engines. (click here to learn about strategic blogging)

Social media marketing still takes time and energy and strategy so it is not "free" in every sense, but it is "free" in that there is no pay-per-click account with Google or Yahoo. This is the new pathway to an advantage with search engine visibility.

8. Because social media is a no-pressure zone, if you have candor and are willing to share useful information, you can reach high decision makers without the usual hassles of working your way through the lower levels of interference within a company.


What is your business' social media marketing strategy? Got leads? Then call Promise Productions at 972-822-3587.