The Evolution Of SEO

Search Engine Optimization is the science (and art) of making a company web site, not just pleasing to the users, but pleasing to the search engines so it ranks higher than the competition for specific terms connected to your products and services.

Higher ranking means more visibility, traffic and thus profits. Search Engine Optimization used to be an insider term, with only those practicing it really knowing what it entailed and how it boosted a website's relevant traffic.


EVOLVING SEO AWARENESS
Today, most people have some idea of what SEO is. It has gained awareness because businesses have come to understand that qualified traffic means everything to ongoing business profits. People know what keywords are, what metatags are and a few other of the more obvious aspects of SEO.

This can be both good and bad -- meaning that people can assume they know SEO when they are only scratching the surface. Those that truly value their web site's visibility understand that search engine page rank is a moving target and that outstanding results only come from dedicated expertise.

These people "get it" that SEO directly ties to their business' bottom line and hire a full-time in house staff. Others, outsource it to professional search marketing companies such as Promise Productions. Either approach can work, but the common understanding is the same -- top performance requires dedicated expertise.

Another evolution in SEO has to do with the emerging dominance of Google over the other A-list search engines such as Yahoo, MSN and AOL. In most demographics, Yahoo, MSN and AOL have become B-List engines in every practical sense.

Given that every search engine has different rules as how they rank what it relevant for a given search, and given that any single HTML page can only best meet the rules for one search engine, SEO is evolving to be geared almost exclusively for Google. 



When Google speaks, SEO consultants listen and if your business is not being found on Google, it's almost certain it's not being found at all - around 70% of user searches are done using Google.


KEY WORDS ARE KING

There are more tools and techniques coming out every day, but I will not digress to them. The most important thing is still key words. Key words must be in your site's verbiage, metatags and so forth.

The biggest mistake I see companies make is in SEO for the WRONG key words. It is not enough to know that key words are important. It is crucial to know which keywords are MOST important, and to prioritize those. So many times I see SEO in place for either:

(a) words that are so general, obvious and competitive, that there is little hope of the golden TOP THREE ranking in Google.

or (b) words that the owner FELT were the main words because that is how he thinks of his own business, but not the main way his customers think about his business.

The importance of accurate keyword search data cannot be overemphasized.

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR SEO
The Third way to increase a website's organic ranking is not with the site itself, but with creating a buzz and forming lots of links that act like signposts back to the site. This has traditionally been called link popularity. But the method of generating valuable links has evolved.

Social Media Marketing can now be strategically used to boost the company's main website in the search engines. Through strategic blogs, articles, customer reviews and Tweets -- the more conversation around you, the more attention you get.

Social media such as Facebook and Twitter are educating people to communicate in entirely new ways, and business owners should be engaging these people in order to attract a whole new audience. More details can be found on this very blog and our own website.

Given that search engines are evolving, the business landscape is changing, and customers are turning to social media in ever-increasing numbers, your SEO also has to evolve.

Today, businesses cannot afford to be without up-to-date SEO. Yes we can work with budgets both big and small, BUT that is not the right issue. The real value for your company lies in defining and enacting the right strategy to deliver optimum results and profits.

If your company needs expert help with optimum results and profits, Promise Productions is a call away at 972-822-3587.


Update - How I got 5 of Google's 10 First Page Results in 10 hours

As part of my Marketing Communications job, I create and enhance social media marketing strategies for my clients.

A mere 10 hours after implementing my latest social media + video strategy, I "owned" half of Google's first page for my key words. See Full Post Here

This is a followup to my recent post. My results, after only 10 hours, were seen on Google's first page in positions: 5, 6, 8, 9, 10.

It is now 10 days later. My positions have remained steady, demonstrating that I not only got, but kept this high level of visibility. I know of no other more powerful, and cost-effective way to reach a targeted audience then our marketing strategies. I look forward to making them available to you, a prospective Promise Production's client, wanting to improve your visibility for optimum profits.

Let us put these to work for you. Call our Dallas Marketing Firm at 972-822-3587

How to Convince Your CEO to Embrace Social Media Marketing

Let's get straight to it:

1. Tell your CEO that the way people research purchases has changed. Tradeshows, Direct Mail, TV, Billboards, Newspapers are all going down fast. Email marketing is becoming less effective, and cold calling is becoming more difficult. People have more tools for blocking out this interruption marketing (spam filters, caller ID) and even governments are helping customers block this marketing (CAN Spam Act, National Do Not Call lists). You might need to include some definitions and explanations of SEO, PPC, strategic business blogging, social media, etc.

2. Discuss how the company's marketing needs to change in response. If the way people research purchases has changed, doesn't it make sense that marketing needs to evolve as well? Talk to the CEO about how there are new, more effective techniques to get found by more qualified prospects and convert more of them to paying customers, and to stop wasting money on interruption marketing programs that continue to be less and less effective. Move where your customers are -- online, responding to video, responding to social media.

3. Show a current analysis of your company's Internet marketing effectiveness. Show some data about your company being able to "get found" by prospects in
(a) search engines,
(b) the blogosphere and
(c) social media.
To get the data specific to your company, do some keyword research using Website Grader and Overture Keyword Tool, search on Technoratifor blogs in your industry, then search on social media sites relevant to your industry (Facebook or Delicious or Digg or LinkedIn or others). Finally, use the Website Grader free marketing tool to prepare a report for your company in 1 minute. This will show how good or bad you are doing on the web in terms of marketing. Use the data from the report to show how you are missing large opportunities to reach customers that are looking for the products and services you buy.

4. Present a plan for transforming your company's marketing strategy to embrace the 21st century. You need to transform your marketing from being "outbound" (you broadcast your message to thousands of people and only 1-3% are actually interested) to being more "inbound" (people find you when they want to buy something - much more targeted and effective). In other words through ATTRACTION instead of PUSHING. This means you need to do SEO, PPC, embrace blogging and the blogosphere and participate in social media.

5. Bonus Tip: Having executives read the book "The New Rules of Marketing and PR" can also be helpful. Sometimes CEOs just need an established author to tell them something, rather than an employee.

Want to know more? We offer marketing communications services and consultation, including social media marketing and innovative strategies to make the most of your corporation's time and budget. Call Promise Productions at 972-822-3587.

How I Captured 5 of Google's Top Ten Positions in 10 hours

A Strategic Social Media Marketing Strategy Case Study.

Now first of all, you don't really expect me to tell you EXACTLY how I did it, but I did. Here's what I can reveal:

I have been developing powerful social media marketing strategies for Promise Productions and I tested my latest one out last night. This morning I check the results on Google, and happy news, I had dominated the first page (just 10 hours later) - capturing 5 out of 10 organic positions.

This would not be possible without strategic social media marketing. The power our strategies give you for virtually instantaneous visibility is unlike anything I have ever seen or used. OK, in my excitement, I might sound like a commercial, but it works and I have proof!

Oh, and I should mention, all this is ABOVE and BEYOND the company web page. Meaning that these additional coveted rankings on Google are in addition to where your corporate web site ranks through traditional SEO services or through Pay-Per-Click search engine marketing.

I am all the more excited about real proof of value because there is a whole SWARM of bogus companies literally preying on your desire to put your company's products and services in high-visibility positions (like the Holy Grail of Internet Marketing -- First Page Google Results). But they all lack when it comes to delivering results. Well I did it not just once but 5 times, read on...

START WITH YOUR VIDEO MESSAGE
First I practiced what we have been "preaching" here at Covenant Designs -- the magic of using video to power your marketing. I made a fairly simple video. I put it on YouTube. (see our Dallas video production services here)

USING STRATEGIC BLOGGING
OK, then I referenced the video on a strategic blog I built for that purpose. Then I referenced the blog post on another strategic business blog. I am building a "chain" of social media posts, all referring and referencing the other link UP the chain. (see our strategic blogging services here)

STRATEGIC SOCIAL MEDIA DISTRIBUTION
Now I have these blogs all integrated with Other Social Media distribution systems (the secret sauce) to AMPLIFY their reach and effectiveness. The key is a smart network of automated re-broadcasters who are happy to promote you, so your own voice is distributed and amplified through a crowd as it were.

THE RESULTS
A mere 10 hours later, the rewards started coming in. Keep in mind that this is for a specific business product or service (I am not saying I can get this for you on something crazy like "Brittany Spears" in 10 hours). Our of 182,000 competitors, here are the first fruits on Google's First Page:

• 5th place with the Social Media Distribution system.
• 6th place with the YouTube video.
• 8th place from a 3rd party well-established web site that referenced my service (not the official company web site)
• 9th place from one strategic blog
• 10th place with the other strategic blog

NEXT NEXT LEVEL UP FROM HERE
You'd think I'd be thrilled, yes but I want more. The beauty is that this will ONLY BUILD. As other sites reference, view, forward and share the information, more links will build from a growing mass of positive PR. My next steps are to leverage our Twitter Marketing and Online Video Distribtion services.

Did I achieve this by "going viral"? No, that is not necessary. In fact, the YouTube video has been viewed less than 10 times thus far! No matter what anyone else might try to tell you; you can never control if something is going to "go viral" or not. Going viral is a nice intention, and it can be encouraged by certain strategies, but it is too unpredictable and never an element in our Social Media Marketing Strategy for corporations.

I achieved this through smart strategy. A social media strategy designed to create a CASCADE of links rippling out from my initial action. Call it leverage: get the biggest results from your marketing efforts. With a social media megaphone in place, even when you whisper, it still shouts.

What am I going to do next? I am going to Tweet about it and build the buzz momentum. So do I wish you luck in your marketing? No, I wish you "strategy."

COME AND GET IT
Covenant Designs is a Dallas-based Strategic Marketing Communications firm, catering to successful companies that are ready to enjoy greater success. We believe that success is designed. We believe in dominating your marketplace to enjoy the lion's share of the profits. We believe in working smarter for sweet success.

We're not here to hoard our success; we are here to share it with like-minded businesses. If you beleive what we believe and want any aspects of your Advertising, Marketing and Business Development goals amplified (Print, Web, Video, New Media, Social Media, etc.) call us today at 972-822-3587.

Dallas Businesses Use Social Media Marketing To Attract More Customers

You business now has the power to leverage the Internet through Search Engine Marketing, Strategic Blogging, and Social Media Marketing to reach customers more effectively.

This includes connecting with customers where they already hang out online and engaging in conversations about the topics most important to them. Social Media Marketing includes joining the ongoing conversations our customers and prospects are already having... and not trying to control them.

Our strategies capitalize on the fact that people like doing business with people they like and love doing business with people they trust.

Unfortunately the few companies presently savvy enough to engage in Social Media Marketing almost always do so in a haphazard manner, watering down their results and leading to resignation. This is not necessary. What is missing is smart strategy for focused results.

Their lack of strategy is your opportunity to shine! Let Covenant Designs bring marketing communication distinctions to your social media marketing campaign -- orchestrating it for the sweet sounds of success. Call 972-822-3587.

Adaprting Your Business To Today's Profit Sources

Mediocre companies are caught in a perpetual quicksand of sorts (see our earlier post on Avoiding Tarpits) -- struggling to squeeze every dollar from the same target market they have sold the same products to using the same marketing approach for year after year.

As we have noted, that is a recipe for extinction because the landscape has changed. Those who do not adapt their marketing (using powerful strategies like Covenant Designs offers) are basically setting themselves up for bankruptcy. But the good news is change is possible, and right strategy can put you right back on the track to success, the sooner the better.

What sets successful companies apart from the pack is an understanding of the need to balance today’s performance with a robust strategy for the future. To offer the richest future, these madkting and advertising strategies need to have a wholistic approach -- engaging both in a quick sprint to the easiest short-term profits as well as a marathon mindset to doggedly pursue longer-term marketplace domination.

Your business' success strategy must be complete with a strategic plan, creative approaches to making the right things happen, milestones towards those goals, and a commitment to investing the necessary resources for long-term success even though short-term profitability might diminish.

Think of is as climbing to the pinnacle of your industry's profit share. Such a victorious mindset replaces an anxiety-ridden future with a forward-looking plans for successfully adapting to an ever-changing marketplace. Marketing’s purpose becomes two-fold:
(1) To generate immediate responses for today's cash-flow, and
(2) To implement smart strategy – planting seeds for tomorrow's cash-flow.

Analogy From Nature - Migrate With Your Customers

Now, I DO want you to dominate your profitshare, but I do not want business to be predatory. Nevertheless, the following analogy from Nature holds true: A Spider weaves a web (in strategic places) hoping its prey will come to it. A Lion follows the heards; as its food source moves, it also moves - adapting.

Likewise, to enjoy the lion's share of the profits, you too must adapt to your cutomers and prospect's movements. A lot of companies are struggling today for the basic reason that they have not sufficiently admitted that their landsape has changed, the heards are moving, and they too must move. Sadly, they are being left in the dust as a result.

But that does not have to apply to your business. Clearly, you need to MOVE WITH your customers and engage with them where they are today (using Video, using Social Media, using more Relational instead of Dictatorial marketing methods). Once you move with them, yes, set up attravtive value propositions in strategic places, but learn this process -- as your prospects migrate, you too must migrate. Keep your marketing dynamic and relevant.

If you want expert help with that, our marketing communications professionals are just a call away-- 972-822-3587.

Long-Term Market Share Domination
First you must identify the factors that will impact your company’s long-term success. You might not have a perfect understanding of every competitive, economic, legal, sociological or technological force that looms on the horizon, but at least you will be alert to the possibilities.

Armed with information on the longevity and profit potential of your present market’s life cycle as well as budding market opportunities, you can begin positioning your business for tomorrow, today. Read our previous post stressing the key role that Innovation plays in this process.

From a front-line marketing perspective there are many ways to foster future business opportunities regardless of your business size or budget. Here are three of these ways:

1. Provide Platinum-Standard Customer Service. Your goal is always to exceed your customers’ expectations, but if you fall short, admit it. Many loyal repeat customers result from perfectly corrected errors.

2. Reward and Cultivate your Preferred Customers. Your best customers—those who are easy to work with, really like you and have a positive history with your company—are a goldmine of quality referrals. Strengthen existing relationships and build new ones by inviting these special clients and their guests to preview your innovations.

3. Create top-of-mind awareness. Not everyone needs your product or service today, but many will at some point. Capitalize on your vision about emerging needs and wants and new technologies and capabilities to get your product or service in front of tomorrow’s customers now.

Conclusion
It takes time for the seeds you plant today to germinate into future business. Foundational to all of this is the need to communicate effectively with your target audience. Consult with Promise Production Marketing Communications to learn how our technology and expertise can guide and boost these efforts.

Let us help position your company to enjoy the largest harvest from the many opportunities that lie ahead. Call 972-822-3587.

Dallas Marketing Innovation and Strategy

When it comes to your business making profits, there are really only two ways: marketing and innovation.

Innovation offers your marketplace something better. Marketing tells your prospects about your innovation – attracting new business clients. Strategic innovation is the "value" in your value proposition. Strategic Marketing is the "proposition".

The key to both innovation and marketing is STRATEGY. Strategy tells you what your market needs -- and how to make it bigger, better, faster, smaller, cheaper. Strategy tells you how to reach those most interested -- how to reach them better, faster, cheaper, quicker.

Many companies offer valuable products and services but have a lousy value proposition because they do what they do -- meaning they consumed with day-to-day operations and cannot have the perspective that a full-time marketing communications firm can. They are too involved with their innovation or operations to market strategically. The present operation must also apply forward thinking and that is where we come in.

Strategic marketing is about identifying your ideal business prospects, and then engaging them in a conversation about value and opportunity for them. To do that right you have to know them and their values and their needs – but also be innovative enough to look ahead -- to what the marketplace is GOING to need around the next curve in the road. You want to be the next "big thing"? Well that is how its done.

As my last post stated: success is not accidental. Successful companies not only have innovation going for them, but also have strategic marketing informing they prospects about the amazing benefits of all their innovation.

Today, any effective market plan has to address where your prospects actually are. Sounds obvious, right? But you'd be surprised at how many traditional ad agencies and companies themselves are "doing the same ol thing" in a new day and age. That means they are still aiming at where the target USED to be. If you are not hitting your sales goals or your profit milestones, could it be becuase youre marketing is in a rut? Could your strategy of yesteryear, be stagnant today? That explains a lot of bankruptcies these days.

Where is your best audience? Are the in print? (mostly no these days) In a lot of cases, they have migrated online. In a lot of cases, they respond best to Video. In a lot of cases, they are heavy users of and heavily influenced by Social Media.

Search Marketing, Video Marketing and Social Media Marketing have been around for a few years BUT it is in this last 2 quarters that they have outright exploded! If your market plans are not already adapted to this, face it, you are aiming at the shadow of where profit used to be found, and no longer aiming at profit itself.

The good news is you do not have to invent today' success strategies from scratch. Covenant Designs is a Dallas-based Marketing Communications firm. We are fluent in Web Design, Search Engine Marketing, Video production (for any destination from DVD to Website to smart phones), and Social Media Marketing.

Our innovative and strategic approach to brining in profits will delight your company. So take the toe tag off of your marketing, and let Promise Productions breath new life into your image, your branding, your corporate messaging and your Master Strategy that integrates it all for optimum profits. Call 972-822-3587.

In Dallas Marketing & Advertising, STRATEGY is King

Success does not come from luckily landing at the right place and time. No, strategy is needed to activly ensure you PUT your value proposition at the right place and time for optimum results.

Strategy is King. You see, it is not the economy or the environment that has the final say, it is your business strategy. Sowing the right seeds now is crucial to reaping the right harvest in today's marketplace.

Sadly, many companies are either (a) afraid to sow seeds, or (b) sowing old seeds, hoping somehow that that will bring in a new kind of harvest – when reality is that the fields have changed. Fresh strategy that is "adapted to the now" is, many times, the single determining factor between those business that will succeed or fail in the next 3 months.

Some species thrive in the desert whereas others die quickly. Some businesses are thriving like crazy in the identical economic conditions that have made others go bankrupt. Why do some thrive? Because their strategy is adapted for success today. If your business is ready for massive success; it will take the right strategy for massive success.

This is where our marketing savvy, combined with our video production and social media strategies are your best friend. We have many strategies that are being proven today to make profits thrive. There is no single solution for every business, but there is a strategy that is best for your's. Our ability to look at your marketplace and correct the mismatches in your advertising and marketing will make all the difference in both short-term and long-term profits.

Our Services For Your Success
• marketing communications
• integrating your messaging
• applying Social Media
• amplifying your message through video
• search engine visibility
• better prospect targeting
• how to do more with less

Rest assured, we have strategies both for the short-term and long-term. Let us show you how easy it is to change -- to implement the vital changes that make all the difference. Call our Dallas Marketing Advertising department at 214-703-0360.

Dallas Corporate Video Production - Pt 4. Video Distribution

This post builds on our three previous posts of "Getting Started", "Professional Results", and "Capabilities" for Dallas Video Production.

Lots of other firms put a video in your hands and wish you good luck. At Covenant Designs, we can take you further for greater benefits. We understand that getting your video produced is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of a new goal of making that professionally-produced video bring in the best results possible.

Amplify Your Results
As a marketing communications firm, we are and support many Dallas advertising agencies and individual companies to put their video in front of the right audiences. Today this is more exciting than ever with online video distribution. More than YouTube, we apply the right strategy (our favorite word) to distribute (and track) your video to many many places online. The result is often thousands and thousands of additional prospects. That, in turn, makes for profitable new business leads and greatly expanded market awareness. (can you say massive ROI)

Online Video Distribution
We specialize in leveraging Social Media for optimum video distribution. Each case is as unique as your goals, so ask us how your project can take advantage of online video distribution. Success is not accidental – right results come from implementing the right strategy.

Conclusion
Promise Productions is uniquely positioned to deliver video success. From our creative thinking to our superior production equipment to our video delivery - we think like marketers because that is the best way to partner with corporations for their optimum benefit. See for yourself; call our Dallas Video Production department at 972-822-3587.

Dallas Corporate Video Production - Pt 3. Video Capabilities

This is our 3rd in a 4-part series of posts on leveraging the right video production to take your company (and its messaging) to where you want it to be.

Covenant Designs is a full-service Dallas video production company. That means we can write the script, film the event, product, or service, edit the project, and deliver the program in any format needed, including High Definition Video Production (HD), Blu-ray, DVD, DV, HDV, Beta SP, as well as any digital format required, including video for smart phones.

We can offer a “turn-key” solution, or we can offer specific services such as filming, editing, (in one of our three full-service AVID /Final Cut Pro editing suites), or video duplication and even online video distribution (see our 4th, upcoming post for details!).

At Covenant Designs, we understand that every project is important. Capturing the ideas that are of importance to our clients requires more than just a camera. It demands experience, of which we have plenty - over twenty years. We are proud of our responsiveness, which we deliver consistently. We are good creative partners. We first seek to understand what you need and want and then we execute the project with complete focus until we have achieved your goals.

Our experience at Covenant Designs has been in every imaginable area of production. For our corporate video production clients we provide tools to promote products, train and recruit employees, or enhance product awareness.

We assist advertising agencies and independent entrepreneurs by providing targeted audio-visual tools to promote products or services and help them reach their intended market segment.

Our work with non-profits has successfully proven to bring critical awareness and much needed attention, and most importantly, to raise millions of dollars for very important social issues.

Covenant Designs boasts state-of-the-art and Final Cut Pro video editing bays. But simply providing top equipment is incomplete without video editors who are highly-trained and savvy storytellers. The Covenant Designs video production team provides production management for your project –– assisting in scheduling production dates, checking daily progress, offering graphics and administrative support. You can rest assured that our crew will be made available to meet every need of visiting producers and clients. The result is.... RESULTS -- on time and on budget!

For all these reasons and more, we believe that Promise Productions is the video production firm of choice in Dallas, so call us for a quote at 972-822-3587.

Dallas Corporate Video Production - Pt 2. Professional Results

As Dallas Video Production Professionals, our goal is to deliver what you need to further your organization’s interests. We want to build a long-term relationship that is based on trust that we will be responsive to your needs.

Our experience has taught us that the highest quality production requires several key steps. In short, this is how we typically work:

1. We meet with you to determine the scope of the project and the budget. If you are new to the world of film or video production we will be able to explain the considerations that influence the production approach (such as SD vs HD video production) as well as the costs associated with producing what the your company wants. Every client has a different goals, audience and budget and this meeting will help us determine what is needed to capture what you want to accomplish.
2. We will then deliver a proposal to make the project a reality. We like to do this in writing to assure that everything is clear so you are assured of professional results.

3. Once the project is shot, we will edit the work and then present a first draft edit for your approval. This gives you an opportunity to request changes.

4. After you have fully-approved the project, we can deliver the project in whatever media or file format the client requires.

Of course, if you are hiring us in an “a la carte” video production fashion, your price will be negotiated on a project-by-project basis for shooting, video editing, post-production services, or video duplication.

If you have any specific questions regarding pricing or production to accomplish your business' goals through video production, do not hesitate to ask and we will be happy to respond immediately. Call Promise Productions 972-822-3587.

Dallas Corporate Video Production - Pt 1. Getting Started

Never produced a video before? Don't worry, we have. Got an idea? Don't worry, let us bring it to the screen.

Many of our Dallas video production clients come to us simply having an idea and a goal they want to accomplish. Many clients first contact us knowing nothing about video production, and often unsure about what their message really is.

This is where Promise Productions has the advantage, because we are a Dallas marketing communications firm. We're more than cameramen and editors; we craft your message through video to deliver results. Our creative juice kicks in but also our strategic marketing sense engages with your project to determine the audience, outcome and the best video strategy to achieve that outcome.

• Does your video need to Attract New Business?
• Does your video need to Inform or Educate?
• Does your video need to Present or Document?

These and many other goals from fund raising to employee training can be effectively accomplished through our Dallas corporate video production.

After we define WHO the audience is, WHAT your message to them is, we then develop a smart strategy of HOW to deliver the message for maximum results. Each video we produce has is unique because it is customized to accomplish your purposes. If the message is intended for a young audience, we want our style to be youthful and fun. If the show is for an executive audience, a sophisticated and slick approach will deliver the message better.

In the Video Pre-Production Phase we start scripting, designing storyboards, and identifying the characters for the show and brainstorm on how to get the moving pictures. From there we shoot according to our plan and bring the field footage into our video editing suites and make it all come to life. Covenant Designs' top-notch video editors have many years of experience timing and editing shots so that the original creative mission is achieved.

Throughout each stage of your video production, our staff is developing and executing creative ideas for your messaging – from script to screen.

If you have any specific questions regarding pricing or video production capability, do not hesitate to ask and we will be happy to respond immediately. Simply call Promise Productions Video Production at 972-822-3587.

Avoiding Marketing Communications Disasters

With all the current headlines of GM's bankruptcy, it reminds me of the marketing communications disaster when Chevy introduced the "Nova" and then wondered why it tanked in the Hispanic market. The reason for the flop is not in the design, production, capabilities or pricepoint of the car; it is in bad marketing communications.

You see, "No va" means "Doesn't Go" in Spanish. Who wants a car that doesn't even go? No one. How many millions did that oversight cost the auto industry?

My business friend, although you mean well, don't be your own worst enemy by unprofessional corporate messaging. Often these kinds of disasters come from trying to say something that is clear in your mind and simply doing an awful job of translating it into a message that your audience can appreciate or even understand. Worse, the mistake is not realized until it is too late.

This presents a great example of why getting an outside professional marketing communications perspective on your advertising is not just a good idea, but a necessity in times where you don't have the budget to dig your way out of a marketing disaster.

But frequently companies fail to get that outside expert opinion for a number of different reasons. Here's the shoddy thinking that, while intended to benefit the company, actually sets it up for innefective marketing or even a bankrupsy:

1 • "Our company can't afford the time/money to get a real professional to look at it."
I don't know how much your time and effort is worth, but few companies have the surplus funds it costs to keep missing the ball. Your advertising dollars can be wasted on inefficient marketing without the company's leadership even knowing it. Like trying to saw down a tree with an old, rusty saw -- the time and expense to get the ideal saw is minute compared to the benefits your receive. Likewise, it is the ideal marketing STRATEGY that makes your marketing communication go further and produce more.

2 • "Our company does not need an outside firm to review our work."
Sadly, we see this attitude from time-to-time and it's such a destructive approach. Smart communicators realize that they come from a certain perspective, experience and bias and as a result, know that it's critical to make sure that when they speak or write that what they communicate can resonate with the target audience. It's not an admission of weakness; in fact, it's an act of wisdom to accept that you're not all-knowing.

After all, you are not marketing to yourself; you are marketing to them. So doesn't it make just to ensure that you are effectively reaching them with all your promotions?

3 • "We just didn't think of it that way."
This is the most common reason a well-indended marketing campaign turns into a waste of time and dollars. But why not enjoy the benefit of "hindsight" ahead of time through outsourcing your marketing strategy to a firm like Covenant Designs?

Today, you and I are in the happy circumstance of having the opportunity to benefit from someone else's painful experience. At Promise Productions, we specialize in creating ideal marketing campaigns for optimum results.

That means effectively targeting and communicating with your prospects. It means motivating them into your desired action. Come, see the difference professional marketing in any advertising media can make for your company's profits. Call 972-822-3587.

SEO Done Right -- Cost-Effective Visibility For Your Business

With so much information - and misinformation - available on the topic of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) it can be tricky trying to separate fact from fiction.

Coupled with the fact that SEO changes only slightly less rapidly than the weather, it can be downright overwhelming for a business to know where to start promoting their website's products and services in search engines like Google and Yahoo. So, if you're an SEO newbie looking for a place to start, or cannot afford to waste advertising dollars on suspect SEO, here's a quick tutprial at good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) basics.

What Is SEO?


Even the most beautifully-designed site won't do you much good if potential customers can't find it. That's where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in: SEO helps ensure your site is more visible in the search engines, drive qualified traffic to your website, and convert that traffic into actual customers.



In short, SEO ups your website's rankings in the search engines by making the pages within your site more attractive to the search engines. The more attractive your site is to Google, the higher its rankings in the search engine results pages. And the higher your rankings, the more likely users will visit your site. Obviously, a site with a result on Page 1 of Google is going to get more traffic than a site buried on Page 3.

 If your site is missing from the top search results, then you essentially dead when it comes to your ability to generate new business and add revenue to your business.

Let's take a look at some stats:


* Over 4.3 billion Internet users

* Over 85% start at a search engine
 and look for their desired products and services using key words
* Less than 20% will go beyond the top 10 search engine results

* Top 10 results get 85% more traffic than all those in the thousands of other pages after them

In addition to obtaining better rankings in the search engines, SEO is effective in several other areas as well:


* Branding/establishment of your business as an authority

* Pre-qualified lead generation

* Easily tracked ROI

* Cost savings compared to other promotion mediums (i.e. glossy brochures, yellow pages ads)

Key Components of Effective SEO
SEO consists of several key elements that work together to generate increases in a website's rankings, traffic and conversions: Keyword Selection, Copywriting, Link Building, HTML Optimization and Analytics.

Let's take a look at each element in more detail:



Keyword Selection

 for SEO
The foundation of any SEO campaign is good keyword research. That's because targeting the right keywords is essential to getting your SEO on the right track. If your sell Rolex ladies watches, then you're going to want to rank in the search engines for the phrase "Rolex ladies watches" and other similar phrases (Rolex Womens Watch, etc.).

You might be hitting the wrong target: If your keyword research is off and you target the wrong keywords, then you may not get visitors who want what your site has to offer. That's why you need to make sure that your site is properly optimized for the most-searched-for keywords related to your business.



Copywriting

 for SEO
Getting potential customers to your site is only half the battle; you've got to convince them to buy. That's where persuasive copywriting comes in. Be sure to tell people why they need your products or services and include conversion points throughout the site. The search engines like content, so you also need to optimize your copy to include your keywords.

This includes things like descriptive product pages, built-out content like biographies, news sections, etc. One important point to remember is to keep your most critical content "above the fold" - that's the area that's visible to your users before they have to scroll down.



Link Building
Link building is like one big online popularity contest, and the search engines like the popular kids. Your success in the search engines depends, in part, on the amount of relevant incoming links to your site.

Of course, having lots of good links also drives customers to your site, which is a good thing, too. Links can come in various sources, including directories, business partners, organizations, social media sites, and much, much more.

HTML Optimization


These are things that the user does not necessarily see, but the search engines do. Title tags, header tags, Alt tags, Meta-descriptions -- the search engines want your site's HTML to be descriptive and clean.

Search engines want to know exactly what your page is about; they don't want to sort through a bunch of extraneous code to figure it out. That's why you'll hear SEO experts talk about the importance of having clean web site code and how to use CSS to make that happen.



Measuring Success


No SEO campaign is complete without analytics. After all, if you aren't measuring things like traffic, link popularity, and conversions, then how do you know if your SEO strategies are working? Programs like ClickTracks and Google Analytics help make the number-crunching a little easier.

Conclusion
SEO is more important than ever because it maximizes your advertising dollars. 

If you want to have an effective SEO campaign, you need to include all of the five SEO elements listed above.

The summaries above just scratch the surface on these topics, and there are certainly other more advanced SEO strategies that can benefit your site as well. These building blocks, however, are the ideal way to get your SEO campaign working for you.

For expert Search Engine Optimization as well as other top strategies to get the most targeted visibility for your marketing dollar, call Promise Productions at 972-822-3587.