Dec 30, 2010

What's OUT for 2011 Internet Marketing

Getting your website's value proposition in front of your best prospects at just the right time is the key to success for many businesses. Promise Productions focuses on the right communications strategy to do just that!

While technology continues to evolve, communication savvy and human motivation know-how are skills we bring to each client's desire for more profits and market domination.

As things continue to evolve, the customer adapts and some things perish. In this light we will cover what is IN for 2011 Marketing and what is OUT!

This post covers 5 passé internet marketing approaches that are definitely OUT. These are either methods that are over-used and now filled with bogus offers, or they are cheap short-cuts for gaining quick untargeted "traffic" but not actual qualified prospects ready to take action.




Too many scammers are cashing in on a person's desire to get to the top of the search engine visibility without much effort by offering some really useless website marketing techniques that could actually kill their legitimate search engine rankings. The fact is that these are nothing more than "Marketing Fads", that, like cotton candy, may produce some sweet results in the beginning, but when the newness wears off their effectiveness will fade away and drop you lower than before.

Remember when pop-ups and pop-under advertising came out years ago? This was the hottest marketing tool since the time of placing fliers on cars in parking lots. However, when people around the world started using pop-ups to promote their websites there were windows popping up every time you visited and exited a website. Internet users worldwide got so sick of all those pop-up windows that someone invented pop-up killer software. The search engines even started penalizing websites that were using pop-up scripts and soon after that method of website promotion faded away.

I will identify some of these useless website promotion techniques that should be avoided at all cost! Using some of these bad website marketing techniques could certainly damage your search engine rankings.



1. Automatic Search Engine Submission Services


These free search engine submission websites allow you to put in your URL, keywords and a description of your website. You then click Submit believing that your website is on its way to being indexed on thousands of search engines. Not so! First of all, the major search engines require manual submission by hand and even implement coding script to prevent auto submission. Secondly, when you click on that Submit button you have no idea where your website link will end up going. Your website link could be automatically posted to illegal or international directory websites that are nothing but a colony of spam links.

If Google crawls your website and finds out that you have links to your website coming from other websites with rotten content, then your website will pay the price in low rankings.

There is absolutely no substitute for manually forwarding your websites to the search engines. You will have complete control over where your link is going, and the search engines will automatically crawl your website to get your title and description. These days you want to submit to Google, Yahoo, Bing and DMOZ. The rest are pretty meaningless.



2. Auto Submission to Directories and FFA sites

You may have seen those places that claim you can blast your website to over 2 million websites and directories. As a general rule, please stay away from anyone that uses the word 'Blast' because this is just another way of saying Spam. It sounds like you are literally placing your link on millions of other websites and getting tons of instant backlinks to your website.

In reality, those FFA or "Free For All" websites are nothing but a link farm containing links from sites with bad or irrelevant content. The search engines won't ever see your website as being respectable enough to rank high in the search results if it is affiliated with that type of environment.



3. Lead Generation Software


 I once got an email that said, "Hello Webmaster, My name is John. I have been searching the Internet for some business opportunities and came across your website. I just wanted to know if you are still in business today. Please email me at this_email@emailaddress.com and let me know. Thank you."


This is the work of lead generation software that extracts website links and email addresses from the Internet for any category. You just type the keyword in the search box and the software literally pulls in millions of email addresses. The software even allows you to email all those addresses. On the surface it appears to be the perfect way to put your website link in front of millions of people in the same industry as you.



These unsolicited emails are annoying and ineffective. This marketing technique is too lame to even call "marketing", not very effective because the email is generic, impersonal and did not give the reader a reason to respond.

Your emails should speak TO a person's needs and not just AT them. Readers respond to emails if you find a way to reach their interests, giving them a reason to take action.



4. Backlink Generating Software


Google loves websites that have lots of quality backlinks, considering such links weighs heavily on the importance of those sites in the search engine's eyes. The idea is that if your website really does have relevant content that is valuable and meaningful to many others, then they will reference your information by linking to it. That is a measure of the value of the website in the community's eyes and the search engine rewards you with higher rankings.

Somebody got this shortcut idea to automate the link building that Google loves, hoping to get huge numbers of valuable links and move to the top of the search engine results. It did work momentarily.
However, Google has now gotten smart and has found to way to detect how you are getting your backlinks and even the speed at which you are getting them. So, if you are still buying links or using software to get instant backlinks, then chances are Google will find out and penalize your website. Nothing can substitute for writing valuable content that will automatically attract quality backlinks.



5. Automated Article Submission and Article Spinning


Writing high quality articles is a great way to attract targeted visitors to your website. Again, someone invented a way to automate this process as well. They came out with article submission software that they claim will automatically send your written articles to hundreds or even thousands of directories. There is even software that will take an article, switch ("spin") the title and words around, and send them to more directories.

This software sells to those who don't want to do the labor-intensive work of writing their own articles and sending them manually to article directories.

The real, authentic article directories that can syndicate your articles are getting smart and have installed a special code that disallows auto submission of articles. They have also installed a special script that can detect articles that have been spun off from the original. Most of them manually approve articles before they are published in their directory and can easily detect duplicate and spinned content.



Conclusion


Widespread use of these "automated" website promotion techniques is not real marketing and lowers the quality of the content. It annoys more than benefits the recipient.

Looking for shortcuts to real marketing communications has tried to take away the need to apply really genuine website promotion that gets real results and replaced it with "push-button internet marketing."

The Problem is, we're not slot machines; we're humans. And all effective marketing is actually human-to-human marketing regardless of whatever technologies are involved.

With the above gimmicks, you may see some quick and "positive" results, but only for a brief period of time.

Those truly interested in growing their profits through smarter strategies to target, captivate and engage with their prospects enjoy the lion's share of the profits. Let Promise Productions refine and present your value proposition in a compelling way to attract optimum profits - call our Dallas headquarters at 877-858-0071.

Dec 29, 2010

How To Use Twitter To Improve Your SEO

When you have a social media site with over 190 million users and 65 million daily posts (and growing),  turn it into a website promotion tool!

When you tweet, you have the ability to put a link in that tweet to your website. All Twitter links are "nofollow" (meaning they don't count towards your Link Popularity score), but that doesn't mean that you can't use Twitter to improve your website ranking.

While some SEO experts say that Twitter isn't a ranking factor, the fact is that Twitter pages directly INFLUENCE Google's SERPs and thus may provide a major force in search engine visibility. Google looks at what people search for on Twitter, both to observe trends and to display directly in their "realtime" section of their search engine.




Whether or not Twitter directly affects the SERPs, here are Twitter SEO tactics that are worth checking out.



The Twitter Website Traffic Benefit


After creating new posts on your blog or business website, it only makes sense to tweet about it. Many users search Twitter for useful information or tips they're interested in right at that moment and Twitter puts the latest tweets at the top.

You can't expect to receive hordes website visitors simply by posting a link to your site. Choose interesting text for better website promotion. A boring title wont get you anywhere. Something like "10 Tips to Maximize Your Twitter Followers" may generate more clicks.

 This doesn't really affect your search engine rankings, but it's an effective Twitter website traffic strategy.



Using Twitter for Link Building


By having a large group of Twitter followers, more will see your new posts and announcements. You're speaking to a larger audience, meaning increased likelihood of someone ready to take action. Here's how to do your Twitter SEO:



First off, for effective website promotion it's imperative that you have a large group of followers. Follow people who share the same interests as you and those within your niche. Roughly 30% of the users you follow will follow back. Those who are convinced that you should be followed on Twitter are surely interested in your latest updates. Yes, when done right, Twitter is really a great PR and website promotion tool.

Furthermore, it's highly likely that your followers will write about your new content in their blogs. This translates to link building. Plus, did you know that, in blogs, Google doesn't index shortened URLs? Instead, they index the actual URLs. Thus, you get even more website promotion opportunities.

There are useful Twitter tools such as TweetMeme and HootSuite Pro that let you check the number of users that have posted tweets with a link to your site. They can also tell which of your posts have been picked up and re-tweeted by the general public.



Important Things to Remember


When doing your Twitter SEO strategies, remember that all your tweets shouldn't be about your own website and content. This is bad for your website promotion and would turn people off. No one wants to follow a conceited, I'm-so-great prima donna. Besides, if your tweets would be all about your products and services, they would look like spam. Post engaging and useful information, answer and ask questions, tweet interesting facts, and send messages that your followers will find valuable.



Optimize Your Twitter Page


This is another Twitter SEO tactic that'll help increase your followers and improve your brand reputation. The major search engines all include Twitter account pages on their SERPs. Here are website promotion tips on how to get your profile on the front page of search engine results.


  1.  Consider a username that's relevant to your niche or your business. Your username can affect your website promotion since its part of your page's URL and title tag.


  2. Choose a relevant account name. This will further boost your Twitter website traffic, since the account name is also part of the page title. The account name should be different from the username.
  3. Promote your Twitter profile page by building links to it. Link to it from your company website and from the company blog. 
  4. Since your bio serves as the meta description tag, choose your text wisely and keep website promotion in mind.


More importantly, Twitter provides benefits that are far different from the advantages of search engine optimization. So, before building your SEO campaign via this social network, make sure to achieve Twitter SEO benefits first.



Tweet Optimization


Optimizing your tweets also helps in website promotion. Your tweets help your profile, content and brand gain more exposure.

A tweet's title tag is made up of the username of the account sending out the tweet and the first 30 characters. For that reason, for best SEO value, place your keywords in the post's first few words.

That also means, when retweeting, its better to place the "RT@username" at the end of the tweet so that you'll have plenty of room to place the keywords in the tweet. Also, limit your tweets to 120 characters so that there will be space when other users add the RT@username. Otherwise, some parts of your post might get chopped off.

Twitter SEO tactics are pretty easy to implement. Twitter continues to evolve and has a lot of potential for search engine optimization. Explore its website promotion benefits, discover new website promotion methods, and make your own experiments.

Dallas Marketing and Social Media Marketing Company

For professional Social Media Strategy and Social Media Marketing that maximizes your results through smarter strategies that reinforce all other communications, advertising and marketing efforts, simply call Promise Productions at 877-858-0071.

Oct 15, 2010

Benefit from Higher Exposure On Google Maps / Google Places

As a local marketing firm, we not only develop websites but help promote businesses with multiple technologies. One often overlooked area is to sign up for Google Maps / Google Places. Even those who are "on" Google's map, often doe not have their listing optimized for best results. 
For marketing and promotion help, including video production, simply call our firm at 877-858-0071.
Here are 7 Ways to get the Most Benefit from Google Maps / Google Places
Google has recently changed its algorithm for Local Business Listings by only giving the top spots to those feeding the search engine’s ever increasing need for content. Keep reading to learn what are Google Local Business Listings, what’s changed recently, as well as how to optimize so your local business is on top of the map.
Google Local Business Listings are different than organic or pay-per-click listings. They typically only show up when the user types a service oriented business followed by the city for their search. A map from Google Maps appears alongside 3-10 URLs with a phone number by each. If you need more than ten listings you can click in “More Results from ‘Insert City’ “ and you’ll be taken to a map with alphabetically lettered red pegs for each register business on Google Maps.
It seems over the last year being listed on Google Maps and/or Google’s Local Business Listings is becoming even more important since they are being displayed more often in search before organic listings even start.
How To Benefit from Changes in Google's Local Business Listings’ Algorithm (Google Places)
1. Photos -  Add as many photos as you can and a company logo.
2. Multiple Reviews - It’s important that these be from real customers. You can not have too many. Don’t fake them either, it’s easy to catch fake reviews. Just as with Amazon, people trust products with lots reviews that have kept above three stars.
3. Use Keywords in Company Description - They offer an area where the business representative can describe what the company offers.
4. Use Keywords in Company Name - Don’t be deceptive by changing your company name, but if your keywords are in the extended business name or LLC, make sure this is the name in which you register.
5. Add a Coupon – Google allows printable coupons to be added by your listing.
6. Create links to the listing – Add a link from your homepage to the listing and encourage current customers or website visitors to review your company.
7. Add Videos -- If your company already has videos on YouTube you can place them right there for free on your google local "places" listing. This is yet another reason why our Video Production services increase your profits through a video business profile.
We welcome the opportunity to serve you, so call us at 877-858-0071.

Jul 31, 2010

Video - Your Most Effective Marketing Communications Tool

Everybody who has been looking at marketing best practices already knows and is a believer in Web video marketing. The question is HOW to use it most effectively.

And if your competitor shave not yet opened your eyes to video marketing, all the better for you! As competitors they stick to yesterday's marketing tactics, you can capture market share by communicating via video, using techniques that actually lead to more audience engagement, more memory retention, and more sales leads.

On top of all the present benefits that Web Video brings your cashflow, think of the commitment Google has invested in YouTube and then you'll know where the biggest search opportunities exist. So let's all agree, video is where it's at, but hold on just a second, let's call it compelling content presentation.

Its true, a properly conceived, professionally produced, attention-to-post video that delivers a meaningful memorable message in a manner that is less advertising and more content, less pitch and more experience.

 That generates sales, loyalty and results you want!

Can you Video Market by yourself? 
Doubtful, but maybe. So before you run out and blow thousands and thousands of your dollars on the latest HD video camera, proper lighting equipment, editing and motion graphic software, how to DVDs like 'You Can Be The Next Ridley Scott', a computer and hard drive powerful enough to handle HD file sizes and software processing, custom photography, signature music and sound effects; and before you ask your accounts payable person or spouse to shoot you in your office with a backdrop of photos featuring last year's office picnic and the broken office chair you've been meaning to replace; ask yourself, is this really how to go about marketing my company?

I mean maybe your appearance is camera friendly, maybe you have the right voice that fits your message, maybe you understand body language, maybe you have acting experience, maybe you know how to write a script and maybe... well you get the idea? And we haven't even talked about the most important elements -- content and concept. There is a place for amateurism, it's just not in business. Unprofessional video will only hurt your image and rob your marketshare.

The Ad Content Challenge


The real challenge in website design is not backend technical issues, search engine optimization, or feature proliferation but rather how to turn advertising into content, and content into an experience. The same thing applies to the experience in a video production.

We know no one likes to "be sold", especially if it's a hard-sell pitch demanding instant decisions and immediate action. People are more likely to run from such a sales attack as quickly as possible, particularly on the Web where escaping is just a mouse clíck away.



Let's assume for a moment that you want a professional Web presentation and not a homemade ego-satisfying but customer-repellent video. Let's also assume that you've hired a team that has the necessary skills to deliver the 'right stuff.' The next step is to provide that team with the assets they need to do the job.



Gather Your Video Marketing Assets


The first thing you'll need to do is get all your resources together. Here's a checklist of things you'll need to supply or have created in order to get started:



1. Logos That Work: 

A properly designed logo is a must. Is your logo video friendly? I can't tell you how many times we've had to design or at least redesign logos for clients who have been in business for years. A video campaign is all about communicating a corporate personality and that identity needs a visual tag to affirm that brand image.

Most business people realize they need a logo but they generally only think of it in one dimension, graphically. With a properly designed logo in hand, an audio logo tag can be associated with it so that your brand message is penetrating both visually and audibly.

Remember your goal is to turn advertising into content and to do that you must create a memorable experience, and the whole point of using video is to communicate your message using sight, sound, and subliminal psychological persuasion. By that I mean the visuals and presentation that are beyond what they printed word can accomplish.

2. Mission Statements - It's About The Why
Mission statements are generally useless exercises in self-congratulatory bunkum. If your mission statement says your company aims to have the best products, at the lowest prices, featuring world-class customer service, then you know your mission statement is useless.

When people hear those kinds of platitudes they yawn and move on. When was the last time you heard a mission statement that promises inferior crap, at inflated prices, with little or no customer service support?

Instead of a meaningless mission statement, create a 'Why Statement' that answers the question, why should anybody want to do business with you? I've already given you our version - "we turn advertising into content, and content into an experience" it's what we do, what we are committed to, and if it's not what you want, then you need another production team.

You have to give your clients a reason why they should care about your company, why they should do business with you. Providing a compelling "WHY" is a commitment not to be feared, but embraced. It is the message you want to deliver, the one thing your audience will remember about you that will distinguish you from your competition, and ultimately it will be the reason they do business with you or not.



3. FIVE Things You Need To Know


The Why Statement provides your brand point-of-view and personality. It focuses audience attention on the key benefits you deliver. So the next thing you need to provide is the six most important things you want to say about what you do.



Why five? You need to show some discipline in your messaging in order to be effective. Focusing and Limiting the number of things you say emphasizes what's important so that it doesn't get lost in a haze of marketing jibber-jabber, and it avoids creating information overload.

Promise Productions Video Production and Web Video Marketing
For marketing-savvy video production that presents your why in the best light, distributes your value proposition to the right places and increases your profits, call Promise Productions at 972-822-3587.

Jul 26, 2010

Video Marketing for more Clients & Profits

Social Media is all the rage, and for good reasons, chances are, your prospects are there -- on twitter, facebook, blogs, etc.. They are reading about your industry and your brand. That is where video comes in: video is the perfect way to reach these prospects. 

Video Marketing is about using the power of video to communicate beyond that of just words and pictures. Video can SHOW. Video persuades. Video demonstrates. Video makes your features and benefits come alive.

And another thing: video can share something else that is unique: what it is like doing business with you -- whether it is the people, the ambiance or the service. Video's ability to provide a virtual taste of what it is like to be your customers greatly adds to your attractiveness, whether your target market is consumers, other businesses, local or global.

 This is why we are talking about promoting yourself with video: both in your existing media and in your social media.

Choosing the Right Video Marketing & Social Media Campaign Strategy

So, you’ve decided that you want to include video on your website – this is an excellent decision, and we applaud your efforts to keep current. Now that you’ve made this stepping-stone decision, however, where should your video marketing strategy begin?

Launching Your Social Media Campaign With Video In Mind
While posting your videos on video sharing websites (like YouTube, Vimeo, Revver, MetaCafe, etc.) certainly has its advantages in terms of launching a successful social media marketing campaign, it is important to first consider your video goals.
• Is your goal to gain widespread brand recognition,
• Is your goal to up your conversion rate

A Search Marketing Firm That Knows Video
Obviously, if you’re trying to break into the world of video marketing and social media video marketing, you can benefit tremendously from teaming with a marketing communications firm that knows search marketing.

For example, as a marketing-savvy video production firm, we can advise you how to most effectively and appropriately showcase your brand in your video. One excellent idea is to interview “customers” (mind the quotes, as the “customers” can easily be substituted for actors), employees, or company executives in front of some sort of backdrop that features your company’s logo and website info…a la a Hollywood red carpet premiere. This is particularly genius because, if the video is subsequently copied from video sharing sites (this happens often), the branding cannot be removed from the video. Tips like these and more should be standard issue with the search marketing firm you choose to work with.

The key to optimum results is OPTIMUM STRATEGY. Let us guide your marketing strategy and video marketing along with social media marketing for higher profits. Call Promise Productions to learn how at 972-822-3587.

Apr 28, 2010

7 Strategies to Greater Business-To-Business Profits

Is your business one that makets to other businesses instead of individual consumers? Whether your company provides a product or a service, the rules of B2B marketing have changed in 2010.

Promise Productions is a strategic marketing communications firm. That's right: better strategy for better results.

We understand that the business-to-business customer has migrated online and is actively engaged in social media -- to stay informed, to get first-hand reviews of the products and services they are considering, and to help choose which brand to go with. This extends to everything from construction equipment to high tech to day-to-day items.


That means your promotion efforts has to be effective in online marketing and in social media marketing. Call us to learn how to:

• Boost ROI through more effective Lead Generation
• Make Social Media work to increase branding and generate leads
• Blend PR, Social Media and Search to drive more B2B profits
• Integrate Video to inform, persuade and drive sales
• Design high-converting Landing Pages specifically for B2B sites
• Implement the top 10 Paid Search strategies to improve ROI
• Integrate Search Engine Marketing into your B2B Marketing strategy
• Be seen as head and shoulders about the competition so your prospects want to use you without hesitation

We offer smart strategy and implementation, tailored to your specific needs. Whether your goals are immediate cash-flow, long-term marketplace domination or a combination of both, we welcome your call at 971-822-3587.

P.S. here's a free tip: video is your best tool, when utilized properly, to demonstrate your benefits, communicate - even business and technical information - in a personable, authentic and persuasive way. So don't forget to integrate video production as much as possible into all your online and social media promotions!

Mar 24, 2010

Plan For Success - Dallas Video Production


It is no secret that smart planning is vital to successful video production. Whether your production ends up at a trade show, on the silver screen, on your website, or on a DVD, the best results come from keeping your audience, your marketing and your video storytelling in mind all at the same time.


Outcome-Oriented Video Production
Thinking about the goal of your video project will help you narrow down creative choices, and that’s a good thing. Is your video to raise money? Do you want to change or influence behavior? DO you want to raise awareness? Do you want people to sign up for a service or buy a product? Do you want to motivate a target group?

Once you have a clear purpose, the video production becomes oriented to achieve that goal.

Video production involves technical skill, but its goal is effective communication. What are you trying to communicate? What kind of image or level of professionalism best accomplishes that goal? Knowing this, what kind of budget is necessary to deliver those results?

The beauty of having your video production at Promise Productions is that we will help you define and refine these aspects so you know you are getting the best value. Rest assured, we have planning guides for maximizing your budget and timeframe.

Getting The Most From Your Video Production
In our pre-production sessions with you, we will cover all the ways your video can be used to your advantage. The same video – or versions of the same video – can often be used in more than one way. For example, a short introductory video can be viewed at trade shows, meetings, websites and in social media. Getting more "bank" for the buck will save your company both time and money to make something that works well in all the possible media.

We are skilled media communicators, working for your success. At Promise Productions Video Production, we welcome your call at 972-822-3587.




Mar 19, 2010

The #1 Way To Sabotage Your Profits - A Poor Visual Presentation Of The Product

Distinguish your Property from the Competition
We live in a day where your prospects want and expect to SEE what they are getting. A positive visual experience of the product is vital to generating interest and action. This post focuses on the "product" of real estate -- specifically showcasing the property itself in a commercial, retail or multi-family property.



1• Architectural Real Estate Photography: trying to save a few buck with a consumer digital camera will often hurt your results more than help them. Today's renter of office space or residential space needs to see architectural photography that is: distortion-free, color correct and properly lit. 

2• Immersive 360° Virtual Tours: large and distortion-free 360° virtual tours, professional lit, are key to helping your prospect want to rent there.

3• Video Property Tours: don't tell, instead SHOW them the best features, benefits, and amenities of your commercial or apartment property -- in living color and alive with movement.

INVEST IN POSITIVE RESULTS: we've taken properties that were 40% occupied and raised them up to 95% occupied in record time through these visual promotional services. Our expense is tiny compared to 

CONCLUSION: because today's leasing prospect is turned off by canned, stock photography and sales hype, showing the actual property, in its best light, is the key to having the property full of paying tenants. The more your online presentation can give prospects the virtual experience of being there, through professional 360° virtual tours and video tours, the smoother the process of closing them is.

Call Promise Productions Visual Marketing today at 972-822-3587.

Mar 18, 2010

Property Visual Promotion - For Property Management Companies

Spring is here and it is the ideal time for property promoting. With the Winter's cold behind us, people are on the move. As they look to move where they live and work, what they find in their web searches forms their first impressions of whether your commercial or residential property is an attractive fit.

Successful marketing for property management companies mean architectural photography. It means immersive 360° virtual tours. It means high definition property videos.

Your product is a property and it needs to be SHOWN, not just talked about. Let us provide a superior online presentation of the property features, benefits and amenities your tenants will enjoy. In this way we help bring significantly higher profits your way. Call 972-822-3587 to create an ideal first impression of your property.

Mar 16, 2010

Successful Marketing Communications for Profits Today

Marketing Communications, when done right, engages with the minds, hearts and budgets of your prospects. It communicates persuasively because it is other-centered -- it is about SERVING the customers and creating an opportunity that fits their needs and wants.

Here, by special invitation, to talk with us today on the ideal context for effectively engaging with our target audience, is Sandy Gluckman PhD.. Her book, "Who's In the Drivers Seat" distinguishes between ego-driven marketing communications that disengage and spirited communications that attract the kind of results you want in your business. Let's watch her show how this vital element has everything to do with profitability today:



Espeiclaly in Social Media Marketing, we see that authenticity trumps overly-polished presentations. We see that openness and service-orientation creates trust that is necessary to attract a new business relationship. We see the prospects are looking for real opportunities. We see that customers only want to engage with you when they get how you can benefit them; and if they detect you are merely trying to sell them, they quickly leave you for greener business pastures.

In today's world of options (increased by the Web and New Media) those who serve and give will attract the best customers and profits. We know how to use today's leading tools to present your value

We at Promise Productions Strategic Marketing Communications invite you to engage with us, to help take your business into kinds of results you want. We welcome your call today at  972-822-3587.

Mar 12, 2010

Flashy or Effective - How Much Marketing Results Do You Want

At Promise Productions, we make a distinction between expensive advertising and smart marketing. A lot of advertising just costs your business money whereas smart marketing generates new money. A great example of this are the recent SuperBowl TV ads.

Ad Age demonstrated in a recent article that these kinds of ads are indeed entertaining and likable. However, they do not generate results when it comes to actual sales! Call us silly, but communication without persuasion is useless. Surveys confirmed that consumers were not inspired to shop at the retailer whose TV Commercial they liked the best. In fact, the most-loved Super Bowl add of all time -- the Mean Joe Green Coke Commercial -- was canned within months precisely because it did not stimulate actual sales. It is clear that being cute and likable is no longer enough.

You see, we are in a social age, not a sales age. Selling is dead. We've been inundated for years with so-called advertising gurus treating the public like lab rats, and simply putting any product with beautiful, enviable, smiling people to give us a good feelings, and then inserting the company logo at the end. We are now immunized from such blatant selling that insults our intelligence.

Today we want to know there's value in our products and services. We don't want an actor acting like there is value; we want actual value! The "benefit" of the current financial recession is that we THINK before spending value time or money.

Friends, is your advertising making -- or just costing -- your business precious money? Do you want a higher degree of results from your efforts? Then abandon the old models that no longer work and come with us into the present age of effecting marketing.

Our new media strategies and social media marketing strategies are geared for positive results. So dismiss those flashy, "Super Bowl" approaches with hype and no substance, and turn to trust-based marketing -- for a loyalty you will see measured in significant cash-flow. We believe your marketing should be as unique as you are. Come, call your marketing communications resource. Call Promise Productions today at 214-703-0360.

Mar 1, 2010

Email Marketing is Amplified Through Video Emails

Email marketing has become more attractive in recent years as a way to put your message in front of your prospects. Now the marriage of video and email celebrates even higher effectiveness!

If a picture paints a thousand words, how many does a video make?

Video is "king of communications" says Promise Productions founder, Marcus Kaiser. "Online Video is growing exponentially and in a year the Internet will basically be synonymous with video." He goes on to add that, in fact, video through online and email offers new life to news media (no more expensive transmitters). All video will be delivered digitally and more and more devices in our hands (NetBooks, Apple's iPad, Smart Phones, etc.) can receive video communications.

He predicts "give it two years and people will be hard pressed to remember an Internet without video. Video is the way to share information efficiently... effectively... persuasively... and what's new: inexpensively to the masses."

This is a global phenonomon: online video grew 178% in 2008 in the UK (Nielsen), but today in 2010, the numbers are closer to 800% everywhere you look. It shows no signs of stopping. YouTube has become the second largest search engine. Video is becoming searchable in a way that only text used to offer. So it is no surprise that marketers are beginning to take advantage of video's popularity by using them more and more in the marketing mix – including in emails.

Video + Email = Viral Marketing

People love to share videos. What makes video particularly appealing to marketers is the enormous pass-along potential. This sharing nature of video fits hand in glove with the sharing nature of email – the 'forwarding to a colleague' ability.
These viral superpowers, especially in tandem with email, are proving to be very enticing to marketers. Marketers can't just depend on a click in an email just because it's a video – it has to have a relevant message and the proper production quality. 
Videos should not be viewed as only for entertainment and consumer purposes. There is no reason why a B2B company can't take advantage of the popularity of viewing video clips. Visual content is a very powerful communication channel. 

Video in B2B Marketing

While there have been the pure fun and clever videos that have captured the imagination of the public, the truth for most businesses – particularly in B2B – is that videos work best if they're approached professionally and created to demonstrate a product or service, or instruct in its use. As we say, a marketing video can do more than tell, it can SHOW.

Getting emails with videos delivered

It's imperative that marketers understand the use of video in an email has to be done correctly if they want the email to get delivered into the inbox and to display properly. As with other email marketing elements, videos have their own technical delivery challenges.
The best approach is to embed the video on a webpage, and use email to drive traffic to this page. One more thing: as with any other "content offerings" such as white papers, articles and links to websites, marketers have to work to entice subscribers to click videos. 
For effective marketing strategy, video production, email marketing and video emails, simply call Promise Productions at 972-822-3587 .

Feb 9, 2010

Life Is A Story - tell it Powerfully with Covenant Designs


At Promise Productions, we are a visual marketing communications firm. That means we strategically make a huge difference for your business through a meaningful presentation of your distinct value. 

It means we capture the essence of your business identity or cause, develop a compelling digital story, and convert it into the forum of your choice – quickly and economically.

"We look at what you are saying to your prospects, and how you are saying it. The marketing communicators at Promise Productions are experts in the areas of publicity, digital web content and social media marketing.  Whether it’s the attention of a modern newsroom, streaming web video, an executive blog or a Facebook page, we translate your story into digital media presentation. Then we broadcast and narrowcast that message across the evolving landscapes of journalism, proprietary web media and digital networking. 

In short, we know how to leverage media content to your maximum advantage."

We’re not your typical ad agency, design or PR firm. We represent a hybrid breed of digital media communicators who know how to convey a clear, concise and compelling message. We are skilled both in the strategy and implementation for integrated results. We’re a media consulting and content creation agency. Think of Promise Productions as the ‘special forces’ of modern media – strategic, tactical to get the job done right. 

Our members come from Fortune 50, TV news, print design, direct mail, photography and video production. All of us are passionate story-tellers who want to help you develop and manage a great message. Our skill sets combine to make us quick and efficient for marketing campaigns of all shapes and sizes.

We infuse your brand or services with life and power by making them resonate with your intended audience. This way you don't have to try to sell yourself, rather your company attracts those who appreciate and value your services the most.

We find that companies like that – that they are happiest and most profitable, and that makes us happy in turn. So for targeted media visibility in print, online, video and social media, turn to Promise Productions for results in today's marketing.

Want to know more? Call us at 972-822-3587.
Los Angeles • Dallas • Houston • Sedona • Phoenix –972-822-3587.


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Jan 30, 2010

Business Success Through Targeting Prospects with a Compelling Message Online


Promise Productions is a professional marketing communications firm. By "communications", we mean that we provide your distinctive value to your prospects in a way that elicits the strongest positive response.

We communicate through web site design, search engine marketing, commercial photography, graphic design, video production and social media marketing. Using today's new media, we do more than "boost sales" – we help your prospective clients understand why they want to choose you for their products and services. We believe this is the right way to attract the clients you enjoy doing business with the most as well as achieving maximum profits.

We are highly skilled in promoting your business by combining effective web site design and social media marketing with intelligent marketing strategy. We understand that having a great website, a print piece, or even a beautiful logo is not enough. You need results! That's why we are more than graphic designers, more than web developers – we are marketing strategists. In this way we deliver success in the largest sense of the word.

"You want results and Promise Productions knows the best way to do that is with a compelling message that targets and captivates your prospects."

Email campaigns, social media marketing campaigns, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) /SEM, media placement and other online marketing strategies are all great tools. But the best tool is only as good as the strategy and skill behind its use. So if you're looking for a great looking ecommerce site and a team that can follow through by bringing visitors and orders, you've found the right firm.

Promise Productions welcomes you to a higher degree of success – call 972-822-3587.

Jan 29, 2010

The Right Website Design and Development is Key to Business Success


Sadly, a lot of websites just end up sitting there, unnoticed and unprofitable. In contrast, Promise Productions, creates marketing-savvy web sites that attract profits by presenting your products and services in their best light to gain the trust and business of your ideal prospects.

WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU ?
 
Promise Productions is strategically small in order to give personalized attention to promoting and growing your business. We offer both informational and E-Commerce sites that are search engine friendly.  

We can help you promote your small business online with a great looking custom designed website.  We will work with you to create a design that is suitable for you and your needs.  We can do so by using modern, easily accessible, standard base design methods; or by customizing a pre-packaged template just for your business; or by creating a unique design from scratch using your sketch or Photoshop file. 

Our professional web designers have custom created many creative websites that accomplish company objectives. We have insight-driven web developers who understand your needs and deliver on all performance objectives.

Whether you are looking to get a new professional website design for your business or whether you are looking to give your old site or logo a touch up or a brand new look, we are here to serve you.  We can show you how easy it is to have your own business BLOG, demonstrate our affordable E-commerce solutions and explain how they can help you sell more with less effort.  

We can also teach you how to increase your site traffic , and we can host and maintain your site for you at an affordable rate.
When you choose Promise Productions,
an experienced staff member will work
with you personally through every
phase of your Web project and also
whenever you need any assistance.
OUR WEBSITE DESIGN / REDESIGN GOALS 
 
At Promise Productions, we are committed to developing successful business solutions.  We believe a great custom website should:
Money Back Guarantee
web design for less
Increase your business inquires and revenue
affordable webdesign
Allow your client to easily access your product information
cheap webdesigners
Improve your professional image
NYC webdesign
Provide a great online user experience
seo friendly web design
Keep your audience informed
inexpensive and cheap webdesign
Build Trust in your Brand


SOME OF THE MARKETING-SAVVY, WEB SERVICES WE OFFER  INCLUDE :
Qualified Google Advertising Professional
lowcost web design
Unique Website Design & Development
redesign my website
E-Commerce Shopping Carts
redesign
Content Management Systems (CMS)
web design cost
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
cheaper web design
Web Hosting
web design under $1000
Logo Design & Brochure Design

Our website business team incorporates many skill sets  We have several designers, marketing analysts, web programmers.  Because of our diversity, our clients benefit from working with such knowledgeable and experienced professionals. We think of ourselves  more than a full service web design company because we look at your website in the context of your overall business' success.
Please feel free to view our Web Design Portfolio to see for yourself the high quality work our professional web designers deliver!

Contact us today for a free website design consultation with one of our web design professionals. We will help define your needs and guide you to the best plan for your situation.  Whatever your needs may be, our goal is to provide you with exceptional graphic design and great customer service!  We wish you the richest of success so call us at 972-822-3587.

Jan 20, 2010

New Year RESULTS from Promise Productions

Want to position your company for profits ASAP? Then you cannot continue the same old approach to marketing and promotion.

Are you planning any projects or upgrades with your website or online marketing program in 2010? Promise Productions is a strategic marketing communications firm specializing in website design, social media marketing, compelling marketing visuals in commercial photography and video production.

At the heart of our services is smart marketing strategy, new media marketing and online marketing strategies to maximize your success.

We deliver visually stimulating designs...that also incorporate search engine friendly tactics from the ground-up!  If you are planning to update, redesign or add to your web presence or social media in 2010, we would greatly appreciate the opportunity to earn your business!

Promise Production  provides solutions for budgets of all sizes and we would be pleased to schedule a free phone consult to discuss your needs... Our clients range from small businesses to large international organizations and our approach is always te same ...Our marketing strategies are results-driven. We work for you.

We pride ourselves in our customer service and project management skills, which are second to none.

Our Services Include:

Website Design / ReDesign - We offer a full range of website design and redesign services for almost every budget. Most importantly, each custom website is search engine friendly and marketing savvy. We have developed over 1,000 websites for a variety of clients from small business owners to fortune 500 organizations for nearly 2 decades.

Application Development / Shopping Carts - Do you need to add a link directory, an event calendar, a shopping cart or some other type of interactive application to your website? We can get this done for you ASAP! Please contact us for a free project review and quote today.

Searcn Engine Optimization - Make your website gets found by the right customers! We follow the guidelines set by the major search engines. If you would like a free phone consultation to discuss your website and review items that we would suggest optimizing and/or adding to your website to make it more search engine friendly, please contact us today.

Custom Software Development - Our programming team has been building custom applications for over 10 years. Just tell us your needs and we can deliver a solution ...on time, on spec and on budget! 

Contact Promise Productions for a solution geared to attract your ideal prospects for optimum profits: 972-822-3587.

Jan 14, 2010

What is IN and OUT for Effective Marketing Media in 2010



In today's economy you not only have to promote more, you have to promote smarter to remain successful. It is a brand new year and a great time to start it off right with a strategic marketing campaign. In fact, your longevity depends on it.

How do you know your precious advertising dollars are providing the greatest return? Are they being wasted?

The answer is smarter market research -- the key to knowing your customers, what motivates them to action and the best ways to place your value proposition in front of them where and when they are most ready to act!

But what marketing media do you choose? Radio? TV? Newspaper? Trade Shows? Yellowpages? Direct Mail? Trade Magazines... the list goes on and on.  This combination video and audio message answers this question with what works... what what does not -- so you know you have positioned your company to make the most of 2010!

Continue the conversation where the video left off... with more application for your business:



Promise Productions is a Strategic Marketing Firm that is all about attracting your ideal prospects for optimum profits. Call us for proven strategies customized to your needs at 972-822-3587.

Jan 11, 2010

Search Engine Marketing Keys - Integrate PPC with SEO for Highest Profits




In this video, we share some about how we get superior results for your company. We do this through both solid market research before activating a search engine visibility campaign as well as through applying real-world data.

The all too common mistake is shoddy SEO by many lesser firms. You might get SEO for some kind of keyword, or the keywords you wanted. But are those the BEST and MOST PROFITABLE keywords for you? 

Out years of working with clients of all types has demonstrated that, without the level of market research we provide, you are going to be optimized for less-than-optimum keywords. We have seen it in 100% of cases. Even if you are hitting your bullseye, you are hitting the bullseye on the WRONG target!

When you are optimized for the right keyword, the results are amazing! We take into account your specific marketplace, industry trends and service area. We use data from our Pay-Per-Click campaign to know the keywords that work best for you.

The difference between average and ideal is enormous when it comes to either struggling or soaring in your cash-flow. Put our experience and proven search engine marketing tactics to work for your company -- call Promise Productions at 972-822-3587.

Jan 5, 2010

The key to winning or losing in 2010


"No stream or gas drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated and disciplined." – Harry E. Fosdick

Self-discipline and self-motivation are joined at the hip. Why is that? When you practice self-discipline you get a sense of having more control of your business. You company feels energized, hopeful and motivated because you're moving toward your goals.

The key to winning or losing in 2010 is ACTION. Hesitate and you are lost. Bold action from a smart startegy is key to any meaningful results. Half-hearted action gets you nowhere.

The greatest stumbling block to achieving anything of importance in your life is circumstances. We let circumstances get us off the hook when we should be giving our business everything we've got. More dreams are shattered and goals lost because of circumstances than any other single factor.

How often have you caught yourself saying, "I would like to do or have this but I can't because...?" Whatever follows "because" is the circumstance.

Successful people use circumstances to catapult them on toward their goal, while the masses use them as road blocks. A circumstance may cause a detour in your business but you should never permit it to stop you.

"People are always blaming circumstance for what they are. I do not believe in circumstance. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstance they want and if they can't find them they make them." – George Bernard Shaw

There is the key again: you purposefully and deliberately cause your success by choosing and doing successful actions consistently. You can choose to invest in marketing consultation to better target your ideal prospects. You can choose to refine your value proposition for the needs and interests of your customers in the present. You can choose to effectively communicate that value to them -- in the ways they like and respond to -- online marketing, social media and video marketing.

From where we stand, the future is bright -- bright for those that take up the torch of strategic action to grow their business profits. Promise Productions Strategic Marketing welcomes your call at 972-822-3587.