The Importance of Search Marketing in Simple Terms

If you are like most businesses these days, you want more clients and profits!

But to get clients you have to have visibility where your clients are today.

Most of the time, your prospects have migrated online, so you need to be readily found the moment they want your products and services.

The best way to ensure visibility is to have us PUT you into the Top 3 positions on Google. We have a unique approach that takes all the guesswork out of it.

But first, you need to know HOW your clients are looking for you. What they search for.

I have 8 year track record of success in Search Marketing and every time, the business owner is shocked to learn how his clients think of his services. It has always been different than how he believed his business was thought of.

If you miss how your prospects are looking for you, you miss their business. The solution to never missing another prospect is online market research that nails down exactly how your products and services are being searched for online.

Without knowing what terms they use when searching for you, there can be no smart strategy to attract clients and profits.

Our $895 Online Market Research Tells You these 3 vital things:
1 • exactly what your prospects are search for – in every variation
2 • how many people each month search for that specific set of keywords
3 • what it would cost, monthly, to put your business into the Top 3 in Google for that particular set of keywords

From there, we consult with you to develop the smartest strategy for whatever budget you choose.
One business invested $135/month and made $8,000/month
One business invested $1,200/month and made $12,700/month
One business invested $8,000/month and made $133,000/month

We work with you wherever you are at, knowing each marketplace and service area is unique. We have done it for small local business and nationwide corporations alike.

We have so proven this works that we are offering a special no-contract offer valid through 12/12/09. This lets you try it for a month and see for yourself the amount of new business you generate. Then you tell us whether you want continued visibility and attention or now. Simple.

So we start with keyword research. Then we consult with you on what terms will produce the most profits. Those two things are $895. Next you pick the terms and each term has a price next to it based on the research. Simply add the terms and that determines your monthly budget. There are no hidden fees and no surprise costs (unlike everyone else).

Research-Backed Strategy For Results
Success starts with solid data that tells you exactly what your online marketability profile is. You know your strategy is smart before you even start promoting yourself and that is the key to new profits and clients today.

Call Promise Productions to generate clients and profits for your business -- call 972-822-3587.

Benefits to Your Business of Smart SEO

Search Engine Optimization is a set of skills that can powerfully benefit your business. As a marketing communications firm, we at Promise Productions are here to position you for massive success. We form a beneficial relationship with you to forward your business growth goals. When done from a strategic fashion, SEO is a marketing investment that can reap massive profits.
Open communication between your business goals and our SEO services is a relationship that contributes to the long-term success of your business. You see, we are business strategy and marketing experts first, so our SEO services all contribute to that purpose.
Here are key aspects that Promise Productions' SEOs provide to best benefit your business:

1. Strategic Planning
   SEO cannot be shoved into a one-size-fits-all campaign. Every business is different and every business website is different. Its marketplace is different. Its goals is different. Therefore each site needs its own unique SEO and marketing strategy.
   
   We understand this. So, before you get a proposal for services the SEO should have taken time to review your site in order to determine what services you need most. Once the SEO work begins, more research needs to be performed so the optimum strategy for success can be developed.
   
   There is much more to SEO than just throwing some keywords on the page. Good SEOs plan out a strategy specific for every site they work with.
2. 
   Business Communication
   
   We must be communicating on a regular basis becuase good SEO requires your involvement, and I would likely avoid taking on a client that wanted to avoid involvement.
   
   You know your business better than we do and we know SEO better than you. We are on the same team to get the best results for your company.
   
   Without communication the potential for a derailed SEO campaign is significant. Good SEOs keep in regular contact with their clients, seeking their input and providing status updates.
3. 
   Focus on Search Engine Friendly Architecture
   
   We as SEOs have to focus on many things, most of which revolve around keywords. Many clients still look at "keyword rankings" as a measure of success. But good SEO has to go beyond adding keywords to the site, they also need to focus on a site's overall architecture. A good website architecture can make a difference in a site's performance by best organizing your value proposition both to your prospects and to the search engines.
   The better the site's architecture is the greater the opportunity for SEO success. Good SEOs will look for issues within the architecture that can or should be fixed for better SEO results.
4. Educate
   SEO deals in cutting edge technology. The search engines are always changing and algorithm updates are made on a regular basis. SEOs must continue to stay educated of these changes. While SEO strategies are remarkably consistent over time, small subtle changes can make a big difference. SEO has to adjust with the times and the same target goal will eventually need evolving methods to accomplish them.
   
   The SEO must keep their team, and even their clients informed and educated. The clients need to know how changes may affect them, and what the SEO's plans are if any adjustments are to be made.
   While not every bit of information is a game changer, keeping up with industry changes is essential. Good SEOs keep up to date, and make sure clients stay informed.
5. Focus on sales
   Many businesses look to SEOs to improve their rankings. But really what they want is someone to help them grow their business. Rankings are just a means to achieve that goal. Despite what any client thinks they want, a good SEO will look beyond rankings and help the client gain traffic and improve sales. At Promise Productions, we look at the big picture.
   
   This means they have to analyze the progress of the campaign and the effect keyword rankings are having in regard to traffic and sales. We will also focus on usability issues that could improve the ability of the site to do sell better.
   Revenue is generally the number one thing clients want, even if they are not thinking in those terms when hiring an SEO. Good SEOs help the client focus on the bigger picture and measure success properly.
6. 
   Test, review and re-strategize
   There is no set-it and forget-it in SEO. While some major issues can be fixed up front, keyword targeting and usability fixes are an ongoing, everlasting process. The SEO campaign should be under periodic review. New keywords should be tested and optimized and new strategies for improvement should be implemented on a regular basis. Unless the site runs out of keywords (very unlikely except in niche industries) the SEO should always be targeting new phrases for ranking on a regular basis.
   When it comes to SEO there is always more that can be done, provided it fits within the scope of the client's contract. Good SEOs are looking for opportunities (in or outside of that scope) that can help the client improve performance.

Good SEOs are not always easy to come by because optimum success requires many skillsets. Other SEOs may know how to do one thing really well, but don't focus on other essential aspects. The most important thing one can find in an SEO is one that cares about his clients. Good SEOs want their clients to succeed and are willing to make these seven best practices a part of their business model.

When you want Intelligent Search Engine Optimization from a marketing-savvy perspective for maximum profits, call Promise Productions at 972-822-3587.

Is SEO the Holy Grail for Your Business?

Some say SEO is the "Holy Grail" for their business because it makes their phones ring with new customers. While that is over the top, Search Engine Optimization is vital to the future of your business because gaining new customers now largely depends on your company's website being found for the right keyword searches.

Simply put, SEO is the variety of ways to make your site most likeable by Google and Yahoo. Search Engine Optimization consists of website modifications to the various elements the searcn engines look for when ranking your website versus your competitor's web site.

Keywords research, backlinking, site freshness and many other components are key to any SEO strategy. The decision most clients have to make is how much time they want to devote to their ranking. Most industries these days have a heavy level of competition for keywords in most markets. To most companies, a steady stream of new, quality, customers is the key to staying in business, so all aspects of Search Engine Visibility (of which SEO, along with Web Video Marketing, Search Engine Positioning, and Social Media Marketing are all parts) are paramount.

The most important element to your website being a tool to gain new business is simply this – how good of a resource is your website to your client? Does it serve their needs? Put yourself in your clients' shoes and build the site from that perspective. If that is your main focus, as opposed to simply having high ranking, your site will stand the test of time.

CONTENT
This brings us to our first, and most overlooked, SEO element: web site content. 
The content or text on your website is compared to the content on your competition's site. More than just trying to beat the competition, we counsel our clients to make their site the best possible resource for their clients. Asking the actual users what they would like to find on your website will many times give you great ideas of what to and what not to include.

Content must also be written and presented in a friendly way to the search engines. It just contain the optimum percentage of keywords (not too many or too few).

• Writing Effective Website Copy
• Why Content is King for SEO

KEYWORDS
Choosing the correct keywords to focus the marketing on is the foundation of the SEO strategy. Our marketing team uses keyword software, old fashioned competition research and testing to find the best keywords that attract your ideal clients. That means terms where there are lot of people searching that keyword with little competition for ranking. Finding great keywords takes considerable research in the short term, but provides long term rewards if completed correctly.

One of the main mistakes I see companies doing when they try to do their own SEO is assume they know the best keywords. They know how THEY think about their products and services, but are usually out of touch with how their ideal prospects are thinking about them. This is why we are more than an SEO or Web Development company; we are Strategic Marketing Communicators. One of our primary roles is helping you target your ideal customers and market to them in the way they and this distinction means more value for your business.

WEBSITE FRESHNESS
Keeping a website current is an important factor to your clients as well as any search engine. The reason for this is because people trust a website that has up-to-date information. This can explain why business blogs and CMSs (Content Management Systems) have become so popular and why most of our website packages include them. They make it easy for companys to update their website content.


BACKLINKS
This is also called Link Popularity. 
This is the number of other websites linking to your website, and the quality of the websites that link back to yours. For more information, see our article on Link Popularity.

LOAD SPEED
The time it takes to load your website is called its "load speed." There are several reasons this is important. The first is if it takes 15 seconds or more to load your website, visitors are going to leave. The second and little-known fact is that when a website is built under the current standards of load speed and compatibility, Google will reward that site with better ranking. 


OUTSMARTING THE COMPETITION
Research on a client's competition is a vital part of the SEO strategy. We research keywords, content, load speed and content trends. New competition in the marketplace makes it necessary to constantly review the competition. Staying ahead of the competition on Google is paramount to most of our competition. Our team reviews what keywords the competition is focusing on and reports their findings to you to ensure you stay on top of the market.

BOUNCE RATE
Bounce rate is how long a client is on your website before leaving. If the bounce rate is below one minute on average, clients are not finding what they want on your site. It will require a major change on the website and reorganization of the content. Keeping the bounce rate above rate 1 minute will help your Google ranking -- but more importantly ensure you are meeting your clients needs. 
This is also called "stickiness" -- how long the prospect sticks to your web page.

• Learn more about how we design web sites for improved stickiness and conversion.

URL, LINK & PAGE NAMES
The name of your website along with the name of the pages is important to Google as well as your clients. All these are opportunites for more keywords. Having the URL http://www.weddingphotographerdallas.com/ is better than www.FredJamesStudios.com .

Purchasing domain names for sale that have great keywords in the name is a service we offer. We also look at the age of a domain because the older the domain, the more credibility Google and the other search engines give it.


Naming internal and external links with keywords is an important aspect of website ranking. For example, a website selling flashlights could name the page dedicated to flashlights page003.html, but it would be better to name the page worlds-brightest-flashlights.html.

Naming backlinks is extremely important as well. The best example of this is "click here". If you Google the word phrase "click here" the first page is Adobe Reader. See the proof by clicking this link. 
Now if you click the #1 site on that page you will get this page: Adobe Reader . But that page has no words "click here" on the page. It is ranked #1 because millions of websites have a link on it that reads: "Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader".

Because millions of websites name their link "click here" it is ranked number one. Now imagine those same websites had the link: "New York Lawyer to download Adobe Acrobate Reader". The site that the words New York Lawyer links to would be #1 anytime someone Googled "New York Lawyer".

METATAGS
These are computer code tags embedded within your website that are invisible to the user, but give the search engines clues as to the subject matter and content on that web psge. These too need to be laced with the right keywords. Learn more on Metatags for smarter SEO here.

CONCLUSION
This overview of elements to SEO lets you know why many of the companies that spam you with hype and promises cannot deliver. You see, it takes considerable skill in multiple areas to make your company web site rank high in an intelligent and strategic way.

Properly done SEO is extremely valuable. We believe that your SEO strategy should be looked at within the context of savvy marketing – that is, your business growth goals, target audiences and market share. After all SEO is finally about being more profitable. Turn to Promise Productions Strategic Marketing Communications for a higher degree of success – call 972-822-3587.

Fall 2009 Marketing Communications News

Fall is the season for growth! Promise Productions  is poised to assist your business' growth with:

• Smart Marketing Strategies
• Social Media Marketing Opportunities
• Video Communications to put your message on Steroids

So now is the time to take the leap and move on up to the larger fishbowl :) Seriously, the key to being sought after for your products and services is communicating your distinctive edge. In other words. . . what sets you apart?

Even in an economic downturn, both businesses and individuals still buy things daily. The difference is that they are pickier -- which means you have to make your value clear. That means marketing with solid strategy instead of fluff.

Tell your prospects what you have done lately that should make them want to do business with you? Your future may well depend on your distinctiveness – your ability to set your business apart from the crowd and attract the loyalty of the customers that suit you best.

You cannot sell or persuade without first attracting the proper attention. Consider these marketing strategies to set yourself apart:

• Take your services and put a new spin on them. Focus on the benefits from the product/service even more than the product/service itself. Update the image associated with the service as an excuse to re-introduce it to prospective users. (that's where our graphic design services come into play)

• Gain Visibility in your market through a web site that ranks high in the search engines where prospective clients are looking. A lame site won't persuade. A great site that remains unmarketed won't sell. It takes a professional web site design plus strategic Internet marketing to set your business apart in Fall of 2009. (see our three approaches to web site visibility)

• Direct Mail: our most effective use of direct mail marketing these days employs the relatively inexpensive postcard to grab their attention and then refer them to your web site for the meat of your message. Hit your customer's hot button and then lead him to your site to fill out a form to take advantage of your special offer. This simultaneously encourages him to take action, reinforces your branding, and builds a list of contacts for future promotions.

Don't have a database linked to your site to capture visitors' opt-in info? Shame on you — this is one of the most effective marketing techniques out there. It is non-intrusive and builds and ever-growing list of interested parties to market and re-market to. The fact is, it is much easier and cost-effective to get repeat business than new business. So make it easy on yourself and put our web database tools to work for you on your site. Prices start as low as $1,800 and are fully customizable.

Got Profits? Let Promise Productions marketing communications specialists develop the right strategy for you and implement it to bring new customers your way.

Call 972-822-3587( Dallas)
702-473-0815 (Las Vegas) or
310-595-0831 (Los Angeles)

Top 10 Internet Marketing Tips

Aside from a well-designed website, the success of an online business relies on effective internet marketing. Below are 10 practical strategies for business marketing on the web:
1) What is your vision for your business? Do you have a definite vision for your company? Knowing exactly what you want will help you set short term goals and work towards those goals accordingly. Planning the steps works best when you set specific goals.
2) Choose the marketing strategies that you want to focus on. There are several online marketing strategies that you can use. Some are more short-term, some are long-term. Each has a unique ROI. So, study your options and choose at least two to three online marketing tactics. Focus on these and make sure that you executing them correctly. Remember, one marketing campaign executed correctly is worth more than several unfocused and incomplete attempts.
3) Monitor the results and act upon it. Regardless of what online marketing strategy you chose, you need to closely track your results. Are you gaining positive response from your target market? If yes, how can you improve your tactic further? If not, are there certain steps lacking with your execution of your marketing campaign? Don't fall prey to haphazard marketing as that is a recipe for failure.
4) Focus on your target market. Defining your niche market or target market is crucial before launching any kind of marketing campaign. You need to make sure that you’ll be promoting your products and services to the right people. Within your broad market, there is a group of ideal prospects. Identify them and target them.
5) Take advantage of today’s technology. Consider the ways on how you can enhance your online store. Remember, your goal should be to provide your customers with a safe, reliable and convenient shopping experience.
6) Set a deadline for your plans. When setting short term plans, be sure to appoint a definite time period for your plans to complete. This will encourage you to take action without unreasonable delays. You will see progress and keep going.
7) Calculate in terms of figures, not emotions. When it comes to monitoring online marketing results, don’t forget to study the figures. These include the costs you spend on marketing, your conversions or ROI (return of investments).
Tip: one of the most valuable things you can do is get an online marketing analysis done. This will tell you how many people are searching for your products and services, and exactly what they type into Google when they search. Knowing this tells you 3 vital things:
A• The volume of business you can expect to do if you market properly. If only 30 people search for what you provide a month in your service area, you'd better have a high profit margin!
B• How to reverse-engineer your website and other marketing communications to speak in the language of your prospects, not the way you are used to naming your services. (I see this mistake all the time!) For example, if 4 times as many people search for wedding photographer, than wedding photography, then use that same ratio in your marketing verbiage. If you've been trying to sell "wedding dresses" but your prospects are searching for "wedding dress" (singular) or "bridal gown" then change your marketing language to match.

C• Third, this will tell you how much budget for online marketing is needed to succeed.
Tip: Check out your competitors. Are you aware of who your competitors are? How well are they doing in the marketing sense? Studying your competition and learning from them is a smart strategy. Doing so will enable you to make better decisions in planning your own marketing tactics. Emulate the successful to position your business for success.
9) Do you use and effective brand for your business? Is your brand easy to remember? Does it have a strong impact in the market? If you’re still not enjoying a strong brand recognition, this should be something for you to primarily work on. For example, we offer logo services, viral video marketing and online press releases to boost your brand.
10) What kind of website do you have? A well-designed online store can make a big difference but don’t forget to consider the functionality of your website. Will it be easy for your customers to find the items they want in your online shop? Are all the links properly working? Are you using a reliable and easy-to-use shopping cart? Are the items easy to browse? Do you provide a Privacy Policy for your customers? These are all important aspects where fine-tuning results in recapturing otherwise lost dollars.
For marketing and branding experts that attract your ideal prospects for optimum profits. Call Promise Productions in Dallas at 972-822-3587.

Dallas Advertising and Marketing Requires An Effective Value Proposition

One of the most valuable assets both your company and your prospects possess is time. Business relationships are both formed and dissolved faster than ever -- based on effectively meeting customer needs (or not).

If you want to make the most of precious time to attract the best level of new customers for optimum profits, then you will want to keep reading...

Marketing Communications is the art of most effectively appealing to your ideal customer's needs. The appeal must touch their minds, emotions and wallets. There is no better investment for success than to get your Marketing Communications FINE TUNED in all your Advertising and Marketing (print, web, social media, etc.).

The 3 Biggest Marketing Mistakes That Rob You Of Profits
There is business being done all around you right now. Opportunity abounds in every economical climate. If it is not abounding for your business, (1) either you have a lousy product or service, (2) or you need professional marketing services (from a company like Covenant Designs of course) that attract new business using today's successful marketing strategies.

Unless your company uses a dedicated marketing communications professional, doing business becomes like trying to saw down a tree with an old, dull saw -- it can still be done, just slowly and with a lot of unnecessary struggle.

These are the three avoidable mistakes that we, as a Dallas Advertising Agency see most often that kill off the profits you could be enjoying:

1• Not getting to the point. You must quickly state your Value Proposition to your prospect. Respect everyone's time and communicate what you have to offer in the way that best appeals to them. What is the value for them to engage with your business proposal or your services? Unless your marketing and advertising quickly states your value, you are missing opportunities left and right. Many businesses fail badly here and don't even realize it because they...

2• Fail to focus on benefits. Businesses know themselves and their business. Good right? Not entirely! The most successful businesses know their customers. Marketing and advertising that speaks your language but fails to speak your customer's language is simply wasted money.

Many businesses sincerely imagine they are promoting benefits, when in reality, they are pushing Features at their prospects. There is a world of difference. Put your marketing in the hands of a professional that clearly knows the difference between benefits and features and your ROI will gain much more traction. Read More on Banefits vs. Features here.

3• Behind The Times with Social Media Marketing. The third reason we see so many businesses struggling is that their advertising methods are not in sync with their customers. Today social media marketing has exploded in size and popularity, but many businesses are at a loss as how to take advantage of this powerful new media.

Social Media Marketing communicates in a different way than corporations are accustomed to. Your value proposition must attract, not push. It must be short and it must be often. Bypass any awkward or ineffective stabs at social media and use Promise Productions to go direct to the most effecitve methods and strategies.


CONCLUSION
If there is a mismatch in the way you present your benefits or neglect to communicate them because they are choked by your features, even though you may have something great to offer that could make your company a fortune, your prosect will not "get it" (shutting down that enthusiasticly open wallet). If your Value Proposition is blurry, your business will be passed by.

Lastly, if you are not leveraging social media, you are missing an enormous opportunity to engage with your best prospects in the media they prefer and trust.

Each marketplace and business is unique. So at Promise Productions Marketing Communications, our strategies are custom applied to bring your business both short-term and long-term properity. Call 214-703-0360.

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.


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.

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.

Searching for New Customers in Today's Marketplace?

Customers with cautious budgets are doing more research online before choosing their products and services. This apples to everything from daycare to hotel travel.

The luxury shopper or the luxury traveler is still willing to pay a premium BUT ONLY for a top notch product or travel experience. Does your web site design give them that reassurance? Are you using smart video online to, not just tell, but SHOW them what you have to offer?

As a business, your need to be found in the search engines at the right place and time is more important than ever before.

The current recession is motivating businesses to fine turn their online marketing for optimum results. There are several strategies to be found online and savvy businesses are working ALL these angles simultaneously:

• Pay Per Click Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization
• Social Media Campaigns & Blogging

All three areas of online visibility are and will experience dramatic increased spending. By 2013 eMarketer estimates total US search marketing outlays will surpass $23 billion. We think that is far too conservative because:

• Search Engines are THE #1 way customers and businesses find those they do business with -- both locally and abroad.
• Social Media is exploding with no signs of stopping and it has the trust factor with the consumer that slick advertising agencies no longer deliver.

The writing is on the wall -- you either make online marketing an immediate priority or go extinct. Your customers are using the search engines to find the best deal. Businesses HAVE to be found in the search engines because that is where their customers and prospects are.

Got profits? Contact Covenant Designs at 972-822-3587 for Search Engine Marketing Camaigns, Social Media Campaigns, and Marketing-Savvy Blogging.

Dallas Internet Marketing Campaign Solutions

Internet Marketing is becoming more and more meaningful and important. Your prospects use the main search engines like Google and Yahoo to find their products and services.

Four years ago, Internet Search became the dominant way businesses were chosen; today in 2009, it is almost the only way -- funneling over 90% of your customers to you.

It is easy to see why your business success is virtually synonymous with the success of your Web Site, your Social Media and your Search Engine Visibility.

To make matters worse, business is faster paced and more chaotic than ever. All too often the result is that your internal marketing, your IT department, your web designer, your ad agency, your SEO guy, your sales team, your email marketing and your public relations are on different pages, speaking different languages.

Your prospects get a jumbled patchwork of messages about your company. The result of non-integration in marketing communications is less confidence that hinders the decision to send their business your way.

You want to be clear. You want to be focused. You want to invite results.

Let Covenant Designs Champion Your Internet Marketing
We have the skill sets to pull your many business initiatives together under one master strategy. By integrating your marketing, you pull these separate voices into a more powerful harmony. We can analyze the current marketplace and pull the right services together to attract the optimum business deals your way.

1. Consult on the effectiveness of your current marketing initiatives.
2. Analyze the marketplace and the competition
3. Turn breakdowns into breakthroughs with integrated online strategies
4. Manage any or all of the following:
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- Web Site Development - Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Key Word Analysis - Pay Per Click Marketing (PPC) - Email Marketing - Video Marketing	- Social Media Campaign Strategy & Development - Social Media Marketing - Social Network Management - Strategic Blogging

For fast track results, call Promise Productions at 972-822-3587.

Strategic Blogging & Social Media for Business Profits

Social Media is all the buzz today because nearly everyone online today uses it in some form or other. It is growing and developing rapidly and the excitement is warranted. Did you ever wonder if you could harness this giant wave to some degree to benefit your business? This blog post is about just that!

Social Media Grows Up
To start with, blogging and social media was not originally created as a means to advertising. (but it can be used for that purpose.... keep reading) Social Media originated as a place where the average Joe could share what he was passionate about and inasmuch as that included a product, service or company, he gave his personal "thumbs up" as it were.

The enormous mass of individuals now doing this daily, has given rise to serious attention by Web Site Developers, Search Engine Marketers, Search Engine Optimization and Social Media Optimizers.

In fact, more progressive Marketing Communication firms such as Covenant Designs, now include Social Media and Strategic Blogging in their skillsets.

In short, Social Media means that word-of-mouth has firmly moved online. Individuals now consult the "community wisdom" of other people who have already experienced a product, company or service before they commit to action. Studies prove again and again that the opinions and messages on the Internet are the decisive determining factor over friends, coworkers and traditional authority figures. The idea is that this is a pool of unbiased individuals, and that many people "can't be wrong."

Although unassuming in concept, Social Media does something tremendous and priceless -- it bridges the TRUST GAP, thereby paving the way for prospects to sample YOUR product or service.

(for more about successfully bridging the confidence gap in your marketing, click here)

Businesses have an increasingly vested interest in promoting themselves in a cost-effective manner in this lean economy. Businesses should all be very aware and very concerned about managing their image -- their PR on the web.

You see, your official company web site is a formal presentation of your company. Your company blog, on the other hand, is where you get down on your customer's level to interact, share, and listen to THEM. Customers like that and will reward you with business for being EXTRA responsive to their needs. And we all know that no business will survive long without serving their customers where THEY live.

This does not mean that any old blog will do. It all revolves around smart strategy to setup, produce content and distribute your blog around cyberspace. That is where Promise Productions Strategic Blogging Services come in.

Social Media Strategy Tip:
Social Media can cut both ways -- customers can complain or endorse you -- fairly or unfairly, and now their opinion has a forum and a life of its own that spreads its influence. Just think, a rant on RipOffReport will hang around for 10 years even if you ended up making that customer happy later on.

It has become danerously easy for an individual to sling mud at your company for any reason and you not to even know it is hurting your sales! Obviously it pays more than ever to provide great customer service.

What a smart business does is implement a social media strategy for all kinds of GOOD PR to be spread around the Internet, and have that overwhelm any NEGATIVE PR that threatens to soil your company's image.

We market your business to make our best prospects like doing business with you and give you their thumbs up! Want to know more? Contact Promise Productions at 972-822-3587.

Social Media & Strategic Blogging Business Campaign Management

More Profit Through Smarter Marketing Strategy

Word-of-mouth has long been one of the most powerful forms of advertising. Approval from someone that you know and respect can be stronger than all the celebrity endorsements, clever ads, catchy jingles and promotions combined. Now you can tap into that same persuasion power through social media management. Why? Because word-of-mouth has moved online.

Enter Social Media
50% of adults use social media -- a growing online dialogue regarding any topic that people are passionate about. Anyone with an internet connection, an opinion and a few moments of free time can engage in social media via blogs, message boards, forums and social networks. Through these channels, people exchange thoughts and feelings, recommend products and services and spread online content to their ever-widening fabric of friends, family, acquaintances and coworkers.

Social Media Powers Business
85% of 18-34 year olds use social media networks to communicate. Social Media allows you to get involved in your customers’ lives and let them feel that their voice is heard. Monitoring the social media landscape lets you tap into conversations about your brand—encouraging positive comments and addressing any negative ones before it’s too late. Businesses that listen and act on these voices experience growing customer satisfaction and increased market share, and benefit from an invaluable competitive edge.

How can your Business benefit from Social Media?
By claiming your spot in the social circle. When you develop unique pages and/or applications within social communities, such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, you can speak to customers on their level and take advantage of their friend networks.

Social Media Management
Business need to approach Social Media in a strategic way. That’s why we develop and manage custom social media optimization (SMO) plans that complement your unique business model, marketing messages and campaign goals. Whether it’s optimizing and distributing videos, creating official pages on social networks or simply monitoring and enhancing online brand buzz, we have a social media marketing campaign for you.

Social Media Optimization is the quickest way to gain brand recognition in a familiar environment for your customers. Social media marketing and Blogging takes SEO (Search Engine Optimization) one step further—in addition to increased visibility and traffic, you also increase the scope of your campaign by gaining access to massive and maturing networks of friends and family.

Whereas your web site "stays put" as it were attracting visitors to it, our Strategic Blogging service actively broadcasts your messages out to prospects, not just referring business back to your company's web site, but proactively suggesting your services to prospects who would never have known about your company otherwise.

Learn more about our social media management programs. Call us at 972-822-3587 today for a free consultation.

Dallas Marketing For Optimized Profits

In this economy, it's more important than ever to understand how to make certain that your creative and marketing efforts are fully on-target, and that every dollar invested brings a solid return on investment.

This is only possible with a smart marketing strategy. That requires knowing your customer's motivations and the ways that today's Marketing Opportunities -- including Video Production and Business Blogging -- are transforming the landscape of connecting prospects with companies.

In 2009 your company's' web site design and it's search engine optimization are just 2 of a handful of areas you need to be integrated in your overall Marketing Communications Plan.

In this time of rapid change, let Promise Productions Marketing Communications put the best of design and advertising to work for you using the latest Internet strategies. Call 972-822-3587 to join the ranks of companies who are now getting their fair market share! Get A Quote

Internet Marketing Consultants of Dallas

You just found your competitive advantage! Promise Productions is a professional Marketing Communications firm in Dallas specializing in Internet Marketing and Consulting.

Let us show you how to rapidly move towards achieving your success. Each of our internet marketing clients is unique, but typical results for our Internet Marketing Company Services are a 400% increase in traffic within one year.

In the past, our campaigns have given our clients a 600%-1400% Return On Investment (ROI) for their marketing budget. Of course each client and industry is unique and different, and your results may well surpass these. One client just posted its 2008 financials and they revealed that their $40,000 internet marketing spend in 2008 resulted in 1.6 Million in additional revenue (that is additional NET income).

There is no better investment today than smart internet marketing because your image and visibility is King and our internet marketing services are all geared to cause you to show up at the right place and right time in front of the right prospects.

We Group Our Services as Follows:
• Search Engine Optimization
• Pay-Per-Click Marketing
• Strategic Blogging

We invite you to consult with our team to find out if our services can benefit your unique situation. Promise Productions Internet Marketing Consultants are in high demand, thus we only offer our affordable services to companies that can benefit the most from our Internet Marketing Strategies.

Take the next step and contact us today at our Dallas office: 972-822-3587. Get A Quote