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.

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!

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.

Social Media Is The Key To Powerful Word-Of-Mouth Marketing

"Social Media" is THE buzzword of 2010, friends, and every professional is wondering if it's here to help, or here to destroy, their business. Some practitioners say that all social media is good for is wasting time on the internet, while others swear by its potential.

Everyone agrees, however, that it changes all the rules about getting new business. The New Marketing is here, and here to stay. So the answer to is Social Media Marketing good or bad for you is it depends:

• Are You using social media to market in a strategic way?
• Are You integrating multiple social media sites to amplify their effectiveness?
• Are You reaching your prospects with value that is meaningful to them?
• Are You learning from their likes and dislikes?

Question: What's better than great word-of-mouth for your business?
Answer: great word of mouth ONLINE -- where it can spread to thousands, circulating on business directories and social media sites to prospects both locally and worldwide.

Social Media Marketing is key to enjoying these rewards. Every month, millions of people discover new products and services and share their experiences and opinions on them. People are already talking about your marketplace and your brand. Are you engaging with them? Are you joining the conversation, helpfully steering them to the benefits and value your company provides?

If your business does not have an effective strategy to do this, you are increasingly losing the listening of your prospects. And, sooner or later, that will spell the death of any business.

However, the reverse is also true: customers love to have the company interact with them. It makes them feel important and listened to. It can resurrect that near-dead holy grail of marketing -- brand loyalty. There are many more benefits (including Positive PR) and we will be happy to discuss them with you when you call 972-822-3587 for a strategic marketing consultation.

Happy New Year, fellow business owners, and here's to a bright 2010 for all of us!

Warmest regards,
Promise Productions Marketing Communications • 972-822-3587
Los Angeles  |  Dallas  |  Las Vegas  |  Houston

More Effective Social Media Marketing for Your Business

Social Marketing is a very powerful way to create massive online visibility, drive traffic and build prospects and sales leads. The challenge for many companies is how do you find the time to do what you need to do to be effective on each social media asset – and to do it in a way that does not take hours each day.

The good news is there are many ways to both automate and integrate your Social Media Marketing. Promise Productiosn provides social media marketing strategies to make the most of your time and still get powerful results. We offer full social media marketing consultation and social media marketing campaigns that support your:
• Business Objectives
• Public Relations Initiatives
• Integrates with your Traditional and Online Marketing

Social Media Marketing Automation - There are actions on each of the Social Marketing tools that can be set up to be done automatically for you, so you do not have to be there to take each action.

Social Media Marketing Integration – Many of the main Social Marketing tools can be set up so that an action (a marketing message) taken on one site will result in an action (other marketing messages) taken on one or more other sites.

Here are brief examples of Automation and Integration with 5 of the major Social Media Marketing sites.

Video Marketing – one of the smartest things you can be doing right now, because of the enormous amount traffic generated by sites like YouTube. But how do you get traffic to your videos?

Great question, here is a part of the answer: set up your YouTube account so that each time you upload a new video an announcement automatically shows up on Twitter and Facebook.

Strategic Blogging - In Social Media, your company blog is the hub of your system. From your hub you can reach out to Twitter and Facebook when you set it up so that each new blog post is also automatically announced on these two Social Marketing sites.

These two examples above of automation and integration means you take one action and get 3 results.

Twitter - Your tweets can be automatically sent to Facebook. Some people set it up to have every tweet sent. I recommend using the "Selective Twitter Status" app so that not every tweet is automatically sent. I've seen some companies who tweet dozens of times a day get their account suspended because of too many tweets or too many similar tweets being sent.

Facebook - When you update your Facebook status you can set it up to be automatically sent to Twitter. One action, two results.

EzineArticles - Set it up so that each time you have a new article published it is "auto-tweeted" to Twitter. The title of the article is displayed in your Twitter stream along with the link to your article.

For specific applications to best forward your business needs, contact Promise Productions for social media consultation and campaigns at 972-822-3587.

December Marketing - Position Your Company for the Best of Success

December is the time to implement some marketing strategy to position your company to enter the New Year strong and ON TOP. Don't accept the temptation to just coast through December -- too much is at stake.

"In fact, while other companies are slowing down, yours can be gearing up to dominate your marketplace... and its profits."

Let's explore who your most profitable clients are and how to attract them online. We then integrate your company website, strategic blog, twitter and other social media marketing assets. The right content, message and strategy will attract new customers, new orders and stimulate a steady flow of leads for increased cashflow.

Call Promise Productions to maximize your Winter marketing at 972-822-3587.

Content Marketing - Internet Marketing and Strategic Social Media Marketing

As a business wanting to attract more customers through the Internet, are you struggling with content creation? We hear that all the time. First, we understand – you have a million other things to do and don't have time to blog or tweet, right? Well, here are a couple of time saver ideas to help your company come up with content for your blog program:

Outsource Content Creation - Promise Productions offers professional content creation at really low prices, if you just don't have the resources within your organization, this may be the best option for you. By "professional" we mean, not only well-written but marketing savvy – filled with keywords and positive links to best benefit your company's visibility and image.

Employee contest - if it's difficult to get your employee's to blog, try asking them to submit stories to you (the administrator). One idea - send an email out asking for the top questions your sales team and customer service reps get from their customers and what answer they give. You can turn each of those Q&A's into a post. And you could reward the person who submits the most Q&A's.

Customer contest - have a contest for your customers - send out an email to customers and ask them to share their story (or video) of how they use your product. Then the best story could receive a prize and you could submit all of those stories as blog posts.

Content creation is key to the success of your business blog program. Blogging strategically for better business is not just about having a blog, but USING it. Like that piece of exercise equipment, the more you use it, the more you benefit.

So too, you must also write consistent, relevant content. We are happy to help on the track for success with social media marketing, so call Promise Productions at 972-822-3587.

Our Gift - The Right Change For Success

It's time for the Holidays, the season of giving. The season of gratitude, giving and family. We're all busy thinking about how to make the people in our lives happy. Let me suggest, as you look out towards future of your business, if that future looks like the struggles you've continued to have all through 2009, you may not feel like celebrating.

What is needed is the right change for success. There are many companies dying right now. There are also many companies experiencing unprecedented growth and profits.

As a strategic marketing communications agency, our daily job is to develop and implement savvy marketing strategies to attract your ideal new business. It is a task that challenges us each day, and yet we are more optimistic than ever! Why?

Because, if you are really willing to adapt to today's marketplace, we can provide effective strategies for appealing to today's customers. We work to answer the questions of what really get's results. And our value is in how we provide these answers that apply to your business' needs.

So the BEST GIFT we at Promise Productions can give you is the Right Change For Success. The best gift you can GIVE YOURSELF or give your company or employees, is not an electronic gadget, cash bonus, or the like. It is a BETTER FUTURE.

How can we talk so confidently about a better future when many are in fear and uncertainty? Are we in denial of the negatives all around us? No, but we know that a higher degree of success comes through smarter marketing that brings new leads and new clients / customers your way.

Let's start with a real conversation with your company. A conversion about your past, present and future. A conversation about your goals and desires. About your dreams and the vision of the company.

Then let's talk about the "right change" for you. Our marketing / branding / advertising consultation services can provide the needed transformation so you love working at a company that does what your company does :-)

• Change in perspective / mindset / attitude
• Change your presentation to be most compelling
• Change the dynamics so you not only succeed yourself, but make a positive difference for all your customers.
• Change the ways your prospects can find you

To enjoy all this you need the right strategy where hopes become a reality. Let us give you this gift. Give yourself the gift of receiving the services Promise Productions provides -- they really are "services" because they exist to serve your business.

Will you let yourselves be served? I am grateful for this opportunity to serve your business goals in the largest sense of the word. Let Promise Productions help you discover the right tools, strategies and marketing campaigns to create the breakthroughs that will take your business from ordinary to extraordinary. We welcome your call at 972-822-3587.

Converse with your Customers and Prospects for Long-Term Survival

Today’s companies are going to have to create a dialogue with their customers in order to survive long term. Capturing customers' loyalty and business dollars in the process of that dialogue depends on how well their marketing campaign strategy is.

Increasingly, if consumers don’t have a chance to have a conversation with a company that will listen and respond to their needs, a responsive competitor will arise and take all the money with them.

This is where our professional social media marketing services comes in. The right business strategy to your Social Media Marketing will provide that dialogue, customer service, responsiveness as well as two other keys to long-term profits: (1) a pulse on your industry and what it wants, (2) promoting your brand, products and services to thousands of extra prospects!

Let our social media marketing consultation set your business up with the right strategy for smarter marketing. Call 972-822-3587 today.

Got Value? Got Service? Got Profits?

As a business your very survival depends on providing value. Value means you are serving your clientelle -- giving them a product or service that truly benefits them.

If your company wants more profits, it needs to provide more service. It needs to GIVE more to its customers and prospective customers. Either you have a better mousetrap, a more convenient mousetrap, a less expensive mousetrap, or a mousetrap that will do more... also wash your windows :-)

So is this a post about best business practices? Yes. It is a post about innovation? Yes. Is this a post about customer service? Yes. But it is also a post about social media marketing services.

Social Media is the ideal way to interact with your customers by taking advantage of today's technology plus the incredible popularity of social media. Did you know, for example, today that more TV shows are watched today are through Social Media than through TV? Social Media is more used than TV, Cable, Newspapers and more -- all combined!

So what does this have to do with your business profits? Well for starters, Social Media lets you interact in a conversation with your prospects and with your customers. A smart social media marketing campaign gives you control over the conversation about your company, its brand, products and services.

LISTENING and conversing lets you know how best to serve (and thus profit) from knowing their needs and their "hot buttons". By knowing what they value, you can ensure you NEVER WASTE ANOTHER MARKETING DOLLAR EVER AGAIN by advertising using an ineffective value proposition. You've just cut out the guessing and gone STRAIGHT TO RESULTS.

If this is of value to your business (and it is), then call us at 972-822-3587 for your Social Media Marketing Strategy and Services. We look forward to making you shine!

Strategic Social Media Marketing Management

Applying Strategic Skills for Successful Social Media Marketing Campaigns

Learn how Promise Productions successfully manages your company's social media marketing campaign by harnessing our insight and strategy with the goals of your business. With the exploding growth of social media, 
the need to apply strategic thinking to your public relations and
communications campaigns has never been more critical. Join with Promise Productions and learn how to join forces to create ultimate
social media success.

Our Social Media Campaign Management Services will provide:

• A clear cultural understanding needed to communicate with social media tools.
• A framework for using social media in business continuity planning.
• An overview of how we choose the right social media tools to meet your objectives.
• A plan of attack for incorporating social media in your marketing, communications and business growth plans.
• Knowledge of how to transition your communications experience and know-how to social media.
• The additional skills you’ll need to manage a successful social media campaign.

Contact Promise Productions MarPromise Productions Marketing Communications at 972-822-3587 to get on the road to results!

Social Media Marketing - 4 Reasons to Launch Now

Friends, this is such a relevant article, we are re-posting Chris' material on our blog.

4 Reasons to Launch Your Social Web Campaign Now!

By Chris J Marentis

Social media marketing is the hottest "business reality-show" that's generating leads for businesses of all sizes. As every business owner knows, leads are the lifeblood of their companies. Getting a consistent flow of profitable leads today is hard.

At a time when customers use social networking to search, discuss and explore new ideas and opportunities, "Companies have no choice. This is where their customers are going," reported USA Today on August 27, 2009.

Advice on how to implement various social media marketing opportunities like Facebook, Twitter, Delicious and others abound. However, like any media campaign, you need to make sure your social media program is strategic, measurable and encompasses the entire spectrums of opportunities that are right for your business.

Four key reasons social marketing will lift your business prospects are:

1. You can easily dominate your market at little to no cost. Because social media marketing is SEO on steroids, it has the ability to reach across all the important places for your niche on the Internet.
2. Using the right content distribution and management strategy will get you a consistent flow of quality leads.
3. You have control and can literally get started within hours if you want. Even better, you don't need to go through a sales rep or purchase process.
4. You can leverage expertise and become an authority in your niche with "followers" in social media groups. You business will be the "first call" when customers want to learn about products and services in your niche.

Never in the history of consumer selling have companies, from one-person shops to multi-national corporations, been handed such an effective, low-cost opportunity to carry out promotional efforts. Learn how to leverage this effective new tool for your business or you will soon be left behind.

~~~

Bravo, Chris. We could not agree more. For smarter Dallas Marketing, call the firm of Promise Productions at 972-822-3587.

Social Media Marketing - Dallas Case Study - Update

As an update to the previous post, it has now been 48 hours since we launched our video + blog social media release for our client providing Dallas Bar Mitzvah Photography. Let's see how the Google rankings have changed:

• Google Position #1 remains.
• Google position #1 has spawned a second link at spot #2
• Google Position #4 has become #20 as the video's newness quickly fades to other video uploads.
• Google Position #5 has moved down to #6 losing one place due to other's website activity.
• Google Position #9 has moved down to #10. That is a good thing as last on the page gets more attention then next to last.

We still have 4 great links, functioning as signposts to our client on the first page. Overall, an improvement in positioning to get more responses.

The client website? It still ranks at #18, towards the bottom of page 2, which is not enough to get much traction even though it is in the top percentile of the 118,000 competitors.

We will keep you updated with continued results and we welcome your inquiries for successful marketing communications and social media marketing at Promise Productions -- 972-822-3587.

Social Media Marketing - Dallas Case Study

A Promise Productions Strategic Marketing, we've been preaching the virtues of Social Media Marketing, especially when wed to video production.

Why? Because everyone is looking for real results these days, and our marketing strategies DELIVER.

Here is a quick example of exactly what we mean by "deliver."

We have a specific search term our client wants to rank high in that has 118,000 competing websites. First, we created a short video for the client. We posted it to our strategic business blog (set up using our system). Then we used our social media video distribution service to spread it around. Within 24 hours here are the results:

We captured the #1 Google position. Not with the blog itself, but through our syndication with a major, highly ranked blog. Next, we captured Google's 4th, 5th positions from places we sent the video to. Lastly, we scored Google's 9th position with another blog that picked up and re-posted our video.

Results? Yes, basically HALF the first page in Google in 24 hours promotes the video, which also promotes the client's website.

This is more powerful than hundreds of dollars pumped into Search Engine Optimization of the primary business site. We will followup with a future post to see how Google's rankings unfold after a little more time.

For marketing results, Covenant Designs' strategies have incredible value. Get in on the smart approach to today's marketing -- call 972-822-3587.

Top 10 Social Media Marketing Tips For Businesses

Put a face to your business! As Social Media Marketing Specialists, here are the Top 10 ideas Promise Productions recommends for companies to succeed at Social Media.

1 • Know Your Distinct Value
It is not necessarily about what you think sets your business apart -- no, it is about WHY your customers actually come to you. To really know this, you have to be in dialogue with your customers. Know what sets you apart as specifically as possible.

This truth underscores why it’s important to be involved in social media consersations -- monitoring what is being said about your company. and reconcile your customers’ opinions with your story so that the brand message is consistent and credible.

2 • Knowing Your Value Proposition, maximize it!
Maintain excellence around your differentiators. Unlike ads, social media has permanence. Since what’s expressed about your brand is permanently searchable, if you are always changing the message of your value your business communications, you will confuse your audience and water down your brand.

3 • Be Visible Where Your Prospects Are
Set up your social network hub where your customers are. We recommend a presence on Facebook because it is the largest social network with over 300M users and is one of the top-trafficked site in many countries. The volume and the intent (sharing, lifestyle) make it suitable for any business.

4 • Use Social Media To Provide Value
Everyone wants value, so do your customers. Use content about your differentiators as “landing beacons.” Attract interested consumers to your hub with great content. You want consumers (and prospective customers) to be attracted to and stay loyal to your brand because of your value -- your differentiators.

5 • Make fans not friends.
Fans on Facebook and Followers on Twitter give users the power to opt-in to being associated with you, which is exactly what you want. It’s low risk (non pushy) for your fans, and you can stay focused on sharing the great things about your brand.

6 • Engage, not advertise.
Social Media is about sharing what you love. As a business, share what you are passionate about -- things that would interest your prospects. Do things that would please them, reward their loyalty, and personalize whenever possible. In this way you become ATTRACTIVE.

7 • Link to allies.
Simply take natural allies and promote each other's services. It is win-win, but you have to be willing to actually give of your time and energy first.

8 • Partner with brands that complete the picture
Your industry may synchronize closely with other industries. A lawncare service might partner (associate themselves) with a tree trimming business. Diamonds and gold go together. Wedding gowns and wedding photography might form a strategic alliance.

In your network, introduce the partners that best complete the customer's experience. Prospective customers of their business might be good prospects for your's too.

9 • Respond quickly, and with empathy, to negative posts.
Brands, like people, show their true colors when they’re under attack, so complaints, though unpleasant, can be opportunities for you to shine. Unless it’s a systemic problem, other fans will likely ignore the complaint, rise to defend you, or understand that the issue is between the complaining fan and you.

In most cases, they will appreciate that you did something, even if all you do is to request to address the issue offline with the complaining fan. Doing nothing makes observing fans wonder what happened.

10 • Develop a social media policy for your employees.
How many of the 300M Facebook users also work for you? Chances are, quite a few. Employees can be your biggest promoters… or unintentional detractors. As you venture into social media, make sure that your employees are on the same page as you.

Promise Productions is a Dallas-Based Strategic Marketing Communications Firm. One of our strengths is in managing company's Social Media Marketing Campaigns. For social media and other ways to be most profitable, call 972-822-3587.

Dallas Social Media Marketing Communications

Friends, past forms of advertising are still with us, but are losing ground every day to the emerging power of Social Media Marketing. As a marketing communications firm, Promise Productions is all about connecting businesses with the clients/customers they need to be most profitable.

That is why we made this very basic video to discuss how a business can effectively engage with social media as a communications and marketing goldmine:



Social Media Marketing is the NEW ADVERTISING, but not by interrupting or pushing your message at prospects. Rather it is entering into the already existing online conversation areas discussing your industry, your services, your brand and your products.

We are quick to emphasize that Social Media Marketing MUST be done with a smart strategy in a highly-integrated way in order to be effective. Given all the ways a company could waste their time and efforts in this new form of self-promotion, we encourage your business to consult with us to create the best structures and practices for social media marketing and to outsource your social media marketing to Promise Productions.

Advertising is no longer the same, and will never be the same. Don't be left behind in the new marketing, call Promise Productions Strategic Marketing today at 972-822-3587.

SEO Should be Integrated into Your Web Design From The Start

Creating a business website that is a success in the largest sense of the word means that is accomplishes three core things:

1 • Your website's look and feel appeals to your target audience
2 • Your website clearly communicates your value proposition
3 • Your website is found by your best prospects

Today we will focus on the third aspect -- being found. Your value proposition Promise Productions, we believe that search engine optimization should be as integral as possible in the creation and web site development process.


This is where the full-featured skill sets of Covenant Designs comes in. You see, we are marketers at heart. That means that beyond a modern design, beyond efficient programmings, when we build your web site, we build it to (a) appealing to, (b) earning the trust of and (c) attracting new business profits.

When web design, web programming and search engine optimization are all built into your website at the core level, the result is all that more powerful - powerful to attract the right kinds of clients that lead to optimum success. Yes it is more work to think of SEO from the start, but that is a higher level of strategic planning for a higher level of results.

What Does It Mean To "Build In" SEO?
It means many specific things. It means using programming structures that are inherently friendly to search engines such as Google and Yahoo. It means avoiding web programming practices that create web pages that can look fine on screen to humans but are unfriendly to the search engines (i.e. Javascript and Flash). Smart SEO affects the way you build your menus, the way verbiage is displayed on screen and the way your company blog integrates with the web site.

There is no single magic formula and one size does not fit all. As with all lasting success, it involves building your website to accomplish specific goals. Our strength is marketing and making every area of your business communicate a cohesive message that best resonates with your target audience. This can be simple or complex, straightforward or multifaceted. The key word here is "Smart Strategy".

Call Promise Productions to consult with you about your business growth goals, and where our web design services, marketing communications services and social media services can best support what your business is up to. We welcome your inquiry at 972-822-3587.

TRUST - The Key To Prosperity

Who Can You Trust?
The change in business, economy and marketing rests on changes in Trust. This Visual Marketing and Social Media Marketing blog has said a lot about trust and the need to understand your customer's needs and motivations.

To understand how to Market and Thrive today, your business must understand trust. Hype in advertising, lies in politics, and lack of integrity by leaders of all sorts has made trust a rare thing. People do not trust companies -- their web sites, their brochures, etc. Many companies have reacted by doing more and more advertising that is less and less effective. Even the most benevolent of businesses still have an obvious agenda -- to sell, to make money. Because so many scams have unscrupulously targeted the unwary, trust has been driven underground.

By that I mean, consumers do not trust the "frontmen" of companies. In a day in age where our president is little more than a game show host, smiles, handshakes and promises cannot replace integrity, follow through and results. Entire marketing budgets are wasted if they are not trusted -- whether they are online, on TV, in print or otherwise. The public has tuned out the increasing "sales noise".

So where have they turned? To whom do they give their trust?
The answer is to Friends. A friend has become the last bastion of trust. While some insurance salesman may simply tell me what I want to hear, a friend at least is in a longer-term relationship with me and looking out for my best interests. EVEN IF a friend's advice is not perfect, at least it is sincere.

The result is the massive explosion in Social Media online: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Followers, etc. In the huge vacume of trust left by self-serving companies, there is a huge rush to get "more friends." The core reason for this is we need people and messages we can trust. We don't need advertising; we need truth. If a company has limited effectiveness selling to you; your friend still has your ear. (hence the dramatic rise in the number of direct marketing companies)

Simply look back and you will see that, as a society, we used to trust "experts" (before experts were shown to have lied and lied to us again and again for money under the table) -- doctors and scientists. They were "in the know" and were used by companies to sell us anything from tires to baby food. But in the eorsion of trust in "experts" our need for trust is so strong that we will trust a friend with less exertise than anyone with an agenda.

I am here to tell you that YOUR company can thrive.
No matter where your cashflow is today, you can absolutely thrive IF you are willing to be friends with your customers. When prospects are shopping around online for the services they will use, it is effortless for them to jump to your competition. The only thing that prevesnts this and brings brand loyalty back into the equation is trust -- and as we said, trust is built on friendship.

Corporations have been full of themselves, heady on the easier profits of the 80's and early 90's -- they got this attitude that it is all about them. They have given off the message that they are untouchable and their customers should be grateful to them, but that they are not accountable to thier customers. If you dislike a policy of your bank or cell phone company, can you really get your voice heard to someone who can actually make a difference in the situation? I never have.

Companies that are not loyal to their customers will recieve no loyalty back. In an era of distrust, it is probably true that not everyone you give to will trust you or give back. Even when Jesus Christ healed 10 individuals of deadly Leprosy, only one came back to thank him! Does that mean to return harsh distrust? No, it means to make a profound choice to give and keep giving despite anyone's reaction or the immediate apparent outcome. It means to choose contribution as a way of life, trusting that your business will then attract those it is best suited to serve.

One Customer's Loyalty
I have gone to the same bicycle shop now for 12 years. There are closer and cheaper shops to me. I go there becuase at my first bike purchase from that shop, I met and spoke with the owner. He went out of his way for me. He took the time to listen to my needs and purpuse for my bicycle and to direct me to the best product match for me. 12 years later and 3 bikes later, I still only go to them. Now, I do not see the owner; I see a different bike tecnician each time. They continue to be so busy that I have to wait longer to be served. But the store is thriving through superior customer service.

Even though I have not seen that owner in years, there was a personal enough connection made to keep coming back, and prefer that store to more convenient stores. That store's one act of trust has earned them $2,000 of my business and been referred 5 new customers. Just think if a company did that that was selling Houses!

Rule of Thumb: the more trust a decision requires, the more personal the service is and the saleperson has to be more and more of a "friend."

I don't need anyone to be a friend when I buy batteries becuase they are a commodity. I still don't need anyone to fill the trust role when I buy a toothbrush -- a commodity but more personal since I stick it in my own mouth. But buy a car, and you have your own individual salesperson. Take it farther and buy a house and you need a personal real estate agent that you feel is looking out for your interests. There are countless examples, but each purchase ranks differenty on the trust scale. Where do your company's products and services rate? Where could you marketing change to better facilitate trust?

Some companies (a bridal planner for example) know each customer by name. Other companies that is simply impossible. The rule has been that the bigger the company is, the more impersonal it is. Well that does NOT have to be the case. Even the biggest company of all -- WalMart -- could benefit by giving each customer UNREASONABLE time, attention and care. Becuase even the biggest giant can fall becuase it only rests on thousands of little decisions to trust or not tru

Conclustion

What are you doing to EARN trust? To PROVE yourself trustworthy? How quickly do you want to reposition yourself for massive success?

Future posts will continue to address this Key To Prosperity, and how Promise Productions marketing services, social media and marketing consultation will make you Thrive and Love Doing Business!

Read about our commitment to you here. For personal service, call Promise Productions direct at 972-822-3587.

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.


How to Convince Your CEO to Embrace Social Media Marketing

Let's get straight to it:

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

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

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

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

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

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