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10 Internet Marketing Strategies for Small Business

On May 27, 2014   /   Branding - Marketing, Entrepreneurs - Small Business, General   /   Leave a comment
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Internet marketing strategies

Internet marketing is not an option, it is a necessity for every small business to grow. We love working with start up companies, we love the passion and the excitement new entrepreneurs bring with each bright venture. It is also hard for us to meet some of these fresh start up small businesses who are following their dreams but haven’t done the due diligence of research. We are often contacted first to design and develop a small business website. One of our specialities here of course. However in our first website consultation we talk to our prospective customers about how they are going to market their new business and if they have considered internet marketing. Unfortunately many small business owners believe having a website is an internet marketing strategy. It is a component but it is not a complete strategy to drive traffic, phone calls and orders in and of itself.

Following is a list of some of the internet marketing strategies small businesses implement. Not all of these internet marketing concepts are necessary for every single business. If you are not sure about which will fit best with your internet marketing goals post a question in the comment sections and I will be happy to help. I will need to know what your product or service is and what your internet marketing goals are. Do you want to increase page views, do you want to make more sales, do you want more downloads, etc.

10 Internet Marketing Strategies for small business

  1. Web Presence – First and foremost is to have a fully functioning quality website. A website that communicates quickly what your product or service is key in keeping your visitor engaged in staying on your website long enough to determine if they want to work with you. List your services or products, make it easy to locate contact information whether it is an online form and most definitely provide an email contact and phone number on all your pages. Don’t skimp on your website design. If your website looks cheap your company will bear the burden of this perception.
  2. Content Marketing – Content marketing includes articles, blog posts, press releases, e-books, all types of photos including product photos, staff photos, stock photos for your blog posts, and videos. Don’t ever worry that you are offering too much information on your website. Note you will naturally be adding relevant keywords to your content (see SEO below) and you will be answering every visitors question each time they come to your site. Sharing your wisdom and expertise adds credibility and trust for your customer and bodes higher search results than websites that don’t get updated frequently and have less content
  3. SEO/SEM – Search engine marketing helps bring your website up in search results within search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. The use of relevant keywords holds high importance in SEO for small business websites. To use Connection Group as an example, as a graphic design and marketing company in the Lansing Michigan area we want customers who are seeking graphic design and marketing in the Lansing, Michigan to find us. The best way to be visible in search engines is to make sure we have those keywords (graphic design, marketing, Lansing, Michigan) on our website in various places.  There are many components of SEO and many bad practices by disreputable SEO firms to avoid. Please post in comments if you have questions.
  4. Local Search Marketing – Local search incorporates the rules and tactics for standard SEO and integrates maps, such as Google maps. When a customer searches your product or services a map with local companies who fit the query come up. Your company and similar companies in your industry will have listing that include contact information such as address, phone number, and can include website and there will be a symbol on the map indicating your exact business location.
  5. Social Media Marketing – Everybody groan and get it over with. I know social media for small businesses is an internet strategy that challenges the best of us but it all comes down to your goals and your audience. Some of our customers rock Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and others report increased sales rates from the traffic they received from LinkedIn. The most challenging part of social media as an internet marketing strategy for small businesses  is setting the frequency of posts and determining return on investment. To start, I recommend securing social media profiles with your business name in all of the main social media channels. The next step is to evaluate which social media channels your customers spend the most time in, when they are there and what they want to hear from you.  Piece of cake right?
  6. Email Marketing – Email marketing lists are considered by many to be the most valuable database in many small businesses portfolio. Email marketing lists are built from customers and prospects who have expressed an interest in your product or service. Whether you gained them through a give away, a promise to keep them updated on new product releases, or discounts, these people have opted in to receive communication from you. Unlike a phone call, or face to face meeting, emails can be sent 24/7 and the recipient can choose when they will look at them and how they will respond. Small businesses should consider using an established email marketing software such as Mailchimp to help ensure your campaigns reach your customers in-box without getting caught in spam filters.
  7. Landing Pages – A landing page is a page on your website that is designed to capture visitors contact information. Landing pages contain a lead capture form (conversion form) also known as an online inquiry form. Created for a specific audience they can be a very successful internet marketing strategy. Good landing pages are simple and focus on one message to achieve the goal of capturing the lead content. Consider using landing pages with email campaigns targeted to previous customers, use of landing pages with online advertising allow ease of tracking and optimizing for each ad, and lastly landing pages can be used for giveaways and free downloads of e-books, original graphics, etc.
  8. Mobile Compatibility – Mobile marketing statistics so far for 2014 show some industries are seeing nearly 50% of visits to their websites from mobile users. This of course will vary with demographics and your actual product or service but it is high across the board – high enough not to ignore. Most small businesses are investing in responsive website design rather than going with a desktop website and a separate mobile website. Maintaining two separate websites is just crazy unless that’s all you have to do all day. Responsive sites provide the best of both worlds. Those visiting your site on a smart phone, tablet or desktop computer get the same information, it is all just scaled for the screen size they are using. Questions? Let’s talk.
  9. Online directory listings – Make sure your business is listed and complete your information and be sure there is accurate contact information in all main online directories such as Google, Bing, Yelp and YP. Consumers who do not know your company name but are searching for your product or service can view your listing and contact you. Most directories have free listings and others offer more options at a cost. There are many other service listings like Yext, etc. and also industry specific directories you will want to explore.
  10. Google Adwords and Social Media Paid Advertising – Google Adwords can help bring you to the top of searches page by paying for top placement. Internet advertising is sold on a cost per click (CPC) or cost per  impression. You build ads using keywords for your product or service depending on your budget and how many others in your industry are advertising the same keywords and setting similar budgets your ad will come up in when people search for your product or service. Due diligence must be paid to each online adverting campaign to make sure you are getting in the top rankings and that you are taking advantage of each opportunity. As you work to improve organic search engine results for your website by adding content, etc. Although not for the faint at heart or for those who are not very ‘techie’, Google adwords and some social media advertising can be a good addition to your internet marketing strategy.

So which of the 10 internet marketing strategies above does your company need the most to increase inbound marketing results? Do you think you need to start working on all or them, or only 1 − 4, or are you completely overwhelmed and want to go back to door to door sales and forget all this crazy internet stuff? Connect with us, we can help with all of the services listed, we know the ropes and we can help get results.

Stay connected!

Photo credit: Apple, the Apple logo and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
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What makes a graphic designer stand out?

On April 28, 2014   /   General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   3 Comments
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Professional Graphic Designer Lansing, Grand Rapids, Mid Michigan

In-house Professional Graphic Designer

Recently I spent time with some local graphic design experts and the faculty from the Lansing Community College (LCC) Communication, Media and Arts Department. The LCC Annual Advisory Board Meeting is a time where faculty and professionals in the local graphic design community discuss what is most important for the students to learn to help them succeed in the graphic design industry. It is interesting to hear other professionals and instructors share the talents they are seeing in students and discuss how these skills can be honed.

Because LCC is a community college, students are typically enrolled for an Associates degree. Some students are there to transfer and some students plan to earn their Associates in Graphic Design degree and get a job. In an ideal world training would be geared to each specific goal. This luxury is saved for the colleges and Universities where students will receive Bachelor’s of Fine Arts (BFA) Graphic Design degrees or hang out until they earn a Masters in Design. The additional years offer educators to expound on design concepts, color theory, drawing technique, nuances in typography, problem solving and of course in depth graphic design software training. These are the area of study important for graphic designers to succeed. With only two years with the students what can a two year graphic design program at a community college include, what can be reduced, what is learned on the job?

It is a dilemma faced with all levels of schooling each year. With decreasing enrollment, reduced budgets, inflated products and industry tools (like graphic design software) the questions become more important each year. Each view is indulgent of the individual preferences in the group as employers and instructors who are design and art appreciators.

What I appreciate most about our annual meeting is that it has been established to address the needs of the students. What can we do to build better design students? What does a graphic designer need to know to hit the ground running when they graduate from the program? Should there be a strong focus on teaching drawing techniques or develop problem solving and visual sketching skills for future graphic design client presentations? What about software? How much time should be allotted for learning the ins and outs of Adobe Creative Suite? What if graphic design firms switch to different software? And what of the process and the conceptualizing that separates the creative graphic designer from the novice?

So many clearly important questions and so difficult to answer. One of my favorite suggestions that I would love to adopt for myself and the graphic designers in the shop is to fill seven sketchbook pages a week.  How much fun and discipline can I handle? Another list that that I think could be helpful is a list of what many graphic design shops in Michigan and design shops in Lansing may look for in a graphic design applicant.

How Graphic Designers Can Get a Job in Lansing:

  • Design and develop at least one web component with each project
  • Show the process – steps that it took you to get to the finished design
  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of type and how it works best with graphics
  • Pull off a clean design of a boring project (like a form) shows tenacity
  • Share designs in public – on Pinterest, Facebook or other forum
  • Develop an online portfolio and a solid, clean interview portfolio
  • Research great design in print and on the web (subscribe to CA and other magazines)

Students and designers will enjoy doing some of the above more than others and gravitate toward their special focus as they become more experienced graphic designers. Truthfully I believe graphic design can be taught. Graphic design that stands out, conveys and emotes a clear and moving message is created by those born with the ability to see things others don’t and communicate thoughtfully and creatively. Regardless of whether it is determined that a sketch book is required in all graphic design classes, I am proud to be a part of the LCC Graphic Design Advisory Board because we are all committed to student success and in doings o we benefit the industry we love.

So what did I miss? What talents do you seek when you hire a graphic designer?

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Dimensions for Social Media Graphics

On March 25, 2014   /   General, Graphic Design and Web design, Social Media Tips   /   2 Comments
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Sample dimensions for Facebook business page covers and profile photos. Note to leave space for the call to action
Sample dimensions for Facebook business page covers and profile photos. Note to leave space for the call to action

Digital Branding gets a new face. 

sample social media graphic fro facebook page feedAs social media evolves, new trends spark, more rules and standards lock in, and more opportunities to build your company brand arise with social media graphics.
Connecting your professional brand message in all media formats is why Connection Group is here. Developing social media graphics as branding visuals that incorporate logos, monthly specials, calls to action, etc. is one of our favorite services.
As much as we enjoy creating these digital graphics for all of you we know some of you still prefer to do it yourself. To help you maintain your professional brand image online we have compiled current social media graphics guidelines to help. The dimensions are below for various social media graphics you will use, from newsfeed photo posts to profile pictures in Facebook to LinkedIn to Twitter and Google+. Follow the dimensions posted and have fun creating your social media graphics! Here’s a pdf to download with all the social media graphics dimensions to reference later too.
If you prefer to do what you do best for your company – and creating graphics isn’t it – connect with us. We have the education, experience, and efficiency (plus super duper photo imaging and vector software) to create eye catching social media graphics. Give us a call today and take advantage of the current discount (expires April 30, 2014).
Do you have a slide show on your website? Do some of your slides need an update, a fresh look for the season? Give us a call for an estimate today – we may just slide those into the April promo too!

facebook iconFacebook – All graphics must be gifs/jpgs/or pngs

 
Facebook Profile Picture: 180 x 180 pixels Facebook requires this minimum size for uploading a profile picture only to then turn around and reduce to fit the actual required size of 160 x 160 pixels (square). 
Facebook Cover Photos:  851 x 315 pixels. For sharper, cleaner images start with images 1702 x 630. Facebook will resize.  (image should be wider than tall)
Facebook Page Post – 400 x 400 pixels square. Page post or status image. Recommend upload size of 1200 x 1200px. Facebook will reduce. Size for mobile: 560 x 292.
Facebook Ads:  1,200 pixels wide (rectangular)   
News Feed ads: 600 pixels wide. (rectangular) 
Facebook App Icons:  114 x 74 pixels, (rectangular) These are the icons that appear at the top of the page below your cover pic and above your page feed.
Facebook Photo Albums: 960 x 720 pixels is the maximum display size  (rectangular, landscape orientation). Photo albums are limited to 1000 photos each.

twitter graphic

TWITTER:  All graphics must be gifs/jpgs/ or pngs

Twitter Profile Picture: Upload at 128 x 128 pixels (square) Twitter will resize to 48 x 48 pixels
Twitter Background – Keep at 200 pixels across to ensure all content will be seen on all monitors.
Twitter header image:  1252 x 626, this graphic is displayed directly behind your profile photo.

google plus logo

GOOGLE+:  All graphics must be jpgs/pngs/or gifs no larger than 2 MBs in size.

Google+ Profile Picture: 250 x 250 pixels.
Google + Cover Photo: 940 x 180 pixels (this can also be an animated gif… (but please don’t get too crazy!)

linkedin logoLinkedin – all LinkedIn graphics must be jpgs/pngs/or gifs no larger than 2 MBs in size.

Linkedin Profile Picture: 250 x 250 pixels
Linkedin Company Cover Photo:   646 x 220 pixels (image should be wider than tall)
Hero Image  (Spotlight page)- Minimum 974-339 pixels, Maximum 2 MB, Landscape (image should be wider than tall). Crop once it’s loaded.
Standard Profile Logo: 100×60 pixels (image will be resized to fit), (image should be wider than tall)
Square Logo:  50×50 pixels (image will be resized to fit), This logo is shown in all unetwork updates. 
Good luck with your creations be sure to contact us if you have any questions. More networks are advancing everyday that will require us to expand this post. Please be sure to note the date since dimensions change frequently. Currently Pinterest only allows for profile pictures for their business pages but this may soon change… Are there other social media graphics you use regularly with unique dimensions? Please add them in comments below to help others.
 
logo-pdf Download PDF – Social Media Graphic Dimensions

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Small Business Owners: Do I need a website if I have a….

On March 10, 2014   /   General, Graphic Design and Web design, Social Media Tips   /   5 Comments
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…Facebook Page … LinkedIn Business Page… Pinterest following

when you get -give, when you learn teach quote maya angelouIt scares me how often I am asked this question. Typically when a start-up business or growing small business consults with us on creating a professional company brand we need to have ‘the talk’. We’ve had the ‘do I need a website talk’ here before. Social media updates, SEO and skewed business models beg for a review. 
We’ve read the success stories; “Start up Yarn store sells volumes of skeins through their Facebook page’. Yes we’ve seen leads from LinkedIn turn into real live customers. But did those people who bought the yarn specifically go to Facebook looking for yarn? When your new found customer sought the service you offer on LinkedIn, were you the only company offering that service? No, no you were not.  This alone should help you answer the do I need a website question, but I will keep going.
Possibly the positive results in social media were driven by purchasing ads, feeding captivating content in Facebook, or using the correct keywords on your LinkedIn company page… or maybe the stars and the moon were aligned at just the right angle… We have no control on what social media sites our target market visits.  We have no control who sees our Facebook company page from post to post. We have no control over our competition claims on LinkedIn. How can we put our company success under somebody else’s control? Especially brands that also dictate what information we add to their websites and how it will be distributed?
Before I start sounding like LinkedIn and Facebook (and Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr …) are complete evil time-sucking novelties that are guided purely to monetize every move we make let me share sincere marketing advice:  Using multiple distribution points gets your marketing message in front of your prospects multiple times. You want to be where your clients are and if there are millions of businesses on LinkedIn everyday and you are a business to business (B2B) company you’re darn right you should be there too!  If your Pinterest and Facebook followers are engaging with your post and sharing it with their Aunt Susie, keep posting!
Long lasting success comes from consistent branding across multiple platforms. Facebook and LinkedIn and other social media sites are best served as outposts for your content. Your company website is the pitch, white paper, brochure, training, demo and closing table all in one. Your outposts should drive prospects to your brand website where you are in charge and can serve your customer best.

meida graphic-internet marketingWhy Do I Need a Website?

  1. A company website is available to people actively seeking a specific thing (product / service / education / research source).
  2. A company website markets your product and service only.
  3. Your product / service shines here, you decide what to share and visitors get their answers.
  4. Your company website is available to everyone. There’s no user agreement or need to be a member.
  5. Visitors contact information can be captured for follow up.
  6. Your website reflects your business personality and brand message.
  7. A clear call to action in the form you prefer (email, phone call, form, etc.) encourages connections.
  8. You own it.

Full disclosure: along with small business brand marketing, Connection Group builds websites. Yes, we would love to build a website for your small business. We also want to help small businesses succeed whether we provide purchased services or education via a free blog post or other or freebies.
Not all marketers agree. I recently read a post in a LinkedIn group where the author claimed all a B2B company needs is a LinkedIn company page. The author was shamed into silence from the over 100 threads from serious marketers explaining why all businesses need a website. Not all marketers offer website designs and the recommendation that small businesses need a website was not driven by sales. The advice was meant as a caution not to put all your marketing efforts into one portal. If you still feel a social media page is the best way to align business success there is somebody out there who will be happy to charge you to set up a MySpace account.
Stay connected!
Like what you’ve read here? Subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter Connectivity for more brand marketing tips.

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Is the Facebook Business Page Dead?

On February 27, 2014   /   General, Social Media Tips   /   2 Comments
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facebook-social-network-graphicA full decade of Facebook. Can you believe it? Some days it still seems crazy that over a billion people are visitors of this one website. Other days it seems as if it has always been a part of our lives. In such a short time feeding Facebook business page news feeds with funny stories and trend setting tips has created a world of narcissist and overnight millionaires.
The reigning king of social media has continually made changes over the 10 years to keep us coming back. Marketers are like mice on a wheel trying to keep up. We have experienced many late nights editing slides before a large presentation because Facebook did an overhaul the day before a big social media marketing consultation. Most recently, changes to the Facebook business page newsfeed algorithm has left businesses and social media marketing companies scrambling. Over night companies were angered seeing that only 100 fans of their 8000 fan base actually saw their posts at any given time.

Why the big change in the Facebook Business Page Algorithm?

Facebook surveyed a sample of their users and asked how often they want page posts to come up in their profile news feed. Based on the response, Facebook has reduced the amount of Facebook business page posts that come up in users personal news feeds. This makes your Grandma in Florida happier because she can see more posted cartoons about the polar vortex Michigan is experiencing. Marketers and social media managers are left wondering whether they should bother recommending their client to dedicate man hours to post to their Facebook business pages. If few people are going to see them why spend the time and payroll dollars to create Facebook posts?
For companies who have relied heavily on their Facebook business page to sell and market their products or services it will be important to look at other ways to get back in front of their audience. A business marketing plan that is not so reliant on Facebook may help. Certainly a new Facebook business page marketing strategy is in order to determine how best to drive traffic to the Facebook business page based on the new algorithm programming.

So how can you drive traffic to your Facebook business page news feed? sample tagging facebook business page in page post

  1. Buy more Facebook ads (come on now, who ever said you could get free social media marketing?)
  2. Embrace link sharing (posting links of stories off site, or to other pages, etc.)
  3. Share more visuals and media-rich content (graphics, photos, videos)
  4. Leverage other social channels – encourage your followers in other social media channels to engage with your Facebook business page
  5. Include your Facebook business page URL on all your marketing materials
  6. Include a link to your Facebook business page in your blog posts and your email signature
  7. Include buttons for liking and sharing your Facebook business page on your website and in your email signature
  8. Tag other pages in your posts to gain interest for that page followers. (Example: Our Connection Group Facebook Business Page shares a web link from Mashable’s website and tags the Mashable Facebook page that post is shared to some of the Mashable Facebook page fan base. If fans are interested in what we’ve posted they stop in check us out and like us – bonus!)

Anybody who has posted to Facebook recognizes that visuals speak louder than words, this is not lost in the new algorithm either. Facebook has decided it doesn’t like all those wordy, story posts and is reducing sharing of text based posts to newsfeeds at a higher rate than those with links and visual content. Gone is the day of likes from viewers for your text heavy posts, the sharing of penned customer testimonials and even those inspiring #mondaymotivation quotes. So how are you going to keep in the game and post compelling visuals? It’s not like you can just steal Google images and post them legally. (Remember we’ve covered this before.)

Creating more visual and media-rich content for your Facebook Business Page:

Nxtwall trade show booth

Sample of photo used for Nxtwall Faceboook business page post from trade show.

  1. Hire a graphic design and marketing firm to create original social media images, icons, graphics, Facebook cover photos, based on your brand visuals. (Have we met? 🙂 )
  2. Purchase art, photos and videos from stock art websites. (Shutterstock, Veer, etc.)
  3. Have employees compile photos of the office, meetings, products, customers (get signed photo releases!), etc. for posting
  4. Have customers share photos (you could even create a photo contest around this concept!)
  5. Photos from company events, trade shows, holiday parties, etc. (double bonus because these will reflect the company culture clearly to viewers.)
  6. Create original infographics pertinent to your industry

When you tire of viewing all the “Look Back” videos Facebook developed as their anniversary gift to users, it’s time to think about your investment in your Facebook business page for the next 10 years. Will Facebook decide that increased business page posts in users news feeds are more important than keeping happy users? Will Facebook ads get cheaper? Suddenly I feel like my mother when she asked me if my room was going to clean itself.
Since Facebook advertising has been under scrutiny lately as well, I feel like we all need to take a step back and put down the kool aid. I’ve heard too many otherwise smart start up business owners question whether they should build a website if they have a Facebook page. That question could easily be a complete blog in itself.. Hopefully they will find this post and never ask that again.
Please understand I have fun on Facebook, I love connecting with old friends and family across the miles and I also like supporting my favorite customers and brands too. It’s about keeping it in perspective.
Before I descend from my pedestal I will ask one last question. Why is your company so invested in building the Facebook brand and not investing in your own brand vehicles? Balance out your marketing. Play in social media, build your brand, connect with your customers there and meanwhile build professional websites, network with real people, explore forums dedicated to your niche market, create professionally printed brochures and leave behind print literature people can use, attend and display at trade shows. Don’t be enticed by the billion users, identify how many clients you really need to succeed and figure out the best channels to get your message to them. If you need help with this piece give us a call today or follow our facebook page for tips and resources. Sorry, couldn’t resist!
Stay connected!

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What Can A Marketing Plan Do For Your Business

On January 30, 2014   /   General   /   Leave a comment
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Internet Marketing Plan and Strategy graphicThe Marketing Plan is a valuable road map in helping companies and organizations succeed in achieving their business goals. Marketing planning is an ongoing business activity not just a page in the business plan.
Objectives of Marketing Planning

  • Get all personnel working toward the achievement of common goals.
  • Develop an understanding of the organization’s competitive position and opportunities.
  • Establish a master plan to achieve business goals though marketing strategies and tactics.

In order to create a marketing plan that is a truly useful tool, it is important to give careful consideration to a number of topics relevant to your specific company and market. Connection Group has developed marketing planning guides for small, medium and large companies.
marketing-price-promotion-placement-productMarketing planning guides include:

  1. Business Descriptions
  2. Products and Services Details
  3. Target Market Identification
  4. Competition Review
  5. SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats)
  6. Business Goals
  7. Current Situation in the Industry (potential market)

Clear identification of this information helps to determine where a companies’ marketing efforts and budget should be focused. Instead of blowing your entire annual marketing budget on a Super bowl ad in Sunday’s game, a more strategic plan could keep you in front of your target audience with more frequency and less money!
Another example is the number of inquiries from customers about setting up online advertising, specifically Google Adwords. Typically these inquiries are from existing customers who have hired us to design company websites, logos and / or print marketing items. In the same way dedicating your full marketing and advertising budget on a Super Bowl ad may not be the best approach, Google Adwords may not be the first step for some companies to begin their marketing and advertising efforts.
Adwords offers a variety of products that can provide valuable online exposure but many companies just aren’t ready before they do a complete evaluation of current brand and marketing channels. One of our first questions to these customers is what they want their internet advertising to achieve:

  • increase brand exposure
  • increase website visits
  • increase online sales
  • increase offline sales
  • increase readers/members/customers
  • build database

Based on the answer different strategies can be applied. Additional work may be required prior to running the ads, or in some cases another advertising medium or marketing tactic may be a better fit for their product, service or budget. When customers complete the marketing planning guide Connection Group can develop a comprehensive marketing plan that will identify where and how marketing efforts and budgets are best allocated.
Marketing plans can be developed at any time during the year but starting at the beginning of a calendar year is best if that is when your fiscal year begins. If you are interested in having Connection Group put together a marketing plan for your company for 2014, or if you have any questions, please give us a call today.
 

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Brand Image for The Salvage Yard Antiques

On January 30, 2014   /   Branding - Marketing, General   /   Leave a comment
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The salvage yard antiques visual brandingA long time customer, The Salvage Yard Antiques in Grand Ledge, Michigan is expanding and has contracted Connection Group for web and print brand design.
The Salvage Yard official website launched earlier this month:

  • a responsive website design that formats to the size of a smart phone, tablet tablet or other computer screen
  • simple, clean designed for the photos to pop
  • easy for the customer to update on their own

Brand Print Items: Updated business cards and new postcards incorporate the same brand images. Keeping colors and visuals consistent help build a recognizable visual brand – plus saves money on design fees! Connection Group printed a larger quantity of postcards than needed to promote the upcoming open house. Keeping the information generic without dates adds the flexibility to be used throughout the year for multiple purposes: future promotions, new product announcements, thank you notes, and more!
Congratulations to The Salvage Yard Antiques on your expansion! For those in the Lansing and Mid-Michigan area be sure to stop in for the opening. For those out of state this is a destination shop not to be missed when you are in Michigan!
The Salvage Yard Grand Opening on February 22nd
Special hours 7:00am – 7:00pm. www.thesalvageyardantiques.com

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Gaining More Followers Through a Facebook Personality Test

On December 11, 2013   /   General   /   Leave a comment
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personaily test for facebook funny guy with fake glassesAs time goes by and updates continue to roll out, more and more marketers are finding out that Facebook truly is a great social networking site to invest in for a return and overall brand growth. Now, it’s definitely not the only site around to put stock in; Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and other social networks do quite well also. For features, functionality and fans, Facebook can be the way to go.

Being such an expansive and innovative presence, there are multiple ways to effectively target your audience on Facebook and develop new fans and customers. One of the best ways is to use an app to create a Facebook quiz. In this instance, we’re speaking about personality tests.

What is a Facebook Personality Test?

A personality test is basically just a Facebook quiz. You create it by using the site’s app to construct a quiz-like feature which will ask users a question; e.g. “Which Dukes of Hazzard Character Are You Most Like?” Answers may include: “Boss Hog,” “Luke,” “Bo,” “Daisy,” “Rosco P. Coltrane,” and perhaps even the “General Lee.”

The interactive nature of a personality test definitely gets people interested. You can imagine the types of topics to come out. Which celebrity do you look like? Which billionaire are you like? Which scary monster would you become? And the list goes on indefinitely.

You can customize the app with different text and photos to make it fit your purpose, and you can run it like any other promotion on the site.

How to Use a Personality Test to Gain More Followers

1: Create an Original Test

The first step to this process is to create an original personality test. This is going to require a bit of comprehensive work on your part. For instance, you’ll have to completely fill out all the different legs of the personality profile with detailed information, and then find a way to tie it back. For example, when someone answers A + B + C it must come out to D and function properly.

A lot of marketers attempting to do these quizzes don’t put much thought into them, and people performing the quiz find that the answers are basically meaningless. Put more thought into it. Create a wholly unique test with an original subject, cool personality traits, some cool imagery, and make sure it comes out to an option that people earn by entering their traits.

2: Develop a Campaign Plan

The next step here is to develop a marketing plan. You can find some great relief via some Facebook marketing software, such as third-party ad-management apps, data hubs, and other pieces of software. But from initially visualizing your project to launching and operating it, you should have a plan in place.

Think about different aspects of your campaign plan, such as:

  • Targeting the correct demographic to ensure that those who complete the test and offer their emails are interested in your brand
  • Marketing your personality test through the use of tested and targeted ads, such as Sponsored Stories and Promoted Posts
  • Asking for people to share the test so that it makes the rounds through different friends’ News Feeds and on their pages
  • Promoting the test through the use of consistent hashtags, status updates, and even off-site; i.e. your main site, Instagram, Twitter, and perhaps even promo video clips on YouTube

The ultimate idea here is to reach out to as many interested people as possible. You’re going to draw a lot of attention from people who really aren’t planning to stay fans or to become customers, but those are just numbers that you’re going to have to live with. You want to gain as many followers as possible through wide and detailed promotion of this test.

3: Go Over Your Resources

Next up on the list, you should cycle through your resources to make sure that you’re ready for the big push. You might not realize it yet, but it’s going to be a lot of work on your end. Not only in creating the initial test, but in handling the traffic flow. You’re going to be inundated with new leads if your promotion is successful, and you’ll have to respond to them all and ensure that they’re all heading to a predetermined location which is ready to handle them.

Go over your resources and prepare. Make sure you have your ducks in a row:

  • Have an auto-response ready that thanks people for their participation
  • Have your mass mailer set up and ready to handle the new leads that you acquire
  • Make sure that your landing destination is ready to receive traffic
  • Troubleshoot your entire sales system to ensure that people can easily navigate your site and purchase products
  • Carve out the time to test for any snags and to address any issue you may find
  • Look into different money-saving aspects, such as a Facebook ad coupon, to ensure you can save money in the promotion of the test

4: Deliver the Goods

Some people might take the test just because they think it’s cool to see which object or person their personality aligns them with. But that particular demographic is rather slim. What you really want is to incentivize your test so that people are more inclined to take it. They take the test, which is just a way for you to get their email address, and in return they receive some type of gift.

Now, you have to be careful here with the gift you give out. It’s rather risky. If you’re offering something that’s unrelated to your niche and is valuable, you’re going to attract people who only want to participate in order to receive a gift. They won’t become customers, and they won’t stay fans. You want to attract people who really want to become and stay fans.

Here are some different things you can try:

  • Offer a monetary prize in the form of a contest: 1 winner
  • Offer a prize that’s very niche-specific, such as an informational eBook
  • Offer deep discounts on your products and services
  • Reward fan and customer loyalty by giving the best prize after a purchase

You want to add incentive, but you want to keep it aimed at attracting true fans from your niche.

Overall, a personality test is something that appeals to a very broad range of people. If you decide to just target random people, you’ll ultimately be able to attract a lot of new fans. However, you always have to be cognizant of the fact that fans on Facebook aren’t always going to stick around. It’s much better to pick up 500 loyal fans than it is to pick up 5,000 flash-in-the-pan fans who will never return.

So when creating your quiz, keep in mind the fact that you want to attract real fans who will hopefully turn out to be loyal, repeat customers.

Author’s Bio: Craig Robinson is a professional writer for Qwaya, a technology company specializing in Facebook marketing. If you have more social media marketing questions, feel free to ask Craig on Twitter.

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How Can a Brand Marketing Consultation Help Business?

On December 5, 2013   /   Branding - Marketing, General   /   1 Comment
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marketing consultant in meetingI remember during my stints in the corporate world when the executive offices shared that they were bringing in a  business consultant, there was a chorus of groans in every department. Truthfully there were times when a better solution would have been to survey staff, vendors and customers to get a clear picture and new direction to meet the company goals. In other situations however, an outside view that is qualified in a specific area can provide valuable insight to the functioning of individual departments and the company as a whole, large or small.

How can a business consultant know more about my small business than I do?

Bringing in someone who is not involved personally, who didn’t toil and burn the midnight oil to meet that first big order is difficult for some business owners. There can also be a fear that although a consultant is impartial, their discoveries may be difficult to hear, let alone implement. A private consultation for your small business can help you take a step back from the day to day operations many business owners are mired in and address areas of concern that have been missed and can be improved upon.

How can I find a business consultant who can help my small business?

It’s true there are some consultants who never actually worked in the careers they are posing to be experts in! It is important that you hire a seasoned professional who is fairly priced and can help your company. Look at each prospects credentials, previous employment, website testimonials or reviews and of course ask around your network for recommendations.

How do I know what type of business consultant can help my small business?

There are industry specific consultants you may find who can greatly benefit your business. A publishing consultant who has written, promoted, and published their own successful books who has client references could provide valuable insight to a self-published author for instance. If you are a manufacturer you may seek an expert in international trade or a new realtor could learn a lot from a consultant who specializes in real estate business consulting. There are also service specific consultants that can hone in on specific business practices. For instance, Connection Group offers marketing consultations and brand consultations. With over 20 years in the advertising, graphic design and digital marketing industries my staff and I have hands on experience with marketing and brand strategies.  When companies need a brand consultant or marketing consultation we can evaluate current efforts and identify new approaches. The variety and types of consulting available are virtually endless, there are IT consultants, Corporate Finance consulting, Human Resources Consulting, and a full gamut of specialists for every aspect of your company.

How do I know if my small business needs a marketing consultation?

Maybe you have been in business for 15 years and your business has evolved to include more products or services than you originally planned. If your marketing and brand efforts have not evolved along with your company you may not be capturing the target market you would like to serve now. Or, are you a start up company who isn’t clear on how to position your company in the market? A marketing and brand consultant can ask key questions, review current products or services, clientele, staff, visuals, messages, packaging and other print and digital design collateral and hone in on a clear and targeted message to funnel into strategic points of customer contact. If you believe a marketing and brand consultation will help you reach your business goals please connect with us today. We provide online marketing consultations by evaluating your digital branding, visual imagery, brand message, website, blog, social media, reviews and in-bound links, etc. We also provide consultations for brick and mortar shops. We can evaluate your branding, environment, decor, signage, product placement and provide suggestions for driving local foot traffic or increasing online efforts to increase sales and exposure.
Why not end the year with pre-planning for success in 2014? If you know your product or service is top notch, your customer service is caring and timely but your company is not experiencing the growth and sales for the level of quality you are providing, you could benefit from a brand and marketing consultation. Give us a call today, we’re passionate about this business of branding and we love to serve and see our customers grow.
Stay connected!

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Building Relationships with Customers

On November 26, 2013   /   Branding - Marketing, General   /   Leave a comment

photo of business people at table meeting
“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.” – Henry Ford
Providing a strong product or service is fairly simple, as is the ability to advertise your company through conventional means, but long term business relationships require effort. Creating true connection with customers requires an entirely different skill set to keep you in their radar.
Fear not! … we have four helpful tips that will get you going in the right direction to build strong, lasting customer connections.

  1. Give Your Company Brand Value – Build your business around an ideal that demonstrates interest with customers. Give prospects something to identify with so the choice is obvious when they need something done. When we provide website design and development and services, we also offer website hosting, domain management and we train our customers how to update their websites. If they need anything in regard to the web – we come to mind first. As long as you focus all your efforts on fulfilling your promise in a specific area you should be fine.
  2. Keep Your Customers First – A bit more straight forward than the others but still just as important. At the end of the day, keep your customers informed on things you’re doing and be sure to keep them happy.
  3. Listen – Do you listen and respond to your customers as often as you can? Understanding your customers needs and problems will make them feel more welcome and trustworthy of your service and abilities. Remember, being listened to is the only way to avoid being ignored.
  4. Respect – There are two directions this can go. The customer is the first and this can be done by making sure you are on time with them and accommodating to their needs. The other is your employees since they work for you and they’d like to be appreciated as much as anyone else.
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