Posts Tagged digital marketing

Annual Mid-Michigan Marketing summit – MI MOB Summit

On February 14, 2022   /   Branding - Marketing, Entrepreneurs - Small Business, Press Releases   /   Leave a comment
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2022 Mid-Michigan Marketing summit Speaker Connie Sweet Connection Group

Registration is no longer available for the 2022 Mid-Michigan Marketing Summit.

 

Connection Group has been invited to present at the 1st annual Mid-Michigan Marketing Summit on May 7, 2022.  Amy Zander of Zeedia Media marketing agency is the brainchild behind the 1st Annual Mid-Michigan Marketing Summit – affectionately known as the MI MOB Summit. The MI MOB Marketing Summit is a one-day event where Lansing area marketing experts will conduct presentations and workshops on a variety of marketing topics. The event is being held on Friday, May 6, 2022, from 8 am to 4 pm at Royal Scot Banquet Facility located at 4722 W Grand River Ave, Lansing, MI 48906. Connection Group, founder and President, Connie Sweet, is grateful for the opportunity to speak on Logo Design as it relates to brand marketing. Connie will be offering the presentation “Branded in Memory.”

Branded In Memory covers the importance of logos and the role they play in the identification and recognition of your brand.  Although a logo isn’t your entire brand, logos play a leading role in brand recognition. Branded in Memory will cover some of the most frequently asked questions we receive when we are working with our branding customers

Logo FAQs We Will Cover Include:

  • What makes a memorable logo? 
  • Where should a logo be used? 
  • What are the best colors to use for a logo? 
  • When should a logo be revised?
  • Which logos need trademarks?

Connection Group Joins Other Marketing Experts  at the Mid-Michigan Marketing Summit

Along with Connection Group, many other Lansing local marketing experts will be presenting. The target audiences for this event are regional small businesses and non-profit marketers looking to improve their marketing. Plus, other marketing agencies and professionals looking to up their game and network.

The keynote address will be delivered by Amy Zander, owner of Zeedia Media, on the topic of branding. Amy has a unique approach to developing brands. Her brand archetype model helps companies define the specific psychology their business is best suited to. Some of the archetypes include the Mother and the Neighbor. Each is outlined by specific characteristics that businesses can then leverage for their branding messaging, brand marketing, and brand visuals. It’s a pretty cool approach and can really help businesses hone in on their messaging.

Some of the other presentations will be on website SEO, Google Ads, Instagram Reels, Video production, and more. In true mobster fashion, our friend, Paul Schmidt at UnoDeuce Media will be presenting “Picture It!… Sicily 1938.” One of our very favorite printers who Connection Group has worked with for over 20 years will also be in the spotlight. Missey Trudell, Co-Owner of Paper Image Printing Centers will guide everyone with her presentation “How to Make a Brochure That Doesn’t Suck.” You know we love that topic!

Tickets are on sale for $75/person which includes lunch and a full-day access pass to the area’s best and brightest marketing professionals. Purchase your tickets now, they are limited.

The Mid-Michigan Marketing Summit will include prizes ranging from $200 – $5000 in value, including a full rebrand package by Zeedia Media. Connection Group will be giving away a full year of website hosting (value of $240). Several sponsorship levels are available for businesses who wish to maximize their exposure to a room full of up to 250 local businesses professionals as well as exposure on social media, podcasts, and other forms of marketing.

Current sponsors and speakers include Jesse Flores, Missey Trudell, Julie Holton, Paul Schmidt, Brian Town, and more. For additional information about the event, sponsorships, and tickets check out the website.

About the 2022 MIMOB Marketing Summit creator, Amy Zander of Zeedia Media:

Zeedia Media is located in Grand Ledge, Michigan, and is a full-service digital marketing agency. Services include social media marketing, website, and logo design, graphic design, content creation, branding, and podcast production.

Connection Group has worked with Zeedia Media with their Brand Archetype Platform and we have also sought Amy Zander’s wordsmithing expertise for our customers. We highly recommend Amy’s writing expertise, please let us know if you would like a personal introduction. I hope you can join us on May 6, 2022. There may be an option for virtual attendance as the creators look into making a hybrid format available. Be sure to follow the link for tickets for updates if this is a format you prefer. If you’re like us and love the experience of being surrounded by the creative energy of an in-person summit, get your tickets now! They will sell out fast.

Stay connected, we’re here to help.

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Digital Marketing for Business: Start With A Content Calendar

On January 2, 2020   /   Branding - Marketing, Entrepreneurs - Small Business   /   Leave a comment
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One Thing for You to do for your 2020 Digital Marketing for Business is: A Content Calendar

Annual Marketing To Support Your Business Goals

What are the products and services your customers need the most? How will they know your organization is the best resource for them? Beginning the year clarifying digital marketing for business is one of the biggest time-saving tools a small business can adopt. Identify the main topic for each month that is aligned with the services or products your business provides and the ones you want to increase. Think of your digital marketing calendar as a road map to keep you on track throughout the year. In each of the 12 months identify special promotions and events.
Too busy running your business to tackle marketing too? Connect with us for a quick conversation to see if we can outline a plan and strategy for DIY digital marketing. Or, if you prefer, we’ll provide options and budgeting to take marketing off your to-do list completely. Developing copy, digital graphics, website content, and consistent social media posts to reach your audience is what we do. Meanwhile, your time can be spent meeting your business goals.

Benefits of an Annual Digital Marketing Calendar for Business

Starting with a full year content calendar makes digital marketing for businesses less stressful by eliminating last-minute projects and promoting events or campaigns well in advance. It puts annual business goals at the forefront of marketing planning.
Annual content marketing calendars also allow you to work ahead during slow times. Sharing save the date announcements for events months in advance never hurts! Plus, every industry has evergreen content that can be created in advance of posting.
Remember, the calendar offers flexibility to make changes as needed. If campaign results are not as expected or if changes occur midway throughout the year, you can make edits.

digital content calendar 2020Content Tactics for Digital Marketing for Business Include:

  • Social media posts
  • Blog post
  • Pages on your website
  • E-mail campaigns
  • Webinars
  • Digital advertising campaigns
  • Website graphics

A Content Calendar Should Not Start With a Blank Sheet

Start with a calendar that includes the main holidays for the year. This is useful if you create holiday promotions. Or avoid holidays if people will be otherwise engaged and not available to participate in your promotion. Get creative and consider how sentimental holidays could humanize your brand story to your audience. Share helpful advice or memories with your customers. Tie advice to your business such as an insurance company reminding people to check their holiday lights.

Do You Need More Digital Marketing Content Ideas?

Reference a calendar that contains additional observances. For instance, January is National Hobby Month in the U.S. It is also International Creativity Month. A flour mill could create posts that encourage people to take up baking as a hobby. Similarly, a wine and canvas studio could offer painting class packages.
These monthly observances offer unlimited ideas for digital marketing for business. You will discover month-long, week-long and special day observances each month throughout the year. Some are serious and some are purely silly and if you can connect them to your industry and make someone laugh or increase awareness your efforts will be memorable.

No Need to Pay for a Monthly Service

Content calendars can be created digitally or as hard copy. Use Google, iCal, Excel, online scheduling platform or print out a full calendar and handwrite the information.  I often start with a handwritten calendar for the outline and then convert to digital and add in details. A digital content calendar allows me to add content in any month easily as it comes up.
If you are a lean team and you don’t have the manpower to get all or any of these solutions in place, connect with us today. The time commitment is not lost on us because we do it for ourselves and our customers. We can work with your content calendar and develop all the elements and get them scheduled to post on time each month. Creating a calendar and turning it over for your content development and management for your monthly management is another option.

Download our annual content marketing calendar template here.

Best Approach for Digital Marketing Content Strategy

Aligning your digital marketing and content strategy with your annual business goals will increase success. For instance, if the top goal is to increase product demonstration views consider everything that can be put in place to drive those numbers. Do you have a digital product demo on your website already? If not, how will it get developed? Who will develop it and by when? Where will it be posted once complete? If you have a digital demo on your website already, how can you drive people to view it? Does the product demo need to be presented in person or in an on-screen presentation with a company representative?

Digital tactics we would recommend driving this goal include:

  • Blog entry/distribution channels
  • Email Campaigns
  • Social Media posts
  • Website SEO
  • Seeking Guest Blog Posts
  • Digital Advertising

On your January calendar add product demonstrations as the main topic/goal. Next, begin identifying the individual digital marketing tactics and assign dates to them. Include as many details as you can. Before assigning dates consider how each can be achieved. (In consideration of time you may only include “Blog on Product Demo” on the content calendar in January. Add as many details as time allows. Remember, the goal is to get the full year of content outlined.
Once the entire 12 month content marketing calendar is complete, circle back to add more details in each month.  Be sure you are always working a month in advance, at the very least.

content calendar strategy some people start with a board of sticky notesUsing a blog as an example, ask and answer:

  • When can the blog post be written?
  • What should the blog include?
  • Who will write it?
  • Do you have a proofreader for grammar and spelling?
  • Who will create the blog graphic?
  • Can the creator post the blog?
  • How will it be distributed?

What will be included in the blog post about the demo? Information to include:

  • Product values
  • How it addresses customers pain
  • Customer testimonials
  • Awards/recognition received
  • Unique features
  • Call to action – link

Next, do the same for the remaining digital marketing tactics you have identified. Are there product benefit snippets that can be used in social media posts? Can you pull snippets from the blog? All the while considering how the call to action (CTA) will be included in each tactic. (View the product demo here… or …complete this form to schedule a product demo.)

Set realistic goals:

  • Decide which platforms to post on
  • How often will you post?
  • What content appeals to your follower base?
  • Customize, and personalize content

Creating a road map for annual digital marketing for business aligned with annual goals takes away the guesswork and keeps you in front of your customers consistently. Assisting companies with their annual content marketing is one of our favorite services. Whether you share your company goals and we create an outline or detailed annual content calendar or we do create and post all the content – we always recommend starting with a plan. Contact us if we can help you meet (or exceed) your annual business marketing goals.

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Experience The Power of Transformation

On September 15, 2015   /   Branding - Marketing, General   /   Leave a comment
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brand marketing consultation lansing graphic sept blog

Be Your Own Marketing Consultant

Start with a quick SWOT Analysis

You know the definition of insanity, repeating the same action and expecting a different result? Taking a few steps back from your day to day tasks to meet with a brand marketing consultant and look at your business with different eyes can provide clarity. A professional brand marketing consultation will take a comprehensive overview of your company and brand marketing efforts.

A professional brand marketing consultation will consider:

  • your products or services
  • your brand message
  • corporate philosophy
  • corporate climate
  • client demographics
  • marketing goals
  • future plans
  • business goals
  • media preferences
  • and so much more…

A brand marketing consultation often starts with a quick SWOT Analysis.

SWOT stands for Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. You may be surprised how much insight you will gain by investing a bit of time answering the following questions about your business. Get a quick glimpse of your business as it stands today, Doing this homework before your brand marketing consultation can help you hone in on the area you would like to address first and keep your time targeted to get the best results.

  1. What are your products/or service?
  2. Who is your customer (demographics – gender/age/location…)
  3. What are your company strengths?
  4. What are your company weaknesses?
  5. What are your company opportunities?
  6. What are your company threats?
  7. Who is your company competition?

Upon review of all the questions what are the considerations / recommendations?

Now how will you tie all this into your annual business marketing goals?

You now have a current snapshot of your business. It’s time to take the next steps. Select the most critical items or the items that are the most likely to have the biggest impact on your goals.

Answer the following questions:

  1. How can you use your strengths to take advantage of your biggest opportunities?
  2. How can you use your strengths to overcome your biggest threats?
  3. What can you do to reduce or eliminate your weaknesses to make the most of the opportunities available?
  4. How can you minimize your weaknesses, so that you are better positioned to overcome your threats?

Many of the answers to these questions will seem obvious to you – even basic. Once your SWOT analysis is complete and you schedule your brand marketing consultation  you will see the power of how putting it all on paper and setting planned goals and actions can truly change your business.

Online Brand Marketing Consultations

Connection Group provides in person brand marketing consultations to local Lansing, Michigan, Grand Rapids, Michigan clients and all areas in between.
For businesses outside of lower Michigan, online brand marketing consultations are available. We will review your website, business social media profiles, all internet advertising and digital marketing. When applicable, we also request all print materials and promotions be mailing or emailed to us for previewing prior to meeting with a brand marketing consultant. Getting a comprehensive view of all company branding and marketing, both in print and web, will help us offer the best brand marketing guidance for your company goals.
 

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Can A Small Business Blog Increase Website Visits?

On September 27, 2013   /   Branding - Marketing, General   /   Leave a comment
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computer screen with connection graphics website design with list of blogging basics: • Integrate your blog with your website. • Include tags in your posts. • Include comments on your blog.  • Promote your blog.  • Include share buttons in your blog. Absolutely! A corporate or small business blog is one of the best ways to share information about your products and services, current events and sales promotions or press your organization has received. A happy accident of sharing this information is that your company blog posts add relevant content to your website which offers a better chance of appearing in search engines such as Google and Yahoo. A third benefit is when you add scheduled corporate blog posts your small business website will get higher marks from the search engines because not only is the content relevant, it is current. Relevant plus fresh content equals SEO (search engine optimization) or higher search results.
Not every visitor who comes to your website from a search may result in a phone call or a sale but like all advertising, marketing and sales, it’s a numbers game. The more people who engage with your blog and your corporate website the more likely you will enjoy increased company sales from your blogging. By posting relevant blog content you become the trusted source for your visitors and existing customers for information on your product or industry.

Proactive planning can determine how often you should post a new blog entry

editorial-calendar-graphic-connectiongraphics.comThere really is no on-size-fits-all formula for small business blog posting, anymore than there is a one-size-fits-all marketing plan for small business. It really depends on the goals you have set for your digital marketing. It also depends on how much time you have to feed your blog or the budget to outsource it to an marketing company.
Now, there are success stories about small business blogs that have become income generators in and of themselves.  If your corporate blog attracts 1000’s of daily website visits you may want to plan daily blog posts. However most small business blogs primarily serve as information tools, and as a portal to add relevant website content to increase website visits through SEO. The way Connection Group approaches client blog scheduling is to determine the role of the blog in each small business marketing plan. We recommend creating an editorial calendar for your blog posts. Our e-marketing packages that include blog posting, e-mail newsletters, and social media we develop a monthly plan. For instance if your company hosts an event for small business owners every January all of the content scheduled for the month of January will include information about the event. All of this will be in your editorial calendar. Including your blog updates in a small business editorial calendar helps you know what you will be covering each month and will help keep you on a schedule. Whether you write blog posts daily, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly a plan is a must.

Embrace the power of content on your small business blog

Each blog post should offer insight into your corporate philosophy, industry standards, details on a product or service you offer, or changes that may effect the customer. Seek content that will increase the visitors understanding of the subject. Help your customers make educated choices and purchases. Just as the visitors to your small business blog are researching, be sure to research the content for your corporate blog posts. Research but no stealing! Sharing the most current information available is important just avoid plagiarizing others work.
When you are satisfied with the information you have written for your blog post, add an image. Statistics from 3M corporation and Zabisco state that 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are transmitted to the brain 60,000 times faster than text! Increase your website visits by using original graphic designs, photos or videos to connect and engage with your audience. Select only images that that are free from copyright. See the article in our e-newsletter about copyright issues and images.

Your blog is posted – Now, how do you increase your website visits?

integrate your blog with your website blog and navigationIntegrate your blog with your website
The first step is to make sure your small business blog  part of your corporate website, not a separate page. There are many free blogging software options available and it is very easy to tie them into your existing small business website. Contact your web design and development company to create a seamless integration of your blog and corporate site. The biggest benefit is if you have a visitor to your blog, in the eyes of search engine tracking, you have just increased website visits. Other benefits are a custom designed blog will be consistent with your corporate brand and your complete website user interface is built into the blog so the visitor can easily click over to other website pages.
Include tags in your posts. Tags help people find your information more easily when they are searching the web. For instance for this blog entry on our website I would include small business blog, and small business website design and development as tags. Because we offer those services and those services are discussed in this blog adding them as tags show our website and our blog are relevant when people search for small business blog or small business website design and development. When visitors click on a tag in our posts they will see a list of previous posts that relate to those subjects.
Include comments on your blog. Comments show that you are open to feedback, good or bad. Allowing comments on your blog shows your visitors that you want to communicate with your customers. Comments may also help you determine what your visitors are looking for, give you ideas for future articles, and  comments may use keywords that will come up in searches too. Do make sure you moderate your comments though! Even with strong spam filters blogs are petri dishes for spam – check them regularly. We set up our comments to be pre-approved prior to posting just for this reason. As visitors begin to interact with comments you will build a community and advocates for your brand on and offline.
share buttons for blogInclude share buttons in your blog. Make it easy for viewers to share your website content. One share from a high ranking social media influencer can increase website visits astronomically. The ability to share across social media and email is how videos and blog entries go viral – this is an easy way small business blogs can get noticed.
Promote your blog. When you have posted a new blog entry promote your blog in all your marketing outposts. Social media is a great platform to share your blog posts, twitter, Facebook business pages, Linkedin profiles and industry specific groups and social media channels get the information to targeted groups. Include your blog link in your email signature and add a snippet of your current blog posts to your email newsletters.

Are you a small business who doesn’t have time to blog?

Connection Group understands that small businesses are limited with time and resources to implement all the marketing components that will help build their corporate brands and increase website traffic. We have developed a variety of e-marketing packages to suit the variety of requests our customers need. We’re here to help you build connections and reach your target audience – if you just need a monthly blog entry, a combination of e- mail marketing, social media and blog management we have monthly packages that will suit your small businesses goals and budget. We offer a free half hour consultation to discuss what digital marketing elements will fit you best.
Give us a call or shoot us an email today. We appreciate feedback on our blog content and encourage additional insights readers can share to help other visitors learn more. Please add your comments or questions below.
Stay connected!

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