it’s a growing google jungle out there

When it comes to drawing in new prospects online, Google is god. Let’s say you’ve been slacking; you haven’t yet established brand awareness with prospects through traditional marketing or public relations and social media, but you have at least launched a website. You’ve put yourself out there, although haven’t really tried to climb your way up the food chain yet.

But your competitors have.

When prospective customers need services and have no established brand loyalty or limited-to-no brand awareness, they won’t know to call your business, no matter how amazing your services may be. Instead, they call on Google, and Google won’t hesitate to answer. No amount of amazing customer service or stand out product can sway Google’s opinion of your brand. Neglect basic search engine optimization (SEO), and you’ll find yourself at the bottom of the search page, or worse, on the second, fifth or seventeenth page of a saturated search results listing. Know and use your keywords and tactics correctly and you’ll get ahead – even to the top of page one.

the tools of s(eo)vival

Great SEO requires that you consider a number of factors, namely:

• Content – You have complete control over your pages’ content, so make them as SEO friendly as possible. Research the right keywords and key search phrases to ensure strong initial rankings, keep content fresh to encourage repeat readership and make your content valuable and engaging to keep bounce rates low.
• HTML – Keywords also come into play when planning out your site’s HTML tags. While you determine the content of your HTML title tags, meta tag descriptions and page headers, you must consider relevancy as well as keyword density and give accurate snapshots of your pages’ true content. Otherwise, prepare to have your search results damaged by Google monitoring bots.
• Architecture – Build your site right. Make the navigation intuitive – easy to use for visitors and easy to crawl for search engines. Ensure the page-to-page navigation within your site downloads quickly and that the URLs are short, relevant and keyword dense when possible.
• Links – Including links in your site’s content is a great way to strengthen your SEO – just make sure you do it the right way. Include only links to reputable websites, connect from relevantly titled hyperlinks and make sure not to overuse links or rely only on paid ones. When possible link back to your own pages, and guide visitors smoothly through your full website.
• Social Reputation – While you cannot control how social network users treat your organization’s content, you can make it as engaging as possible to encourage favorable mentions, shares and reputation. Enacting a good social media strategy is a part of this, along with posting fresh content that links back to your website.
• Monikers of Trust – Part of increasing your site’s SEO is building your online reputation. This means posting consistent quality content, forging favorable online connections and establishing consistent online branding and URL names. Changing your domain name and content style will not only throw off your site visitors and followers, it will impact your standing on Google.
• Personal Details – Where does your website say your business is located? Do you have many regular visitors or favorable mentions? If so, the approval of these particular packs is likely to boost your SEO ratings by demonstrating your alpha website status online.

stay fierce

Building your site around SEO is important from the get-go. But it’s also important to monitor and refresh your strategies, pages and keywords. As your products and services evolve, so may your keywords and customers. Stay king of the Google jungle with constant monitoring, research and website optimization.

One of the most valuable aspects of adopting a sophisticated and efficient CRM email or e-blast system is that it gives you the ability to segment your customers by behavior, preferences and more. In short, it allows you to consistently monitor the purchasing patterns, and sometimes, demographics of your ideal target audiences.

But why is this important?

You’ve heard the phrase, “Give the people what they want.” Implementing a strong CRM system and using it to segment your audience allows you to precisely target and strategize your traditional and interactive marketing toward particular customer segments. When you strategize your marketing efforts based on this information, you will reap the highest return on your budget’s investments.

you have the info – now you can take action

Once you become familiar with the types of customers who frequent or stumble onto your business’ website, you can begin to follow, and later, logically infer their needs. Here are three ways you can use this information to maintain lively and lucrative customer relationships, heading off up and coming competitors:

1. Bring lost sheep home. Sometimes customers get busy. Sometimes customers get a little broke. Whatever the reason is, some of your customers haven’t reordered your product or services in a while. If this is the case, sending an e-blast to remind them could be all it takes to get them back in your e-doors. Or, if they have left you for good, a quick, simple questionnaire could tell you if there was something you could have done better to retain their business, giving you material for future improvement.
2. Target your promotions. Maybe a third of your customers always order product A; another third might order product D; and the remaining third might change it up with every order. However your customers choose to purchase from you, knowing that could make the difference between wasting your advertising dollars or hosting incredibly lucrative annual promotions. With a great CRM system, you can send specific product or service promotions to as many or as few customers as you choose. Once you identify these groups and take action, expect good results. They will be thrilled that you thought of them and their needs, oftentimes leaping to take the action you recommended to them.
3. Gain new customers via referrals. Bad reputations travel faster than good ones, but if your customers already love you, why not invite them to share your services with friends? A great CRM system will allow you to send existing customers promotions that encourage the recruitment of friends to your business in exchange for a deal, or just for the joy of spreading a great service. The system will not only allow you to add these new potential clients to your e-mail list, it will give you the opportunity to track and reward your biggest brand advocates.

the new generation of customer service

Already forward thinking marketing innovators are examining and perfecting ways to streamline social media data-mining techniques to mimic the efficient and valuable way that business websites already use integrated CRM systems. However, for now integrating a quality CRM system into your existing website’s content management system (CMS) will help you greatly modernize and streamline your business’ customer service. It will enable you to keep an eye on the pulse of your customers and market, allowing you to not only predict and service existing customers, but also anticipate upcoming trends that will keep you at the forefront of the industry and at the tops of consumers’ minds.

Although many businesses are now on Facebook, we’ve noticed lately that not all of them have opted to create their own Facebook vanity identity. This is an important step to take as far as your social media marketing is concerned. But, why does a vanity URL matter? Why should you take the time to ensure that your page has one?

You’re business is not the only one on Facebook, and by now other organizations may have come along with names not entirely dissimilar to yours. Implementing a vanity URL can increase the number of fans discovering, visiting and Liking your page and reduce the chances of your social media real estate being mistaken for someone else’s. Think about it: www.facebook.com/esdandassociates is way easier to remember, type, find and recognize than www.facebook.com/2349##-puthlinw485754945o isn’t it?

It may seem small, but in a world where social media real estate becomes scarcer by the second, every proactive marketing tactic helps you get and stay at the forefront of customers’ minds. Don’t risk losing this edge to forward thinking competitors.

build your vanity

Take these simple steps and enhance your ability to stand out on Facebook by using a vanity URL:

1. Create a vanity URL for your own personal account.
2. Identify the user name you want.
3. Check to make sure your name meets all of Facebook’s vanity page URL requirements.

waste not, want not

Implement your vanity Facebook URL as soon as you launch your fledgling page. This way you won’t have to wait to tie this aspect of your brand identity into the rest of your brand’s collateral.

layout the look the right way – 3 tips

1. Make skimming easier but laying out important information in an “F” shaped pattern. – When surveying web users, analysts discovered that, as expected, most users skim webpages. What they didn’t expect? Users skim in an “F” shaped pattern (also known as the Golden Triangle), reading left to right and then top to bottom down the left of the page, then occasionally skimming across again. How can this help you? Remember to use bullets in your web content that makes skimming information in this manner even easier for readers.

2. Don’t worry about “the fold.” – Below the fold refers to the area not immediately visible when you navigate to the website because the user would have to scroll down to see it. Traditional web building myth has urged web designers and developers to keep all important information “above the fold.” However, new data indicates that users actually ENJOY a certain amount of vertical scrolling and expect to encounter that when viewing a web page. Just follow the “F” pattern content flow and your most important information should reach the eyes of the majority.

3. Maintain your whitespace to maintain your readability. – Don’t go into information overload mode when designing your website. For the most user-friendly and readable structure, maintain clean fonts, margins and plenty of white space. Users will read your content faster and, if it’s been well written, take those cues to delve further into your site where you can then deliver more detail-laden information. However, throughout your site consider how color, line-heights, tracking and typography will influence the end-user experience.
Every business is different which means that every company website will be different. Make your website a true reflection of who you are in order to attract customers, but make certain you consider them too. For best results, make sure to communicate your identity in a way that is easy to find, read, navigate and understand.

Once you’ve become active on Twitter, you’ve chosen to expose yourself to millions. Your posts becomes searchable and your content, more discoverable. For businesses like yours, this HOPEFULLY is a big plus.

But what can you do to optimize your content?

With a user count in the millions, it’s doubtful your daily tweets will consistently rank top priority to Twitter servers and searchers. However, catching onto current trends or creating your own, all via hashtags could make all the difference for your marketing.

a new day, a new topic

The term “15 minutes of fame” exists for a reason. Every hour, every day, every week, every month there will be some new topic, story or character catching your target audience’s main attention. To stay on their minds, you’ve got to stay on topic – or at least create your own that’s so provocative and enticing that they cannot stray away to competitor conversation streams. Using hashtags or a hashtag campaign is a great way to do this. Get to know the who, what, when, where, why and how of hashtags and you’re only an action step away from the forefront of your customers’ consciousness.

the re-emergence of the 5 “w”s and that one “h”

Any great marketer worth their salt knows the five “w”s and one “h” of journalism: who, what, when, where, why and how.

To be effective on Twitter, you’ve got to understand how each applies to your business and the end marketing results you are hoping to achieve:

• Who? – Your company, or someone that understands your brand very well, needs to be on Twitter constantly keeping abreast of trends and predicting ones to come. Stay on top of conversation and know how or if that conversation is relevant to your brand. With a strong core foundation of knowledge your Twitter monitor can direct you toward the right time to tweet the right hashtags and at whom.
• What? – What is a hashtag? Only a phrase, with no spaces in between and with a “#” sign in front. For example, #esdresults or #writing. What should you tweet about? Those topics that contribute to the construction of your overall brand culture. Look for what’s trending and catch onto the conversation. Either that or create your own trend movement through an integrated marketing effort structured to drive customer potentials through your Twitter funnel, straight to your brand’s website or other action path.
• When? – Whenever you can is the answer to this question. Twitter conversation is ongoing. Tweets refresh themselves multiple times a day and new personalities and businesses enter and reenter the conversation
• Where? – On Twitter. Of course.
• Why? – Millions are already tweeting. Many look to the social media network for deals, world news or great ideas. Why should you miss out on what so many already know? Twitter gets leads to look at your brand and gains visibility for your brand name and services.
• How? – Research what trends within your target market. What trends with who you want to reach? Informative articles? Humor? Photographs? Figure out what message will resonate with your audience and deliver it in a way they will connect with, enjoy and retweet without reluctance.

get the concept and get results

Once you understand how to use, monitor and interact on Twitter you can get the best results from it for YOUR business. Study the network carefully and ensure you can fully answer the basic questions of your brand’s social media personality. Only then can you get the followers you want, the followers you need and the individuals who will further your brand from this moment on and into the future.

fun with words, with brands

What does your company do? How are you different?

These are questions that your brand positioning statement should at least begin to answer.

Your positioning statement is important, not only to customers, but also to present and future employees. A good brand positioning statement can convey function, corporate culture and distinctiveness all in one brief statement.

Each of your key audience groups will look to your positioning statement for a different reason, so make sure the language you use and the tone you take gives them accurate information from which to infer about your business:

• Customers – Customers want to know what you do and why they should choose your product or services over your competitors’. Your positioning statement must sell them on you and what you do.
• Stakeholders – Stakeholders want to know that you’re a great investment. Your statement must have longevity, and should not downplay the unique benefit you offer to the market. Boast to stakeholders about your value and quickly convey to them the reasons why they should believe in it.
• Potential and Current Employees – Your employees and prospective employees want to know about your organization’s corporate culture. Tone is especially important for this audience. Do you speak of yourself as the dollar store, bargain brand or have you positioned your company as the premium product? Consider whether your positioning statement will make a prospective employee want to include your organization in the construction of his or her own personal professional identity.

there can only be one

While you’re brainstorming brand positioning statements, do it with passion and strategy. However, remember that there are no bad ideas, only better ones. Try out and test some of your top choices on focus groups to make sure that when you select your final brand positioning statement, you select the right one. Your options can be endless, but eventually you will have to settle upon only one.

Select a brand positioning statement that will remain applicable for years to come, as your business continues to grow and develop. Your business does not have an expiration date – neither should your brand positioning statement. Ill-planned branding runs the risk of necessitating a rebranding effort at some point. While this can be done, why risk confusing loyal customers or stakeholders about your identity? Develop a thorough understanding of your business’ brand from the start, and get your statement right the first time.

One of the key components of building a strong brand is understanding it, from the inside out and from the ground up. From your logo to your mission statement, you need to know what your brand’s about, what makes you different, where you struggle and where you can grow.

Our advice? Start your brand off on the right foot with the right look.

creative considerations

You’ve created your business because you’ve spotted a lack in the market place for that service or product. Hopefully, your brand provides the solution, or at least a better answer, to customers with that need. In either case, your brand should have a logo, concepted to connect with customers instantly and wordlessly. There’s more to consider than you think when it comes to logo design:

• Font – Is it easily readable? Does its feel match the sensibility you want your brand to convey?
• Color – Does the color add to or distract from the design? Could it easily be recreated incorrectly by internal or external printers?
• Concept – Does the concept easily translate to your audience? Does it address them on their level and from their frame of reference? Is it overly abstract or condescendingly obtuse?
• Flexibility – Does it work in different applications, sizes and contexts, both on and offline?

get the look that gets in touch

One of the most important factors to consider for your logo’s development is the design’s longevity.

Typically, entrepreneurs want their business ventures to be lasting ones – think of your logo the same way. Make sure you position yourself for a lifetime of success, not just a month or a year of it, or risk having a confusing logo redesign later down the line. We all remember how well that went for one popular clothing chain right? Put thought into your logo’s look and make sure that when you sign off on its design, you’ve done it right – the FIRST time.

a dash of purpose, a cup of relatability

Your viral campaign must entertain, amaze, touch, captivate and resonate. People will only share content that they themselves find value in. There are two key types of viral campaigns: those that deliver entertainment and those that deliver useful information. No matter your brand, both types of campaigns can work for you. Just remember the basics:

1. Make a statement – Meek campaigns rarely make history.
2. Have a focal point – Do you know where you’re coming from? If not, how will your customers?
3. Offer an incentive – The incentive doesn’t necessarily need to be of material or monetary value, but answer a common customer question, address an issue or entertain them in a way that they enjoy and to which they can relate.
4. Surprise your viewers – Surprises make a bigger impression than the typically expected marketing message.

getting the perfect mixture

Once you’ve proudly created your organization’s viral product, share it with your potential audiences. Focus your own organization’s primary shares on popular share blogger sites, like Reddit. Hopefully, you’ve remained true, not only to the key viral ingredients, but to your brand as well. If so, it shouldn’t be long before the Likes, Comments, and most importantly, Shares start rolling in, amplifying your brand quickly and inexpensively beyond your wildest brand visibility dreams. 

As more and more mobile innovations hit the store shelves, mobile devices permeate more and more consumer groups, now spanning previously untapped age and income groups. What once was new has become commonplace – mobile devices are now the preferred medium from which to discover news, products, information and entertainment.

The transition’s been quick, and the momentum is still rolling. AOL hit 1 million users after 9 years; Facebook hit the million mark in 9 months; the OMGPOP social entertainment app “Draw Something” launched in February 2012 and captured 1 million users in only 9 days.

immobile = unacceptable

It’s no longer an option for your business’ web presence to not involve a mobile-friendly component.

Unfriendly flash files? Kill it.

Roll over only navigation? Outta here.

Give customers the option to access your stores, information and dialogue streams away from their desks and on the go. That is, if you want your business to stand a fighting chance against competitors.

When transforming your traditional website into a mobile friendly one, make sure to do the job right. A poorly designed or ill functioning website is almost as bad as none at all, and mobile platforms require different approaches than those involved in building traditional websites. Enlist the aid of a mobile web partner that not only understands basic mobile platform programming, but also mobile user functionality.

Mobile app and website navigation must be clean, quick and, ideally, provide a unique user experience that makes your resources stand out from those of your competition. Think about your mobile web presence strategically and plan for long-term usability or success.

T.R.’s feline celebrity began with an esd tweet. That tweet led to a feature in a column and blog by a highly read San Antonio Express-News columnist. A high profile animal blog called Mousebreath also picked up T.R.’s story.

So even with a busy workload, team members from the Public Relations, Social Media, Web and Design Department jumped at the challenge to win the title. We strategized on how to raise funds in a short period of time utilizing social media as a way to get the word out. One of the largest contributions came from a Facebook friend.

T.R.’s coronation is on April 14, the beginning of the San Antonio’s 10 day Fiesta celebration. We will be there at the coronation wearing official Team T.R. shirts and pushing a cat carrier/stroller, designed by another social media connection that fell in love with T.R.

T.R. appears regularly on esd & associates Facebook and Twitter. He has his own Facebook and Twitter accounts. A twitter post lead to T.R.’s campaign to win “Keeper of the Catnip” and the Humane Society surpassed its goal and raised $53,000 to help homeless cats and dogs.

T.R. is a rescue cat with nine lives who has touched many more lives.