As a full service marketing agency, it’s kind of hard not to notice the marketing efforts utilized by the businesses around us. It’s great to see campaigns being launched and creativity being stretched. So we thought it would be interesting to make this a regular thing and see what companies are doing to help grow their business and increase their exposure. Today’s featured business: Express I received this ad from Express awhile back, and recently decided to check on their website to see how the promotion was going.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that Express.com had updated their website to be ...

With new social networking sites popping up and burning out every day it can be a challenge just to break through the piles of pop ups and product links.  Getting your message heard on the social networking scene is more difficult than ever but there are a few ways to make sure you get the most out of your advertising budget.   First and foremost, knowing your audience is key.  While there are some in the older demographics enjoying Facebook and twitter the audience mainly ranges the 10-25 age groups (unless you count parents checking up on their kids).  If you ...

According to a recent article published in DMNews by Dianna Dilworth, FedEx is getting ready to execute a multichannel marketing campaign in 2010 as part of the company’s new strategy to integrate its brand messaging and creative across channels. The marketing efforts include both online and offline channels with a unified message directing consumers to a microsite designed to engage them. Steve Pacheco, director of advertising at FedEx, stated that, it is the first truly integrated marketing campaign launched by the company. He firmly believes that it is crucial to integrate as many channels of communications as possible since consumers are ...

"The lack of proper advertising and marketing is one of the top seven reasons cited by the SBA that lead businesses to failure."    - Alan Jackson, Global Cash Flow Network With the emergence of web and social media, mass advertising and marketing is no longer something only the fortune 500 companies can afford. With the power of online marketing, small and mid-size companies can reach to millions of people around the world cost-effectively. Not only can you reach them with powerful message and strategy, you also have the ability to track how people are responding to your marketing efforts and make ...

To many, the revolution in social media networks may seem like a fad that will fade out just as fast it appeared.  Yet, the truth is that social media is one of the fastest ways to reach out to prospective consumers. Between Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other similar social media platforms, everything that can be said about you, whether good or bad, is transmitted almost instantaneously across the globe. With over 300 million users, Facebook is by far one of the biggest social media networks out there.  While it may have begun as a tool to keep college students in touch, ...

Twitter is set to earn about $25 million dollars for its search engine deals with Google and Microsoft, according to the L.A. Times. This will allow the site to earn a profit, something many people wondered was possible. Before the site had little revenue since it is a free site for its users. However, now that millions have people have signed on to use Twitter (it's the third-most popular social networking site after Facebook and MySpace), each message has become a commodity. "We believe that our search results and user experience will greatly benefit from the inclusion of this up-to-the-minute data," ...

Website, e-mail, and search spending made up the top of the list in changes business-to-business marketers would make in their online spending in 2010, according to BtoB magazine. More than half of B2B marketers would also increase their spending in social media and video marketing. However, more than half wanted to use social media for thought leadership while 49% wanted to use it to generate leads. On the other hand, 13% of B2B marketers would decrease their spending on online banners and 10% would decrease their spending on sponsorship. Want more information on how to increase your company’s reach online? The experts at ...

With everyone jumping on the social media bandwagon, it is easy to get caught up in the hype and lose focus. Tapping into social media requires more than just a single idea, it requires an effective plan to help your company and brand create opportunities for community and engagement. Follow these tips to help you get started on your social media campaign. Create a vision Develop an idea of what you want your brand or company to be in social media. Will you be offering special deals or coupons? Is it to personalize your brand? What is the message you ...

With social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter becoming the latest word-of-mouth venue, it is becoming more pertinent for businesses and companies to have a presence on these sites. According to the report Social Commerce on Facebook, Twitter and Retail Sites, almost 75% of the merchants in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide have a presence on at least one of the major social networks or social shopping sites. Social networking users of all ages are more likely to make online purchases, so they are considered a highly sought-after group by internet retailers, according to a May 2009 survey by ...

Now that you’ve created a following on Twitter, it’s important that you make the most out of your newly found marketing avenue. Here are a few simple rules of thumb to help you create a trusted twitter account. Don’t Hide Behind Your Tweets Perhaps the most important rule about tweeting is letting your followers know who you are. Readers want to be assured that you are indeed a real person. Don’t be afraid of creating posts and revealing your identity. In fact, this will make you a more credible source. Regardless of whether you are the top dog in ...

It all started just a few years ago with Facebook. While it began as a private social networking site, Facebook has served as a template for a variety social networking sites that are becoming ever more popular not just among users but also marketing experts. Today, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Bebo, LinkIn. and MySpace are just a few of the many online social networking options available. You may ask, “Why bother?” There is a reason why major companies are using them. Next time you’re visiting a website look for a “follow us on Facebook” or similar message alerting ...

On October 5, BuddyPress 1.1.1 was released to offer WordPress MU users the benefits of social networking, launching WordPress into a new era. The new version is a social networking layer that can be added to any existing installation of WordPress MU making WordPress sites social. Here are some of the benefits of the new BuddyPress. With the help of this new version of BuddyPress, WordPress administrators can create specific profile questions for members to fill in. This allows other users and followers to view information about the members. Extended profile capabilities for members gives each member a unique ...