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 ...

"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 ...

More and more people are looking at print media less and less. Newspapers and magazines sales are on the slide and people are turning to the Internet and their iPhones for news and information. However, direct mail marketing continues to be relevant. Direct mail marketing is guaranteed to get in front of a pair of eyes One thing that still remains constant is the daily trip to the mailbox. People will always go looking for the latest bill to pay or package they ordered. It's the next best thing to a captive audience - you're guaranteed to get in front of a ...

  Mobile technology is revolutionizing the way we do marketing.  Research shows that e-mail marketing will reach close to $30 million in spending in 2009 alone.  That sum is expected to nearly double by 2014.  Briefly said, mobile marketing is the new era.  To get the most out of your mobile marketing campaign, make sure you are following some basic yet essential rules.  The first thing to keep in mind is that the attention span of your readers is extremely limited.  Your message will be seen in a screen of no more than 4 inches, limiting your message to just a few ...

If you talk to any business owner, a common concern is how to bring in new business or new customers. We are wired to believe that increased revenue comes from our ability to constantly draw in more clients. This is true to an extent. What many businesses fail to see, however, is the importance of maintaining their current customer base. A common pitfall is the notion of once a customer, always a customer. Just because a customer used your service or bought your product once, doesn't mean that they will continue to do so in the future. A steady revenue ...

While having a website is a step in validating the credibility of your business, a badly laid out website can cause your visitors to wonder about the credibility of your overall operation.  Creating a website is no longer something that only large companies can afford to do.  "Home-made" websites are popping up all over the place.  While being online increases your reach, a bad website can chase customers away.  The key is to design your website in a way that gives your business credibility.  What is credibility?  Credibility is the trust that you inspire based on factors like usability, accessibility, security, ...

While most businesses experience a slump in the summer months, giving up and going into hibernation can be detrimental.  A limited amount of industries fare well during the vacation months.  For the rest us, the summer months present a great opportunity to reassess marketing techniques and plan for the future.  Here are a few things you can do in the slow months that will keep you afloat: Revisit Old Leads What may have been dead leads in the past may now be worth resurrecting.  As times change, the needs of potential clients change too.  Contact old leads and have something new to ...

Variable Data Printing (VDP) allows marketers to target a highly specified customer base with the use of specialty data and mailing lists.  Business owners can actually imagine "the perfect customer," the one most likely in need of their goods and services, and then systematically target individuals who fall into the target market category according to an almost infinite number of specifications, including income bracket, interests, geographic area, marital status, gender, and many other types of data.  The beauty of VDP is this:  the more data you collect about an individual, by tracking purchasing habits, collecting survey information, email marketing and ...

Summer provides a change of pace and scenery for many customers, as children take a break from school and professionals schedule vacation time to travel or spend with family.  The changes of the season can be a challenge for marketing professionals who strive to make connections with clients through the routines and rhythms of daily life.  This summer, take advantage of the unique marketing opportunities of the season and connect with your clients as they enjoy a time of leisure and entertainment. #1 - Get Ahead of the Competition Because of the slow summer season, many marketers take a break from actively ...

OneIMS, a full service marketing company in Chicago, IL, provides a comprehensive web-based email marketing suite that can easily be tailored to meet the needs of marketing professionals from many industries.  Today's online business owners require comprehensive, user-friendly email marketing solutions with the wide range of services and flexibility to target their unique goals.  eDirectMail, the web-based email marketing suite offered by OneIMS, was designed specifically for online marketers by seasoned marketing professionals.  eDirectMail tools allow business owners to effortlessly send compelling, high-quality HTML/text emails, e-newsletters, event invitations, online surveys, and email marketing promotions.  The web-based software is easy to use and ...

Telemarketers have, over the years, replaced the un-invited door-to-door salesmen. Back in the day, a door in the face was enough to tell any salesperson that the average household had no desire to entertain or be entertained by a stranger who shows up at the door, let alone a stranger with something to sell. Nowadays, that door is replaced by the "clicks" of hundreds of phones that are hung up, and almost automatic responses of, "We're not interested" (Click). Maybe you've been on the initiating and receiving ends of those phone calls, either way, it isn't fun. So how does one ...

Have you ever noticed that when you open your email inbox, some emails catch your attention instantly, while others go relatively unnoticed?  Email marketing messages must contend with so many other competing messages in the inbox.  Creating split-second interest with a compelling subject line is the key to attracting readers to click and read more. How To Write Subject Lines that Jump off the Page The fact is, most people spend an average of about two seconds reading an email's subject line.  During those two seconds, reading the first two or three words will allow the reader to choose between the options ...