Blog

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) for Small Businesses

admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Search engine marketing can be a highly effective method for small businesses to advance their brand. Companies are increasing their SEM marketing budget worldwide and in 2009 small businesses spent twice as much on SEM as online display / banner ads.* For those new to SEM the process can be intimidating if not overwhelming. As the technology behind search engines advances, effective strategies to get and keep your business at the "top-of-the-list" become increasingly complicated. In this issue I'll try to de-mystify some of it. First I'll address the two forms of SEM, pay-per-click (PPC) and optimization (SEO)

PPC campaigns work off a fixed monthly budget where companies purchase ad-space in search results. Any time you run a search on google or yahoo you will notice there are "sponsored" listings at the top of the page and on the side column. In simple terms you tell google or yahoo what your search terms are, how much you are willing to spend monthly, they put you at the top of the list, and you pay a set fee (up to a cap) per click-through.

SEO is an organic approach where a company takes various steps to get their site to show up higher in search results naturally.

Each approach has it's own advantages. SEO requires an ongoing time investment and it usually takes at least 2-3 months to begin to see results. The majority (85%) of all search result click-throughs are SEO based. In contrast PPC gives immediate results with minimal time investment. While only 15% of click through action is PPC based, PPC click throughs have much higher conversion rates. Consumers who click on ads or sponsored links are generally ready to buy / commit. Ideally your SEM efforts should leverage both approaches.

Banner Advertising

admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Banner advertising has been on the decline over the last several years as the focus has shifted to in-bound marketing approaches like blogging and search engine marketing. Major disadvantages of banner ads is that they are intrusive (un-solicited) and users have learned to largely ignore them. However this form of online marketing can still be effective when used appropriately. One advantage of banner advertising is that by carefully selecting placement you can target a highly specific demographic. In contrast to search engine marketing they also offer viewers a multi-sensory experience of your brand including images, animation, sound and interactivity. Two additional advantages of this form of online marketing are analytics (click throughs are trackable giving you valuable consumer information) and cost, with the reduction of demand for banner ad placement the cost has significantly dropped. Banner ads are far from obsolete, but should be used strategically with careful consideration of placement and anticipated ROI.

With Online Marketing, Timing is Everything

admin — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Successful online marketing campaigns will take this into consideration, and it is true on a variety of levels.

First and foremost online marketing involves a time commitment. Optimal results are the product of a consistent time investment on the part of the marketer. The most efficient approach is to block out a set amount of time weekly for this. Time should be spent producing and publishing content, expanding your network, positioning your brand for better SEO, and tracking results to identify areas for improvement.

Secondly, the timing of your marketing delivery can make or break your campaign so you should be very intentional about it. If delivering an email newsletter, are you sending to a corporate audience? Perhaps monday or tuesday morning would be the ideal time. If your email is related to a weekend event or sale, thursday might be a better pick. For social media posts, make sure to post when the maximum number of your friends are online. If running SEO, be aware of seasonal marketing trends and competitor activity to ensure your keywording is relevant and effective.

There are plenty of in-depth approaches to optimize your marketing timing but the goal should always be to simplify your life and maximize your ROI.

Website Design 101

admin — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 06:00:00 GMT

For clients unaccustomed to working with marketing or design firms, the process of creating a website can be quite overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. The key to a positive experience is found in understanding the process that's involved. Marketing research and strategy aside, the basic approach to creating a website is as follows.

1. site-mapping and approval

2. layout design and approval

3. development, testing and launch

These steps must happen in sequence much the same as building a house. Site-mapping is where we create a visual flowchart diagram outlining the organizational structure and functionality of your website. Layout design involves creating the look and feel of your site, (based on the site-map) often using dummy/greek copy and placeholder images. Finally Development is taking the layout design template(s) you have created and building out the actual website with all pages and functionality.

When these phases are not worked through in sequence, or when they are worked through in reverse, for example making a design change once you are already in development, the results can be a disaster. When followed, they serve to keep your website project effective, on time, and on budget.

Facebook and your Business

admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Some might argue Facebook is just for kids (using the term loosely). It is true that historically the majority of Facebook users have fallen within the 18-35 age range. However, users in the 35-54 segment have doubled from 16% to 29% just in the last year. By nature, some vertical markets are more suited towards having a facebook business page than others but there are universal advantages to having one. Here are a few:

- It helps with your search engine rankings

- it allows you to access the Facebook ad platform selecting targeted demographics from Facebook's 500 million active users.

- it provides an avenue for you to communicate with your audience, keep them current on what you are doing via news, blog posts, tweets etc.

- provides them a chance to spread your message through their networks

As with any social networking, you get out what you put in, it is unrealistic to expect users to "find" you on their own. You will need to drive traffic from your company website, and other social networking platforms, perhaps even incentivize your users with facebook exclusive content or offers. If you are willing to put the time in to use it effectively, Facebook can be a great way to engage people with your business.

Getting Started

admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

1. First you will need a personal FB account. Your business page will be created and accessed via your personal log-in information.

2. Visit facebook.com click the link below "sign-up" to "create a page for a business. Choose the appropriate category for yourself "local business" or "brand, product, organization".. under most circumstances brand, product, org will be the best choice.

3. Next, build your page by adding your company logo, photos of your work, products etc... providing information about your company.

4. Finally in order to have your own vanity URL (facebook.com/abccompany instead of facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/....) you will need 25 fans. Once you have them, visit http://www.facebook.com/username/

If this has been helpful or if you would like to talk more about social networking and your business, let us know!

Marketing in a Down Economy

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMT

marketing dollars spent during a down economy are far more powerful than similar dollars spent during good times since each dollar represents a greater percentage of the overall marketing expenditure in your industry. As other brands cut their expenditures, your consistency gives you more of a chance to stand out in the minds of your target audience. Consider it this way, If you are in a noisy room filled with people, conversations are hard to hear, but if you are in a room with no one speaking, even a whisper can be heard loud and clear.

“McGraw-Hill Research in a study of U.S. recessions showed that business-to-business firms that maintained or increased their advertising expenditures during the 1981-1982 recession averaged significantly higher sales growth, both during the recession and for the following three years, than those that eliminated or decreased advertising. By 1985, sales of companies that were aggressive recession advertisers had risen 256% over those that didn't keep up their advertising." (business week)

In a rough economy, marketing can often feel like an easy place make cuts, but those cuts will definitely cost you now, and in the future.

Direct Mail, Still Very Much Alive

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMT

In fact a Forrester Research study finds that three our of four internet users (76%) say they were directly influenced to purchase an item or service thanks to a directmail piece... TV came in at 67%, email at 58%. ExactTarget's 2009 Channel Preference Study also finds that direct mail directly influenced the purchase of an item or service more than any other channel.

With the advent of an arsenal of new technologies such as variable data printing (where database fields such as a recipient's name are integrated into the directmail piece design), PURL (personalized landing pages), QR Codes, Email Marketing, Text Messaging and Social Networks.. it is possible to dramatically increase directmail response through cross-media campaigns. For more information on any of the above please get in touch!

Shotguns, magnets and inbound marketing

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Yet another fancy marketing term. This one refers to various strategies used to help you connect with your target audience. The traditional advertising approach (we'll call it "outbound marketing") has been to promote your brand via magazine / print ads, tv commercials, junk mail, billboards etc. The commonality with all of these approaches is that they are uninvited and often intrusive. Inbound marketing flips this model upside down. Instead of intruding or interrupting, it creates content that is appealing to a specific demographic and publishes it in such a way that it is extremely easy to find. The two basic steps in any inbound marketing campaign are:

one:

content development (creating content that is appealing to your demographic) this content might include vidoes, white papers, blog entries etc.

two:

publishing, getting your content out there via search engine optimization, social networking sites like linked-in, facebook, twitter, html newsletter subscriptions etc...

Like a magnet, Inbound marketing attracts a specific audience that is already searching. Like a shotgun, outbound marketing reaches out to a broad audience hoping to connect with the few who will be interested. There is a place for both approaches, one is not "better" than another, although when considering your marketing goals one is often more "appropriate"

Footers

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Nope, not talking new kicks here, we are talking about website design! Footer refers to the content found at the bottom of a website layout. Historically it's been a designer's afterthought containing seldom read content such as privacy policy, copyright information, career info etc. With the advent of social networking, search engine optimization changes, and shifting trends in how users approach websites in general, the footer is becoming increasingly important real-estate. More and more users are using if as a core navigational element housing sitemap, social networking and blog links, contact information and more. Your footer should always be tailored to your online goals and site design but here are a few examples to highlight what's possible!

simple

robust

Marketing 101: Brand Recognition

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

While for the unfamiliar it can sound like fancy marketing jargon, brand recognition is actually a straightforward concept. It refers to the idea that your target audience will be exposed to your brand at multiple "points of contact" . These will vary for each individual. One may hear about your company through a video at a conference, then later see someone wearing one of your company's t-shirts. Another person may see one of your brochures, then go home and visit your company website.

An individual's willingness to make a purchase, or form a business relationship is often based on their exposure to and familiarity with the brand in question.

so if a person sees a company website that looks one way, a company t-shirt that looks another way, a promotional video that looks different than either of the above....you fail to build trust and familiarity and instead build confusion about if all of these points of contact are with the same entity. In short brand recognition is something important to consider as you ensure your company image is consistent across all points of contact.

email us you would like to learn more!

Marketing 101: Effective Logo Design

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Design is a form of art and as such it's evaluation can be highly subjective, however there are some concrete measures of what separates the good from the bad or what works and what doesn't. When it comes to branding and logo design here are a few questions you should be asking.

Is it simple?

If in sharing the logo concept with someone you have to explain it, then it's probably too complicated.

Is it memorable?

Does the logo look generic or unique?

Is it timeless?

Will it work with a variety of future design pieces and campaigns, fonts, images and colors etc?

Is it versatile?

The logo should be just as clear and readable on the footer of a black and white zerox copy as it is large and in full color.

Is it relevant?

Does it tell you anything about the industry / vertical market or organization it represents?

Feedback is a huge part of logo design. I recommend email surveys of your top finalists before choosing and commiting to a logo. peer review can be invaluable and easy way to ensure you are choosing a brand that will represent you well for years to come!

Evaluating Graphic Design

admin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:00:00 GMT

At the fundamental level, design is an art form and as such it can be highly subjective. However, there are several criteria by which design may be evaluated. A few that might be helpful include:

relevance.

Does the style connect with your target audience? Are the visuals relevant to their interests?

design integrity and consistency.

If you are developing an entire marketing campaign or a simple four page brochure, is the same look and feel carried out through the entire piece?

readability.

fonts too small? If your audience has a difficult time reading the piece they will often loose interest quickly.

Composition.

In a printed piece consider page layout and organization. Are the visuals and content arranged in a logical quick to understand sequence? Is your site structured so that users can find what they are looking for quickly and effectively? Are there are certain sections of your site you would like to drive visitors towards? Your pages should be designed accordingly.

Each brand is unique and design should always be evaluated in light of it's context, but hopefully these ideas will prove helpful as a place to start.

Warm Markets vs cold markets

admin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:00:00 GMT

For those unfamiliar with these expressions, I'll define warm market as simply a target audience or potential customer base with which you already have some form of relationship or history. A cold market is a target audience or potential customer base who is unfamiliar with you or your company. Definitions vary depending on your vertical market but for this conversation we'll keep it simple.

Relationships are everything. This is true in life and it is true in business. It is much easier to establish a professional relationship, contract, sale or any other business venture when a friendship or professional connection is already in-place. This brings a sense of accountability, re-assurance and security that must be overcome in a "cold market" environment.

Too often companies will pour thousands of dollars into reaching a cold market and put zero time or energy into connecting with their warm market. If you are going to expend time, energy, and financial resources into growing your business, you will find a much greater return on that investment if you are engaging with your warm market. WIth the current explosion in social media there are many channels for effectively engaging your warm market, html newsletters, blogging, twitter feeds and linked-in networking are just a few. If you would like to learn more, give us a call!

Search Engine Marketing 101

admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT

There are many factors that come into play when looking to market your site via search engines. In this article I'll highlight the fundamentals and share a few "must haves" for any successful SEO campaign. Any time you run a search online, your results are prioritized based on several factors. these include:

How your site is built?

Is the code well written? Are you using conventional, easy to identify naming in your stylesheets (css)? Is there extensive use of flash on your site (flash content is unreadable by the search engines, although there are some workarounds to help) Is all critical data placed within the first 100 lines of your html code?

How is your content?

Is the bodycopy (text) on your pages rich with well chosen keywords and phrases? Are you utilizing these keywords in your page titles? Often during web design and development, in a client's rush just to get something online quickly, well thought out content is sacrificed in the interest of speed. With Search engine optimization well planned content is a must.

Meta content

No this is not a muscle building supplement. This is the "hidden" content on your website that users will never see but search engines scour and evaluate. Key meta-data includes meta-description (engines rarely look at meta-keyword tags) image-alt tags and page titles. All of this is code the user rarely sees but search engines scrutinize. All of these should be rich with keywords and phrases.

Link popularity

This is just like junior high, everyone wants to be popular and he who has the most friends wins. In evaluating your site search engines also consider how many inbound links you have (how many other websites are linking to yours). The engines figure that if dozens or hundreds of other sites are linking to you, then your site must be substantial and you get a higher ranking in peoples search results. Successful search engine strategies include plans to seek out partner websites that are willing link to you.

Well there are the basics. There are plenty of additional tactics including pay-per-click campaigns via yahoo and google but since this is a 101 conversation we'll keep it simple. If you have any questions about search engine marketing please get in touch!

Brand Guides. Insurance for your corporate image

admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:00:00 GMT

There is nothing more frustrating as a designer than to pour your creative genius into a company only to watch their website, brochures, ads...in short their brand... deteriorate years later into a poorly designed wasteland of ineffective creative. Unfortunately this is all to common. No matter how great a marketing firm or designer's relationship with their clients, occasionally these relationships come to an end. Companies slim their budgets, staffs change, new graphic designers come and go and before you know it your client's brand looks nothing like the well polished image you presented them with years ago. One way to prevent this is establishing a brand guide.

Brand guides include rules and policies for all marketing materials

- which fonts are permitted

- how a company's logo may or not be used

- what types of photos or illustrations are allowed

- which color palettes are acceptable to use

Establishing a brand guide is similar to buying an insurance policy; it's a minimal expense that doesn't seem to give you any immediate value, but in the future can makes all the difference in the world in ensuring a strong corporate image.

Content Management Systems

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The decision of whether or not to build your website with a content management system (CMS) can often feel quite overwhelming, there many factors to consider and dozens of CMS solutions to choose from. I'll do my best to shed some light on the confusion and simplify the process. First off, if you are unfamiliar with CMS essentially it allows clients to edit their own website content including text, images, linked files, etc. via a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor, similar to microsoft word.

Generally CMS systems are recommended when

- your site is page heavy, ex: 50+ pages

- many of these pages need regular updating, as in daily or weekly

- last minute updates are critical to your business

- you need to be able to make updates to the site from a web browser on any computer

- you are releasing versions of the site in multiple languages, (some cms platforms such as joomla allow you to automatically create translated versions of your site at the push of a button.) here's an example of a site we recently finished with a joomla cms back-end: www.sjhmg.com

A few down-sides CMS systems include:

- significant design / aesthetic limitations

- higher up-front costs

- limits scalability for custom solutions in the future

Hybrid solutions are also something to consider. If for example the "news" page is the only page on your site requiring frequent updates you might want to consider setting it up as a blog via wordpress.org or if there are 2-3 pages that require frequent updating we can build a custom solution to help you edit only those 2-3 pages.

For a comparison of major open-source and enterprise cms solutions i recommend cmsmatrix.org, If you are considering a CMS platform for your business feel free to give us a call!

ground zero

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:58:15 GMT

Call me a romantic at heart but despite my line of work I've been fairly reluctant to delve into the world of social media, a small part of me actually misses the days when you had to wait to get home to make a phone call and learning took place at the public library. However due to recent strategic partnerships BDG has become positioned to help our clients leverage this technology to grow their businesses in some very powerful ways. Since it doesn't seem right for us to continue providing these services to our clientele without using it ourselves, we are jumping in with both feet... blog, html newsletter, linked-in.. we're doing it all, and for our for our first ever blog post it seems fitting to give you a brief history of BDG Communications.

After working for several years as an art director at Gage Marketing, Irvine, CA my entire creative department was downsized just one day before September 11th, 2001. After several months of fruitless job searching I decided to pick up some freelance work. One of my first clients was ironically one of my largest, Toshiba. I worked on several interactive tradeshow pieces for their medical imaging division and before long new clients began to come my way. Over years I've learned and grown a ton, technology has advanced but the same principles of aesthetics, composition, color usage and good design remain the same. This is where BDG Communications excels, Assessing a brand, identifying it's strengths and key competitive advantages, developing effective, functional solutions all wrapped up in a visually impactful package.

If you are in need of branding, graphic design, marketing strategy, website development, or help with a specific direct mail, sweepstakes, web banner ad or other promotion we'd love to hear from you!