The Key to Internet Marketing – Diversification

Posted on January 9, 2014 by admin

Jumping into Internet marketing is best accomplished taking a planned approach. A poorly executed attempt can actually create a negative impact, and it can happen easily if you’re tackling a multi-channel strategy.

Websites need careful tweaking, as do the articles, blogs and other writing associated with attracting more traffic to your brand. With a hand in socialContent Marketing 7 media and all the advertising and blog writing, the situation can get out of hand quickly. What steps do organizations take to diversify their Internet marketing and keep everything organized?

Diversification through the Internet includes pictures, text, video, testimonials and paid ads. The goal is to generate more page views, likes and eventually, business. Tracking each and every thing you do on the Internet will help you better manage what’s working and what’s just plain annoying to your target audience.

Nobody wants their feed clogged, whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, Vine or Instagram. While doing more of a good thing, offering mindless content that doesn’t further the conversation will count against your efforts. Spacing out your posts on social media is an important measure to take. Include in that plan a strategy that uses video, text and photos evenly.

Don’t be afraid to offer your audience a deal in the form of a coupon or sales event notice, but beware of doing that daily. Instead, offer a bit of information, whether it’s an article or a link to an article, that’s relevant to your industry and offers a chance for your audience to get involved in a conversation.

Build your plan and write out a schedule for what will be posted and when. Internet marketing can be a bit of a chore, so if you’re not exactly sure how to tackle it, contact the professionals at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions, we will develop the right plan for your business.

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Pinterest: The New News Feed?

Posted on January 8, 2014 by admin

Experts are reporting that Pinterest has been gaining ground for more than just8436334_m where to find your next Crockpot meal.

Though Facebook and Twitter still own the game as far as sharing news goes, it looks like Pinterest isn’t too far behind. A new study that researched how content is shared found that 20 percent of media-related content shared on social sites was shared on Pinterest. That’s a two percent increase from this year’s first quarter statistics and it is expected to grow even more.

In September 2013, Pinterest added the option on several news sites to “pin” your favorite articles. Just by allowing consumers to see that red “P” logo next to big wigs Facebook and Twitter put Pinterest in the “sharing” game.

Consider these tips when deciding if your brand needs to be more “pin” powerful:

A picture says a thousand blog hits– If you are a small business, reaching your customers through social media is one of the best investments you can make for your brand. One of the highest website traffic sources are blogs, so to optimize your posts, include high quality, interesting and original photos of your products in your blog. Then, pin those images onto Pinterest, where consumers can find them when they are searching for specific products.

Know the power of tagging: By placing a hashtag in front of keywords in the captions of your pins, you can help consumers find your images by tagging with the search terms they are using. You can also place your images under certain categories to increase hits. The ability for consumers to search for specific things on Pinterest gives the site an edge over other social media sites by connecting consumers to exactly what they want to see faster.

Make Your Brand An Expert: The potential for your brand to become an expert to your target audience is easier than you think. By posting tutorials, advice or demonstrations on your products and services on Pinterest, your customers will learn they can turn to your experts for assistance. The sharing potential with Pinterest will help increase the likelihood your customers will see your content, as well. There are also options to share your pins via Facebook and Twitter. You can even display widgets of pins on your blog and website.

To learn more about how to optimize your social media marketing, contact the professionals at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions.

 

 

 

 

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Digital Marketing Trends to Watch For in 2014

Posted on January 7, 2014 by admin

Marketing Trends 1Many of us have been busy making (and in some cases, already breaking) resolutions for the New Year. There’s a reason you see more diet supplements and low calorie drink options on commercials this time of year. It’s because everyone is gearing up to break those bad habits or lose that extra 10 pounds.

Personal goals aside, there are many goals that small businesses should be making for the new year. But where do you start? One way to anticipate what should be on your business’ to-do list in 2014 is to take a look at what trends will make a splash in the coming year. Here’s what industry professionals are predicting will make a big splash this year in digital media:

Blog about it: The numbers are in and the answer is blogging. Research has shown that 92 percent of business websites that feature daily and weekly blog posts gain more customers. Blogs are the ultimate way to engage in customer interaction, establish your businesses as an expert in your industry and generate discussions and connections. The goal of small businesses should always be generating positive, creative content that is engaging.

Get on the phone: But not to make a phone call. Think mobile apps. It’s no secret that America is addicted to the smartphone, so your website needs to be responsive and mobile friendly. When a potential client needs your phone number, give them the ability to find your website from their phone and promptly call, text or email a question or even make an appointment. Your goal for 2014 should be to stay as active and on the move as your customer.

Know what hashtag means: It’s the little symbol that could. Everyone’s seen the #, but do you know what it means? It was originally used to categorize Twitter updates based on topics, though users have integrated it into everyday use. Used effectively, you can create a separate forum inside Twitter where users can search for your business name in a hashtag that generates a feed featuring all discussions that include your hashtag. Experts predict that hashtags will soon become an effective search engine.

If you are ready to make 2014 your best year yet, let the professionals at Susan J. Campbell Copying Solutions make your resolutions a reality. We have the knowledge your business needs to stay on top of digital media trends in the coming year.

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Monday Morning Coffee with The St. Joseph Museum: New Website, New Look

Posted on January 6, 2014 by admin

museum snipFrom the journal entries of Civil War soldiers, to the life stories of famous jazz musicians – and from the cultural exhibits of Native Americans to the intriguing tales of early mental health institutions – there’s no doubt the St. Joseph Museum has a way of drawing guests in its doors.

The St. Joseph Museum may draw more guests now than ever, having recently launched a new and enhanced website.  Even with all the ways a business can tell its story today, a website is still a company’s best calling card. For businesses like the Museum that attract customers from across the region, the nation and the globe, it’s even more critical that the website be inviting, easy to navigate and accessible to mobile devices.

“We wanted a new look that had bright colors and simple design, and it had to be mobile-device friendly,” says Kathy Reno of the St. Joseph Museum. “Many museums are going with a refreshed look as they seek to draw in guests from all age ranges and interests.”

The new site features big, bold photographs, bright colors that step away from traditional burgundy and brown tones and a simple menu that’s repeated on most of the pages. Because many guests and groups want to see photos of what they can expect, many of the pages have links to a new image gallery that’s easy to update as exhibits and events change.

Our team at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions worked with St. Joe Web to create the new site, funded by a St. Joseph Museum Grant from the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau. When exploring the new look, a list of sites from across the globe was prepared, with the National Museum of Scotland as the chief design inspiration. This museum is similar to the St. Joseph Museum in that several museums are housed in one location.

“The challenge is in communicating what guests can see and learn across not one museum, but the four properties that are part of The St. Joseph Museums,” says Reno.  “Our site is unique because under one roof guests can see the collections of three of these unique museums – the St. Joseph Museum, the Black Archives Museum and the Glore Psychiatric Museum. The fourth, the Wyeth Tootle Mansion, is located off-site but is a key area for tours and rentals. We needed to bring everything together under one brand but showcase their unique offerings.”

This goal was achieved with consistent use of color and easy-to-find information about what guests can expect. Within the physical structure of the St. Joseph Museum itself, recently changed colors on accent walls and exhibit backgrounds also match a brighter, bolder and more contemporary look. The site is built on WordPress so it can be easily updated and changed, and for the first time, is mobile-friendly for guests browsing the site from their phones as they decide what to see and do in the region.

Additions are planned for the coming weeks, including more research information, and more photos and videos to the galleries. Across several pages, the accreditations and national awards received by the Museum are showcased to remind locals and visitors what a true treasure the St. Joseph Museum is to the area.

Take a moment this week to explore the St. Joseph Museum both online and in-person. You’ll likely be surprised by learning something new about this intriguing region, and maybe even pick up some ideas for making your own website an even more exciting calling card for your organization.

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Analyzing the SEO Writing of Competitors Offers Valuable Insights

Posted on January 3, 2014 by admin

In some ways, running a successful marketing operation is always about keeping up with the Jones’s and then taking a step ahead of them. When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO) writing, following what your competitors are doing can give you valuable insight into where your focus should be.

12058056_mIt takes a while to build up the trust of search engines, so don’t get discouraged if you’re new to SEO writing – it’s a long-term commitment that produces great results, but it’ll take a while. A good place to start is by drilling down on who your biggest competitors are.  What makes your company unique? Are there other companies offering similar products that nearly fit the definition of your uniqueness? This is likely your competitor. Remember, you’re not looking at the entire industry, just the few that closely match what your company offers.

Now, thoroughly research the online presence of these companies. How are they performing compared to your online statistics? Look at their blogs and analyze the content. Pin down their marketing strategy and their use of social media. What points are they hitting on in their content marketing plan?

To see how you stack up against these companies, utilize SEO tools that can provide an analysis of your competition. These tools will show you the inbound links that should give you a fairly comprehensive view of their SEO strategy.

Whatever you do, don’t duplicate what your competitors have already done. Remember, you’re not just keeping up with the Jones’s, you’re trying to outdo them. It’s possible that their links aren’t even that valuable. Do your own research and provide the best links to boost your web presence.

SEO writing trends change often. Are you having a difficult time keeping up with those trends? If so, try out the SEO experts at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions. The team of knowledgeable staff and excellent writers can boost the number of hits to your site by providing quality content.

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How The New LinkedIn Updates Benefit Users

Posted on January 2, 2014 by admin

16255665_mThanks to new updates, LinkedIn has become even more useful and user friendly for businesses and professionals. Here are updates you need to know about:

1. Mobile App
When you are on the go like most business professionals are, getting the information you need or updating your profile needs to be easy as swiping your finger across your screen. Thanks to LinkedIn’s new mobile app update, it’s literally that easy. You can now approve connections, update your profile and quickly scan articles and forums right from your phone.

2. Group Settings
Thanks to over 8,000 groups discussing ideas, asking questions and making connections, LinkedIn was looking for a way for users to experience even more ways to easily connect with others. They did this by allowing users to customize their group spaces to make them personalized according to target markets, location, topics or shared interests. LinkedIn isn’t just for business. Remember that’s where businesses come to find the people they want working for them. It’s literally a virtual job fair, so use the groups to get your name out there. Taking part in discussions in your field can be as effective as leaving your resume out on the table.

3. Analytics
Businesses will find a handy tool among LinkedIn’s updates thanks to the ability to track their company’s page. Keep track of what content creates the most engagement, map trends of discussions to find out what time of day is the best to post and even compare your data to other company’s content and profiles. If you are a business owner, knowing when your target audience is most active online is a powerful tool when you’re reaching out about your product.

4. Showcases
Nothing is better for businesses than showing off what you’ve got. Now companies have more room on LinkedIn to tell their story: easily customizable extensions off their main pages give businesses the extra space to talk about their mission or show off a more extensive list of their services. LinkedIn is already a great portal to tap into your target audience. Now not only are you connected to the specific groups, you can hold their attention with the specific information you want them to see.

Why is LinkedIn so powerful for businesses? Originally, it seemed LinkedIn was on the social media radar because it was more like a Facebook for the professional world. Young career enthusiasts proclaimed their talents and skills, hoping to connect with the perfect company. These days, companies are just as active on the site, using the site to connect with potential customers. Companies instantly become the expert in their industry when they are the ones answering questions from their audience. Building connections like that are priceless. Think of LinkedIn as less of a “social media” portal and more of a “professional connections” opportunity.

Susan J. Campbell has a staff that is specially trained in Social Media and creates entire Social Media Strategies built around helping companies tap into sites like LinkedIn. To find out how your business can benefit from LinkedIn, contact us today.

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Creating a Quality Content Marketing Plan

Posted on January 1, 2014 by admin

Developing a quality content marketing plan starts with asking yourself questions rather than trying to provide immediate answers. It also involves looking into the questions that your clients are asking and what consumers are talking about.

Looking at your specific industry, can you identify the pain points? What are the most immediate challenges your industry is facing? Look at your competitors and see if you have similar issues or if their issue could be one that you’ll face in the near future. When you identify the pain points, start working on ways to handle these issues and include this in your content marketing plan.14562569_m

Sometimes, peering into the issues facing other industries can bring insights about your own. Try picking up a quality website with content relating to something entirely different from yours, and read it at least once a week. You might be surprised how this information can lead to ideas for your content marketing plan.

Is your content instigating conversation? Dynamic storytelling can boost the level of conversation your brand is generating. Think about the incremental content elements that involve stories about your brand. At the same time, look into what people are talking about. Latch onto the most current events affecting your industry and offer quality content on the subject. Frequently check Google+ and LinkedIn to keep up on the conversations.

Make sure your content marketing plan is built to achieve business objects and not just content objectives. To achieve this, you need to understand why you’re coming up with content. After you’ve identified various trends and issues, write down a statement about your mission and go from there.

The team at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions follows the trends and develops quality content that targets your specific needs. Give them a call and get started on your content marketing plan today.

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Twitter Tests Location Sharing Options

Posted on December 31, 2013 by admin

17428103_mAre you ever tweeting and wish you knew who else was an avid Twitter user? It appears that with the still-being-tested “Nearby” function you might be able to make this wish come true.

Twitter knows that mobile users are the top users of their social media platform. They have made great strides in the past year to make the mobile app more user friendly, making upgrades and moving things around. This possible new function appears to be a way to get more users to share their location, making the platform more locally relevant – similar to Foursquare. Tweeting with location is not a new concept to Twitter, as it has been around since 2010, but it has been turned off by default.

It seems this new function could help alleviate some of the frustrations that have been caused by the millions of tweets. The hope is the location will help organize the tweets even further, making it easier to read through and more relevant to each user.

The one thing that might make someone little cautious about using this possible new function is that it shows the tweets of strangers, not just those you’re following. This makes it a little different from Foursquare. Instead of just checking in with your friends, you are checking in with any Twitter user nearby (which seems to be just about everyone these days).

What do you think about this possible new change on Twitter? Will you use this function or decide to keep your location a secret?

Even without the location-sharing function, Susan J. Campbell believes Twitter might be a valuable platform for your company. Ask us how you can use Twitter as a great marketing tool!

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Monday Morning Coffee With Jen Herron

Posted on December 30, 2013 by admin

Jen Herron 1Jen Herron is the newest member of the Susan J Campbell team. She has come aboard to assist in as many aspects of the company that she can. A wannabe multi-tasker, Jen brings her dream of being a writer, copywriter and marketing expert to the table at SJC.

Jen began her career with words at 10, when she wrote “Footprints” a self-illustrated short story about a boy named Joe who got lost in the city but found his way back home by following his own footsteps in the snow. Getting bit by the writing bug at a young age only made her yearning to be an author grow, especially when a poem she wrote at 13 was published in one of her favorite collection of short stories: Chicken Soup for the Teenaged Soul IV.

Writing and editing for her high school yearbook, copywriting for the Daily Nebraskan newspaper while attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and getting her first reporter job at the Atchison County Mail newspaper helped Jen sculpt many talents in reporting and advertising. She honed her marketing skills as Marketing/Communications Coordinator for a nonprofit hospital before finding a home at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions.

“Writing has always been food for my soul. I am so happy to find a job where I can use my passion and build a career at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions doing what I love to do,” Jen says.

One of Jen’s favorite aspects of her career is the many avenues that marketing and public relations offer businesses.

“Marketing is the best of many worlds. First, you help create exciting and informative content, then you get to spread the word about something you’re passionate about. I love to write, but not nearly as much as I love to talk, so in marketing, I get to do a lot of both and that’s something I can get excited about!” Jen explains.

In her spare time, Jen loves writing on her personal lifestyle blog where she reviews books and shares funny stories about her two talkative, precocious kids.

A word from Susan:

At SJC, we had reached a point where it was time to build onto our team. We couldn’t market in our local community due to our current workload and we knew there were opportunities we were missing. Without another writer with a marketing background, however, we weren’t going to try and expand our territory. When Jen’s resume came to my attention, I knew we had access to a gem.

Now a strong part of our team, Jen is ready and willing to learn anything we send her way. She’s also contributing to a number of projects with her own insight. I can’t wait to see what she can get done when we set her loose. I know she’ll be an asset to our clients, which will help us create a successful 2014.

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How Netflix Rescued its Brand

Posted on December 27, 2013 by admin

Netflix 1The year 2011 started off on the wrong foot for Netflix. Their stock lost half its value in just three months and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings was even named the worst CEO of the year by the New York Times. Ouch.

So to say that Netflix has made a comeback would be the understatement of 2013.  Albeit making some major mistakes (like attempting to split mail order DVDs and live streaming into two separate sites) and raising prices, Netflix has clearly made up for it. In January 2013, Netflix reported that over 2 million new customers had clicked “subscribe” on their website and produced a $7 million profit. Even their stock came out of the red and jumped from under $100 in worth to $140 in just a 24 hour period. Talk about being a comeback kid.

So how did they do it? How did Reed Hastings make his dream come true by making his company a legitimate opponent to television’s star, HBO?

Consider these tips on how Netflix sustained hardships and solidified their brand.

1. By staying true to their brand – After trying to rename their mail based DVD rental service to“Qwikster” and making it separate from the instant streaming of movies and TV series, Netflix realized they needed to backtrack and stick with their original plan.  Change is good, but when it creates confusion in the eyes of the customer, it will do more harm than good in the long run. Netflix apologized and went back  to offering both live streaming and mail order DVDs from one service like they had always done.

2. By listening to their customers – When Qwikster failed to please customers, they took to social media to voice their opinions. However, there was a bit of a problem: Netflix failed to create a new Twitter account for the new DVD service and customers mistakenly were tweeting a “Qwikster” account that belonged to a man who had nothing to do with Netflix and was less than polite in his response to the onslaught of complaints. Netflix lost 800,000 customers after announcing Qwikster and the price increase that went with it. Shortly after realizing this isn’t what customers wanted, they changed back to the original format.

3. By being original – CEO Hastings said in an interview that he wanted to be comparable to HBO. What seemed like a lofty goal has now become a reality, thanks to original series like House of Cards, which was the first web based television series to ever win an Emmy Award. Another original series, Orange is the New Black, quickly became popular as well. Thanks to these shows, Netflix has become a household name not only for being the top mail order DVD service, but their brand as a whole is at the top of the charts for entertainment sources.

How can your brand beat the odds? Let the marketing professionals at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions, LLC create a brand strategy that maps out how your brand stays true to your product and your customers.

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