New & improved site with new content coming soon… http://ping.fm/Emr54 #Mmedia
Over the past few years, businesses have seen a tremendous increase in the functionality of digital technology. What used to be web pages that “listed” products for sale are now fully integrated networking communities where friends, family, colleagues and customers can interact just like they were standing next to each other while being thousands of miles away. Even email has emerged from a simple “send & receive” application into a multi-use platform that can now post blogs, track project development and measure message performance. There is little doubt that digital technology has changed the way we live, work and play – over 400 million people worldwide use the internet. What is however doubtful is whether business can figure out how to use the technology effectively before going out of business.
One of the biggest problems every small and medium size business (SMB) owner has is learning how to compete in a global economy. Gone are the days of the independent grocer or the local pharmacist. Even the specialty machine shop that makes specialty products for specialty suppliers is now fighting tooth and nail with global manufacturers for the same sales that have kept them in business for generations. These are the types of small businesses that are at the greatest risk of losing the global trade war with developing economies, but they are also in the best position to take advantage of emerging technologies to defend their position and maximize their business.
As a SMB, it’s all about your customer. Whether you’re a screw shop or a law firm, or even that local grocer that’s managed to stay in business – when you run a SMB, customers are always number one. Successful SMB’s understand that less than 20% of buying decisions are based on professional expertise – most sales are based on relationships. This is where SMB’s have the most opportunity because if there’s one thing that all this new technology has done is make it easy to connect and communicate with other people.
Connecting with your customers has never been easier, but it takes more than spam to get and keep the attention of your target market. This is where most SMB’s fail – signing up for a Facebook account and posting a bunch of messages that don’t mean anything – and then doing it over and over and over every month. Think about it – would you call your customer and tell them the same thing every single Tuesday at 4:00? Would you do it 8 times a day?
Here is another question – if you could personally talk to every person that walked by your restaurant, what would you say?
Building relationships with customers is the single biggest opportunity SMB’s have in the digital age, and too many businesses are missing out. To build relationships, you have to know what is important to potential customers; you need to know how customers define success. You have to let them know your business provides product or service that is valuable. You need to know what to say, before you say it.
If you’re trying to build a relationship – whether it’s a personal or professional one, the extent to which your target is engaged relies entirely on the level of interest you provide. It’s not just about telling a mass audience what you’re selling – it’s about connecting with a target audience by letting them know you have something that meets their needs. Engaging with potential customers online and building relationships is the best way SMB’s can remain competitive in a global market. Making the latest advances in digital technology work for your business is the best way to meet the digital demand of today’s internet consumer.
Social networks and social media marketing is growing at such a rate, it is proving challenging for businesses and marketers to keep up to date with the latest progressions and trends. In a recent survey completed by American express which interviewed small business owners, the results showed that over 44 percent of the respondents utilise the tools for marketing purposes; up 39 percent from the number of respondents from the previous year. One of the key factors in the increase in it is the perception from business that it presents a cheap alternative to traditional marketing channels and initiatives. However, it is essential that businesses allocate a specific budget, whether this is in a monetary of time format to allocate to the development of a plan and strategy in how to best utilise it for business. No matter what the marketing tool is, without some direction and aims, the efforts will simply be shooting blanks in the dark.
There is no doubt that social media marketing is here to stay, with an increasing number of business utilising the platforms to connect with current and potential customers in the online environment. Businesses are working harder than ever before to create a meaningful impact in the social sphere and to implement ways to better connect their brand with customers.
Trends in social media marketing are showing no abatement of change. We are currently seeing a move past the inflection point of social media marketing to a defining point in time when social media marketing comes of age. The online marketing channels are poised to become mainstream tools for which all business, companies and organisations will be implementing in their wider business and marketing strategies. This year we will see social networks being utilised as the key tool to effectively target and connect with current and potential customers, conversing in an online space where the target market is conversing and making purchase decisions.
Furthermore, businesses are now realising the true benefit of social media marketing for connecting with customers. This year we will see an increasing number of businesses instilling the value of tweeting and posting content on a regular basis; not just as a necessity for optimising their online presence, but as a general recognition that it is the perfect platform where they can meet and interact act with customers.
If your business is contemplating the move in the social world, or perhaps your current social media efforts are not resulting in increased conversations, sales and profitability; get in contact with a marketing company that employs social media marketing specialists and start connecting where your customers are…online.
SocialEyes is a specialist social media marketing company based in Christchurch, New Zealand. Working with numerous clients, from small and medium sized businesses to large corporations, SocialEyes delivers proven and tangible business results resulting in increases brand awareness, website traffic, lead generation, customer engagement, as well as realising marketing and business objectives and improving profitability. For more information, visit www.social-media-marketing.co.nz
Posted by Pamela Vaughan
Mon, Aug 15, 2011 @ 04:38 PM
Re-posted by Managed Media Chicago
Analytics is an important part of inbound marketing. Marketers should constantly be measuring their marketing to refine programs, improve upon under-performing initiatives, and decide which marketing channels they should focus on.
But when it comes to measuring marketing, sometimes it’s hard to know which metrics to use. There are usually a number of ways to measure the success of a given campaign, and oftentimes marketers get caught up in using every single metric available to them … or obsessing over the least valuable ones. To help you get on track, we’ve compiled a handy list of 5 metrics that probably aren’t worth your time.
Final Thought
Remember, as a marketer, your time is valuable. While measuring success is definitely important, so is actually doing marketing that generates the results you’re measuring. Don’t spend unnecessary amounts of time analyzing metrics that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. Instead, focus on fewer, more concrete and telling metrics like traffic, leads, and sales. Chances are, poor results indicated by these grander metrics will inform you of problems. Then you can consult more granular metrics to use for deeper analysis to diagnose and solve underlying issues.
What other marketing metrics do you think marketers spend too much time analyzing? Are you bogging yourself down reporting on too many metrics? A successful social media campaign can prove to be the key to growing your business, but you have to do it right. It can increase brand exposure and PR for a fraction of traditional costs as well as provide large scale market research and at no extra charge.
Managed Media creates an on-line presence that drives real growth. Check out our website @ http://www.managedmediachicago.com/#! and see how we can help you grow your business.
By: Jeromy Puglisi
July 15, 2011
There is no denying that Social Media is taking up a large amount of time spent online. The number of people using social media websites is huge and has led to increased interest in the growing field of social media marketing. As we see more and more small businesses include social media strategies in their business development plans, Managed Media continually looks for new and innovative ways to manage social media campaigns that drive real business for small business owners.
Everyone knows about Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and Youtube. It seems that many small businesses have rushed to sign up on these popular sites and eagerly filled out a profile page. Then, they wait for this “rush” of traffic and new business to arrive and are generally disappointed when it doesn’t happen.
Despite what you may hear, there is no “silver bullet.” Sure there are sites out there like Digg and StumbleUpon that have the potential to send up to 40k unique visitors to your website in a short space of time, but if you don’t get on the front page then you are unlikely to see much more than a handful of visitors.
If you want to attract new visitors to your site then you have to actually participate and become involved in a community. You have to develop original content and tell people about your brand to create interest in your products and/or services. What your organization does and how you do it are important parts of your story. You want people to know that your business provides a valuable solution to meet their needs. And because different elements of your story will appeal to different people, you need to match the right parts of your message with the right audience at the right time.
Benefits of Social Media Marketing
traditional methods. Every small business owner knows that word of mouth advertising is the best form of advertising because it comes from a trusted source. Remember, consistency builds credibility, credibility builds trust and trust builds business.
Tips on Running a Successful A successful social media campaign can prove to be the key to growing your business, but you have to do it right. It can increase brand exposure and PR for a fraction of traditional costs as well as provide large scale market research and at no extra charge.
Managed Media creates an on-line presence that drives real growth. Check out our website @ http://www.managedmediachicago.com/#! and see how we can help you grow your business.
By: Jeromy Puglisi
June 22, 2011
The world is becoming more interconnected and organizations that want to succeed in this new environment need to become more connected as well.
How can we work together better? How can we pool our knowledge to improve results? How can we make processes more efficient, while delivering personal service when it matters most? How can we manage the flood of information that’s overflowing our inboxes, our mobile phones and our lives?
How can we manage all of these relationships?
The key to successful relationship building is consistency. Constantly show sincere interest in other people and devote time to following up and getting to know them better. Consistency builds credibility – credibility builds trust – and trust builds business.
Relationship Management
Research has shown that even in fields such as engineering, architecture, IT, law and finance, only about 15% of ones financial success is due to technical knowledge while 85% is due to skill in human engineering. Good relationships are built on trust, credibility, personality and likeability. So it’s natural that customers want to learn as much as they can about your company and the people that stand behind it.
Developing Prospects
This is all about finding people who need your services – and developing a pipeline that an organization can consistently use as a marketing tool. It’s also about helping prospects find you and there are many ways to accomplish this task. Once you have found people who need your services, it’s time to start the relationship building process.
Building Relationships
Your objective in building relationships include developing trust and credibility, qualifying the needs of your prospects and finding the right fit. Remember people don’t hire firms – they hire professionals, so perhaps the most important reason for building relationships is to find the personal fit. This all comes down to demonstrating you understand your client and their market, and that you care enough about your client and their business to take action.
Discovering Opportunities
When is it the right time to ask for business? The answer is quite simple – when your prospect has clearly identified a need or issue and you know your services provide a solution. The goal is to get to the stage where you have agreement on desired outcomes. This may include helping potential clients clarify their own needs and thus begin the process of establishing a relationship and identifying opportunity.
Offering Solutions
This is sometimes the most painful stage of business development process. However, if done correctly it can become extremely rewarding. In reality, it is simply a matter of 
offering your services to solve or fill a need. Because of the time and effort that you have invested up to this point; in getting to know them and getting the facts right, your lead will be very interested in learning how you can help them. And that is just how you approach it. You ask them if “they would be interested in learning how you can help them?” In most cases, they will say yes, and then it’s just a matter of how you propose to help them – with a proposal document or an in-person offer meeting.
Tips to Building Better Relationships
How Does Managed Media Help Build Relationships For Your Business?
Managed Media MANAGES social media for your business. Social media is like word of mouth advertising on-line, and every business manager will tell you the most valuable form of advertising is word of mouth advertising.
Managed Media is designed to be an extension of your business – your social media consultant! We are your part-time employee sitting in your “remote office” managing all of your social media. You are the boss, and we work for you!
Before we start any work, we listen – to you. We learn your business & we create a strategic analysis of your industry & your customer. This insight provides valuable information throughout the social media life-cycle.
Next we create a customized communication plan tailored to your business so we can tell your story to the millions of potential customers listening in the world of social media.
Now after all that – after we’ve built the foundation, we deploy the technology. Now that we know who your customers are and what they want to hear, we put your message on-line in the world of social media.
Managed Media creates an on-line presence that drives real growth. Check out our website @ http://www.managedmediachicago.com and see how we can help you grow your business.
By: Jeromy Puglisi
Managed Media Chicago
June 13, 2011
Every potential client I speak with tells me they plan on “doing” social media. Of course, that is why you are a potential client and it is logical we are speaking because you have not done “it” yet – hence my visit. In fact according to the 2010 Media Planning Intelligence Study released by the Center for Media Research:
This ambivalence toward social media is one of the primary factors driving social media discontent among small business – Because small business managers can not figure out hot to make it work for them, they discount all social media efforts and meaningless and a waste of time.
The problem is not social media; the problem isn’t even your business. The problem is YOU don’t understand how social media works.
LEARN, OR HIRE SOMEONE THAT DOES!
Most people start “doing” social media by signing up for a Facebook account, and trolling around trying to get people to like their page. Success is generally limited to the number of friends that are willing to look at messages you post about your business. There is certainly nothing wrong with this and most social media professionals will tell you that learning how to use social media for your business is much better than leaving it to an employee. However, you can’t do it all and the amount of time some people will require is going to make it very difficult to use social media tools effectively for a lot of US small business.
Once past the investigatory phase of social media, you will start to notice the astonishing popularity of social media tools used in small business circles. This is because social media is like word of mouth advertising on-line, and every business manager
will tell you the most valuable form of advertising is word of mouth advertising.
Managed Media is your BIG MOUTH on-line!
Managed Media is designed to be an extension of your business – your social media consultant! We are your part-time employee sitting in your “remote office” managing all of
your social media. You are the boss, and we work for you!
Managed Media is here to help and we can develop an on-line presence that drives real growth for your business.
There is no simple way to define strategic communications. It builds a brand. It changes perception. It connects your organization with people and moves them to action. Smart strategy makes communication meaningful – to your audience and your bottom line. You need to ask the right questions to translate your business objectives into effective communication strategies. You need to position your product and provide value. Let Managed Media help you develop a strategy before you get left behind.
By: Jeromy Puglisi
Managed Media Chicago
June 1, 2011
Without quantifiable goals, small and midsize businesses risk chasing ROI right down the drain…
It is about time small and midsize businesses got serious about social media – and that means planning. Without a plan, most businesses would be better to scrap their social programs and focus their resources elsewhere. Without quantifiable goals – no matter how basic, there is no way to determine if there is a benefit from their efforts or if they are simply wasting time.
If the clients we talk with are any measure, data indicates that most small businesses are “getting their feet wet” without any defined strategy. In fact, a recent study indicates that 20% of small businesses simply “use” social media while almost half said they “use it properly.” 31% of mid size firms said they have a “structured” plan, but still an alarming 20% say they do not have a defined plan for their social media activities.
Small businesses are especially prone to a lackadaisical approach to social media. A recent survey by http://www.Techaisle.com showed 70% of companies with up to 100 employees planned to use social sites for marketing purposes in the coming year, but 45% said they didn’t know how doing so would help them.
Think about that –
7 in 10 businesses are thinking about social media and close to half have absolutely no idea why.
They are following a trend instead of strategically planning to capitalize on new technology. This sets them up for failure from the beginning and leads those businesses toward a giant black hole with absolutely no return on their investment. Lucky for you, Managed Media was designed specifically with the small business in mind!
Managed Media is first and foremost a strategic communications agency. We take the time to learn your business and your customer, so we can craft an effective communication strategy based on qualitative research that will compel buyers to act. Managed Media then manages your social media to give your business an on-line presence that tells your story and drives customers to your door.
This is a classic example of the power of social media, and fundamentally what separates Managed Media from the others that are “tweeting” thousands of times every month with absolutely nothing to say!
Getting Started
Depending on the business and the ownership, taking the initial plunge into social media without any experience isn’t always bad. Sometimes, jumping in reveals the known to the unknown and leads to innovation. Regardless of the method of introduction, businesses at some point need to formalize their plans or risk missing out on the many advantages available in the world wide web of social media. Eventually, business owners realize that a defined strategy provides for more purposes across a greater range of channels. At some point, it’s no longer a game and becomes a question of maximizing value and measuring success.
Having a social media plan doesn’t necessarily mean spending a lot of money. To coin an age old adage, “you get what you pay for” and in the internet world this line still holds true. Sure, today for as little as $50 a month you can get your web site “optimized” and there are services that “tweet” for you twice a day, every day, to 150K “followers” for $29 a month. There are others that “tweet” for you 6 times a day to 16K followers for $50. For $129, one company will let you “buy” links to “optimize” your page ranking in a search result.
Managed Media is created in response to all of the internet marketing garbage in today’s business world. Managed Media is designed to be an extension of your business – we are your part-time employee sitting your “remote office.” Managing all of your social media.
How part time? Great question.
Managed Media spends approximately 14 hours every month specifically on your business. Not on the guy next door, or the girl across town. YOUR BUSINESS.
Managed Media does the work for you – and what we do is where it gets real interesting.
Before we start any work, we listen – to you. We learn your business and then create a strategic analysis of your industry and your customer. This insight provides valuable information used throughout the social media life-cycle. Next we create a customized communication plan tailored to your business so we can tell your story to the thousands of potential customers listening in the world of social media. This especially sets Managed Media apart from the others that are “tweeting” thousands of times every month with absolutely nothing to say. Again read our blog on the message.
Now, after all that – after we’ve built the foundation– we deploy the technology. Now that we know who your customers are and what they want to hear, we put your message on-line in the world of social media. We hit multiple targets from multiple touch points with multiple messages at multiple intervals. Organically, your business will start to grow & you will continually see new names & faces walk through your door on a daily basis.
There is no simple way to define strategic communications. It builds a brand. It changes perception. It connects your organization with people and moves them to action. Smart strategy makes communication meaningful – to your audience and your bottom line. You need to ask the right questions to translate your business objectives into effective communication strategies. You need to position your product and provide value.
Let Managed Media help you develop a strategy before you get left behind.
by: Jeromy Puglisi…
May 24, 2011
Don’t Push –
Pull The Market To You!
Today, everything moves fast and changes rapidly. Getting your busy target audience to tune in – to hear, understand and believe your organization’s value – is a daunting challenge. As markets grow increasingly efficient and competition accelerates, failing to apply best practice solutions to your marketing deliverables can be disastrous.
Successful businesses have more than just great products or services; they have well-known brands that convey their spirit, vision and culture. Your brand identity can be a powerful visual cue for customers, helping you break through the clutter of today’s competitive marketplace.
Brand images must be reinforced over time, with each exposure building on the last. Presenting a consistent face to your audience is essential. By extending your strategic communications to printed materials, you are equipping your organization with powerful tools that will continue to speak to potential clients long after the meeting is over.
Proposition Development
At the heart of every marketing campaign is a targeted proposition to your market segment. There’s nothing more important than your proposition, because it directly feeds into every message you develop to share with your customers. If it is not on target, you will not get the results you need.
By matching your strength to the needs of the market and the threats of your competition, you can articulate the position you need to adopt. From this standpoint you build a plan that uses the most appropriate venue for conveying your proposition quickly, efficiently and powerfully.
Integrated Marketing Deliverables
The term “Integrated Marketing” is used to describe a strategic approach to marketing communications and aims to ensure the consistency of message and the complementary use of media. Using outside – in thinking, integrated marketing is a data-driven approach that focuses on identifying consumer insights and developing a strategy with the right channels to forge a stronger brand-consumer relationship. This involves knowing the right touch points to use to reach consumers and understanding how and where they consume different types of media.
Customers decide what information they need to make informed buying decisions. To be successful, marketers have to respond to these individual needs and embrace new methods for delivering high-impact, personalized communications. The challenge is to combine all you know about your customers and products into compelling communications that inform, motivate, and move your target audience to action.
Effective Elements
The goal of selecting the elements of integrated marketing is to create a campaign that is effective and consistent across media platforms. Mobility is clearly a driving force today because end users have more choices as to when, where and how they engage with brands, products, services and people.
Further, online conversations and tones (vs. sales pitches) are becoming more influential in the marketing mix. This requires a shift in how marketers think, collaborate and measure performance across teams, disciplines and touch points to best engage and respond to target audiences throughout relationship life cycles.
Managed Media is first and foremost a strategic communications agency. We take the time to learn your business and your customer, so we can craft an effective communication strategy based on qualitative research that will compel buyers to act. Managed Media then manages your social media to give your business an on-line presence that tells your story and drives customers to your door.
There is no simple way to define strategic communications. It builds a brand. It changes perception. It connects your organization with people and moves them to action. Smart strategy makes communication meaningful – to your audience and your bottom line. You need to ask the right questions to translate your business objectives into effective communication strategies. You need to position your product and provide value. Let Managed Media help you develop a message before you get left behind.
Managing Pursuit Strategies Doesn’t Have To Be Rocket Science!
By: Jeromy Puglisi
May 16, 2011
Building a winning strategy for your business can be a daunting process. An efficient and effective pursuit strategy is a major contributor to an organization’s long term success and should be based around a strong set of quantifiable goals. Without a strategy and a team committed to achieving organizational objectives, any system or process you develop will likely fail.
A defined, repeatable, managed, measured and optimized approach provides multifaceted benefits. Pursuit strategies:
Pursuit Strategies
The central philosophy behind pursuit strategies uses a Six-Sigma approach to developing business and stipulates that if you can measure how many “defects” there are in a process then you can systematically figure out how to eliminate them and win more business.
A pursuit strategy is a quantifiable process that demonstrates how an organization will acquire new business and gain more business from existing clients. A Six-Sigma mindset is especially critical when pursuing strategic accounts. Increasing win performance and decreasing decision-cycle down time will make or break a fiscal financial reporting period. Each one of these strategic pursuits is so important that you must be flawless in your pursuit execution.
Cross-Functional Utilization
The deployment of Six-Sigma principles uses a methodology called DMAIC and significantly increases an organizations probability of winning business.
Utilization of DMAIC guarantees your processes are well defined, that you are measuring results and continuously analyzing/learning/improving/maturing and controlling the process. It is important that this mindset be present in all aspects of the pursuit strategy. Regardless, whether you are winning or losing you must use these experiences to gain intelligence and adapt your strategy to fit your market.
Adapting to your market is the most important challenge for any small business, and that’s where Managed Media separates itself from the rest of the marketing and communication agencies out there. Managed Media was created in response to all of the internet marketing garbage in today’s business world. Managed Media was designed to be an extension of your business – we are your part-time employee sitting your “remote office.”
There is no simple way to define strategic communications. It builds a brand. It changes perception. It connects your organization with people and moves them to action. Smart strategy makes communication meaningful – to your audience and your bottom line. You need to ask the right questions to translate your business objectives into effective communication strategies. You need to position your product and provide value. Let Managed Media help you develop a strategy before you get left behind.
Managed Media is a Chicago based communications agency that specializes in broadcasting custom communication strategies through social media communities to give your business an on-line presence that drives new business to your door.
Managed Media Chicago 