 When Facebook claimed the title as the biggest IPO in Internet history, social media officially segued from a consumer fad to a business fact. Although the abundance of Internet cat memes could make anyone wonder if social media has business validity, the emergence of the concept of social business has tangible value for any integrated marketing program. Research firm Altimeter Group defines social business as the deep integration of social media and social methodologies into an organization to drive business impact. In a recent study, Altimeter pinpointed the two most important criteria for a successful social business strategy. First, you have to align it with the strategic goals of your organization. Second, you have to put the resources in place to execute the strategy. What Social Business Can Do Knowing what you want to accomplish with social business can help you make it a viable part of your integrated marketing strategy. Consider these benefits; by using social business effectively, you can:
The Art of Conversation: How to Build a Social Business Strategy Most experts recommend you think of your social business strategy in seven stages. This process stresses brand alignment and continual feedback. First: Align Your Efforts. Before beginning any social business activities, your first step will be to review your company’s integrated marketing activities and assess how these other methods are working. If you haven’t done so yet, define your company’s brand personality, sales channels and target audiences. Also, document how your target audience typically engages with your organization. Second: Refine Your Listening Skills. Companies engaged in social business marketing should listen to their online communities more than 50 percent of the time. That means asking questions, responding to their answers and prompting conversation. Third: Define Community Expectations. During this stage, try to outline your program by asking your target demographics what they want to experience in a social business program. Fourth: Determine Assets. A common misconception is that social media tools are free. Although many do not charge for service, they really aren’t free because they cost a lot of time to maintain as a part of your integrated marketing efforts. Fifth: Measure Your Methods. The goals of a social business program should evolve over time. During your initial program, track goals and metrics against your overall integrated marketing and business plans. Sixth: Select Your Channels. It’s tempting to try out every social network available, but that isn’t strategic. Go where your customers spend time. A pin on Pinterest might buy you more than a tweet on Twitter, depending on your target audience’s activities. Seventh: Engage in Conversations. Online conversations must mirror real-life conversations to be effective for company branding, sales, customer satisfaction and even employee recruitment. Be transparent and authentic. Focus on your industry and always observe any industry standards or regulations. When appropriate, tie your efforts to pop culture or “news of the day.” Thank your community profusely and, most importantly, have fun with it.  Transaction Coordinator
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 Create once, publish everywhere. That’s how smart companies are getting the most mileage out of their integrated marketing content. If you’re like most small to mid-size businesses, you might consider the curation of customer case studies and testimonials, surveys, product data, presentations, company statistics and more as one of your most-important integrated marketing tactics — and one of your time-consuming tasks. So it makes sense to market that content as widely as possible. Unfortunately, most companies don’t promote their content beyond their own websites effectively — yet it’s the single biggest opportunity you have. That’s where an integrated content marketing strategy comes into play, so you can ensure you’re influencing customers with the right content at the right time. Here are three sure-fire ways to connect company or product content with buyers: A Picture Is Still Worth a Thousand Words. Our ancient ancestors might be responsible for the infographics craze. After all, they told stories by painting images on caves more than 30,000 years ago. Today, we have it a lot easier. According to Visual.ly, an infographic — shorthand for information graphic — is data sorted, arranged and presented visually. Pinterest is another popular platform to publish your infographic. Turn Commerce into Child’s Play. We turn to our smart phones, tablets and apps for everything from answering emails to finding the best Chinese restaurant in town. So why not turn your integrated market content into an interactive game or app? This trend of gamification is expected to increase by 90 percent reports Mind Commerce. Be Your Own News Channel. With the ease and low cost of press release distribution services today, you can create your own news room to announce company information, putting your brand on every major news site and search engine on the web. According to PRWeb, you can boost readership by adding a multimedia element, such as a photo or video.  Transaction Coordinator By some estimates, more than 20% of all searches are for local businesses. If you want your brick-and-mortar enterprise to attract more nearby patrons, local SEO (search engine optimization) is a must-have marketing tactic, says the pithy “Definitive Guide to Local SEO” post over at Search Engine Journal.com. Local Means Trusted Six in ten users trust local search results and consider them relevant. So appearing atop the list means you’re more likely to be chosen. Summarized below are some of the article’s top local SEO tips, which perfectly complement our previous Location-Based Services post: Tip #1: Create a Google + Local Listing—But only after first reviewing Google’s quality guidelines to understand their requirements. Giving Google precisely the information it wants, in the format it most prefers, is the best (and only) way to fully leverage this powerful marketing channel. Tip #2: Learn how to use Reviews—Positive reviews (and lots of ‘em) tell Google and customers that your business is reputable, popular and worthy of appearing higher in the search results. Ask for reviews regularly and make it easy to submit them. Include your Google + Local profile links (and request) in emails, direct mail and in-store signage. Cautionary note: deliver on every brand promise at every customer touch point or reviews could backfire and keep customers away. Also, take time to learn about local search citations so you’re conversant when you and your marketing team or provider decide to take the local SEO plunge. Biggest takeaway: Google gladly gives citation search-love, but only if you use their preferred format consistently across the web. Tip #3: Get your on-site SEO in order—All the same elements apply for local SEO as national SEO, says the SEJ article, with some extra considerations like: putting your company’s name, address and phone number on every page of your site (in the same format as your Google + Local listing), preferably in the footer; also include your city and state names in Title Tags, Meta descriptions and where they fit naturally into your content.  Transaction Coordinator In an age of e-this and social-that, it’s easy to forget that many businesses still rely on traditional printed materials to market their products and services. True, websites have become today’s de-facto marketing medium. And flashy new pad-style computers can invigorate even the most pedestrian sales presentation. But in the trenches, today’s sales pros still use brochures, sell sheets, direct mail and other key marketing and sales support materials to land, close and nurture new accounts. Of course, those who routinely use printed materials continually seek ways to create and produce them better, faster and more efficiently—which may explain why companies large and small are leveraging the benefits of online storefronts. Web to Print An online storefront (aka Web to Print) is a browser-based Web application that links digital, print-ready versions of company marketing collateral to a pre-determined print-production and delivery environment. Typically, your team (or your printer’s) will design and upload material templates, which can then be accessed, edited and output on-demand by authorized users to a nearby printing facility. The technology even allows for personalized variable output. Coming into its Own…Again When online storefronts came onto the scene a few years ago, print buyers and marketers were all atwitter, knowing that it was the all-in-one printing-marketing-personalization solution they’d been waiting for. And, more recently enthusiasm has spiked, largely because more and more vendors and businesses are clearer on the technology’s considerable upside, which includes:
An experienced print-service provider can help you tailor a customized, cost-effective online storefront for a range of printed/integrated marketing materials, such as:
Have you ever used an online storefront for your business?  Virtual Transaction Coordinator Every integrated marketer knows the world is going mobile. What’s surprising is just how much time people spend using mobile platforms. eMarketer reports that this year, U.S. users will spend 23 billion minutes monthly surfing the mobile web. (If you’re wondering, a billion minutes roughly equals 1900 years, give or take a century.) By all indications, this number will only grow. This increasingly mobile lifestyle, also fueled by meteoric mobile-app adoption, is driving demand for a more mobile-friendly experience in both B2C and B2B markets. What Mobile Users Really Want A recent study* of nearly 1,100 smartphone user revealed that nearly three-quarters want mobile-friendly websites when browsing and shopping. Sixty-seven percent said they were more likely to purchase on mobile-optimized sites versus non-optimized. Lest you think B2B companies are immune to the rising demand, think again. One Google survey finds that 28% of U.S. B2B C-level executives used a mobile phone to research business purchases, while 21% searched similarly on tablet-style devices. Bottom line: The time for creating a mobile-friendly site is now. If you agree, first get some ideas from the Web Marketing Association’s best mobile websites. Then, work with a reliable company to implement the following best practices:
Free “Go Mobile” Website Checker Google’s “Ready to Go Mo” website offers a “GoMoMeter” that shows how your current site looks on a smartphone—and provides best practices for creating a more mobile-friendly site. Mobile technology and integrated marketing are officially inseparable. Check back with us often for more actionable integrated marketing tips. *Sterling Commerce and SmithGeiger  Real Estate Transaction Coordinator Whether you use direct mail, email or both, testing and refinement can help to improve the effectiveness of your marketing. Most direct marketing managers are compulsive about testing, and for good reason: Testing yields customer insights that can help you boost response rates and increase profits. Generally speaking, there are three direct mail testing and refinement processes:
Be sure to test only one of the following elements at a time to ensure measurable results:
Response mechanism. Some customers prefer to call, some prefer to reply via the mail, some prefer to reply online. Test what works best with your audience.  Virtual Real Estate Transaction Coordinator Company Toyota introduced the Prius c with an integrated marketing campaign aimed specifically at first-time car buyers—who also happen to be city-dwelling millennials. Taking into consideration the youthful, fun spirit of the Prius c, Toyota partnered with Hasbro to create “The Game of Life with Prius c.” As stated by Bill Fay, group vice president marketing, in Toyota’s news release, “The Prius c campaign acknowledges the fact that buying a car is a big decision, as well as a new experience for many in this demographic. We wanted to give our customers something entertaining and engaging, yet familiar, they could identify with while introducing a vehicle to help them navigate this exciting new chapter in their lives.” “Entertaining and engaging, yet familiar” is an interesting assumption. For baby boomers, the Game of Life was a fixture in their living rooms—and now in their memories. Do millennials have the same connection to this game? Hitting All the Highlights Toyota’s integrated marketing campaign certainly contains all the bells and whistles that typically engage millennials. For instance, digital programs, including those in partnership with YouTube, Facebook, Hype Machine, Pandora and Hulu, will leverage all digital screens—Web, mobile and tablet—to support the target audience’s media behavior. Additional partner collaborations will feature first-of-their-kind executions, such as a mobile spinwheel integration with Urbanspoon, custom Prius c badges on BuzzFeed, and sponsored free apps available on Amazon.com for the Kindle Fire. The Prius c YouTube landing page greets visitors with a virtual game board where they interact with a series of videos on tips and tricks for navigating some of life’s more daunting tasks, such as “Car Buying 101,” “Wallet Wisdom” and “Tech Talk.” Likewise the Prius c section of the Toyota.com website features the bright colors and imagery of “The Game of Life” game board. Similarly designed print ads are now appearing in major lifestyle publications, such as Time, People, InStyle andSports Illustrated. Billboards are being displayed in several markets. In addition, Toyota is running two TV commercials, “Malti-poo” and “Dolphin Tattoo,” that support the Game of Life campaign. Toyota is certainly hitting all the highlights with the “The Game of Life with Prius c” campaign. But will millennials respond to this whimsical approach? Only time will tell.  Virtual Transaction Real Estate Coordinator Company “Color provokes a psychic vibration. It hides a power, still unknown but real, which acts on every part of the human body.” — Russian painter and art theorist, Wassily Kandinsky In a previous post we (dutifully) acknowledged that on the web, content (actually, good, relevant content) is king, and wondered aloud if his highness could spare some love for another key element of the user experience, color. We summarized a semantic color meaning-and-context framework from Usabilla founder and CEO, Paul Veugen, and promised to share, at a later date, Veugen’s top color-use best practices for maximizing web success. That date has now arrived. Applying the Power of Color Here’s how we’ve paraphrased Veugen’s best practices for using color on the web:
Can calculated color use really provoke ‘psychic vibrations’? Maybe, if you’re lucky. At the very least, you’ll gain greater control over users’ emotions, behaviors and personal, online experience. And when credit cards are at the ready, isn’t that what it’s all about?  Transaction Coordinator Company CONTENT MARKETING, MARKETING STRATEGY, WEBSITES“Color provokes a psychic vibration. It hides a power, still unknown but real, which acts on every part of the human body.” — Russian painter and art theorist, Wassily Kandinsky In a previous post we (dutifully) acknowledged that on the web, content (actually, good, relevant content) is king, and wondered aloud if his highness could spare some love for another key element of the user experience, color. We summarized a semantic color meaning-and-context framework from Usabilla founder and CEO, Paul Veugen, and promised to share, at a later date, Veugen’s top color-use best practices for maximizing web success. That date has now arrived. Applying the Power of Color Here’s how we’ve paraphrased Veugen’s best practices for using color on the web:
Can calculated color use really provoke ‘psychic vibrations’? Maybe, if you’re lucky. At the very least, you’ll gain greater control over users’ emotions, behaviors and personal, online experience. And when credit cards are at the ready, isn’t that what it’s all about?  TC On Point - Transaction Coordinator Company CONTENT MARKETING, DIRECT MARKETING, WEBSITESImagine hiring a stunningly attractive spokesperson to talk about your company—one whose appearance and delivery are so alluring, so riveting, that no one—clients, prospects, media, competitors—can tear their eyes away from the story that’s being told. And when ‘The End’ comes, the audience’s perception of you is totally transformed. That’s what infographics can do. An infographic (sometimes called a “visualization”) is a customized composition of—you guessed it—information (stats, data, knowledge, a timeline) and graphics, such as photos, illustrations and creative type treatment. Traditionally a mainstay of science and academia, infographics have emerged as a favored marketing tactic among brands and companies of all types and sizes. Quintessential marketing tool From a marketer’s perspective, there’s much to love about infographics. They’re attention grabbing and easily understood. Infographics enable you to present data- or stat-heavy content such as chronology, hierarchy, process and technology in an aesthetically pleasing way that gives word-weary readers a visual change of pace. They’re also versatile enough to enhance any print or online channel, from ads and direct mail to blog posts and social media. Done well, infographics can help your company:
There are no hard and fast rules for creating infographics, and no limits, except your imagination and, of course, your budget. Outsourced infographics can cost several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on size, quality, complexity and how you promote them. More channels or desired impressions equal a higher investment. If your graphic goes viral or is cited by trade or mainstream media, congratulations! You’ve attained infographic nirvana and will soon be the envy of your competitors. A well-executed infographic can bring almost any data-intensive story to life in a fresh and compelling way. And unlike a stunningly attractive, flesh-and-blood spokesperson, they’ll never pout, sulk or ask for a raise. Want some examples and ideas to get started? Feast your eyes on Pinterest’s extensive collection of infographics.  TC On Point - Transaction Coordinator Company DIRECT MARKETING, EMAIL MARKETING, MARKETING STRATEGYEven in our digital age, direct mail and email play important roles in an integrated marketing campaign. Direct mail is a perfect partner to email communications; it conveys a quick message that either prepares a recipient for an email to come, or reminds them of an email they’ve recently received. Using both can be more effective than using one alone, because emails are easily ignored— and just as easily deleted. Use them together and watch your responses soar! Here are eight tips for making the most of your direct mail:
 Transaction Coordinator - Virtual Assistant Data Management, Direct Marketing, Search Marketing Email marketing continues to be one of today’s most economical and cost-effective marketing tactics. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) reports that the ROI on email marketing remains far above that of search or other marketing channels. But before readers dive into any email message, they must deem it time-worthy, typically with a cursory (and highly critical) glance at the email subject line. The subject line has one job and one job only: to get your email opened. If it fails, your cleverly crafted content is off to the glue factory. If it works, you’re in the run for the roses, perhaps on the fast track to higher open rates, more sales and increased retention. Use these tips get out of the gate quickly and increase your odds of finishing strong:
Regardless of campaign size or complexity, email subject lines have the same job: to convince readers they need the information contained therein. Use the tips above (and others posted here) to make your emails the favorite to win customer attention, not the long shot.  TC On Point - Transaction Coordinator Internet researcher, comScore, revealed that in May, more than 180 million U.S. Internet users (84.5% of the U.S. total) watched 36.6 billion online content videos. YouTube reported more than one trillion-with-a-T views—or about 140 views for every person on earth. Staggering stats, to be sure. But isn’t entertainment, not information, the goal of most online viewers? Hang on to your paradigm shift. Because as Invodo.com reports, consumers in record numbers are using video to inform buying behaviors:
Video turns interest into engagement: It’s said that people buy from those they know, like and trust. Web video marketing enables companies to accelerate know-like-trust by showing off products, services or expertise in engaging and emotional ways static print materials can’t. Take “How To,” thought-leadership or educational videos. They not only help introduce and humanize your company, they can also position you as the industry expert—just as clips of happy customers touting your methods, system or results can confer instant credibility. Web video marketing’s SEO benefits: Citing Google’s ever-growing link-juice (love and authority) for video, search marketing guru Bruce Clay calls video “must-have content.” “Video’s biggest element (advantage) is that it’s high engagement. Any site that wants to rank highly must use video,” Clay says. Why aren’t SMBs all in? Despite these advantages and opportunities, many businesses remain on the sidelines, convinced that web video marketing is too complex, costly or time-consuming. The fact is that costs are down and quality is up. So whether you outsource the task or do it yourself in-house, creating serviceable video content has never been easier or more affordable. Linking to videos from other materials is a great way to infuse energy and momentum into a new (or flagging) integrated marketing campaign.  Transaction Coordinator
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