Archive for the ‘Marketing’ Category

Considering Using Video to Promote Your Business? Here Are a Few Things to Consider First

Marketing, Online Video, Uncategorized | Posted by Larry Greenberg
Feb 03 2012
Matt Lagle, Boonedog Video

Matt Lagle, Boonedog Video

Video is a powerful tool for promoting businesses, said Matt Lagle, founder of Boonedog Video, at February’s Westchester Web Presence meeting,  but it had better be part of a broader communications strategy.
Formerly a director on the long-running CBS daytime drama, “The Guiding Light,” Matt described how small to mid-sized businesses can succeed – or miss the boat – when creating promotional spots.

 

  • Businesses sometimes opt for the least expensive option at their own peril.  Some local cable stations, for example, will shoot a video advertisement for free in exchange for an ad buy. Typically, however, stations won’t media training and script-writing in that package.  If the business owner chooses to be the on air spokesperson and isn’t properly coached, the results can undermine both the message and the credibility of the brand.

 

  • Businesses need to make video part of a broader web presence.  If a company is prepared to invest thousands of dollars in making a video and securing air time, it should also have a professional looking website and active social media accounts where customers can go to learn more and interact.  If you’re going to ask consumers to take a next step with a TV ad, enable them to take that next step online.

 

  • Don’t forget the SEO benefit.  Online video, whether embedded into a website or hosted on a YouTube channel, can help position a business higher in search engine rankings.

 

  • A professional video producer should provide a business owner with objective, experienced counsel. This includes recommending how best to present the company’s story through compelling images and narrative, as well as collaborating with other members of a business’ marketing team to ensure consistent branding.

 

  • Video producers must also media train business owners and employees for their video appearances – or be frank enough to dissuade them from serving as on-air spokespeople if doing so would ultimately undercut the video’s intended message.

 

If you’re interested in learning more about Matt Lagle, visit Boonedogvideo.com.

If you’d like to hear about future Westchester Web Presence events, visit Westchester Web Presence.

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Twitter for Business: Hype or Help?

Marketing, Social Media, Uncategorized | Posted by Larry Greenberg
Jun 27 2011

 

There’s a cool graphic on the DigitalBuzz blog that illustrates how much chatter – or noise – is happening on the most popular online destinations at any given moment.

It’s called, “In 60 Seconds,” and shows, for example, that in an average minute:

  • Google answers more than 694,000 queries
  • Facebook members post 695,000 updates and more than 510,000 comments
  • Twitterers send out 90,000 Tweets

 

Twitter for business: Hype or help?

 

Twitter has been credited with fomenting revolutions and sinking political careers.  But when it comes to business, is Twitter just hype or has it become an essential marketing component?

Some businesses rush to create Facebook and Twitter accounts, only to be disappointed with the results.   Is that because Facebook and Twitter don’t work as marketing tools?  Or is a lack of understanding, commitment and strategy the cause?

Bridget Gibbons, CEO of Gibbons Digital, who addressed this problem in a recent Patch article, will be speaking at the Westchester Web Presence meeting on Tuesday, June 28, at 6:30 pm, in Bronxville, New York.  The topic will be, “Twitter for Business,” and how, with consistent effort, Twitter can benefit the bottom line for businesses of all sizes.

Thinking about using Twitter as part of your business strategy? Tried Twitter before and were unimpressed with the results?  “Twitter for Business” could convince you why this social media platform is worth a first – or even second – look.

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The Power of the Keys

Advertising, Audience Demographics, Audience Engagement, Marketing, Media, Online Video, Television | Posted by Larry Greenberg
May 20 2011

 

Will Boomers Soon Dictate TV Programming Tastes or Will Young Viewers Remain in the Driver’s Seat?

When I was a ‘yoot’, as Joe Pesci might put it, my friends and I had an expression for the one among us who was doing the driving on a given evening.  This person, we said, had “the power of the keys.”   The driver, it was tacitly understood, determined where we went – and when. The driver, in other words, had final say over that night’s entertainment.

America’s ‘yoots’ have had “the power of the keys” over ad-supported television for a half century.  Advertisers prize young audiences –particularly 18 to 34-year olds – because, among other reasons, they seek life-long brand relationships with consumers.

At first glance, this week’s network upfronts suggest nothing has really changed.  TBS advertised its lineup in The New York Times business section, “We Don’t Just Create Great Comedy, We Create Young Fans.” Fox’s 2011 fall lineup underscores its efforts to remain the champ of the youth demo.

Some industry watchers, however, think they are starting to see a shift in advertiser outreach strategy, away from a younger to a chronologically more inclusive viewer base.  The Times recently noted that Kellogg’s, Skechers and 5-Hour Energy drink are targeting the over-55 crowd, and that the networks are unveiling more shows with a broader audience appeal.  Alan Wurtzel, the president of research for NBC Universal, told The Times the network was mindful of Boomers when putting together its new fall programming. For example, NBC has renewed Harry’s Law, starring 62-year old Kathy Bates, and is launching Playboy, which, like Mad Men, appeals to 1960s nostalgia.

Meanwhile, Nielsen made news when it announced that the percentage of American households owning televisions dropped for the first time in 20 years.   One main reason:  Young audiences prefer accessing their entertainment via Internet alternatives such as Netflix . So as 78 million Boomers age, they are being joined in front of the TV by a shrinking percentage of viewers from succeeding, smaller generations.

In 2010, the CW began a concerted effort to follow young viewers to the Internet.  This year, Variety reports, CW’s “convergence of screens” approach is paying dividends, as viewers seem willing to consume advertising online.  According to the article, about 94% of the CW’s online ads are being watched to conclusion.

So will the networks start paying more attention to older viewers?  It seems so.  Will the networks continue to put young audiences in the driver’s seat?  It seems so – as far as the broader entertainment universe is concerned.  But targeting of audiences will have to become more, well, targeted.

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Building a Website: Should Your Business Go It Alone?

Internet, Marketing, Web Sites | Posted by Larry Greenberg
Oct 19 2010

Creating a website is within the financial means of virtually any organization.

First, a company can reserve an available domain – the web address (www.examplecompany.com) – for less than $10 a year.

Second, the business can purchase a hosting plan from Verizon, Blue Host, Go Daddy, 1and1 Internet and countless other providers.  Plans are available for as little as $5 a month and typically include free use of existing web templates, ecommerce and blogging tools, contact forms, traffic analytics and the ability to set up hundreds of email addresses under a company’s domain (e.g., john.doe@examplecompany.com).    There are also free blogging platforms such as WordPress, which now offer a diverse set of features and more flexibility than many of the templates offered under the hosting plans.  Many hosts such as Blue Host and 1and1 Internet allow for easy installation of WordPress software.

In short, for a small monetary investment, a business can plant its flag on the web without the assistance of a professional web designer.   WordPress and other platforms have Content Management Systems (CMS) that enable non-techies to update and edit text, images, video and audio at will, without having to rely on the availability of a webmaster.

But should your business go it alone? Here are some things to consider before making that decision:

  • Opportunity costs:   Are the low upfront fees worth the many additional in-house staff hours required to research and set up the site, as well as manage technical and design issues that will inevitably crop up with even the simplest plug-and-play hosting service?  Each hosting platform and template builder, although created for the non-developer/programmer, involves a learning curve.  How adeptly will you and your staff pick up on the technology?
  • What types of functionality should the site have – and will it cost extra?
  • How much bandwidth and storage capacity will the site require and are there additional fees involved?
  • How should the site be optimized so search engines will rank them high in search results (Search Engine Optimization)?
  • How is the site prepared to deal with malware and other security issues?
Before delving into these technical considerations, a business needs a marketing strategy for its site.  What purpose will the site serve?  Who is the target audience? What key messages should it convey?
Developing a website marketing strategy will be the topic of an upcoming post.

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More Small Businesses See Value of Websites

Audience Engagement, Branding, Internet, Marketing, Public Relations | Posted by Larry Greenberg
Oct 06 2010

Small businesses are finally beginning to appreciate the value of having a website, if recent surveys are any indication.

In late 2009, Ad-ology, a marketing and advertising research firm, conducted a survey that found that 46 percent of small businesses did not have a website.

Only six months later, another report sponsored by Network Solutions and the Center for Excellence in Service at the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business, indicated that about 67 percent of small businesses plan to have a website by mid 2012. That same report said small businesses don’t plan to abandon their website in favor of a social media-only approach.  Instead, 30 percent of those who use social media said social media is the reason they intend to spend more on their websites.

Another study by American City Business Journals (ACBJ) of over 1700 small and medium businesses (SMB) found that those whose owners are more involved with the Internet overall enjoy a greater market share than their less web-engaged owners.

Search engines have become the ultimate business reference desk.  People seeking information about an important product or service purchase will conduct an online search, hoping to learn more about their subject, as well as available providers and, if possible, those providers’ credibility.  Businesses that don’t have websites risk being defined by others – or worse, not found at all.  The days of letting your fingers do the walking through the yellow pages or dialing 4-1-1 are over.

Websites enable small businesses to do the following:

  • Describe concisely what the business does, its intended customers, and the problems and needs it solves
  • Build credibility by presenting information that underscores its expertise and conveys its integrity
  • Showcase a unique brand, helping to convey the company’s personality, and the set of attributes that set it apart from the competition
  • Establish a direct communications channel that allows prospects to contact the business directly, while those prospects are in the process of making a purchasing decision;  it’s also a platform for facilitating customer care
So what are the first steps for business owners who may be undertaking the creation of a website?  That will be the topic of the next post.

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