Journey Corp "New Media Muse"

Google Moved My Cheese!

2011-03-12T10:32:00.002-07:00

Google Map Change Impacting Local Businesses

On October 27^th Google rolled out a new presentation of local search results. The new layout dramatically changed the way a page is viewed and ultimately how it is absorbed by the consumer. The big changes include removal of the Map from the center of the page and the bullet point listings to the right of it.

The map is now located in the upper right hand corner of the page. The bullet points, previously simple lines of company name and a link, are now listed in the main body of the search results with expanded information.

This new look affects the way the page is “digested” by the viewer. Map listings now dominate the page and regular listings have been pushed to the bottom of the page or off the page completely. The new look demands much greater emphasis on companies to make sure their Google Places listing is well managed and optimized.

These changes have hurt some folks and helped others. Google was quoted as stating “The algorithm has been improved and refined for Place Search.” Place Search refers to a local specific result. This means that local companies with local addresses are taking precedence in the search results now more than ever – especially for contractors and service providers.

Online Reviews Matter

One thing that has become clear from this change is the importance of “customer reviews”. These reviews are more visible than ever. As social media grabs a foothold in our daily lives, the reviews that people post about your company become more and more important. As a business owner, you need to take poor reviews very seriously as they can have lasting affects on future business development. You also need to be proactive in seeking the posting of positive reviews. If you have a happy customer, ask them to share their experience on Yelp, City Search, Yahoo Local, Insiderpages or Google Reviews. The good review is worth much more on the WWW than posted at the front counter of your store or in your pitch book. Your online reputation is a long-term report card that can be a boon for business or a silent killer.

Here are a few recommendations to get started:

· Analyze your position on Google for search terms important to your business category

· Check for reviews about your company – are you good? Invisible? Not so good?

· Analyze where you are spending your money and where your leads are coming from

· Look at your website – closely. Compare your site to those you admire.

· Write down your marketing goals for 2011 and your plan to achieve it

Go for It or Wait for It?

2009-05-13T08:58:00.004-06:00

Tucking Your Wings or Using Your Wings?

These are uncertain times...that's certain! Most people got killed last year in their 401k. They have seen their home value depreciate, and on and on. No need to go through all the bad news we all know about.

However, there are stories you hear about how so and so bought a house during the bad times and made out huge. Or bought a stock when everyone was selling and made out huge. The classic story of the contrarian that had faith when others fled.

The success my clients are seeing this year leads to me to believe that this is a time to go for it with your marketing. Be contrarian. Why are my clients having better success than last year? There is less competition right now. The competition has tucked in their wings to wait out the storm! The market may be a little smaller than last year in certain areas but there is still a market - and my clients are getting more of it.

The argument can be made on either side with wise quotes..."Patience is a virtue", "Live to fight another day", or "Keep your powder dry". And there is obvious wisdom in all these, however right now, what I've seen first hand... "Carpe Diem"! Seize the day while everyone else waits and watches you!

"Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got."

~Art Buchwald

Walk On Video Spokesperson

2009-03-22T14:07:00.006-06:00

How to Make Your Website Stand Out with a Video Spokesperson

There's a new affordable option for local businesses to make their website more interesting, engaging and effective. It's called a "Video Spokesperson". The spokesperson (a real human - not animae) greets visitors with a welcome message from the company and perhaps a suggestion of an action to take or a summary of the company. I compare this new video spokesperson option to how you manage your physical business when someone walks in to look around. Most likely you have someone available to greet them...that's what a video spokesperson does for your "virtual store" AKA- your website! Shot in front of a "green screen", the spokesperson appears to walk on the home page of your website to deliver your short message. You can visit our website to see me walk on to greet you with our welcome message.

Video Walk-on technology has many interesting applications as well. You could use it for big sales, for customer testimonials, you can have different messages for different sections of your site, you can add animation or pop-up messages for example. The point is to engage the visitor and encourage interaction. It's easy to visit a website...and just as easy to go find another one...so the key is to develop strategies to covert more visitors into callers.

Another example site to visit is Roofing Contractor Marketing. Here I engage the visitor with a quick over-view of what RCM does and why you should call. Both of our examples are used to show the business owner how we differentiate ourselves to help local businesses get a jump on the competition.

If you are interested in how web video can help your business stand out from the crowd, give us a call. 303-968-2891. It's more affordable than you might think.

Your Business Needs "Up's" in this Down Time!

2009-02-16T19:42:00.016-07:00

Branding is Great...but Leads are Better.

Pop quiz! Quick - answer this -- recall 3 ads from the super bowl! Time's up, pencils down...I couldn't get one specifically - I think Bud had a couple in there, maybe Coke or Pepsi...I remember laughing at one of them...$3 mill. each ad, all branding, zero recall.

Branding or image advertising is expensive in the short run, and hard to quantify in the long run. Big agencies love branding. You win awards with branding...but does branding drive business? I say no...not efficiently at least.

I Want Up's!

If you own a business I know you want "up's". Every business needs more business and they need it now. These days call for focus on lead generation first, branding as a bonus. Ask for the order every time.

Lead Generation with "Radio Sales Advantage"

We have developed a new advertising product designed for lead generation. Strategic partnerships with radio groups are being developed to execute the program for local businesses. Radio Sales Advantage is our solution to getting "more Up's in this Down time"! Designed from our experiences over the past 2 years working with local businesses, the Radio Sales Advantage new business development system takes the best features of radio - reaching masses of consumers during business hours, with affordable frequency and targeted audiences - and combines it with Google/Yahoo/MSN search advertising - all on a track-able platform for accountability and lead generation.

Here's our beta site for Radio Sales Advantage, called http://www.clearchannelcustomercapture.com/ If you own a business in Denver, give Clear Channel a call to find out more about this new lead generating marketing system. If you run radio stations somewhere - call me to find out how your group can benefit. 303-748-6247

Websites and Consumers

2009-01-19T09:38:00.005-07:00

The process of consumer decision making has been forever altered with the advent of the internet. This may sound like old news and it is. Here's a short list of what's different.

The internet now plays the consumer role of:
1. The Yellow Pages (who uses the book anymore?)
- many consumers believe Google shows the best companies first in the category
2. Research Library
-price comparision, quality comparison, product research
3. "Just call 411" (who does that anymore?!)
-quick location or phone locator
Obviously the internet plays a critical role in the consumers process of deciding who to call - when they are ready to make a move. While this may seem like old news, many local business owners don't fully recognize how important it is to their business that they have a strong online presence.
4 Focus Areas for Local Businesses:
1. Where do I show up on Google in the natural search area (below the maps)?
2. Is my website address easy to remember and logical to find for my business category?
3. Does my other media drive traffic to my website?
4. Do I make visitors a great offer when they visit my site?

If you own a business, write these points down and post it where you can see it. If you focus on improving these 4 points you will increase your business. If you would like to see a fully integrated marketing plan visit http://www.clearchannelcustomercapture.com/. This is a joint effort of Hoffman Advertising and Clear Channel Radio that applies the very latest strategies in internet and broadcast advertising.

Affordable 2009 Marketing Fundamentals

2008-12-15T14:49:00.016-07:00

Marketing Plan Fundamentals for 2009

These are strange economic times - it is very clear to all. Some claim more pain through 2009. Some say the worst is behind us. I say no one has a clue - from the very "top" and at all points in between. They are all guessing based on either pessimistic viewpoints or optimistic outlooks. And their data can prove both cases.

So how can a business owner build a marketing plan for 2009? If your plan is to stay in business and maybe even try to grow...you have to be smart, innovate and attack with some optimism. History proves that the current plight we are in will be "history" at some point in the future - right? So the economy is going to improve and those that keep fighting and innovating will be there to enjoy it's rewards.

To gain in 2009 your marketing plan may need to go through some pain. That might mean trying something new or going in a completely different direction. The world is evolving quickly and your business needs to evolve with it. Below are a few affordable fundamental marketing elements you should analyze very closely for 2009. Get these fundamentals right and you can gain significant shares of business with very little added marketing expense.

Affordable 2009 Marketing Plan Fundamentals:

1. Website Ranking - how does your company rank when a consumer "Googles" your business category? For example "Brake Repair Denver". You want to be on page #1. Are you? No? Find out why. Make it a priority.
2. E-mail marketing - do you regularly market to your existing customers via e-mail? You should - they are your biggest fans. Get their e-mail adress. Do this every month. It's cheap and it works.
3. Integrate your media - does your online marketing work together with your radio or TV ads? Consumers will find you online after hearing/seeing you offline. Drive more online prospects with radio for greater returns.

These are a few of the relatively most affordable but potentially extremely valuable considerations you should be analyzing for 2009. Get these 3 right and you can bank on far more business opportunities than your competition.

Happy Holidays to you and yours and here's wishing that 2009 will be your best year yet!

Greg

Radio Rocks the Internet

2008-11-11T09:02:00.007-07:00

Radio Ads Drive Internet Traffic

Over the past several years the radio industry has experienced hard times, as have many traditional forms of media. Radio has been hard hit by big agency accounts, like automotive and others, shifting money to other "new" media or just cutting their budgets. The local direct advertiser has also shifted money to other "new media" as Internet marketing companies develop aggressive sales staffs and begin to hit business owners with their "new and exciting" products.

I was in radio sales and management for 20 years before embarking on my own advertising company. Now that I'm on "the other side" as a buyer/planner/consultant, ironically I see more clearly than ever that radio is incredibly powerful. I know this only because we tie internet strategies into all our radio campaigns and we can therefore track or "see" our radio ads working. Radio spots work extremely well at quickly driving Internet activity. I have documented proof of the impact radio spots have in driving qualified consumers to a clients offering. So radio is still really rockin' and it's clearly rocking the Internet. But why hasn't radio jumped on this opportunity?

Back to Their Roots: Local Business

Radio is going to have to rebuild their client base one local advertiser at a time. But they can't go in there with the same old playbook..."We're #1!" or "We're having a one day sale and we're giving it away!". Cheap Cheap Cheap! All these send the wrong signal to a business owner. He or she doesn't care about these things. Business owners care about how they can get the maximum return for their limited marketing budget. They are always thinking, "What's the best advertising combination for getting new customers or repeat customers to spend more at my store?" "What can I do to make the next ad campaign work better?" It's a Radio Sales 101 opportunity, but the 2009 version needs to be much different than the 2005 version.

Radio Marketing Systems

Radio works and the Internet provides the proof that's been lacking since Tesla. We know radio can attract new advertisers and retain existing clients for long term contracts by changing the offering from "We have the number one station" to "We can offer you a complete marketing system with tracking to show you how many customers we are attracting for you"; an integrated radio/Internet marketing system. When you talk to an owner in terms of complete marketing systems, the conversation and interest level are much different. Now you are talking their talk and getting them excited.

This "Marketing System" approach to advertisers will give radio sellers a new and unique tool that is much more compelling than the old song and dance. Most importantly, it gives radio a new method to prove to each client, one by one, that radio is highly effective, highly efficient and foundational to a great local marketing strategy.

Tracking Tools

One of the biggest hurdles for radio is tangible evidence of effectiveness. Well, they have it now. Radio drives Internet, Internet tracks unique visitors. Simple proof that radio is attracting lots of potential buyers. Now the focus turns to converting these potential buyers into action, not your ratings or your rates or "we'll give you more spots!" Now the pressure is on the business owner, not the station, to make a really exciting offer to convert all these prospects into business...ironically, that may be the hardest sell of all.

The Home Page Opportunity

2008-10-27T17:23:00.019-06:00

Question: Should prospects visiting your site = More business?

Question: Does your website make a specific compelling offer?

Answers: Yes and usually, no. Good offers are rarely found on company websites.

Analogy: A website without an exciting offer is like a store with no price tags.

Result: You get lots of visitors who are "Just looking, thanks..."

Recommendation:

One critical thing we've have learned is that landing pages and/or your website home page should have an enticing offer for visitors (hot prospects!)- a tangible compelling offer. If someone has come to your website, chances are good they are a prospect of some sort. People don't waste their time on a business website unless they need what you sell. So sell 'em!

Can You Help Me?

We know how to drive qualified prospects by the thousands to landing pages and websites. The next step is converting the visitor into action. This is best achieved by making an irrestible offer. Anyone who has worked retail before knows that dialogue, engaging the customer in some way, is a critical first step to moving the prospect from "looker" to "buyer". Give the prospect enough of a reason to make the first move to say "Excuse me, can you help me?" That's music to any business owners ears, right? Make the offer.

Connecting ALL Your Advertising

2008-09-14T16:20:00.014-06:00

The Trinity of Marketing - A simple formula to build your marketing plan

Business owners are constantly badgered by a myriad of advertising vendors pushing their individual marketing solutions. While many marketing tools can play a potentially important part in an over all marketing plan, too often business owners "try this" and "try that" without a cohesive committed long term plan that is designed to work together.

The on-going marketing challenge for a business owner is:
1. Which combination of marketing options do I use?
2. How do I make all these independent marketing tools work together?
3. How do I know which one is working or not?

Our marketing premise is this:
1. You must be familiar (therefore you will be more trusted) and locally oriented for the consumer.
2. You must be available and easy to find when the consumer goes searching for your product.
If you are "familiar" to the consumer and you are "there" or available when they need you, chances are best for you to get that business.

We accomplish these goals for our clients by following our "Trinity of Marketing" formula:
1. A great website that sells and makes offers
2. A consistent search engine marketing program that targets low hanging fruit that sends consumers to an offer "landing page" that compels the consumer to call, connect, buy
3. Traditional media campaigns with radio, TV, newspaper, etc to drive traffic to your offer page.

That's our "Trinity of Marketing" formula. With our formula all your marketing is connected. Your messaging and website will brand your business, while hot prospects will find your offer(s). If this sounds like an interesting concept to you, give us a call and we can see if it makes sense for your business. 303-968-2891

Media Can Be Pricey

2008-07-29T16:28:00.010-06:00

Traditional Media is Pricey

The economy is sagging we're told. Certain business categories are currently hard hit with the borrowing issues, American Auto Manufacturers are struggling again (while Toyota and Honda report strong earnings, again). Business is tough and a little scary for many people. Radio revenues continue to descend as well. Newspaper is in a huge tail spin. Retailers just ain't buying traditional media like they used to.

Why is that?
My opinion is that newspaper, radio and TV are priced too high for the quantifiable ROI. Business owners are shifting their dollars around to media that can demonstrate ROI. Of most interest to many retailers right now is how to effectively use the Internet. It's sexy right now - they can see if it's working and it's pretty darn cheap it seems.

There are local businesses that are light years ahead in how they spend their marketing dollars. They spend their money, not in huge annual chunks to one newspaper (huge WASTE!) but in smaller strategic ways to maximize exposure and awareness, and drive traffic to their websites where the real selling begins at a much lower cost per impression.

Websites Educate and Sell
Does your website educate and sell? People go to sites to find what they are looking for, then check out the business, find out what they offer, are they legit, etc. But mostly consumers are there to BUY. They are ready, they're looking and need what you sell. Give them an offer and don't make them have to find it. Make your compelling offer up front on the home page- then they will dig into your site to make sure this isn't too good to be true.

Traditional Media is Too Expensive because...
they can't demonstrate how they directly impact business. They talk "impressions", not leads. Impressions are safe, leads are dangerous! It is without question that traditional media such as radio is very powerful but until they begin to prove it, they will struggle for years to come. My days in radio were always scary with the new business owner who bought your station. I'd be sitting in the radio tent at the big weekend sale - calling the on-air DJ, pleading them to do more cut-ins or promo's for the remote. Those remotes were sometimes $5,000 or more. Rarely did we blow the doors off for that investment.

Place some of that $5,000 in search ads and you have an online campaign that will cover 30 days and hit most searchers in a 50 mile radius that are looking for what you sell. How does radio, TV Newspaper compete with that?! Actually it can and should.

Traditional media actually is the engine that drives it all and soon we'll explain why we LOVE radio and TV.

We Remember What We Need

2008-06-18T21:01:00.008-06:00

Personal Observation: I only notice what I need.
How about you? Which ads do you remember? For example, denture ads. Never read one. ED ads - haven't paid attention yet. :) I could care less for five or six years or more at a time about car models, prices, financing offers, whatever. Car dealers could scream their heads off about this or that deal - I don't care - it doesn't matter. I just flip the page, turn the channel or scan for a new station. However, when it's time to get a new vehicle I am "Mr Car Guy" - I am all over it. I hear and see every deal going down. My radar is up and scanning for car deals.

Big newspaper advertisers, like appliance dealers, whatever -same deal. Who cares about them until the fridge is out. Companies spend tons of money in the paper with full page ads showing all their stuff attempting to hit that buyer in need...before the competitor does.

What a HUGE waste.
Just tell those who do care, "Go to DenverApplianceSale.com for HUGE savings on fridges now" or some local clever URL variation with a cheap basic landing page.

The Brain Works Like This...
If you need it...you hear it...you see it...and you remember it...because you are in the "need zone" and your brain is on full scan mode for options. Your brain looks for deals subconsciously - you see them with your peripheral vision - you are a hunter/gatherer now - you are ready to pull the trigger.

Don't Waste Your Money on People Who Don't Care
One of our strategies...
Buy Super Cheap 5 Second Radio Ads to Alert the Buyers
Try this - buy 5 second radio ads and drive them to a clever URL landing page. For example, use an ad like this; "Need a new Roof? Go to ColoradoRoofingSale.com, that's ColoradoRoofingSale.com today!"
Buy a ton of these spots, every hour for a week on a bunch of stations - it will cost you as much as a full page ad for one day in the paper. You'll be "everywhere", hitting the hot buyers whose radar will clearly pick up your obvious message and remember your funny, clever or obvious URL.

Be Ready with Your Landing Page
Highly motivated and qualified buyers are now heading to your "deal" landing page. Our advice: Be ready to get the business. You will be bombarded with "buyers". Are you ready to close them? Will your page compel them to call? Give them every reason. They heard or saw you and were motivated enough to visit...get the business. Make them a deal they can't refuse.

This Strategy is Fishing in a Barrel - it won't last.
Jump on it. The door is wide open right now. The price of 5 second ads is going up!

Small Business Internet Marketing Fundamentals for 2008

2008-05-06T15:41:00.006-06:00

The Small Business Internet Marketing Check list:

Get a company URL with your company name in it - KISS principle here.
Your website must sell your company and encourage customer action - on every page.
Get your company fully submitted for "Local Business Search Results".
Buy paid placement ads (Google AdWords) in your target market.
Know that your traditional advertising will help drive your web traffic.

Let me explain why you need each one.
1. URL with your company name. So many companies have clever or wholey different URL's that don't match their marketing or how customers refer to them. Customers can't remember anything as it is - why give them two things to remember - your company name and your somewhat similar and somehow "related" URL. Keep it simple, easy and logical. Caveat: A REALLY CLEVER URL is gold. Clever as in super super memorable.

2. A website that Sells. People who come to your site are shoppers! Sell 'em, close 'em! Change your thinking on this part - your website is a salesperson that works 24/7/365.

3. Local Business Search Listings. This is the mapping area you see on Google and Yahoo with the little pinpoints for businesses you are looking for. Get your business fully integrated in this free area. We can help if you need assistance. Do this now.

4. Paid Search Ads. You can target an area just around your business and just reaching people looking for what you sell. Super efficient, effective and cheap.

5. Media Drives Web Traffic. Media creates awareness. After a prospect learns that you exist most will check you out on the web before they call. So always give them your web address and encourage them to go there. Your 24/7/365 salesperson will be there to greet them and get them to call you.

Follow these guidelines and you have a fundamentally sound basic Internet marketing strategy.

Writing Search Engine Ad Copy

2008-04-04T13:03:00.005-06:00

Google Ad Copy Writing 101

When you write an ad for placement on the search engines there are several restrictions presented that you must follow. These restrictions are designed to maintain a consistent look for every page. These restrictions put even the biggest companies on par with the little guy - no one is allowed to buy a bigger ad! (They can buy more...but not bigger) These restrictions force a copy writer to earn their keep as an efficient minimalist. You have to choose your words wisely. The slightest change of wording can dramatically improve or literally turn off your response rate.

If you don't know, to write an ad you have character limits for each line of copy. For Google, they allow 25 characters for the "Title" line and then 35 characters for each of the next two lines. Yahoo, Ask, MSN, Super Pages and others have slightly different parameters. Characters include spaces and punctuation.

You also are given punctuation guidelines and limitations. For example, you can't over-use the "!!!!". How do they expect us to sell something if you can't over dramatize and emphasize excitement???!!

Eureka! The Perfect Ad!

When we launch a new campaign we try to hit the ad copy perfect at the start. However, almost every time, within a week or so, we begin making subtle changes to the copy as reconnaissance is gathered on hot keywords, competition and response. Words mean things and they are especially critical with the limitations given by the search engines. These little word changes can make a huge difference. Once we see it start "clicking", we stop tweaking. Some of our ads haven't been changed in 9 months because they are working.

Would you rather get an "Offer" or a "Deal"?

Here's a copy writing question for you. Which is a better word choice for an ad: "offer" or "deal"?
One of these words is more efficient and attractive to consumers than the other. The word "deal" implies a special discount or opportunity. The word "offer" sounds sort of interesting but everything for sale is an "offer". Just as importantly, "deal" is four characters..."offer" is five. The word "deal" is a deal!

More Search Ad Copy Tips

* Include a locality reference - local is trusted, non-geo-specific offers seem less relevant
* Include a "call to action" - make me a "deal"!!!!

Until next time, may business be good!

Greg

Search Advertising is WAY too Cheap!

2008-02-24T13:21:00.007-07:00

Hey listen, Search Advertising is really great but it's got a problem.

Yeah sure, Search Engine Advertising provides accountability, tracking, documented and recorded phone calls and leads and the ability to tag an ROI on your advertising investment...which are all terrific huge steps forward in the science of marketing and truely outstanding in themselves...but...what is most impressive to me is how many leads we are generating for our clients with small minimal investments...it's just WAY too cheap! Yes, I said and mean WAY too cheap. It can't and won't last forever like this.

I predict that in short order the cost to be in the top 7 positions on Google and Yahoo paid search will sky rocket as more local businesses realize that search advertising is an invaluable resource. Search Advertising will become the first advertising money spent by every business as it delivers new business like none other I've seen.

More Search Engine Companies Are On the Way
Success on this level will no doubt lead to more search engine companies and over the next several years there will be dozens of search engine companies targeting the enormous search ad market dollar. Just as Ford was THE big auto company at one point, competitors quickly came along and filled in the exploding automotive demand. So too is the future of Search Advertising. Google and Yahoo will continue for who knows how long (or short) until someone else figures out another angle that offers value to the search user and advertiser.

Our Search Advertising Success is Doing Our Selling
We are growing rapidly and the reason is our story. We are delivering phenomenal results for our clients. Our challenge is getting our story to more business owners. If you know someone who could benefit from what we do or might need help executing a high performance search campaign please let us know!

Until next time, may business be good!

Greg

Media Moves Internet Traffic

2008-01-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

Traditional Media Boosts Internet Traffic to Websites

I have been developing search engine campaigns for about 8 months now and I am getting verification on my theory that traditional media drives internet traffic.

A case in point is a local dentist I am helping right now - his campaign is delivering consistent leads - but the number one keyword across the top three search engines in his geo-target is a dental group that consistently pumps themselves on radio. This branding clearly demonstrates media drives web searches.

In a nutshell, as people move into the buying target they begin to actively search (online) for a company that is relevant and preferably familiar - familiarity driven often via the benefit of mass media branding.

***Here's the catch. If your company isn't listed in the top 10 organic searches you better be buying a place in the paid area of the search engines or your competitors will get the business.

The point is this. Use mass media to create your brand then capture them at the search point with paid search. Don't do one without the other.

Search Marketing Results

2008-01-03T09:00:00.001-07:00

Here we go, my first blog posting...

First of all, if you are reading this, thanks! Give me some feedback on my writing.

"New Media Muse" Blog Purpose:
I wanted to start a blog that would focus on local advertisers and how they might use new media to improve their advertising results. My advertising agency is focused on helping local businesses use the internet more effectively in combination with their traditional media. I wanted to share my experiences (successes and failures) and get feedback from others. This is an important new area with huge potential returns for those businesses who do it properly.

Search Engine Advertising:
The starting topic for my blog is Search Engine Advertising (Google, Yahoo, et al). I am shocked by how few local advertsers are doing this. I have had all of my clients use it and 95% of them had what I consider to be phenomenal results. In my previous life I was in radio advertising sales. We could never dial in on results - customers were vague about where they heard the ads or gave credit to non-existent sources. With Search Advertising you can track it all - even record phone calls to hear why they are calling. I've had clients spend $1,000 in a month on search and get 30 phone calls. It's crazy by most media standards...and it's wide open. I predict in 3 years almost every business will be using it to some degree and the price will have sky rocketed.

There is truely a new media frontier in Search Engine Advertising.