Thursday, March 20, 2008

Why Your Business Needs a Blog!

Every business, regardless of its size, needs a blog. I know what you're thinking: But I have a professional image to uphold. How can a blog possibly attract new customers and how can it provide them with the information they need? The answer is simple: A blog can be one of the most decisive public relations tools in your marketing tool kit. Read on and Ill educate you on the basics of blogs.

What is a blog?

The term blog is slang for web log. Wikipedia defines a blog as a website where entries are written in chronological order and are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. The word can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. To get a feel for the wide use of blogs, consider the following: In September 2007, log search engine Technorati tracked more than 106 million blogs. Some notable corporations that use blogs are HP, Google, Microsoft and ImageWorks Studio.

Myths and Facts

No doubt the last thing you need is a lecture on the latest Web 2.0 strategies. However, I should correct a few common misconceptions about blogs, as well as why companies use them as an effective method for reaching out to their audience.

Myths

Blogs are used only by teenagers.

You need to spend many hours every day to maintain a blog.

You need to know HTML and have other coding skills to blog.

Facts

Blogs allow a company to control the editorial content of the website while restricting/blocking users comments.

Blogs can be updated as often as you wish. But to make them more effective and valuable to your audience, update them often.

Blogs require no knowledge of HTML or special coding. There are numerous blogging software packages on the market that are free.

Blogs allow companies to quickly get information out to customers, unlike traditional communication methods.

Blogs are an inexpensive way to effectively communicate and share information with your audience.

Blogs comprise text and external links, making them search engine-friendly.

Benefits of Corporate Blogging

In January 2007, Forrester released a research study centered on The ROI of Blogging The Why and How Of External Blogging Accountability by Charlene Li and Chloe Stromberg.

According to the study, some of the benefits of corporate blogging are:

Greater brand visibility in mainstream media on the Web

Word-of-mouth advertising

Improved brand perception

Instantaneous consumer feedback

Increased sales efficiency

Fewer customer service-driven PR blowups

The Outcome

Consumers are better educated today because of the vast amounts of information available on the Internet. Not only will a blog convey information to your target demographic faster and cheaper than traditional means, but when coupled with search engine benefits, brand visibility, and a value-based proposition, a blog should be an essential part of your marketing platform.

For more information, please contact sales@imageworksstudio.com.

Michael Delpierre is the managing partner for ImageWorks Studio, a leading marketing and branding agency. He specializes in branding and marketing strategies, copy optimization and generating revenue for his clients. To learn more about ImageWorks Studio and what they can do for you, visit http://www.brandsthatsell.com/.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

ImageWorks achieves an internet traffic ranking in the top 2.21% of all web sites worldwide.

Alexa Internet, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, recently ranked ImageWorks Studio with an internet traffic ranking of 2.21% of all the websites. Alexa ranks web sites based on visits from users of its popular Alexa Toolbar for Internet Explorer and from integrated sidebars in Mozilla and Netscape. Furthermore, ImageWorks Blog, http://imageworksstudio.blogspot.com, was ranked in the top 4.6% of Blogs worldwide.

What this means to you!

With ImageWorks being in the top 2% of all websites, we know how to build compelling brands that generate traffic which, in turn, generate revenue for you. Are you achieving your marketing or branding goals? Are your revenues and customer base growing at electrifying rates? If not visit us at http://www.brandsthatsell.com/

See how ImageWorks can maximize your brand’s full potential.

Sunday, March 02, 2008

ImageWorks Studio announces their new "Small Biz Branding Pack" to help start ups and qualifying small businesses with brand develpoment

Includes:

• 10 page or less custom designed web site
• discovery meeting
• branding blueprint
• web home messaging, calls to action & 2 additional pages of copywriting
• e-mail template design
• text logo and business stationery (add $1,900 for illustrated logo)
• oversized tri fold brochure or sales kit with insert

ImageWorks intends to roll the program out this month. The package will be around $15,000 and 0% financing and payment plans will be available to qualified businesses.

"We feel small businesses need to create a professional image and a user ‘experience’ that caters to their customers’ buying habits. Our new Small Biz Branding Pack is a perfect vessel for businesses to affodably start achieving this goal,” says Scott C. Margenau, Partner at ImageWorks.

To learn more call ImageWorks at 800 308-8573 or visit www.brandsthatsell.com

Website and Graphic Design Marketing Company

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Budgets Being Shifted to Search Marketing

Source: Advertising Age Fact Pack 2007. IntelliSurvey and Radar Research, Dec. 2006.

The biggest share of budgets for search engine marketing programs are shifted from offline marketing strategies (i.e. print, direct mail, TV, etc.) to search engine marketing. Below is the percentage of respondents who have shifted their budgets to search engine marketing.

Medium	% Responding
Print Magazine Advertising	20%
Direct mail	16%
Web site development	15%
Print Newspaper Advertising	13%
TV advertising	13%
Affiliate marketing	10%
E-mail marketing	8%
Conferences and exhibitions	8%
Print yellow pages advertising	8%
Web graphical display advertising	8%
Online yellow pages advertising	3%
Point-of-sale promotions	3%
Coupons	2%
Other	23%

Monday, November 26, 2007

Best Marketing ROI Strategies

MarketingSherpa has just released a new marketing survey, published in their Search Marketing Benchmark Guide 2008, which indicated the top marketing strategies with the best return on investment (ROI).

Email marketing is considered the best ROI, with Search Engine Optimization and Paid Search Marketing (PPC) following right behind.

How Search ROI Stacks up against the others:

Marketing Tactic	Low Value Tactic	Strongest Tactic	Good ROI	Hard To Gauge
House Email Marketing	8%	25%	39%	8%
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)	6%	18%	36%	21%
Paid Search Marketing (PPC)	13%	16%	35%	9%
Public Relations	11%	12%	28%	30%
Direct Mail	27%	12%	27%	11%
Online Banners, etc.	43%	3%	16%	13%
Print Advertising	35%	4%	13%	29%

Source: MarketingSherpa, Inc. Search Marketing Benchmark Guide 2008. http://www.marketingsherpa.com/exs/Search08Excerpt.pdf

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

“Just Google It”

A new lesson in classical marketing

By Scott C. Margenau

I caught myself using this seemingly overworked phrase…again…in the midst of a sales presentation: “Just google it.” I have heard this phrase on TV, radio and in conversations with friends…it's everywhere! In fact, Webster’s recently added the new verb ”google” to their dictionary!

Why is Google the first name that comes to mind when we think of looking for something?
Classical marketing laws would tell us it’s the “first in market…first in mind” rule. That rule points us to such brands as Coke, Xerox, Band Aid, Kleenex, Miller Lite), etc.

But we “FedEx” a package now—right? Many other shipping companies were in the market long before FedEx. We “google it,” not “Yahoo it”…or “MSN it”…or “Lycos it,” etc. So the first-in-market rule doesn’t seem to hold water in today’s fast-paced, high-tech marketplace.

Consider this modification to the rule:

“The first to make the biggest brand impact and reinforce its image with a great product or service will eventually become first in mind and in market…sometimes.”

OK, that’s better…and note that I left some wiggle room.

How do you keep that initial brand momentum in place?
After being marketed for decades, “Coke” is still used as a generic term. If you ask for a “Lite” and you get a Bud Light, you give the bartender the evil eye. And when we want to look something up…we “google it.” Why do some brand impressions last while others fade?
That’s because some companies continue to reinforce their “brand language” with smart marketing and advertising. And it’s because these companies produce very good products that are constantly improved and expanded upon.

For businesses of all sizes, here is a list of media we find highly effective:

· Web Site Overhauls—Make your site more compelling and maximize it for strong conversions, by helping customers find what they want, piquing their interest and having calls to action that match their buying habits. Internal and external research has shown that a very high percentage of web sites in numerous industries fail to achieve core objectives.*

· E-mail Campaigns—With a 56/1 ROI, they are the best way to keep in front of prospects as they go through a normal sales cycle.

· Online Advertising and Promotion—PPC, organic SEO, ads, social and viral campaigns…all work extremely well for most products and services.

· Impactful Print and Electronic Media—Echo your brand language and intrigue your prospect base from all marketing challenges.

· Blogs and Online PR—[LV1] Effectively use blogs and press releases to enhance your “online value” relevant to your industry (which Google loves).

· Trade Show Marketing—This differs from industry to industry, but these shows are a great way to get in front of a large percentage of your target market in a short time frame. Today’s shows are much more interactive and informative than those in the past.

What can businesses of all sizes learn from this?
Create great products or services, and make sure your marketplace is aware of and impressed by your brand. All companies need to continue to effectively promote their brands and their key advantages to their target customers and prospect base. This should be done by a reputable firm or agency through the use of innovative and compelling media and strategies.

For more marketing information and tips, visit http://www.brandsthatsell.com/.

*See studies from Forrester at http://www.forrester.com/. (Numerous studies concern Web site research.)

* “Since 1999, Forrester has evaluated the experience of more than 1,000 Web sites. During that period, only 3% of the sites received passing scores on our Web Site Review methodology.”—Bruce D. Temkin (Forrester)

Scott C. Margenau is CEO of ImageWorks Studio http://www.imageworksstudio.com/

Friday, October 26, 2007

Branding Explained

Simply put, your “brand” or corporate image is the impression formed at every point of contact with your prospects and clients.

The dictionary definition of “branding” usually refers to the name and image of a product or service. However, in the business world we take it a few steps further. BNET defines branding as:
a means of distinguishing one firm's products or services from another's and of creating and maintaining an image that encourages confidence in the quality and performance of that firm's products or services.

We like this definition much better! It accurately describes the overall effect, goals and purpose of branding.

So how does branding affect marketing?
Ah, the great marketing/branding debate. We at ImageWorks Studio have long argued that marketing and branding are very similar and are, in fact, dependent on one another. We prefer the term “Brarketing,” a successful fusion of branding and marketing to promote and create value in a company’s products and services. Branding has slowly moved away from packaging and naming, into the realm of marketing. After all, to successfully brand a product or service, you have to market it well, and vice versa. Hence “Brarketing.”

The American Marketing Association’s new definition of marketing is as follows. (Notice that it sounds a LOT like branding.)
Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders.

So think of branding as the creation/re-creation of tools and media used for marketing purposes and marketing as the planned execution of those tools and media.

Corporate Identity and the Importance of Branding
Perception is everything in the business world. Advertising professionals call it “outside perception” when it’s in the eyes of the customer. Everything that comes in contact with customers — brochures, direct mail, Web sites, advertisements, presentations, e-mails, signs, exhibits, salespeople, etc. — helps them form an opinion, good or bad, of your company.

Your brand begins with your logo, also known as your “mark.”

“Your logo is often where a prospect’s first impression of your business starts, and sadly, in many cases, ends.” -- Scott Margenau, President of ImageWorks Studio

A prospect should be impressed by your logo and be able to easily figure out what your company does. Your tag line should further define your market niche and stimulate the prospect’s curiosity.

A successful branding program is multidimensional, emphasizing the total customer experience. Companies often focus on a specific marketing project and forget the total package. Your brand must convince your prospects that you are the clear-cut choice to fulfill their expectations. This leads to credibility and anticipation, which will give you a huge advantage when it comes to converting sales.

ImageWorks can help you build a brand from the ground up or to rebrand a “tired” or outdated corporate image. Follow the links below to get started.

Website and Graphic Design Marketing Company Northern Virginia

703 378-0000

Labels: Branding, Corporate Identity, Marketing