Impulse Creative

Facebook IPO Update - What does it mean for online marketers?

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

On February 1, Facebook filed for an initial public offering and expects to begin selling shares this spring. In 2011 Facebook had profits of $1 billion on sales of $3.7 billion. 85% of that revenue came from advertising and the rest from social gaming and other fees. Facebook expects to raise at least 5 billion and hopes to raise as much as 10 billion when it begins selling stock in April or May. This is likely to be the biggest Internet or technology IPO ever.

For online marketers, the message is: social media must be embraced! Its impact is growing stronger every day. Facebook and other social media platforms will continue to be aggressive in finding ways to compete with search engines. In addition to having a presence on social media sites, many marketers are adding Facebook pay-per-click to their advertising plans. From 2010 to 2011, the number of PPC ads delivered on Facebook grew 42% and the average price per ad grew 18%. Keep in mind that it's easy to make costly mistakes when you first venture into social media marketing. Call us Today and AVOID the headache if you want help with social media marketing or advertising.

2012 = Time to Start Thinking Mobile Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:05:00 +0000

In 2011, 487.7 million smartphones were shipped, a 62.7% increase over 2010. This marks the first time smartphones shipments topped that of PCs (only 414.6 million PCs shipped). Most people don't replace PCs as often as they do smartphones, of course. But there's no denying people are becoming more and more attached to mobile devices. There are many ways to tailor your marketing and advertising to mobile devices. Google Adwords offers numerous mobile PPC advertising options, including click-to-call. An email marketing campaign reaches people with smartphones and tablet devices who check their email while they're on the go. Give us a call if you'd like more information on targeting mobile devices or creating mobile-enabled versions of your website.

Valentines Day 2012: 62% Of V-Day Restaurant Searches Were Mobile

Google's New Privacy Policy a Big Change Or Just More Transparent?

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:02:00 +0000

We've had many of our SEO & Web Design Clients asking about when this "new" Privacy Policy Means with Google. Starting March 1, 60 of the more than 70 Google privacy policies associated with its various properties (Google search engine, Gmail, Android operating system, You Tube, Google+, etc.) will be combined into one, simpler policy. In a company blog, Alma Whitten, director of privacy, product and engineering, wrote 'Our new Privacy Policy makes clear that, if you're signed in, we may combine information you've provided from one service with information from other services. In short, we'll treat you as a single user across all our products, which will mean a simpler, more intuitive Google experience.' Google insists its privacy controls are unchanged.

Google's announcement that it will create one comprehensive profile of each user and will share data across all of its platforms has been a public relations challenge. Many users are alarmed that Google has the ability to collect data on everywhere they go and everything they do. But, is this really so different from what Google has been doing all along? Data is already shared across at least some of Google's platforms--consider that Adwords ads are served to Gmail users based on the content of private emails. And last month, Google released Search Plus Your World, a search format that combines content that’s been privately shared with users in combination with public results.

What do you think? Interested in getting help with your online marketing? Call us today!

Search Results And Social Media: Any Connection?

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

We pay very close attention to search rankings and social media trends. No doubt, search engines are trying to figure out a way to incorporate social signals (activity on social media sites) into search results. How much of an impact this currently has on search rankings is up for debate. So far, we don’t see a significant impact. We recommend that you participate in social media activities so you’re prepared for the day when social media becomes an important factor in search rankings. Evidently, that day is coming!

Social media certainly has a place in online marketing. Facebook has 800 million users (compare that to Google+'s 62 million) and more than 50% of Facebook users log on every day. Twitter has more than 100 million users and posts more than 250 million tweets per day. Facebook and other social media sites are great for reaching out to customers and building a community around your business. We'll be happy to talk to you about adding social media to your online marketing plan.

Make your Blog into A Search Engine Magnet!!

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Blogging on your website is a great way to add fresh content but more importantly, blogs can be a search engine traffic magnet! Your long-tail keyword-rich blog has potential to rank highly for any number of long-tail keyword phrases that are relevant to your industry.

Many marketers are inclined to target head terms, which are high volume keywords consisting of one or two words. Example 'lawyer' or 'tax lawyer.' But head terms are very competitive and there's little chance they'll improve your search rankings. The smarter strategy is to use long-tail keywords. Example, 'tax lawyer specializing in small business.' Yes, there are far fewer searches on long-tail keywords BUT, a recent industry study demonstrated that using long-tail keywords can help a website move up in the search rankings far more rapidly than head terms. And, long-tail terms converted two and a half times more than head terms. Long-tail keywords may bring smaller traffic volume to your site but chances are, it will be the profitable kind of traffic!

Need even more evidence that targeting long-tail keywords can be good for your search results? Last month, Google announced that it would be doing more comprehensive indexing, making long-tail documents available in its index. That means that your blog that contains long-tail keywords is now more likely to rank for relevant queries!

Many people throw a blog post up every day/week without much thought to keywords or quality. Our advice: concentrate on using long-tail keywords in your blog and make sure the content is useful to your readers.

Need to have a blog setup? Want some help writing content? We have a wide variety of services to help you. Request a Quote on Creating a Blog Today!

Google Panda Update have Made an Impact on Searches

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:55:00 +0000

The Google Panda (aka Farmer) updates were designed to knock content farms out of the top spots in the search results. Apparently, they've succeeded. A study by New Science Magazine shows strong evidence that Google has gained the upper hand against those unruly sites that scrape content from legitimate sites. The study was run by computer scientist Richard McCreadie at the University of Glasgow. He ran 50 search queries prior to the Panda updates and found that content farms were present in the top search results. Following the Panda updates, content farms were no longer in the top search results. High-quality websites are now far more likely to be found at the top of the search results.

This is very good news for all of us who work hard to publish high quality content. The update eliminated many of the sites that don’t deserve a high ranking so now there's more room for the rest of us at the top. Most sites that achieve top rankings use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies. If you have questions about SEO services give us a call at 888-831-0483 or Request a Quote!

Who Knew? Google Has Real People Evaluating Your Website

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:30:00 +0000

When it comes to evaluating website quality, we usually think in terms of robots. We talk about spiders and algorithms and so on. We know that Google has plenty of secrets about its search results that it won’t reveal to anyone. But there are reports that the 120+ page training manual for Google human search quality raters was recently leaked!

How Google uses the input from its search quality rating team is unclear but surely, it has some impact on search results. Maybe Google does this only to find and eliminate some of those websites that use less than ethical tactics to get page one results. (In other words, they don't belong on page one but have found a way to game the system.) Or, the data could be a big factor in search results. Only Google knows for sure.

Based on what we’ve read, it seems that the search quality raters evaluate 30-60 sites per hour. So that reinforces what we already know about designing a website and landing pages: you must make a good first impression, and quickly. Besides looking for a website’s relevance in relation to the search query, they’re also looking at page titles and snippets on the search results page. Keep that in mind when you’re working on your onsite SEO. Need some Help with On-Site or Off-Site SEO? Would you like to know more about how your could improve your website's rankings? Contact us for a Free Consultation by clicking this link.

Looks Like the Facebook IPO is Coming Soon

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:30:00 +0000

Expect to see an IPO from Facebook in the very near future, probably by the spring of 2012. Reportedly, Facebook Inc. is considering raising about $10 billion in an initial public offering that would value the social-networking site at more than $100 billion. This is a strong signal that social media is only going to get bigger and more powerful and cannot be ignored by online marketers. Avoid it at your own peril! Ask us if you want to know how social media can tie in to your marketing plans.

Facebook recently got into trouble for violating privacy standards. In late November, Facebook and the US Federal Trade Commission announced a formal privacy settlement. Essentially, the proposed settlement “bars Facebook from making any further deceptive privacy claims, requires that the company get consumers’ approval before it changes the way it shares their data, and requires that it obtain periodic assessments of its privacy practices by independent, third-party auditors for the next 20 years.”

Facebook will likely put more energy into search marketing, including placement of ads in its mobile apps, now that it has to be more mindful of privacy issues.

If you're interested in learning more about Social Media Marketing or how Pay Per Click Advertising can help your business gain exposure call us today for a FREE consultation.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising Is Not for Amateurs

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:02:00 +0000

Pay-per-click advertising spend increased 20% in the US this year. Google controls the vast majority of the clicks and spend (estimated to be about 68%). Google is still on top and may be gaining ground—reportedly, it has taken back some of the market share that was lost to the Yahoo/Bing alliance.

Google has made strides in the past year to help advertisers attract only qualified traffic. Keyword settings and other tools have been improved and ads are unlikely to be triggered unless they are relevant to the search query. Consequently, Google is seeing an improvement in overall click-through-rate. A well structured campaign that uses the proper keyword settings can be a very efficient lead source.

Even with the improvements to the keywords settings and tools, it’s still very easy to make critical and costly mistakes. If you’re thinking of taking the do-it-yourself approach, we suggest you have an experienced PPC manager (LIKE US!!) set up and launch the campaign. We’ll be happy to do that for you! Just give us a call 888-831-0483. To Get Started & get $100 in Google Adwords Advertising on us visit this link.

Google+ now available for google apps users & Business Pages!

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:14:00 +0000

Since the Roll-out of Google+ there has been a lot of buzz about how influential Google+ will be. From what we could see it was much like speaking to an empty room. It could be a really nice new room, but there was no audience. With the opening of Google+ Pages for businesses and also opening up the platform for Google Apps users (gApps) will make it so there's another wave of people trying it out.

In the meantime, Here's a link to Impulse Creative Studios Google+ Page. Be sure to check it out, and you can connect with me also by clicking here.

When Using Social Media For Business we often tell clients to avoid the "black hole" of social media, not having a plan or wasting time on "all" social networks sometimes can be counter-productive.

Have a plan, execute it, and evaluate your results.

Should Google+ be in an everyday social media marketing campaign? We're evaluating it and will let you know in a future post.

What's your opinion of Google+?

QR Codes: Use them Effectively for Marketing (or don't use them)

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:19:00 +0000

"A QR Code should ASSIST in your marketing efforts, not replace your marketing."

First off, for those of you who would like to know a definition of what a QR Code is us this link. http://goo.gl/wAv7N

Back in mid 2009 we discussed the future of QR codes, looking back most of our projections still hold true today. The use of the QR codes is up over 500% from last year alone, you can see them in most advertisements and a perfect example is going to Best Buy and looking at their TV Selection. All of the specifications are available by scanning the QR codes under each TV.

One of the biggest issues we see with QR code marketing by advertisers is they're trying to put to much data into the qr codes. QR Codes by design allow up to 30% of the image to be obscured and still will work, may designers are trying to implement logos into the qr codes but this can backfire.

Along with the 30% margin-of-error, one has to take into account that the mobile device or camera may not be focused, the camera lens may be dirty, or the QR code is far away, or too small. By limiting the amount of data you put in the QR Code the more simple the barcode will be, thus it will be more reliable.

Odds are your going to send them to a mobile friendly page or site. And the image to the right (option1/2) there's two options pointing to a page on our website:

The URL is http://www.impulsecreativestudios.com/fort-myers-web-design

The 2 QR Codes in the Above Picture go to the same destination yet the one on the right is much simpler and can be smaller in marketing materials, thus leaving more room for traditional marketing "real estate".

Option 1 points to the URL http://www.impulsecreativestudios.com/fort-myers-web-design?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=qrcode&utm_campaign=qrcodeblog

Option 2 points to the URL http://goo.gl/8lLbv

A Great Use of QR codes on Cheeseburger in Paradise's Menu Inserts

This is achieved by using a URL Shortner (such as bit.ly or goo.gl) The perks to using these services (particularly goo.gl) is that you can also track how many people are scanning your codes, after all measurement is the only way to success.

So, be careful of how you use QR Codes, You have to be careful, simply plastering one on the back of your entire card may show you're trendy and with the times, but utilizing the QR code and allowing for other information to be used in the priceless space on your business card may be more important. The QR Code should ASSIST in your marketing, not be your marketing.

Think about your customer (the one who would be scanning the code) what is the end result? Send them to a website? To visit your Facebook page? The possibilities are endless.

For Help with using QR Codes or any of your Fort Myers Marketing (or anywhere else) give us a call or drop us an email. FREE Advice is only a phone call away!

Google Analytics Won't Keep You Waiting.

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Google is also making headlines with the release of “Google Analytics Real-Time.” You’re now able to see how your search marketing campaigns impact your web traffic as it’s happening. Several companies offer real-time web analytics data, but not for free. “Google Analytics Real-Time” is free. To see more about Google Analytics, visit google.com/analytics or Call us today and we'll install tracking on your existing website so you can begin tracking progress and results!

For customers who want extra processing power, advanced analysis and 24/7 support, “Google Analytics Premium” is now available for a fee of $150,000 per year. This is the first time Google has offered a paid analytics service and obviously, this is for high-dollar businesses and large agencies.

Government Antitrust Officials Have A Few Questions For Google

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:00:00 +0000

As government antitrust officials have begun investigating Google, Eric Schmidt, former Google chief executive, is trying to reassure lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee that the internet search company is not illegally abusing its power. The antitrust argument stems from concerns about Google’s domination of and influence on search marketing. Competitors accuse Google of giving its own content top placement in its search results. As Google has expanded into products beyond search (maps, shopping, travel), competitors are growing more troubled. Proving that Google is violating antitrust law will be complicated—the law was written long before the existence of the internet. Others have tried and failed to take Google down a notch; this may be the first real threat against Google’s reign! For now though, nothing has changed; our SEO campaigns will continue to target Google. SEO is still all about Google. Call us Today for any of your SEO Questions!

There Are Customers Waiting For You On Social Media!

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:22:00 +0000

When Facebook makes any change to its interface, you can expect plenty of complaints from Facebook users. And that’s just what happened a few weeks ago when Facebook introduced: 1. Subscribe Button that gives you a way to follow the content others are posting without actually becoming Facebook friends with them (similar to following somebody on Twitter), 2. Upgraded "Friends" List that allows you to easily organize your friends into groups, and 3. Real-Time News Ticker that feeds content based on the last time you checked in so you won’t miss important status updates and new photos. These are just a few of the big changes and many more are coming. Yes, people complained, but they’re not really going anywhere. Most users have too much invested in Facebook, and love it or hate it, that’s where their friends are. Nevertheless, Facebook knows that it must stay fresh and continue building an emotional connection with users to hold on to its status as the social media leader.

Many businesses don’t think that their products/services are interesting enough to get a following on social media. How can a small hardware store, for example, get a following on Facebook? The first step is to get conversations going about related topics—offer tips on home improvement, decorating and gardening. Illustrate your postings with photos/videos of your products and services. Your products and services don’t always have to be front and center in the conversation.

If you need help figuring out how to get the social media conversation going for your business and how to generate leads from your social media campaigns, ask us. We can brainstorm ideas and get your campaign up and running. The data from your social media campaigns will be reported on your dashboard, alongside your other search marketing campaigns

SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT JUST FOR KIDS | But don't forget other methods!

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:59:00 +0000

Social media sites have a tremendous appeal to teenagers and young adults but what about the older crowd? In 2005, about 5% of U.S. adults were using social media. Last year, that number exploded to 61% and this year, 65%. The largest segment of recent growth is senior citizens. 30% of adults ages 65 and older say they now use social-networking sites.

Many small businesses attempt to attract customers on “free” social media sites but find it costly in terms of time. If you want to see results from a social media campaign, you must have a strategy and goals that will help you measure your return on that investment of time. If you’d like our advice on social media marketing, give us a call 888-831-0483.

Yes, social media is HOT but email marketing is too! Our New Email Marketing Service is a fantastic way to reach out to your customers and nurture your leads. Call Us if you’d like more information on how email marketing can help your business.

Bing vs Google: One Year Later

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:56:00 +0000

In August of 2010, Yahoo and Microsoft combined their resources in a new search engine called “Bing.” Many in the search marketing community were anxious to see how this would impact Google’s domination of the industry. So what’s the damage? One year later, Google’s U.S. market share is down from 71% to 65%. Bing’s share grew 4%, from 24% to 28%. In March 2010, Microsoft’s CEO, Steve Ballmer said, “Tomorrow’s goal is to gain a few points, a tenth here, a tenth there, and just keep working and working.” Slow, steady growth is their goal and after one year, it looks like they’re on the right path.

People who do pay-per-click advertising should max out their budget on Google—that’s where the traffic is. Bing hasn’t changed that. Bing is a viable service to add for high budget campaigns. If you’re interested, we’d be happy to advise you on PPC for your business. You may even want to consider a retargeting campaign. You’ve probably noticed ads following you as you surf the web—that’s retargeting. Let us know if you have any questions about PPC advertising, we'd love to hear your questions. Call us Today 888-831-0483

Google Focuses on Local Search

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:54:00 +0000

Last week, Google acquired Zagat (perhaps the first restaurant review guide to rely on crowdsourcing) for a reported $125 million. Established in 1979, Zagat originally published reviews of local restaurants and later added reviews of other local businesses such as movie theaters, nightlife and retailers. Google estimates that about 20% of its daily searches are for local businesses and when mobile search is factored in, the percentage is even higher. Local online advertising is a very lucrative and rapidly growing market.

All of this tells us two things: local search is hugely important for every business and your business must have a presence on local search if you want to be competitive. Our Local SEO Service helps you maximize your exposure in local directories and map sites, including Google Places, Yahoo Local, Bing Local, Yelp and many more. We make sure your listings are optimized so that your business gets noticed on mobile devices too. Want more information?? Call Impulse Creative Studios today - 888-831-0483

Latest Trends in Search Engine Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:49:00 +0000

FACEBOOK’S BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

Google has been grabbing all of the social media headlines with the release of the new Google+ feature (though for now, it’s by invitation only). Earlier this month, Facebook took back some of those headlines with CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that they would soon “launch something awesome.” And that awesome new feature is: Skype video chat. While not particularly innovative, video chat is certainly a way for Facebook to get its users to spend more time on the site. Zuckerberg reports that Facebook has 750 million active users and new features are added almost every week that draw people in and keep them there for longer stretches of time. A very large, highly engaged audience makes Facebook a great marketing tool. If you’d like more information about our social media service, including setting up and managing a profile/marketing page or PPC campaign on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, let us know.

MARKETING IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD

More and more people are using smart phones, iPads and other portable devices to make spur of the moment buying decisions when they’re on the go. Bing for iPad just made searching easier with a new app called “Lasso” that allows users to search by circling text in an article instead of typing text into a search box. iPhone and Android app phones are pre-loaded with Google Maps which pulls local business information from Google Places. Every business must maximize exposure in local directories and online map sites including Google Places, Yahoo Local, Bing Local, Yelp and so on. Google Places is a good place to get started. If you need help setting up and managing your local directories, call us!

MOBILE DEVICES AND EMAIL MARKETING

Mobile internet access means that people are able to check their email just about anywhere they go. If you’ve been collecting customers’ email addresses through your marketing efforts, an email campaign is a great way to notify those customers of new products, new services or special offers. Your customers will have that email coupon or special offer in hand when they’re out making their purchasing decisions. Promotions that are offered exclusively via email encourage customers to sign up for your email list. Email campaigns can be cumbersome and bulk email services are not free. The good news: we’re updating our email platform to make email campaigns easy and affordable. Call us if you’d like more information about our email marketing service.

ABOUT THAT GOOGLE FARMER UPDATE

It’s still in the news because, apparently, there’s been an update to the update! Google has tried to downplay Panda Update 2.2, saying this is just one of about 500 algorithmic search tweaks they make each year. But webmasters and everyone in the search marketing industry seems to agree that the previous Panda updates punished some legitimate websites while many scraper sites got by unscathed. Google could not ignore the backlash from bloggers and the media, hence, Panda 2.2. If you’d like to read more and keep up with the ongoing saga, this article is a good place to start. Of course, we’ll continue to watch how this plays out and report updates in the future

How (and WHY) to get people to "check in" to your business!?

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:43:00 +0000

We frequently have customers who are looking for ways to stay ahead of the competition. When our customers hear the buzz word "social media" their minds often go straight to Facebook. Although as we've heard from a few sources, the "800 lb Gorilla" is definately Facebook. But in all honesty there is much more to "social media" than just Facebook.
One of the new trends that Impulse Creative's noticing that "location based" also known as geo-location social media is emerging.

Basically utilizing Social Media Platforms such as Facebook Places & Foursquare people can post where they are and offer suggestions (foursquare) where & what to eat. Although some people don't like this "invasion of privacy", this creates an additional opportunity for businesses to get in front of their potential customers. One of the main way's to leverage users is to offer "deals" or coupons for checking in to a location. This can translate into Additional "likes" for your business facebook page and increase awareness about your company, product, or brand.

Visit Schnappers Hots on Sanibel and Check in via Facebook!

For Example: We frequent Schnappers Hots on Sanibel, FL, They frequently offer Facebook "Deals" for returning customers. Similar to a Sandwich Shops "punch card" but they do this electronically AND share it with friends!
In our example's case, they offer a FREE SODA with a purchase (the second time you come in). So on the first visit you see the screen on the left, and on the second visit you see the screen on the right of the picture above. From the merchant's point of view this is not much different than a punch card, but the big difference between a punch card and utilizing a location based social media such as foursquare or Facebook places is that your customers is basically screaming "I got this awesome deal from Schnappers Hots you should too!" It's represented in their "news feed" on Facebook like the following image.

As this status post is showing our "check in" to Schnappers, we're not only getting the deal (good for us) but we're sharing our "find" with over 2000 people we're connected to online.

We communicate this to our customers as "Referral Marketing on Steroids". Although this example is using Facebook, one cannot forget Foursquare. Foursquare offers a similar user & merchant experience but doesn't have as many active users.

For more information on Location Based services available to help your business. Contact Impulse Creative Studios for a FREE consultation.

Now's the Time to get on Twitter!

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:45:00 +0000

After hearing the announcement about the new Mobile Operating System for Apple Devices. Apple announced that it will be fully integrating with Twitter. We think this is going to start a big swing in the social media arena.

After Reading a blog post on Technorati "Apple Integrates Twitter: Why This Is Big" we began to think that this is going to be an greater opportunity to describe to our clients that they need to be ahead of the curve. Twitter has some great uses for businesses, as described in our previous post. Once Apple new software comes online it's going to be easier than ever for people to share via twitter.

As stated in the Technorati post

If you have a Twitter account and use it, expect to see a few more information-savvy neighbors in your neck of the woods, as more and more iPhone and iPad app users see the Tweet button among popular sharing options such as email, print, and add to home screen. Bullas predicts Twitter will increase its member base by 100 million users in the year following iOS 5’s release.

Read more: http://technorati.com/technology/gadgets/article/apple-integrates-twitter-why-this-is/#ixzz1Pk7Ly5s5

Need some help getting started with Twitter, or want to discuss how Social Media can help your business, drop us a note today and we'll see how we can help. @impulsecreative

How AND Why to use Twitter for Business.

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:59:00 +0000

The Big Question we hear is "How can Twitter help my Business?"

When we come across new clients (and some existing) the idea of twitter is kind of scary or uncomfortable for them, others don't see the value that Twitter has when your business comes to mind.

Twitter (and other social media platforms) offer the opportunity for you (and your business) to be on an even playing field. Larger companies such as Best Buy (@twelpforce ) & JetBlue (@jetblue) are utilizing twitter to monitor their brand and to assist with support.

One of the most valuable assets that we see as a marketing company when using Twitter is the ability to search tweets.

For Example: lets say someone posts on Twitter that their "Pool is Green" A Pool Company could be routinely searching these posts and responding with suggestions or links to their blog posts. This would be a great way to "step up" as a resource and help spread awareness about their brand.

Here's some tips to help you get started with using twitter for your company:

Trust your employees, but give them a mission, structure and boundaries.
Find something that only your company can provide customers, then give it away...yes, for free. It's the only way you'll find yourself invited into a conversation.
Be a good listener, but do something with that information.
People trust other people over "a brand". Be human.
Make your resources easy to find, and interact with: Which could mean actually staffing your twitter feed, and not just "checking the box off the list" and never paying it any more attention

We'll go more into these in future blog posts, but in the meantime, if you have a question, ask them in the comments or ask me on twitter @remingtonbegg or @impulsecreative and we'll help you out!

New Custom Fan Page for TAN USA - Cape Coral

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:12:00 +0000

We've just finished a new Custom Fan Page for Tan USA in Cape Coral Florida. Along with setting up a new Facebook Deals Campaign, we've created a custom "gateway" fan page that offers a would-be client/fan to get a FREE Tanning session. The 2 step process pulls the client into their network and automatically sends them an email with their coupon (unique to them) that they can come in and redeem at Tan USA in Cape Coral. This is a great way to spread brand awareness and give a reason for people to share your facebook page with others.

Be Sure to visit Tan USA in Cape Coral and get your FREE tan by going to their Custom Facebook Page and redeeming the coupon. (NO PURCHASE NECESSARY)

http://www.facebook.com/tanusacapecoral

Impulse Creative is a Results Oriented Marketing agency focused on Branding and Online Marketing (ie: websites, social media marketing & management, logo design etc). Interested in getting leads from your Online efforts? Interesting in hiring a website designer?? Be Sure to download our handy checklist on the Questions to ask before hiring a web designer, already have a website, be Sure to get a free website evaluation by going to http://impulsecreativestudios.com/checkup.

New Custom Fan Page for Anytime Fitness - Fort Myers

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 15:37:00 +0000

We were delighted to undertake this job for the Anytime Fitness in Fort Myers. After consulting with the client we designed a campaign that would accent the goals that were already in place with the companies marketing. Utilizing the large fan base that the company already had with their fan page we implemented 2 versions of the fan page.

A PRE-LIKE PAGE: a page dedicated to people who had NOT liked the page yet, giving them a unique call to action for more information and an autoplaying video that introduces the company.

AN AFTER-LIKE PAGE: a page dedicated to take the prospect and turn them into a possible client by offering a FREE 7 day pass (which focuses them to their website to get the Pass instantly)

Take a look, be sure to visit the facebook page by going to http://www.facebook.com/anytimefortmyers

Interested in how a custom fan page can help your business, contact us today for more information.

Impulse Creative Studios is a marketing agency that focuses on Branding & Online Marketing. Being a results-oriented company we strive to cater our designs/concepts to each individual clients' need. Afterall, the marketing is for their company, and if they succeed, we succeed!

Tips for Mastering your Business Image

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Frequently we meet with clients who are coming to us simply for a business card to be designed or printed, or have heard they need to be on the web. Typically doing any one of these things isn't really going to help your "brand", while it is a positive direction towards branding yourself, it takes more than leaving a few business cards around to get your name out.

Nowadays, Social Media has somewhat "evened the playing field" for small businesses to get noticed. But there is a catch! TIME... it takes time to properly brand yourself online, and results don't happen overnight. There are a few FREE Social Media Tips we can give you by visiting our Facebook Resource.

Here's 5 Things that you need to pay attention to to build your Business Image, both on and offline.
( We'll be posting details over the next 2 weeks, subscribe, or follow this post by email ---->> right column)

1. Reflect on how you interact with clients & potential clients.

2. Are you looked to as a resource for your profession? Do people know what you do?

3. Does your website, social media efforts, business cards, & brochures all have the same theme and call to action?

4. Have a series of goals for your marketing, and measure them.

5. Research your competition, and evaluate what you can do to set yourself apart.

While these are just the tip of the iceberg, let us know what else you'd like us to touch on. Interested in discussing some of these options with us feel free to contact us via phone (888-831-0483) or by email.

Some other helpful resources for you might be "Hiring a Web Designer Checklist" and our "Free Website Evaluator"

Why it is important to Brand your company. That doesn't mean just a logo!

noreply@blogger.com (Remington Begg) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:58:00 +0000

Today I met with a gathering of local professionals as I do each week. As I continually preach about the importance of branding your business correctly, one thing that we've even overlooked at times was how you present yourself when talking with people you come in contact with every day. Especially in Sunny Florida, it's easy to get comfortable with beach attire. But just think, is this how your business needs to be represented? Think about what makes you stand out from your competitors.. What do they dress like?

Some of these things seem superficial but here's a story about how simply adding a tie/dress pants to my wardrobe changed the way that these professionals I have known for years and see every week responded.
After being made to reflect on how I presented myself (not negative, but not positive either) at this meeting (for those that are curious, i wore a button up and jeans frequently) I realized that a "web developer in a graphic tee and jeans is probably a pretty common occurrence. But trying to pitch to companies that we were more than that was counter productive while wearing the normal casual attire.

So... 4 weeks ago, i started wearing a tie and dress pants to meetings, including my weekly meetings.

(week 1) I had a presentation, so it was somewhat expected, but I got the "why are you doing this"---I'm sticking in their minds already.
(week 2) I got the question. "Didn't you have a presentation Last week?, Simply answered with yes...
(week 3) I get a testimonial from another individual in our weekly meeting (who wore a tie too) about how he likes the direction I'm going with the perceived image.
(week 4) This week, i walk into my meeting, and everyone is wearing a tie... EVERYONE. Granted this was somewhat of a joke by my BNI chapter, but overall, what I've reflected on (and adjusted) has made it so that I'm being thought of, and sticking in their minds.

So Overall, Branding is a Huge part of your marketing for your business. And it's not hard to do. But ultimately it starts with YOU. You Start the trend for your image, you (or your employees) are the face of your company. Here's a few tips for effectively marketing your business.

Dressing professionally (fitting for your trade) is a huge part of your branding.
The way your companies interact on the phone (great article on phone conversations)
Keeping all of your marketing collateral with the same overall message and look. (we can help you with this!!
Having an appropriate Call-To-Action on all marketing materials.
Maintain your social media, enable filters so that not everyone can see you partying on a Saturday Night. Realize that social media is a huge asset for company branding, but if used incorrectly can hurt you to. (just like anything else)

In review, Branding is much more than just a logo design or a business card. Branding is Everything you do in your company, the way you talk on the phone, the way you present yourself, and the way your overall marketing objectives are brought across to the customer.

For Branding on Collateral Materials, and marketing that you do with your company is what we help clients with every day. For creating that referral marketing machine that you want to be a the person and place to go to is Dorothy Seviste with Referral Institute in SWFL. If you don't have a local Referral institute, stay tuned I'll be posting some great reading materials to help you on your marketing way.

Impulse Creative Studios is a Creative Marketing agency that focuses on Branding and Online Marketing. Take a look at our website, if you have ANY questions don't hesitate to give us a call! 888-831-0483