By combining the power of journalism, graphics and analysis, tools like Visual.ly are slowly changing how we view our world. How many times have you viewed an infographic to quickly understand a concept, idea or process? Of course, as with anything that uses data, the key is clean and useful data. I’ve seen plenty of useless infographics that threaten to undermine the integrity of this powerful communication method. However, assuming we can use infographics to communicate meaningful data and stories, there appears to be a very bright future for infographics.

If you’re still skeptical, check out Visual.ly’s forward-thinking video which gives us a glimpse into a world full of infographics. Imagine your e-book reader pulling up infographics at your touch while reading. Your smart phone giving you statistics in an infograph as you take a photo, much like a QR code works today. And your tablet showing you infographs for the food in front of you at a restaurant. Science fiction, or a few years out? You decide.

For fun, I created my own infographic using the Visual.ly tool. The infograph below depicts the difference between two popular content marketing Twitter accounts – @socialmedia2day and @socialtimes. What do you think? Are you ready to see your world as an infograph?

Using a proven process, you’ll learn how to:

• Plan and develop your website
• Create content that is valuable to your customer
• Address the needs of your target audience

By the end of the session you will have the start of your website “blueprint”, a document which will guide you and your team as you move into the development phase.

Activities:

• Create and prioritize your content wish list for your website.

• Map out content to structure your website.

• Plan your website “blueprint”.

• Develop a content plan.

Bonus – valued at $100

Customer Life Cycle Exercise – develop effective content that creates value by gaining a deeper understanding of your target audience. This exercise has enlightened dozens of Alan’s clients on how to see through their customer’s eyes resulting in a better customer experience and more sales.

Timing

This is a 75 minute session that is scheduled based on YOUR availability. Sign up today and we will contact you to make arrangements.

Questions?

Contact us via email or (952) 270-0029.

Cost: $199

Only $19.99 

After payment has been received you will be emailed a link to the recorded webinar.

In this follow-up session to Alan Wallner’s sold-out webinar, Keys to Website (re)Design, Alan will teach you a proven process to plan and develop your winning website.

A winning website means you are addressing the needs of your target audience through your words, graphics, and site functionality to get results. By strategically planning your website, you learn not only how to relate better to your audience but how to turn browsers into buyers.

LEARN:

• Fundamentals for setting up your website: Save time and money by avoiding common mistakes!

• Best practices for defining and prioritizing features and content: It can be challenging to prioritize everyone’s wants and needs on the website. Have a process to leverage when your list gets too long.

• Basic SEO and social media integration: Learn the basics of SEO to get your website headed in the right direction for better search results. Learn ways to leverage social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube on your site so they become enhancements to your message rather than distractions.

• How to create a content plan: Learn what a content plan is and how it can help you manage content on your website.

• Essential resources: Get a list of helpful resources for the essentials of website development, design, and SEO.

By the end of the session, you will have a process that you can use to design and create a website that gets results!

About our presenter

Alan Wallner is a brand marketing professional with more than 25 years of experience. He has worked with a variety of brands ranging from small start-up companies, to ones as complex as the U.S. Marine Corps. He works with companies to create, build, and grow their brands so they are focused on attaining their business objectives and meeting the needs of their target audiences.

Alan believes your company’s brand foundation is critical to building the culture and success of your business. This culture helps define your ideal customers, your ideal employees, and your ideal working environment. With this foundation, you can create customer-centric website that positions your business for success.

Only $19.99

After payment has been received you will be emailed a link to the recorded webinar.

• GM Says Facebook Ads Don’t Pay Off
• DATA: Google Totally Blows Away Facebook on Ad Performance
• History Suggests Facebook Won’t Last
• Omaha Steaks Go All In With Facebook Store

After reading all the rah-rah and nay-say. I decided there are two camps that marketers and analysts gleefully jump in and out of when it comes to whoever or whatever is in the spotlight. There are the doom seekers, “You won’t make it because…” And there are the idealists, “I love you no mater what.” The irony of it all is through the chatter, Facebook becomes bigger than ever. We make Facebook big whether it is through our fascination, or our irritation.

Bottom line… as a business, what’s a practical way to view Facebook? It’s a tool. A tool that you:

DO NOT OWN

YOU DO NOT CONTROL

and YOU DO NOT TELL WHAT TO DO.

Period.

If you can handle these facts along with the reality that it could go the way of MySpace someday, you’re just fine. Don’t get swept up into the Facebook typhoon. As with anything in marketing, it’s worth testing, trying new strategies, exploring, but as my grandmother liked to say, “don’t go putting all your eggs in one basket.”

5 Times when video doesn’t cut it

1. Your audience doesn’t have time to watch

Whether it’s because your video is literally too long (over 3 minutes) or it’s perceived to be too long, if your audience doesn’t have the time to sit and watch your video, then you are not meeting their needs and you should be trying something else. Too often video is being used as the “lazy way” to put up a blog post. Keep in mind, adding text and video together can be a great recipe for success.

If you’re not sure if your audience is staying engaged with your video, just skipping around, or ending it prematurely, try tools like Wistia to see user response.

2. You’re using video exclusively

In most cases, I recommend using video as a supplement, not a replacement for the written word. Videos can make up for the lack of personality in a written piece. For example, if I had taken the time to create a video for this post you would be able to hear my voice, put a face to the words, and get a better picture of who I am. This added information often leads to a deeper understanding of what’s being read. However, if I only did a video blog, you may miss some of the finer points in this post. Why? First of all you’d be focused on more than just the message, you’d be focused on the presenter too. Now combine that with the fact that most video should be kept to about 3 minutes and you have some pretty superficial content.

3. Your onscreen image is taking away from your professional image

“Yikes!” That’s what I have to say about some of the scary home/office setups I have seen on web video blogs. If you decide to supplement your written blog with video, be sure you don’t forget about your professional image. By looking professional (not to be confused with stiff and unapproachable) you will make a better impression and give more credibility to your message.

TIP: Ladies, professional does not mean wearing the low cut top you wore out to the club last Friday night. Men, the ragged tee shirt you wear on the weekends with the gym shorts, should stay off screen.

Your personal image is not the only thing viewers are evaluating. Your surroundings are important too. Be sure to use a clean, uncluttered area for your video. Messy bookshelves, a dirty kitchen (any kitchen for that matter unless you’re talking about food), pets, kids and other distractions behind and around you while you shoot your video work against your professional image and your credibility.

4. Your composition is distracting

Just like still photography you need to have the right composition in your video frame. I can’t believe how many “professional” vblogs cut the bloggers head too close to the chin, or the person is in a “weird” space inside the frame. This is usually caused by the fact that the webcam is setup in some crazy do-it-yourself fashion that prevents the blogger from sitting in the right place. If you want to want to be seen as a pro, you need to work hard to look like one. Learn some great tips about frame composition in this video from DigitalRevolution101.

 5. Your sound is BAD

Echo…echo….echo….NO. Echo is bad when it comes to your video. Dampen the sound with rugs, drapes, or other sound deadening materials. Another sound dilemma  is when the sound is too quiet. Remember, not everyone will be listening through a headset or on the best speakers. You need to check your mic before you record to be sure the sound level is correct. A clip-on mic is a good option, but not always an affordable one.

 Bottom Line

The bottom line is if you can’t get one or more of these things to work for you, don’t do video. There is no rush! In business you always want to put your best foot forward – offline and online.

Final Note

As with any marketing effort, you must “know thy customer” to know if video is right for your business. When in doubt, try it out and test, test, test!

Certified social media manager Angie Glotzbach shares proven strategies, expert tips and valuable tools to help you grow your business using Linkedin.

You will learn how to:

• Create a profile that attracts the right people
• Increase your visibility
• Find quality connections
• Demonstrate your credibility and expertise
• Discover useful tools
• Avoid the 3 most common mistakes

Get Personal Linkedin Training From Angie!

Nothing compares to an in-person, one-to-one training session with an expert. Sign-up for your opportunity to learn how to turn your unique background, expertise and knowledge into better connections, more referrals and more opportunities using LINKEDIN as a business power tool!

During your private training session, certified social media trainer Angie Glotzbach will teach you how to:

• Turn your connections into more business - You want to be sure you have the best quality connections AND  that you’re making the best use of your connections. Angie will teach you how to turn your Linkedin connections into more opportunities, better referrals and more business!

• Use applications to engage and get noticed - Imagine using a simple application on Linkedin and seeing 5x  more engagement in just 24 hours! Some of Angie’s clients have seen views jump from 100 or fewer, to over 500 in 24 hours after they unlocked the right Linkedin applications for their business. Discover what, if any, apps are right for you.

• Give your profile the “Angie Touch” – Having a pro review your profile can reveal missing keywords, new strategies and additional opportunities. During your session, Angie will review your profile with you so you can  maximize the potential of this valuable online asset.

• Discover new leads & partners – Angie will teach you the art of targeted search to find potential partners, leads and resources. Discover time saving tips and strategies to connect to your next opportunity!

DETAILS

After you have signed up for your private training session, Angie will contact you to arrange a date, time and place that is convenient for you. Please be sure to include a valid email and phone number during the payment process.

Time: 2 hours

Place: In-person. To be determined between attendee and Angie.

Level: Personalized to meet your needs.

Great for: Business Owners, Freelancers, Solopreneurs, Consultants, Job Seekers

Questions: info@strategyessentials.com or (952)270-0029

Valued at $200
Only: $149 for two full hours!

Now I’ll share with you a few of Sam’s tips and tricks that will help you to find and learn more about your prospective customers.

Using the Internet as a Sales Tool

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK THE NEWS
Before you go out on a sales call, how much research do you do on the company you’re visiting? Do you go to their website and stop there? Sam reminded us that stopping at the glossy brochure-ware website is not good enough. If we want to get past the gatekeepers we need to know more than what’s on the home page of their website. Use all the tools available online such as the “news” link on the left side of Goggle. Here’s how it works…

Search for the company in Google. On the results page click on the link that reads “News,” this will show results that are only related to news about that company. These results can be quite revealing and may be something that you will want to use as you prepare for your sales meeting.

WHAT’S THE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR…
Find email addresses and email conventions by going to Google and typing in *@companyURL. Where the “companyURL” words are you would replace that with the company’s web address. For example, if you were searching for Strategy Essentials’ email addresses you would type in *@strategyessentials.com. From here you can discover email addresses and the naming convention for the company.

FIND FILES
Find documents in search by typing Filetype: name your file type here. For example, in the “name your file type here”, you would add, .doc, .ppt, .xls, .pdf, etc. This works really great when combined with some of Sam’s other search techniques.

BUT I DON’T WANT THAT
If you don’t want a particular word to be a part of your search, use the minus sign (-) to exclude all results with that word. For example, if I didn’t want my results for “The Secret” to include anything having to do with the book The Secret, I would enter: The Secret -book. Just be sure you don’t have a space between the word and the minus sign.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE FOR ME GOOGLE?
When searching for similar words use the tilde (~) symbol before the word and Google will produce search results with similes. For example ~lotions will also produce results for creams, but just a search for lotions does not.

THE GOOGLE SECRET
It’s a shock I know, but there are other search engines besides Google out there and Sam gave us a sobering reason on why we should all be using some of them. Did you know that Google only searches 4.8% of the web? I had no idea it was that small! Sam recommends widening our horizons and trying new search engines and tools including mool.com, reachable.com, insideview.com and of course the ultimate free resource, your public library database.

A big thank you to Sam for sharing all these great tips. If you want to learn more visit his website at samrichter.com.

As I mentioned in my last blog post on the Strategy E-ssentials blog, the number of people who own smartphones in the United States continues to rise. As a result, it is becoming essential that businesses develop strategies to help consumers find information about their products and services when consumers reach for their mobile devices.

As with any area of business, it is highly recommended that you figure out what you are trying to accomplish before you get started. If you don’t know what you are trying to accomplish beforehand, how will you know if your mobile marketing campaigns are successful?

From there, you will want to carefully plan a strategy that will help you accomplish your goals. This includes, but is not limited to, identifying your target market, determining how you want to reach those consumers with your mobile marketing messages, how you want to let consumers know about your mobile marketing campaigns via other media channels, when and how long you want to run your mobile marketing campaigns, how you are going to measure the success of your mobile marketing campaigns and whether or not you have enough money in your budget to accomplish what plan to accomplish. That’s a lot to think about.

In some organizations, it might take some time to get approval to launch your mobile marketing campaigns.

In the meantime, there are three things that you can and should be doing right now that can help you get a better understanding of the mobile marketing landscape. These three things include: Using smartphones to familiarize yourself with the technology, claiming your business on location-based social networking sites, and researching, researching, researching.

Using Smartphones to Familiarize Yourself With the Technology

I’d suggest that any and all of your employees who are involved with your business’s mobile marketing efforts actively use smartphones in their day-to-day lives. It’s one thing to read about it, but in order to fully understand how some of these new technologies work, you really need to have firsthand knowledge about how customers interact. This will help you understand how your customers and potential customers might interact with your brand via their mobile devices. It will also help you identify usability issues that might influence where you want to focus your marketing efforts.

Claim Your Business on Location-Based Social Networking Sites

While location-based social networking sites haven’t gained widespread acceptance, there are still enough people using them to warrant taking the time to claim your business on these sites—most of the time it is free to do so. (Of course, this only applies to businesses with brick-and-mortar locations.)

Some of the most frequently used location-based social networking sites include Foursquare, Facebook, Google Latitude, SCVNGR, WHERE and Yelp. These are good places to start, but you also might want to ask you customers if they are using any of the other location-based social networking sites out there. You never know, you might have some tech savvy customers who are using the latest app that not many people know about.

By registering your business with the each of these services, you have the ability to make sure that it’s not claimed by someone else who might not have your business’s best interests at heart. In the process, you also ensure that your customers are finding the correct information when they look for your business on each of these sites.

Some sites also give you the ability to see how many people checked in at your location once you claim it. This is a great way to see if your customers are using the service. If so, you might want to consider offering a special (if possible) in order to encourage repeat visits or possibly gain new customers.

Furthermore, when you claim your business, you are often able to monitor what your customers and potential customers are saying about your business on these sites. This could give you the opportunity to recognize a great customer or help convert a critic into an evangelist.

Research, Research, Research

This is pretty self-explanatory. Sometimes the best way to create a successful mobile marketing campaign is to find out what has worked for other businesses and adapt that into your mobile marketing campaigns. More importantly, you might find out what not to do.

Also, it pays to ask your customers how they use their mobile devices and what types of communications that they think would be the most helpful to them. This can be done informally or via a survey. You never know, the results might surprise you.

Key Takeaways

Before you set up a mobile marketing campaign, it is highly recommended that you identify what goals you are trying to achieve and then map out a strategy that will help you achieve those goals.

Have everyone involved with your business’s mobile marketing efforts use smartphones in their day-to-day lives in order to gain firsthand knowledge of how consumers interact with brands via their mobile devices.

If your business has brick-and-mortar locations, claim your business on as many of the location-based social networking sites that you are aware of.

By doing your research on what has and hasn’t worked for other businesses, you can attempt to repeat their successes and hopefully avoid making the same mistakes. Also, be sure to find out how your customers and potential customers currently use their mobile devices and what types of marketing messages would be the most helpful to them.

Although I am fairly certain that you’re older than 7, the following conversation and follow-up summaries may help you understand a few vague concepts and processes when working on your web site.

7-YEAR-OLD: Can you help me make a web site?

ME: Yes, what do you want your web site to be about?

7-YEAR-OLD: Animals.

ME: Any particular kind of animals? All animals, only land animals, animals that live in water, pets?

7-YEAR-OLD: Oh I don’t know, like birds and reptiles and fish and stuff.

ME: Okay, so it sounds like you want to have several different kinds of animals as part of your site. What will you tell people about these animals?

7-YEAR-OLD: I’ll tell them what they eat and where they live. I’ll have pictures of the animals, like the red cardinal and the tree frog. I’ll tell them that some tree frogs are poisonous and that’s why they have bright colors.

ME: Sounds like a great web site with information about a lot of different animals. Who do you want to visit your site, adults, kids, both?

—-

What you read above is the start of a strategy session. By asking questions I’m helping my son explore the purpose, content and target audience for his web site. In a real strategy session we would explore all of these areas in great detail before taking the next step. As I continue to talk to my son more about his web site idea, I’ll be asking him to writing down the answers to all of these questions before moving forward. Doing this exercise not only clarifies the web site in his mind, but saves time and frustration when he is actually in the development process. It’s similar to writing the outline for a research paper before jumping into the paper itself.

After some more discussion on what he wanted on the web site, for whom and how he might organize it, he launched into specifics about what domain name he he was thinking about.

—-

7-YEAR-OLD: I want my URL to be www.animals.com!

ME: Well, I’m pretty sure that URL is already taken. When deciding on a URL, also known as a domain name, you should think of a whole bunch of good names and write them down. Then you can look them up at sites like HostMonster or Network Solutions to find out if the domain name you picked is available. If it is available, you should be prepared to purchase it, so someone else doesn’t buy it while you’re making your decision. The cost for your domain name varies and is often connected to your hosting service. You’ll want to look at the full package, domain name and hosting, before making a decision.

7-YEAR-OLD: What’s a hosting service?

I now realize I am still speaking with a 7-year-old and I need to think quickly about how I can relate all of this to something he can easily understand.

ME: Think of your URL as your house address. Your hosting service rents you a yard to put your house on. Your house is your actual web site. Does that make sense?

7-YEAR-OLD: Oh, so we don’t get the yard with the house?

ME: No, you don’t automatically get the yard when you purchase your address and you need a yard to build your house on.

I was excited to see he was actually understanding what I was saying. We continued to talk about the web site for a little while longer before something else caught his attention and he changed the subject. Knowing my son, I’m sure he will bring this topic up again soon and we will be working together on his first web site this summer.

Hopefully this simple story has illustrated for you:

• When starting on a web site you must first define your purpose, target audience and high level content.
• What is a domain name and what is the best way to get the one you want.
• What is a hosting service and how is it related to the domain name and actual web site.

Pass this story on to someone you know who needs more clarification on the first steps to starting a web site.