Epic Marketing Blog

How Blogging Builds Credibility for Your Business

admin — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:01:08 +0000

No matter what industry you are in, establishing credibility as a brand is crucial for improving business. Credibility gives potential customers or patients a sense of trust in your brand, and makes them more likely to take advantage of the product or service you offer. Here are a few reasons why blogging could be a good strategy for your marketing plan:

Creating a Voice

Most business websites are just static content that give visitors information about the product or service they offer. Blogs, on the other hand, give businesses a chance to create a voice for their brand without having to alter the actual content of their site. Blogs by nature are much less formal, and more creativity can be used to speak to visitors in a way that's consistent with your brand.

Staying Updated

Blogs make it easy for your website to stay updated with fresh content without having to change your entire site. With a blog, it's easy to update your visitors on news about your business, updates in the industry, or other good-to-know information that your visitors would be interested in. Keeping your blog updated also shows visitors that you have a priority of making sure your online visitors have the best and most recent information available.

Keeping up with Online Competitors

Blogging is also a great SEO tactic that your business can use to stay ahead of other competitors in the search engine results. Websites that rank at the top of the search engine results are always seen as more credible and relevant to online visitors. Regularly creating new blog content that uses relevant key terms and proper linking to your site can help improve your site's ranking in the search engines, or maintain favorable rankings if your site has already reached them.

If you haven't incorporated a blog with your website yet, or if you blog has been left neglected for a while, now is the time to reconsider your blogging efforts. Need help with blogging? We regularly help our clients develop a blogging strategy that helps improve their brand. Contact us today.

Dealing with Media Reps

admin — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:43:58 +0000

You probably answer hundreds of media calls every year where an eager rep is trying to sell you their product or service. It may be true that some media reps have something that can actually take your advertising to the next "level," but who can you trust? How can you tell when you should spend some time talking with these reps or send them to the endless abyss we call voicemail?

Here are some times when it IS good to speak to a rep;
Your advertising is getting burned out and you need new options
They are involved with the right demographic for your services
They come recommended from a friend or colleague
You're not sure what they do or offer
It's a new advertising venue that you haven't tried before

The key is to make sure you have all of the information before you send someone away. Don't be afraid to ask the hard questions. It's your advertising budget and you need to make sure it is being spent wisely. Any rep who is trying to sell you a specific type of advertising or marketing should be able to tell you how their product will benefit your business, and the type of return on your investment you can expect from their strategy.

We have discovered many great advertising options for our clients because we are willing to listen to new ideas, delivery systems, venues, etc. The next time you get a call from a media rep, remember that by asking the right questions, you could be getting a lot more benet from your time on the phone with them than you might think.

What is a Full Service Ad Agency?

admin — Fri, 03 May 2013 23:09:25 +0000

Marketing and advertising can be a confusing arena for many. One of the largest sources of confusion stems from the number of companies that classify themselves as a marketing/advertising group. Under the marketing/advertising label, we see everything from major media outlets to a guy who can put your logo on a coffee mug. Obviously when a company is looking for a professional ad agency to strategize, develop, execute and report results on marketing or advertising, they are generally not looking for “Bob’s Marketing & Vacuum Repair”. However, we still see people who struggle to understand what a full-service agency entails.

Some of our clients have used multiple “marketing/advertising groups” at the same time to fulfill all of their marketing. They have a group who handles their website, another who does the SEO, another who buys their media, another that provides the creative, another that does their logo & branding elements, etc. This type of approach can be difficult to manage, expensive, and generally provides an inconsistent brand message. A truly full service agency should be able to handle most (if not all) of these marketing elements. Our clients love it when they realize that not only can we handle all of this, but we can generally improve the effectiveness of their marketing budget because we are focused on the overall results, not just on one aspect.

As a full service agency, we can handle:

Research/Analysis
Strategy
Media Placement/Buying
Creative
TV
Video Production & Editing
Print
Mailers
Billboards
Radio
Online Marketing
Direct Mail
Pay Per Click
Search Engine Optimization
Graphic Design
Web Development
Social Media
Campaign Development
Campaign Tracking Tools
Brand Identity
Production/Printing
Public Relations
Script Writing
Copy Writing

We can effectively run any or all of these categories. We do so with our complete in-house team. This allows for consistent messaging, plus is much easier, less stressful, and economical for business owners.

We help our clients plan, build, and maintain every aspect of their marketing and we can handle all of your advertising needs. We stand out from other ad agencies by functioning as an extension of our client’s staff, acting as their marketing arm at a fraction of the cost of a full-time marketing specialist or hiring a team of other agencies.

6 Factors That Could Hurt Your Advertising Results

admin — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 23:00:28 +0000

Throughout our years of experience working with hundreds of businesses in a variety of different of industries, we've found that some practices or businesses have a harder time attracting new customers or patients than others. As we're worked with different clients, we've seen a trend in some key factors that can hurt advertising results. But unfortunately, these factors are often overlooked. Being aware of these factors can help you better plan for and gauge your marketing success:

1. Competition– While competition can be good in many ways, it can also have a negative effect on your advertising if competition is high for you industry in certain areas or mediums. Even if your ads are professionally crafted with a great message, they may not get as much of a response if your competitor's ads are run in the same place (newspaper, TV, etc) on the same day.

2. Reputation – Sometimes a great ad can't always fix a bad reputation. Reputation management and repair isn't easy to do, but the fact is that until it is repaired, your ads will produce far less results compared to a business with an established and credible reputation. If a negative reputation is detracting from the success of your ads, it's worthwhile to look into making efforts to repair it over time.

3. Geographic Differences – Cities, counties and states across the country can have widely different population densities and demographics. It's not surprising to note that business or practices that have a higher density of potential customers or patients within a 60-mile radius of the location generally see better ROI with their advertisements. It's important that businesses don't follow a "one size fits all" approach for geographic targeting, as it can vary greatly depending on the population density around your location.

4. Economy – A more unpredictable factor, the state of the economy can have a big impact on the success of your advertising. Unfortunately, consumer confidence in the economy can shift even on a weekly basis. Consumers are constantly prioritizing their spending habits, wants and needs, and that can affect how responsive they are to your advertisements. This, of course, varies by industry as well. Businesses—such as medical practices—that offer more of a "need" than a want typically seem to see less of an effect with economic shifts.

5. Seasonality– Each calendar year brings with it a variety of holidays and special events that can also vary with geographic regions. It's important to be aware of how seasons and holidays affect your advertising so you can get the most return from your marketing dollars. For example, some businesses or industries based on the nature of their product or service should advertise heavily over holidays. Others, however, should go light on marketing efforts over holidays like Christmas and summer vacation because the response is not as successful.

6. Acts of God– While it may seem a little unconventional, extreme weather and natural disasters can have a huge impact on any sort of advertising that runs on the same day. Extreme snowstorms, floods, earthquakes, tornado warnings, or really anything that heavily disrupts the day-to-day flow of your local area can hurt the results of your advertising. While you can't necessarily prevent these things from happening, recognizing that they were likely the cause of a somewhat unsuccessful ad will make your future marketing efforts a lot better off.

Running a business or practice of your own can be difficult as you're expected to wear several different hats to get the job done—this includes marketing and advertising. It's something that our clients who are business owners keep a very close eye on because it's expensive, and as such, they have a lot riding on that investment every month. Poor marketing decisions—particularly ignoring these six factors above—can result in wasted money that could eventually cost you your business.

Epic Marketing works with businesses and practices across the country to help them see a greater return on their marketing and advertising dollars. If your marketing could use some improvement, contact us today to speak with one of our experienced account executives and find out how we can take your business to the next level.

Good Design is Good for Business

admin — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 21:53:53 +0000

In today’s culture of instant communication, people are bombarded with hundreds of marketing messages each day at home and at work, on their phones, computers, TV, and even on their commute. Whether marketing takes place with a full-page magazine ad, a small black and white ad in a local community newspaper, a 5-page website or a 120-page website, good design ultimately increases results and ROI for your bottom line.

Good design communicates your message clearly and captures the attention of your target audience. It stands out in the marketplace. On the other hand, bad design hinders communication.

So what is good design?

Good design can be found in any marketing medium and incorporates these essential ingredients: hierarchy, color, balance, contrast and space.

Hierarchy: hierarchy is the arrangement of items that attach a superior, inferior or equal importance in relation to one another. In your design, the most important factor of your message to your target audience should be the most visible.

Color: color can be used as an accessory, to draw emphasis, or as
subtle accents to support a particular element in a design.

Balance: balance is based of the premise that the "whole is the sum of
its parts." with balance, elements within a designed composition are
reorganized to create a whole that has equilibrium.

Contrast: not just concerning color, but also contrasts in the size
and scale of type and images.

Space: both positive and negative space should be used to create a design that is pleasing to the eye and communicates a message effectively.

Good design also helps build trust. A professional appearance increases perceived quality and credibility. Businesses that are more trusted and seem more credible to their target audience receive more sales, customers, and overall more revenue.

At Epic Marketing, our team of design professionals has worked with thousands of clients to improve the design of their marketing materials, improving their image and credibility. We’ve proven to our clients that even just a simple improvement in ad design—one that incorporates a more professional feel and clearer message—can increase response more than they ever though it could. If the design of your marketing material could use improvement, or if you think you could be getting more response from those materials, contact Epic Marketing today.

Is Your Marketing Sending the Right Message to Your Core Demographic?

admin — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:02:21 +0000

What types of information are you sending that explicitly connects with your demographic? If this connection is missed then the likelihood of your potential clients contacting you diminishes drastically!

Understanding and relating to your demographic should be the foundation of any marketing material. You want to choose both words and images that connect visually and speak to their needs, and doesn't just result to scare tactics. In our years of experience, we've seen ad imaging that belongs in horror films as opposed to materials intended to entice people to some kind of action! Pain and fear is not the proper approach to attract prospective clients. Remember the old adage, "You will catch more flies with honey than a fly swatter". In addition to images, content plays a big role in how your core demographic will react to your ad. Remember that it's not always just what is said, but how it's said that can make the difference.

Another item that cannot be overlooked is selecting the appropriate advertising vehicle. If your target audience is women ages 35-50, then contracting with a talk radio station for mid-day spots may not be the most efficient way of reaching your core audience.

Always remember to take a step back from any marketing project, analyze it as a whole. Ask yourself the following:

Am I saying the right things to the right people?
Am I placing my material in the right place to be seen by my target?

With these simple steps you can avoid many of the mistakes that are a common roadblock in any marketing approach. If you've found that your ads aren't connecting with your core demographic the way you want them to, and ultimately aren't driving new customers or patients through your doors, contact us. Our marketing professionals have years of experience in helping businesses connect with their audience through advertising and marketing.

5 Steps to Get Your Video Noticed Online

admin — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:42:42 +0000

One of the greatest myths is “If you build it, they will come”

As every business owner knows, building a clientele is hard work. Just because you offer a game changing product or service, does not mean that prospective clients will be banging down your door.

Video has quickly become one of the most impactful ways of sharing your message. A major video sharing site states that “48 hours of video are uploaded every minute, resulting in nearly 8 years of content uploaded every day”. In the age of YouTube, many companies have realized the value of conveying their message through video. As mentioned in a previous post, a well-orchestrated video can elicit an emotional response and connection with a potential client. Attracting an audience to a web video is equally challenging to trying to draw traffic to a new website. However, once that video is complete, how do you get people to view it?

The short answer is contextual content – what you say about what you are saying. Google (and other search engines) do not take time to watch each video and rank it. They rely on the text clues that are embedded in your video and in your description. Video optimization today is still about optimizing the text associated with your video files.

1-Determine primary keyword targets

These should be well-researched and known high traffic keywords. Guessing is gambling.

2-Optimize the embedded content and descriptive text related to your video

Similar to web pages, video files have hidden description tags that can help search engines understand your keyword targets. Keyword-rich descriptive text adjacent to your video will give the search engines more cues about the video content.

3-Include new video files in your video site map and media XML

There are special files you can add to your site to lead the search engines to your videos. Be sure to use these to catalog all of your video content.

4- Submit your site to popular video portals

Although Google’s purchase of YouTube has crowned them as king, you should still share on a variety of sites (Vimeo, Yahoo! Video, metacafe, etc.). Aside from having more avenues to share your message, these other sites can also help the SEO benefits from your video (if properly done).

5- Share on social networks

Everyone hopes that their video will become viral (friends will share with friends). But without you asking or starting the process, few people will share. If you share on FB, Twitter, Google+, etc. with your followers, it will at least start the sharing process. If you are truly excited about your message, you will never tire of “shouting it from the rooftops.”

As we have seen with Google, the search parameters for web content continue to evolve. But at the end of the day, what holds true is that content is king. Just like a successful book requires a solid cover design, blurb, and a compelling story, your web video must have good production, keyword tags, and key message. Very rarely is anyone person able to coordinate the entire production and optimization of a web video. A good agency, like Epic, will have a team, with individuals who specialize in given aspects of the production, marketing, or management.

Digital vs. Offset printing; What's the Best for my Print Job?

admin — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 23:56:08 +0000

Commercial offset printing has been widely available for decades and has been refined to a point where incredibly intricate and colorful images can be reproduced with amazing clarity and detail, and in very large sizes and quantities. Digital printing on the other hand is a relatively new comer to the party but is based on established Color Xerographic principals common to most laser printers and copiers we use in our daily lives at the office, but this technology is usually limited to smaller print sizes and lower quantities.

Offset printing presses utilize liquid ink, in thousands of possible pantone colors, applied via printing plate and transfer rollers to large sheets or rolls of paper, and require considerable skill and training to operate. Digital printing presses simply employ mixtures of cyan, magenta, yellow and black toner, which is electrostatically applied to smaller sheets of paper and then fused with heat, requiring little of the skill set that offset printing demands.

The biggest deciding factors in whether to produce a printed piece using commercial offset printing versus using digital printing are:

Quantity
Quality
Size
Turnaround time
Cost

Digital printing definitely offers lower costs on most low quantity jobs, and the reason for this advantage over offset printing is that digital printing requires relatively little setup, doesn't require a press crew to operate, and does not utilize any expensive printing plates. This price advantage disappears on larger quantity jobs because the set up costs on digital presses are minimal, so there is never the enormous economy of scale that can be realized on large offset printing jobs. Once all of the up front and set up costs are realized on an offset printing job, it becomes very economical to just keep the press running longer and longer, reducing the per-piece price the longer the press is run and the higher the quantity produced.

Beyond quantity and cost considerations, there is the question of quality. While digital printing quality continues to improve, offset printing is likely to offer certain quality and production advantages well into the future, including the ability to use precisely mixed spot color inks, shiny metallic inks, and various varnishes and coatings, as well as being able to produce a much sharper image on a more diverse selection of paper and synthetic stocks. And because the liquid inks used in offset printing are generally absorbed and "become a part" of the paper, while digitally printed toner is simply fused to the surface of the paper, offset printing typically produces a much more robust, scratch and rub resistant product.

As you can see by this brief discussion, there is much to consider in choosing a technology for your next print job. At Epic Marketing, our staff has years of hands-on experience with both of these technologies, as well as insight into post-print finishing and the limitations that the printing process imposes on how a printed piece can ultimately be finished, distributed and used. You can count on Epic Marketing to always weigh all of these factors and recommend the best possible solution to produce the finest possible printed product, on time and most economically.

The Value of Auditing Media Invoices

admin — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 04:29:31 +0000

Up to 25% of all media buys are not fulfilled correctly! Advertisers are leaving thousands on the table every year because they don’t understand how to audit their media invoices correctly.

We recognize that business owners oftentimes find themselves spread thin in the day-to-day practices of their business. This is very common. Auditing every invoice that comes through and checking that they are correct in every way is just something that most business owners claim they do not have the time to do.

First of all, it is important that you have a very organized way to keep track of what items have been placed with vendors, what amount has been agreed upon for the marketing items you are placing, and exactly what you are buying. For example, if you are buying TV or Radio spots, you will want to specify when, where and how much you would like each spot to run for. That way, when you get your itemized report for the spots that ran, you can verify that each spot ran according to what you requested. Also, that they are the price agreed upon, and that they ran in the appropriate radio timeframes or TV show spots.

You may be thinking that this sounds like way too much work. But you would be surprised how many times we find errors with these kinds of buys and end up getting added value by receiving free spots for the next go around or whatever we can negotiate based on the error.

Another example would be if you decide to run a print ad. You will, again, want to specify what publication, date, price, and what kind of ad you are placing. When those invoices come through, you will want to verify that everything ran according to your specifications. There are times when vendors will tack on charges you are unaware of. Sometimes they may run the ad, but not in all the zones you specified. There are times when they change the date of when your ad is run and do not inform you. All of these things are unacceptable. For any kind of marketing you place, you should be informed if the vendor needs or would like to alter your original order. If your marketing is altered in any way, you should be given the option to cancel or ask for other options if what they want to do is undesirable. Oftentimes, the vendors are looking for availability, not necessarily what is best for your marketing campaign.

Simply put, the purpose of auditing your media invoices is to confirm that the intent of the objectives of the contract is being fulfilled to the specifications outlined. To do so could mean saving a lot of money that was misplaced when contracts were not fulfilled or gaining added value by receiving free advertising items or discounted items. At Epic Marketing, we audit every single spot, ad, run, impression, etc. to ensure our clients get everything they paid for. If your business could use help with media invoice auditing, give us a call today.

10 Tips for Quality Video Production

admin — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 07:45:00 +0000

Video is rapidly growing in its influence on website conversion. Video is a quick way to convey your message, make an emotional connection with your visitor, and distinguish yourself from your competition. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then how much is a video worth? Any video is being immediately judged on content, style, production quality, and presentation. We live in a society of instant gratification, and your visitors will bounce off your video if it is poorly executed and produced. Most web videos see over 30% of traffic leave within the first 30 seconds.
Here are our top 10 rules for improved video production:

Planning - Be Prepared
1. Plan and prepare: Each video should be strategized before filming even starts. Make sure you have a script, message and storyboard to make sure your video connects with your audience.
2. Pick subjects carefully:Make sure you consider your options before deciding on subjects for your videos. They should seem approachable and should be able to look natural in front of the camera while reading a script (if needed).

3. Don’t forget the set/background: Compelling videos have great visuals. Make sure that your set or background isn't just an afterthought.

Filming – It's All About Details

4. Sound quality: Sound quality is a big indicator of quality level. If you don't own sound equipment that will do the job right, look into rental equipment to add an extra level of professionalism to your video.

5. Lighting: Lighting can do a lot to alter the style and mood of your video, and it's also another big indicator of quality production. Make sure the lighting you choose works best for your subjects and set, and also that it helps emphasize the message of your video.

6. Camera and tripod: Videos taken on a flip cam won't really do the job to convince your audience that you're a trusted and professional business. Make sure you get access to good quality camera equipment that produces videos with good resolution.

7. Proper focus and framing: Like lighting, the focus and framing of your video can have a big impact on the message you want to convey. Will your video be close-up? Will you have a different focus for the background and foreground?

Editing – The Finishing Touches

8. Flow: Ensure the flow of the video matches the desired emotional response of your audience

9. B-roll: Use b-roll to complement the script, giving the video more dynamics and making it more appealing and interesting for your audience.

10.Don’t “overproduce”: Editing is important, but it shouldn't be overdone. Too many frames, subtitles, etc. can detract from the core message of your video.

Here at Epic, we are constantly helping clients to round out their marketing message. Video production is just one element of how we can elevate your brand image and help you make an emotional connection with potential clients. We find that we can elevate the overall effectiveness of your video, and save you time and money, by getting it right the first time. Epic Marketing has produced multiple high-quality promotional videos for our clients. If you would like help with your next video project, call us today

The Advantages of Professional Print Management

admin — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 19:28:52 +0000

Epic Marketing is proud to be able to offer our clients the collective experience of our professional print management staff, to help ensure that you will receive the best possible printed product, at the lowest possible cost to you.

You can rely on our in-depth knowledge of print vendor capabilities, specialties, facilities, equipment, and pricing. We will select vendors to bid on your print job that we know to have the ability to economically produce it based on the design parameters. We will compare multiple bids, review how the vendors intend to produce the job, and select the most efficient and lowest cost vendor, before we present pricing to you.

We will manage the pre-press process. This involves reviewing and approving pre-press proofs, not only ensuring the correct content, but also looking for proper use of PMS spots colors, varnishes, foil stamping, embossing/debossing treatments, fold and trim marks, bleeds, ink traps, and proper imposition and backup.

We will also manage the on-press process. We'll ensure that the correct paper stock was ordered and loaded on the press. We will verify proper ink densities, color matching, spot quality, and check every press signature for dot slur, mis-registration, moire and other halftone deficiencies which can subtly reduce printed image quality. We will reconfirm proper imposition and backup.

When special finishes are being applied, our staff will be present for approval of the first production pieces, ensuring proper registration, alignment, and overall fit, and generally verifying that the finished piece will be as intended by our designers.

We have the knowledge and background to be able to effectively communicate, judge the results, and propose solutions to problems encountered in the entire press process. Our 25 years of experience gives us the ability to influence press processes and results, in order to produce the best possible printed piece for our clients at the lowest possible cost. We don’t just “rubber stamp” press results. We take charge on your behalf and direct the pre-press and press processes with very specific demands, and we understand the limitations of the various processes and know when compromise is necessary, and how best to achieve the desired end result.

Just as importantly, we recognize when things have gone wrong, and we know how to deal with printers when mistakes have been made. As your print manager, we make things right for you our client. We will determine where things may have gone astray, who will be responsible for which costs if a re-do is necessary, or if a rebate of some printing costs makes most sense, we know how to effectively negotiate with the printer on your behalf. You will never be caught in the middle or find yourself in a verbal match against a printer throwing technical-jargon-laced excuses at you.

The bottom line is that Epic Marketing, as your professional print manager, will give you the best possible print results at the lowest cost, and without the headaches and uncertainty you might encounter when procuring commercial printing on your own.

Google+ Local: What You Should Know

admin — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 01:33:46 +0000

If you have a local business and were ever involved with the former Google Places program, you probably noticed that a few months ago your profile was overhauled to be consistent with the new Google+ platform. In addition to the aesthetic changes, Google has been incorporating local search—previously known as "Maps" results—into the organic listings more than ever before. Without a Google+ profile, especially one that is optimized, it will be hard to survive the competition of local search as Google continues to put more importance on it. Whether you currently have a profile or are starting from scratch, here are some of the most important things to pay attention to:

Claim your profile

The first and most vital step you should take is to claim your profile, otherwise you don't have much control over the information that it shows. To do this, you'll need to create an account with Google if you don't have one associated with a profile already. Google will let you claim your profile in one of two ways—either through an automated phone call or with a piece of mail they send that includes a PIN number. Once you've entered that PIN into your Google+ Local dashboard, you'll be able to make changes and edits to your profile.

Consistency is key

As you optimize your profile, it's important that your business name, address and phone number is entered exactly like it is on your website. This is commonly referred to NAP (name, address, phone number) consistency. In addition to the information you provide directly in the listing, Google also pulls information from how your site is listed elsewhere on the internet. Making sure your business info is consistent will give your profile the best chance at ranking.

Add photos and video

Be sure to add 10 photos to fill all the available slots Google offers in your profile, and also be sure to add links to any videos you have about your business. This helps to add to the completion factor of your profile but also helps viewers get a better idea of your business before clicking to your website.

Fill out every available field

Though not all of the information entered in the dashboard will be shown on your live listing, it's still important to aim for 100% completion score. These include:

Address
Contact info
Website
Description
Category (always choose categories in the drop down list instead of creating your own if possible)
Service Area
Business Hours
Payment information
Additional details

Create a strategy for customer reviews

With the transition to the Google+ platform, more stipulations have been put in place about who can leave reviews of your business and right now, reviews are only available to those with a Google account. While this was done to prevent false and anonymous reviews, it has become more difficult for local businesses to get reviews from their happy customers. Having reviews on your profile is important to help it rank well and to build your credibility. While it's not appropriate to incentivize reviewers with promotions or offers, that doesn't mean you can just ask—more often than not, happy customers are willing to leave reviews. However, when you ask, be prepared with information and instructions to walk them through the process should they need it.

Ready to get started on your listing? Visit http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/local/ for more infomration or contact our online marketing team if you need extra assistance.

Are You Marketing to Your Current Customers?

admin — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 06:11:35 +0000

When most people think of marketing, they probably envision the process of gaining new customers or clients that will contribute to the bottom line of their business. But in addition to adding new customers, it's also important to pay attention to the ones you already have. The cost of keeping a happy customer is fraction of what it costs in terms of marketing dollars to gain a new one. Customer retention is a key part of any marketing strategy and certainly something that should get a lot of thought, effort, and planning. Here are a few tips about different ways to make sure your current customers remain a part of your marketing strategy:

Make new customers feel welcome—While this should be a standard for any business, it's true that the little things go a long way in terms of customer services. Customers who have a great first impression of working with your business are much more likely to stick around in the long run. Consider sending welcome letters or even putting together welcome gifts or promotions for new patients or customers.

Let them know you value their feedback—Not only will asking their opinion help your customers know you value their feedback, but you'll also get invaluable information straight from the source to know how you can continue to improve your services and products.

Utilize social media—Staying in front of your audience with social media is one of the most inexpensive marketing tools you can add to your mix. Make sure you give your current clients an incentive to follow you on social media—whether that comes in the form of promotions or great, valuable content.

Snail mail—Good old-fashioned mail still holds value when it comes to some forms of marketing. Sending birthday and Christmas/holiday cards is another great way to stay in front of your current clients. Reminder postcards for upcoming patient visits or promotions are also another great way to keep your visibility high with current customers.

Collateral—The key to making collateral work is to give your current customers items that they'll actually use like calendars, magnets, mugs, pens, notepads, etc. Top of mind awareness and brand recognition are two great results that can come from effective collateral.

The perfect mix of strategies for customer retention varies with every business, but its importance doesn't. If you could use a little more strategy and planning when it comes to marketing to your current customers, give our team a call today.

The World of Marketing (and the State of Advertising)

admin — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 04:20:29 +0000

In talking to various clients and individuals about our industry, we find that many people are confused on the distinctions between advertising and marketing. At first glance they may seem to be one in the same, but understanding the differences can help you when developing a growth strategy for your business.

Here are some basic definitions:

Advertising - the act or practice of calling public attention to one's product, service, need, etc., especially by paid announcements in newspapers and magazines, over radio or television, on billboards, etc.
Marketing - The systematic planning, implementation and control of a mix of business activities (including advertising) intended to bring together buyers and sellers for the mutually advantageous exchange or transfer of products or services.

In short, marketing can be thought of as a strategy whereas advertising is a tactic included in that strategy.

A complete marketing strategy involves everything from the physical look and feel of a business to the content on a brochure, ad, or website. Advertising is an important part of a marketing strategy. However, many times people think that since they are running advertisements that they are running a comprehensive marketing plan. We often run into companies that are running advertising campaigns without a vision for marketing. This is like driving a car with a blacked out windshield. You have all the power, velocity and ability to adjust, but you are just not able to see the greater view.

Here at Epic Marketing, we feel it is critical to understand the overall scope of marketing for your business as we work to develop campaigns, collateral, etc. We work with our clients to immediately see an improvement in the response, look, feel, and effectiveness of their advertising, and strive to continue to help them see the great, big world of marketing and the benefit that it can have to their business. If you're struggling to find the bigger picture with your marketing or advertising efforts, contact our Utah marketing experts today to see how we can help grow your business.

Knowing Your Target Demographic

admin — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:45:45 +0000

When it comes to marketing and advertising, it's not just about the number of people you can reach with your brand and message. What determines the success of your efforts is being able to effectively reach and connect with those who are most likely to respond to it. How do you do that? By finding your target demographic and crafting your messages to match their self-interests, you have a much higher chance of maximizing your marketing dollar. After all, you don't want to be throwing your money away on people that don't need, or even want your services or products.

Here are a few questions to get you thinking about your target demographic:

What are the different observable characteristics of your buyers?
What social groups are your buyers a part of?
What age, ethnicity, gender, income level, etc. really care about your type of business?
What motivates your prospects to buy your products and services?
What are their key needs and challenges?

When it comes to determining your target demographic, the worst mistake you can make is just assuming you know who you think you should target without gathering some data to support it. How can you do that? Get to know your customers. List the key identifiable characteristics of your best potential clients and you'll almost always find your ideal target market. For even more refined data, consider finding other market research or conducting surveys on your own.

Once you've found your target demo, you then need to determine how you can best cater your message to them. Consider the following questions:

How can you better refine your marketing message to speak to these groups?
What specific solutions are you offering to meet their key needs?
What wording needs to be changed in your promotional material to speak directly to these potential buyers in a way they will respond to?

Most importantly, it's vital to constantly fine tune your marketing materials and message to ensure that it's reaching your target market in a way that brings the most return per marketing dollar spent. If you need help determining your target market or would like an expert opinion of how you can best market to that demographic, give our marketing professionals a call today.

How to Grow & Promote Your Business with LinkedIn

admin — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 22:25:23 +0000

Often considered one of the big players in the social media trifecta, LinkedIn plays a big part in how modern companies do business. Many people are aware of how LinkedIn works for their personal resume and job prospects, but don't recognize the benefit it can have in the bigger business marketplace. What's different about LinkedIn is that it's a social network just for business. Sure, you make connections and contacts, but it has a sense of heightened professionalism and credentials that make it a valuable tool to add to your efforts in increasing your company's brand and visibility. If you're new to LinkedIn or aren't quite sure how you can use it as a business tool, here are a few tips:

Build a Company Profile

In addition to personal profiles, LinkedIn also allows businesses to create their own professional profile. Information on a company profile can include a description about the business, a link to the website, its industry, size, etc. When you create a company profile, employees can be "linked" to your business through their profile so all of their connections can see a description of where they work. Additionally, company profiles can have "followers," where you can easily communicate updates and share links with people who are interested in the happenings of your business.

Share Your Knowledge

Helping someone out while sharing your knowledge at the same time is a great way to make business connections. With LinkedIn Answers, you can do just that. With highly segmented categories, you can be sure that you're choosing to share information about subjects you know the most about. There aren't any rules about how much information you can or can't give away, but making a personal connection can set the groundwork for a new client relationship. Be thorough with your answers, and invite whoever asked the question to contact you privately for more info.

Take Advantage of Viral Potential

Use LinkedIn as another great tool to promote sharable content. The inherent networking quality of this site makes it easy for your company profile followers to share content to their friends and connections that they deem valuable, which is another great way to enhance the visibility of your business.

Join the Conversation

Get involved with others who have the same or similar interest as your business. Join LinkedIn Groups and join the discussions to leverage your participation in those groups. Doing so will help build your visibility with others in the same niche.

New Hires

If your company is looking to fill open positions, LinkedIn is a valuable asset to use to not only find the most qualified applicants, but to also increase your brand visibility.

Looking for more ways to enhance your presence on LinkedIn or social media in general? We can help. Contact Epic Marketing today.

Quality Production: More Than Just Paper

admin — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 22:23:33 +0000

Today I opened 5 different Christmas cards from friends and family. As I looked at the different designs and images, I was caught up in what a difference the production made: the paper it was printed on, the way it was printed, and overall quality. If you are trying to convey a high-end product or service, would you entrust your production to a color printer at the local copy shop?

Here at Epic, we are constantly working on production projects for our clients, from in-office materials (letterhead, data sheets, and business cards) to marketing materials (signage, ads, sales brochures, etc.).

People who try to handle production on their own are faced with a myriad of confusing terms and options, such as:

Digital vs. off-set
Bleed vs. full bleed
Spot color vs. 4 color process
Paper weight and texture/finish choices

We recognized years ago that having a highly skilled production manager in office would improve the overall quality, speed, and the overall cost of our projects.

If you are not familiar with what a good production manager does, here is a short list:

Recommends efficient, time & cost-saving project production options
Possesses a vast knowledge of printing options, methods, and paper types
Determines the best printers for the specific project
Coordinates bids via multiple vendors to ensure best quality, speed and price
Negotiates with vendors
Explains technical print processes to the design team
Creates and manages print production schedules
Reviews the project at internal and printer proof stages
Communicates the designer’s requirements to vendors
Completes press checks prior to final printing
Examines finished samples and approve quality before delivery to client

We often have brainstorming meetings with design, production and account management to ensure we are recommending the best options. If you would like us to perform a marketing analysis on your marketing material, give us a call today.

Collateral: Can a Pen with Your Name on it Really Get You New Clients or Patients?

admin — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:53:11 +0000

The short answer to the question is "yes". Your brand and your customers' awareness of what you offer are a large part of your marketing presence. To keep "top of mind" awareness, you need to be familiar to the target demographic your product and services are catered to. In order to do that, you need to be seen or heard from often. I could be as simple as a pen with your business name and logo on it, but it's usually a little more complex than that.

Epic Marketing suggests using this approach: "Get in at the beginning of the process when the consumer is gathering facts relating to her/his problem or need . . .and stay there!"

Once you've identified your best prospects, the best way to do that is to stay in touch consistently, whether through mail, phone, email, or other methods.

Your goals as a business must be to create an awareness of who you are and what you offer. When your prospect finally decides to buy a product or sign up for a service, he or she will immediately think of your business—and that could come from a pen or notepad with your logo on it. Compare the cost of making collateral pieces to your return of just one or two new patients or customers. If you could add just one new client per month or even per year, how quickly would that pay for a couple hundred dollars' worth of collateral?

Remember: your best prospects are always your present customers or patients and other people similar to them. "Top of mind" awareness pays off, and so can the use of collateral to create it.

This is just one of the many aspects of marketing that the talented account executives at Epic are ready to help you with. Contact us today for a consultation.

Is Advertising on Facebook Right for Your Business?

admin — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:11:35 +0000

When it comes to online advertising, there are seemingly endless possibilities of where you could allocate your marketing dollars. And while there are lots of options available to place online ads, you want to make sure that the outlet you choose is going to be the most successful in catering to your target audience.

While most businesses nowadays are at least somewhat involved with Facebook marketing (creating a business page and gathering "fans"), other businesses have found that doing eve more on Facebook through paid advertising has helped increase the success of their online marketing campaigns. But before you get started with Facebook advertising, it's important to evaluate whether it is the best option for your particular target market. So how do you know if advertising on Facebook is right for your business? Here are a few tips to consider:

Is your target audience already using Facebook?

This is by far the most important point you need to determine when deciding whether to advertise on Facebook. To see the most success with Facebook ads, your target audience should be "active" on Facebook, which is different than just having a Facebook account. If your target marketing doesn't use Facebook actively, it's probably not an ideal advertising outlet for your business.

Does your business have a strong Facebook presence?

While Facebook advertising can be effective in helping your business gain more of a following on Facebook, it's most effective when you already have a large base of fans who are involved with your business page. Advertising campaigns can be created to target friends of your fans, which is useful in building your word of mouth marketing and credibility.

Is targeting specific demographics important for your campaign?

If you've already determined that your target audience actively uses Facebook, then creating ads through this platform to target their specific demographics is easy. Facebook's ad platform lets you easily select age ranges, interests, gender, and locations to build an audience that your ads are shown to.

Are you interested in building customer relationships or just in a hard sale?

Facebook PPC ads are similar to other online PPC ads you can create, but their function is a bit different. Facebook ads are more successful when they're used to promote softer offers like discounts and giveaways, or to simply just gain fans for your business page that you can create relationships with, and convert into sales in the future. If your business is only concerned with an immediate hard sale, Facebook advertising probably isn't the best method to consider.

Are you interested in investing in brand exposure?

In addition to helping gain more Facebook fans, advertising through Facebook is an effective, inexpensive way to increase your brand visibility with your target audience. All Facebook PPC ads allow an uploaded image to be shown along with the ad text. Even if a user doesn't click on your ad (after which you would be charged for the click), you're still getting free brand exposure according to the target demographics you have set for your campaign.

Still wondering if Facebook advertising is right for your? We can help. Contact us today to talk to one of our experienced account executives to evaluate your best options for online marketing.

Placement: Why Is It So Important to Your Marketing Budget?

admin — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 22:46:29 +0000

When it comes to advertising, the thought of where the ad is going to be placed in the magazine, newspaper, mailer, or even on the computer screen is often overlooked. Of course, the type of medium you choose for your advertisements is important, but placement can make the difference between the success and failure of an ad. Understanding reading patterns and how the human eye is naturally drawn to certain areas of a page or monitor is an important factor in getting the most out of your marketing budget.

With advertising, just like real estate, it is all about location, location, location. Generally, the farther forward in the publication your ad is placed, the more successful it will be. Placing the ad closer to the front page of the publication makes it more likely for the reader to come across your ad before they grow tired or distracted from what they are reading and close the pub before seeing your message. Placement on the right hand page is also crucial as the eye is often drawn to the right.

Many times this placement is considered "premium placement" and the print publication will charge an additional fee for a far forward, right-hand read. This may also be the case for a front page, back page or spadia style ad (a page wrapped around the front of the publication). Depending upon the charge, it may very well be worth it to pay for premium placement, as more readers will see your message. More readership lends itself to more phone calls, purchases, etc.

When placing your upcoming media, speak with the media rep about placement. Make it a priority and focus on a great placement as part of a well-negotiated rate. Many times, media outlets will help those out who ask for it at no additional charge to earn business and a long-term relationship.

Does your business need advice about media placement or help with rate negotiation? Epic Marketing has a team of talented account executives who specialize in helping our clients creating successful marketing campaigns.

How to Establish and Promote your Business Presence on YouTube

admin — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:09:44 +0000

YouTube has long been known as another social media channel that businesses can use to promote their brand, but as the 2^nd largest search engine (behind Google, which its owner), businesses are finding that YouTube has much more impact on their online presence than just through social activity.

More and more YouTube videos are incorporated into Google organic searches each day, and when used properly, YouTube videos can be a great way for potential customers to find you first, not just showing current customers what you do through social channels.

Many businesses already incorporate videos on their website to help tell a better story of who they are as a business and what types of products/services they offer. Video has been proven to help improve site conversion because it's more engaging than just having to read text. If your site already has on-site video, or is planning to incorporate it in the future, you can maximize your efforts by hosting those videos on YouTube and using it to promote your business on both platforms.

When it comes to establishing and promoting your business presence on YouTube, there's a lot more to it than just signing up and uploading a video. Here are a few simple tips you can follow to make the most of your YouTube presence:

Create a branded channel

If you're going to be hosting several business videos on your YouTube channel, you want to make sure that your page is an extension of your brand. YouTube allows for several customized features that can help make your YouTube page as branded of your site. Make sure you choose a customized channel name that is either the same or similar to your business name. You'll also want to:

Upload a custom background image
Choose a corresponding theme from "channel settings" menu
Properly size and upload logos

Optimize your vides

Next, you want to make sure that your video is optimized so people can find it through both YouTube and Google Searches. Before optimizing your videos, have some keywords in mind that your business already uses. Then optimize your video with the following:

Title – the most important place for your keywords. Make sure your video titles are descriptive and succinct, but also incorporate your keywords while still being reader-friendly.
Description – tell viewers more about your video and about your business. Include a link to your website so viewers can find it easily.
Tags – this is where you should enter your targeted keywords that are relevant to your video. If you have keywords that are more than one word, make sure you put them in quotations. Tags used to be viewable by all visitors, however, YouTube has recently made tags private to prevent abuse of the system. Even though your viewers won't see your tags, it's still important to add them to help categorize your videos.

Incorporate vides on your website

Once you have your videos uploaded to YouTube, it's easy to implement them on your site on their appropriate pages. Some websites incorporate a welcome video on their main page, while others choose videos for their testimonial or product description pages. Where you choose to place your video depends on the overall goal of your website, but hosting them through YouTube gives viewers a great video interface along with a quick way to find the rest of your videos on your YouTube channel.

Share videos with your audience

If you have great videos, make sure your audience sees them! If you have any social media profiles like Facebook or Twitter, share your videos with your followers. The number of views your video has also plays a big role in how well they rank for key terms.

Need help getting your YouTube channel going? Looking for great video production? Epic Marketing does it all – from the creation of your video to incorporating it on your site. Contact us today for more information.

CRM Software – Do You Need It?

admin — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 06:00:27 +0000

Customer Relationship Management, also known as CRM, is a vital part of every business. No matter the industry, every business has a group of past and current clients, as well as an audience of future clients that need to be reached. Effective customer relationship management is a strategy that spreads across all departments of a business, including everything from sales and accounting to customer service. While some businesses have an effective internal method of keeping their customer relationships organized, other businesses often miss out on new customers and profits because of their lack of detail with customer relationship management.

How CRM Software Can Help

The main benefit of CRM software is that it helps businesses share customer information in a group environment and gives an overview of all customer interactions. Not only can CRM software help manage customers on an individual level, but it also allows company administration to see activity with all clients, including appointment scheduling, web leads, follow ups, sales, marketing, email blasts, accounting, etc.

If you're finding it difficult to easily find customer information, track leads, produce management reports, or view customer touch points across the different departments of your business, CRM software could be a great organizational tool to consider in boosting your business.

Choosing CRM Software

What used to be available only for large businesses with million-dollar budgets is now accessible to small- to medium-sized businesses for a fraction of the cost. Which software your business decides to use depends on the goals you want to achieve by using it. Make sure that the software you choose is simple and easy to integrate—because after all, what's the sense in having it if your employees won't use it? As business becomes more mobile, you may also want to look for software that incorporates remote and mobile access. But no matter the specifications, CRM software can make a big difference in customer retention and satisfaction, overall improving your bottom line.

Should my Advertising Take a Holiday?

admin — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 18:17:22 +0000

A common question we at Epic Marketing get as another holiday season approaches is, “Should I advertise around a holiday?” As with most questions we face, there are varied opinions in the market, and this may be due to the fact that many of the scattered voices come with their own angle and each industry is unique. If you are a Christmas tree lot, then you definitely should advertise. But what about a home improvement company? Or a law firm? Medical office? In most cases, the correct decision is far more vague. Most owners know their own industry, but look to others for marketing advice. How do you choose whom to listen to? What’s best for your business?

Last year, we had a client who was thinking about not advertising during the holidays because of previous experience and advice from others. We recommended a marketing plan based on our other similar clients and our history in the area. They took our advice and received over 200 calls during the 4 weeks that they would’ve taken off, if they had followed the advice from others. Each one of these calls was a potential customer that would have been missed and potentially lost to competitors.

Another aspect commonly overlooked is that many of the potential customers that may be generated during a holiday period will translate into actual business after the holiday. No one wants to come back to work after the holidays and have no patients/prospects to work with. Advertising is the lifeblood for many industries we work with. If you slow the flow, you in turn slow your future business.

If your business is service-oriented, how do you provide a strong offer at a time of year when people are clamoring for the doorbuster deals? Here are a few ideas:

End-of-year specials
Valued customer offers
Come back offer to former clients
Referral programs

At Epic Marketing, we make recommendations based on our experience. We have handled thousands of different campaigns in virtually every major market in the country. It is not enough to just have a strong product or service—you need to know your audience, craft the right message and deliver it via the proper channels. A properly timed, placed and developed campaign during the holidays can achieve strong results for almost any business.

Investing In Your Receptionist

admin — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 20:39:52 +0000

A good receptionist is one of the most vital components of marketing for your business. Receptionists are responsible for greeting customers, patients, clients, visitors and answering phone calls. They are also responsible for managing the affairs of the office and participating in many aspects of the business. The receptionist is usually the first point of contact for a customer and they leave the customer with a first impression of your business. They are key players in bringing new customers to your business, and such, it's important to hire qualified professionals to take on these responsibilities. Once you have hired your receptionists, the most important thing you can do is to invest in them and their future with your company.

Here are a few ways you can invest in your receptionists and see a great return:

Recognize the Value of Your Receptionist
Recognize the value of your receptionist to your business. Receptionists are usually the most underpaid employee of the company. They are also the most undervalued employee. They deserve to be respected and treated well, to be regarded as business professionals, and valued for the difficult tasks they perform each day.

Show Your Appreciation
Show your receptionists that you appreciate them. But don’t just show them... tell them! Show them by regarding them as the professionals they are. Your appreciation will go a long way and will motivate them and help them to be excited about their job and about your company.

Provide Training and Continued Education
Now that you have hired business professionals, do everything in your power to train and educate them. Set the expectation that you are developing them as business professionals and integrate them into every aspect of the business. If you do this properly, your receptionists will possess a wealth of knowledge about all aspects of the company and will serve as one of your most valuable assets.

Incentivize Your Receptionist
If you are looking for exceptional performance from your receptionists, pay them well. If they are working for minimum wage, they will give you minimum wage performance. Pay them well to begin with, but when they have earned and deserve it, give them a raise. Second, incentivize them. When they bring on a new customer, give them a bonus. By incentivizing your receptionist, you give them the drive to work hard at what they do and a reason to care about every customer that walks through the door. This will motivate them to put forth concerted effort every time they interact with a potential customer. Also, incentivize your receptionists by giving them advancement opportunities through an employee development program.

Intermountain Vein Center in Orem, UT is a great example of a company that truly invests in their receptionists. Heather Todd, Office Manager said,

"Our receptionists are vital to the success of our organization. They provide that most important first impression a patient gets of our clinic and the last impression as they leave. No one enjoys going to the doctor and our receptionists understand that. They are there to make sure our patients are as comfortable as possible, and part of that responsibility is to be able to answer questions that can help put patients' minds at ease. Our receptionists undergo extensive training and education on venous disease and the treatment options available. At the Intermountain Vein Center, we make sure we work as a team and all employees are involved in the treatment process of each patient, but the receptionists are our star performers."

There are various ways to invest in your receptionists, and every business should realize that receptionists have the potential to become one of their most valuable assets. Invest in your receptionists and you'll realize a great return and the true value of your investment!

Link Building Basics

admin — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 20:20:06 +0000

When looking to build your business and brand online, there are many trains of thought on what works best. However, one of the most common needs for websites of all shapes and sizes is a solid body of links from outside websites pointing to your site. This is also commonly referred to as off-site SEO liked we mentioned in one of our previous blog posts, SEO for Beginners. While Google also looks at your site's on-site keyword usage, another important ranking factor is the quantity and quality of other links that point to your site. Google’s algorithm is a constantly evolving entity, but the need for quality links is ever present.

The difficulty, as always, is how to get those links. Here are some basics on the "how" of link building:

Use your relationships. The best link is one that you can elicit from a reputable source. As a business owner, you know people who own other businesses. Getting links from your friends and contacts in relevant and related industries is invaluable to your online reputation. It never hurts to ask!
Have a quality idea or product. The internet is begging for quality information and the next new thing. By providing quality content, information, or even infographics on a new or innovative idea, you are likely going to get naturally placed links from outside sources (Hint: this is commonly referred to as link baiting).
Create content for outside sources that link back to you. By providing content for another site or blog, you are able to embed a link that points back to your own site.

Link building is a long, slow process and anyone who offers to do it fast simply isn’t doing you any favors. Take the time to build links the right way and your business website will be built for the long run. Don't have the time to build links on your own? Epic Marketing can help. We work with many of our clients to develop ongoing, high quality link building campaigns. Contact us today to learn more.

Website Video Post

Nick — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 02:48:12 +0000

Shooting a website video intro for Norton's Quality Exteriors. Shawn is a natural on camera. Look for this new video in a couple of weeks on www.nortonsqualityexteriors.com. What a great compliment to their new website that just went live.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

admin — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 10:56:06 +0000

The right image in a marketing piece can help convey a deeper message than you may be able to communicate in copy alone. Finding and selecting the appropriate images for marketing materials, as always, is easier said than done.

You have a few options:

1. Take the photo yourself - good luck!

2. Hire a professional photographer - can be pricey. Hopefully they are better than the wedding portfolio they showed you.

3. Use stock imagery - lots and lots of options. Where to start? Stock photos are very affordable and can save you a significant amount of time and effort. But even for fairly experienced marketers, finding the right images can be like finding a “needle in the haystack.” It is not uncommon a designer to take several hours (time well spent) before they find just the right image.

When selecting a great photo, look for:

Subject is easily recognizable
Relevance to message
Quality (focus, lighting)
Right dimensions
Bright colors or contrast
Avoid using cliché stock images -- they are all over and everyone has seen them.

Even though pictures speak a thousand words, poor images do nothing to advance your company’s message. These images will degrade the marketing value of the material and may even portray a negative image to viewers. It’s best to view your materials through your target audience’s eyes. If possible, elicit feedback from them to tailor your brand image.

We have worked with hundreds of clients to develop thousands of unique and professional marketing pieces. Experience the difference that an Epic ad will do for your business.

What Surveys Can Do For Your Business

admin — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 05:27:10 +0000

Surveys are often an overlooked solution to increasing revenue, patient retention and overall satisfaction. Whether done formally via phone, emails or in-office forms, or informally through verbal follow-up questions, surveys are important to creating a roadmap to success for any business. They help create an outside perspective of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your business, rather than just having to create that SWOT analysis based on internal assumptions. Here are a few key reasons why surveys of both current and potential customers are important to your business:

Surveys create benchmark measurements. Before you determine where you want to go, you need to know where you’re starting. To grow your businesses effectively and improve on customer or patient satisfaction, you first need to know where those factors currently stand. Benchmark measurements are critical in tracking the success of your efforts and aiding in strategic planning.

Surveys provide an early warning system for process breakdowns.Patient or customer responses that indicate even slight disappointment or dissatisfactions at any point of their experience can help your business prevent more critical problems in the future. Of course, when this data is gathered, it needs to actually be used to initiate change rather than just using it to determine the problem.

Surveys uncover opportunities for expansion

When it comes to making important decisions in terms of the direction or products/services offered by your business, you shouldn’t just rely on making them based on best guesses or assumptions. Using data from surveys—either from your current audience or prospective audience—can help you make the most informed decisions possible about expansion opportunities.

Surveys help you understand the current competition

Understanding your current competition helps in crafting a strategic business plan that will help you stand out amongst your competitors. Surveys can be great tools that give you insight into the opinions, interests, and attitudes of your prospective audience regarding market competition.

Need help with implementing surveys into your business strategy? Contact us today to learn more.

SEO for Beginners

admin — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 19:01:39 +0000

If you own a business or have a website, you've probably heard the term 'SEO' or 'Search Engine Optimization' before. And even if you don't know much about it, you've probably heard that it's important. In today's marketplace, it's no longer enough to just simply have a website. To be competitive, you need to make sure people can find your website when searching for the products or services you offer. That's what SEO is all about. It's the process of optimizing your site in a way that signals to search engines that your site is one of the best results for searches related to your products or services. Better search engine rankings equal more traffic to your website, which eventually contributes to more revenue and profits.

With Google alone using more than 200 factors to rank each site, and changing those factors hundreds of times per year, SEO can get tricky. While learning all of the ins and outs of SEO can take years, that doesn't mean you can't start with learning the basics of how SEO works and trying out some best practices for yourself.

SEO can be broken down into two major parts: on-site SEO and off-site SEO. Here is some basic info about each, and a few tips you can try on your own to start the SEO process on your own.

On-Site SEO

When Google evaluates your site to determine where to rank it for a specific search, they look at how well the content on your site relates to that specific search term. It's important that your site's content accurately describes your products or services in a way that's user-friendly for the reader. How can you tell if your site content is keyword-relevant? Check these four main areas:

Title tags
Meta descriptions
Page titles
Page content

Title tags and meta descriptions are shown to users in the search engine results. Google looks at these elements to determine how relevant your site is, but it's also important that it's easy for users to read as well. Make sure each page on your site has unique and descriptive title tags and meta descriptions:

Optimized page titles and content are also important both for your visitors and for search engines. Make sure your page titles accurately describe the topic of the page, and that your site content also incorporates the terms that people use to search for your products or services:

Off-site SEO

In addition to determining how relevant your site is, Google's search algorithm also determines how much popularity and credibility your site has based off which sites link to your site. Links can be thought of as a vote, and the more votes your site has, generally the higher it will rank. But it's important to remember that it's not only the quantity of links that is important—the quality of those links matters, too. Quality links act to drive traffic from another site to yours, which is why Google uses them to determine the popularity and credibility of your site.

So what are quality links? Here are a few examples:

Your business was featured in a story on a local news channel and the story on their website included a link to yours site.
A blogger was really impressed with your product or service and they blogged about their experience, including a link in the post so readers could visit your site.
A business with a complementary product or service to yours includes your business information and link to your site on their "preferred vendors" page.
Your business sponsors a local community group or club and they feature your business on their site with a link back to yours.

These are only a few of the possibilities available for building quality links to your site. Check back for a future post about our tips for link building basics.

Have questions about your site's SEO or are interested in having a professional team optimize your site? Contact us today for more information about how we can help.

PR - The Public Perception of Your Business

admin — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:21:52 +0000

A news group recently estimated that the value of a 2-minute FREE segment on a local evening newscast is equal in effect to buying dozens of 30-second commercials. Public Relations is the driving force behind this exposure. It goes hand in hand with marketing, although there are significant differences. With PR, you’re trying to sell your practice to the media so they can in turn sell it to your target customers.

The following is an example from one of Epic Marketing's clients:

A local plastic surgeon was seen in a magazine as a recipient of an award for excellence. A press release was developed and sent to the local media. A popular news station picked up the story and aired it on the evening news. The surgeon received dozens of calls and performed several surgeries. This same segment is now playing on his website and is still helping people make the choice to visit his office for cosmetic procedures.

Public Relations builds awareness of your business and its services, and will supplement any direct marketing and advertising efforts. This public coverage of your company will also make it appear larger and more established than it might actually be, which will advance efforts in driving new customers and even securing partnerships and funding.

As you know, most people now consult a search engine before making a decision on a purchase or even choosing a new doctor. When an article from a news source or a broadcast clip is found in this search, these provide inbound links to your website that increases your position towards the top of the search results. That coverage can also add tremendous credibility if you’re able to appear in a local news source!

So how do you create a unique story about your company that is worthy of PR?

1. Stand out from your competition. Embrace those things that make your company unique. Do you have four generations of family members working in the same business? Celebrate that. It’s worthy of attention. Do you offer a way of doing something that no one in your area does? Discover these differences. They could be newsworthy!

2. Testimonials. Ask for them! They boost your credibility and people will always prefer a personal recommendation from someone versus a sales advertisement.

3. Write a killer press release and send to local media outlets, (or have an ad agency with those contacts send the release—ahem, Epic Marketing). This release contains interesting information that highlights your business in a way that would spark the attention of a journalist. They’re always looking for a good story idea, especially from an “expert” in the field.

4. Hold a fundraising drive and offer something free at the event. Run a weird contest that gets attention. Attend a community event where you are a special guest. These are just a few ideas that you can do on your own, and relatively inexpensively, to improve the public’s perception of your business.

It’s important and worthwhile to diversify your marketing and PR strategies to grow your business in every wonderful way possible. If you’re clueless where to begin, let us help. We have public relations specialists at our firm that really dig this stuff.

Is Your Market Unique?

admin — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:43:10 +0000

“I don't think that will work in my area—my market is pretty unique,”-- Joe Average Client

While each market does in fact have unique features, there are lessons that can be learned from other similar markets, too. As we have helped over 100 clients in dozens of cities, we have learned that markets have more in common than they have in differences.

Every market has similar mix of media outlets to carry your message, including:

Major newspaper outlets
Smaller targeted publications
Magazines
Radio
Broadcast TV (with similar programming)
Cable TV (with the same programming nationwide)
Mailers
and others

Also, each market has a mix of demographics, though some areas will slightly skew towards a given demo. But even in the largest college town, there is a population base of families, seniors, etc.

In all areas, there are proven methods to hit your target market. You don’t have to move your business to find success. The real challenge is crafting the right message and sifting through the dozens of marketing options available to find the best options for your specific goals.

When it comes to marketing, we have proven time and time again that there are tried and true methods to getting the phone to ring. We have seen similar campaigns find success in small Wisconsin town and also in New York City. Although it is not a one-size fits all approach, it is definitely a pattern that can be altered and adjusted based on a thorough market analysis. If you are trying to get your message to a given audience in your market, the smartest solution is to look at what has been effective in other markets for similar businesses. Don't waste your time and money trying to reinvent the wheel, but rather use that wheel to take your business to the next level.

If you would like our input on your market and business, contact us today.

Is Pinterest Right for Your Business?

admin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 23:50:33 +0000

Growing by nearly 20 million users in just the past year, Pinterest has certainly made a splash in the social media scene. Used as a virtual pin board for organizing links through the use of images, Pinterest has become wildly popular with users who want to keep track of and find new ideas for recipes, fashion, design, tips, and more. Pinterest has experienced such staggering growth over the past two years that many are calling it "the next social media giant" along the ranks of Facebook and Twitter.

But before your business jumps on the Pinterest bandwagon, it's important to first determine if it will contribute to your company's bottom line. If you're not sure whether Pinterest would be a good addition to your social media landscape, ask yourself these questions:

Who is your audience?

Probably the most important question to ask when determining if any social media platform is a good strategy is to consider the audience you're trying to reach. Businesses that see success with Pinterest marketing are generally B2C companies with a largely female audience between the ages of 18-35.

Are products or services at the core of your business?

If your business is more service-oriented, Pinterest probably isn't the best fit for your growth strategy. Pinterest is based entirely on image use and sharing, which can be difficult if your business doesn't really have images of products to share.

Do your products have visual appeal?

If the core of your business is based mostly around products, you now need to determine how much of a visual appeal those products have. Pinterest is a great tool for creating referral traffic to sites that have had their images "pinned" on various user boards because their images are catchy and interesting to users. Some of the most popular categories on Pinterest include home décor, design, fashion and beauty, food and drink, weddings, and DIY and crafts. If your core products fall into any of these related categories, you probably have a good chance at success with Pinterest marketing.

Can you handle another social media platform?

Last but not least, determine if you really have the capacity to manage another social media platform successfully. When it comes to social media, it's better to have one or two platforms that are highly-engaging and actively managed than 5-10 that are poorly managed and left abandoned. If you're still struggling to find time to make your current social media campaigns successful, you probably want to hold off on adding Pinterest to the mix. But on the other hand, if you've already seen a lot of success with your other social media strategies and have room for more growth, Pinterest could end up being one of your highest sources of referral traffic.

Using Pinterest to market your business might not bring untold sales and wealth, but it is a good way to get your products and name to the general public with little cost. If you’re interested in learning more, contact Epic Marketing for a free consultation.

Call tracking is a must have!

admin — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 19:56:14 +0000

At Epic Marketing, we know that tracking your marketing is just as valuable as the marketing campaign itself. And the best way to track your marketing is to do it yourself—rather than relying on your customers or patients to tell you where they think they first saw your marketing message. While there are several different tools you can use to track your marketing efforts, one of the most effective is call tracking. We've written about why call tracking is important before, but how do you know if your call tracking company is giving you all the features you really need for effective data accumulation? Here are a few tips to help you know what qualities to look for in a good call tracking company:

Reliability

Without tracking data, you don't have a solid idea of how well your marketing campaigns are performing or how you can best improve them to bring in more patients or customers. That's why it's important to make sure your call tracking company is reliable and accurate. Good call tracking companies should be able to provide consistent tracking without technical mishaps and should ensure that your data is stored securely, but easily accessible when you need it.

Call recording

Call tracking services should be able to not only tell how many calls your marketing materials produced, but should also help you discover the quality of those calls and how they converted into real customers or patients. Call recording helps you determine the quality of your leads, and also helps you find out how your business is doing at handling those phone calls.

24/7 account access

Call tracking for your business shouldn't be based on someone else's time frame. You should be able to access your account, see reports and analyze your data anytime you want to. This is especially true if your business operates on more than the traditional 9-5 schedule. Make sure your call tracking company gives you the ability to access your account anytime online.

Options for dynamic tracking

If your business or practice does any sort of marketing through a website, dynamic tracking is a valuable tool to use that will help you know how effective your site is in converting visitors to callers. While Google Analytics is helpful in tracking conversions through web submission contact forms and shopping carts, it can't track how many people pick up their phones to call the number listed on your website. With dynamic call tracking, you can see exactly how many website visitors called, and the pages they viewed on your site before calling.

If you're not using call tracking currently and are looking for a reliable company who offers all of the qualities mentioned above, we recommend CallStage.com. We have been recommending our client to Call Stage for years and have been very happy with data they provide that helps us track and improve our marketing campaigns. Email will@callstage.com for more information or visit their site for more details about their services.

How Does Your Site Measure Up to the Competition?

admin — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 21:57:47 +0000

As the Internet becomes more dominant in our society, the competition in the online marketplace is constantly increasing, too. Businesses wanting to have an edge over their online competition need to do more than just have a website. A successful site should be properly designed for viewers and should be used as the center of a larger campaign for increased online visibility.

So how can you gauge how well your site is performing amongst your online competitors? Here are a few tips:

Search Engine Rankings:

When you type in a relevant service or product to your business in search engines like Google or Bing!, where does your site appear in comparison to your other online competitors? Probably one of the biggest indicators of site performance is how well it ranks organically (non-paid positions) in the search engines. Sites that rank higher in organic positions naturally receive more online traffic.

When it comes to the search engine optimization (SEO) of your site compared to competitors, there are two major areas to look at:

On-site content – Does your site have relevant content for your users? Are relevant keywords/search terms used in your content, title tags, and heading tags? Search engines use content relevancy as a big factor in determining how to rank individual sites.

Off-site optimization – How do search engines view your site’s online authority and popularity? While there are hundreds of different factors used by search engines to determine how to rank your site, www.opensiteexplorer.org is a free tool you can use to get a brief overview of how your site’s off-site optimization compares with others. Sites with higher authority, trust, and links typically rank higher in search engines.

Site Design and User-Friendliness

Even though your site may rank well in search engines, it still won’t be effective in converting visitors to customers/patients if its design and user-friendliness is sub-par. When it comes to site design, first impressions mean a lot. In fact, first impressions of a site often determine if a visitor chooses the services of one business above another.

Does your site have an updated, modern look? Can users easily find the information they’re looking for? Does your site incorporate trust and credibility elements? These are all factors to consider when determining how well your site holds up against online competitors.

Visibility from Referring Sites

Organic search rankings aren’t the only place your site should be getting visibility. Websites like local listings and business directories, along with social media can all be used to increase your online visibility. If you haven’t utilized them yet, it’s likely that your competitors already have on some of the following sites:

Local listings: Look for business profiles on Google+ Local, Yellowpages.com, manta.com, bbb.org, and other industry-specific directories.

Social Media: Look for business activity on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, and even Pinterest.

Paid Visibility

Last but not least, paid online advertisements are another highly used tool in the online marketplace for driving visitors to websites. Typing in a few relevant search terms for your business on Google, Bing!, and Yahoo is one of the easiest ways to gauge your competitors’ involvement with paid advertisements—if an ad related associated with their domain shows up in the very top or sidebar positions, they are actively involved with paid ads. Pay-per-click campaigns can be very effective in driving immediate, targeted traffic to your site.

So how did your site measure up to the competition? Whether you’ve found that your site design needs a revamp or maybe if you just need some help with pay-per-click or SEO, Epic Marketing can help. Call us today to find out what we can do to help your site perform above the competition.

Take the Guesswork Out of Medical Marketing

admin — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:43:43 +0000

If you’re like most doctors, you’re always trying to see more patients—help more people and make more money. That’s the goal. So what is the best way to attract new quality patients into your clinic? How can you make that process simple and cost efficient? Well, one way is let someone capable handle your marketing efforts, making sure that the return on your investment is optimal. Do you have those people on staff already? If not, you might have a difficult time making the most of your marketing budget.

A few questions to ask yourself:

What is a patient worth to you (average case fee)?
If a patient is worth $4,000 to you, how much would you spend to get a new patient? $400? What if you could lower that to just $50?
Do you ever wonder if what you’re spending in marketing is getting you the results and new patients you are looking for?
Are your ads running frequently enough?
Are you trying different advertising mediums?
Whether you attempt to do this yourself in-office, or hire a company like Epic Marketing, implementing these practices will make a great difference in the long run. Don’t feel overwhelmed with all of the marketing jargon--there are many best practices you can implement yourself!

A few things you can do on your own:

1. Create social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

2. Post advertisements on Facebook (if that reaches your target demographic)

3. Record a YouTube video of the doctor speaking on a particular topic (this will help you appear in search results, as well as build credibility). A video can be a good way for the doctor to build rapport with the patient before they’ve decided on which specialist to trust, and who to make an appointment with).

4. Creating a customer reactivation program (we suggest e-blasts, postcards, referral incentives, discounts, etc. But, focus on the patients you’ve already seen! Not just getting new patients to come in.)

5. Doctor referral program

6. Google AdWords and pay-per-click advertisements

Epic takes the guesswork out of marketing by incorporating fundamental elements of research and tracking, so you see exactly where every marketing dollar is spent and how every bit of it contributes to your bottom line. And if you didn’t know already, Epic Marketing has found a very successful niche in working with pain treatment centers. Every marketing campaign strategy has been tried and tested, and we know exactly what’s going to make your clinic successful. Call us--we’d be happy to tell you how we’ve doubled profit for many of our clinics. Or go head on over to testimonials page!

Direct Response vs. Seminar Advertising

admin — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:30:44 +0000

In the medical marketing arena, we often have clients who ask us whether they should be involved in direct response advertising, seminar advertising, or both. Our response is generally that both forms of advertising can be very effective for their practice, but they should be utilized at the right time and in the correct circumstances.

Direct Response

This form of advertising encourages an action from an individual who is exposed to your advertising. Most often, these ads encourage viewers to call about special offers, visit for a free consultation, visit a website, etc. Direct response advertising is great for creating visibility to a wide audience of people who could be potentially interested in your product or service, and is very effective in attracting potential customers who are ready to take action immediately.

Seminars

Those customers who are uncomfortable meeting one-on-one but are still interested in your services are perfect candidates for seminars. This is likewise another form of effective advertising, but involves more planning and caters to a different group of potential customers. Seminars can create a sense of camaraderie, where individuals with the same conditions can meet to learn solutions to their problems. When combined with a free meal or refreshments, seminars can drive hundreds of potential clients every month.

Epic Marketing Partners with Total Practice Resources

admin — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 05:10:54 +0000

Epic Marketing is happy to announce our partnership with Total Practice Resources, a chiropractic practice development company that aids practices across the nations with building and streamlining their practice systems. Areas where they provide the greatest assistance to practices include: coding, billing & documentation, accounts receivable & collections, team training, and implementation of systems.

Brandy Brimhall, owner of Total Practice Resources, is a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) and is currently working to achieve certification as a Certified Professional Compliance Officer (CPCO). Our collective experience and expertise continues to build doctor and team confidence as well as increase profitability and efficiency for chiropractic practices.

To learn more about Total Practice Resources, visit their website at www.TotalPracticeResources.com. Epic Marketing is exited to work with an industry leader like TPR to help practices all over the country improve their operations and marketing. With partners like TPR, we are better able to enable our clients to build their businesses and increase the number of patients that they help.

What Does Your Collateral Say About Your Business?

admin — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 15:47:03 +0000

Companies often spend hundreds of dollars to acquire a new lead. They invest in capital expenses (lease, inventory, insurance, etc.), employee training, and ultimately advertising to get the phone to ring. But studies have shown that many of those leads are squandered due to a failure to provide a cohesive, clear message to the consumer. Oftentimes, an ad provides one perception, but the physical presence of the business gives a much lower impression. Think of the last in-home service repair technician you had in your home. Did they reflect the image of the company that the advertising suggested?

Marketing collateral is often referred to as the silent sales person. The impression it provides last much longer than the words you or your employees may have used. Some of the most common forms marketing collateral include:

Brochures
Sales materials
Product data sheets
One-sheets
In-office posters
Referral materials
Trade show booths
Business cards
Letterhead
Website(s)

When it comes to marketing collateral, there are 3 key elements:

1. Design – it's important to have a cohesive design that connects with your target audience, correlates with other materials and elevates your brand.

2. Content – Brief but powerful sales content that connects with readers is one of the most challenging elements of a marketing piece. You want people to learn about your business and product/service, but still have enough curiosity to contact you.

3. Production - The aspect most commonly overlooked is quality production. What printing process to use? What paper best conveys the brand quality?

If you were looking for a new high end sports car, what would you expect from the website, product brochure, dealership posters, etc.? How would it impact your trust if one of those elements looked like a novice put it together?

Here at Epic Marketing, we pride ourselves at looking at all aspects of marketing. We have in-house sales-focused copy writers, designers, creative director, and production manager that ensure the absolute highest quality. It might be time for you to review the quality and continuity of your corporate material.

Evolve Your Marketing With Your Business

admin — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 22:45:33 +0000

The business marketplace is a constantly changing landscape, and the businesses that don't evolve with it usually get left behind. But in addition to the changes your business likely experiences on a regular basis, it's important that you don't neglect the fact that your marketing also needs to evolve with your business.

Trends change from one month to the next and your audience can become bored with the same messaging. What worked for your business in terms of marketing last month may not necessarily be what will work this month. Additionally, new technology is always changing the way we interact with the world, and consequently, changes how businesses should effectively market to their audience.

If it's been a while since you ventured out of your comfort zone with your marketing tactics, here are a few tips to consider.

When in doubt, test it out!

Try out a medium you have never ventured to.
Don't be afraid to fail. If a marketing tactic produces less than optimzal results, just move on and learn from it.
The answer to "Will this work?" is oftentimes, "I'm not sure, let's test it." You may want to consider testing with a smaller budget unless you've got nothing to loose.

Stay Ahead of the Curve

Always monitor the traffic of your marketing efforts (foot traffic, phone calls, web, etc) to see trends.
Change the way you interact with your audience.
Adapt to change -- don't fight it.

Businesses that don't evolve in terms of marketing can expect to loose market share. Change is constantly happening around us and what works today, will like not work the same in the near future.

One Website or Multiple?

admin — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 17:23:29 +0000

Is it better to have one large website or several targeted websites related to individual products or services you offer? Through our experience with clients across the nation in various industries, we have found that many businesses have multiple websites, but often are not maintained or optimized like they should be. As a general rule, it's almost always more effective to have one authoritative website rather than multiple, small sites. Why? One website is far more productive for your budget and reaching optimal rankings while also creating brand consistency,

Additional websites are typically created as landing pages with keyword-relevant domain names. For example, a business may have a main domain for their brand name (companyname.com) but have other landing page sites for services they offer with a local keyword in the domain (city+serviceoffered.com). Keyword domain names used to be much more of a ranking factor than they are today. Even if your site has a keyword rich domain, your site won't rank for those keywords unless it's probably optimized and trusted by search engines. These landing page sites usually have thin content and a limited number of pages--two things search engines don't like.

Having multiple sites is generally counterproductive for your SEO budget because instead of all of the effort going to helping your main site rank well, it's divided amongst a variety of small sites that don't have a lot of potential for ranking well in the first place.

Additionally, having multiple sites doesn't help to improve your brand consistency, which is an important part of your overall marketing strategy. Multiple sites promote a disjointed brand image and can also detract from your brand credibility, especially if small sites lack design integrity and aren’t maintained.

In short, you will most likely get better results with one great website rather than multiple marginal sites, even if they do have keyword-relevant domains. In the long run, it will save you a lot of time, money, and effort while trying to help your business get the most visibility in search engines. If you have multiple websites but aren't sure what steps to take next, contact us today to find out what our SEO team can do for you.

Create Urgency in Your Message

admin — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:00:49 +0000

There are several things that your advertising should convey in order to maximize its effectiveness. Creating urgency is one of the important ones.

If you are like most good businesses you have a great product or service but struggle getting people to actually pick up the phone and call? You might need some help in creating a little urgency or exclusivity in your advertising message.

Think of somebody you know who makes a purchase just because something is on sale. Or perhaps it was the last one available so they just had to buy it. Maybe you've even purchased something just because it was a good deal that you couldn't pass up.

The fact is that most everyone acts with this behavior at some point. For some, they end up acting on the deal whether they actually need it or not, but for others, it was just what they needed to hear to get them to take action on a product or service they really needed.

The trick is finding the right context and message to generate this type of feeling from a prospective customer. An urgent message on its own isn't as nearly effective as one that is used in the proper context the clearly shows how your product or service will affect your prospect. It's important that your message connects emotionally with them and shows the potential benefits or downfalls of responding to or ignoring their challenges – not just an offer you're trying to get them to act on.

When it comes to using urgent language in your contextual message, this can be done in number of different way. Most messages with a sense of urgency have to do with limited supply or exclusivity qualifications.

Things like:

First 20 people only
While supplies last
Call to see if you qualify
80% off this week only
Call us for this special offer
Only for serious buyers

Our marketing firm specialized in connecting with people in a why that creates emotion and a desire to buy products and services. Keep these tips in mind the next time you are thinking about what you want to say on your next advertisement.

Can all help to add urgency to your message. If your ads could use some help with connecting with prospects while using a sense of urgency, we can help. Contact Epic Marketing today to find out about our ad creation services.

What Makes an Effective Television Buy?

admin — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 22:06:40 +0000

Many times, we have clients who hire us to help them with their marketing who have been using TV campaigns for years, but still fail to grasp the intricacies of a strong buy. No matter if it is their first foray into TV advertising or they have been doing it for years, we have been able to open their eyes to more effective TV marketing techniques.

It's important to note that while TV is generally regarded as the most credible form of advertising available to most businesses, having a diverse array of marketing channels (TV, print, web, etc.) will help potential customers feel more comfortable with your company.

When it comes to TV advertising, there are a few questions every business owner needs to consider. Some of these include:

How do you determine:

Budget
Target demographic
The length of the buy
Cable vs. broadcast
Which stations
Rotators vs. programs
What is a good price point
Which programs
Which day of the week
The reach of the schedule
The frequency of the spots
How often to update the spots

An effective TV buy should answer all of these questions with confidence; however, even highly-experienced media buyers struggle with basic answers to these questions at times. We have found that oftentimes, many decisions are made in marketing that are based on feelings, not facts. Successful media buying uses a solid base of evidence --statistics, studies, research, trend analyses and industry best practices--coupled with effective execution to yield strong results. Just like with all marketing, TV requires a strong knowledge of the science (who, what, when, where, why, etc.).

Epic Marketing has years of experience with helping our clients make effective media buys, including TV and all other forms of advertising.

5 Questions Your Site Should Answer in 5 Seconds

admin — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 21:11:23 +0000

Whether a visitor comes to your site via search engine or referral link, you only have a few key seconds to convince them that your site provides the information, product, or service they were looking for. If your site can't answer these questions on first glance, you're probably missing out on a lot of site traffic that could otherwise turn into leads, customers, and overall profit for your business.

These five questions include:

Who are you?
What do you do?
Why are you good at it?
Where are you?
What do I need to do next?

These questions might seem overly simple or self-explanatory, but each is an important factor in communicating how your site (and company) can fill a need for your visitors.

Who are you?

First and foremost, your site needs to quickly identify who your business is. Your business name and logo should be one of the most visible aspects on your site upon first glance.

What do you do?

Along with your branded logo and business name, visitors should be able to distinguish what your business does by glancing at your site. Whether you choose to simply state what you do in a subtitle or portray it through design and imaging, visitors shouldn't be left questioning what exactly it is your business does after viewing your site for a few short seconds.

Why are you good at it?

Next, visitors to your site should be able to easily see why you're good at what you do. This plays into the credibility of your site as well as your brand in general. Do you have an impressive portfolio? Have you received prestigious awards? Whatever it is that proves why your visitor should choose your business over your competitor should be easily visible on your site.

Where are you?

If a visitor is convinced by your credibility, they then most likely want to know if your business, product, or service is easily accessible. If you are a local business, make sure your contact info is clearly visible on the home page and accessible on your site subpages. If visitors can access your product or service online, make sure they can distinguish that immediately.

What do I need to do next?

A strong call to action is a key factor for any successful site. After all, without a strong call to action, how can you get your visitors to engage in your business? A strong call to action should be visible on more than just one area of your home page.

How is your site doing with answering these five questions? If you feel like you're struggling to see results from site traffic or thing your overall site design could use a boost, contact Epic Marketing. We can help you improve your site design and messaging to ensure its converting as many visitors as possible.

Are Poor Phone Skills Costing You Money?

admin — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 23:09:01 +0000

"Judging other people in the first few seconds of meeting them is part of our survival response. So, although we might understand that it's a flawed and prejudiced way of evaluation, we can't stop ourselves from doing it." -- Linda Blair, clinical psychologist

When a potential patient or customer calls your business to inquire about scheduling up an appointment or getting more information, they set initial first impressions in just a few seconds after talking to your office staff. If the phone calls that come to your business aren't handled properly, it could be costing you thousands in what could have been potential profits. Don't make the mistake of neglecting how well phone calls are handled in your office. Here are some tips:

Preparation: It's helpful to provide office staff with an outline or light script for the various types of phone calls they might receive throughout the day. For example, if they receive a phone call from a new patient who wants to schedule an appointment, an outline can help to ensure that all of the right questions are asked and that the right information is gathered.

Interview: Office staff should be prepped about how to properly interview or qualify potential patients or customers. The conversation should consist of 20% questions and 80% listening to the questions or situation of the caller. Make sure whoever is in charge of answering phones has the ability to give their full attention to the caller.

Resolve concerns: Office staff should also be trained on how to resolve concerns of both current and potential patients. It's important that office employees are educated about what potential concerns could arise, and that they also have the ability to keep calm and collected even when the caller might not be.

Validate: Because the initial phone call is typically your potential customer or patient's first line of contact with your business, it's important that your office staff validates and reassures their choice in choosing your business. Office staff should be trained about the unique selling proposition of your business or practice, and be able to communicate that to patients in a reassuring way.

Smile: Last but not least, friendliness is everything. Even though a caller can't see it, the person on the other end of the phone always sounds friendlier when they are smiling. Callers who get an excellent first impression from their initial phone contact with your business have a much likelier chance of choosing your business above your competition for their particular needs.

First Impressions Can Make or Break Your Advertising

admin — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 20:56:54 +0000

Studies show it takes as little as one-tenth of a second for us to formulate a first impression. However, many business owners don't understand that the same thing applies when it comes to advertisements. Whether you like it or not, prospective patients and customers are judging your business in a split second based on the look and feel of your advertising. In a society that is flooded with advertisements, a successful ad has to stand out and make an immediate positive impression or it will be skipped over.

Think about the highest quality business you know of. What does their advertising look like? Now, think about the worst quality business you know. What does their advertising look like? Chances are there is a big difference in how you view the two company's advertising in terms of credibility and professionalism. Some ads probably make you assume that the business is located in a back alley, while others make you picture the business in an impressive office building.

Your ad could have the absolute best messaging and content, but your readers won't even get that far if they aren't first enticed by a creative look and fee. That's why you need a professional marketing firm involved with your advertising that knows how to accurately portray your business image.

At Epic Marketing, we know how to design attention-grabbing ads. Our creative team has more than 40 years of combined experience and has helped all of our clients improve how their business is portrayed through advertisements. Don't take a chance with your image. Call Epic today to take your advertising to the next level.

The Importance of a Strong Logo

admin — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 22:22:59 +0000

When you think of popular brand logos, things like the Nike "swoosh" or the Apple icon probably come to mind. But logos aren't just important for big international brands. A logo is one of the central pieces to all of your marketing efforts and creates a better way for clients to connect with you – even if you are a smaller local business or clinic.

A logo unifies your brand across all media platforms, including print, broadcast, collateral, social media, etc. It helps distinguish your brand from your competition and is a visual representation of what your business is all about. For local businesses, a well-placed logo on business cards, signage, advertising, local and charity events can help show the impact of your business on the community while simultaneously creating positive brand recognition.

A good logo uses font, placement, icons, and color to convey an emotion about the brand it is representing. It should reflect the professionalism and other unique values offered by your business. Additionally, a good logo should be timeless so that it can be a viable part of your marketing strategy for years to come.

When was the last time you considered how your logo is representing your business? Don't make the mistake of thinking that a professionally-designed logo is out-of-reach, and only for national or international companies. Epic Marketing has helped many of our clients create new logos that better represent that core values of their brand – logos that can be used on all marketing materials long-term. If you're interested in seeing what Epic has designed for our clients, visit our Identity Portfolio, or call us to see what we can do for your business.

Are You Wasting Money on AdWords?

admin — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:08:31 +0000

Learning how to run and managing a successful Adwords campaign takes time, which is something a lot of business owners don't have. And unfortunately, poorly managed Adwords campaigns can usually ending up costing businesses more than the return on investment they see from the clicks they actually get to their site.

Google Adwords can be a great tool for businesses that are looking for a cost-effective way to generate leads and new website traffic that ideally results in more conversions, but taking the time to become an expert is typically not in the cards for a business owner. Not to worry, help is available! Epic Marketing has a solid background in maximizing Google Adwords for many clients across the country. Our clients love the fact that we can generate a better return with their PCC budget and reduce the hassle of campaign management.

A successful Adwords campaign should be managed carefully to ensure that you're not only getting a great click-through-rate, but also that the clicks it produces are qualified and can produce great conversion rates. In other words, your Adwords campaign should maximize your qualified leads and conversions while minimizing costs.

If you're not sure how your Adwords campaign is performing, don't have the time to manage it, or are struggling to get the results you want from your campaign, call us today! Our online marketing team has helped many of our clients boost the efficiency of their campaigns, producing a great return for their business.

Mobile Internet Use: The Stats

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:49:46 +0000

Would it surprise you to know that there are more smart phones being activated each day than there are babies born across the world each day? With approximately 700K Android and 300K iPhone devices being activated each day, it far surpasses the number of babies born across the world each day at about 370K.

So how does this relate to you and your business? There's never been a more important time to adopt a mobile website. In fact, some of our clients are seeing close to 30% of their entire site traffic coming from mobile and tablet devices.

Here are some stats to show you why it's time to get a mobile website.

Global mobile data traffic grew 2.3-fold in 2011, more than doubling for the fourth year in a row. (via Cisco)
Nearly 42 percent of all U.S. mobile subscribers now use smartphones. (via comScore)
It's estimated that by 2014, mobile internet use will take over desktop internet use. (via digitalbuzzblog.com)
In 2011, the number of mobile-connected tablets tripled to 34 million, and each tablet generated 3.4 times more traffic than the average smartphone. (via Cisco)
60% of mobile users expect a site to load in 3 seconds or less. 71% of mobile users expect a site to load on their mobile phone in the same time it takes to load on their desktop. (via Google's HowToGoMo.com)
57% of users would not recommend a business with a bad mobile site, and 40% have moved on to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experience. (via Google's HowToGoMo.com)
95% of smartphone users have searched for local information. 61% of mobile users call a business after searching. (via Google's HowToGoMo.com)

Mobile internet use has been nothing but explosive over the past few years, and it doesn't show signs of slowing down any time soon. Ready to see how a mobile site can improve the web presence of your business? Contact Epic for a custom quote today.

Google Algorithm Updates: What Are They?

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:17:12 +0000

Would it surprise you to know that in 2011, there were nearly 5 billion Google searches performed each day on average? Google has become so prevalent in our society that the term has morphed from just a brand into a verb. How many times have you heard someone say, "Just Google it?"

It's no secret that Google is by far the most popular world-wide search engine. But what many people don't know is exactly how Google decides which websites to show on their pages, and more importantly, where those websites are placed on their pages. Google uses a specific formula, or algorithm, with hundreds of factors to determine how to rank websites in their index. The entire purpose of this algorithm is to find the best and most relevant results for any particular search query that is entered, which is why billions of people turn to Google each day to find information across the web.

But this algorithm is so complex that only the engineers at Google really know everything that it involves. For years now, internet gurus have been trying to figure out the science of this algorithm and how to improve the visibility of a particular site in the search engine pages. Today, we call this process Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. SEO involves improving keyword relevancy within a site's content, and also increasing that site's popularity and credibility through acquiring links from other relevant websites.

Over the years, though, people have found ways to manipulate Google's algorithm to make irrelevant or spammy websites rank highly in the search engine results. Because of this, Google is constantly changing its algorithm in order to still provide users with the best results for their search queries. Throughout any given year, Google makes hundreds of changes and updates to its algorithm, but some updates have more of an impact than others. In fact, you can see an entire list of major Google algorithm changes since 2000 created by prominent SEO professionals. The ranking of particular sites often fluctuate because of these changes, and some web site owners have even seen their rankings drop dramatically or become nonexistent.

Prior to this month, one of the most major Google updates happened in February 2011, now coined as the "Panda" update. With this update, Google targeted content farms and spam sites heavily, in order to eliminate useless and manipulative sites from their index. Additional versions of this update have taken place since then, but the most recent Google algorithm happened on April 24^th. Now being called the "Penguin" update, this change targeted sites that were over-optimized and perhaps used too many keywords on-site or through links.

The good news is not every site is affected by each Google Algorithm change, and it's typically quite unpredictable when it does happen. Just like other marketing strategies, SEO should always be an ongoing process, and this is especially true with the constant evolution of Google. At Epic Marketing, we give our client's SEO campaigns a lot of personal attention. We make sure that first of all, their campaigns are built using Google's best practice standards, and second, if any decrease in rankings occur because of a Google algorithm update, we do everything possible to restore those rankings to where they were originally. When it comes to SEO and Google, nothing is ever completely predictable, but having an experienced SEO professional can help to make sure your site is always getting as much visibility in the search engines as possible.

The Importance of a Market Analysis

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:12:45 +0000

A solid market analysis is the cornerstone for a successful marketing and advertising campaign. Without one, you are just left guessing where you think your marketing dollars should be spent with the hope that they will produce a positive return on investment.

A market analysis is the best way to get a third-party perspective of all of the best options for your marketing campaign, and to ensure that your marketing dollars are spent in the most effective way possible.
First, a market analysis should help your business answer the following questions about your customers:

Who are they?
Where are they?
What do they need?
How do they make their buying decisions?
Where do they buy?
How do you reach them with your marketing and sales messages?

Knowing the answers to these questions is critical no matter what industry you are in.
Many business owners make certain assumptions about particular areas and media outlets based off a personal bias. They might create marketing materials from their own preferences and not what their customers want to see. Other businesses have been swayed by "advertisers" who recommend certain forms of media for advertising, when they really aren't at all the most effective outlets for that particular market.

At Epic Marketing, we use a targeted approach to place marketing materials based on your target demographic and what we have seen to give good returns for similar industries. We fully research all of the media options in your area to determine how effective they are in reaching your audience and maximizing your marketing budget. By choosing carefully where we place your ads and creating a targeted message, we are able to produce more qualified leads using the same or a smaller budget.

We hit Solitude Ski Resort with a couple of Clients

Nick — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:35:41 +0000

The Danger of False Advertising

admin — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:48:25 +0000

In the healthcare industry, false advertising claims are not taken lightly. Recently, a prominent chiropractor and marketing consultant was fined $1.125 million in a fraud settlement for making unsubstantiated claims about the DRX-9000 traction device.

According to the filed complaint, the Danville chiropractor sold marketing materials to chiropractors nationwide that falsely promoted the DRX-9000 as "patented," breakthrough medical technology, "approved by the FDA," and "developed by NASA." These claims were determined by officials to be false and that they preyed on a vulnerable audience. Additionally, he received sales commissions from the manufacturers of the device.

In today's world, your competitors are waiting to file a complaint with your local DA for the smallest infraction. When it comes to your personal brand and livelihood, why leave the marketing responsibilities up to someone who doesn't have your best interest in mind or who lacks the knowledge of federal and local advertising laws? Ultimately, the business owner is responsible, not the person or entity creating the marketing. Don't put your business at risk! The use of unsupported content in your advertising material leaves the door wide open for lawsuits and fines.

Typically advertisers include deceptive or even false claims because they want to generate a better response. At Epic Marketing, we take every precaution to create content for our clients that is not misleading or illegal. Through our years of experience, we have learned how to effectively promote your business without putting you in harm's way.

Newspaper Has Its Fans

admin — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:29:18 +0000

Isn't newspaper dead?

As a marketing agency, we hear this question a lot. There's no doubt that some newspapers have seen a steep decline over the past several years as Internet usage is on the rise, however, that doesn't mean that newspaper advertisements have stopped being an effective tactic for many businesses.

For some of our clients, newspaper advertisements continue to be one of their main sources of leads and phone calls month to month. There is still a very large and dedicated group of people that enjoy their time reading the paper. So what is it about newspapers that make these ads a viable advertising tactic?

Specific demographic: If your business has a target demographic of late adults and seniors, newspaper is still a great way to reach them effectively. Many in this demographic still prefer print over online news media, which gives you a chance to reach those who would specifically be interested in your services.

The tangible factor: Being able to hold a tangible object in your hand can connect with people more than you might think. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why people still prefer newspaper over other forms of news media.

Undivided attention: In such a fast-paced society, multi-tasking has almost become a necessity. Multi-tasking can have an effect on how successful advertisements are, especially on TV, radio, and the Internet where users are typically doing something else at the same time. In contrast, however, those who regularly read newspapers usually do so with far fewer distractions, making print ads more effective.

Amount of information: In comparison to a 30 second TV or radio ad, much more information can be included in a newspaper advertisement. The ability to include more information can also produce more qualified leads from your advertisement because readers are more informed about your services and compelled to call.

Shelf life: Unlike TV or radio, newspaper advertisements hang around. People don't need to grab a pen to job down the number to call or wait for the next commercial to hear it again.

Every business is different and consequently requires a unique marketing mix. But before you rule out newspaper as part of your marketing strategy just because some consider it "old fashioned," be sure you consider your target demographic, what your product/service is and how newspaper can be effective in reaching them.

Case Study for Advanced Window Products

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:11:22 +0000

Check out Epic Marketing's latest case study for Advanced Window Products. Click here to view the entire case study in PDF.

The Power of a Referral

admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:23:01 +0000

If you're involved at all in business, it's probably nothing new to hear that referral marketing can be a great tool you can use to get more customers or clients. But do you know exactly how valuable referral marketing is? A recently released study gives some statistics about the power of referral marketing, and shows why your business should be paying more attention to it:

Higher Profit Margins

The study conducted with around 5,000 customers at a leading German bank shows that referred customers initially produce profit margins that are 25% higher than non-referred customers. Though in the study the margin decreased over 2-3 years, the lifetime customer value of a referred customer was still 16% higher than a non-referred customer.

More Loyalty

The study also shows that referred customers are 18% less likely to leave than non-referred customers, showing that referrals can have a large impact on retention rates. These two factors are attributed to what the authors of this study call the "better-matching mechanism," the main principle being that these customers are referred by friends who consider them to be a good fit for the business (and in many cases, they really are).

Additionally, in Tom Hopkins' "Sales Prospecting for Dummies," he states that referral customers also have a much closing ratio at 60% versus 10 percent with non-referral customers.

So how can you utilize this data?

If your business doesn't have a solid referral program in place current, here are a few tips to make sure you're getting the most out of your referral marketing potential.

Choose the Right Candidates

The best people to choose to ask to refer your business are those that are ecstatic about your service. Choose the customers who you know have had a great experience with your business to get your referral program going.

Offer an Incentive

In addition to providing great services, offering an extra incentive to your happy customers can make them more likely to tell their friends about you. Some businesses offer cash incentives or gifts while others offer discounts on future services or visits.

Keep Track

In order to improve on a referral program, you need to know how it's currently performing. Make sure your business has a method in place to keep track of where your referrals come from, whether it's on the initial phone call, on a new patient/customer form, etc.

Say Thank You

Make sure your happy customers know that you appreciate when they refer their friends. If you receive referrals from a particular customer, be sure to send them thank you letter to show your appreciation.

Facebook Timeline for Pages: What it Means for Your Business

admin — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 23:55:21 +0000

Whether you like it or not, your business Facebook page will automatically switch to the new Timeline format on March 30th. If your business hasn't already switched to the new format, don't let the automatic change sneak up on you.

There are a lot of cool new features you'll have access to with Timeline, but you'll also want to be prepared for some new changes coming your way.

Cover Photo: First of all, the most important thing you'll need to have is a properly-sized cover photo. In addition to the traditional "profile picture," you'll also need a 851x315 pixel photo that conveys your brand. Because the cover photo has unique dimensions, you'll want to be sure that it's probably sized before it's uploaded to prevent awkward cropping or unwanted pixilation.

Images for Page Tabs: Timeline also changes where and how page tabs are shown. Page tabs and apps used to be listed in the left hand-side column beneath the profile picture, but are now found on the right side beneath the cover photo. Instead of using favicons, page tabs can now use 111x74 pixel images.

Pinned Posts: Timeline has done away with default landing pages that used to be available for business pages. It does, however, allow you to "pin" particular posts to the top of your timeline won't change position and are always visible to page visitors.

Direct Messaging: This feature certainly adds a new dimension to customer interaction, allowing visitors – both those who are fans and those that aren't--to send direct messages to your admin panel. Previously, visitors were only able to communicate directly through wall posts. You'll want to be sure that you always have someone monitoring your direct messages in addition to Timeline posts to make sure your customer interaction is on the level it needs to be.

Using Video to Increase Site Conversions

admin — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:50:07 +0000

There are a variety of elements that go in to creating a successful website, but one of the most telling measurements of how successful a site is can be found in the conversion rate. The number of conversions your site has is telling of how relevant and credible they find your business to be, resulting in them purchasing your product, calling to schedule an appointment, etc.

Videos can be a powerful tool to help websites increase site conversions, and ultimately increase overall business growth and revenue. We have found that for many of our clients, adding video has steadily decreased the site's bounce rate while dramatically increasing conversions.

Haven't added video to your site yet? You could be missing out on a lot of potential customers. There are a few different kinds of videos that might work best for your site, depending on your industry.

Product Summaries and Overviews: Whether you are an ecommerce site or a clinic that provides specialized medical treatments, summary and overview videos can be a great addition to landing pages for those specific services. The videos should help the customer have a clearer understanding of the product that is being sold or the treatment that is being offered before they commit to buying it or scheduling an appointment.

Authentic Testimonials: Testimonial videos can be really effective in increasing the credibility of your site and business. The most effective testimonial videos are those that are compelling and relate to your potential customers.

Endorsement videos: Has your company received recent news coverage? Did you get publicly recognized for an achievement or award? These situations and more are those that make great subject material for endorsement videos, which also help increase credibility in the eyes of your potential customers.

Remember that it's not enough to just simply put any video on you site just for the sake of having one. Effective videos are well-made and have strategically planned subject matter. Need help with video production for your website? Call Epic Marketing today – we can help.

Is Your Business Blogging?

admin — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:40:40 +0000

A blog can be a great asset to any business website – it gives business another platform on which to connect with their customers, helps them build credibility, and also gives them a chance to easily share fresh content. If your business isn't blogging yet, you could be missing out on a lot of the benefits.

Not sure how to get started with blogging for your business? Here are a few tips:

Setting Up Your Blog

For user-friendliness and SEO purposes, it's usually best to keep your blog hosted on the same domain as your site. For example, host your blog on www.yourdomain.com/blog rather than yourblog.blogspot.com or yourblog.wordpress.com. Talk to your webmaster about how you can add a blogging platform to your site that is easy to use.

Brainstorm Topics

Get your staff and employees involved in your business blogging efforts by allowing them to submit ideas for blog post topics. Whether you do a group brainstorming session or ask for responses by email, you'll be able to generate an idea bank for blog posts that will give you a great head start on your content. Remember that your blog posts should always offer value to your readers.

Plan for Consistency

One of the most important elements of business blogging is consistency. The last thing you want to do is give your customers the impression that your blog is abandoned. Creating a posting calendar can help you avoid that from the start. Some businesses blog several times a week while others choose to blog every week, twice monthly, or even once a month. There's no right or wrong to how often you blog, but make sure you choose a time frame that you think is realistic and stick to it.

Keep it Simple

Blog posts don't have to be overly complicated or lengthy. They can consist of simple Q&As, tips, advice, or how-to articles. Your writing style can be informal and it should be easy-to-read and appealing to your audience. Always try to include photos to add a visual element to your text.

Find a Good Editor

Whether you have one or multiple people contributing to your business blog, it's always a good idea for each post to go through a proofreader or editor before it is posted to your blog. Bad grammar and punctuation can really detract from the credibility of your business. Consider finding someone within your business with good editing skills first to keep the process simple, or if necessary, find one externally.

Still need some help with your blogging efforts? Contact Epic Marketing today to see how our blogging and content writing services can help your business.

What Makes a Good Ad?

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:03:11 +0000

What is it that makes a good ad? Is it the pictures/video? Is it what is written or said? Is it the creative elements that cause you to feel something after you have been exposed to it?

We believe that a good ad is one that is written and designed to emotionally connect with its target audience. Once connected, the content of the ad strongly persuades the person to want the product or service that is in the ad. The individual recognizes a need for it and feels a sense of urgency until the purchase is made.

There are a wide range of ad styles and each are appropriate depending on the product or service that is being offered. With that in mind, here are some things that, if done correctly, will improve the quality and response to your next ad:

Strong Visuals
Studies show that visuals are one of the first things people look at when viewing an advertisement. In the advertising real, the old adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words" really fits. In fact, you can probably think of some advertisements you've seen that are mainly just an image with little text. The ad visual should complement the ad headline, copy, and overall message.

Effective Headline
Headlines are also one of the first things a viewer pays attention to upon first seeing your ad. A headline should be attention-grabbing but should also encompass the overall message of your ad in a short sentence. Headlines can be though-provoking, strictly informative, humorous, etc., but effective headlines have one thing in common: they all intrigue the reader enough to make them want to continue reading the ad.

Well-written Copy
If your headline and visuals have been effective enough to keep viewers reading your advertisement, well-written copy will be the next aspect of your ad that will compel viewers to take action. Ad copy should be concise and easy to read but also compelling and relevant. Avoid using jargon or excessive information that doesn't contribute directly to the overall message of the advertisement.

Calls the Viewer to Action
Without a strong call to action, your advertisement probably won't get the results you're expecting it to. A call to action is defined as something in the ad that gives them an incentive to call or contact you now. Your ad's call to action should be well thought out and defined. Make sure that your contact information is clearly visible and not surrounded by clutter. You want people to easily find your phone number, address, and website URL.

Overall, great advertisements connect to their audience and provide memorable, informative, and compelling content that get viewers respond to the call to action. Need help creating great ads? Call Epic Marketing to find out how we can boost your marketing campaign with great ads.

FAQs Answered

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:56:09 +0000

How can a marketing company help my business?

When it comes to the success of your business, marketing is essential. Without marketing, your business would struggle to find new leads and customers that bring in revenue to help your business thrive. Successful marketing takes time, experience, and funds.. A professional marketing company specializes in making your marketing budget most effective, tracking the results and translating those in how they contribute to your marketing ROI. When you hire a company like Epic Marketing, you are eliminating the worry of creating ads and marketing material and wondering if it will provide the results you need. Our marketing specialists provide you with marketing and advertising tactics that have proven results.

How often should I change my marketing campaign?
The time frame for effective marketing campaigns varies greatly depending on the industry, audience, and current marketing tactics that are being used. The real gauge for knowing how often your marketing campaign needs a change is determining its effectiveness. If your campaign isn't producing the results it could be, or even the results that it previously produced, it's probably time for a change.

In what marketing channels do you find the best results?
The answer to this question really depends on the client, target demographic, and product/service. The most successful combination of marketing channels is different for every business. We have seen strong results in all areas – print, broadcast, online, etc. Our role as a professional marketing company is to find which marketing channels are most effective for your marketing budget.

Should I have an internet presence?
In this day and age, it's not enough to just ask if you should have an internet presence, but rather you should be asking, "What type of internet presence should I have?" In today's competitive marketplace, businesses who ignore the online realm of marketing are probably missing out on a large portion of potential leads and customers. In addition to a website, there are a variety of other online platforms your business can market with. At Epic Marketing, we help our clients determine how they can best utilize online platforms for their marketing efforts in order to drive the highest ROI possible.

Hitting the slopes with our one of our clients from New York

Nick — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:39:35 +0000

Nothing like a little time on the hill with some friends

Our friends from New York came out to go skiing/snowboarding in December 2011. Even though it was one of the worst snow conditions on record for the month, there was still enough to shred up Park Cities mountains.

Charlie and Louis, thanks for coming out to visit. We had a great time with you guys.

Brand Reputation: Rethinking Your Strategy for the Future

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:52:20 +0000

Milennials, Generation Y, Generation Next. There are many different terms for this demographic, but no matter how you refer to the, one thing is for certain: they are reshaping traditional branding and marketing like never before.

Millennials are defined as the generation born in the 1980s-late 90s, known for being extremely connected to media and digital communication. It's predicted that by 2017, Millennials will have more spending power than any other generation. So what does this mean for businesses? Well, according to a recent infographic created by bazaarvoice.com, it means businesses will need to win Millennials with a whole new way of selling.

Data from the infographic shows that for Millenials, consumer opinion is far more influential than brand motives. In fact, 84% of Millennials report that user-generated content has at least some influence on what they buy, compared to 70% of Boomers. User-generated content (UCG) involves everything from social channels like Facebook and Twitter to online review sites and forums.

We've certainly seen a recent shift in this direction in recent years, but there's no doubt that the trend will continue, especially as new social platforms create more opportunities for consumers to share information.

So what can your business do to keep up with this trend?

Monitor

Know what people are saying about you. Monitor your reviews on local listings pages like Google Places, Yellowpages.com, etc. If you find recurring themes in your reviews, fix the reasons why people are leaving negative reviews, and continue to improve on the reasons why people say they appreciate your businesses.

Engage

Be involved with your customers. This also encompasses being transparent, which is more important now than it's ever been. Make sure your customers know that you value their thoughts and opinions.

Impress

We all know that first impressions matter, but in this day and age, impressions and customer experience mean everything. Don't take customer service casually, especially when you know the effects that negative reviews can have on other consumers. Go above and beyond to show, not just tell, your customers why they made the best choice in choosing you.

Super Bowl 2012 Ad Recap

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:17:44 +0000

Last night, over 100 million people tuned in to watch Super Bowl 2012. While it was a thrilling game down to last few seconds, for some, the commercials were just as exciting as the actual football game. We decided to see what the rest of America though about the ads by checking out USA Today's Ad Meter. Here are our takeaways from America's most favorite and least favorite ads from Super Bowl 2012:

Humor Wins Again:

While all of the ads got equal face time during the game, there's no doubt that the funniest ads end up being the most memorable after the game. Doritos "Sling Baby" commercial is currently the top rated commercial, and we have to agree that it was definitely one of the funniest (closely followed by M&M's "Just My Shell").

Dogs Steal the Show:

From Bud Light to Doritos, Volkswagen, and Sketchers, dogs most certainly contributed to the "humor" element of these ads. Bud Light's "Weego" came in as the second favorite commercial of the night. Volkswagen also did a great job playing off of their hit commercial, "The Force" from last year's Super Bowl with their "Dog Strikes Back" video:

Humor Gone Wrong:

Yes, there were some hilarious commercials during the game. But we also noticed that some we attempting to be funny when in reality, they weren't really that great. Take, for example, Old Navy's "Corporado" and Bridgestone's "Performance Basketball" commercials. They weren't absolutely terrible, but were they worth the $3 million price tag? We don't think so.

Sex Doesn't Always Sell:

GoDaddy.com, known for their boundary-pushing Super Bowl ads from years previous, didn't quite win viewers over this year with their racy ads. In fact, their "Body Paint," and "The Cloud" commercials were some of the lowest rated of the night.

So what do you think? What were some of your most favorite and least favorite ads during the game?

What's up with QR Codes?

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:47:51 +0000

Over the past couple years, marketers have been using QR codes on print advertisements, product packaging, posters, business cards, storefronts, and even TV commercials. Some of these codes direct to product information and videos while others link to contact information or even coupons and discounts. In one of their most recent QR infographics, Queaar.com reports that QR code scans increased by a staggering 4549% from 2010-2011. While this is an impressive number, other data shows that QR codes still have a long way to go to really break into mainstream marketing. A few reasons for this are:

Not everyone owns a smart phone/tablet
Smart phones/tablets don't come standard with QR scanners (the app has to be downloaded)
Not everyone knows what a QR code is or how to utilize them

But even though QR codes haven't reached their prime yet, that doesn't mean they can't be used as an effective marketing tactic now for the right demographics. If you've thought about trying out QR codes with your marketing strategy, here are a few things you should remember:

1. Make sure you have the right audience

While this first point is kind of a no-brainer, it's also one of the most important. If QR codes won't appeal to your target demographic, there's not a big reason to use them. If you know that your target demographic is tech-savvy and would be receptive to QR codes, then it's worth experimenting with

2. Make sure your QR codes have an intertwined incentive

If you've already decided that QR codes are the right move for your target demographic, next you need to make sure that they are intertwined with an incentive. Using QR codes just for the sake of looking like your marketing materials are up-to-date, but directing users to pointless information won't bring you the ROI you're looking for. The Queaar infographic also shows that most people expect to get a coupon a when they scan QR codes, but many also expect to get product info as well. If you use QR codes, make sure the incentive for scanning it is worthwhile and exclusive to those that take the time to scan it.

3. Make sure your content is mobile/tablet friendly

Statistics show that most QR scans are done with iPhones, which means that any content in Flash (including videos) won't work for users who scan your codes with an Iphone or Ipad. It's also important to test your QR code to make sure that it's compatible with all QR scanner apps in the marketplace. Don't rely on just one scanner to test your code.

4. Use the right media channels

You could have an ideal target demographic and a great incentive for your QR code, but if you pick the wrong media channel, it will probably have a potentially negative impact on the success of your marketing campaign. Think about the lifestyle of your target demographic to determine where and when they would be most likely to scan your code. According to QR code data from comscore, the highest number of QR code scans come from printed magazines. On the other hand, the least scanned come from TV advertisements, which makes sense because not many people have enough time to pull out their phone to scan a QR code during a 30-second commercial. Be smart when creating your strategy and try to think like your target market.

Wondering What Google+ is All About?

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:34:34 +0000

Well, you're probably not alone. Google launched this new social platform about six months ago, but amazingly it already has over 62 million users. To a lot of people, Google+ is just "another" social platform that Google is pushing (similar to Google Wave or Google Buzz of the past), but some new changes have proven that Google+ will have much more of an impact than everyone originally thought. In addition to personal profiles, they now offer businesses a chance to create branded pages to better connect with their customers.

Just recently, Google rolled out Search Plus Your World, which is a new mode to display search results based off of the social circle you have built on Google+. Basically, if anyone in your circle as +1'd (similar to a Facebook "like") a page relevant to your search query, it's more likely to show up at the top of Google's search results page. Google+ results even show up for searchers who haven't created or aren't logged in to their Google+ page:

In a nutshell, Google+ offers everything that other social platforms have – networks, content sharing, etc. – plus a whole lot more (pun intended). And while it may just seem like another social media option to add to your list, more than 625,000 new users are discovering that it's a lot more than that when they join the network.

Check out our new page here and +1 or add us to your circles. If you're not on Google+ yet, it's easy set up if you have a Gmail account.

We look forward to seeing you on Google+

Step Up Your Customer Service with Social Media

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:30:16 +0000

When it comes to customer service, Social Media can be one of your greatest tools or downfalls, depending on how you utilize it. You might remember some corporate social media scandals in the news lately, fueled by unhappy customers who turned to social media as their voice when other channels weren't getting results. Take for example, the United Breaks Guitars YouTube sensation that reportedly cost the airline millions in lost revenue because of bad PR. On the other hand, some corporations handle their social media so well that they gain life-long customers.

While you probably don't have to worry about one of your company's social media mishaps reaching that many people, there are still some important takeaways about what to do, and what not to do, when it comes to customer service through social media.

1. Monitor

The first mistake many businesses make is not paying attention. If your business has social media platforms, don't just think that their existence fulfills their purpose. Monitor how people are interacting and what they are saying about your business on social media, including blogs. Don't assume that your customers will always contact you through tradition channels (phone, email) when they have questions, comments, or concerns.

2. Always Respond

Nothing angers customers more than when businesses are unresponsive to their concerns. At the same time, however, responding to positive comments also goes a long way, too. No matter if the comment or question is negative or positive, always respond. Not only does it show that particular customer that your business cares about their experience, but it shows everyone else who interacts with your social media that you care about customer service.

3. Listen

In some cases, responding and really listening to the customer can be completely different things. This is most important when dealing with customers that have had negative customer service experiences. It's easy for businesses to only see one point of view and not take the blame for the problem. But if you really want to resolve the problem, you really need to listen to the customers to find out how you can resolve the problem.

4. Go Above and Beyond

Sometimes exceeding a customer's expectations can make more of an impact than you ever imagined – and it doesn't always have to be the result of a bad experience. This story from networking guru Peter Shankman shows the ultimate use of social media for elite customer service. Going above and beyond definitely paid off for Morton's Steak House – Shankman blogged about his experience and millions of people heard about it. Talk about good PR. So what can you take from this? You might not get excellent exposure to millions of people, but going above and beyond what the customer expects from you will probably win them over for life – and they'll probably tell their friends and followers about it, too.

What's in Store for 2012?

Nick — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:00:56 +0000

With the New Year finally here, it's time to take a look at what the marketing and advertising industry has in store for 2012. We compiled some of what we think are the best predictions for marketing and advertising trends in 2012. Let us know what you think.

Print Won't Die. Even though many people claim that technology has taken the place of print media, a Wall Street Journal article points out that the rise of iPads and tablets has given new life to print. Plus, traditional print media is still a viable marketing platform for late adopters of new technology.
Mobile is a Must. A recent study estimates that by the year 2015, there will be more mobile internet users than PC users. If your website isn't optimized for viewing on a smart phone, you could be losing a large portion of traffic.
Social Media Integration. The term "social media marketing" will fade away as social media becomes an integral part of every successful marketing campaign. It's even predicted by SEOmoz that social media will have a big impact on your SEO campaign, as search engines incorporate social signals into their algorithms.
Branding Will Be More Important than Ever. As businesses branch out into multiple marketing platforms (especially social media), consistent branding is the glue that will hold it all together.
Reputation Management is Essential. Social media and local business sites like Google Places, Yellow Pages, etc offer an easy way for audiences to share both their good and bad experiences with your businesses. According to stats from National Positions, 90% of consumers trust online reviews, and 78% do research about a company online before purchasing a product or service from them. Keeping up with and responding to what customers are saying about your business, whether positive or negative, will be essential for your online reputation.

Value Proposition: What's Yours?

Nick — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:38:34 +0000

If someone asked you what your value proposition was for your product or company, could you give them an answer right off the bat? If you answered "yes" to that question, you're on the right track. If your answer was "no", you'll probably want to give it some more thought. A strong value proposition is essential for the success of any marketing campaign, and ultimately, for the success of any businesses.

What a Value Proposition is and Why it's Important

A value proposition can apply to an organization or business as a whole, or for specific products and services. Essentially, a value proposition is a statement or message that shows why your organization, product, or service is the optimal choice above others on the market. It's usually obvious to every business what it is that they do, or what product or service they provide. However, some businesses haven't figured out why they do what they do, or why they sell certain products or services. A value proposition is important for marketing and selling to customers, but is also a key element in creating consistency within an organization or business.

Defining Your Value Proposition

According to marketing industry expert Neil Rackham, a value proposition should have four parts: capability, impact, proof, and cost.

Capability: Explain why your business is the most capable for the product or service you're providing. Are you the most experienced, the newest, the biggest, most efficient, or most personable? Be able to show why your expertise makes your company, product, or service the optimal choice.

Impact: How will your business, product, or service have a positive impact on your customers? Explain how you have the ability to fill a need or solve a problem better than others on the market.

Proof: Be able to prove how your business, product, or service will have a positive effect for your customers. Remember that numbers, facts, and figures are the best way to show, not just tell your customers that you are the most qualified choice for what they're looking for.

Cost: Pretty self-explanatory. Remember that transparency is always the best option for customer satisfaction. Hidden costs might bring in more revenue, but they will cost you customers in the long run.

Using Your Value Proposition

Once you have defined your value proposition, the next step is to implement it in your marketing and messaging. Be sure that you first implement it internally within your organization or business. It's especially important that salespeople or staff members that are regularly in contact with potential customers have a clear and consistent understanding of your value proposition. After you have established consistent messaging internally, make sure your value proposition is clear to potential customers through your marketing and sales collateral.

Epic Marketing welcomes Advanced Window Products

Nick — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:12:47 +0000

Epic Marketing is excited to announce that we will now be working with Advanced Window Products. Adanced Window Products is Utah's largest window replacement distributer and has a great reputation. We look forward to working with them as we move into 2012.

Cause Marketing for Local Businesses

Nick — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:56:05 +0000

During the holiday season, charitable giving is a common theme among many businesses and organizations – whether it's food bank donations, buying toys for needy children, donating to children's hospitals, etc. While people generally think about giving more around this time of year, that doesn't mean that businesses have to limit charity to just the holiday season. Cause marketing campaigns are a great way to not only give back to the community, but also show your corporate responsibility throughout the year.

Some of the most widely successful cause marketing campaigns have essentially become a brand themselves. Take, for example, the Susan G. Komen foundation and "pink" products. From pink blenders to pink cleats in the NFL, that color has almost immediate brand recognition for breast cancer awareness. The same can be said for the (RED) campaign for aids awareness that was adopted by Apple and Gap, among other companies. Even though your local businesses might not have the world-wide reach that these campaigns do, that doesn't mean you can't craft a successful cause marketing campaign of your own on a smaller scale.

A recent study shows that when choosing between similar products, 55% percent of consumers opt for the one with "added social benefit." Numbers like that show that cause marketing will give your products or services an extra advantage in the eyes of your consumers. Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating your next cause marketing campaign.

1. Choose a cause that people can connect with

There are lots of worthwhile charitable organizations out there, but let's face it, some resonate with consumers more than others. Chances are local customers will be much more likely to help the cause for their local food bank or underprivileged kids rather than contributing funds to help save a bizarre rare species in the rainforest. Every community is different and each will have certain charities or organizations that people really care about. Do your research and find one that not only people can connect with, but also one that will provide the most good with your contributions.

2. Define your contribution

Once you've chosen a worthwhile cause to contribute to, next you need to define exactly what that contribution involves. Whether you're donating a certain percentage of proceeds, a dollar amount for every specific product sold, or material goods like pounds of food or school supplies, make sure it's quantifiable and easy for people to visualize. Those who are willing to give or participate in your cause generally like to know how they're personally contributing.

3. Get the word out

You won't have much success with your cause marketing campaign if people don't even know about it. Create awareness of your campaign through on-site displays and by incorporating it into your other marketing tactics. Social media is also a great, inexpensive way to create buzz about your cause marketing campaign. If your cause is community-based, contact your local news media to see if they'll pick up a story about what you're doing. Even after your campaign is over and your contributions have been raised, don't let the publicity stop there. Let people know about what you did or the lives you touched with the money or contributions they helped raise.

When was the last time your Company conducted a "Brand Audit"?

Nick — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:12:07 +0000

When was the last time your company had a brand audit? Epic Marketing often engages in this audit with new clients in order to better understand the position of the Company. After the audit is complete, we are then able to work with the company to strengthen and integrate the result of the brand audit.

Social Media: Not Just a Fad

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:56:54 +0000

As the new year approaches, we're starting to see a lot of year-end summaries and "best of" lists that wrap the happenings of 2011 in a nutshell. VideoInfographs does a good job illustrating how Social Media has impacted our way of life: the World of Social Media 2011.

This video provides some pretty powerful visuals that show 2011 as another year where social media has continued to expand in mind-blowing proportions. Major world events during 2011 have even been shaped through the use of social media, including the Arab Spring and Occupy movement, just to name a few. With the exponential growth of social media through the past several years, people and businesses alike are starting to see that social networks aren't just a passing fad; they really are transforming the way people live and do business.

Erik Qualman, social media guru and author of "Socialnomics," said, "We don't have a choice on whether we DO social media, the question is how well we DO it."

Has your business capitalized on social media yet? To have a competitive edge, it's no longer enough to just have social media profiles – your business has to utilize them correctly for engagement and two-way communication. If you're still trying to figure out how to make social media work for your business, contact Epic Marketing. Our social media experts can help you come up with a customized social strategy.

Why Site Design Matters

admin — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:06:25 +0000

If you're in the marketing industry, you're probably more than aware of why having a website is important. However, these days it's not enough to have a website just for the sake of having an online presence. To have a successful website, you have to pay attention to how visitors are using the information on your site, and also how it's designed.

Essentially, a website acts as a "home base" for any marketing campaign. An effective web design strategy is essential for more than just successful online marketing. Even if you are branching into print, TV, and radio outside of your online marketing strategy, your website design makes a big impact on everyone who comes in contact with your marketing tactics. Here are a few big reasons why you should be paying attention to effectiveness of your site design.

1. Credibility

Let's face it: when you come across a website that looks like it was built in 1997, you probably don't give it the time of day. In an age with shortened attention spans, aesthetic value means a lot in terms of credibility. When someone lands on your page, whether through a referral site, or are directed there through your other marketing strategies, you want to make sure that it interests them enough to stay and not click away immediately. Be careful with how many ads and links you put on your site, as too many can detract from the credibility of your site.

2. Ease of Use

Whether you are marketing a product, service, or simply information, it's important that your site design allows visitors to find what they're looking for easily. This principle is important for attracting new customers as well as keeping loyal ones. Depending on your industry, loyal customers probably use your site for information like locations, contact information, product information, or even menus and nutrition facts if you happened to be in the food industry. Because of its convenience, most people go to your website first to find information that they need rather than trying to contact you directly. Make sure that when they do that, they're able to find the information they need without having to search too long for it.

3. Conversions

While the term "site conversion" is typically one that is used strictly with online marketing, the concept goes a little bit deeper. When new visitors comes to your site through other channels than search marketing, how effective is your site in keeping them there and selling them the product, service, or information you offer? When someone hears about your business through word of mouth, advertisements, or other marketing materials you've created, how easy and enticing is for them to convert? If you're selling a product, how easy is it for visitors to purchase it through your site? If your business that provides services, how easy is it for visitors to find your phone number, or fill out a quick contact form if they reached your site outside of business hours?

Here at Epic Marketing, we specialize in effective web design for our clients in a variety of industries. Check out our web portfolio today or contact us to find out how we can help out with your website.

Create Buzz with Giveaways and Contests

admin — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:34:46 +0000

It's safe to say that almost everyone likes free stuff. Even more, people like free stuff that they actually want. Giveaways and contests can be the key to aligning your marketing strategy with the self-interests of your customers or clients. Word of mouth and referrals can be one of the best marketing tools to bring in business, and giveaways are a great way to facilitate that. When planned and executed correctly, giveaways and contests can be a huge success for your business – but on the other hand, they can also be a big failure when done on a whim. Here are a few ideas for your business to consider when planning your next giveaway.

Put the Cost in Perspective

What is the dollar value of a referral or social media impression for your business? A mistake that many businesses make is basing their giveaways around less-than-ideal products just to save on costs. A new iPad or 50-inch flat screen TV certainly sounds more appealing than a $10 gift card or movie tickets. A giveaway for a much more in-demand product might cost more, but the buzz that it creates for your business usually ends up being more than worth your investment in the end.

Get the word out

Getting the word out to your customers and/or general public is one of the most critical elements to consider. Whether you are doing a customer appreciation promotion or trying to drive new business, you need to make sure that you carefully select the right ways to promote it. Some of the more common ways to get the word out about your giveaway would include, POP displays/in store signage, sending emails/flyers to people that you have already had contact with, and of course, social media.

Social media can be one of the least expensive ways to get the word out about your giveaway. Other than your prizes, the only major costs to your business are time and effort. If your business already has a strong social media following, it's a great way to get all your current followers to spread the word to their friends. Even when your campaign is based around social media, there are several different tactics you can use to get people to participate (liking your page, posting comments, becoming a "follower," etc). Some methods work better than others for certain audiences, so make sure you do some strategic planning to make sure your giveaway plan is the most convenient and appealing to your specific audience.

Take Advantage of Face-to-Face Communication

If one of the main goals of your giveaway or contest is to get referrals, make sure you take advantage of the face time you have with current customers/clients that come in to your business. People tend to be more willing to participate in filling out a survey, entry form, or referral card when asked face-to-face rather than over an email or phone call. Even if you are basing most of your giveaway around social media, you can still remind customers/clients to participate while they are at your place of business.

Why Tracking is Essential for Every Marketing Campaign

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:16:37 +0000

The average American is exposed to thousands of marketing messages every day. From the time a person wakes up till the time they go to bed, they are bombarded with media messages almost everywhere they go. In a society that is becoming so cluttered with advertisements and marketing messages, how can businesses track which of their marketing tactics are working and those that aren't?

At Epic Marketing, we have a mantra that the only effective way to track your marketing campaign is to do it yourself. With how many marketing messages people are exposed to each day, they can rarely keep track of when, where, or how they were exposed to any of your marketing tactics. So instead of relying on your customers to tell you where they think they saw your marketing message, why not make it easy and find out yourself?

Call tracking is one of the most effective methods available to business who want to have precise records of the results of their marketing efforts. Not only can call tracking numbers help business determine which tactics or forms of media are most effective, but they also provide key performance data that is vital to your business. Cost per lead, conversion rations, and demographic information are all things that can be easily recorded with call tracking.

If phone calls aren't the only way your business gets customers, there are also several valuable tracking tools available for online traffic, too. Even if your business isn't selling a specific product on a website storefront, you still have options to get prospective customers without requiring them to call. Online contact forms are a popular method for websites because you can track exactly how that visitor came to your site, which pages they visited, and how many of those visitors filled out the contact forms. With Google Analytics, you can set up goals and funnels to track your web visitors. Using the new page overlay tool, you can even see exactly where your visitors are clicking on your site.

No matter what business your industry is in or how you connect with your customers, you can always find value in tracking your marketing efforts. You'll have a lot more transparency about how your money is being spent and how you can take your business to the next level.

Kirton McConkie talks about their experience with Epic Marketing

Nick — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:12:47 +0000

Kirton McConkie is the largest law firm in Utah and has been a great client of ours. Debrah Kirby their Marketing Director has been incredible to work with. We appriciate their relationship and the kind words that she says about their experience working with us.

What is Local Marketing?

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:30:29 +0000

In a world populated with huge conglomerates, big brands and a presence everywhere you turn, it's hard to stand out anymore. Even if your business is established with a proven track record and good quality products or services, sometimes the task can seem daunting.

So, how do you compete with them? It's simple – you don't! Unless you are a fast food chain, beverage distributor, big box retailer, or a company with a multi-million dollar marketing budget, you don't need to compete directly with the big guys and their mass marketing.

The fact is that for most small local businesses, the majority of your clients are within 10 minutes or 10 miles. So forget about mass marketing and focus on mass personalization. Tap the potential of your greatest profit opportunity: the customers that are in your backyard. Here's how: multimillion

Begin Your Campaign with a Plan in Mind

Small businesses need to be focused on how to create campaigns with measurable results that can show profitability. After all, the overall point of any marketing campaign is to increase business revenue. Setting benchmarks, or tracking current profitability numbers, before you launch any marketing campaign will be a key in tracking success. Tools like call tracking and simple customer surveys can give a lot of insight into which marketing tactics are producing the best results for your business.

Diversify your Marketing

When it comes to creating a marketing campaign, it's important to think outside the box. Your business may have relied on some regular forms of marketing in the past, but that doesn't always mean they're the most effective. Marketing tactics such as direct mail and zoned media advertising are both ways that businesses can target their local market. Online marketing tactics, like building a website, social media, and creating local business listings, are also essential to complement your other traditional marketing techniques.

Get Involved

In addition to local marketing, getting involved in your community can be just as beneficial to your business. One of the major components of marketing is increasing visibility. Local businesses have a great opportunity to do this through sponsorships, local associations, pro-bono work, and pitching to local news media outlets. By taking advantage of these opportunities, potential customers are not only exposed to your business, but also have a chance to see you in a different light and contributing to the community.

Google Places: A Game Changer for Small Businesses

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:22:04 +0000

Phone books used to be the go-to marketing technique for any small local business. In fact, phone books even shaped how people chose the name of their business.

Ok, so this FedEx commercial might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it wouldn't be funny if it weren't true to some extent. You've probably seen at least a few local businesses that have multiple A's at the beginning of their company name… all for the purpose of getting an "edge" in the phone book.

There has been a lot of buzz in the tech world, and even more recently in the news about how the relevancy of phone books is declining with the use of technology. Most people find them obsolete because of the convenience of smart phones and internet searches. But what does this mean for small local businesses?

Thanks to Google Places, small businesses have more of an opportunity than ever to get noticed by potential customers. Many small business owners have a misconception that unless they have the budget to invest in SEO to make their site reach the top organic search listings, then they won't have any luck with search traffic. In reality though, that's not always the case.

For example, let's say someone living in Draper, UT needed to call a plumber. If they did a quick Google search, they would see a results page that looks something like this:

Notice that even above the first organic search listing, there are seven local plumbing businesses that are shown near the top of the page. Not only can you see their name and URL, but you can also see their phone number and address at-a-glance.

With a little more time and effort, businesses can even optimize their own "places page" where they can add more business info, photos, and customers can leave reviews. One of the biggest benefits of using Google Places is that local listings get just as much, or possibly even more visibility than websites that are ranking organically.

So while phone book use may be declining, local businesses have nothing to worry about. Even if they lack in tech skills, there are plenty of online marketing companies who can help.

The Strength of a Good Brand

admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:13:42 +0000

Small companies think of branding and tend to associate it with spending a lot of money on creative ads that don’t produce phone calls. Most of these companies don’t have the luxury of producing expensive and creative ads like Coke in hope that people choose their product the next time they are at the grocery store--but that doesn't mean branding isn't important.

The reality is that anytime your company is positioned in front of consumers, you are branding to some degree. Having a strong brand is important and does matter to consumers.

Case in point: Let's say you come across an ad in a magazine that's selling a 60-inch Sony plasma flat screen TV for $299 (ok…that will probably never happen, but we can all hope, right?). First, imagine if the company placing that ad was one you had never seen or heard of before. Would be you likely to even look into buying that TV or just consider it a hoax? Next, imagine if that ad was emblazoned with a royal blue and bright yellow logo. Chances are you'd actually rush to your nearest BestBuy to get your hands on one of those awesome flat screens.

What is the difference? Why would you be more likely to go there rather than the no-name store? Well, you probably associate BestBuy with reliable prices, warranties, and Geek Squad simply because of their marketing and that's what makes you more likely to buy from them.

Another common misconception is that branding is only useful for national or international companies that take up a large portion of the market share. Even family-owned and local business can benefit from successful branding because it creates a level of awareness and trust that attracts and keeps customers when they have a need for your product or service.

Branding is an extremely vital part of marketing. While it may not be your focus, it is certainly something that should be carefully thought out and considered when you are creating your company's marketing and advertising material.

Sales Minded Marketing Approach

Nick — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:52:22 +0000

Sales and marketing go hand in hand. Sure, there are a lot of different things that factor into what makes marketing effective, but at the very core is the question: How good is your marketing doing at selling your brand, your product, your services, and your ideas?

I can't tell you how many times we have heard someone say, "I have tried newspaper (or another form of advertising) and it doesn't work. Why are you recommending that we do it when it doesn't work?" We smile and say, "You may have tried it, but you haven't had us write the content. Let us show you how we can connect with your target audience and get them interested in talking to you about your services. We know how to sell your business to consumers." Very rarely are we disappointed with the results.

When we go through the process of reviewing and developing advertising content, we have a team of sales and design professionals who craft ads that raise your brand quality and sell, sell, sell. I'm not talking about cheesy ads that scream used car sales tactics. Every industry warrants its own unique approach and all of our work elevates the business from its previous state.

The value of top tier sales professionals in your business is incredibly valuable. If you have been in business for a while, you know what I am talking about. They are worth every penny that they make and your business would not reach its potential without them. When you look at your marketing this way, you'll invest more time, effort, and money to make the improvements that are desperately needed.

Rebranding for the Global Community

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:21:22 +0000

Chances are that before you even started reading this post, you could already distinguish what company the red and yellow sign is advertising in the picture to the left. But did you realize that even though the sign doesn't even show the words "McDonald's," you already made the connection? That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call the epitome of brand recognition. But McDonald's isn't the only company that has reached that status. Nike, Apple, Pepsi, and most recently Starbucks, have all gradually transitioned to a simplistic, non-alphanumeric logo.

So what does all this have to do with the flying cars next to the McDonald's sign? Well, it can be argued that McDonald's was the first company to stumble upon this trend through product placement in the 1997 film, "The Fifth Element".

The movie portrays a future reality with New York City as a galactic hub with both humans and alien species. The main challenge was to design a fictitious environment where English wasn't singled out as the dominant language. Because of that challenge, the designers of the McDonald's logo decided to strip it down to just the golden arches on a red background with no text. Despite some resistance from corporate, the company realized what a strong brand recognition this design had and started implementing their cleaner logo into their international brand strategy. From a logistical standpoint, this strategy was genius. One logo would be effective in any country, no matter the dominate language or alphabet. Logo design for TV and print advertisements, along with packaging, was simplified like never before.

While this type of brand recognition is the goal for almost any company, the shift only really works with strong brands that have almost ubiquitous popularity. However, with the outreach many companies are doing to reach a global audience, our bet is that we'll be seeing a lot more of these rebranding strategies in the near future.

Retain more business by implementing a solid follow up program

Nick — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:42:35 +0000

Epic 5 Step Follow-up Program

Developed For: Doctor’s offices
Purpose: To get people who miss their appointment to reschedule (if they don’t on their own).
Effective Results: By implementing this program you should decrease your patient “no show”/“fall out” rate by at least 20%.

Businesses work hard and spend a lot of money each month in marketing in order to get their phones to ring. It is important that your staff is doing everything that they can to get as many of these callers to enter into your program/buy your services.

Epic Marketing has worked with over 100 different businesses over the years and has seen many do a good job with capturing a high percentage of new leads, and others who do a poor job. We have developed a solid follow-up program that will help your business improve its percentages.

The purpose of this program is to help decrease the fall out from scheduled appointments. Every clinic is going to have some fall out, how much depends on the actions of your team.

There are a lot of different reasons why someone doesn’t show up for an appointment. Naturally we tend to believe that if someone didn’t show up for their appointment then that must mean that they are not interested. Not true. Others might say, “they will call back and reschedule when they have time...” not always true.

I would propose that the majority of these people that missed their appointment still need your services. Some will call back eventually, some you will lose to your competitors, and a few you will never get back. A solid follow-up program will help you get back a good amount of this fall out and will show your potential patients/new patients that you care about helping them.

If you truly care about every potential patient that was interested enough to make the initial call and appointment, then you should be interested in doing everything that you can to help them see the process through. You likely spend $50-500 for each phone call that comes into your office as a result of your marketing/advertising. It’s worth a little more effort, time and money to capture a larger percentage of the people that “fall out” and don’t show up for an appointment.

If you do the math on the value that each patient brings to your practice in revenue and profit, you will quickly see how important it is to make sure that your staff has the tools, training and incentives to make sure that follow-up is getting done.

Epic 5 Steps to Following Up

This follow-up program has proven to work and will make a positive difference in your new patient volume each month. These are good business practices and are meant for you to begin implementing immediately. If you need to tackle these in pieces in order to get started, then do it that way. Just get started right away. Samples of recommended phone scripts, letters, emails and email blasts are available to our clients upon request.

Same Day Call Back – 15% reschedule from a call to them on the same day.
Email Next Day – 10% reschedule from a follow-up email the next day.
Mail a letter at the end of the week – 5% reschedule by following up with a letter on Friday or within 5 days of a missed appointment.
Sales letter/email – 5% reschedule if you follow up in 15-20 days with an added incentive.
Quarterly email blasts/letters – 2% will respond to quarterly efforts to connect with them.

*Conversion percentages are estimates and will very from clinic to clinic.

Epic Marketing is awarded with a contract to help a national consulting firm

Nick — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:56:12 +0000

After considering several other marketing firms, this morning Epic Marketing was awarded the contract to help Norwest Corporation develop and roll out some new and exciting marketing elements. We look forward to working with such an amazing national consulting firm.

Norwest is an internationally-recognized leader in providing consulting expertise to the energy, mining, and natural resources industries. For over 30 years they have offered a wide range of services to energy and mining companies, electric power producers, financial institutions, governments, legal firms, and regulatory agencies.

Lessons learned from the Reebok FTC Settlement

admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:22:23 +0000

Toning sneakers have been all the rage lately, and I'm sure you're more than familiar with their TV and print ads that seem to be advertising a lot more than just shoes… if you know what I mean. In fact, the FTC reports that sales for toning shoes hit $1 billion last year. Several major shoe brands have rolled out their own version of shoes that claim to "build muscle" "burn more calories," and "help you lose weight," but it's the Reebok EasyTone shoes that have been getting a lot of hype this week. And when I say hype, I'm referring to their $25 million settlement with the FTC for deceptive advertising.

As much as I'd like to think everyone could lose weight just by wearing different shoes, the truth is it most likely won't turn out that way only because of the shoes. Millions of consumers found out the hard way by purchasing the shoes, only to find out they didn't live up to the claim -- now Reebok is paying out $25 million to refund consumers who bought their shoes as a result of their questionable advertising. While this situation doesn't seem too positive for Reebok, there are some good lessons we can all learn from it.

1. Don't take advantage of your target market. There's a big difference between marketing toward your target audience and taking advantage of them. The weight loss industry is a prime example of this. Let's face it; with how many people who are looking for the fastest and most effortless way to lose weight, it's easy for advertisers to capitalize on them. That doesn't mean it's necessarily the right thing to do, though. If companies are at all interested in building brand power, they'll start with building trust, not with an easy target.

2. Live up to the claim. If your product or service doesn't live up to what your marketing says it will, sooner or later consumers will see through it. Not only will it reflect poorly on your brand and ruin trust, but it could end up costing you millions in lawsuits and settlements.

3. Don't ignore a PR crisis when you see one. With how much news attention this settlement is getting nationwide, it's surprising that Reebok hasn't come out with any of its own statements, other than one-line quotes released to major news publications. While Reebok says they are still standing behind their claims, it doesn't seem like they are taking action to make amends with their unsatisfied customers who have to go through the FTC for any sort of refund. When a company comes under fire, transparency will always be the best option, not just ignoring the problem.

Web Video for Utah Pain Treatment Center

Nick — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:57:00 +0000

We just finnised putting together a web video for Utah Pain Treatment Center. We had a long time patient of theirs "Bucky Dent" sit down and do testimonial for them. Click on the link below to see the finished product.

http://www.youtube.com/user/EpicClients#p/u/0/MYZooxU6Urg

Epic Marketing was selected to help a with the grand opening of a Utah location

Nick — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:42:54 +0000

Ryerson is a leading distributor and processor of metals in North America. Headquartered in Chicago, we operate service centers in cities across the United States and Canada, and serve an expanding international customer base in China, Ryerson China Limited. Ryerson offers an unparalleled range of products, leading processing and fabricating capabilities, a broad geographic reach, and an established commitment to superior service. October 19, 2010 will be the grand opening of their Salt Lake office.

MLB's Very Own "Bucky Dent"

Nick — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:13:45 +0000

Last week we had MLB legend Bucky Dent here with one of our Clients for a golf tournament. He is a friend of the agency and look forward to seeing him later this year in Florida.

Huge upside in keeping track of the data

Nick — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:24:59 +0000

Recently I have been working on my golf game and taking a different approach to see if it would help me lower my golf score. I downloaded a great golf app that keeps track of my golf scores and shots throughout the round. I then can look at all my statistics from the round (Fairways hit, Greens in Regulation, Putts per round ect). I looked up the Pros stats and compared them the PGA Tour avg stats are Driving Accuracy 60.92% farways hit, Greens in Regulation 63.36%, Putts per Round 28 putts with avg of 1.5 per hole. With this insight I have been able to lower my scores by 4 strokes in a matter of one month. Your company will have the ability to get the same kind of results if you track the data.

We work with businesses across the country. Part of what we do (and encourage our clients to do) is keeping good records of as much information as possible. I see first hand how, by focusing on the statistics they can improve their bottom line every single month. For example, I have a client that has received 167 unique callers this month for their marketing they had 45 consults (26% consults booked) and 23 new patients (56% closing ratio) into their treatment program. By focusing on this one aspect say next month we got a 10% increase in consults book with the same amount of phone calls. A 10% increase would give us 60 patient consults booked with the same closing ratio we see 33 new patients into the program. An increase of 10 new patient in one month and $25,000 extra to the bottom line.

Once you have the numbers, then you are able to improve the percentages with higher efficiency.

Mike Wood
Account Executive
Epic Marketing

Kart Racing at Miller Motorsports Park today

Nick — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 20:19:29 +0000

Team Kart RacingJust got back from a team ride at Miller Motorsports Park. 40 laps on the Kart track doing 40+ mph was awesome! Stay tuned for some good video footage of the event.

One Simple Way to Get Reviews on Your Google Places Listing

Luis Bonilla — Fri, 20 May 2011 20:26:08 +0000

Most local businesses have a Google Places listing that presents searchers with information such as their website, physical address, phone number, and so forth. Likewise, it displays reviews from people that have had experiences with you and your business. But what most business owners don't realize is that getting people to rate and review your Google Places listing can help in local search rankings.

There have been studies and surveys on the correlation between the number and type of reviews and rankings, like this one, as well as blog posts from reputable SEO sources that state similar sentiments, like this one. So, if reviews from customers can be influential for local rankings—not to mention help consumers make decisions online—then how do you go about getting them?

One simple way to get customer reviews on your Google Places listing is to provide them a link to your page in a 'thank you' email—making it simple for your clients. For example, try adding a line like this at the end of the email:

"We appreciate the opportunity to work with you and are happy to hear that you are satisfied with [product/service]. We would be most grateful if you would share your experience on our Google Places listing. Thank you in advance!"

Embedding the link to your Google Places listing in the email makes is very easy for the client to take action right then and there. Don't be unethical with your wording and obviously don't incentivize the reviews, as that is against Google's guidelines. Keeping the request succinct, honest, and appreciative will go a long way towards receiving reviews—especially if that is how you have been treating your clients from the git-go.

Also, I wouldn't worry about "burdening" or "pestering" your clients just because you asked them for a review. Most people that receive great service or products are delighted to share their experience. But I would recommend only asking them once, as multiple requests can get obnoxious and seem spammy.

How to get your ads to produce a better response

Nick — Thu, 19 May 2011 14:48:22 +0000

One of the many reasons why businesses choose to hire us is because of our ability to create ads that are more effective and better at accomplishing their goals. The difference between an average ad and one that we have created is often 2-3 times the response from consumers. Many of our clients want a highly targeted direct response ad that generates qualified phone calls, while others want ads that are clean, classy and focus more on branding their products and services.

Our ads are created with this process in mind, and each ad must pass an internal rating system with high marks required in each of the following categories, before they go to print. Three or more marketing professionals (design, content writing, sales) are involved in the creation and review of each ad that we produce. Keep in mind that the most effective ads are those that can connect with and draw in the intended demographic within 3 to 5 seconds.

Epic Ad Quality Process:

1. Design/layout
One of the first things that consumers notice on a subconscious level is the quality of the design and layout. Colors, style, and designs must be consistent with the business’s brand image while piquing the interest of its intended demographic. The design should aid in making the audience comfortable and confident in doing business with you.

2. Headline
The headline or information at the top of your ad is normally what is read first. Often it is the only thing that is glanced at while consumers are shuffling through ads. A carefully crafted headline needs to draw them into reading the rest of the ad.

3. Image selection
Far too often we see ads that have images that are not relevant or even distract from the message and demographic. Images used in ads need special attention and will often take considerable time to select. They need to be specifically relevant to the message and create an emotional connection with the consumer.

4. Call to action/offer
An effective ad needs to include some direction. What do you want consumers to do once they have looked at your ad? What have you included in your ad that generates a need for them to call you right away?

5. Unique Selling Position (USP)
What is your unique selling position? Your business needs to clearly communicate what separates you from your competition. Consumers need a reason to choose you over your competitors. Having a strong USP will help you win business that might otherwise be lost to your competition.

6. Content writing/sales position
The content of your ad needs to be written with your demographic in mind. It needs to inform and sell at the same time. The words must be carefully selected so that they entice, intrigue and motivate consumers to action. There are 2 main points to note here: 1. Persuasive sales content is one of the strongest keys, which if done properly, will double the response of your ads. 2. Demographic targeting – Your words and language should be written in a way that best connects with your demographic.

7. Message clarity
The message of your ad should be clear and have a targeted purpose, be uncluttered, and include only content that has a direct purpose. Businesses often make the mistake of including so many random things in their ads that they become confusing and distract from the purpose of getting consumers the right information.

8. Trust factors
It is important that your ad conveys trust and professionalism to consumers. Having a professional look-and-feel will help, but there are other things that your ad needs to have in order to instill trust and confidence. Adding reputable names of manufacturers or vendors that you utilize will help you inspire consumer trust. Having a website listed on your ad tells people that you are not a new or fly-by-night business. Your ad must not leave any doubt or looming questions about the legitimacy of your business.

The Emotional Sale of Advertising

Nick — Wed, 11 May 2011 17:17:16 +0000

People make emotionally based buying decisions... period. Let's discard the fact that emotionally based decisions can often cause you all kinds of problem in your marriage and keep focused on how it pertains to marketing. Emotions are conveyed through images, design layout, color and the words that are crafted to reach out and connect with consumers. As an advertiser you want your audience to see or hear your advertisements and think to themselves:

"This company looks or feels like the right fit
for me"
"I think this company understands what I need"
"I just feel good about this company"
"I need to call and look into this"

These are just a few things that should cross through a consumer's mind, prompting them to call your office after seeing one of your ads.

Designing a good ad takes time, experience and the talent of an exceptional graphic designer and sales person. Here at Epic Marketing, we have a good selection of all of these key ingredients. The next time you are putting together an ad for your company, keep these things in mind and let us help you be more effective at connecting with your customers.

Remember not to rush things either. The difference between a decent ad and a great ad in our experience, usually means at least twice as many customer phone calls.

Put a call tracking number on all of your ads

Nick — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:56:14 +0000

I am shocked at how many businesses don't have call tracking set up on their website and advertising. When asked why, they either say that they have never really thought about it or my favorite "the people that answer my phones ask everyone where they heard about us". My response is that you should be doing both. Listen, you are likely spending thousands of dollars on advertising (website, phone books, online, radio, print, etc) and you are kidding yourself if you think that the front desk is asking everyone and logging all of the important details that are collected from a call tracking service. Even if they are doing a good job, what about the phone calls that are missed in the evenings or on the weekends?

A good call tracking service will provide you with so much valuable information that allows you to make good calculated decisions about what is working well for you and what is not. The most critical piece of data that you will get is the cost per lead. You will see clearly how much money it cost you to get one lead for each of the phone numbers that you have embedded in your advertising This is an overview screenshot of one of our client's current performance this month. He has 5 call tracking numbers that are active.

Courtesy of CallStage (www.CallStage.com)

Call tracking is relatively inexpensive: $25 per phone number + a small minute charge on the calls that come in on those numbers, and no long term contracts. We have been using CallStage (www.callstage.com) for sometime now and they have been great to work with. Email will@callstage.com for more information or visit them online to see what other features come with your service...

If you care at all about your marketing, you need to start tracking the calls that come from all of the advertising that you are doing. We have some clients that have over 15 numbers activated and they save thousands of dollars a month from the decisions that we make from that data.

It's time to get a mobile website

Nick — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 23:19:47 +0000

If your company doesn’t have a mobile website you are missing out on business!

Let’s face it. Smartphones are a must have for nearly every consumer and business person. People are connected and hooked on getting information fast and at their fingertips. Every time I go to the movies, restaurants or observe passengers in my car, people are playing on their phones. They are texting, looking at their favorite apps and yes visiting websites.

You should already know that your business’s website is a critical element in generating sales. You have likely spent thousands of dollars building a quality website and continue to spend hundreds of dollars updating and keeping the site relevant to consumers.

Part of your job as a savvy business owner is to make sure that your company is making it as easy as possible for people to find, get the right information and contact you. I am constantly visiting websites on my phone and most websites look terrible with text fonts the size of a pin head. When you get on one of those sites, your time spent browsing is short. On the other hand, I am beginning to see mobile websites that look nice and display all of the important aspects of the website in a user-friendly fashion. Time spent browsing shifts to high and the likelihood of a sale increases dramatically.

Look at the following comparisons and let me know which websites you would continue using and which ones you would leave immediately.

What is a new client worth to you? I can assure you that you are missing out on a number of new clients each month if you don't have a mobile website. Mobile websites are affordable and can be up and running within a matter of days. Call us today for a custom quote and get your business more visible on mobile platforms.

The Importance of Persuasive Ad Copy

Nick — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:54:23 +0000

As we sit down with a new client, one of the things that we review is their advertising material. We show them examples of how persuasive Ad copy will help them get more phone calls/web traffic. We will use the pain treatment category for this blog example today (headlines, content, messaging). Keep in mind that each of the following headlines has been used in local newspapers across the country and one of them works significantly better than the rest... and we wrote it.

Can you guess which one generates the most phone calls (1-5)?

1. The Changing Faces of Chronic Pain
2. Experiencing Back Pain?
3. Drug FREE, Surgery FREE, Pain FREE
4. Back Pain Sufferers find New Hope in FDA Cleared Technology
5. I am 100% pain FREE and I feel fantastic

Advertising can be your friend or your archenemy. One of the elements that will determine the success of an ad campaign is the ad copy. You must carefully choose your words and what message is the most important to convey to your target audience. If it is done properly, your ad copy will connect with consumers in a way that causes them to act.

Mark Zuckerberg at BYU's Marriott Center: My Notes

Luis Bonilla — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:03:42 +0000

The founder and CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, spoke today at the Marriott Center (Brigham Young University) and I was able to attend. It was a Q&A forum with Utah Senator Orrin Hatch asking the questions to Mark on a stage in the center of the arena.

Doors opened at 9:00am and it started at 11:00am. I was hanging with a rowdy crew that was able to score some reserved seating tickets, so I had a very good seat at the front and center. Right before Mark made his entrance there was a palpable buzz from the crowd.

I was trying to keep full attention to what was being said, but I also wanted to get some notes down on my iPhone to write something for a blog post. Here is what I was able to type and remember:

This is actually the first time Mark spoke to a college audience like this. It was a pretty full crowd at about three-fourths capacity (including the seats on the arena floor). He said he was pretty nervous, as he hadn't talked in front of a group like this, but I thought he spoke pretty well.
Mark said that he didn't originally create Facebook with a goal of making it a company and that the end result (of a company) pretty much just happened due to the overwhelming connections and success. (I know, I saw the movie.)
Facebook is stationed in Silicon Valley because he felt that being surrounded by good technology companies and resources would be helpful (to innovate and whatnot). He followed up with the thought that, if he had to do it over again, he might not have chosen Silicon Valley because you can pretty much start and establish a company from any location...and there are pluses and minuses to the current location. (And at this point, Senator Hatch suggested that Mark move to Utah…and Mark did an admirable job at deflecting that idea, saying his girlfriend wouldn't be in love with it. Funny moment.)Zuckerberg and Hatch: My great iPhone shot. (Caution: head in the way is closer than it appears.)
One of the main components, if not the main component, for a successful company comes from the actual people you employ and the idea of team, Mark said. If you only hire great people, then you won't need to build super large companies (and then threw out that Facebook has only 2,000 employees, but it has over 500 million users).
Although Mark dropped out of Harvard (and who'd blame him after Facebook started taking off?), he was enlisted as a double major in computer science and psychology. He went on to say that it's important to be aware and knowledgeable of the psychological and sociological aspects of technology (i.e., how people interact with technology and interact with others through technology).
He said that, for him, the most important things to have when starting a new company is love and faith in what you're doing. Without that, then you most likely will not be as successful.
One of the goals of Facebook is to have other entrepreneurs build apps that can be used on Facebook and that this process will enable Facebook to be better in the long run.
Facebook tries to keep a safe environment for all users with varied and high-level privacy controls; he believes that Facebook offers authentic experiences.
The basic goal of Facebook is to give people the opportunity to connect and share information like never before.
Businesses, due to the advent of Facebook and social media, will not be able to hide behind corporate veils anymore and will have to interact with its customers/consumers; it will be interesting how this evolves.
Mark mentioned an initiative called 'Peace on Facebook' at http://peace.facebook.com/ and how it shows stats on how different countries interact with each other (i.e., are Facebook friends), especially between countries that have a history of not "liking" each other.
If you wanted to work for Facebook, one of the items they look for in candidates is a passion for something; a passion for what you do and to demonstrate this outside of work life.
Regarding Facebook ads, he said at bare minimum, think of them as a way to use Facebook for free (and he said this with some humor). He also mentioned that no info is given or sold to advertisers and hopefully the ads are useful to users (at times) and will be more so over time.

It was a great experience listening to someone speak about how the company started, what it's doing now, and what he feels the future will be. Additionally, from a marketing point of view, I enjoyed the idea of businesses not being able to "hide" behind the "corporate veil" and that, to be successful, they will need to be more open and interact with people more.

Welp, that pretty much sums it up. I'm glad I got to go.

Zuckerberg and Hatch Say Goodbye: They're not really this pale. I promise.

Heritage Web Solutions (HIT Web Design) Clients: We Can Help

Luis Bonilla — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:32:21 +0000

Due to the recent shut down of HIT Web Design, formerly Heritage Web Solutions (reported by the Salt Lake Tribune and KSL), there are thousands of individuals and businesses that are left in need of web hosting and web design.

Epic Marketing can offer you a better website design and host your domain.

Also, as a former HIT client, you may not have received services or advice on what you need in order to get your website in front of your customers on search engines. We can help you with this aspect as well. We provide search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC), and social media services in order to help get your traffic and business—we're not going to just provide you a website, but provide you with clients (backed up and visible with data and analytics).

Allow Epic Marketing to help you through this rough spot. We'll help you get through this situation and get your business back on track.

Billboard Advertising Tip

Nick — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:08:36 +0000

If your target audience is the elderly, don't advertise with billboards. When was the last time you saw an old person looking around while driving... seriously.

SEO and Full-Service Advertising: Overlapping the Goodness

Luis Bonilla — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:02:54 +0000

As many individuals who are searching for search engine optimization (SEO) services know, there are myriad choices to sift through. From sizable establishments to one-person operations, as well as services for thousands of dollars a month to a few dollars a week, people can get overwhelmed with all of the options and may risk contracting with an SEO service that will not bring the desired results.

As with any type of advertising commitment, it should be an investment that you can expect some sort of tangible returns on. Some SEO companies that I know of keep their process and resources pretty secretive, which makes it difficult for clients to trust.

Likewise, the reporting that they provide to clients offers little to no visibility into the value they are creating—or not creating. Simply emailing clients their keyword rankings each month does not mean anything for their business. So you're ranking #4 on Google for your keyword(s), so what? What does that mean? How much money does that represent to the bottom line? Does the SEO company even know?

How a Full-Service Ad Agency Can Help with SEO

The majority of online marketing services does not or cannot provide the requisite, indispensable return on investment (ROI) information in order for you to make good business decisions. Wouldn't it make more 'cents' to enlist a full-service advertising agency to manage your SEO campaign, as they most likely would have additional reporting tools and processes set up to demonstrate effectiveness? Yeah, I think so too.

Take Epic Marketing for example. We have knowledge and experience with all facets of advertising, including, but not limited to, media placement, TV and radio ads, print, public relations, and so forth. From all of these avenues of marketing, we have been able to build up extensive reporting mechanisms through various campaign tracking tools, including call tracking and organic search analytics, as well as a comprehensive, in-depth knowledge of numerous industries and their demographics.

This experience with other advertising mediums is valuable information when it comes to SEO, as it can provide data that is exclusive to a particular industry, demographic, and/or location and allow for better selections of higher converting keywords, better on-site optimization text (copy), and so on. So you're not just paying for higher rankings for keywords, you're actually paying for true online marketing and advertising proficiency.

What This Means for You

If you are looking for a company to fulfill your online marketing services—especially SEO—then you would be wise to seriously consider what a full-service advertising agency has to offer. More than likely (at least with Epic Marketing), your SEO campaign will benefit from both our expertise in the online marketing realm and our diverse advertising prowess.

Incorporating a formidable Internet marketing strategy takes time, the right people, and a strong familiarity with your particular industry. Don't merely be satisfied with ranking for a keyword here and there with no definitive ROI, take advantage of the all-inclusive services of an advertising agency (like, say, Epic Marketing). Your business' bottom line will thank you.ROI from SEO services is a cause for celebration...or at least some raised arms.

6 Creative Examples of Facebook Page Designs by Businesses

Claye Stokes — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 23:27:42 +0000

After giving our own Facebook Page design a minor overhaul, we gave our web team the task of finding business Facebook page designs that stand out.

Well, these guys make Tron look like childs play, and they're back from their journey into the interwebs, tracking down some of the most creative Facebook page designs we've seen. Enjoy!

Epic Marketing

Our latest creation, featuring the king - or actually, our favorite three. Who should we feature next time? The web guys are pushing for three storm troopers but we think we can do better...

Dos Equis Facebook Profile

The most interesting man in the world, proving that design doesn't always need to be flashy to be creative.

Dunkin Donuts

Great way to make even the profile image social, by using that space to highlight a "Fan of the week."

Team Coco

Curiously, a few members of the team here at Epic aren't fans of the tall, lanky Cheeto, but the rest of us have a plan to change the yellow hue of our Epic logo to orange so slowly over time that before the haters even realize it, they'll be sharing jokes from Coco's monoloque around the water cooler.

The Home Depot

Wondering what's up with the floating Home Depot apron? Check out the tiny thumbnail next to their posts that Facebook automatically generates. I see what they're doing...

Adidas

Nice combination of their logo and product placement in the thumbnail as well.

There isn't a lot of room for design customization on Facebook Pages, but there is never a limit on creativity - if you know of any good facebook page designs, please share in the comments and we'll highlight them next time!

Chiropractic Marketing: There is no "One-Size-Fits-All"

Claye Stokes — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:14:02 +0000

As we work with an increasing number of chiropractic practices, multidisciplinary practices, pain management centers, and other practices around the country, we are becoming very familiar with the chiropractic marketing and advertising tools that have been available to doctors for the past decade or so.

Most doctors are running a set of 'canned,' one-size-fits-all ads that worked once upon a time for one doctor, and are now being resold at a premium. Most "marketing" services are really only offering a handful of ads with no accountability, help in placing the ads, or customizing them for your area and the media outlets available to you.

"My area must be different, marketing just doesn't work for me..."

Those types of ads have mostly dried up in value, leading a lot of doctors to think that advertising doesn't work in their area or in newspaper/tv/radio/etc, when the problem is really that the ads don't connect to people in a new & effective way.

Sometimes they are placed in the wrong publications or media altogether - even if the message is persuasive, if it's in front of the wrong crowd then it won't generate any phone calls or patients.

Marketing Doesn't Come in One-Size-Fits-All

For some smaller practices, it may make sense to use generic marketing materials to get up on your feet but throwing generic ads in the local media and waiting for results doesn't cut it - that's no way to run a full size business.

Ads need to be created around your specific needs, and those ads need to be tracked & watched by someone who knows what metrics are important and which aren't. Then they need to be tweaked frequently to keep results coming in.

In marketing, it's dangerous to compare one area or the success of one ad to your marketing efforts. An ad that pulls 90 phone calls in a newspaper across the state isn't necessarily going to have the same effect in yours. There are a number of factors to take into consideration, besides competition, market saturation, public awareness, and demand.

That's where Epic comes in...

The Epic Marketing Approach

In contrast to the handful of ads available from medical marketers , we make up the marketing team for our clients and build an entire marketing campaign that is custom to your specific area, treatment, and needs.

The results have been incredible. Having a professional marketing team handling marketing is a giant step forward from the 'ad programs' and 'chiropractic ad collections' that have been used for so many years.

We plan, create ads, place them, and then report on the performance of our doctor's ads each month, and they enjoy looking at our detailed reporting, which gives us critical insights in making advertising decisions.

The difference between what the medical community has had to work with in the past and what we have to offer is enormous - we are focused on getting immediate results and measuring them so that everyone involved knows exactly how your advertising dollars are performing and we can make sure that we are trending in the right direction.

Image credits: http://cheezburger.com/TemplateView.aspx?ciid=2298882, http://morganlinton.com/why-there-is-no-one-size-fits-all-development-so...

Epic Laser Tag

admin — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:08:21 +0000

Hop in your DeLorean and join us in the future for a battle of lights and lasers. We work hard here at Epic Marketing and, every once in a while, we play hard.

Producteev Submissions Manager For Free With Drupal

admin — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:00:45 +0000

Our team just started using Producteev, a tool for managing tasks within teams. It works like an internal ticketing system with the ability to assign tasks to other members of the team. It integrates tightly with Google Apps (and GMail) while providing integration for mobile devices. Basically, it's sweet.

There are a lot of ways to add tasks to Producteev - via email, IM, the iPhone or Android app, or the web interface. One feature we wanted was the ability to add tasks via a web form. That way we can send the form out to our clients and have tasks added to our internal to-do lists. A big benefit is that you could build a form to capture specific information, then include that information in the Producteev task.

Turns out Producteev offers such functionality, which they call "Producteev Submissions." I inquired about how to use it or add it to our account and learned there was a cost associated with its use. Producteev Submissions starts at $100/mo. Not a justifiable add-on for a small company like us that is currently on Producteev's most basic plan for $20/mo.

I was a bit disappointed we couldn't just access the additional functionality as part of our plan, but then I remembered that you can add tasks via email. I could build my own form and have the contents of the form sent in as a task. Depending on how I create the form, I could even make the task correctly associate in Producteev with the person who sent it from my form, create a due date, add labels, etc. I decided to give it a try with Drupal and it worked beautifully. You don't need to use Drupal, but it provides a nice interface for quickly building forms using the webform module. So let's get into it.

1. Prerequisites

This tutorial assumes you have Drupal installed, along with the webform module. That should be all you need. If you're wondering from the screenshots, I am using the Rubik theme.

2. Build your form

Go to Create New Content... and select Webform.

Give your webform a name and save it. For my example I will build a simple web analysis request form (we provide a free web analysis to prospective clients). Once you've saved the form you will be asked to add components to your form.

We'll get to the secret sauce in a minute. For now, just go ahead and add different components to your Webform. My web analysis request form will include fields for client name, website URL, Due Date, Account rep, and Notes. When you're finished it should look something like this:

Notice I selected specific field types for date, email, and notes. Feel free to play around with the different field types.

3. Make it magic

Now we'll sprinkle a little of the special secret sauce onto our form to get it ready for our Producteev integration. Click edit on due date.

For default value, give yourself whatever period of time you decide you need to complete the task. I entered "+2 days." The person filling out the form can change the date if needed, but it's nice to give them a suggested default that will fit into your normal workflow. You may also want to enter "-0" under start year unless you have a time machine to complete tasks newly assigned for last year.

Add a field named "Subject" to your form and set its type to hidden. The default value for this field will become the subject of the email that gets sent into Producteev. It will be parsed out into the actual task. The Webform module allows you to insert variables from the form itself, which means we can fully customize the task that is sent in to Producteev. Check out their support documentation for how these tasks should be formatted. For my default value I'm going to use:

Analysis request for %value[client_name] #epic ##online %value[due_date] @sam

This is less complicated then it looks. You can insert any variable from the form with %value[field_key], replacing field_key with the actual field_key which you can find by clicking edit next to the field in question. Here I am inserting the client name and the due date using these variables. The actual task sent to Producteev might look something like this:

Analysis request for Bob's Widgets #epic ##online January 1, 2010 @sam

This tells Producteev to add a task with the name "Analysis request for Bob's Widgets" to the "epic" workspace, apply the label "online," give it a due date of January 1st 2010, and assign it to Sam. Got it? Cool - now remix it to fit your exact needs. You can even include a field in the form for a custom task name and use that instead of the hard-coded "Analysis Request for " part of the task.

4. Work in that Producteev Mojo

Now that our form is built, it's time to tell it to work with Producteev. In the upper right hand corner of the webform editor find the E-mails tab and click it.

For the "send to" address type in "task@producteev.com" and click add. For the email subject, choose component and set it to subject. Are you getting excited?

Under E-mail from name again select component and set it to Account Rep.

A little note here. Producteev knows where to send the task by looking at the "from" address on the email. So when you send yourself a task, it sees your email and adds it to your task list. With our form we are faking the from address to look like it is coming from someone else on your team. For this to work, that person will need to have a Producteev account and will need access to your workspace. If they enter an email address not associated with your workspace or Producteev the entry will be lost in the ether.

To counteract this, I added another recipient to my email form that just sends it to my inbox. That way I can conduct training with people who enter their details wrong. Once everyone is used to it, I will shut off the secondary email. Alternately you could create a multi-select field pre-filled with appropriate email addresses users can choose from (just be careful about making the form public facing), or you could just avoid the problem altogether and hard code a valid email address into your form (you would want to do this anyway if your form is public and non-Producteev users will be filling it out).

Back to our regularly scheduled program...

Under Email Template remove the first line that says "Submitted on %date." This is because Producteev will pretty much take the last date in the subject or content of the email and make it the due date. You want it to use the subject we gave it in the email, not erroneously use the "submitted on" date as the due date.

5. Test And Tweak

You're now ready to test your form. Go ahead and give it a try and watch how it lands in your Producteev interface. The subject becomes the task name and details, and all the stuff the user fills out in the form becomes a note on the task. Go back and perfect and tweak your form as needed. Get creative and look for the other ways you can integrate with Producteev's native functionality.

That's it!

Producteev's solution apparently includes additional functionality that is similar to a full CRM. If you're a bigger company and don't mind spending the extra cash, check out their native solution.

epic.cm URL Shortener

admin — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:43:47 +0000

We've just launched a brand new URL shortener and made it free and accessible to everyone. If you're already familiar with URL shorteners like tr.im and bit.ly, then head on over to epic.cm and check it out. If you don't know what I'm talking about, read on.

A URL shortener acts as a middle-man for links, the benefit being you can send a nice, tidy, short link to someone rather than a big long annoying one. Both links go to the same place, the shortened URL is just more manageable and can be used with length-restricted services like twitter.

Here is an example. Instead of sending this link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=epic+marketing&hl=en&cd=1&ei=QTLsTN3sHo7SowSo5qiECg&sig2=-U-5O_9j_jFBs_zHfjn3Xg&sll=40.524671,-111.863823&sspn=0.308986,0.457306&ie=UTF8&view=map&cid=10790018251539692959&ved=0CHAQpQY&hq=epic+marketing&hnear=&ll=40.525951,-111.866806&spn=0.009656,0.014291&z=16&iwloc=A

... you can send this one:

http://epic.cm/lqW

See, isn't that nice?

To get started, simply copy a URL and paste it into the box at epic.cm and click "shorten." A new shortened URL will appear which you can then copy and paste wherever you want.

Note: epic.cm is currently in beta and should not be relied upon for any mission critical link shortening you may need.

Epic Street Ball

admin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:29:55 +0000

When we moved to our new offices several months ago, we made an NBA regulation size basketball court a top priority. Unfortunately we couldn't quite afford the olympic swimming pool AND the basketball court, so we had to settle for a mini hoop in a mini room. No big deal, six of us can fit in there pretty easily AND almost have room to move.

Picking An SEO Company: Practical Advice

admin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:30:30 +0000

If you've been running a business very long, and especially if that business is on the Internet, you've surely received countless email promising "#1 rankings on Google - just $39.95!" We certainly get forwarded a lot of these emails by our clients asking "is this worth looking into?"

These deals can sound amazing, especially when comparing against real agencies (and their real agency prices). But, like most things, you get what you pay for. Here's why:

1. The devil is in the details

Sure, you might get #1 rankings for your website, but for what keywords? I've never seen one of these fly-by-night SEO companies provide a list of search phrases they will rank you on, and I've never heard of anyone ranking the client's website on valuable keywords. Anyone can rank for keyword phrases like "Billy Bob's Super Fun Time Airboat Rides and Gator Sanctuary" overnight. The more words, the more obscure, the easier it is to rank. What's hard, and not included in these amazing SEO offers, is work on real, valuable keywords that will bring you new clients.

2. Nobody controls Google

Nobody can guarantee #1 rankings on specific keywords. Period. The fact is nobody doing SEO is in charge of Google, and the algorithm in charge of website rankings is a closely guarded secret. Here is a quote directly from Google's guidelines on finding an SEO company:

"No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.

"Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a "special relationship" with Google, or advertise a "priority submit" to Google. There is no priority submit for Google. In fact, the only way to submit a site to Google directly is through our Add URL page or by submitting a Sitemap and you can do this yourself at no cost whatsoever."

3. The work

Real, honest SEO work takes time, research, know-how, and hard work. You can rest assured that your $39.95 to "Jed's Super Awesome SEO Services!!1!" is not going into paying someone with real SEO skills to do the work required to really be a benefit to your site. Most companies have some automated spamming script that will place your links all over the web at the push of a button. These links are usually irrelevant, poor quality, and ultimately unhelpful. Some may even be damaging to the long term search engine success of your website.

4. Honesty

Beware of companies that are not up front about their processes and practices when it comes to SEO. If the explanation sounds like magic, they're probably selling you smoke and mirrors. Like David Blaine, when the smoke settles they'll be gone, and so will any potentially positive results of their work. They don't care - with an offer of $39.95 for #1 Rankings and a free Snuggie, the next sucker is already waiting to sign up.

5. Contracts

Many SEO companies require lengthy contracts to sign up. At Epic, we pride ourselves on doing work that is good enough that it justifies itself every single month. While a good SEO campaign can take a few months to really kick in and get going, the value should be clear in the first month. In most cases, we do not require contracts for online marketing. Even so, we have very low turnover because the work speaks for itself.

For more information, check out Google's page about Search Engine Optimization and what to look for in an SEO company.

Halloween 2010

admin — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:01:37 +0000

And by popular vote, best Halloween costume for 2010 goes to Sam Garfield:

Epic Marketing Wasatch Crest Trail Biking

admin — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 21:47:10 +0000

Epic takes to the trails for a day of mountain biking fun.

Epic Shoot Off

admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:00:18 +0000

Donning a mishmash of creative garb, Epic Marketing headed for the hills for a good old fashioned shoot off. We practiced safety first and everyone made it out a live, making for a great teambuilding exercise and fun few hours away from the office.

Intro to Search Marketing [Podcast]

admin — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 20:20:30 +0000

SEO, PPC, LMNOP, what does it all mean? Find out in this short intro to search marketing webcast from Epic Marketing.

Common Medical Practice Marketing Mistakes

admin — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:56:08 +0000

Here is the first of a series of videos recapping various topics covered during the Practice Perfect seminar held in June. During the seminar, Nick White (Owner of Epic Marketing) talked about many common marketing mistakes made by medical practices.

These tips will have a profound effect on your marketing if you choose to listen and react by calling Epic Marketing today - let's talk about what we can do, together, to improve your marketing and put it on track.

Click to learn more about Epic's medical marketing services

In this video, Nick White, Owner of Epic Marketing and guest presenter at our June conference talks asks these important questions:

Are you giving your marketing the appropriate amount of attention each month (your marketing should be the main source of added revenue every single month, whether it generates $10,000 or $120,000)?
How many of you don’t have a marketing plan?
How many of you try to cut too many corners (whether cost, design efficiency)?
How many of you take advice from the wrong people (family members, friends, media reps)? Are those people in a position to be giving you proper marketing advice?

The following topics are also addressed:

Proper marketing expectations
Marketing material
What a successful marketing campaign should look like
Failed advertising: was it the medium, or the ad content?

These marketing tips are especially relevant for anyone interested in chiropractic marketing, spinal decompression marketing, integrated practice marketing, and medical marketing in general.

Epic Golf Game

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:42:39 +0000

We took the team out to the golf course for a little R&R and team building. We had a great time together and put together this highlight reel to prove it. Turns out some of us are pretty good at golf. Some of us ... not so much.

Epic Marketing Race Day - Going The Distance

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:41:54 +0000

Epic Marketing knows competition. To prove it, we headed to the track to find out who would dominate in an all out battle royale. Our track cams were there to capture the action.

In the end, everyone showed their merit and tenacity in addition to having a great time. At Epic we work hard, we play hard, and we always come out on top.

Local SEO Keywords

admin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:40:34 +0000

The subject of choosing "SEO keywords" recently came up during a conversation with a spinal decompression clinic recently. The doctors and staff are very serious about achieving a strong online presence and they are making some great efforts to increase their online visibility through organic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising with Google Adwords.

Today they sent a list of keywords that they would like to target for SEO, but the list didn't match the types of "local SEO keywords" that a local business or medical practice should be interested in.

They wanted to target the same keywords that they are targeting for their Adwords PPC campaign - here is the short version of the list: neck pain treatments, sciatica pain, treatment for bulging disc, degenerative disc, herniated disk, back treatment for herniated disk, treatment for herniated disc, herniated disc treatment, herniated disk pain.

This was my reply (location has been changed):

These are great keywords for Google Adwords because you can geotarget your campaigns (make your ads available only to users within a defined geographic region, like within 20 miles of San Diego).

Keywords for SEO are another beast though, I’ll try to explain as briefly and easily as possible what the most valuable SEO keywords for a local San Diego business would look like:

Google has over 1 trillion web pages to try to rank every time someone does a search for ‘back pain’ and similar keywords, with a goal of giving users the most useful website possible. For example, a local chiropractic website wouldn’t be a good fit for a keyword like ‘back pain’ – users in foreign countries and other regions wouldn’t be interested in your website, so Google’s algorithm makes sure that websites like Wikipedia, informational sites, and prominent online medical resources rank highest for broad keywords like that.

It’s also a waste of your money and time to try to rank organically for those keywords, because San Diego users make up only a tiny percentage of the global traffic that is searching for those keywords.

It is wiser for local businesses and locations to target SEO keywords that include a “local qualifier” (e.g. city or state), that targets your local target market exclusively, for example, “back pain San Diego” or “chiropractor in San Diego, CA.” San Diego users are more likely to search for local pain management and spine relief searches by including “San Diego” in the search term. Try searching for those terms and you will see your biggest online competition appearing high in search results – they are probably getting all kinds of business from those rankings.

I recommend using Google’s keyword tool (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal) to research keywords like “chiropractor San Diego,” “spinal decompression San Diego,” and similar keyword phrases to find which key terms get the most searches per month, and those are the ‘bread and butter’ keywords that you’ll want to rank for because they can get you the highest, and best qualified traffic possible.

To learn more about making your spinal decompression website or your chiropractic website rank well in search engines, call us today! (801) 947-5595.

Youtube Videos and SEO

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:45:50 +0000

I was recently asked how important Youtube videos are in SEO (Search Engine Optimization). The client had been told by one of their "web guys" that Youtube videos have the most value in SEO.

While Youtube videos can a valuable part of an SEO campaign and in driving traffic and online exposure to a website, they are hardly the most valuable SEO technique.

Here was my email response:

Youtube videos can be very effective in SEO campaigns, but shouldn’t make up the only component in an SEO campaign. A website that is optimized well for search engines should include high-quality content on a well-built, search-engine-accessible website, and should be supported by inbound links from other websites. For example, a website with a Youtube video could potentially have errors that prevent search engines from finding the website, or a lack of links and valuable content on the website could prevent search engines from ever finding the content on a website.

Youtube videos can contain useful keywords and usage data that help a website rank well for certain keywords, but aside from helping a website rank, Youtube videos can be effective as content on the website, and can even attract high volumes of web traffic if the video itself is popular on Youtube.com, ranks high on search engines, or is embedded on popular websites or blogs.

A comprehensive survey completed periodically by SEOmoz ,an industry leading SEO training company, polls leading SEO experts’ opinions about the most important and critical factors in getting a website to rank well in search engines, and is useful in gauging the usefulness of Youtube videos in comparison to other on- and off-site SEO practices. Source: http://www.seomoz.org/article/search-ranking-factors.

Our experience validates the findings of that survey, and we model our SEO campaigns in the same way, giving the most effective SEO practices the highest priority in our campaigns. Some of the most effective SEO practices include link building (building links using keywords as ‘anchor text’ from external links), using the keyword in the page title tag and content, and building links and references from quality, trusted websites.

New Client in Lancaster, Ohio

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:08:36 +0000

Once again we have been fortunate to have been able to pick up 2 new clients in one day. Lancaster, Ohio is our newest client and will soon be the recipient of all of our expertise, resources and custom marketing program. The result it more calls, lower cost per lead, and better marketing material. Lets not forget all of the time and money saved on making sure their marketing dollars are spent wisely.

New Client in Seattle, Washington

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:52:11 +0000

Seattle is a place that I have always wanted to visit. I hear it is amazing. Well I guess the second best thing next to visiting, is picking up a new client in that area...

We have been hired to help work some magic with this practice. Their goal is to expand into several areas within Seattle, Washington. We will being with creating a new website and performing market research for the area. They will quickly see the success that we have brought to other practices across the country.

Hiring an advertising agency makes a lot of sense

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:29:52 +0000

Let's say... I am a business owner and I sell widgets. I just started this business and I don't have a rich family (I am now regretting the fact that I didn't throw more game at that incredibly average chick in my college math class, her family was loaded). I just have enough capital to start this business, hire a few employees, get into a physical location, and start building my big dream. I wear a lot of hats. I am the CEO, CFO, Sales Manager and in charge of all of the marketing. I really understand one thing well and that's widgets. Everything else I try to learn as I go. I read books, talk to friends and other business owners to try and get a grasp on everything.

My business begins to grow and we are now actually making money...

Let's look at where this business is and why it now is starting to make sense that I hire a full service advertising agency:

because marketing is more important now then ever and this is not your area of expertise
because you see the need for someone else to fill the marketing position in your business and you know that a dedicated employee is going to cost you between 35,000k-60,000k annually and this person still can't touch what you would get from us. Not to mention that you aren't hiring just one person from our firm, you are getting an entire team of marketing professionals.
because you see that it makes sense for you to spend time on other areas of your business instead of dabbling in the unknowns of marketing
because you are tired of every newspaper, radio, tv, direct mail sales rep telling you that they are the perfect fit for advertising your business. You begin to realize that you have been listening to these reps for years and at the end of the day, all they want is for you to spend your marketing budget with them (thinking...why did I ever look to them for marketing advice in the first place...)
because you want to improve your companies image with better creative and design work
because you want to take advantage of the sale and marketing experience that we have gathered over many years, working with businesses across the country
because you have always wanted to hire a utah advertising agency that is fun to work with and that gets the job done
because we don't have contracts and we earn our business month after month, knowing that you need to see an acceptable return our your investment with us
Because you know that an agency will do a better job handling your marketing, you just need to weigh the increase and costs associated vs. continuing to do it yourself.

The crazy thing is that a lot of businesses just need to get one or two more patients/sales each month as a result of our marketing to more then cover our services. Take a few minutes to evaluate where your business is and if you can connect with some of the things that we listed above. Marketing is our passion, it's our expertise, it's what we do better than anyone else... ask my mom.

Everyone has an Ad

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:32:29 +0000

I would like to address something that the Chiropractic community has been exposed to for years, and that is Chiropractors that have turned into marketing consultants. They find an ad that has given them some amount of success and then they sell it to a slew of struggling practices. We run into their work all over the country. Some are so bold as to ask for a % of your revenue just to run their Ad, while others demand a 5 year contract. Don't get me wrong, if they have something that they can sell, then great for them.

I only bring this up because it is important that business owners know the difference between what we do and what others are doing. Let me give you an example of one of our clients in the mid-west, let's call him Dr Smith.

When we met Dr Smith he was spending 20,000/mo in marketing, he was buying a newspaper ad from one guy and buying an infomercial from another guy. Dr Smith was referred to us by another client of ours and after a conversation or two he hired us. Yeah, he was paying 3 different people for marketing consulting...

Dr Smith wanted to see if we could actually out perform his other ads and we were up for the challenge... easy because we knew who we were up against. We implemented a tracking system that tracked the phone calls separate from each other to see which ads pulled the best cost per lead (CPL). At his request, we tracked this information for several month to see how everybody stacked up. The results are in and we came out on top with the lowest cost per lead (by a substantial margin). And that's not all, we also have the best customer service, and we handle all of the marketing for his practice. Not to mention now he doesn't have to pay $6500/mo in consulting/licensing fees from the other 2 companies.

What I am tying to point out is that we are a full marketing solution for your practice. Our fees our minimal and the results you will see make it a win win situation. No Contracts! We are a professional marketing agency that completely understands sales and marketing strategies. We are capable of give your practice what it needs to succeed. Don't try and "piece meal" a bunch of constants together when in the end, you just need us for you marketing.

New Client in Beaumont, Texas

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:56:53 +0000

We are pleased to announce another new client in Texas. This Client has been thinking about using our services for months and has finally signed up. We have found that some personalities "pull the trigger" quickly and are able to make big decisions on the spot. Others take a little time weighing things out. Either is fine, as long as the end result is that they give us a shot. We are in the business of proving our value every month and keeping clients for years...

First New Client of the New Year

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:50:13 +0000

Today we added our first client of 2010. This Client was a referral and we want to make sure we thank all of our clients for the support they give us. The greatest complement that we can get is a referral.

We are excited to begin building our new clients marketing campaign and already have the ball rolling. Their first Ad will be running in 3 weeks.

Happy New Year!

You Have 7 Seconds

admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:08:47 +0000

Your website has about 7 seconds to make a first impression and keep your users on your website. How effective is your website at retaining first-time visitors?

That is the topic addressed in a Marketing Experiments web clinic today that demonstrated how one website achieved a 201% increase in conversions. In the web clinic, the presenter emphasized the principle that clarity trumps persuasion. Be clear and to the point, and users will be much more likely to convert than if you barrage them with endless 'salesy' talk.

The web clinic addressed three questions that users face when they arrive at a website, and the importance of answering those questions as clearly and effectively as possible:

Where am I?
What can I do here?
Why should I use this company?

1. Where Am I?

When users first land on your page, they are in the 'orientation phase.' In a couple seconds (or less), they decide whether the landing page is relevant to what they are looking for. If there is any clutter, a lack of a clear headline or theme on the website that could cause confusion, then the easiest way out is the back button.

You can reduce confusion by making the purpose of the website very clear in the logo, headline, and supporting text. Don't barrage them with 'sales talk' before they've had a chance to orient themselves and decide that you are a credible source of what they are looking for.

2. What can I do here?

Those users that haven't hit the back button now feel confident enough to stay on the page and determine its usefulness.

The purpose of the page could be to generate a phone call or email, a checkout, a sign-up, etc. This is important: don't leave the user's thought process unsupervised. Use the copy and web design to guide the user to what you would like them to do - explain the benefits, value, and reasons why it is worth it for them to commit to converting.

Why should I use this company?

Finally, tell users clearly and simply why they should use your company instead of continuing their online search in pursuit of another alternative. Make sure that your value proposition (Marketing Experiment's enhanced version of your USP, or Unique Selling Point) is clearly stated. Remember, clarity trumps persuasion.

Retailers Go Nuts for Social Media

admin — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:59:27 +0000

There is not doubt that Social Media has transformed how people stay connected with each other. It may surprise you to learn, however, that on Black Friday Facebook was the second most visited site next to Google in the U.S. According to a survey (BDO Seidman) "Of those who reported, plans to use social media, 76% are focusing on Facebook, 50% on Twitter and 14% on MySpace and YouTube. 10% said they expected to utilize each of those media outlets."

We have been implementing and managing Social Media marketing campaigns for years and our clients get a phenomenal return on their investment. With this, begins an effective marketing strategy, and one can see why other forms of traditional media continue to struggle.

Things to Consider When Buying Radio

admin — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:51:57 +0000

Too many business owners and office managers are making poor decisions about which radio stations they should be advertising with. They think that they should be on the stations that they listen to, or they should be on the most or highest rated station in the market. They even (as crazy as it sounds) end up buying from the station rep that they like the most and don't really consider much else. But why would they look any further? One of their reps has brought with them studies that show that their station is the "perfect fit for their demographic"... Sound ridiculous... it's true.

Here's the thing, business owners, office managers, or administrators really don't know any better. After all, they are not marketing professionals and they do the best they can with what they have.

Let me help shed a little on media buying (radio):

After you have decided that radio is the right advertising medium that your business is interested in doing, the next step is to contact an account executive at each one of the 40 or so radio station in your market area and begin your research. You will be given station rates, ratings, and demographic information (age, gender, income, etc) about each one.

First you will want to determine which stations best fit your demographic and give them special attention.

Then take the rates and ratings (which represent a certain number of people) and determine what the cost per rating point is. This help "level the playing field" and gives you a very accurate cost for reaching the same amount of people on each station.

You will also need to consider if your product/services cater to a group of people that may heavily sku to a specific type of music genre and factor that in. Example: I sell sporting good and hunting equipment... a country music formatted station may be more saturated with more of my consumers then other genres.

Finally, after you have narrowed it down to a few of the top candidates you will want to begin negotiating those stations to get more aggressive rates.

There you have it... almost. There are many other variables that can factor into making a decision about where to spend your radio budget but i am out of time...

New Client in Weston, Florida

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:17:32 +0000

Two in one day! I have to give it to our sales team for their hard work. We are very fortunate to have a great team here at Epic Marketing.

This Client was in the right place at the right time. We were able to connect with them on a personal level and give them the confidence that they needed to have in us. They are in a great location in Florida allowing us to hit their demographic with ease.

This is another success story proving that business owners understand that a well connected advertising agency in Utah can effectively service clients across the country.

New Client in Dayton, Ohio

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:55:52 +0000

We are pleased to announce that we added our first client in Ohio. We are very excited about the possibilities with this very aggressive and business savvy client. He has the vision of a true business owner and administrator. This type of client is able to quickly see value, make good decisions, and reap the rewards from it.

This is going to be another great partnership and one that will last a long time.

Black Friday

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:34:43 +0000

Black Fridays shopping results show a 35% increase in sales online (according to KSL News). Consumers are becoming more and more comfortable shopping online. There is no doubt that most people look online for information about products or services they are interested in. With this much time that consumers are spending online, your business should be there too.

Epic Marketing has a team of specialists that are very good at designing, implementing and tracking custom online marketing campaigns.

Was Our Radio Campaign Successful?

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:09:37 +0000

The typical formula for tracking the "effectiveness" of a marketing campaign for most business owners is pretty simple. They run an Ad, in one or more avenues and hope that the phones ring. Once the phone rings they rely on office staff to hopefully ask how they heard of you or where they got your number. (tip: your office staff doesn't think this information is really that important and they likely give it little thought, if at all).

Often, it is not as easy as that. Example: We track the phone calls of our clients and these phone calls are recorded. We were reviewing the recorded calls from a specific number that was only on their print ad but after listening to the call, the caller said that she had heard them on the radio and then just received a mailer and so she called.

This is an example of how advertising works together to brand, create top of mind awareness and gets your phones to ring. If you are not putting special tracking numbers on your marketing material and analyzing the data regularly then you are wasting marketing money. This is just one reason why your business should have a competent advertising agency working to ensure that nothing is being missed and everything is being considered when you are determining whether or not a specific medium was successful.

New Client in Florida

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:48:12 +0000

Today we added one more client to our portfolio. This client is currently working with an advertising agency in FL and we convinced them that it's time to make a change. The funny thing is that it really wasn't that hard. I am amazed at how poor of a job some of our competitor are doing. Its a bitter sweet... Bitter, in that it puts a negative impression of agencies in the market. Sweet, in that those of use who know what we are doing and provide outstanding marketing service keep picking up new clients. I would hate to be apart of one of those crappy advertising agencies. Can I get an amen!

Latest Print Ad

admin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:29:48 +0000

Here is the latest print ad for Utah Cosmetic Surgery "Improving Utah One Person at a Time" (click to see large version):

New Client in Corte Madera, California

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:44:07 +0000

Today we added another Client to our quickly growing portfolio. This client is in a very unique place in his business and has been thinking about partnering with us for a couple of months. Sometimes people need to stewing over important decisions like this and that is alright by us. We are as patient as they come... patient might not exactly be the right word due to the fact that we were borderline harassing him every week for 2 months straight. It's a great day to be in the advertising business. By the way, he appreciated our harassment. The squeaky wheel gets the grease and our brand of grease is the perfect solution for every wheel on the market.

Top 5 reasons your businesses should be using Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:26:29 +0000

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is quickly taking a larger portion of the monthly advertising spend of companies of all sizes. Business owners know that if they want to stay in front of their consumers then they need to be spending some of their monthly budget online.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of people each month (in your area) that are searching online for your product/services. What is your business doing to get in front of these qualified consumers? Are you using Sponsored Links, Search Engine Optimization, Pay Per Click Advertising, and/or Social Networking to increase phone calls?

Here are the Top 5 reasons your businesses should be using Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

Call Epic Marketing today and receive a FREE consultation with one of our online specialists. Find out what works and what doesn’t. (Example yellowpages.com/ATT and most directories for that matter… do not work!)

Ways to Increase Revenue

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:39:13 +0000

Many business owners believe that the answer to their growth problems is that they need to simply get more leads from the advertising that they do. While this is one of the major ways to increase revenue, it is usually the most expensive in the long run.

If you want your business to take full advantage of all potential revenue sources, you should closely examine each of the following:

Increase Number of Leads
Increasing Conversion Ratios
Increase Customer Retention/Referrals
Increase Product/Service Costs

If you want your "boat" to pick up speed, you need to plug the holes that are slowing your businesses growth potential down.

Nick White
President, Epic Marketing

When Is Your Most Popular Month for Search?

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:21:56 +0000

You might be surprised at when users are searching for your services - find out by entering your keywords ('san diego dentist,' boston plumber, etc.') in the Google Adwords Keyword tool. Google just released a handy new tool that lets you find out when your customers are searching for you the most.

The tool gives us a lot of valuable information that can be used:

For keyword research - find keywords that users are using to search for your products and services. Then use those keywords on your website.
To gather competitive intelligence - how tough is your competition online? The keyword tool shows you a graph rating how highly your competitors are bidding on keywords for sponsored links - if the competition is high, it is probably for a reason (PPC works!). If it is low, it may be a great opportunity for you to be the first to jump in - and the clicks will be cheap!
To research market behavior, such as trends in when and how people are searching for you. Users search for "dermatology baton rouge" in February more than any other month - compare that to "dermatologist baton rouge," which gets the most searches in July. I'm no dermatology expert, but a good reason for that discrepancy may be that users are going online early in the year (Feb.) to research their options, learning about dermatology in general. In July, they tend to search for 'dermatologist,' which is more targeted - now they're not researching anymore, they're looking for a physician directly.

The new feature allows users to show/hide the following data:

Highest Volume Occurred in
Estimated Average Position
Estimated Average CPC (Cost Per Click)
Advertiser Competition
Search Volume Trends (shows a graph with volume trends for all 12 months of the year)
Local Search Volume (local means country)
Global Monthly Search Volume

This is a big step up from the previous 3 columns that the tool gave us: 1) Advertiser Competition, 2) Local Search Volume, and 3) Global Monthly Search Volume.

Writing Effective "Direct Response" Print Ads

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:13:24 +0000

There are many different types of ads that a business may want to put out in front of the public. One of the most common types of ads that we are seeing now is Ads that drive immediate traffic. Not many businesses can sit around for branding alone to generate revenue. They need new leads today.

Here are the things that your Ad must have if you want it to have any chance at all at making your phone ring:

Connecting Statement
Unique Selling Position
Reason to call you over your competitor
Quality Design Work/Brand Continuity
Compelling Offer
Offer Deadline/Limit
Company Information

Any good designer can put together a “pretty” ad. Here’s the thing, pretty ads alone don’t sell. Now, I’ll tell you what does sell. Having incredible salesmen who understand sound marketing techniques, who write your ad and a good designer who makes it look good.. and BOOM! That’s how we design print ads that drive traffic.

New Client in Richardson, Texas

admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:58:15 +0000

Another one started with us today. We began working for a new client in Texas and he has all the potential in the world. He has a relatively small practice but with what we have been able to do with others in his field, he is going to be on the fast track to growing this business. I love the enthusiasm of a new client. I can't wait to see how he acts when we get his phones ringing off the hook.

Advertising Agencies

admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:40:42 +0000

There are a lot of Advertising Agencies in Utah and across the country. What I have found over the years is that some do a little of this and a little of that but very few of these marketing firms do things the way we do. Half of our clients have worked with other utah advertising agencies, some of them have had several over the years. We hear it all. Some did a good job with creative, others did a good job in the beginning and after a few months stopped showing as much interest and energy, most did a mediocre job from the very beginning and so on.

I will give you the latest example of what I mean. We began working with Utah Spine Institute 4 Months ago. Prior to us they had been with 2 very well known Ad agencies here in Utah, the second of which they were with up until the time they hired us. We approached them with some very compelling data about their industry and then a little "song and dance" took place... and they hired us on the spot.

Our first ad ran and the phone calls started pouring in just as we had expected and i will never forget the Doctors statement because it was a little different than what we had ever heard before, he said "this is the first time I have ever had any confidence in an advertising agency...". These are the type of statements that we live for. We truly believe that what we have to offer our Clients is so much different then what they are use to from your typical advertising agencies and it shows.

Visit our client testimonial video for supporting statements from some of our clients.

Nick White
President, Epic Marketing

Tracking Phone Calls

admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:41:45 +0000

I am amazed at how many businesses there are that don't use specific phone numbers to track their calls. These businesses spend a lot of money on advertising but they don't track the effectiveness of each advertising medium? They often leave it up to the receptionist who makes $10/hr and could really care less how many calls come in, let alone how they heard about the company and where they got the phone number to call.

Here are some reasons why your business really needs to get this dialed in:

You need to figure out what your cost per leads are
You need to figure out what your conversion ratios are
You need to know what advertising mediums are delivering acceptable returns
You need to review all of the tracking data that comes from these monthly reports (call duration, recorded calls, what times of the day/week/month deliver more, what cities have the heaviest volume, etc)
You need to examine all of this information and make adjustments to your campaign that will make your marketing campaign more effective

Another thing that you need to make sure you are using is vanity phone numbers (example 1 800 New 4 Pain). You only need to use these numbers on advertising mediums that are only seen or heard for a few seconds (TV, Radio, Billboards, Goodyear blimps, airplane banners, city buses, tee shirs, etc). They will increase the effectiveness of your campaign by at lease 20%.

TV Commercial Shoot

admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:18:30 +0000

Today we shot a TV Commercial for Lexington Heights Dental. They do amazing work with Cosmetic Dentistry and are giving away a complete smile makeover valued at up to $10,000. Dr John Lohner and his staff are always looking for ways to give back to people in need and this is another example of that.

The contest will begin next week so if you or a loved one has some real "jacked up" teeth, make sure they enter to win. They can enter to win at www.lextingtonheightsdental.com.

Online Marketing Done Right!

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:54:26 +0000

I was at lunch today the a good friend talking to him about Online marketing and how there is a surge of business owners that are now using or very interested in this type of advertising. We talked about what makes a good Online marketing campaign and I explained the following:

There are 2 elements of online marketing that have to be done corretly for business to have success here:

First, they have to get people to their website
There is no doubt that most consumers are doing their "home work" and researching several businesses before they decide to call anyone. They enter the buying cycle, talk to friends about their needs (possible referral), try and recall (TV, Radio, Print, locations in the area, etc) what businesses they should look into and then... they open a web browser. They search for a few specific businesses if they can remember them and they start some generic searches like "furnaces California". That's right, they are searching online and looking at a hand full of different businesses that have what they are looking for. These consumers are clicking on sponsored links (PPC) and they are clicking on the top 5 or organic sites (SEO). If your business is there, then it will be seen by qualified buyers that are somewhere in the buying cycle. That's a great place to be.

Second, they have to have a website that is compelling enough to generate a phone call or email:
Businesses have to look at their website as the most important selling tool that their company has to offer (or close to it). Consumers make very quick decisions about a company based on what they see on their site. Let's say I am thinking about buying a motorcycle and i am not sure what exactly want and I google "motorcycles NY". Search results are displayed and I go into "auto pilot" clicking on what is right in front of me. If you pay attention to what you are doing, you will see that you are only on a website for maybe 5 seconds unless you are find something compelling to look at. Then if they do get you for more then 5 seconds and then if you start navigating around the site and you find that it isn't very user friendly, you're gone.

How Epic Makes It Work

Epic Marketing understands online marketing very well. We have a group of very talented interactive specialists that just get it. They also stay up to date with the latest changes in this industry so our clients are one step ahead of their competition. That combined with the best sales and marketing minds in the Western United States (actual pole still in-process) and you have a team that gets the job done very well.

Here's the thing, business owners spend a lot of money trying to create "top of mind awareness" for their business. They expect a few speratic phone calls as a result of a weeks worth of advertising and hope that they can become one of the companies that a buyer can "recall" when they enter the buying cycle but the fact is this that it's expensive.

I know this sounds a little like I am bashing traditional media but I am not. We do it all and it all has its place. What I am saying is that if Online marketing is done right, it will likely be your cheapest way to get new customers/patients. If your business isn't spending at least 20% of its marketing budget Online... then you are not doing it right.

To finish my story, the friend I was talking to, owns a taco cart in SLC and as a result of this conversation is now spending 10,000/mo in Online marketing...

Nick White
President, Epic Marketing

Mountain Biking

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:23:34 +0000

Last Friday Kyle and I took Gene Anderson (Air Design) up to Sundance resort for some outdoor fun. We hit the mountain at just the right time, the temperate and terrane were perfect for flying down the hill on our mountain bikes. We rocked the mountain without any spills or bike problems... it was awesome.

Robert Redford may be old and worthless to my generation but he sure knows a sweet spot when he sees one, Sundance is sweet!

-Nick White

New Client in Murfreesboro, Tennessee

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:21:46 +0000

After a lengthy conversation with both partners of the business, we have a new client in Tennessee. They have just recently added a new service to their practice and have had a difficult time getting leads. Solution: Hire a dynamic advertising agency in Utah that specialize in generating leads and improving brand awareness. Problem solved.

By the way, I have been to the small town of Murfreesboro and it's a great place. It's just outside of Nashville (another cool city).

Does your website have what it takes?

admin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:18:04 +0000

Every business has a website but most businesses are missing the point. What is the purpose of your website? Is it to show your friends how cool you are? Is it to provide information about your company? Is it designed as a tool to separate you from your competition and generate phone calls?

People want to check you out before they call your business. Many people spend hours of time every day online and they have become very proficient at it. They know their way around the web and they know what they like to see. The question becomes... do they see you online and if they do stumble upon your website, do they like what they see and connect with what they read? The fact is that people are clicking on your competitors websites trying to decide who they want to pursue. In many cases, your website only has about 4 sec to generate interest for the potential customer (do you know what your bounce rate is?).

Customers are typically getting to your website by either typing in the exact url (Marketingepic.com) because they saw/heard an advertisement for your business or they found it by clicking on some links to your website via Google or other search engine marketing (SEM) options. Either way you have them, now what are you going to say...

Here are a few things that must be carefully considered when thinking about building or redesigning your website:

Appealing Design-
Your website should appeal to the desired demographic. Marketing 101 teaches us (among other things) that men and women prefer specific colors, shapes and images. Your design needs to be current and cutting edge in order to keep it fresh. Does your site portray the feelings that you want to instill with your potential customers confidence, trust, good value, easy to navigate, etc?

Messaging-
Here is where most web design companies miss the mark. Pretty alone doesn't sell your business. Our agency recently began working for a business that was use to running ads in the newspaper. They never got a great ROI from the paper but we insisted that our content and our ad would deliver a good return. He trusted our recommendation and now he gets between 45-60 new calls each time we run our ad. You website is more then just a place for people to go to get more information about your company, it's a place for they to be sold and you don't have a lot of time to do it.

Our Agency have some of the best sales people around with over 45 (combined) years of professional sales experience working with our design team to create a website that looks good and sells your product/services.

Search Engine Friendly-
If you are not aware of just how many people are actively searching for your products/service each month you are missing a "gold mine". If i am thinking about LASIK and i live in Utah, there is a good chance that i have "Googled" - LASIK Utah. Then i begin to click on organic links to some of the top search results to see what I find. Soon i find one or two that seem like good options and maybe i call them for prices... You know how this goes, you do it too.

Companies spend thousands of dollars a month with SEO companies to help get them to show up at the top of the list of these type of searches. Why? Because they are very good qualified people that are actively searching for their products/services.

Our SEO analyst will ensure that your website is optimized which will position you closer to the top of these searches and save you money when you decide to be proactive about your online marketing efforts.

Call us for a free quote if you are looking to redesign or update your website. You will be surprised at just how affordable our services are.

-Nick White
President, Epic Marketing

New Client in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

admin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000

How does an advertising agency in Utah keep getting clients out of state... simply put, we have got it dialed in. Today we signed on a new client that has two location in Wisconsin. This client is very detailed and does and great job running both of his locations. His main problem is getting the phone to ring on a modest marketing budget. That is where we come in. This partnership is a great fit.

New Client in Colorado Springs, Colorado

admin — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 13:56:33 +0000

This morning we added another good client to the team. He is one of those accounts that were "good to go" from the beginning. He currently has a very strong business but he also sees the advantages of hiring a capable advertising agency. He is spending money in all areas of advertising and really wants us to manage all of his advertising efforts and lower the cost per lead. Perfect fit! Looks like he also wants a new logo and website... I say good call.

New Client in New Jersey, New York

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:10:02 +0000

After explaining to this prospect client, how an Advertising Agency in Utah can help a business in New Jersey. We signed him up as our newest client. He will be one of our most energetic clients that we have. I love the diversity of having clients all over the country. While I don't the "F" word in my daily vocabulary, I cant help but to chuckle each time our new colorful client rips on out. I love New York!

Online Marketing Case Study: Utah Cosmetic Surgery

admin — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:22:18 +0000

50% increase in Website-Driven Leads

We undertake every marketing campaign with only one goal: results.

Utah Cosmetic Surgery received 50% more inquiries in their inboxes in July than they did in May from the “Contact” and “Ask Sheri” forms on the www.utahcosmeticsurgery.com website.

How it Happened

The largest contributor to the increase website leads (form submissions) was the launch of a new website on May 20 that was much more user friendly and optimized to increase calls, conversions, and reduce the website bounce rate (a website’s bounce rate is the percentage of users who arrive at the home page and then leave the website without navigating to further pages). They have also seen a noticeable increase in phone calls and mentions of the website.

95% increase in Website Traffic (unique visitors)

As a result of the new search engine-friendly website, supported by targeted SEO, PPC, social media, and Facebook online advertising campaigns, www.utahcosmeticsurgery.com received a 95% increase in unique website visitors by July. As mentioned above in the highlights, this traffic is made up of highly relevant, quality visitors. We saw an 80% increase in local Utah visitors, and an 81% increase in highly relevant search traffic from Google.

About Utah Cosmetic Surgery

Utah Cosmetic Surgery provides plastic surgery including liposuction, tummy tucks, and breast augmentation in the Salt Lake City, Utah area, along with many other services and procedures. Dr. Haupt is a board-certified plastic surgeon with over 20 years of experience as a reconstructive surgeon and wound care specialist at several area hospitals. Epic Marketing has handled Utah Cosmetic Surgery’s marketing and advertising (both on- and off-line) for just over a year. Some of our largest online marketing efforts for 2009 with Utah Cosmetic Surgery have included: Search Engine Marketing (source of relevant, quality search-based traffic)

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
PPC (Pay Per Click, also known as Sponsored Links)

Facebook Advertisements (local low-cost branding opportunity that has turned out to be surprisingly effective in lead generation) Social Media Marketing New website launch (opportunity for re-branding, and optimization for usability and lead conversion)

New Client in American Fork, Utah

admin — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:47:29 +0000

We added another Utah client to the mix and we are really excited about this one. Not that new clients are painful, its just that this ones pretty cool. This guy has worked with 2 other Utah advertising agencies and has had less then a good experience with both of them. He is a little skeptical but liked what he heard and saw from us enough to fire his current marketing firm. He has high expectations and that's fine because we know his business very well and we are up to the challenge. Did I mention he likes golf... just another reason I like him.

Effective Communication

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:43:07 +0000

Communication must be introduced as the single most important skill a person can develop. Some people are born with a heightened ability and talent, while others have worked hard to develop this tremendous skill.

Communication has many areas that we could explore, but I would like to note how critical it is in the world of marketing.

We begin by identifying who we are trying to reach. This may be a very broad demographic (adults 25-54) or a niche market (college students). After we have identified who we are trying to connect with, we begin to envision a glimpse at life through their eyes. What does their average day look like, what do they like to do, what do they avoid, how do they communicate? Once we understand the behavior of
our target audience we are ready to find the most efficient ways to market to them.

The next step is to explore how to best create advertisements that our target consumer will see, hear, connect with and
respond to. Communicating with your customers on a level that they understand will increase interest and the sale of your products and services.

-Nick White
President, Epic Marketing