Social Media of course, gets the buzz these days and yet it may be one of the most mis-understood marketing methodologies a company considers.  StudioIMI often is hired to pick up the pieces from failed campaigns.  We will analyze websites, review ad-word programs and test Twitter, Face Book and even LinkedIn accounts.  We are amazed when we discover broken Twitter links, Blogs with very few entries and content that is under optimized.  The advice from experts can fall short of what is really important to your specific needs.

Our recommendation to most new clients is to take a methodical approach to any expensive campaign, hire the most ethical company and be frugal at first.  We offer a basic Twitter/Face Book set up for around $320.00.  Our goals are to implement the foundation and then teach the client to build the social aspect of their business themselves.  We know that this is enough to get your social media programs kicked off.  Invest more marketing dollars once you have the metrics for what is working.  It takes time.

Of course StudioIMI can provide the entire package including writing weekly blogs and social media posts as needed.  We prefer however to help clients avoid the pitfalls and expense of social media campaigns by taking on a good portion of this work in-house.  We would rather be there to help as needed and not become the business’ spokesperson.  No one knows the day to day events and success as well as the company owners and employees.

StudioIMI prefers to focus on web design, SEO and social media set-up.  Along the way we offer advice as needed on the social aspects when you are ready.  We can and do take on larger projects for stable companies as well when asked and have the competence in-house to handle all in-depth social media and SEO aspects.  StudioIMI has competence in several areas with an Executive team having over 25 years of business experience and programmers and graphic artists with the most up to date web knowledge.

We suggest a thorough examination of other projects the company you want to hire be done, maybe a reference or two, a very clear implementation strategy and ongoing dialogue.  Be wary of companies that ask for big up-from payments and companies that listen to your needs yet don’t clearly implement them.  We’ve seen it ourselves first hand.  There are so many social media specialists that over promise and under deliver.  Often the company you hired to build your website, brand or other marketing campaigns are the ones you should turn to.

How important is it to know your customer? Obviously very important. At StudioIMI, we spend a lot of time learning about your business and helping to define your client. If your target audience is over 50 years of age, you would need to take a different approach with your blogs, your website content, e-newsletters and your social media strategies.

Take the cartoon image above for example. Jeremy, the son considers his Mom to be almost an alien for not realizing how connected he is and how important his media is. Computer surfing favorite websites, cell phone in hand, tablet beside him, constant Facebook updating and Twitter feeds – he is the ultimate young consumer. Is he your customer? Would he buy your product or service?

His Mom, who would typically be the target audience for a whole different set of products doesn’t connect with him. Is she your customer? Would she buy your product or service?

Your marketing has to be tailored the same way. Know your ideal customer, connect with them through the layout, content, colors and images on your website. If the demographic for garden products is primarily women over 40, Facebook may not be the “optimum” approach. If however you have products or services oriented for 20 year olds, social media connections through Twitter, LinkedIn may be a better tactic.

A little investigation on your part goes a long way. You could set up an age question in your “contact us” form. This would help discern your perfect client. Your website should address your ideal demographic and your content should “speak” to them in words they understand. You could offer a choice of free e-books to visitors who sign up for your e-newsletter. Ask them to include a few simple answers about themself and use that data for promotions, google ad-word campaigns and coupons on your website. Depending on which e-book has higher demand, you could learn a lot about age, gender and other relevant data.

We will cover more of these concepts and ideas in future blogs. Suffice it to say that a lot of the focus for our web clients depends on keywords and determining your demographic. Successful ad-word campaigns can be modified regularly to drive new customers to your website. It’s all about fine tuning your on-line marketing with a little help from the people at companies like StudioIMI.

What are your top three, key goals for your web marketing?
If you dialogue with an expert, it helps you take a ten-thousand foot view of your business. A good Coach can test your intentions and uncover better approaches. Every business requires a unique business proposition and there are certain strategies common within a web design and web marketing approach suitable for most businesses. Setting your sights on three main goals help you focus.

With the constant changes, owners looking at their on-line marketing may find it confusing. A business Coach experienced in web marketing can help un-clutter the field. Everyone claims to be an expert and it’s difficult to know who is providing the best information. Website designs can range from $5k to $15k for very similar work. How do you determine if the higher cost company with expensive offices and 20 designers are tailoring a design to your unique needs? The right sized, smaller organization will work harder, provide great results and treat you more importantly. Your website may be in the hands of professionals either way but are you paying for their overhead?

What is critically important to your business’ growth?
Having someone really listen and learn about your business can help immensely. Once a Coach understands your needs and has website design experience, she/he can help you make more effective decisions and perhaps even play a consulting role during the formal presentations the web design contenders make to you.

The cost of contracting a business Coach for 3-6 months or longer can save thousands in deciding which firm to hire. An actual situation I use is one where my client’s existing web designer was contacted to build a new web presence for the company. It was a fairly complex opportunity with new branding, website, social media, blog, hosting, collateral and more. I was hired to listen to the incumbent’s proposal which came in at over $20k. A second firm (Designer B) with over 15 years of web design, branding experience, yet a low overhead was able to provide the same level of web presence with all the features, training, social media and more for less than $10k. It was an easy decision. Designer B got the job and the owner was very happy with the results… saving over $10k along the way. How would this savings help your bottom line?

Business Coaches with a solid web space background can be hard to find but they are out there and maybe they can save you thousands of dollars while helping to guide your web presence and make your business more successful.

StudioIMI helps make it easier to take control of your social media efforts regardless of how busy it gets. Think about social media as a relevant way to build your brand and treat it as simply another marketing effort like a showroom, a sign on your truck, an on-line banner etc and you win.

Commitment
To be successful at either exercising or at business marketing, you need commitment. Take for example, when the goal is to lose weight. There are several exercises and diets you need to focus on to attain the goal. Some of these may however, result in sore muscles and require you to alter your program a little to get the results you were expecting. When you market your business’ website, it is important to be committed to the overall plan and stick with it, yet be prepared to make appropriate adjustments when necessary. When you don’t have commitment, it is more likely that you will lose interest and it fails. At StudioIMI we allocate a certain amount of time every week to analyse our results, add new programs and tweak or terminate the programs that aren’t performing.

In marketing, the company’s website likely won’t be profitable for many months after it’s built it and there usually are ongoing adjustments that remain to be handled. A website should always be considered a work in progress and have a dynamic process. You need to monitor the results through analytics and site meters in order to make tactical adjustments as needed to adapt to a changing market or demographic. It can be frustrating waiting for a web marketing program to kick in however, you need to make a long-term commitment to your web presence to make it work most effectively. This results in a more likely chance that you will find customers returning and spending more time on your website which in the end leads to a sale or contract, but only if you are focused.

Budgeting – Both Time and Money
It’s not only money that you need to invest in website marketing. You also need to invest time and effort, and more in the beginning to get the ball rolling. By taking the time to observe the flow of web sales and look for trends that are working, you can make the most effective decisions for your specific business, product or service. It is absolutely necessary to consult with business associates, partners, employees and do research on-line to get the right mix. At StudioIMI, we offer clients a lot of consultation on what makes a website work best and almost every scenario is unique, requiring a different approach. The easy part in reality, is writing the cheque but the part that involves your time is critical. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming and yet the results from allocating some time each week to discuss marketing will pay off with more customers and better processes.

Consistency
You also need to be consistent in order to make web marketing programs work. The end result for most businesses is to be able to sell their product or service many times – ie recurring revenues. If you only deliver your web service once, you constantly are recreating to make the next sale. To attract customers you need to be consistent in providing a high quality product or service as well as excellent customer service to your clients regardless if its a bricks and mortar environment or an on-line one. Once the customers are satisfied by your service, they often will do more advertising for you. They will endorse you to their friends and business associates, resulting in an increase of customers. Word of mouth is a powerful tool and perhaps never more so then regarding web marketing.

Once you have perfected these three fundamental keys for your on-line web presence; been consistent and committed both a budget and some of your precious time, success will follow.

At StudioIMI, we are always available for free consultation on any aspects of web marketing or other related topics.

StudioIMI is hearing from more business owners who recognize that social media marketing today has a more and more important role in any marketing budget. It has become one of the best ways to promote your new product, services or simply your brand. StudioIMI provides Social Central as a service to promote the alignment of Blogs, electronic newsletters and social links like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Clients want to share their experiences and knowledge with their friends and family members about some new product or service they found. As a business, you need to use a different approach when you are dealing with your clients and prospects. First off, it is important for you to engage your followers in Twitter and friends in Facebook. Once you have gained their trust, you can start introducing other parts of your portfolio.

Facebook is one of the top websites in the Internet by volume of visitors per day. Twitter has many visitors as well and it is one of the hottest websites in the world right now. As we realize now, social media is here to stay. You can do your social media marketing yourself or hire a social media manager. StudioIMI’s approach is to teach a client how to fish so they cab become autonomous in handling their social media marketing efforts. While we can insure that you will increase your search engine rankings and visitors, there are certain shortcuts and considerations that will easily help.

It is also important to understand the differences between social media and social networking. You will be using social media (article directories, blog directories, press releases) online to enhance the reputation of your firm or sell something. However, you use social networking websites to create a loyal following that will help generate potential revenue for the long term. This is only possible when you add value and encourage interaction and this is something that can be learned. Please remember that social networking is about interaction. When you build a large number of followers or friends, you need to interact with them on a consistent basis. You can use this marketing tool to answer their questions fast or learn many things about what they like or do not like. Remember that social networking websites and social media are very effective in spreading the word about any service or product. On the other hand you need to be prepared to offer service and quality or these same social networks may work against you.

Writing a blog is one of the best ways to use social media to get more visitors. You just need to update your blogs frequently (possibly once a week, but certainly monthly) and use the right keywords. This way, you will get the right traffic that you need in the long run. A Twitter account is great if you want to let the world know about what products or services you have quickly. Using Twitter most effectively can pay dividends for your business and the right marketing services company like StudioIMI can help guide you along the way.

We cannot finish writing this article without talking a little bit more about Facebook. Any social media marketing strategy must use Facebook as the flagship. They are truly a phenomenon and growing more important every day. We cannot stress this fact enough. If you have hundreds of followers, you will just need to send them an invitation to any event, and you will get many clicks right away. If you want to improve the visibility and clicks of your website, you cannot ignore Facebook anymore. It may also be important in the beginning stages to hire a social media expert that has experience advertising on Facebook. You can get cheap clicks to your offers using Facebook as an advertising platform.

Contact StudioIMI to see how we can help. We provide extensive programs that are reasonably priced and can reward you fairly quickly. The important factor is to be consistent and give it time to work. Organic marketing tactics take time but have the longest lasting impact on your results. Strategic ad-word campaigns can generate quick results but definitely cost more money. It depends on your specific needs.

We build long term relationships and are only interested if that is the goal of the companies we deal with. Several programs like search engine optimization, e-newsletters, blogs, and organic copywriting take time. More active programs like ad-words are short term and expensive and their value turns off when the money stops flowing. StudioIMI will even finance your web design up to a year because we want to share in your start-up as well as when your business starts to grow.

We take the time to understand your company, your vision, your products and your services and this insures we design a better web presence or rebuild one that did not hit the mark. With over 20 years of experience, executive coaching certifications and strong marketing backgrounds, StudioIMI can easily narrow down your needs and determine what’s important. The first call will help you decide. Ask about the background of the owners or the project manager you are speaking to. Make sure they have experience in web design and as importantly as entrepreneurs and business people.

Often website programmers and web developers don’t possess the necessary skill set to communicate at this level. They may be very good at what they do with a keyboard, however they tend to decide what you need instead of listening to what you want. These techies suffer from “keyboard kinetics” as they tend to steamroll over the customer with their momentum and ideas on what the website should be. They simply don’t listen.

For StudioIMI, as big a part of the web design is learning about your business, what makes you unique, what some of the key issues are that you are experiencing and what you are looking for from a web solutions company. The more we understand, the better we can empathize and the better chance we will design your website with your vision.

The next time your current designer returns your call three days later or tells you it will be a week to make some simple but important website changes…think about a change. StudioIMI will respond within 24hrs by phone and often much sooner by email. Our clients can reach us on weekends and we go out of our way to help in the evening if that is the best time.

Communication…it’s what sets us apart from the others and you should expect excellent communication with your web design firm.

Header and Navigation
The website header and navigation should be clean and easy for visitors to navigate through the site. This should be contiguous throughout all the pages with easy to find “home” links. The main links found in the navigation are usually: home, about, contact and the other main sections of the site relative to your specific business.

Web Site Footer
If your web site has a footer section, it’s always a great area for you to recap the content pages of your web site. Sometimes it’s the last thing a user will see before they close out the browser, so make sure you add something that will make them want to click. All your pages including the ones less relevant should reside there as a roadmap.

Side Bar Menus and Content
Creating a quality web site will have a lot to do with the actual content and menu setup of your web site. You want to offer quality content on all of your pages, but you also want to have a nice menu setup so people can easily navigate through your site without getting lost. “Breadcrumbs” are a useful tool if your site is quite complex. These links show the user where they are and help guide them back out of the page they are on.

Web Site Logo
Creating the perfect logo for your web site is extremely important. Your web site logo isn’t just the first thing your site visitors are going to see, but it is also the branding that is going to stick in their heads. Make sure you create something memorable and that represents the purpose of your web site.

Future Items to cover:
Tagging images, content optimization, blogs, content writing, sales letters are several other aspects of a web design we will cover in a later article.

Putting Everything Together
Now that you know some of the key points to creating a quality web site, you can draft up a few ideas on how you would like to your website design to look. Your web design firm will understand your needs better if you provide them with as much information as possible so they can follow the concept you have in mind for your site. Rough drawings or sketches are helpful and anything you can put in writing will help the design team to hit the target you have set and your website has a better chance of success.

Consumers socialize online and they talk about positive or negative experiences they have with brands and companies. The power of influence and the consumer opinions posted online is very important in establishing your brand. It is exceeded only slightly by direct recommendations from friends and business associates.

Many companies are just on the verge of effectively integrating the social media programs into their on-line strategy. StudioIMI can clarify what your business may need most and help you decide what approach will be most effective for you. Here are some tips on how to minimize the risk of crisis communication, negative feedback and how to maximize the benefits of your Social Media programs by strengthening brand indicators, creating communities and influencing purchasing decisions. Products like StudioIMI’s Social Central make it easy to make all the right moves.

The most recommended way for Social Media programs to be useful is by giving value to the conversation, either by presenting others products or services and talk about them.
How to build effective Social Media programs:

• Be visible online and keep yourself abreast with other professionals.
• Interact with people who are experts in your field, and if possible, keep constant communication with them.
• Learn to participate in business events, conferences, seminars announced in social media.
• You can get cooperation proposals, partnerships, invitations to events from people in your network.
• Make sure that you use auto responders and social submission tools like Onlywire to boost your traffic, leads and sales.
• Consider giving free gifts to build a good mailing list of repeat clients.

In the last two years more companies have allocated special budgets for social networks, sensing their potential. Whether you’re employed or you own a company, it is absolutely necessary to build strong and effective Social Media programs if you want to be known and recognized as an expert or professional in a field.

Social Central is an example of a service that is easy to use and create effective social media exposure. Simply by using your weekly Blogs and interacting them with up to 50 social media outlets, StudioIMI provides the tools to inexpensively handle the social media aspect of your marketing.

· Indexing involves ensuring that a website is linked to other websites that are already appearing within a search engine. When the crawlers from major search engines start examining a website, they will easily find the indexed pages that result from the professional set-up by StudioIMI to ease access and proximity.
· Crawling Prevention involves webmasters preventing indexing of superfluous search results such as login pages, so that crawlers do not waste time on them. This enables the crawlers to focus only on the indexed pages and improve a website’s visibility so that unnecessary material does not appear in user search results.
· Lastly, promotion of visibility involves a number of tactics that ensure a website improves its prominence. The most popular methods are cross-linking of pages within the site to create more links for the best content; maintaining pages that contain the most popular keywords and regularly updating content to keep crawlers coming back.

These practices all combine to create the practice of search engine optimization. StudioIMI has years of experience with search engine optimization and search engine marketing of your site. The difference between an expert approach and using some simplistic plug-ins can have an enormous impact on your search engine results.