Bulk SMS Services

Boston area business owners! It's fourth quarter and time to ramp up advertising efforts, plus lock in great marketing opportunities for 2012!  If you are not already a Beantown Preferred or Beantown Preferidos advertiser, you are missing out on the most effective and affordable marketing opportunity in town!  As the holiday season heats up, consumers will be flocking to the Beantown Preferred and Beantown Preferidos website to be the winner of the $1000 prize package and get special offers from local Pittsburgh area merchants. 
  
Advertising and marketing consultants at Beantown Preferred and Beantown Preferidos are experts in radio marketing and big picture, turnkey interactive web agency strategies that are turnkey and extremely affordable - and best of all, available to you by simply making a call!  Call Pat Ryan at 617-328-0880 or patr@salemradioboston.com.  She will make sure one of his expert marketing and advertising consultants meets with you personally, explaining the power of the Beantown Preferred Marketing system that harnesses over 100 radio commercials, internet, e-mail, social, & mobile marketing. 

Beantown Preferred is offered exclusively by Salem radio stations WEZE 590 AM Life Changing Christian Radio and WBZS AM 550 Wall Street Business Network, WROL 950 AM The Spirit of Boston, and WWDJ 1150 AM Radio Luz.  The staff there are experts in radio marketing that will provide complimentary media purchasing guidance, as well as full service advertising opportunities.  There is no other broadcasting company in the Boston area that offers such a full service menu of marketing opportunities bundled together into one powerful marketing system, Beantown Preferred and Beantown Preferidos. 

About Radio Preferred: Radio Preferred is a division of Edge Media, a leading interactive advertising agency offering innovative and turnkey revenue solutions to broadcast companies including bulk SMS services and digital media company platforms.  Radio Preferred can be reached at info@radiopreferred.com, and Edge Media at info@edgemedia.biz

Pittsburgh area business owners! It's fourth quarter and time to ramp up advertising efforts, plus lock in great marketing opportunities for 2012!  If you are not already a Three Rivers Preferred advertiser, you are missing out on the most effective and affordable marketing opportunity in town!  As the holiday season heats up, consumers will be flocking to the Three Rivers website to be the winner of the $1000 prize package and get special offers from local Pittsburgh area merchants. 
  
Advertising and marketing consultants at Three Rivers Preferred are experts in radio marketing and big picture, turnkey interactive web agency strategies that are turnkey and extremely affordable - and best of all, available to you by simply making a call!  Call Mike Howard at 412-937-1500 or mhoward@wordfm.com.  He will make sure one of his expert marketing and advertising consultants meets with you personally, explaining the power of the Three Rivers Preferred Marketing system that harnesses over 100 radio commercials, internet, e-mail, social, & mobile marketing. 

Three Rivers Preferred is offered exclusively by Salem radio stations WPIT AM Life Changing Christian Radio and WORD FM Pittsburgh's Christian Talk.  The staff there are experts in radio marketing that will provide complimentary media purchasing guidance, as well as full service advertising opportunities.  There is no other broadcasting company in the Three Rivers area that offers such a full service menu of marketing opportunities bundled together into one powerful marketing system, Three Rivers Preferred. 

About Radio Preferred: Radio Preferred is a division of Edge Media, a leading interactive advertising agency offering innovative and turnkey revenue solutions to broadcast companies including bulk SMS services and digital media company platforms.  Radio Preferred can be reached at info@radiopreferred.com, and Edge Media at info@edgemedia.biz

   Twin Cities business owners! It's fourth quarter and time to ramp up advertising efforts, plus lock in great marketing opportunities for 2012!  If you are not already a Twin Cities Preferred advertiser, you are missing out on the most effective and affordable marketing opportunity in town!  As the holiday season heats up, consumers will be flocking to the Twin Cities website to be the winner of the $1000 prize package and get special offers from local Minneapolis and St. Paul merchants. 
  
Advertising and marketing consultants at Twin Cities Preferred are experts in radio marketing and big picture, turnkey interactive web agency strategies that are turnkey and extremely affordable - and best of all, available to you by simply making a call!  Call Nic Anderson at 651-289-4408  or nicanderson@salemtc.com.  He will make sure one of his expert marketing and advertising consultants meets with you personally, explaining the power of the Twin Cities Preferred Marketing system that harnesses over 100 radio commercials, internet, e-mail, social, & mobile marketing. 

Twin Cities Preferred is offered exclusively by Salem radio stations AM 1280 The Patriot Conservative News Talk Radio,  AM 980 Twin Cities Christian Talk and AM 1570 Wall Street Business Network, experts in radio marketing that will provide complimentary media purchasing guidance, as well as full service advertising opportunities.  There is no other broadcasting company in the Twin Cities that offers such a full service menu of marketing opportunities bundled together into one powerful marketing system, Twin Cities Preferred. 

About Radio Preferred: Radio Preferred is a division of Edge Media, a leading interactive advertising agency offering innovative and turnkey revenue solutions to broadcast companies including bulk SMS services and digital media company platforms.  Radio Preferred can be reached at info@radiopreferred.com, and Edge Media at info@edgemedia.biz

   Philadelphia Business Owners! It's fourth quarter and time to ramp up advertising efforts, plus lock in great marketing opportunities for 2012!  If you are not already a Philadelphia Preferred advertiser, you are missing out on the most effective and affordable marketing opportunity in town!  As the holiday season heats up, consumers will be flocking to the Philadelphia Preferred website to be the winner of the $1000 prize package and get special offers from local Philadelphia merchants. 

  
Advertising and marketing consultants at Philadelphia Preferred are experts in radio marketing and big picture, turnkey interactive web agency strategies that are turnkey and extremely affordable - and best of all, available to you by simply making a call!  Call Carol Healy-Cochran at 610-940-0990 X 36 or carolh@wfil.com.  She will make sure one of her expert marketing and advertising consultants meets with you personally, explaining the power of the Philadelphia Preferred Marketing system that harnesses over 100 radio commercials, internet, e-mail, social, & mobile marketing. 

Philadelphia Preferred is offered exclusively by Salem radio stations WFIL and WNTP, experts in radio marketing that will provide complimentary media purchasing guidance, as well as full service advertising opportunities.  There is no other broadcasting company in Philadelphia that offers such a full service menu of marketing opportunities bundled together into one powerful marketing system, Philadelphia Preferred. 

About Radio Preferred: Radio Preferred is a division of Edge Media, a leading interactive advertising agency offering innovative and turnkey revenue solutions to broadcast companies including bulk SMS services and digital media company platforms.  Radio Preferred can be reached at info@radiopreferred.com, and Edge Media at info@edgemedia.biz

Beantown Preferred and Preferidos are both LIVE!  Boston area residents - log on NOW to register for the $1000 Preferred Prize Package!!   Boston area businesses - lock in your advertising campaign NOW - best positions are first come, first served!

About Beantown Preferred & Beantown Preferidos: Beantown Preferred is a searchable business directory of premier Philadelphia businesses in English and Spanish.    Advertising with Beantown Preferred is full service advertising on steroids!  Boston area businesses who are Beantown Preferred advertisers benefit from sophisticated, high powered, interactive web agency strategy for Preferred advertisers including radio marketing, e-mail marketing, social media, mobile advertising agency strategy including the ability to deliver bulk SMS services to opt-in Boston consumers, and of course radio all in a turnkey advertising package.  Beantown Preferred & Preferidos advertising and marketing consultants offer expert marketing advice and affordable, turnkey advertising solutions that deliver exceptional results.  For information on becoming a Beantown Preferred advertiser, contact Pat Ryan at patr@salemradioboston.com or call 617-691-22521. 

About Beantown Preferred & Preferidos - this local marketing program airs exclusively on Salem Radio with four radio stations in the Boston metro area.   Salem Radio Boston reach hundreds of thousands of listeners each week on WEZE 590AM, WROL 950AM, WWDJ 1150AM, and WBZS 550AM.  Media purchasing with Salem Radio is cost effective and offers exposure for Boston businesses to thousands of loyal, upscale Boston listeners.

Philadelphia's preferred seminary, Calvary Baptist Seminary has lots going on this month!
Don't miss their annual golf tournament THIS upcoming Monday Sept. 26th.  There is still time to register for this can't miss event. Here's why it's important - Calvary Baptist Seminary has trained nearly 500 individuals who serve in vocational or lay ministry regionally and in seventeen countries internationally. In addition to leading local churches, Calvary Baptist Seminary graduates are involved in helpful community services such as addictions programs, family and individual counseling, community service projects, ESL training, and ministries for the homeless. Participation in the 14th annual tournament helps provide the educational resources necessary to train their current student body as well as area ministry leaders. Here is the link for registration: http://www.cbs.edu/news/301-golf-tournament/301-golf-tournament.html

About Philadelphia Preferred: Philadelphia Preferred is a searchable business directory of premier Philadelphia businesses.   Advertising with Philadelphia Preferred is full service advertising on steroids!  Philadelphia Preferred advertisers benefit from sophisticated, high powered, interactive web agency strategy for Preferred advertisers including radio marketing, e-mail marketing, social media, mobile advertising agency strategy including the ability to deliver bulk SMS services to opt-in Philadelphia consumers, and of course radio all in a turnkey advertising package.  Philadelphia Preferred advertising and marketing consultants offer expert marketing advice and affordable, turnkey advertising solutions that deliver exceptional results.  For information on becoming a Philadephia Preferred advertiser, contact Carol Healey-Cochran at carolh@wfil.com ir call 610-940-0990 x 36. 

Philadelphia Preferred airs exclusively on Salem Radio.  WFIL & WNTP reach hundreds of thousands of listeners each week.  Media purchasing with Salem Radio is cost effective and offers exposure for Philadelphia businesses to thousands of loyal, upscale Philadelphia listeners.

As we watch the economic climate move in a direction that is contemplative at best, I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes, "When the storm hits, some run for cover or shelter while others build windmills".

Today in the radio business we had better be looking at ways to build windmills to increase revenue in the economic storm. Our revenue strategy can not be driven by just a survival, turtle in the shell mode, we must build the windmills of revenue opportunity now. We would like to offer you a market exclusive, no risk turnkey revenue solution that is perfect for weathering this economy. You can view it at www.radiopreferred.com .  Contact us for a complimentary webinar. We offer completely integraded radio/internet/mobile marketing solutions with our Radio Preferred digital media platform.

We have heard all the news about the economy but one of the after effects of all this news is something I want to share today. As we go from market to market to train salespeople and roll out our revenue ideas, we are finding more and more radio salespeople are suffering (and sometimes not openly) from a lack of confidence. As much as they try, there is more anxiety produced by a negative outlook on selling than ever before. I suggest that your sales meetings address this real problem.  Your sales team needs their mojo back, something that will regain that swagger in their step. This is one of the biggest problems we have as we try to build our windmills.

Another thing that we Radio Sales Managers must re-emphasize is we not longer peddle spots for dollars, we are expected to be full service marketing people with solutions from many platforms.  If you are still selling spots, you have missed the market. If you want digital revenue, teach your sellers how to be sellers of marketing solutions. This is the real difference between success and helping clients grow their business, be MARKETERS.

Remember one of the ways to recession proof an advertisers' business is to intensify marketing efforts  without spending more as well as re-evaluating their current marketing plan(hopefully to include your ideas).

We would like your feedback and appreciate your thoughts on how we can increase the radio revenue pie.  Have a great week!

Jim Seemiller
Managing Partner
Radio Preferred
www.radiopreferred.com
Edge Media
www.edgemedia.biz

About Edge Media:  Edge Media is a leading interactive advertising agency specializing in cutting edge marketing solutions that deliver exceptional return on our clients' marketing investments.  Radio Preferred, a division of Edge Media, offers radio marketing solutions for broadcast clients, including turnkey internet marketing solutions and bulk SMS services.

Many station GM's & GSM's wonder about the value of social media - is it just tweeting to hear yourself chirp?  Is it worth expending station resources & staff time? Can social media be monetized?  The answers are YES! Social media has value in outreach, interaction, audience growth, increased website traffic, and to grow revenue.  Step one - identify the keywords that drive traffic to your websites - not just station names or call letters, but the terms people use when they don't know your name.  Use the Google keyword tool to view traffic and competition on particular keywords.

By now hopefully you have identified the keywords that can get your stations in front of new listeners and business owners who are not currently involved with the station.    You now need to direct someone to start building out your social media platform.  We recommend a platform of at least 20 different sites, all with keywords integrated into the content and linked back to the website.  It is critical to include keywords and backlinking in every internet effort to impact natural search results.
 
Once the platform is built out, I recommend using a content aggregator to quickly and easily manage your social media from one location.   Step 2 then involves building out the system and then linking it all together.  When this is done, you have the following benefits:
 
1) Ease of social media management
2) Significant impact on search engine results.
3) A viable platform to sell to clients that will generate sales and impact their search engine results.
 
Request the complimentary social media whitepaper, click here.

We are also offering complimentary NTR Revenue Workshops for radio including training on generating revenue with social media, text messaging, and maximizing the revenue from your stations' websites.  You can click here for more info and to register.

Also, if you are interested in becoming the Preferred Radio Stations in your market, click here for info on a proven and turnkey interactive revenue generating system.

If you do not already receive the Radio Preferred Bi-Weekly Bulletin, focusing on revenue generating strategies, maximizing NTR opportunities, and solid research on advertiser needs, please e-mail us for your complimentary subscription at: info@radiopreferred.com.

By the way, Radio Preferred and Edge Media offer full service radio marketing, so we can easily take care of building this platform for you, train someone, and turn it over for you to reap the benefits!  We offer numerous internet marketing solutions, a bulk SMS software solution to integrate text messaging into programming and sales, and complete training for your marketing and advertising consultants.

Welcome to Part 2 of the Search Engine Optimization Series!  By now you should have 25 keywords identified that best describe your business.   It is now time to put them to use!  They need to be used in multiple ways.

First, they need to be integrated into your website content.  Don't jam pack them in, but try to use them in ways that make sense, and in several places per page.  You won't get all of your keywords on the same page, so don't try.  Search engines look for relevant content, not just repetitious keywords.   For example, for Edge Media, we mention that we are a leading interactive agency several times in our blogs and social media.  We reference the fact that we offer bulk SMS services, that we are a mobile advertising agency, and we always include our business name and link back to our website. 

The keywords then need to be integrated into the code of your website in title tags, description tags, etc.  If you don't know how to do this, we can certainly help!  For example, the Edge Media website title tag for the home page will read "Edge Media, a Leading Interactive Agency" in the title code for the home page.

Next, as you are adding content on your social media sites, be sure to use your keywords in ways that make sense, and always link back to your website to the appropriate page.  Don't always link back to the home page, link to the page that is relevant to what you are writing about.  For example, we offer a number of webinars to various potential clients - businesses, radio stations, non-profits, etc.   As we write about these webinars in our blogs and social media, we reference the URL of the page that is appropriate.  Our recent radio revenue webinar series would be included in a blog and social media post as follows:  "Don't miss out on Edge Media's upcoming Radio Revenue Workshop Series!"

And finally, you need to be building the reputation of your company leadership, so be sure to include their name and a link back to the page on your website - most likely the About Us page.  This helps protect your company's reputation as well as build the professional profile of your company's leadership.  For example, if you Google Vickie Isaac Edge Media you will find that at least the first sixty listings around the company name and my name are all our listings/links.  I would use my name and then link back to the Edge Media About Us page.

That's all for this session - get busy with your keywords - happy optimizing!

About Edge Media - Edge Media is a leading interactive advertising agency located in Phoenix, AZ serving local and national clients.  We specialize in cutting edge strategies that deliver exceptional ROI for our clients, including mobile advertising agency solutions, SMS marketing software, interactive web agency solutions, and much more!

We are excited about our next series of training resources for businesses and broadcast!  Search engine optimization is critical to outreach, and should be a key component of every strategy to increase exposure and influence.   Why?  People use search engines 80% of the time when looking for something new.  Do you want folks who are looking for what you have to offer but don't know your name to find you?  That is where search engine optimization comes in! 

This new training series will provide some of the step by step strategies that you can incorporate into your marketing/outreach.   And, of course, if you don't want to try this at home, we are always here to do it for you!  As a leading interactive advertising agency, we have helped our clients increase website traffic by as much as 400% in three months, while increasing income 70%!   It is all about identifying the interest and getting out in front of the traffic that already exists online, and then redirecting that traffic to your website.

The first step, which we will discuss briefly today, is to identify those keywords that define what you do.  For example, for Edge Media, several of our most important keywords are marketing companies Phoenix, advertising and marketing consultants, interactive web agency, and advertising agencies Phoenix AZ.   We want folks to find us who are looking for an advertising agency but are not already familiar with the name Edge Media .  We always choose our name as a keyword, so the name keyword is Edge Media. 

The next set of keywords for us then revolve around our particular products, so mobile advertising agency is a keyword, reflecting the fact that we offer text message marketing and mobile marketing.  SMS software is another word, so that we get out in front of folks looking for text message marketing software.  We generally recommend choosing 25 keywords to start. 

It is also important in the keyword identification process to get out of your shoes and into the shoes of those who are looking for what you have to offer.  We measure our keywords against the volume of traffic that already exists, as well as how competitive those words are with other folks who offer similar services to us.  Folks inside our own organizations tend to lean towards the more technical terminology instead of the layman terminology that most of the search revolves around.  For example, for us, SMS marketing software is a bit technical, so the folks searching on that term already really know what they are looking for, as opposed to someone who searches for text message marketing or texting for business.

So, put on your thinking caps and identify your top 25 keywords.  If you need our services to help identify those terms and measure them for traffic volume and competition, we offer very reasonable search engine optimization services!   The next post will discuss the next step - what do you do with these 25 terms??   Stay tuned.  And be sure to post questions if you have something specific you would like addressed. 

We'd like to also invite you to join us on Facebook and Twitter educational interaction! We can help you grow your organization!  Below are the links:

Edge Media on Twitter
Edge Media on Facebook

In the meantime, if we can help you grow your business, don't hesitate to contact us!  E-mail us at info@edgemedia.biz.

About Edge Media:  Edge Media is a full service  advertising agency located in Phoenix, AZ and serve local and national business and broadcast organizations.  We offer cutting edge marketing and technology solutions that deliver exceptional results for our clients, including SMS marketing software, bulk SMS services, and experienced, expert interactive web agency marketing and advertising consultants. 

Edge Media is pleased to introduce the Scottsdale Preferred Marketing System.  It is unique in its' integrated approach, harnessing the power of radio, the internet, social media, e-mail, and text messaging together to create a powerful and prestigious lead generator for businesses. 

Benefits to advertisers include the sheer reach at over 500,000 Scottsdale shoppers monthly, including exposure on high traffic website Scottsdale.com, and commercials on premier stations like KOOL and KTAR.  The tremendous exposure on the advertising system  is offered at one-tenth of the cost of purchasing each component separately, making high powered integrated marketing very affordable for local business. The system offers businesses recognition, with 24/7/365 customer voting online to determine top Preferred businesses in each category. Winning businesses are honored as the Scottsdale Preferred business in their category.  The reach of over half a million people monthly across multiple marketing channels for pennies on the dollar and the prestige of being Preferred is all turnkey for the business, leaving the business free to focus on serving the new customer.
 
The Scottsdale Preferred system was created as advertising veteran Jim Seemiller interacted with many locally owned businesses who experimented with a wide variety of advertising strategies to market their businesses and many experienced the  frustration and disappointment as hard earned dollars spent on expensive ad campaigns did not yield the hoped for return on investment.   Seemiller, VP of Business Development at locally owned Edge Media,  teamed up with Becky Kelley, Executive Director of the high traffic volume site Scottsdale.com to launch the Scottsdale Preferred marketing system, a veritable interactive marketing engine for local businesses.
 
Jim Seemiller noted the tremendous success of the Preferred system in other Arizona cities in helping to grow business for companies using this increased value added marketing plan. Seemiller states, "We fully expect that Scottsdale Preferred will bring even bigger results for participating companies as they look to grow their business. With partners like Scottsdale.com, the elite website for Scottsdale businesses and our radio partners, we think that we even have more to offer. I have not seen another advertising plan that delivers the results, the amount of ad value as Scottsdale Preferred does."
 
Becky Kelley is optimistic that the advertising system will help Scottsdale businesses grow, "We are excited to be working on a campaign of this caliber with Jim Seemiller and Edge Media.  Scottsdale.com was built as a community website and this Scottsdale Preferred marketing campaign is a perfect complement.  We are coupling an already popular local Scottsdale website with a proven, successful and innovative marketing system that is designed to grow Scottsdale merchant's business."
 
For more information about Scottsdale Preferred, contact Jim Seemiller, VP of Business Development at Edge Media.  Jim can be reached at 602-943-2030 x 5, and by e-mail at jim@edgemedia.biz.  Advertiser information is available at http://www.scottsdalepreferred.com.  
 
About Edge Media: Edge Media is a leading interactive advertising agency dedicated to providing its clients with cutting edge technology and innovative marketing strategies through a wide range of services that include consultation, market research, media planning/purchasing/creation, graphic and web design, SEO, internet advertising, public relations, organizational support, social media, and mobile marketing thru SMS marketing software that provides bulk SMS services. Our advertising and marketing consultants are experienced, creative marketers that help our clients' business to grow. Edge Media has offices in Phoenix, AZ and is reachable online at http://www.edgemedia.biz and 602-943-2030.

About Scottsdale.com: Scottsdale.com is the number one resource for both local residents and discriminating individuals who wish to visit the City of Scottsdale. Scottsdale.com is the ultimate destination website for visitors, but also a site that locals rely on for information on a daily basis. Scottsdale.com has offices in Scottsdale, AZ and is reachable online at http://www.scottsdale.com and info@scottsdale.com.

  Many online marketing experts say that content is king when it comes to online influence.  How do you get content onto the web that attracts visitors and positively impacts website visitors and ultimately your bottom line?  There are a number of steps to take that can accomplish this goal.  This next educational series will tackle the steps to take to become a publisher of online content that has an impact.

At Edge Media, our FASTEST and most EFFICIENT tool is called keyword optimized blogging.  We use software to accomplish this and it is inexpensive and highly effective. You can do this without this software, it just won't be as effective or easy... Contact us for more info on this, as the software is as low as $360.00 per month.

The steps outlined are the same whether using software or not, so we will outline the steps here.  As a leading interactive agency, one of our first steps is ALWAYS to identify the keywords and phrases that are most important to our clients' products and services.  We then analyze them and choose keywords that we can WIN on, measuring competition and traffic on each keyword/phrase.  Once the keywords are chosen,
interactive web agency strategy always includes integrating  keywords into content at appropriate densities on the primary website and into meta/data tags on the site to impact search engine results.

The next step is to set up the blog.  At Edge Media, we set up the design and install keyword optimized blogs for our clients.  If you are not using a keyword optimized blog, you can set up blogs on places like Blogger and WordPress.  The design should mirror the website as closely as possible, and also have links to/from the website.  It can also be added to primary navigation in the website.

After the blog is set up, it is time to craft the content.  We will take up content generation on the next blog, as there are important strategies in that regard.

About Edge Media: Edge Media is a leading interactive agency located in Phoenix AZ serving local and national clients for over a decade.  As an interactive web agency, we specialize in cutting edge technologies that deliver exceptional results for our clients, including SMS marketing software that has bulk SMS services capabilities, social media, and keyword optimized blogging. We also produce and buy radio and television as a media interactive agency.  Our marketing and advertising consultants are experienced industry leaders among marketing companies in Phoenix and advertising agencies in Phoenix AZ.

If you have been following this blog and taking the steps I have outlined, you have put some significant social media tools in your marketing toolbox.  It's time to optimize your success.   

Every account you have created is valuable and every visitor to every account is valuable. Maximize the opportunity created by the visit. Solicit customer reviews, and make it easy for customers to post their reviews. Remember:   A consumer survey by the JC Williams Group ranked consumer content as the #1 aid to a buying decision, cited by 91% of respondents (JC Williams Group, 2006). 

Reward visitors for giving you their time and support with special offers, then create incentives for visitors to tell their friends so that their influence regarding your product grows.

Also use your social media accounts to LISTEN.  Ask questions, find out what matters most to the folks who take the time to visit your sites.  Be responsive and proactive to any comments posted.  Never be afraid of negative comments, let the way you handle a complaint say something positive about your commitment to serve your customer.

Make sure content is fresh and relevant.  Next week we will discuss simple, easy ways to update content and also impact search engine results so be sure to check back!

About Edge Media:  Edge Media is a full service, leading interactive agency located in Phoenix AZ serving local and national clients.  Edge Media specializes in innovative marketing strategies using cutting edge technology to deliver exceptional results for our clients.  Edge Media is a mobile advertising agency as well, with mobile app development capability and SMS marketing software systems to deliver bulk SMS  services in our campaigns.  Edge Media interactive agency strategies harness the power of multiple marketing channels together to deliver greater results than any single stand alone marketing channel.  For more info, visit us at http://www.edgemedia.biz and info@edgemedia.biz.  Don't forget to take advantage of our complimentary marketing consultation offer with one of our experienced marketing and advertising consultants!

Businesses should have pages, not profiles.  It is necessary to have a profile to set up a page, and profiles are individuals who administer the pages.  Just because someone can see your business  page does not mean they can see your profile.  Nevertheless, it is important to note that anything you post online that is questionable can hypothetically be found and come back to haunt you.  Use the "Mom" test - if my mom saw this, what would she say?

Set up your profile, then set up your business page.  Upload your logo, contact info, and always link back to your  corporate website.  Use your identified keywords in the descriptions to help impact your search results.

Once the account is set up, you need to implement strategy.  What is the goal of social media usage for your business?  Is it exposure?  Interaction?  Traffic generation for your website?   As I have said many times, tweeting to hear yourself chirp does not grow your business.  Our advertising and marketing consultants at Edge Media actually design a social media roadmap, which details goals, steps to achieve the goals, and how to measure the goals.  As a leading interactive agency, we believe that efforts must generate results for our clients!

Consider some of these strategies that could help accomplish your goals:

• Give something of value.  Why should someone visit your page, group, or website again?  
• Offer something unique: audio clips, video clips, e-cards, downloads, forums, etc.  It needs to be something that they can’t get anywhere else.  
• Make offers.  Create promotions.  Upload a coupon.   Keep these offers fresh to encourage return visitors.
• Solicit customer reviews, and make it easy for customers to post their reviews.   Reward them for giving you their time and support.  Remember that one of the keys to social media is that listening is important.  We are way past the time when simply pushing out information is effective.
• Remember to provide something of VALUE.  A consumer survey by the JC Williams Group ranked consumer content as the #1 aid to a buying decision, cited by 91% of respondents (JC Williams Group, 2006).

Next week we will tackle the benefits of blogging.  In the meantime, craft your strategy or call one of our marketing and advertising consultants!

About Edge Media: Edge Media is a leading interactive agency located in Phoenix AZ specializing in cutting edge solutions and technologies that give our clients significant return on their advertising investment, including our SMS marketing software for bulk SMS services delivery.  Our interactive web agency strategies are innovative as well, rapidly increasing traffic to our clients' websites, and then converting from leads to sales as a result of interactive web agency expertise.  We are a full service advertising agency serving local and national clients and delivering exceptional results.

Most businesses are familiar with social media, and many have made forays into the communications platform.  Recent research indicates that an understanding of "we should do this" exists, but understanding appropriate social media goals and how to achieve those goals still eludes small to medium sized businesses today.

One of the most difficult tasks is to step outside of the actual day to day tasks of business and into the shoes of those that use their goods or services.   In short, communications have to be crafted towards the target audience by understanding who they are and what is important to them.  This is where social media is most important because it is a dialogue communications platform, not a broadcast channel.  Interaction and listening should occur regularly in this communications channel to understand priorities, preferences, needs, and concerns.

The next important fact to consider is the impact that social media can have from a viral perspective.  Consider the following statistics:

• Online social network users were three times more likely to trust peers’ opinions over advertising when making purchase decisions (Jupiter Research).
• According to a global Nielsen survey of 26,486 Internet users in 47 markets, consumer recommendations are the most credible form of advertising among 78% of the study’s respondents.
• Consumers trust friends above experts when it comes to product recommendations (65% trust friends, 27% trust experts, 8% trust celebrities) (Yankelovich).

Interaction on social media platforms creates a relationship, and the viral power of that relationship is tremendous.  Strategy, content, interaction, and viral outreach should all be pillars of social media for all businesses.

As we interact with our clients, we find that many do not have the time or staff to manage this type of outreach.  Edge Media, our leading interactive agency, can step in and create the publishing platforms for our clients and then train them in how to efficiently manage these platforms, or we can manage them for our clients. 

Our next blog will discuss ways to get started in social media, or if already involved, how to correct potential errors that may have been made to date, and then to launch with realistic goals and effective strategies.

About Edge Media: The mission of Edge Media is to empower organizations to utilize every technological tool to effectively communicate their message.  As a leading interactive agency, we are confident that we can put all of the pieces together to deliver exceptional results for our clients, including broadcast television and radio, search engine optimization, social media, internet marketing, bulk SMS services, and more.  We truly are unaware of any other marketing companies Phoenix based providing all of these resources in one place with the level of expertise we bring to the table.  Our advertising and marketing consultants have over sixty years of combined experience in broadcast, internet, and mobile advertising agency solutions. 

1) As discussed in the first blog, from your research, define the keywords that people use to find your business.  You can get keyword ideas from Google Adwords.  Make sure these keywords are in the content of your website.

2) Build accounts in local sites like AOL Local, Google Local,Yahoo Local, Bing Local, Live Search Maps, Kudzu, Merchant Circle, etc.

3) Always link back to your website, and use your defined keywords in your descriptions.

Each account should include your business logo, a description that is keyword optimized, and where possible, encourage existing customers/supporters to write reviews for you.  Reviews are considered the most credible form of marketing.  This will take some time to accomplish, but you will see the fruit of your efforts.  Numerous local sites like Merchant Circle also allow for updates, offers, blogging, etc., so take advantage of these as you are able.

The next discussion will be the inclusion of social media in your online search strategy so be sure to check back!

About Edge Media: Edge Media is a leading interactive advertising agency specializing in cutting edge technologies that give our clients significant return on their marketing investments.  Some of our tools include SMS marketing software to deliver bulk SMS  services  (text messages), mobile web, mobile apps, optimized blogging, search engine optimization, and more!  Check out our client services listed on our site www.edgemedia.biz/index-2.html

At our recent Navigating the New Business Economy Seminar, I presented a strong case for growing outreach through natural search and social media.  I also offered some very practical "how to" tips for the attendees.  I will outline those tips in a series of blog posts to help those new to online strategies get started.

First, let's start with the compelling evidence for why you MUST recognize the power of online marketing and why you SHOULD take advantage of it to grow your business...

So... Why Start Online?

• 80 - 90% of consumers use a search engine prior to purchase  (ComScore).

• Showing up on page one of search listings gets your organization in front of people who already know they need your product/service so you start with a warm lead, as compared to many other media channels.

• A click through to your website should be just as welcoming as walking through the doors of your brick and mortar business.

Other Reasons to Start Online...

• You need to OWN your industry’s online space (It’s better for you to get the web traffic than your competitor).

• You need to CONTROL your reputation (Your reputation is important, it is the perceived value of your organization).

• You need MORE website traffic to GROW your organization.

• You need to talk to your supporters.   Interactive marketing is very effective.

Right now, you need to go do your homework.   Go to Google Adwords and let it analyze your site to suggest keywords for the next steps we will take.  Stay tuned for next steps in the next blog titled Local Linking.

About Edge Media - Edge Media is a leading interactive advertising agency located in Phoenix AZ and specializing in cutting edge technologies that produce exceptional results for our clients.  As a mobile advertising agency we offer mobile websites, mobile apps, and SMS marketing software for our clients.  As an interactive web agency, we offer integrated strategic solutions to grow traffic using optimized blogging, social media, and linking strategies.

About ChurchLink Communications - ChurchLink is a division of Edge Media dedicated to serving the needs of ministries, non-profits, and churches.  As a full service Christian advertising agency, ChurchLink offers all of the expertise that Edge Media offers.  Our Christian interactive agency offers SMS marketing software so that churches, ministries, and non-profits can use our SMS marketing software (bulk text message services) for fundraising, action alerts, devotionals, and more!  The focus of our Christian agency is to equip our clients with every technological tool possible to effectively communicate the message of the Gospel!