Interactive Web Agency

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. 

  Lots of business growth experts will encourage blogging for name awareness, thought leadership, and oh yeah... lead generation...  How do you grow business with blogging?  And... what the heck can you write about time after time to accomplish that purpose?

  Great questions!  At Edge Media we use keyword optimized blogging to do all of the above.  Properly connected, a keyword optimized blog is simply a lead generating engine that gives you top natural search rankings while positioning you as a thought leader in your field IF you have something relevant to say.

  This brings us to the primary topic of this blog - CONTENT.  The first cardinal rule is that a credible blog is NOT a sales pitch.  Just as you get tired of people who always talk about themselves and how wonderful they are, a business that does the same thing will not win friends or influence people....   :-)     What do you have to offer in your industry that fills a legitimate need for your target audience?  At Edge Media, we believe that there are lots of businesses out there who don't have the budget for expensive advertising agencies, yet genuinely need to know how to market their products/services in order to grow their businesses.  As a leading interactive agency, we understand how rapidly technology has changed, including the internet, social media, mobile advertising, etc., and we can provide some "how to" help in these arenas, as well as offer low cost solutions for small to mid-size businesses.  With this strategy, we connect the dots - thought leadership, valuable content, lead generation, and increase in position with the search engines.  

   It is important to include keywords and phrases that people generally use when searching for your business.  The idea is to have new customers find you, not just customers who know your name.  So, you'll notice I've integrated terms like leading interactive agency, mobile advertising agency, advertising agencies Phoenix AZ, interactive web agency, etc, that are all key search terms for us.  Integrating these key terms at appropriate densities increases the likelihood of search engines ranking your relevant, keyword enriched content.   I do recommend the keyword optimized system that we offer at Edge Media, as our software system tells us when we have integrated keywords at appropriate densities, and then notifies the search engines that new content is published.  It really is our fastest search engine optimization tool. 

     We have some low cost small business plans that include local search engine optimization, social media strategy, and blogging if you are interested.  If you don't have the budget for it, there are free blogsites like WordPress and Blogger that you can start with to get up and running, they just don't have the search engine optimization muscle that our software does. If you are interested in any of our small business toolkits, just e-mail us at info@edgemedia.biz! 

Most online activity begins with online search. Keyword optimized blogging is a critical tool for search engine ranking success. The introduction to the ChurchLink Communications series on blogging referred to the necessary research to identify important keywords and phrases that are important to the organization, have significant search traffic, and ideally are not highly competitive terms that everyone else is trying to rank with the search engines.

After identifying at least twenty-five keywords, it is time to start blogging.  As mentioned in the introductory blog, as a leading Christian interactive advertising agency we recommend what is called compended blogging using software to optimize your effort.  It is inexpensive and our most effective search engine optimization tool.   It is possible to create keyword rich, relevant content without the software, but it is more difficult.  If you want more info on the software, contact ChurchLink at info@churchlinkcommunications.com

After the keywords are identified through solid research, it is time to create content.  Thought leadership is important in today's marketing landscape, therefore content is critical to the brand and success of the organization.  One of the first steps to consider in creating relevant content is to get out of your shoes and into the shoes of those you want to read your blog.  The key question is 1) Who is your target audience?   Having identified the target audience, the next question is 2) What do they need/want that I can give them and still accomplish my business goals?   A good example of this is why ChurchLink provides "how to" blogs.   As an Christian interactive web agency, we obviously want people to use our services to handle their social media, their keyword optimized blogs, let our marketing and advertising consultants walk them through the marketing process, etc.  So why would we give away the "how to's"?   One of the primary reasons is credibility.  Both businesses and consumers today are informed, sophisticated shoppers and they demand quality and value.  We must prove our expertise, not just tell people that we are a leading interactive agency or that our mobile advertising agency has sophisticated SMS software.  We have to prove it.  We provide thought leadership in cutting edge marketing technologies, and that is why we provide "how to's" in our blogs.

The above two questions provide direction for content, and then it becomes necessary to match expertise with content.  We will discuss content specifics in our next blog.

About ChurchLink Communications and Edge Media:  ChurchLink Communications is a division of Edge Media, a leading Christian interactive advertising agency Phoenix AZ that delivers exceptional return on our clients' advertising dollars.  We specialize in cutting edge interactive web agency strategies, plus mobile marketing, mobile websites, and mobile applications.  For more info, contact one of our advertising and marketing consultants for a complimentary review of your marketing needs. 

Most online activity begins with online search. Keyword optimized blogging is a critical tool for search engine ranking success. The introduction to the Edge Media series on blogging referred to the necessary research to identify important keywords and phrases that are important to the organization, have significant search traffic, and ideally are not highly competitive terms that everyone else is trying to rank with the search engines.

After identifying at least twenty-five keywords, it is time to start blogging.  As mentioned in the introductory blog, as a leading interactive agency we recommend what is called compended blogging using software to optimize your effort.  It is inexpensive and our most effective search engine optimization tool.   It is possible to create keyword rich, relevant content without the software, but it is more difficult.  If you want more info on the software, contact Edge Media at info@edgemedia.biz.

After the keywords are identified through solid research, it is time to create content.  Thought leadership is important in today's marketing landscape, therefore content is critical to the brand and success of the organization.  One of the first steps to consider in creating relevant content is to get out of your shoes and into the shoes of those you want to read your blog.  The key question is 1) Who is your target audience?   Having identified the target audience, the next question is 2) What do they need/want that I can give them and still accomplish my business goals?   A good example of this is why Edge Media provides "how to" blogs.   As an interactive web agency, we obviously want people to use our services to handle their social media, their keyword optimized blogs, let our marketing and advertising consultants walk them through the marketing process, etc.  So why would we give away the "how to's"?   One of the primary reasons is credibility.  Both businesses and consumers today are informed, sophisticated shoppers and they demand quality and value.  We must prove our expertise, not just tell people that we are a leading interactive agency or that our mobile advertising agency has sophisticated SMS software.  We have to prove it.  We provide thought leadership in cutting edge marketing technologies, and that is why we provide "how to's" in our blogs.

The above two questions provide direction for content, and then it becomes necessary to match expertise with content.  We will discuss content specifics in our next blog.

About Edge Media:  Edge Media is a leading interactive advertising agency Phoenix AZ that delivers exceptional return on our clients' advertising dollars.  We specialize in cutting edge interactive web agency strategies, plus mobile marketing, mobile websites, and mobile applications.  For more info, contact one of our advertising and marketing consultants for a complimentary review of your marketing needs. 

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 and ChurchLink Communications, 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 and ChurchLink Communications, 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 and ChurchLink Communications: ChurchLink Communications is a leading Christian interactive agency located in Phoenix AZ serving local and national clients for over a decade.  As an Christian interactive agency, we specialize in cutting edge technologies that deliver exceptional results for our clients, the mobile web, mobile apps, social media, text messaging, and keyword optimized blogging. We also produce and buy radio and television as a Christian marketing company.

  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.

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.

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

Part Two in growing outreach online is the process of local linking.  This is a powerful strategy even if you are a national organization.  "Winning" on a local level is easier and faster than winning in natural search  on a national level.  If you are a national or international organization, maximizing your local presence in numerous markets will significantly impact your national results.   For example Edge Media and Church Link Communications do business locally, nationally, and international.  One of our keywords is interactive Christian advertising agency (national & international) where we hold the number one and two Google search positions.  Another keyword is Christian advertising agency Phoenix AZ where we win locally with the number one and two positions for this term. Below are the steps to get this done:


1) As discussed in the first blog, from your research, define the keywords that people use to find your organization.  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 ChurchLink Communications:  ChurchLink Communications is a Christian advertising agency operating as a division of Edge Media offering all of the expertise and full service that Edge Media has gained in over a decade of serving clients.  As a Christian agency, the goal of ChurchLink Communications is to equip the Church with every available communications tool to effectively preach the Gospel.   Christian interactive agencies are critical to the expansion of ministry, as the internet and the mobile web have exploded. As a Christian agency, we bring all of these tools to the table for our clients, including search engine optimization, social media, text message marketing, mobile web, mobile apps, and so much more!

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!

At our recent Navigating the New Business Economy Seminar, I presented a strong case for growing business 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 absolutely 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 business in front of customers 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 business than your competitor).

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

• You need MORE website traffic to GROW your business (Making money is nice).

• You need to talk to your customers.   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 cients.  As an interactive web agency, we offer integrated strategic solutions to grow traffic using optimized blogging, social media, and linking strategies.

We are very pleased to offer Digital Force, a new product for broadcasters! The Digital Force product creates a unique, interactive, and turnkey technological solution that  meets several crucial needs for broadcasters including:

     1)  Creation of new revenue streams including the addition of text message ads and website sales.  Mobile messaging revenue is currently over $150 billion, and will reach $233 billion by 2014 (Portio Research, Feb. 2010).Total U.S. online retail sales are expected to grow at an average annual rate of 10% over the next four years, rising from $155 billion in 2009 to $250 billion in 2014, according to a Forrester Research study.

     2)  Increased audience interactivity through text messaging, social media, and blogging.  Over 80% of Americans have cell phones, text volume exceeded call volume in Q2 2009, and 50% will have web enabled phones by Q3 2011 (Source: Mobile Marketing Assoc.).  Social media main sites now boast over 600 million users, with 50% logging in daily, connecting to over 80 pages, groups, events, brands, and companies (Sources: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter), and over 126 million blogs on the Internet currently. B2B blogging increases leads by an average of 67% (Source: Inbound Marketing Lead Generation Report).

3)   Increased website traffic as a result of social linking, social media, optimized blogging, and mobile phone apps.  Over 41% of businesses using social media have acquired new customers through those channels (Source: Inbound Marketing Lead Generation Report).

4)   Adoption of emerging communications platforms are absolutely necessary to retain relevancy.  Mobile use is growing much more quickly than PCs or Internet services did Burson, 2010).

5)  Provides turnkey solution for broadcasters, including ease of use from a single platform, negating the need to hire additional staff.  We have developed an online content aggregator system that integrates text messaging, social media, and blogging sites with content update from one location.

    About Edge Media: Edge Media is a full service leading interactive advertising agency located in Phoenix AZ specializing in cutting edge technologies that deliver exceptional ROI for our clients. Our cutting edge technologies include SMS marketing software that allow our clients to deliver bulk SMS services that few marketing companies Phoenix is home to can offer. In addition to our text SMS messaging software, our mobile advertising agency offers mobile websites, mobile apps, and mobile internet advertising.

Technology is changing at a dizzying pace.  So rapidly in fact, that some days I don't want to read about the next technological breakthrough that has been adopted by marketers as a communications tool.  It is quite frankly just hard to keep up sometimes, and the rapid mobile evolution some days makes me feel like rearranged pond scum trying to get my head around it.  Other days I'm pretty excited about it, like today, where I recognize the incredible potential for effective communications!
 
Relevant communication methods are critical.  80% of Americans have mobile phones, and 50% will have smartphones by Q3 2011, continuing the rapid evolution in communication and media consumption. Mobile is way more than text message marketing.  Mobile channels include mobile websites, mobile social media,  apps, mobile listening and viewing, mobile advertising, mobile giving,  and more. 

Many businesses and non-profits are aware of changes in technology and wondering what to use and how to use it, but concerned about costs and manpower.  It is very understandable, as the processes of communication should not be the focus.  Therefore, the channels must be effective, efficient, and affordable.  How do you move from being overwhelmed to updated communications that work?

As a leading interactive advertising agency, we believe that it starts by understanding each different mobile channel, its individual value, and then the value of the sum of the parts working together, as well as an understanding of how they can work together in order to evaluate effectiveness of various channels, and effectively integrate mobile media into communications strategies.  Edge Media's  focus is to link the parts together so that as an  mobile advertising agency we are able to create connected communications systems so that our clients can quickly and  easily update information that flows across a variety of platforms, including mobile websites, blog sites, social media, and more.  Our system also creates the interactivity between text messaging and the mobile web, so we can instantaneously send out alerts, prayer requests, action items, and more from the touch of a mobile phone.   It is really exciting!

In my last Edge Media blog, I shared a social media tip.  Today, the tip is about the mobile web. For example, Google reports its mobile search volume has increased FIVE FOLD over the last two years!  When ESPN launched their mobile site, their overall visitors increased over 30%.  The plain truth is that more people are on the web on their web-enabled phones, and it is important to have a mobile website to make your site easier to view on the much smaller screens of a phone.  So, the mobile tip is to secure the .mobi (short for mobile) of your domain name - for example: www.edgemedia.mobi instead of .com.   There are free tools out there to convert a standard website to a mobile site without programming help.  Here is a link to a helpful site: http://www.tothepc.com/archives/5-ways-to-create-or-convert-into-mobile-phone-website/

I encourage you to mobilize your website to take advantage of the search volume of folks who are browsing using their mobile phone, but who won't stay on your site long if it it is hard to navigate.   More on mobile channels in the next blog!

About Edge Media:  Edge Media is a full service leading interactive agency that specializes in cutting edge technologies that deliver exceptional results for our clients.  Our cutting edge technologies include SMS marketing software to allow our clients to deliver bulk SMS services in their communications, and as a mobile advertising agency, create mobile websites, mobile apps, and integrate mobile with social media - all very exciting stuff!  If you want to talk about it, send us an e-mail at info@edgemedia.biz or call the offices at 602-943-2030.  Also, be sure to follow us:

               

Technology is changing at a dizzying pace.  So rapidly in fact, that some days I don't want to read about the next technological breakthrough that has been adopted by marketers as a communications tool.  It is quite frankly just hard to keep up sometimes, and the rapid mobile evolution some days makes me feel like rearranged pond scum.  Other days I'm pretty excited about it, like today, where I recognize the incredible potential for using technology to preach the Gospel, because I, for one, really know the truth - that the Creator brings much more order and creativity than evolution and pond scum ever could.  But I digress...

As messengers of the Gospel, relevant communication methods are critical.  80% of Americans have mobile phones, and 50% will have smartphones by Q3 2011, continuing the rapid evolution in communication and media consumption. Mobile is way more than text message marketing.  Mobile channels include mobile websites, mobile social media,  apps, mobile listening and viewing, mobile advertising, mobile giving,  and more. 

Many ministries, broadcasters, and churches are aware of changes in technology and wondering what to use and how to use it, but concerned about costs and manpower.  It is very understandable, as the focus of Christian ministry should be on communicating the Gospel, and the processes of communication should not be the focus.  Therefore, the channels must be effective, efficient, and affordable.  How do you move from being overwhelmed to updated communications that work?

As a Christian advertising agency, we believe that it starts by understanding each different mobile channel, its individual value, and then the value of the sum of the parts working together, as well as an understanding of how they can work together in order to evaluate effectiveness of various channels, and effectively integrate mobile media into communications strategies.  ChurchLink Communications's  focus is to link the parts together so that as a Christian interactive advertising agency we are able to create connected communications systems so that our clients can quickly and  easily update information that flows across a variety of platforms, including mobile websites, blog sites, social media, and more.  Our system also creates the interactivity between text messaging and the mobile web, so we can instantaneously send out alerts, prayer requests, action items, and more from the touch of a mobile phone.   It is really exciting!

In my last ChurchLink Communications blog, I shared a social media tip.  Today, the tip is about the mobile web. For example, Google reports its mobile search volume has increased FIVE FOLD over the last two years!  When ESPN launched their mobile site, their overall visitors increased over 30%.  The plain truth is that more people are on the web on their web-enabled phones, and it is important to have a mobile website to make your site easier to view on the much smaller screens of a phone.  So, the mobile tip is to secure the .mobi (short for mobile) of your domain name - for example: www.churchlinkcommunications.mobi instead of .com.   There are free tools out there to convert a standard website to a mobile site without programming help.  Here is a link to a helpful site: http://www.tothepc.com/archives/5-ways-to-create-or-convert-into-mobile-phone-website/
I encourage you to mobilize your website to take advantage of the search volume of folks who are browsing using their mobile phone, but who won't stay on your site long if it it is hard to navigate.   More on mobile channels in the next blog!

About ChurchLink Communications:  ChurchLink Communications is a division of Edge Media, a full service interactive advertising agency.  ChurchLink Communication's mission is to equip the Church with every technological tool available to effectively communicate the Gospel message.   Send us an e-mail at info@churchlinkcommunications.com or call the offices at 602-943-2030.  Also, be sure to follow us: 

I have used the line, "Don't Tweet Just to Hear Yourself Chirp" many times.  And there are as many "how to" guides on social media out there as there are social media marketing "gurus".   My take on this is similar to what my mother always said, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all", except I would revise that to say, "If you don't have something relevant or helpful to say, don't say anything at all."   Often late at night I will think, "Oh no!  I haven't blogged today!"  The truth is that by late at night, I have nothing intelligent left in my brain to say... 

In all seriousness, social media is a CONVERSATION, not a direct donor channel.  Certainly you should be engaging with people who are interested and should move from interested to a supporter.  The question is, what are you offering to help engage them?  In order to become involved in your non-profit, people have to first believe in you, and care about what you do.  When it comes to growing a donor base, this becomes even more critical, as lots of folks can like what you do, but WAAAYYYY  fewer folks will like you enough to crack open the ole' wallet on a regular basis.  Engage the heart, tell your story, use testimonials, pictures, video, and activate folks who are already supporters to be your brand messengers on social media sites, telling their stories.  Real life testimony is always extremely powerful and credible.   Now, you might be saying you already know all of this, but keep reading to find out how to tell your story more effectively...

At ChurchLink Communications, a division of Edge Media, we have been engaged in marketing for over a decade, and I personally have been engaged in marketing for three decades.  While our content is going to be different than a non-profit, I believe the principles still remain true. We have a lot of great lessons to share, and some of them learned the hard way!  I believe we should deliver thought leadership, relevant content, and helpful information to people who would benefit from our services.    While some advertising and marketing consultants balk at the idea of "giving away stuff for free", I say that business is earned, and it is earned by proving that you know what you are talking about.  The same is true of non-profits - how do you set yourself apart from other non-profits doing very important work?  What are you doing differently? More effectively using donor dollars?  Measuring impact?  Create thought leadership in your area of influence.

So... speaking of offering relevant content, its time time give you a hands on tool... As an interactive web agency, we have to create online marketing systems that are both effective and efficient.  Here is a great tip for social media management:  We link our social media content through a content management system.  When I post to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. I am actually only posting one time and the content management system takes that content and automatically flows it out over fifteen to twenty sites that are all linked together.  This saves significant time, increases exposure, and positively impacts search engine rankings if the posts are keyword optimized.  We use several content management systems, but a simple and free tool is Ping.  You can find it at Ping.fm and link your existing social media accounts together there.  

But remember before you press the send button...  Don't chirp to hear yourself Tweet!  

About ChurchLink Communications: ChurchLink Communications is a division of Edge Media whose mission is to empower the Church to deliver the Gospel message and fulfill the Great Commission using every communications tool available to reach to the far corners of the world in the most effective means possible.  ChurchLink offers a full array of products and services, including radio syndication, media research, media buying, market research, SMS marketing software for fundraising using text messaging, internet marketing strategies, and much more.  Check out our services here: www.churchlinkcommunications.com/clientservices.html

ChurchLink Communications is committed to serving ministries, non-profits, Christian broadcast, and Christian churches.

About Edge Media: Edge Media is a leading interactive advertising agency located in Phoenix AZ offering cutting edge marketing solutions that deliver exceptional results, including mobile advertising agency products such as SMS marketing software for bulk SMS service delivery, interactive web agency products including integrated social media strategies, and full service offerings including radio and television advertising, marketing research, marketing strategy, media research and media buying services, and more. 
 

   I have used the line, "Don't Tweet Just to Hear Yourself Chirp" many times.  And there are as many "how to" guides on social media out there as there are social media marketing "gurus".   My take on this is similar to what my mother always said, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all", except I would revise that to say, "If you don't have something relevant or helpful to say, don't say anything at all."   Often late at night I will think, "Oh no!  I haven't blogged today!"  The truth is that by late at night, I have nothing intelligent left in my brain to say... 

In all seriousness, social media is a CONVERSATION, not a direct sales channel.  Certainly you should be engaging with people who are interested and should move from interested to a customer or supporter.  The question is, what are you offering of value?  At Edge Media, we have been engaged in marketing for over a decade, and I personally have been engaged in marketing for three decades.  We have a lot of great lessons to share, and some of them learned the hard way!  I believe we should deliver thought leadership, relevant content, and helpful information to people who would benefit from our services.    While some advertising and marketing consultants balk at the idea of "giving away stuff for free", I say that business is earned, and it is earned by proving that you know what you are talking about.

So... speaking of offering relevant content... As an interactive web agency, we have to create online marketing systems that are both effective and efficient.  Here is a great tip for social media management:  We link our social media content through a content management system.  When I post to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. I am actually only posting one time and the content management system takes that content and automatically flows it out over fifteen to twenty sites that are all linked together.  This saves significant time, increases exposure, and positively impacts search engine rankings if the posts are keyword optimized.  We use several content management systems, but a simple and free tool is Ping.  You can find it at Ping.fm and link your existing social media accounts together there.  

But remember before you presss the send button...  Don't chirp to hear yourself Tweet!  

About Edge Media: Edge Media is a leading interactive advertising agency located in Phoenix AZ offering cutting edge marketing solutions that deliver exceptional results, including mobile advertising agency products such as SMS marketing software for bulk SMS service delivery, interactive web agency products including integrated social media strategies, and full service offerings including radio and television advertising, marketing research, marketing strategy, media research and media buying services, and more. 
 

I just read a great article titled "Go Mobile or Be Dust" by B.L. Ochman of Advertising Age.  She tackled the topic of mobile marketing with humor, and let the knock out punch come from the facts she quoted.  The source of her article is research from Burson-Marsteller and Proof Integrated Communications which presents 53 compelling reasons, backed by data for why organizations must adopt mobile communications strategies or simply be left behind.

The backbone of the research is really all about the consumer... and how and what they are consuming via mobile phones.  As a leading interactive agency, we saw this trend a long way out, which is why we engaged actively in the mobile space almost five years ago before it was really considered a "must have".   We looked at data that illustrated how folks in Europe and Asia use their phones - like a mini-computer - and realized that this was coming to the United States, so we prepared. 

Mobile is not just bulk SMS services, although ChurchLink Communications' SMS marketing software is some of the best in the industry.  Mobile now incorporates search, location based tracking, banking, coupon delivery, and of course... advertising on the IPad (one of my personal favorites...).   And of course, keep in mind how many non-profits have used text messaging strategies very effectively for fundraising - a tool unheard of five years ago!

I have found that as I talk to people about the necessity of "going mobile", there is a certain glaze that starts to cover the eyes of the people I am talking with.  I am often guilty of being a technical geek, delivering too much unnecessary detail (I am certain that is the professor in me that is always lurking waiting to pounce on unwary students-to-be)...   Going mobile does not have to be an eye-glazing experience, and truthfully, can not only be more effective but a less expensive marketing endeavor than numerous other mediums.

At ChurchLink Communications and Edge Media, we have a simple process by which we move our clients gently, mobilely forward... It starts with a mobile website...meaning making a website show up nicely on a mobile phone browser and being mindful of load times for particular items, including flash.  This is not a difficult process and is a must do, as the most conducted activity on a web enabled mobile phone is search.  We will address simply mobile processes in upcoming blog posts along with the rationale for making the changes and additions necessary to not... well... not be left in the dust!

About ChurchLink Communications: ChurchLink Communications is a Christian advertising agency division of Edge Media, a leading interactive advertising agency located in Phoenix AZ specializing in cutting edge technologies that deliver exceptional results for our clients.  ChurchLink Communications is a full service Christian agency, which includes mobile advertising agency and interactive web agency capabilities, with a commitment to incorporate all available marketing and communications tools to create marketing engines that hum for our clients!  Our ChurchLink clients include ministries, non-profits, Christian broadcast, and churches, and our commitment is to give our clients every available tool to deliver their message to the ends of the earth!