@BasilPuglisi

Content & Strategy, Powered by Factics & AI, Since 2009

Visibility Marketing

BugleMe? Social Media’s Next?

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Bugleme is a new arrival to the social media platform that uses the principal of Twitter but instead of written messages it used voice announcements. It is a subscription service that integrates audio calls and social networking in a new platform and allows celebrities to record telephone messages and have them delivered straight to their fans phones. It gives the celebrity and the fans a direct and immediate interaction. For example, here is a message on the website of the band Superchick:

“Hey Superchick fans! I wanted to let you know that you can sign up to get phone calls from me every week! I’ve signed up with something new called BugleMe… and when you subscribe, you’ll get voicemails from me sent to your cell phone weekly with updates about the band, personal life, books we’re writing, being newly married.​.​anything we’re in the mood to talk about, I guess! haha. Yes, it is really me, and I will tell you everything that is going on in my world. You can get a FREE TRIAL, so just sign up here:…”

The fans can interact with the celebrities by leaving them written or voice messages and ask questions.

Each celebrity has his own private community where their social content is placed. All the messages are archived so when someone joins in late he will get all the messages he had missed. Subscribers can post their own content within the celebrity’s community.

And with this, BugleMe opened the door to another form of advertising, where you can reach thousands of people with one post and advertise products relating to or endorsed to the celebrity.

Commercials and Internet Visibility

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What can we learn from the big boys? The big firms with millions and billions of dollars behind them, and how they approach internet visibility.

The case in point is a product called “Old Spice”. You must have heard the name. Old Spice cologne and aftershave has been around since the 1930. It was the scent of America, since it started in the United States.

Through the years, when transport and import became simpler, the market was flooded by European products. Old Spice market share went down drastically.

In 1990 the company was sold to Procter and Gamble. 20 years later, in the middle of 2010, new commercials for “Old Spice” body wash started showing on TV. Many experts were behind it; P&G, an advertising company and a digital media specialist.

  • They opened a twitter account and a Reddit account for the lead character.
  • They opened a Facebook page
  • They opened YouTube channel and started putting out the 15 second spots, one after the other.

The ads went viral on the internet. Google search went up 2000%, Facebook interactions up 800% and 1.5 billion impressions (The count of a delivered basic advertising unit from an ad distribution point, according to “Basic Advertisement Measures”) since February.

The campaign was a combination of the success of social media and viral success. And it didn’t happen overnight. It took them 6 months of adjusting and changing to get to the point that the reaction was getting to where they hope it would be.

The reaction was immediate; sales went up 107% the first month and are still going up in the rate of 55% in the past 3 months.

Lately the company recorded 183 video answers to question posed by Twitter users. They are staying in touch with their followers.

What can we learn from that success story?

–          The campaign should be all inclusive. All the possible channels.

–          It might take time to develop the correct approach. Some corrections are needed in the middle of the way.

–          If the ‘big boys’ do it, and it works for them, why not do it on a smaller scale?

To see what can be done for you and your business in this new era of advertising, you might be best serve if you approach someone that has expertise and knowledge in the area. Companies like Puglisi Consulting Group at http://puglisiconsulting.com/#, that can design a campaign to your budget. Through their internet visibility arm Visibility Acceleration http://www.visibilityacceleration.com, they can advise you how to be visible on the internet and all over the world.

Social Brand Visibility – All About Hi5

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When you hear the words Social Networking, what comes to mind? Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, Linkedin etc. But since 2003 there is another player in the social networking game that generates a lot of buzz; the name of this site is Hi5. In the beginning of 2010, Hi5 acquired a gaming site called Big Six, and is raising money (in the millions) to extend their reach.

When a customer join the Hi5 network, he create a profile that includes his information, interests and he can upload pictures to create a photo album that is all his. He can also play games online and interact with other users. Just like in other social media sites, he can send his friends a friendly request to join, which can be accepted or declined. If the friend accepts the request, they are now connected in the 1st degree (direct friends). It is possible to be connected in the 2nd degree with friends of friends or in the 3rd degree with friends of friends of the direct contact. 67% of the users of Hi5 social network site are between the ages of 18 and 34.

As back as 2008, Hi5 was the third most popular social network, as far as unique visitors go.

Why didn’t you hear about it? Because Hi5 is most popular in other countries outside the United States, especially in South America. It is connected to Gmail and will send an invitation to join to all the Gmail addresses in the user’s address book.

Hi5 enables the user to express yourself, use avatars, share music, find friends, play games, give gifts, and if you so inclined, flirt on line.

Today, there are about 30 million users of Hi5, and about 200 million pages are served up every day.

With so many users worldwide the site offers innovative options and precise targeting with viral marketing techniques.

So what can Hi5 do for you as a small business owner?

–          Offers unique and engaged audiences who spend on average 20 minutes a day on the site and view 50 pages per day. It is aims at young audiences that like to share and talk about what they saw.

–          The site enables advertisers to target audiences based on interest, demographics, gender, language and other factors.

–          A range of advertising products: Banners, media placement, games, video pre-rolls, viral promotions, contests and sweepstakes.

–          It allows for homepage takeover, where the background of the sign-in page advertises your company, event of movie.

–          Interaction with customers that creates viral awareness.

–          You can insert ads that appear directly in conversations.

–          Place video ads before online games.

–          Mobile ads

–          Enables you to create or sponsor an online game.

–          It has standard ad units for home page, photo pages, game pages and friend’s pages.

Hi5 is another venue in social media that is able to raise awareness to you product. There are other sites that do that, but to get all the information about your possibilities, it is best to contact a consulting experts who are familiar with all the venues, like Puglisi Consulting Group (http://puglisiconsulting.com/#) and their specialty arm Visibility Acceleration (http://www.visibilityacceleration.com/) who can customize an advertising campaign that fits your budget and needs. They are experts who keep updating their knowledge with all the new methods of online advertising and visibility.

Untraditional Ways to Create Buzz for Your Business

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Let’s face it, advertising in today’s market is tough. There is a lot of noise out there and a lot of different companies and brands competing for the same consumers. But creative companies are finding untraditional ways to create buzz around their products. See if any of these unusual strategies might work for your business.

Make It a Stunt

Create an unusual event or contest for your business. If you own a restaurant, have an eating contest and award the winner with a year of free meals. If you own a TV repair company, hold a “World’s Strongest Man” competition and see who from your community can complete various strength tests involving old televisions. Award the winner with a free TV set.

The benefit of these types of stunts is two-fold. First, you are attracting new potential customers to your business. Obtain contact information for all contest entrants, and provide losing entrants with coupons that entice them to return to your establishment. Second, you are creating the opportunity for free media coverage. Invite local television, news and blog outlets to your event. You can save thousands of dollars in advertising through just one stunt event.

Attract a Celebrity

It’s no secret that celebrities grab headlines. Get a local celebrity to come to your business and watch the customers roll in. The key is to not only attract a celebrity client, but to get the client photographed or televised in your place of business.

Luckily, the popularity of reality shows has made it a bit easier to get celebrity coverage. Pick up the phone book and call any reality shows that might fit with your product. Be creative; remember that reality shows have very low budgets, so any service that you are willing to provide for free might get you a bit of on-screen time.

Make it Funny

You need look no further than Old Spice’s highly successful “I’m On a Horse” commercials to see the power of humor in advertising. Whether you are posting in-store signage, creating a newspaper ad or shooting a television spot, infuse humor in your marketing to attract customers. If your advertisement makes people laugh, they are more likely to remember the advertisement and your company.

While some types of businesses lend themselves better to unusual marketing than others, it never hurts to take a moment to think outside the box and reconsider your existing advertising strategies.

Why do customers turn away from your website?

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Everybody is talking about internet presence and internet visibility and thinking of inventive ways to increase it. But let’s face it – the purpose of your website is not only to get visitors to your site. The purpose of your website is to turn visits into clicks. You not only want to be visible, you want to make commerce.

There are many reasons why customers that get to your site turn away from it, after one page. To understand what is wrong and change it, takes expertise. But it is a change worth making.

Here are some of the reasons why it might happen to your site:

It’s Booooring – like reading a very long advertisement or brochure. Too much technical information, too much information in general turns people away. The customer knows it will be tooting the horn of the business but he can’t find the important information that is relevant to him.

It has Typos – You want to be trusted, don’t you? Having your landing page written by someone who doesn’t speak the language well, is a turn off. Make sure it makes sense and look at it more than once. If you have many pages it might be hard to weed out all of the typos, but you must try.

It is not enticing and not specific enough – It doesn’t say why you are better than your competition.

It has not been updated – The web technology moves very fast and you have to keep up with the innovations. A site that has been up for 5 years needs a facelift. In web-talk it’s your grandfather’s generation.

It’s confusing – and difficult to navigate.

Not enough information – People want to know who you are. “About” page is important as is providing a real address.

There are no pictures and no endorsements – What people say about you is very important to add credibility to your site.

The best course of action for the business person who wants to make sure all the advantages of the internet have been taken, is to contact a company that deals with those solutions, like the Puglisi Consulting Group and their Visibility Acceleration division to get advice and design a campaign that will turn your visitors into clicks and registrations.

Traditional Networking 101

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The term “networking” has evolved over the past few years.  Many networks today exist primarily online, and members of online networks might never meet each other in person.  While online networking in the form of Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media is an important element in today’s digital environment, don’t forget about the power of traditional networking.  Here are a few tips to jumpstart your offline network.

Attend Industry Events

The best way to meet relevant professionals in your industry is at industry-specific events.  Look online for the most important events that are held for your type of business.  Make sure that the key members of your company attend these events.  If possible, reserve a booth for your company or ask if one of your team members can act as a speaker or panelist. 

During these types of events, the goal is to interact with as many people as possible.  Every person you meet adds to your network of peers and potential clients.  If you are looking to hire, keep an eye out for potential employees.  Be sure to grab contact information for everyone you speak to.

Give to Others

As the saying goes, you only get what you give.  Networking is a two-way street, and in order to reap the benefits, you must provide support to the fellow members of your network.  Be willing and able to listen to other’s business concerns and to lend a hand to help answer questions or find resources for those who need them.  Attending to the needs of those in your network takes minimal time, but by helping others, you ensure that others are willing to help you.

Follow Up

During the course of tending to business, attending industry events and going about your daily life, you will come into contact with hundreds of people.  Always get a business card for new people you meet, and keep an organized contact log with everyone’s information.  Follow up with important contacts frequently, even if you do not need to speak with them.  Consider organizing a coffee meeting or lunch date to catch up on business ideas and industry trends.  Keeping up a relationship with people in your network ensures that you have an open line of communication when you need them.

Be sure to use traditional networking in addition to online networking as you build your business.  Although nothing beats the convenience of networking online, building strong in-person relationships is an important component to any successful company.

Is your website outdated?

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A website should be updated at least every six months. The website should be your store front and consider upkeep an operating expense. Websites need to be able to be updated, and interact with Web 2.0, but this can only happen if you/r company is participating in web 2.0. You should have social sites and blogs, but also have them syndicated to your website.

A successful website should include:

 – A professional extension of your presentation

 – Be user friendly and easy to navigate

 – Search Engine Optimization friendly or already optimized

 – Use Social Media as a form or networking and community outreach

 – Collect Data about visitors, e-mail addresses etc.

 – Have a “call to action” for an opportunity

 – Provide you with ROI data about your website

When a business starts to struggle cutting back on customer generating expenses is usually the fastest way to run your business out of business. When it comes to cutting expenses choose wisely, while you’ll need to trim advertising and marketing expenses, you don’t want to stop the source of revitalization for your business.

Strategy, Strategy, Strategy…

Instead of running your advertising all over the market, seek the advice of an expert who can help you select a few sources that will produce a reliable and stable ROI. The expenses associated with a professional or expert is easily saved by the expenses of getting your marketing wrong.

Visibility Acceleration is a digital marketing powerhouse that leverages social media, search engines and your website to generate new customers. Puglisi Consulting Group, Inc. has the experience and support of professionals and experts in the field of business coaching and consulting to support a plan to help get your business back on track.