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As Brand Pages Rise in Popularity Other Social Media Platforms Follow

June 12th, 2013 | Posted by admin in branding | marketing | social media - (0 Comments)

According to the Social Barrel article, The Most Popular Social Media Marketing Tool Now Is Brand Pages. Among advertisers spending upwards of 100,000 dollars on their annual social media marketing budgets, a dependence on branded pages is expanding. Their use of social media does not stop there, however.

The article states:

“In addition, businesses also plan on using various social media platforms to promote their content, build branded apps, and purchase ads. Targeted advertising is going to be used a lot by businesses as well, with the aim of providing relevant content to consumers based on their behavior and certain demographics.

According to the eMarketer report, however, brands are doing more than just providing targeted display advertising to relevant users. Rather, they are using social media to create content that will get users involved and engaged.”

Setting up a social media page, while always free, begins with a commitment to social media marketing that must come from the entire company. The engagement with users is of utmost importance for gathering followers as well as building a conversation.  For example, the website for Whole Foods includes a blog, a separate page for recipes and catering information and connections to local store pages. At ArnoldIT you can learn from social media experts how to best form the platform for your network.

Chelsea Kerwin, June 12, 2013

If you are interested in gourmet food and spirits, read Gourmet De Ville.

The Finger That Hovers Above the Enter Key Controls the Companys Social Media Power

June 11th, 2013 | Posted by admin in branding | social media | Strategy - (0 Comments)

Whereas a few decades ago consumers depended upon the value of television to lead them to the best service and sales, now that duty falls to more modern social media. Websites and social networking platforms like Facebook now communicate more loudly to the public than any television commercial campaign. The power of advertising has been placed back in the hands of the entrepreneur and the Work Smart Mompreneurs blog “Public Relations and Social Media Strategy for Small Business” reminds businesses it is their time to excel.

The article stated:

“As a brand, you are no longer beholden to the journalist who may happen to stumble upon your press release as the needle in the hay stack. With the popularity of social media (including blogs) you are now the media that has the power to share a message with the audience that is following you. With an intelligent and well-crafted public relations social strategy, you now have the ability to not only create an amazing product or service that generates revenue while building your business, you can write the story that gets shared across multiple platforms and news outlets.”

Social media expert Tess Arnold explained:

“Entrepreneurs must determine their audience and then create and integrate a campaign revolving around the needs of those consumers, complimenting their product or service. It sounds simple, but it takes time, consideration and intense planning.”

The finger that hovers above the ‘enter’ key holds the power to a company’s social media future, so choose your representative wisely. Just like a bad commercial on television, a poorly planned comment can be re-tweeted and reposted as a permanent fixture online. A good place to start for entrepreneurs ready embrace the power of the enter key would be the social media professionals at Arnold IT. Their experts know how to custom fit a strategy towards the needs and goals a company has established.

Jennifer Shockley, June 11, 2013

If you are interested in gourmet food and spirits, read Gourmet De Ville.

Semantic Technology Focuses on Productive Content and Lessens the Importance of Past Indiscretions

May 14th, 2013 | Posted by admin in branding | Digital Footprint | social media - (0 Comments)

 

AVG recently held a briefing regarding the impact of the digital footprint on a perspective professional’s future and the results were not really that surprising. It appears the digital image has taken over the corporate world on multiple tiers. The Karen Strunks blog “What Does Your Digital Footprint Say About You” offers one bloggers opinion of AVG’s age and digital image study.

When it comes to employers scanning potential employees via social media, the author stated:

“I’m quite interested in the moral, ethical, and indeed legal side of bosses, managers and recruiter’s googling job candidates. Even if the moral argument against checking out profiles wins, it’s human nature to want to find out more about someone you are about to work with. Wanting to research candidates is natural, and the finding is going to be influential. I suggested it might be a good idea for job descriptions to carry a disclaimer along the lines of ‘as part of this company’s recruitment process, your social media profiles will be researched’.”

What were once only whispers amongst friends are now often shares sent across a social network. The digital era has made any embarrassing image or political rant potentially viewable by perspective employers. When the whispers become the digital footprints that affect the future, the social media experts at Arnold IT can use semantic technology to lessen the importance of past indiscretions and replace it with more productive content. Social networking can still be fun but adding responsibility and secure settings will help pave the path towards a successful future.

Jennifer Shockley, May 14, 2013

If you are interested in gourmet food and spirits, read Gourmet De Ville.

Thwart Failed Social Media Campaigns with a Social Networking Strategy

May 14th, 2013 | Posted by admin in branding | social media | Strategy - (0 Comments)

Social media headlines have been spotlighting security due to high profile hacks but the focus should remain on developing a sound social networking strategy. Why? A well planned social media campaign can sometimes thwart virtual attacks before they happen. The Vervely article “Managing Your Digital Footprint: The Way to Personal Branding” provides a few personal branding tips to help novice entrepreneurs initiate a successful social media plan.

The personal branding infographic stated:

“*Know who you are and what you stand for. What do you want to tell people about you? It should be more than just a title or job description.
*Set yourself some goals.
*Build your brand.
*Create and engage! Provide content worth commenting on, sharing, or liking.
*Be generous - Share, explore, and go outside your circle.
*Monitor and listen. Take on feedback.
*It’s okay to clean up. There are different ways you can handle “damage control””

I would add that personal branding has multiple aspects all interconnecting to paint a desirable portrait of the company, product or service. The challenge is creating the image an entrepreneur wants their targeted audience to see. Some of the articles and tips out there can put a company on the right track, however nothing should be implemented until you have created an complete strategy.

Social networking is far more complex than it initially looks and free advice seldom makes history. Evolving rules and changing guidelines can make creating a campaign difficult so entrepreneurs may find seeking out expert advice will help them thwart a failed campaign. The social media consultants at Arnold IT develop integrated plans customized around a company, product or service, combined with current marketing tools to achieve social networking success.

Tess Arnold, May 14, 2013

If you are interested in gourmet food and spirits, read Gourmet De Ville.

The Importance of Your Online Presence During the Hiring Process

May 8th, 2013 | Posted by admin in branding | social media | Strategy - (0 Comments)

An article on Executive Career Brand titled Social Proof: Where Online Presence Meets Personal Branding explains the distinct importance of your social media presence during the hiring process. We’ve all read articles about removing Facebook photos of nights out partying with friends, but this story argues that hiding your online-self from potential employees could be equally as devastating to your chance of getting the job you applied for.

The article states:

“Did you know that an estimated 90% of employers used social networks and social media – known as “social recruiting“ – to find, assess and validate talent in 2012? Executive recruiters and hiring decision makers seek “social proof” to confirm you are who you say you are, and to learn more about you. Social proof – your social media activity and the information that resides online about you – is a personal marketing strategy”

Whether you are shy, private or apathetic to social media, there is really no escaping its significance to your career. One reason mentioned for the added standing of information found online on LinkedIn or another social media site is that you are more likely to be honest about your accomplishments when the entire world can see what you are saying about yourself, as opposed to a paper copy of a resume that you hand in during an interview. If you take anything from this article, it’s that you can now expect to be Googled during the hiring process.

Chelsea Kerwin, May 08, 2013

If you are interested in gourmet food and spirits, read Gourmet De Ville.

Instant Gratification is Not Always the Answer When it Comes to Social Networking

March 13th, 2013 | Posted by admin in branding | social media | Strategy - (0 Comments)

Often times the challenge of getting in an R rated movie without the parent is a thrill for a teen, so it comes as no surprise that teenagers are hopping on to social networks less occupied by the adult world. The Cnet article “Why Teens are Tiring of Facebook” explains that though the original social network still has a considerable audience of all ages, many kids are moving on to more kid oriented sites, like Instagram.

Senior researcher Danah Boyd studies how young people utilize social media for Microsoft. She elaborated on her theory of the current teenage social media mindset:

“Teens are looking for a place they can call their own. Rather than all flocking en masse to a different site, they’re fragmenting across apps and engaging with their friends using a wide array of different tools…. A new one pops up each week. What’s exciting to me is that I’m seeing teenagers experiment. This experimental nature puts Facebook in the tricky position of reacting to the whims of transitory teens.”

Social media expert Tess Arnold had similar thoughts regarding social media for businesses:

“There is no disputing Facebook’s popularity. But when it comes to business, entrepreneurs do have more than one social networking choice. Just like the teenagers looking for their perfect site, so must professionals evaluate platforms and determine which social media provider best fits their needs.”

Instant gratification is not always the answer when it comes to social networking, however everyone is looking for a perfect outlet that fits their individual needs. Social media has become a powerful tool for both businesses and individuals but companies in particular need to choose social platforms wisely. When it comes to evaluating the best options in social media, entrepreneurs should consider ‘friending’ social engineering experts like those at Arnold IT. Their team of professionals evaluates platforms and develops client campaigns in order to help them obtain their targeted goals.

Jennifer Shockley, March 13, 2013

If you are interested in gourmet food and spirits, read Gourmet De Ville

Engaging Customers with Social Media Pays Off

January 25th, 2013 | Posted by admin in branding | business process | News | social media - (0 Comments)

If you’ve had your doubts about the marketing effectiveness of your social media presence, doubt no more.  A recent study by University of Buffalo assistant professor of marketing Ram Bezawada shows that customers who engage with a company social media spend approximately 5.6% more than those who don’t.  Kevin Manne posted “Social Media Can Boost the Bottom Line” in the Society and Culture blog at Futurity.org about the study, which will appear in Information Systems Research.

According to the story:

“Bezawada says there are a number of ways businesses should engage customers to achieve the best results.

‘Social media activities help strengthen the bond between the customer and the firm—and boost financial performance,” says Bezawada. “When building communities, businesses should craft personalized messages, encourage member contribution, integrate knowledge about customers from both online and offline interactions, and create specialized sub-communities for customers looking for premium and unique products.’”

The study compared  customers’  Facebook activity on the company’s page with their actual purchases at a large specialty retailer in the northeastern United States to arrive at 5.6% figure, according to Bezawada.

A professional social media consultant such as ArnoldIT can help you create the right social media presence to engage your customers.   There’s now proof that doing so will increase your company’s bottom line.

Laura Abrahamsen, January 25, 2013

A service provided by the creator of Beyond Search

Dumante Liqueur and Social Media Make a Powerful Cocktail

January 3rd, 2013 | Posted by admin in branding | Buzz | News | social media - (0 Comments)

Making a statement in the liquor business is daunting at best. Perhaps in no other market is there such a saturation of major players and such a deficiency of passionate little guys. Look on a favorite bottle of small batch bourbon, for example, and you’ll probably see they are owned by one of a handful of very familiar names. However, social media might be the great leveler in this business as we discovered one rambunctious pistachio liqueur upstart is proving, according to Insider Louisville’s “Dumante: Learning the Art of Being the ‘Little Guy’ on the Way to Becoming an International Brand.”

According to the story:

Is this the year Howard Sturm makes Dumante Vendenoce pistachio liqueur www.dumante.com into a household brand, up there with Cointreau and Grand Marnier?

Dumante is such a fixture in Louisville — sponsoring dinners at expensive restaurants and “Du the Night” performances at the Kentucky Center for the Arts with artists such as Norah Jones –  you may have assumed that a global distiller with big marketing dollars is behind the brand.

And of course, that’s the whole idea.

 

While this is a terrific story about how this up-and-coming beverage is making a splash, it doesn’t give the full story. For that, we found this article from High Gain telling of Dumante’s powerful social media presence. This is a liberating factor that more and more businesses are uncovering. While success isn’t only a Tweet away, it’s much closer than previously thought thanks to social media.

Patrick Roland, January 3, 2012

Sponsored by ArnoldIT, developer of Beyond Search

Small Businesses Fail to Develop Social Media Strategies

January 1st, 2013 | Posted by admin in branding | business process | marketing | News | social media - (0 Comments)

Social media is a hot topic right now but developing a full-proof social media strategy may not be as easy as it initially seems. According to a recent Small Business Trends article, “Fewer Than One Quarter of Small Businesses Have Social Media Strategies.”

While more small businesses are using social media they struggle to use it as a tool to advance overall marketing goals.

The article states:

“Fewer than one-quarter of small businesses (24%) use social media as part of a planned social media strategy. Another 29% use social media in an ad hoc way, suggesting that they are intrigued with social media but aren’t sure exactly how to make it work for them. That’s according to the 2012 Small and Medium Social Business Study conducted by the SMB Group earlier this year in 2012.

Even the informal ad-hoc users are more advanced than the 47% of small businesses that do not use social media at all. But that’s actually gotten better since 2011, when 56% were not using social media.”

In order for social media to work, it is important that organizations have a plan in place. ArnoldIT offers strategic and tactical social media services that address the multifaceted nature of social media marketing challenges.

Jasmine Ashton, January 1, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT, developer of Beyond Search

CEOs Need Social Media

December 21st, 2012 | Posted by admin in branding | marketing | networking | News | social media | Strategy - (0 Comments)

Top brass are perhaps the biggest losers in the social media derby. CEOs, CFOs and the like could benefit greatly from a greater understanding of the social sphere. Thankfully, those icebergs of change seem to be melting, as we discovered in a Forbes article, “How Social Media Can Spur Organizational Transformation.”

According to the story:

Executives for the most part don’t get social media. But it’s not their fault. After all, many corporate execs don’t even read their own email –  how are they expected to realize the benefits of new platforms if many don’t use them personally? But the bigger roadblock to social media adoption in the enterprise is that the way social is presented inside the organization that doesn’t make the case.

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the like can contribute to the bottom line of most businesses. The challenge is the ability to link business objectives, social media strategies and the bottom line. Executives need to see how social fits in to the overall vision and goals of the organization in order to lead a top down charge that changes how employees and customers connect and collaborate. There must be a purpose coupled with tangible results.

Marketing and PR execs need to begin urging their bosses to access social media. It will undoubtedly open new avenues of possibilities to have that connection to a CEO. Many are wisely turning to consultants, like Arnold IT, to guide them through any potential missteps on the social pedestal. The results are a win-win for customers and companies.

Patrick Roland, December 21, 2012

 

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext