Why You Need a LinkedIn Company Page: New Status Updates

If you are a business professional who is not currently using LinkedIn, it’s time to create an account. This social media powerhouse currently has 120 million members worldwide, which includes executives from every 500 Fortune Company.  LinkedIn is a great tool to connect and build relationships with business professionals inside and outside of your industry. Once you begin using LinkedIn as a networking tool, you can expect to see an increase in productivity and success for your company.

Labor Day Special: Why You Need Social Media for Holiday Sales

Happy Labor Day everyone! We hope you are enjoying your Monday off. Labor Day, like all other federal holidays, is a very important day for marketers worldwide. Why, you ask? Because this is a day where online sales skyrocket and shopping centers are packed. Customers are out and about, and they’re looking for sales. With so many stores, sites and sales to choose from, how are they going to find out about yours? That’s where social media comes in.

Traditional Advertising vs. Social Media Marketing: Which do Consumers Trust More?

Do you think that social media is a phase? Well, it may very well be, but regardless of how social media progresses in the future, there is no doubt that it has changed consumer behavior. Before social media came to be, consumers were listening to messages from the company itself. Whether it is a print, television, or radio advertisement, the only person educating about the product is the business. Now with the social media revolution, companies are not the only ones raving about their product. Consumers are speaking too, and they aren’t scared to tell the truth.

How many times have you purchased something from TV because you saw a commercial and thought a product looked awesome? When you used the product, did it work as well as you perceived it would? What I’m trying to get at here is, were you a victim to the Slap Chop?

How To Optimize Your Company Blog

Blogging for your business has become an effective marketing strategy for companies everywhere. It allows your business to share valuable information with your customers, making you the expert and trusted professional that they will continue to come back to for more. But the content you create is not the only way to make your blog successful, although of course it plays a very important role. There are other strategies that need to be used in order to make your business blog the best that it can be! Here are some measures to implement when creating a company blog…

How to Calculate the ROI of Social Media Marketing Campaigns

Being able to calculate the ROI of a company’s social media initiatives has been a big debate within the industry. What is social media ROI? How do you know if your sales are stemming from sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or your blogs? These are questions that keep many businesses on the fence of starting to use social media for marketing practices. Of course, there are returns that are not necessarily financial, but let’s face it; all Chief Marketing Officers need to see what will happen to their bottom-line figures. Today, we will take a more in depth look at how marketing executives should be measuring their ROI.

The first step in the ROI measurement process is to form a social media marketing plan that directly correlates to all corporate and branding strategies, without only focusing on the ROI. This means, figure out what your strategic priorities are. Do you want your social media marketing to increase traffic to your sites, improve brand awareness, or improve your search rankings? Do you want to see lead generations or are you planning on using social media as another form of customer service? There are different ways to measure the ROI depending on the strategies you choose. For example, using social media for customer service reduces costs associated with that department, which in turn increases the financial value of your strategy. Refer back to last Monday’s article to see how that is done correctly.

Book Review: Marketing Shortcuts for the Self-Employed

When Patrick Schwerdtfeger contacted PMC through our blog to offer an advance copy of his new book, Marketing Shortcuts for the Self-Employed, I immediately took the opportunity to speak with him. A brief phone conversation led me to learn interesting things about Patrick; earlier he had self-published a book, Webify Your Business, and his new one is essentially an updated version. His first book received such great reviews that John Wiley and Sons, Inc. picked it up and published it. Because Patrick was very down-to-earth, educated in entrepreneurship, and extremely willing to network, I have decided to write a book review for Marketing Shortcuts for the Self-Employed. This book shares valuable information, tricks, and advice for any self-started business.

6 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Blog

Blogs are a great marketing practice for businesses of all sizes! They allow companies to create a voice and personality online, while engaging their consumers on a different kind of level. Producing original material that is relevant to your current industry is key when starting up a blog for your business. Remember, blogging should not be used as a one-way street for your company to promote products and services, but as a way to show consumers that you care about your industry and would like to supply with them with valuable information. Once you have understood the concept of blogging from a business standpoint, it’s time to get your views up!

Social Media Spotlight: Welch’s

Today, our Social Media Spotlight will focus on the well-known, family favorite brand, Welch’s. Welch’s has been in the grape business since 1869, and offers a variety of 100% grape juices. Their product line also consists of other 100% juices, sparkling beverages, juice cocktails, concentrates, jams, jellies, and snacks. Welch’s is currently the world’s leading marketer of Concord and Niagara-based grape products. Let’s find out how such an established company uses social media marketing to its benefit. Erika Jubinville gives us the inside scoop on their social strategy.

How To Use Social Media to Build Your Email Contact List

We all know that social media marketing is effective in promoting your products and services, creating a buzz around your brand, and tapping into your consumer market. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are all great promotional platforms, but did you ever think of how you could use such sites for purposes outside of the social media world? Learn how you can turn your social media following into valuable email contacts for your company…

Social Media Spotlight: Send the Trend

The Social Media Spotlight is pleased to introduce a company that should be recognized by all fashionable consumers: Send the Trend. Send the Trend is a monthly membership accessories service created by Christian Siriano, Mariah Chase and Divya Gugnani. Once you have become a member, you will receive a customized accessory gallery based on a personal style survey. Once a month, you have the option to purchase new accessories for your collection. Send the Trend is in on trend whether you’re in need of some new sunglasses, an amazing scarf, earrings, bracelets, a statement necklace, rings, bangles or all the above. Kaitlin, the Social Media Manager, gave us some useful insight on how Send the Trend uses social sites to build and promote this e-commerce business.