Mediaboss Marketing

Years ago, promoting businesses through billboards or newspaper ads were among the only ways to advertise.

That was expensive and if you couldnt afford it, you couldnt advertise and grow your business, said Miche Traina, founder of The Elements Group in Fort Worth.

Traina said now, businesses and organizations have access to free marketing through social media, but most dont know how to take advantage of it.

He discussed the transition of marketing and offered tips to business owners at the Alvarado Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday.

Since 2008, Traina has helped numerous organizations develop successful growth strategies to more effectively reach their target audience.

We are all in the same boat when we are entrepreneurs and have businesses or work on a team, he said. We are looking to grow and expand.

Traina said he often runs into businesses that do not know how to get their own message out.

I thought if there could be a way for them to understand how to articulate their message to get it out, their business would be full, he said. Often times we really overstep some important factors. If you think about how to grow a businesses and get to the step, we a lot of times go with what we already know.

Traina challenges businesses to sit down and figure out their purpose.

Most of the time, people will immediately jump to the product they deliver as oppose to the genuine purpose that they have, he said. Often times people are so interested in jumping ahead, they overlook the on ramp of developing relationships.

Russ Weaver, pastor of Shepherds Valley Cowboy Church, gets it, Traina said.

Pastor Russ is a mentor of mine, and he doesnt even know it, he said. The things he is doing in his community are incredible; I know his character and I know his heart. And when I see somebody who wants to go into the community and affect change, I see that it is about communicating. Not necessarily about who Jesus is, but a place where you can put on your boots and come as you are. Speaking through that as it translates into your own world is the most effective way to communicate.

Traina said so much is happening in Alvarado and hopes businesses are ready for a lot of people to come.

I live in Fort Worth and everything I hear is, Man, can you believe this is coming to Alvarado? he said. In the next five to seven years, there are some amazing things coming. Is your team ready? Are your facilities ready? Is your marketing ready? Are you ready to receive growth?

Traina and his team help businesses come up with a social media calender of comprehensive content and executes it for them.

Alvarado City Manager Clint Davis said Trainas expertise in marketing is valuable to the city.

What a great amount of information he has given us, he said. I was sitting there, going through my own inventory.

Is your team ready?

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Digital marketing pro preps Alvarado for growth - Cleburne Times-Review

When it comes to social network advertising, Facebook and Instagram are leading the pack, accounting for 68 percent of social network revenue in 2016 (a whopping $22 billion). But social marketing is always in flux, so its vital that fundraisers engage strategically and dynamically.

At the 2017 Bridge To Integrated Marketing and Fundraising Conference, Ashley Reed, director of social media at agency BKV, Madeline Ruffin-Thomas, Non-Profit Group account director at BKV and Robert Field, director of digital marketing at March of Dimes, discussed how to effectively implement Facebooks plethora of targeting options and ad types, as well as tips to use organic social insights and social listening to fuel your non-profits paid social strategy.

Take advantage of the multitude of custom audiences that can be built from the Facebook pixel, such as retargeting website visitors who have not donated recently, or building prospecting targets of users who look similar to your current donors. Typically, BKV sees custom audiences as our top performers.

Read more from the original source:
Paid Social: Blowing Up The Basics - The NonProfit Times

Want to learn more about using social media and other digital marketing methods to promote your small business? If so, theres a new weekly livestream show that could be of interest.

The show is called #CoffeeWithCoal and its hosted by Pennsylvania-based digital marketing company Coal Creative. (The whole coal thing comes from the fact that the company is based in and works primarily with companies from Pennsylvanias anthracite coal region.) The show airs every Monday morning at 10 a.m. Eastern on Facebook Live and is simulcast on YouTube and Periscope.

The first episode aired on July 17. Each episode focuses on a different topic. For instance, the first one discusses Facebook cover videos and maintaining a consistent image across social media. You can also catch up on past episodes on Facebook, YouTube and Periscope.

But the hosts also accept audience questions and participation during the show. So if youre able to tune in on Facebook Live, you can get answers to your questions and interact with the team. And since the episodes air on Monday mornings, the team also shares a social media prompt to help viewers get their week off to a great start.

One of Coal Creatives most popular services is assistance with video marketing. For that reason, the company has the equipment and know-how to make really professional looking livestreams. And the ability to showcase that while also sharing helpful tips and information is one of the main motivations behind starting the show in the first place.

Gerard Durling, founder of Coal Creative, said in a phone interview with Small Business Trends, The whole point is to talk about some of the stuff we do on a daily basis like social media and internet marketing while also showcasing some of the services were capable of providing like livestreaming and video marketing.

In addition, the company is using the show as an opportunity to connect with potential customers in other parts of the country. Located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, most of the companys clients to this point have been located nearby. But as a digital marketing company that provides services like video marketing, branding design and social media, the company has the capacity to help small businesses in any location through its content and services.

Image: Coal Creative

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PA Marketing Company Launches Livestreaming Social Media Talk Show - Small Business Trends

Mobile technology has revolutionised the way people travel. Now, more than ever before, people are using mobile devices to plan every aspect of their trip, creating an incredibly flexible and powerful marketing platform for the hospitality sector.

A survey by eMarketer found 51.8% are using their devices to complete travel bookings - a figure expected to rise to 86.4% by 2019 while ThinkWithGoogle reports 49% of all hotel searches take place through mobile phones.

Working hand in hand with the fact that booking companies and travel industries are becoming even more mobile-focussed is the notion that consumers are now looking for a complete travel experience. Its not enough to simply sell the service using traditional strategies anymore.

This is thanks to the increase in brand popularity across social media platforms. Consumers, in particular Millennials, are focusing on the bigger picture when it comes to planning a trip or holiday. Decisions are now based on what they will get out of the trip as a whole and if they are being offered a fully immersive experience.

Thats why building up your brand via mobile is key.

Develop a strong strategy

First and foremost, we recommend doing this through a tailored social media strategy. Using Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc. not only gives you a variety of platforms to reach out to consumers but encourages guests to share their experiences firsthand.

New figures show 97% of millennials share photos and videos of their travels online with 89% planning their travel activities based on content posted by their peers online.

People are inspired by others opinions of where to visit, stay and what activities they should try thanks to the power of social media and its ability to pinpoint locations through user check-ins, the immediacy of published material and hash-tagging.

With 73% of travelers using a mobile device to research a trip in 2016, a good social media presence is more important that ever before.

Social media also comes with another vital USP. It gives the brand the chance to reach out directly to consumers and offers a platform for reputation management if any complaints are launched. Its a more intimate and personal direct channel for brands to interact with consumers.

Finally, when it comes to picture sharing, there really is no reason your brand shouldnt be showing of its finest features via Instagram - which boasts 700 million active monthly users.

Video is vital

It may seem like a given to include a good video marketing strategy but many companies are missing out on its true potential when it comes to implementation across social media channels.

In 2017, video content will represent 74% of all internet traffic(hubspot)

In its most basic form, social media videos give you an unrivalled platform to showcase your property, hotel or service as well as the surrounding area, local events, restaurants and bars.

According to Googles Travellers Road to Decision report, 66% of people watch travel-related content while thinking about taking a trip.

Its figures like these which show brands can no longer afford to be absent from social media.

Going above and beyond, developments in video, such as the new live platforms offer scope for experimentation in the hospitality sector. Live video is growing ever more popular. Its more natural and organic and reaches out to consumers in a direct and intimate way. As its still relatively new its important to experiment with live video to see which approaches can really work for your brand.

These developments should be maximised on to stay well ahead when it comes to both digital and social media marketing across the sector.

Its all about content

As social media users are constantly sharing their holiday experiences its facilitating the way branded travel content is making its way across the web.

Mobile content is an excellent way of encouraging consumers to make bookings but its important to have a clear idea of audience and each platforms strengths beforehand.

Stepping up your content in the form of blogs and long form copy raises awareness about events and activities in surrounding areas. Innovative and interesting city and travel guides are incredibly useful in generating continuous conversations and increasing interaction between consumers and the brand in an unforced manner.

With people doing more searches than ever before prior to booking, inspiring organic destination marketing is particularly useful in upping brand visibility through successful SEO and keyword implementation, incorporating a subtle call to action.

Jennifer Kennedy is marketing manager at Cuckoo

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Why social media matters more than ever to hospitality marketing - The Drum

Sustainability is a worthwhile endeavor for a city to encourage of its residents, and Lincoln has long been among Nebraskas leaders in this field.

But such efforts must come with common sense and fiscal responsibility.

The recycling agreement before the Lincoln City Council seeks to achieve positive change by increasing the number of people who recycle and decreasing per capita waste by 100 pounds. The proposed $850,000 cost for the pact, though, is just too high for the city despite its noble goals.

Accordingly, city council members were wise to postpone a vote on the measure on the three-year agreement, one that would cost more than $5,500 per week, while also looking at incentives though theyd likely be more expensive and other means to encourage recycling.

With corrugated cardboard set to be banned from the city landfill next spring, such a campaign is needed and the citys current two-year budget already includes initial funding for the needed program. The best means, as the two Nebraska companies involved with the drive correctly noted, to grow public participation from the wary is through positive reinforcement and education.

Community events and social marketing represent good ways to do so. But the plans use of direct mail, while an effective way to reach people, poses a problem.

In a twist of irony, both companies proposed mailers that would encourage Lincoln residents to recycle more as part of their marketing. However, as one man who testified at Mondays meeting accurately pointed out, a large chunk of those paper flyers will no doubt end up in trash cans and the landfill a counterproductive result that would instead create more waste.

An increase in recycling along with the corresponding decrease in waste destined for the landfill is a positive for any community. Lincoln has been bold in pushing green initiatives and sustainability, with these forward-thinking enterprises helping to drive the city in a positive way as it continues to grow.

Progress comes with a price tag, and recycling isnt cheap. But improving Lincoln by leaving it a better, cleaner place than we found it is definitely worth an investment if done responsibly.

The effort before the City Council is certainly a step in the right direction for Lincoln. However, both the dollar figure and specifics of the recycling plan need a bit of revising before the council reconsiders the measure in two weeks.

See more here:
Editorial, 8/3: Recycling plan a good idea but needs work - Lincoln Journal Star