The Main Thing You Need to Know about Strategic Communications and SEO Today is That it's a Zoo

Some say SEO is dead.  And, in the traditional sense of what SEO originally entailed, that is true.  But, search engine optimization is still a relevant strategic communication pursuit - just not in terms of the mechanics of days past.  SEO of the past was a game.  Plain and simple.  You paid some outfit to game the system with backlink structuring operation that relied heavily on "static content" directory submissions and similar antics.  Today the game has changed significantly and will never be the same.  In fact it's a zoo.

We use the term zoo to refer to Google's Panda and Penguin algorithms.  Panda refers to Google's algorithm that favors sites that deliver high caliber, original and context-rich content.  The Penguin algorith slays sites that try and "game the system" with fake backlink tricks.  In other words, Google, and even Facebook, have been forced to clean house.  Reputable organizations with marketing clout have demanded that reputable tactics which produce reputable search results be the only game in town.  So what does that mean to the small Dallas business owner?  It means a lot of work.

In today's strategic communications ecosystem, you cannot pay a "firm" for 1,000 backlinks and some crazy directory submission operation and win the SEO game.  In fact, you will be punished and sent to the lion's den as Google, through their indexing and search formulas, will see the antics for what they are...fake.  Today, building a liked, followed, patronized, and engaged brand is all about cross-channel marketing.  It not only means writing great content, but pushing that great content one story, one post, one campaign, one link at a time.  And, in many ways it is like going back to the future.

20 years ago, if you wanted to build a brand, you had a relatively straight-forward path.  You advertised on radio, television and in print.  You may have used direct mail for a more targeted campaign.  And, you hired a public relations firm to pitch your stories to writers, editors and producers.   Although the strategic communications and marketing landscape has forever changed with new marketing channels which have a heavy focus on mobile and social communication, the tactics are basically the same.   Like the old AD man of yesteryear who developed story boards, wrote copy, developed a 1975 Procter and Gamble AD campaign, and then pushed it to every available medium he could, today's business owner or their firms must do the same.  We just have different media (and a complex inter-connectivity) to write and produce for.

The SEO of yesterday is dead on arrival.  Today, backroom backlink trickery is dead.  We are back to the future in this stategic communications zoo.  We actually have to work at marketing communication.  Creativy is alive again.  And, that's a good thing. 

Concierge PA.  We're here if you need us.  After all...it's no fun going to the zoo alone.

For Your Brand Strategy...You May Just Have to Lawyer Up

I was struck by a conversation I had with a new client.  She indicated that she was approached recently by a firm that offered her an "$899.00 PR Package."  This "wonderful" package included 4 press releases and at least a dozen radio podcasts.  And, they offered  her the wonderful deal without asking her the first question about her business.  For a better understanding of her as a client, I asked her why she did not take "the firm" up on their offer.  She said, "It just did not sound right."  Right she was!

Everyone supposedly hates lawyers.  They think attorneys are a necessary evil in times of need, but in most cases, many people try to avoid them like the plague.  Regardless of what you think about our legal eagle friends, there are some indicators and comparisons that any business seeking a firm to assist them with developing their brand and their strategic communications should be aware of.  Here are some tips:

1. Run like Michael Myers was chasing you on the set of Halloween 4 if you come in contact with someone that offers you a PR or marketing "package."  They  are what we call marketing sharks.  A reputable firm that is advising you on your strategic communications and marketing initiatives will never offer you a package deal.  Like an attorney (a good one), a reputable firm will have to engage you considerably to even begin to offer you advice and counsel regarding your brand messaging and strategic communications.  A reputable firm will invest a great deal of time learning your business and researching the market before they offer you anything in terms of guidance.  And, it won't be a package deal.

2. Only deal with firms that present you a comprehensive plan that is full of research on your business, as well as your competition and your market.  Would you retain a lawyer that did not thoroughly research your case and present you with a sound offense or defense for your case?  Like a law firm, for a reputable strategic communications firm, it is all in the details.  It is not a whim or a one-size-fits-all deal with an associated, arbitrary retail dollar figure.

3. And, speaking of money...reputable firms offer detailed plans based on actual budgets and tie billing to actual performance.  Again, whether or not you like lawyers, there is sound reason to their billing and fees.  Make sure any strategic communications firm you consider offers you a plan which incorporates justifiable billing such as a monthly retainer or billiable hours for projects that incorporates a budget and is based on actual performed services.

Concierge PA.  Whatever your case, we provide excellent counsel and we build great reputations!

Go ahead…Be Average! Our Tips for Being Mediocre

When it comes to branding and strategic communications, no one wants to be known by their public as mediocre.  In this competitive media environment, being average is a recipe for failure.  And, speaking from a strategic communications perspective, more businesses fail from the lack of communication with their customers and potential customers than any other factor.  The next huge blunder that businesses make is failing to differentiate themselves from their competitors.  To drive home the point, here are some tips on how to be mediocre and fail in business.

 

1. Live in a Y2K World.  If you want to be mediocre, live in the past.  There is a world of difference between 2000 and 2012, especially when it comes to strategic communications.  Just think of how consumers receive communication today.  In case you have not noticed, for a good many people, it is mainly on these things called smart phones.  In 2000, although in decline, the networks still ruled the airwaves in terms of advertising and consumer reach.  Today, we have Facebook and Twitter to name just a few of the new avenues customers are not engaged.  I cringe when I hear small business people totally disregard Facebook as a tool for their business communication.  Times have changed and all businesses from American Airlines to Sherry's Sub Shop must embrace the change to succeed in today's marketplace.

2. Focus on only one front.  If you want to be really average (or even a failed business) focus on only one form of strategic communication.  You do not have to be a general to understand that a war cannot be won if you do not fight on all fronts.  The same is true for business owners of today.  The media world is complicated; and calling it multidimensional is an understatement.  Make sure you are "ON AIR" on a variety of media outlets.  No business just tweets today.  Their tweets hit their Facebook page and update their blogs all at once.  Their websites point to their Facebook fan pages and so on and so on.  To be better than average, the small business owner knows that he or she must engage his customers and potential customers through as many channels as possible.  It is time consuming and it may even seem like a merry-go-round on steroids, but the smart business owner of today knows he or she must get his or her ticket punched and get on the ride.

 

Very few businesses present service or product offerings that are revolutionary and no other business offers.  In today’s fast paced world, even if you invent a new product or service, within days your competition will have replicated it and put their spin on your idea.  The key to success in branding is strategic communications.  You have to consistently tell your story and share with the consumer why you are better and what you offer is superior than that of your competition.  You have to show today's public - bobmbarded with media - that you deserve their interest.  After all, everyone wants to be liked.

Concierge PA.  We're here if you need us.

In the 3-D World, Winning Brands are Still One-dimentional!

Have you ever watched the Academy Awards and later (sorry guys) been bombarded with the pain-staking details of who made the Best Dressed Red Carpet List from Entertainment Weekly, Bravo and People Magazine?  Then, you find out that the winner was always the one wearing a “classic” dress or suit with “simple lines,” and “refined details.”.  The commentator described it as, “simple elegance.”  Well, all the fashion hullabaloo aside, building a winning brand follows the same prescription.

 

Whether in Dallas or Dubai, a winning brand has to be classic, focused, singular, and simple if you want it to be instantly relatable to your audience.  Your brand has to instantaneously convey what your company or organization stands for to the consumer.  It is almost hypocritical, but it takes a great deal of work and a complicated strategic communications plan to build a brand that conveys its “worth” to consumers in very simple, classic terms.  The strength of strategic communications and marketing strategy has a foundation in simplicity.

Often times, business owners are the experts in the myriad of intricacies, benefits, offerings, unique components, value added elements, proprietary hues, and those “never-before-offered” assets associated with their beloved products and services.  But, those one-of-a-kind product and service line attributes do NOT a brand build.  Too often business owners are too engrossed in the details to…well…see the forest for the trees.  Building your brand is like packaging all of your unique offerings into a simple, beautifully-wrapped Tiffany box.  Now that’s a brand.

 

Concierge PA

 

 

 

Concierge PA Shines The Spotlight On: Tracy Merzi of Dallas Business Journal

When it comes to strategic communications, marketing, and media, Dallas has some outstanding professional talent.  And, if you are "in the business" so to speak, you can appreciate that we have a professional like Tracy Merzi in Big D.

Tracy is the Publisher of the Dallas Business Journal.  She took the reins almost a year ago after coming to Dallas from Washington, D.C. where she was a director with the Washington Business Journal.  We are lucky to have her.

Tracy spent three years at the Washington Business Journal and 15 years at the Pittsburgh Business Times.  She has solid experience in publishing and advertising, but also has the spirit, depth and warmth that we in this business so appreciate.  She is an asset to our Dallas professional community.  Daniel Brown of our office was just at a Dallas Business Journal event and he always comments on how Tracy's events have the complete "marketing mix" when it comes to professional networking

No list of tips today.  We will just highlight the importance of having great talent in our great city of Dallas.  And, Tracy is just that.  Well...here is a tip...get to know Tracy and the Dallas Business Journal.  And, get to one of her events if you can.  She and it will make you proud to be in our profession.

This is Concierge PA signing off.

Check out Tracy and the Dallas Business Journal.

Beware of “Marketing” Sharks and How to Keep Them at Bay

Let’s just be honest.  Whether in Dallas or Denmark, there are individuals out there that run around claiming to be “marketing” experts but are really just sharks that simply give the profession a bad name.  And, truth be known, there are many small business owners that are ripe for being preyed upon by these unscrupulous individuals because “marketing” is still the “unknown” to many of them. Here is some advice and a little shark repellent to keep the hammerheads at bay.

 

1. Learn what marketing truly is.  Marketing is price, product, promotion and place (distribution).  It is not simply promotion.  Promotion including advertising, public relations, social media and the like are only components of marketing.  In actuality, marketing is a complex discipline that includes many elements.  Ever read a marketing plan?  Hopefully you have one, but if not, the plan entails much more than promotion.  Read up on the fundamentals of marketing and gain a true “textbook” understanding of the business discipline.  And, the next time someone says they are in the “marketing” business ask him or her what that exactly means.  You will be surprised at the lack of knowledge “marketing” geniuses really have about marketing.

 

 2. Demand a plan. Once you have a solid understanding of marketing, beware of those that use the term loosely, and ask them to submit a written plan for what they are proposing for you.  At Concierge PA, our core service offering is strategic communications.  The term is significant because we tie every effort on behalf of our clients to a comprehensive and structured plan that is designed to positively impact their fiscal goals.  Our efforts are not whimsical, but are based on solid research and involve measurable results.  When someone says they can do this or that in terms of “marketing,” tell them to put it in writing and demand a plan.

 

3. After you have demanded the plan, demand a contract.  Make sure that key deliverables are in writing with deadlines attached.  We recently have heard from several Dallas business owners that they each paid over $3,000 for websites and still have yet to get anything other than a landing page.  Without a contract, technically someone could argue that the landing page is the website and they did their job.  That is horrible business, but more importantly, it is unthinkable that a business owner would pay someone that amount of money without a completed product based on a mutually agreeable contract.

 

4. Never pay for any “marketing” service in full until it is produced as agreed.  If some “marketing guru” demands full payment before they begin a project, tell them to go fish, as there is no legitimate reason to justify full payment before project completion.  Take website design for an example.  If someone offers to produce a website for you, why would they need the full payment up front?  Many times you will hear the argument that he or she has been “stiffed” by past clients.  That argument is not valid because designers keep control of the password to the site until you pay them in full.  In other words, they already hold the power, so that argument is not valid in the least.  The same is virtually true with any project.  Demand for payment in full before production is even started should be a red flag.

 

You are in business to generate and gain business.  And, there is a reason for the phrase, "business is business."  Why on earth would anyone throw money around without sound business processes, documents and decisions to back up the expense?  Business should be structured and based on data and logic.  If you do not protect your business using sound business principles, you may as well swim with the sharks.

 

As always, keep your head above water and contact Concierge PA.

www.conciergepa.com

The Top 3 “Marketing” Mistakes Small Businesses Make

More often than not, most small businesses make “marketing” blunders that they do not even know they are making.  The main reason is that unfortunately, “marketing” represents the unknown to many small business owners.  Here are the top 3 mistakes small business owners make when it comes to “marketing”:

1.  Most small business owners do not even know the true definition of marketing.  Marketing is price, product, promotion and place (distribution).  Most entrepreneurs equate marketing solely with promotion.  And, that is a problem in itself.  Business owners need to have a solid foundation in the principles of marketing and understand each of its vital components.

2.  Because there is lack of understanding of the fundamentals of marketing, and because most small business owners equate marketing with promotion, the second biggest mistake is that many businesses get taken advantage of financially by many so-called “marketing firms.”  Because many entrepreneurs are not marketing savvy, they do not know how to source and negotiate their "marketing" expenditures.  They simply leave it up to the “experts.”

 

3.  The major mistake small businesses make in terms of "marketing" is not partnering with a reputable firm that not only can produce great marketing materials, but also can serve as a consultant and thus provide for significant “marketing” RIO.  When it comes to "marketing" in today's competitive and social environment, "do it and forget it" processes are over.  Connecting with and engaging potential customers is a constant process that takes considerable time and skill to have a real impact on your bottom line.  You have to hire a true partner when it comes to one of the most important components of your revenue cycle.

Break the cycle and stop making common small business “marketing” mistakes.  Contact Concierge PA and let us show you how we build great reputations while we practice good, old-fashioned business practices where we value our client partnerships above all else.

What You Really Need to Know About Hiring a Strategic Communications and Marketing Firm

Have you ever noticed how much information there is out there about HOW to communicate, or WHAT program or platform to use?  There is even a lot of ink out there on WHEN and WHERE to place your next revolutionary post.  What about the WHO?  Where is the advice on WHOM to trust to partner with on your strategic communication and marketing initiatives?


No one can tell you exactly WHO to partner with for your communications and marketing needs.  Its like telling you who to date.  It really takes two to tango.  And, getting the chemistry right is not as easy as shopping on Amazon.com.  We can, however, give you some great pointers in selecting the best firm for you and your brand.

1. Run from a firm or agency that is just all show.  There are some great designers out there.  Dallas has a wonderful creative field of talent.  But, art is art is art.  And, art it is in the eye of the beholder.  A design without the backing of information and a strategic plan is just that, a design.  When it comes to strategic communications and marketing, art - no matter how beautiful and eye cathing it is - must be built around and executed as a result of a concise plan if it is to truly have a beneficial impact on your bottom line.  And, you are in business for revenue, are you not?  Think of it this way; if someone asked you to cook a wonderful casserole and they simply handed you a picture of it, do you think you could produce exactly what they wanted?  I sincerely doubt it.  You need detailed information.  You need the recipe.  Make sure your communications and marketing partner does not just hand you a picture.  Make sure there is a recipe behind it.

2. Make sure you feel a sense of trust in your communications and marketing partner.  And, remember trust is based on not only a gut feeling, but the actual benefits that the firm not only conveys in words, but can back up in action.  Be very wary of smooth talkers.  Remember, this is your business.  It operates on numbers not idle words.  Make sure the prospective firm offers to produce information and data to gain your trust and your business.  Google them.  Look at the content on their website and their blogs.  Do your homework and never let "name dropping," a cute portfolio, or smooth talk sway you.  Before they get your business, they should offer to provide you detailed information such as a composite marketing plan.  Also, if they are not asking you questions and listening more than you are, chances are they may not be right for you.
 
Strategic communications and marketing should be important components of building your brand.  Do your due diligence to partner with a firm that provides you concrete reassurances and the trust to know that they can be a true partner in a complex facet of your business.

Concierge PA

 

Click our link.  You will see why our hallmarks are: Loyalty.  Privacy.  Trust.

Love Him or Hate Him...What You Can Learn from The Bieber

When you think of Justin Bieber, more than likely the first thing that transpires is an almost instantaneous love or hate reaction. You like the kid, or you are shaking your head wondering what's up with all the hype surrounding the teenybopper. The next thing that comes to mind is probably music. After all he is a musical superstar...regardless of what any of us think. The real bass behind the ballad known as Bieber, however, is really about the other M-word, marketing.

Put your reactions aside and forget about the young crooner all together. The real story is in the strategic communications and marketing baritone behind the boy wonder. From the very beginning, his team did what we as communications and marketing professionals strive to do every day; they mastered the media and played it like a fiddle.

When the heartthrob was only 12, the Biebster's team (mainly his mom at that point) rejected the traditional route of promoting him simply by sending demo tapes to record label big wigs. Sound like the old, traditional PR pitch to print editors?  Instead of targeting a few recording execs, they targeted and engaged the world by marketing the Biebmeister on YouTube. Guess what?  Not only did he go viral, but in a twist of irony, instead of Biebs pitching to recording label hot shots, they came to him. The rest, as they say, is history.

Today, Justin Bieber is the guy to beat in terms of trending on social media.  He has over 29 million followers on Twitter. Yes, I said 29 million. That is more than the entire population of the state of Texas.  And, he consistently grows his...well..."followship" by engaging them with the most original of material.  Just recently he pulled off an elaborate PR stunt – managed through Twitter – designed to keep his followers engaged and at the same time promote his upcoming single.  The antics surrounded Master Bieber tweeting about a supposedly stolen laptop that supposedly had compromising pictures of him on its hard drive.  Can you say, “Female fan frenzy” as fast as you can three times?  Because his team was so marketing savvy, sales of his latest single have skyrocketed.  No wonder the Biebernator is smiling all the way to the bank.

The take away from this is that to succeed in this bustling communications, media and marketing ecosystem, you must be original, produce original content, and continuously invent the next creative vehicle to engage your audience.  This brand of marketing is not just for Hollywood stars.  You can do the exact same thing with Dallas as your stage. 



Contact Concierge PA.  We've been known to be able to carry a tune or two.

 

For more information on Justin Bieber's marketing visit Ad Age Digital.

Tuesday's Tip on the Tip: Employ Mob Rule

When it comes to strategic communication and marketing, content is king.  But, even the best content needs context to stand out in today's saturated information marketplace.  There are tons of tips being published regarding how YOU should publish content.  Here is a tip on one of the most common tips that you probably already know about, and have heard a thousand times.  

Everyone has heard, "Publish original content."  There are two main reasons for making this practice a habit when it comes to your marketing communication even on social media.  The first is that original content helps you tell your unique story to your target audience.  And, that is key to developing the followers and the customers you need and want.  The other important reason is for search engine results.  When you re-use or copy material that is already published, Google and other search engines basically say, "Already seen that...done that...NEXT."  Content that is original gets noticed by search engines and helps your own marketing.  Here is our Tip on the Tip:

Employ Mob Rule.  Instead of you always sitting in front of the computer and pounding out every word of original content that you post and publish, why not try something new and engage your audience in the production of your content before you publish it?  Now that's original!

Write your next pieces by interviewing members of your target audience, the same people you want to engage, and the people you want as customers.  Interview them.  Get their points of view.  And, then use their contributions in your next post or piece.  Quote them and use their names (with permission of course).  People love to be included in stories and they tell other people who tell other people.  Couldn't hurt your following could it?

Stories in print (newspapers, etc.) are filled with quotes and a good many of them are comprised of interviews.  Employ this same tactic for the pieces you produce and publish on the Internet.  It is a great way to truly include your audience at the front-end of your story, will give you great feedback, and will help to really draw in and engage your readers.  That is our Tip on the Tip for this Tuesday.

If you ever need us to tip the hat in your favor, remember that

 Concierge PA is just click away.

 

And, visit our Exhibits Page to see some or our original content.