If It Walks Like a Penguin... An Important Google Update for You!

Here is an important notice as reported by our friend, Adrienne Erin:

After several weeks of baited breath and waves of smaller changes to Google’s algorithm, it seems that the penguin is at last out of the bag, as announced by Google Webspam Head Matt Cutts on his blog on May 22. According to Cutts, 2.3% of English-US queries are affected by the update, the largest percentage since the original roll out of Penguin 1.0 in April 2012. The update also affects searches in other languages to different extents; according to some, the impact was greater in German-language queries than English. The goal of the update was to reward genuinely valuable sites, and punish sites that have gained ranking with black hat techniques.

The original Penguin was Google’s first update to specifically combat off-page factors, especially targeting link networks and unnatural linking strategies. This update affected over 3% of all English queries, dramatically altering the search engine’s results pages and obliterating any ranking for some particularly bad, black hat offenders.

Penguin 2.0 uses new, highly advanced spam-fighting techniques that continue to punish unusual and “fishy” activity, penalizing sites that acquire large numbers of links very rapidly (usually through paid means), that get links from irrelevant sites, and those that overuse exact match anchor text. This update also will be specifically targeting ads with dofollow links (since the introduction of the nofollow tag, Google has told webmasters to use it to differentiate paid links and avoid passing on ranking value and trust), and improve the detection of hacked sites.

An Unexpected Boost to Local Results

Amidst the panic surrounding Penguin 2.0, Trevin Shirey from the SEO company WebpageFX seems to have been the first to notice an unusual trend in the SERPs. According to Shirey, Google seems to have been integrating large numbers of localized results into organic searches.

In their examples, such as a search for “hockey” in Dallas, Texas or a search for “marketing” in Miami, Florida, up to 5 results on the first page are local, sometimes even ranking above the results one would expect to see, such as Wikipedia.

The hockey example is especially striking, with two Dallas Stars results from stars.nhl.com appearing above the Wikipedia page for ice hockey. The Dallas Stars’ Wikipedia page also features prominently in the results.

You will probably notice some of these changes to broad keyword searches in your own queries. For me, in a search for “chocolate,” my favorite local café (which happens to also sell chocolate) appears above Ghirardelli, a premium international chocolate company, in the results. WebpageFX gives some other examples of searches to try, such as “ford,” “coffee,” and “computers.” You will probably see some of your favorite local spots featuring highly, as well as business listing websites such as Yelp and Yahoo! Places.

This is definitely a great bonus for local businesses. As Shirey puts it, “local and regional businesses could stand to gain from an update like this as it increases their exposure for informational queries.” However, he adds that it is unclear how this change will be perceived by Google’s users. He adds, “Do searchers really want such hyper-local results for broad queries? Google’s research must show that they do.”

How has your business fared since the onset of the newest rendition of Penguin? Share your experiences in the comments.

Catch up with Adrienne Erin on Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/109654446375621919755/posts

Concierge PA:  Keeping you in the know!

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Can Your Brand Pass This Simple Test?

Here is an exercise similar to one that we perform for our strategic communications and marketing clients.  And, it is one that you as a business owner can and should perform.  It will tell you a great deal about your brand.  Okay, here is the exercise.  Ask 10 of your customers, and, or family members this simple question, “Describe my brand.”   When you gather their responses, you may be quite surprised.

Have you ever heard the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”?  Well, in the marketplace, that can mean you lose a customer or client forever based simply on the “image” you first convey to him or her through your brand.  And, nine out of ten times that “image” problem is because the business owner has no strategic communications plan, or does not follow it.

In business, image is everything as it becomes your brand.  And, the brand becomes your reputation.  A brand that is not defined by a strategic communications plan is still defined.  People will still form an image or opinion of your business, but it will not be your own.  And, more than likely it is not how you want to be perceived in the marketplace.  It is your business.  It should be your brand.  After all, when it comes to how your audience defines your business, you always want the answer to be the right one, and you want everyone to be on the same page.
 
 

Concierge PA: We build great reputations!

 

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Social Media and Small Business: A Hush Hush Rocky Relationship

In an article written by Meghan Casserly and published this month in Forbes, the dirty laundry about small business and its rocky relationship with social media was thoroughly exposed.  For various reasons, in the past you rarely got a glimpse under the sheets of a relationship that was hailed as a marriage made in heaven.  And, rarely did you ever openly hear of any discord between small business and its social media spouse.  But, trust me…like a rocky relationship in a small southern town with a population of 789, people were quietly talking.

Small business owners have been feeling the unrequited love of their social media partner and even whispering about irreconcilable differences between the pair.  If you listened closely, like many marriages, the honeymoon seemed like it was over.  Social media for the small business owner was not fun and exciting anymore.  And, they had to work harder and harder to even keep the relationship alive.  There have been separations and even divorces between what used to be viewed as a very attractive couple.   The relationship may be over for those that feel as though they have been through the fire in their relationship with social media.  But, for those small businesses that have not totally given up on the relationship, there may still be hope.

Every relationship goes through ups and downs - from romantic ones…to those between parents and children…to those that are strictly professional.  In functional relationships, there is always “give and take,” and there must be compromise if the relationship is to be successful.  And each party has to understand that there will be growing pangs during the relationship, and, more importantly, learn to weather them if they want the bond to be one of longevity.  The relationship between small business and social media is no different.  The relationship takes work…a lot of work.  Here are some of the do’s and don’ts regarding that relationship for which we feel are as valuable as a few sessions with a high priced Park Avenue relationship therapist:

Do realize that the relationship between small business and social media is by no means a prom date, and that this relationship will require a lot of hard work.  In some ways, it looks as though small business and social media are incompatible.  Both require a great deal of attention and both require a lot of work.  Like a marriage worth saving, success depends on being able to understand that the two can work together for common good and for a common goal.  Although time spent on social media posts and campaigns can take away from actual direct “business” activities, always remember both are working for a common goal, business success.

Don’t expect your social media partnerships to fulfill all your needs as a small business owner.  If there is a recipe for an unsuccessful relationship, it is when one party expects the other to be the “end all.”  Solid relationships do not work like that.  A sound relationship is a balanced partnership with an understanding that both parties will have short-comings, and that they may have to support each other.   Strategic communications and marketing efforts - including social media - are components of a broader plan for business success.  All of those components must work together for success.  As a small business owner, whether you are in Dallas or Atlanta; or Duluth or Aspen, do not expect social media, on its own, to bring in all or even a majority of your revenue.    Social media may be a partner, but more than likely it will never be the bread winner in the relationship.  Social media may only serve as a quiet, yet energetic cheerleader for your brand and the common cause of business success.

 
Do understand that as a business owner your relationship with social media is going to always be a work in progress.  Like a marriage, the relationship between small businesses and social media is ever-evolving.  Don’t walk away without truly understanding and appreciating the role each plays in the bond.  Your social media significant other may not bring home the bacon, but not being able to see the good in what it can bring is short-sighted on your end.  Keep working at the relationship.  Continue to fine tune it so that it is a partnership that furthers your business goals.  Social media may never be a sugar daddy, but if you keep working at it, it can play a supportive role to your small business.

Concierge PA: A True Small Business Partner!

 

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Buzzwords Like Content, Engagement and Community Mean Nothing Without Trust

Some of the most prominent strategic communication and marketing buzzwords of 2013 are content, engagement, and community.  They are all supposed to relate to an overall strategy where a business produces unique and specialized content to engage members of a specific target audience, and, in turn, hope that they join a community that supports that business.   On its face, that appears to be an honorable strategy.  The problem with that plan, however, is that the goal is skewed and far too short-sighted.  In business, the goal is not only to engage and gather a following, but to develop a customer base that truly trusts your business.

Think about how many times you like something or even retweet a tweet.  And, think about how many organizations you decided to follow.  If you are like most people, those actions are mostly based on a whim.  Most are reactions to something we find entertaining, or we are simply giving some content a thumbs up, or we are giving our blessing with a digital “amen.”  Whether in Dallas or Atlanta; or Dubai or Albania, from a marketer’s viewpoint, it is wonderful to have likes and followers, but that does not make for solid client or customer bases.

Reliable client and customer bases are measured by consistent financial support of a business.  That consistent financial support is only developed through trust.  As much as notoriety in the form of likes, followers and retweets is flattering, in terms of financial success, many times it is short-lived and based on a short-sighted strategy.  As a business owner and leader, it is up to you to not only make sure you provide entertaining and engaging content that appeals to the masses, but that you are more importantly instilling trust in your brand.

 

As diversified and technical as marketing is in this social and digital age, it is easy to get caught up in the popularity game.  Remember, however, that your strategic communications efforts must all support building trust in your brand which will directly impact what you are in business for in the first place, revenue.  Consistently monitor your efforts to make sure they are instilling that consumer trust and that you are not just giving passersby a daily dose of entertainment.  The goal is not simply to be liked, but to turn digital passersby into clients and customers that trust your business, and put their money where their likes are.

Concierge PA: After all, our hallmarks are loyalty, privacy and trust!

 

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Give Them Something To Talk About!

Our professional lives move at unbelievable paces and sometimes we forget to remember all of the rules of the road.  When it comes to social media marketing and strategic communications, here are some key rules of engagement we must never forget:

1.  Consistently provide your audience with original content that not only engages, but inspires dialogue.  By now, everyone who uses social media professionally knows that he or she has to produce unique content.  But, original or unique content does not always engage the audience.  The trick to social media marketing is to spark a dialogue with your content.  As Bonnie Raitt said, you’ve got to give them something to talk about.

No matter how wonderful you feel your content is, it may not go viral as they say, but your goal is still to get people talking about your content and sharing it with their friends, family and colleagues.  Original, inspired content is the new normal and a given in strategic communications.  Getting people to talk about, share and spread that content is the goal of your professional social media marketing campaign.

2.  After you have developed great original content that is designed to engage your audience and inspire dialogue, make sure you take your content on tour.  By taking it on tour we mean that when you have content that you feel will be appreciated by your target audience, share the content on as many appropriate channels as possible.  If you really believe in your content, make sure you do not limit it to one stage.   Do not only post it on your Facebook page, but share it on other social media platforms as well as use in blogs and submit it to article publication services.  Spread the love.

3.  Although you may be in awe of your content, make sure you measure the reaction of the people that really matter, your audience.  When you are communicating on behalf of your business, it is business.  It is not just fun and games.  Everything you communicate should be based on your strategic communications plan which helps define your goals.  And, goals are to be measured.

There is an abundance of software programs that are designed to help measure the success of your social media marketing strategies.  It does not matter which program you employ to measure the effectiveness of your social media marketing.  It absolutely matters that you are measuring what is and what is not working for you in terms of all of your strategic communications initiatives as it affects your bottom line.  Remember, business is business…including business communication.

 

Concierge PA:  We speak business!

 

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What's Your Business Signature?

Good, bad or indifferent, when you hear the words, Rolls Royce, Jeep, and Hummer, you immediately see an image in your mind associated with the respective name.  That image represents the product.  Our minds then, almost instantaneously, process an associated significance of the image.  In the marketing world, it is called the brand.  That associated significance or “brand,” believe it or not, was not actually developed by your brain alone…as smart and complex as it may be.  It was developed by a strategic communications plan that told your brain how to associate the product.

Before your utter one word on behalf of your business, you need a strategic communications plan to guide your messages.  As a business owner you will communicate a multitude of images and words including product specs that may be conveyed on your About Us webpage, in detail in a full color print collateral, through digital ads, and even through tweets and posts.  A strategic communications plan helps package and define all those details into a concise message – the signature of the product or service, so to speak – and converts all the images and text into the associated significance of it all, the brand.

 

A strategic communications plan helps define and wrap all of the various marketing details into the brand, and, in essence guides the consumer on how to view the product or service just at the sound of the brand name.  Everything that you communicate on behalf of your business including on all of your business social media accounts needs to be consistently aligned with your strategic communications plan.  In other words, when you communicate on behalf of your business, the message should never be random.  In business, a tweet is not just a tweet.  Everything you communicate should be strategically planned to advance your business goals.

As a business owner, it is your job to manage your professional communication.  And, it can be a full-time job.  Every message including even what you post on Facebook should be a strategic communication, and nothing that you communicate on behalf of your business should be on a whim.  Everything you communicate on a professional level should be published only after it has been vetted against your strategic communications plan which guides you and helps you keep a sharp eye on your business goals.  Only then will you be able to take all to the complex and intricate specs, text, benefits, content, and images and make them translate into a concise and unique signature that speak volumes for your business and becomes your brand. 

Concierge PA:  We build Signature Brands!

 

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Offer and Acceptance

Marketing as a concept, from its inception through today, can be broken down to two key terms, offer and acceptance.  That's exactly what marketing is.  And, in itself, it is not much more complicated than that.  Marketing, whether it is conducted in Dallas or Atlanta, is a fundamental business practice which is based on the two actions of an offer being made and an acceptance by the buyer or purchaser.  Those terms are also key components of contractual law, but in terms of non-contracted commerce, understanding the processes surrounding the actions makes for a much more clear perspective.

When you market a product or service, you offer that product or service and hope that a consumer will accept and purchase your offering.  Sounds pretty simple as a concept.  But as it often is, the devil is in the details.  Next, what you offer determines whether a consumer will purchase it.  To make things more complicated, the consumer has to know what you are offering to be able to even accept the offer.  Let's continue.  Now, to reach the consumer for him or her to even know about your offer, you have to know the habits of the consumer.  And, to try and understand the habits of the consumer to even reach him or her to make your offer, you have to know things like his or her age, possibly his or her race, and maybe even how much money he or she makes.  And, at this point, we have only scratched the surface.

Once you feel as though you know the type of consumer to whom you wish to present the offer, you then have to decide whether you will present the offer to him or her by advertising on The Today Show, or maybe you could better reach him or her by purchasing Google Adwords.  What if he or she listens religiously to a morning radio show?  Perhaps you could present him or her our offer via that radio broadcast.  What if he or she is constantly on Twitter or Instagram?  Perhaps you could present your offer through one or both of those marketing channels.  Or, maybe you should present the offer on his or her favorite social media outlet, Facebook.  What is truly basic in concept now seems extremely complex in the details.  And, we have not even taken into account the marketing budget.

Marketing and strategic communication are basic and pure conceptually.  At the core of those basics is the presentation of an offer and the acceptance of that offer.  They are as basic and fundamental as the love a parent has for his or her child, and as complicated as expressing and conveying that love during the child's trying teenage years.  To be successful in marketing as well as parenting, you must whole-heartedly embrace the basic and core premises, and subsequently navigate through all of the complexities surrounding them.  The art of understanding, revisiting, and embracing the basics keeps you grounded and focused clearly on your marketing objectives.  And, each complex detail needs to tie back to the basics.  In terms of marketing, no one said running your business would be easy.  But, at the end of the day, if you embrace the basics, all of the complexities will come into focus.  And, navigating through all of the challenges will be well worth it, because after all, your business is your baby.

Concierge PA: We make offers acceptable!

 

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Define and Conquer

In terms of strategic communications, the marketplace is extremely noisy and crowded.  Not only are there a multitude of outlets, there are endless marketing channels and platforms.  And, this presents a significant challenge when it comes to attempting to engage your target audience.  But, what we see as more of a critical issue is that many small organizations still have not even defined who their target audience is.  In the marketing game of 2013, you snooze...you lose.  Its time to define and conquer!
As it is 2013, I hope that it comes as no surprise to you that there are consumers out there that encounter 90% of all strategic and marketing communication that reaches them solely via their smart phones.  That means that a marketer will never reach them with network television commercials or newpaper print ads.  This demographic group tends to be young.  Another important fact regarding this group, is that they are abandoning Facebook in droves.  Believe it or not, but Facebook is too constricting and formal in format for them.  They prefer Instagram and Twitter as well as a few other emerging options.

And, again in 2013, there are some consumers that receive the majority of their strategic and marketing communication via ads run on our broadcast networks.  And, this demographic group still reads print magazines and newspapers.  You may have guessed that this audience tends to be older, and its members don't have Facebook pages or Twitter accounts.   They are a distinct audience.

Despite the myriad of marketing channels, platforms and outlets, one thing we hope you take from this post is that target audiences can still be readily segmented through demographics.  And, an added benefit is that these audiences' media habits can be qualified.  Rather than being confused or overwhelmed by the complex highway of marketing avenues, if you refine your offering and define your target audience, you may have the roadmap to actually engage them and grow your sales.  It's all up to you to define.

Concierge PA: We'll help you define success.

 

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Buck the Trends and Get Back to The Basics!

 

As a business owner, a physician practice manager, a realtor, or an executive director of a nonprofit who keeps abreast of strategic communications and marketing trends, you cannot help but feeling bombarded by the newest trends in social media, SEO and content marketing, to name a few.  And, it seems as though every other week there is a new marketing development.  We live in a confusing, ever-changing, and sometimes even contradictory marketing ecosystem.  One minute you are told one strategy is the way to go.  The next minute that great, new marketing trend is being shot down as outdated.  If the past can teach us anything about strategic communications and marketing, 2013 is the year you need to stop being concerned about trends and get back to the basics.

The reality is marketing is marketing.  Marketing is price, product, promotion, and distribution (place).  It's concept has not changed since its inception.  And, more importantly, its goal has never changed.  In a nutshell, marketing is the sum of processes designed to increase revenue.  Plain and simple.  It does not matter if it is newspaper print advertising, backlinks, a Facebook page, or even a tweet; if the activity does not increase your bottom line, it is pointless.  And, if you have spent countless hours and money on efforts that have not increased your revenue, that is time and money wasted.  That is your reality.  And, your reality - not the latest social media trends - is all that counts.

Make 2013 the year to buck trends.  Get back to your reality and the basics of marketing.  If an employee wearing a sandwich board promoting your business brings in more revenue that an infographic on a social media platform, get him or her suited up, and get that cash register ringing.  Trendy is cute, and all things new may be exciting; but revenue is reality and cash is still king.

Concierge PA:

 We embrace the basics.

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And, the Oscar Goes to...Special K!

If you looked past Halle Berry's flowing Versace and all of the other fashion on the red carpet, saw beyond the 007 tribute, and could hear over Barbra Streisand heartfully singing, "The Way We Were," as a tribute to Marvin Hamlisch, you may have noticed some crafty strategic communication and marketing winners.  Maybe the small business owner in Dallas or Atlanta didn't get the $43,000 gift bag given to the Oscar presenters and winners, but he or she could take away a very valuable lesson from Hollywood's grand night.

 

From a strategic communications and marketing standpoint, context and theme were the true stars of the evening.  Brands from Special K to American Express paraded their marketing prowess to engage their audiences by basing their productions around the theme and context of the Academy Awards.

Although the stage may not be as grand, professionals in Dallas and Atlanta; and Denver and Anchorage can be winners by understanding the importance of context and themes when it comes to their strategic communications and marketing initiatives. 

 

Engaging your target audience with creative messaging that ties your products or services to events in which they are already engaged can bring them walking down the red carpet and straight to your brand.  Just as Daniel Day Lewis did not win his Oscar overnight, growing your customer and client bases will not come easily.  Like the production of Les Miserables, it will take a healthy amount of creativity, solid direction, many takes, and great deal of work.  But, in the end, if you study your lines, we think you too can be a big winner.

Concierge PA: if you ever need help with your script, our production team is always here for you.

 

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