A Marketing Message a Day Keeps the Competition Away

November 28th, 2011 | Posted in Blog | Comments Off
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Traditional brand marketing can take months before a concept in the form of a creative brief hits the market in the form of a campaign.  But how can marketers predict what will matter to consumers months out?  Put bluntly, they can’t.  To address today’s digital consumers who demand content that is fresh and relevant, marketers need to redirect their focus from creating generic messages designed to have a long shelf live, to redesigning their organizations and systems to deliver daily content.

So get ready to take off your “brand” marketer hat and replace it with your “newsdesk” marketer hat.  That is, to produce marketing messages on a daily basis and work to ensure the brand message operates within the context of your customers’ daily lives.

Here are a few best practices to get you started:

  • Listen: Tune into what your customers are saying to determine what they care about today.
  • Program: Develop content to match daily trends.
  • Update: Program content updates to stay relevant.
  • Measure: Monitor impact and iterate content accordingly.

Now is the time to get on the same page as your customers and ensure that today’s marketing messages are truly that.  Fishnet can help you create engaging daily content that your customer’s care about. Contact us today!

How to Say it Succinctly

November 28th, 2011 | Posted in Blog | Comments Off
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Twitter marketing presents us with the unique challenge of creating a compelling message in just 140 characters – letters, numbers and punctuation marks included!  As daunting as it sounds, by keeping a few tips in mind, it can be done and done well.

Spill the beans

When space is limited, you need to get right to the point – and do it quick.

Get their attention

This may seem obvious but you need to keep in mind that Twitter users access the service because they want information from trusted sources or updates from their friends, so the message needs to take that into consideration. Messages that create intrigue or use a joke are great ways to gain attention and prompt action.

Ask a question

It’s been found that tweets in the form of a question are high performers in terms of CTRs. Tweets posed as questions elicit a response, which opens the door for consumer interaction and message sharing.

Make the cut

It will likely take a few tries to get your message honed down to 140 characters.  Tackle it by first including everything you think is important, then start cutting out the extra details until you get to your limit.  One trick to shorten your copy is to try using different synonyms which say the same thing using fewer characters.

Don’t sacrifice grammar

As challenging as writing Twitter ad copy may be, don’t succumb to the temptation of sacrificing your brand image by butchering your words – for example using “u” instead of “you”.  What may be acceptable when texting a friend does not fly for ads that you have invested in.  Invite this creative challenge by finding other ways to tighten up your copy.

Need help writing attention grabbing Twitter ad copy that gets your customers to do what you want them to?  We can help! Contact us today.

Web Application Developer

November 19th, 2011 | Posted in Careers | Comments Off

Fishnet Media is looking for an innovative and seasoned Web Application Developer with a wide range of proven development skills who always pushes creative user experiences and ensures adherence to industry best practices.

WHAT YOU GET TO DO

  • You will collaborate with the Creative Team to scope, design, build, and test public-facing websites and applications.
  • With a primary focus on ASP.NET, you will design and implement databases in systems such as MS SQL Server and MySQL.
  • You’ll interface directly with clients to define project requirements.
  • You’ll contribute to an environment built on innovation by keeping up-to-date with inspiring creative and technology, while sharing what you learn with the team. Innovation, quality, and attention to detail are all critical aspects of this role and you’ll constantly aim to deliver a flawless end solution.
  • You will work effectively and efficiently as part of a team, staying composed under pressure and managing multiple simultaneous development projects while being aware of the limitations and realities of both schedules and budgets.
  • You’ll be responsible for providing clear communication to your team, as well as planning, documenting, and testing your work.

WHAT YOU NEED

  • 4+ years experience developing web applications, working in a fact-paced setting, and within a team environment.
  • Experience implementing and customizing third-party CMS platforms (ie. WordPress, ExpressionEngine, Kentico etc.) Portal applications and e-Commerce platforms
  • Expertise in HTML/DHTML, Javascript, ASP.NET, C#, AJAX, XML, client-side libraries such as jQuery, relational database management using MySQL and SQL Server, API integration (ie. Salesforce.com)
  • Familiarity with source code management tools and bug tracking applications
  • In addition, experience with project management and web server configuration and management is essential
  • This is a full-time, in-house position; applicants must live in, or be willing to commute to the Portsmouth area.

To apply, send an email to careers@fishnetmedia.com with your PDF cover letter and resume, as well as relevant code samples. A personal online portfolio is preferred; please send your URLs along. Inquiries with no work samples will not be reviewed.

No recruiters, agencies, or phone calls please.

We will be happy to hear from you!

 

Convert Passive Fans into Buying Customers

November 10th, 2011 | Posted in Blog | Comments Off
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Companies boast about their high fan count, but considering that roughly 70 percent of Facebook users say that they don’t want to be advertised to by the businesses that they are fans of, the question begs: “is there really any value to a Facebook fan?”  The answer is “probably not”, unless you can figure out how to convert a fan into a true customer.  By implementing a “fan campaign” that leverages mobile technology, you can turn a passive fan into a buying customer.  Here are some ideas:

Design campaigns to engage and convert fans

To launch an extensive marketing campaign with the sole objective of building your Facebook fan count is a waste of money. Campaigns should be designed to attract leads, buyers and promote repeat business.

Develop a fan strategy

By having a “fan campaign” and content strategy, you can initiate a dialogue with fans from the get-go.

Drive them to opt-in

Use your “fan campaign” to get fans to opt-in to specific areas of interest connected to your brand.  Drive them directly to your website where they can sign up for SMS alert programs. This will enable you to send them targeted content, drawing them out of the social media channel and in-store.

Leverage traditional media

Leverage your print and TV media to drive consumers directly to your Facebook page.  Once there, the “fan campaign” can be used to capture customer data by asking them to sign up to participate in a contest and/or to sign up for specific SMS alerts on the things they are interested in.

Fishnet can help you leverage marketing campaigns to promote the conversion of passive fans into buying customers. Contact us today!

Avoid Common SEO Pitfalls and Come out on Top

November 2nd, 2011 | Posted in Blog | Comments Off
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Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most effective marketing strategies on the internet, yet because it takes some time to implement and realize results, many marketers try to cut corners or get by without it. Here are some of the common pitfalls that marketers run into and how you can avoid them and come out on top – enjoying the long lasting rewards that a well thought out SEO strategy can deliver.

The quick fix: In today’s high-tech world we have grown used to getting instant results.  The same rings true when it comes to SEO.  While the time, effort and planning in the placement of keywords in search engine rankings can bring huge payoffs, marketers often forego this systematic approach and opt for a quick fix.

Avoid this common pitfall by taking the time to implement SEO correctly so you can realize the many great opportunities that SEO presents such as reach, free advertising, good ROI and increased brand awareness.

The backwards approach: Once the quick fix approach proves unsuccessful, marketers often turn to SEO experts to fix their sites.  Since business owners often lack the patience and understanding of how SEO works, they expect instant results and ignore the fact that SEO takes time, focus and proper planning and analysis to be truly successful.  However, with a little patience, SEO success will be realized and the opportunities will present themselves and yield immense results.

Avoid this common pitfall by taking the steps to build your website with SEO in mind from the beginning.

The blind eye: Many businesses turn a blind eye to SEO because they either feel their business is too small or not the type of business that would benefit from online marketing tactics.  It is important to know that every business can benefit by having an online presence. Though a long-term strategy, SEO offers a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on volumes of potential clients through brand recognition and lead generation.

Avoid this common pitfall by including SEO as part of your marketing strategy no matter what your business is and gain an edge over the competition by thinking outside the box.

Need help developing and implementing your SEO marketing strategy?  Fishnet Media can help!  Contact us today.