As you develop a successful Social Media Marketing strategy, consider how this strategy integrates with your website. In today’s business world, your website and your social media marketing strategy are messengers that carry your marketing message. However, in order for your online presence to effectively convey this message, every component must work together in unison. This requires bolting these pieces of your strategy together to form a seamless marketing tool.

Not About You!

Create the opportunity for the consumer to access your company content through their channel of choice, whether this is your website or the social media channels you develop that link back to your website. Consider your social media channels the windows into your website that provide accessibility to discount offers, news and information for those communities where you establish ongoing conversations. By creating this linkage, you establish your website as the destination and your social media channels as the conversation for your prospects and customers.

The destination is a place your customers go when they have a specific reason to do so (make purchases, sign up for a new program, review a new product, etc.). As a destination, your customers only visit when they have a specific need that can be satisfied on your website. The conversation can happen every day and allows you to build a relationship with your users, all the while giving you an opportunity to direct your contacts back to the destination (your website) – but only as necessary and every once in a while.

As user-friendly as your website may be, there are only a limited number of ways for people to interact with your company website (online forms, purchase products, download whitepapers, etc.). Visitors to your website come to find specific information or to take a specific action that once completed generally has them leaving the website in pursuit of their next informational need. However, your social media program provides 24/7 access to everyone and anyone who connects to your social media channels. In fact, it gives them your information on demand, when and where they want it.

Do You Need a Website?

Can a company be successful with only a social media presence and no website? Your website provides authority and a face to your business, whereas your social media channels provide an informal method of connecting with your prospects and customers. Most likely, any company not taking advantage of a website is making it very difficult to convert their social conversation into a tangible transaction and therefore experiencing only limited success online.

To learn more about Social Media Marketing please feel free to call or email, WSI is hear to help.

OK so we know the reason why online marketing is a must is because we can measure the effectiveness of everything we spend hard earned marketing dollars on. Social Media Marketing has proven to be a strong component of a businesses marketing strategy but are you effective measuring your results to work smarter?

There are a number of online sources for information on Social Media Measurement and your ROI (return on investment). ROI will always be the standard to measure the ultimate success, but many other metrics available can provide you with information if you are on the right track with your strategy.

Social Media Measurement ideas

Communities: The easiest and the first to track is building online communities on various social media channels such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Traffic: To track traffic is also easy and you can use Google Analytics and Bit.ly (shorten URL service) for this.

Conversations: A key statistic you can track is how well your online communities respond and engage with your efforts. You can track the number of engagement on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can check how many likes and comments you received on Facebook, retweets on Twitter, and discussions taking place on LinkedIn.

Leads: If you want to track sales leads, you will have to implement some sort of tracking results. You can use specific campaign forms, lead tracking phone numbers, tracking URL’s, or you can simply ask the people that contacts you how they found you. These are just a couple of the tracking methods available.

If you have trouble tracking your Social Media Marketing efforts, try using our methods above to measure your your efforts. Remember that at the end of the day, the only true measurment is your ROI!

Social Media Marketing is the hottest new marketing concept and every business owner wants to know how Social Media can generate value for their Barrie business.

People are social by nature and collect or share information that is important to them. Social Media Marketing is about understanding how technology is making it easier for people to connect socially with their social networks and how your Barrie business can profit from that understanding. More and more of your customers, whether for personal use, business-to-consumer or business-to-business reasons use social media in every aspect of their daily life.

The Use of Social Media Continues to Grow

The use of social media has dramatically grown and is not limited to just younger generations. Although, younger generations have a very high percentage of users, older users have begun to integrate social networking into their daily lives. The U.S. has experienced a significant growth of social media use with nearly half of online adults ages 50-64 and one-in-four seniors (65+) with access to the Internet now considering themselves as regular users of Facebook and LinkedIn. However, these older users (50+) continue to have a heavy reliance on email as their primary contact tool.

More People Are Using Social Networks in Canada

The social network population is rising steadily with $16.1 million people on social networks in 2011, which is 62% of all Canadian Internet users. Next year, 64% of the online population will become social network users (16.9 million)
By 2014, 18.4 million people (68% of all Internet users) will be on social networks.

So it is obvious Social Media is not going away so here is the big questions, how are you going to stand out and embrace the Social Media Marketing and Social Networks for your business?

Businesses today need to work smarter, not harder.  This sounds great but working "Smarter" is not always that easy.  In this blog I am going to offer a few overview points from our Smart Communications Workshop in Barrie being held Saturday May 28th, 2011 at the Business Enterprise Resource Network (BERN) by Shane Serra from WSI.

Smart Communications

When we look at Smart Communications I do not mean highly technical communications for quotes of wisdom.  Smart communications is the ability to communicate your message effectively and clearly that offers tracking and measurement.  Technology advancements has brought simplified measurement tools so effectively you can measure if the campaign was worth it.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is still one of the lowest costs per aquisitions and can be utilized effectively when you have an audience that offers you permission to email campaigns to.  The key is "Permission Based", no one likes spam.  Email Marketing call to actions on a website, Social Channel or Page, or even a blog is a great goal or even back up goal.  When you have someone sign up for your email campaigns you have an opportunity to send messages on a regular basis.  These emai communications offer easy meaurements and tracking and can be great sources for lead nurturing and getting a vistor back to your website to call or buy.

Social Media

Social Media is another great goal from a site where you can grow your "Likes", Connections and followers. Just another way to engage a visitor to updated communications and even conversations.  Promoting your social connections in your emails is a great way of added promoting. 

Today communications are not what we prefer as a company, they should be tailored to your clients preferences.  When considering a communications strategy, choose a variety of technologies and strategies so your client can choose the one they prefer.  "It is all about your client not you!"

Search Engines

Did you know when you Blog, Tweet or post updates pending on your privacy settings your messages or content can be indexed into the world wide web?  When searching in Google look at the organic search results and see if the pages coming up are blog posts, tweets, or articles?  Blogging is very powerful.  When you blog, your blog can be found in Google search quite quickly. 

In conclusion, Saturday's Smart Communications Workshop in Barrie is utilizing building traffic to your website or landing page.  By utilizing free analytics software in your emails, websites and your blog you can effectively measure the results.  Knowing where your traffic is coming from, what they searched to find you and what they most interested in.

To learn more about Internet Marketing, Contact Shane Serra, your trusted resource for Smart Marketing Solutions that can help add to your businesses success.

Hire an Internet Marketing Solutions Company to Boost Your Shopping Website

You work in Barrie and have just opened up your first online shopping website. You have tried to increase traffic to your site, but no matter what you have tried nothing seems to be working. One thing that you have been told is that it takes a while to get established, yet with the economy the way it is, you do not have time to wait. You need to start making money now. For that reason enlist the help of an Internet marketing Solutions company.

Enlisting the help of an Internet marketing Solutions Company like WSI to boost your shopping website is the intelligent thing to do for one main reason, which is that we have the knowledge, expertise, and background to help you get your website off the ground. So instead of you having to try to fumble through everything and figure out how to get people to visit your website and ultimately buy something, we can give some advice on what you should do.

In order for our advice to work, what you will need to do is be completely honest about your online shopping website and what your goals are with it. You want to tell us everything that is going on with it so we can get you the results that you are looking for. In addition to that, you also need to have good overall business practices and have a good website in place. For example, you need to sell good products. You need to provide great customer service to your customers and you need to just be on the ball when it comes to running your online shopping website. You see, an Internet marketing solutions company can only do so much for you. We can get you the web traffic, but after that, it is up to you to take it from there and make the money.

Ultimately, if you want your online shopping website to make you money, then enlist the help of an Internet marketing solutions company. WSI is a company that also serves Orillia, Midland, Toronto, Muskoka, and Ontario. We will help you get your website off the ground, after that the rest is up to you.

A Closer Look at Marketing Management for Your Ontario Business

Marketing management is a vital part of success for almost any Ontario business. Even a small business needs the expertise of a skilled marketing manager to help them reach their goals. Some business owners do not have the expertise and experience to build an effective campaign. Even with the expertise, many business owners lack the time to immerse themselves into the task. That's why so many decide to hire a professional marketing management service. A good expert can become an asset to your business.

Does Your Company Have a Marketing Plan?

It is difficult to reach goals without a plan. This is a valid truth when it comes to marketing management. Your company needs to have a marketing plan and strategy ready to go. Without one, how can you possibly know where to spend your advertising dollars? No plan could cost you a great deal.  An expert marketing manager can help you create a plan that works for your industry and company.

Are You within Your Advertising Budget?

A marketing management service may cost money, but in the end it pays for itself by making your advertising budget go even further. A skilled professional can come up with a marketing plan that stays within your business budget while spending each dollar more effectively. Your Ontario business will get a much better response from its marketing efforts without going beyond a comfortable budget.

Targeting Your Demographic

As a business owner, you know who your demographic is. You have an idea of which consumers are the most interested in your product or service. The challenge is coming up with good ways to reach out to that demographic. That is another specialty offered by a professional marketing management service. A professional has the knowledge that can help you get into the right circles and spread brand exposure among all the right communities.

No matter what industry you operate in, your business deserves the best opportunity for success. Investing in the services of a professional marketing manager can help your popularity and profits grow!

Wow as a Georgian College Advertising Program committee member I judged  the 2011 Advertising Advisory
Competition.  I must say it was quite an amazing opportunity to be a judge with other top marketing agencies, medias and the competition sponsors, Jackson’s Toyota - Scion.

We had 16 advisory judges that judged the 4 finalists out of 13 teams of Georgian Adverting Program Students.  The four teams we dudged i must say all presentations had great elements.  I am sure this project would have been a great learning experience, not to mention team building.,

The four teams judged were:

• FUSION: Jennifer Clarke, Nicole Tremble, Natalie Hartman & Marjorie Collins
• EPIC THUNDER: Justin McMurdo, Curtis Heaslip & Chad Presley
• 4 STUDENTS ADVERTISING: Bryan Calverley, Adam Smith, Dylan Johnston-Jewell & Nicole Wilson
• IN SIGHT: Roxanne Brault, Kaitlyn Bullen, James Cole, Nicole Foster & Lynsey Mogridge

The judging wa a tough call as all teams were excellent, however we were proud to crown the 2011 Advertising Advisory Competition to "IN SIGHT" as our 2011 champs. 

Each of these students received gold medals, certificates and assorted swag and will be recipients of $100 each as
well as eternal enshrinement on the Advertising Wall of Fame. As unbelievable as it seems, a number of them are still available for Field Placements and employment opportunities. I hope that you will keep Georgian grads in mind whenever the opportunity arises and thank you for this. You are making a tremendously positive
difference in the future of students and the industry itself.

Kudos to all of the teams and as well the Georgian College faculty; Coralee Young, Barb Moore, Sarah Davis, & Jeff Walther.


As a certified Digital Marketing Consultant in Barrie I am proud to have an opportunity to be a member of the Georgian College Advisory Committee. If you can get involved to help colleges, like Georgian College I strongly suggest getting involved and help Georgian to train your future employees with the training you need.

Kudos to Georgian Students!

Shane Serra, WSI Barrie.

Google is giving FREE Google Rankings in Barrie when you are being search in Google!  OK, well this blog post was going to be a April Fool's Day joke all about Google giving FREE rankings but the more I think about it actually is true.  Google can give you FREE rankings.

Have you ever did a local search for an "electrician in Barrie", "plumber in Barrie", or even "Internet Marketing in Barrie" to find a local business? Google Places (aka Google Maps), a few months ago updated how Google Places was presented in a Google search.

Here are a few highlights:

• More real estate space for your listing pushing the other companies down further.
• Google Map is pushed into the Paid Search column.
• Your SEO details of your website is integrated with you Google Places Profile.
• The number of your reviews are shown & more!

Here is a image of my Google listing when I search Internet Marketing in Barrie.


To utilize this FREE service you need to do the following.

1. Sign up for Google's FREE Google Places.
2. Complete your listing 100%
3. Ask clients for reviews and testimonials.

The key to Google rankings is Keywords and Relevance.  Naturally this is quite easy.  When completing your profile and your are a plumber, you will naturally use the keyword of plumber.  As I did with my "Internet Marketing" company listing.

Google Places Tips

• Your targeted key phrase needs to be in your company profile. Preferably a few times, however keep in mind your clients are reading this, be professional and credibly.
• Your video or pictures you add should be relevant to your services.
• To take full advantage complete your profile 100%.  If you were offering to present business profiles I am sure you would prefer to display companies that took the time to compete the profile 100%, it only makes sense.
• Your reviews are from real people with your targeted key phrase's present.
• Search Optimization (SEO) Matters - Since Google is utilizing your website's Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in the listings, your website Optimization is an important element. This service requires help from a credible Marketing Coach or Internet Marketing Consultant.

Smart Marketing

Smart Marketing is something a business owner can not ignore as it is all about Spending Less, and Getting More.  Smart Marketing starts with great measurements and analytics.  Google Places offers a simplified measurement for you, like: When the search terms your visitors search to find you, your profile traffic, locations, coupons...

Here are a few videos I added as favorites on my YouTube Channel (each video link will open a new internet window).

• Google Places - Great video about Google Places
• Augmented Reality - How Places can be (or will be) utilized in the future.

What are your thoughts?  Please feel free to provide your comments below, or share with your friends.

To learn more on being the FREE Google Rankings in Barrie or would like to learn more about Google Places and other ways to get more from your marketing contact WSI Shane Serra today.
 

Are you the Smartest Marketing Person in Barrie?  I guess before we look for your answer we should elaborate what Smart Marketing is. Back in the 1870s, US department store pioneer, John Wanamaker, lamented, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half!”

In today’s increasingly global market, this is no longer a problem. To be the Smartest Marketing Person in Barrie you should consider the following with all your marketing efforts:

1. Utilizing technologies, like Social Networking the largest referral network, or utilizing search engines, like Google by getting your business found when you custoemrs area searching. 
2. A Campaign or a web development that actually converts your traffic into customers.
3. The key ingredient is simplified measurement.  You do not do unless you can measure.
4. Probably the most import element is hire the best consultant that understands your business that has a strong resource network

To learn more on being the Smartest Marking Person in Barrie contact WSI Shane Serra today we specialize in making you the "Smart Marketing Peron in Barrie".

I am currently presenting to Barrie business about Blogging and Tweeting in Barrie. This group of business understands that blogging and tweeting in Barrie can build search engine traffic, not to mention can offer an impact to there social media efforts.
 
Many people ask me "what is blogging?" and "how to post a blog?" I thought it would be best to demonstrate how I create a blog post and easily post and syndicate to all of my social media channels.
When blogging there are a few steps to keep in mind.

1. First brain storm possible topics.
2. Once you have a topic write a title. Keep in mind that utilizing specific keywords and phrases can be helpful when trying to build targeted search traffic.
3. Write the blog post. Remember the post should reflect the title.  As well writeing the blog post with a questions to get valuable feedback from your subscribers as well.
4. Add images or even video clips.
5. Lastly, adding a link to your website, targeted service or even opportunities the readers can retweet or share this is very important. When visitors find the topic relevant or interesting and they forward or retweet you can get added exposure.
6. When you post your Blog, utilize technologies, like RSS to syndicate your posts to social medias and networks.

To learn more about Blogging and Tweeting in Barrie join us for a Social Media Workshop by Shane Serra from WSI.