Last week we introduced you to the most popular social media tool on the Internet: Facebook. While Facebook can be used by any type of organization, it can sometimes be difficult for B2B businesses to connect with their clients on Facebook. However, there is a social media tool that emphasizes the professionalism found in B2B transactions: LinkedIn. LinkedIn is targeted for business individuals, making it easier to connect with clients and their employees. Here’s why LinkedIn is a great tool for B2B firms:

• 135 million members from over 200 countries and territories have LinkedIn accounts
• More than 2 million companies have LinkedIn company pages
• Professionals are joining LinkedIn at a rate faster than 2 new members per second
• LinkedIn ranks at the 34th most visited site in the world, up from 54th just one year ago

The best platform for businesses to use LinkedIn to the fullest is a LinkedIn Company Profile. Company Profiles on LinkedIn are very similar to pages on Facebook and include:

• A company “Overview” which is the first thing a viewer sees on the company profile
- Highlight what your company does
- Link to your company website
- Share relevant information about your company such as location, employment numbers, etc.
• Special features customized to each company profile:
- Career Section: post open job descriptions and qualifications to find prospective applicants
- Products & Services: Highlight products or services related to your target consumers
- Product Reviews from past customers you connect with on LinkedIn
- Company Description: provide a more detailed description of your company than you did in the company overview
- Company Employees: display LinkedIn profiles of your employees
- New Hires: feature new employees you recently hired
- Recent Promotions & Changes: feature recent title changes of your employees
• Company profiles on LinkedIn can be “followed” by LinkedIn users (this acts similar to a Facebook “like”)
• Followers of a company profile are able to see:
- Posted jobs
- Employees
- Posts made by the company (these posts are similar to Facebook posts)
• Followers are able to interact with your posts through comments and shares
• Incorporate videos and photos into company posts to create dynamic content
• Posts on LinkedIn can be similar content to Facebook posts

Steps to creating a LinkedIn company profile:

1. Visit http://www.linkedin.com/companies?trk=hb_tab_compy and click “Add a Company” in top right corner of page
2. Have a valid employee sign up to create the page by entering Company Name and Company Email when prompted
3. In the Overview tab, decide who will be the administrator of this page:
- Any employee with a valid email registered to the company domain
- Can designate specific users to act as administrator
- Administrators manage and maintain content (creates new posts, careers, products and services, etc.)
4. Upload a logo and fill out additional company information on the overview tab
5. Add any available job descriptions to the Careers tab
6. Add relevant products and services to the Products and Services tab. It is also through this tab that past clients can review and rate your products and services
7. Click the Publish icon on the overview tab to make your profile public

As in creating a Facebook profile, the second step when creating a LinkedIn company profile is to brainstorm, define, and archive dynamic, interesting and interactive content. Content could come from:

• Industry news: find this from industry newsletters, blogs, etc.
• Company news: exciting promotions/transfers, charitable giving, new employees, etc.
• Product and Services news: new products, updated product lines, coordinate featured products with season and specific markets
• Link most of your content to your company website to increase reach of your communications
• You can also feature information about the culture of your company and what you look for in future employees

The key to a company profile on LinkedIn is to maintain the professionalism of your posts and focus on promoting your company to future clients and employees. Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn gives B2B businesses the opportunity to reach their key audience directly. Contact us if you’re a B2B firm looking to use social media to your advantage.

Posted by Brittany in • General Marketing • LinkedIN • Social Media | (0) Comments | Permalink

No intro to social media could start without taking note of the #1 social media resource in the world: Facebook. Here’s why:

• There are 800 million active users on Facebook, more than any other social media tool
• 50% of these users log onto Facebook on any given day. That means at any point in time there are around 400 million people on Facebook
• There are 900 million objects to interact with on Facebook. These include Pages, Groups, Events, and Community Pages. If you are not already on Facebook, you are late to the party
• Facebook represents a NECESSITY to businesses, not an option

When we discuss social media with our clients, they sometimes feel lost, because they do not completely understand how to use social media for their business practices. There are so many different options to use on Facebook, such as pages and groups and personal profiles. However, here we will describe the best Facebook tool for a business of any size: a Facebook page.

Facebook pages give you the most tools to interact with your followers and other pages. Notable features include:

• Fans who “Like” your Facebook page view every post made by your page on their News Feed (the first screen viewers see when they login to Facebook)
• Fans can make posts directly to your Facebook page, comment and like posts already found on your page
• Your Facebook page can interact with other pages by “liking” them, posting on their wall, and commenting on their posts (a great way to interact with partner firms, vendors and/or clients)
• You can post photos, videos, and links directly to your Facebook page

The other benefit to starting your social media launch with Facebook – it’s easy! Below are the two main steps it takes to get a Facebook Page up and running:

1. Assign an administrator
- The administrator will be the individual who creates new content and posts
- Administrator can also monitor content created by others and delete any offensive or negative posts
- The administrator also has the ability to remove unwanted Fans from following the page
- It is important to assign an administrator because this will be the person who essentially manages your page
2. The administrator will simply follow the prompts to create a Facebook page, which is very intuitive and simple to do
- The administrator can either build the Facebook Page from their own personal account, or through a separate work email so he or she is only responsible for the page

Once your Facebook page is up, the next crucial step is deciding WHAT to post on your page. It is essential to generate new content for your page as often as possible. We even recommend making a weekly schedule, which will help you plan when and what to post. The more often you post to your page, the more often people will be drawn to your content, which will increase the visibility of your company. Here are some ideas to get you started generating dynamic, interesting, and interactive content:

• Industry News (you can find this from industry newsletters, blogs, etc.)
• Company News (exciting promotions/transfers, charitable giving, new employees, etc.)
• Product and Services News (new products, updated products, coordinate with season and specific markets)
• The majority of your content should link to your company website to lead viewers to your actual product and service offerings
• Include videos, photos, links, articles, etc. to your posts to increase the variety that appears on your page

Now YOU have the tools to create and manage your own Facebook page! Starting to unravel the confusing tangle of social media options?  Contact us for more advice.

Posted by Brittany in • Facebook • General Marketing • Social Media | (0) Comments | Permalink

Have you seen these recent statistics?*

• 57% of businesses have acquired a new customer through a company blog
• 41% of B2B and 67% of B2C companies have acquired a new customer from Facebook
• Websites with a blog get 55% more visitors than those that don’t have a blog
• The number of marketers who say Facebook is “critical” or “important” to their business has increased 83% in just 2 years

Let’s face it – social media is more than just the hype it regularly receives. But many B2B marketers remain uncertain about its value. At the highest level, social media connects your brand in a more personal way to your target audiences, reaching them where and how they want to be reached.

Our best advice? Consider incorporating social media into your marketing mix by asking key questions, like: Do we need to exchange information with customers or participate in industry conversations on a more timely basis? Can real-time conversations with clients increase orders? Do our core prospects already congregate online, to share information or network? Even if you’re “late” to the social media party, these questions will help define an approach.

As we start this four-part series on social media, we will show you how to incorporate this growing medium into your marketing communications strategy by giving you tips and advice on how to get started. Our series will focus on three main social media platforms: Facebook, LinkedIN, and YouTube. For each platform, we will describe its importance, how to get started using it, and how to turn it into a successful marketing platform for your business. If you’re thinking of incorporating social media into your marketing mix, you can’t miss these blogs! Stay tuned!

*Source: The 2011 State of Inbound Marketing, HubSpot

Posted by Brittany in • Facebook • General Marketing • LinkedIN • Social Media • YouTube | (0) Comments | Permalink

Are you thinking of branching out into the area of mobile marketing? We are! Below is an article from AdAge discussing how important mobile marketing is becoming. As more people search for information on their phones and touch pads, websites and marketing materials must be optimized for this format. At DMG, as we build new websites and emailers for our clients, we are continually keeping mobile marketing principles in the back of our mind. Check out the article below for interesting tips on how to get started in mobile marketing. For more information on how DMG can help you branch out into mobile marketing, contact us!

Push Clients Out of the Gate With Mobile, Before It’s Too Late (article from AdAge.com)
By: Phil Johnson Published: December 9, 2011

Who can argue any more about the significance of mobile? It’s big, and we all know it’s big. Given the media hype, and the abundance of case studies on successful mobile marketing programs, you might conclude that every client and agency is a master of the mobile universe.

Surprisingly, that’s not the case. Based on questions from the audience at a BtoB Forum on Mobile Marketing in New York City, where I spoke recently, plenty of people are struggling to integrate mobile into marketing programs. The Association of Strategic Marketing reports that 58% of companies it surveyed do not even have a mobile strategy. The number one reason why: they’re not sure how to get started.

That statistic is hard to believe when you consider the size of the mobile advertising market and its phenomenal growth, but it points to a perceptual gap between companies leading the way on mobile and many thousands of others going nowhere with it. On one side of the gap, we see billions of dollars spent on mobile advertising, not to mention the amazing personal mobile experiences that most of us are having on a daily basis, whether we’re shopping or using social networks. On the other side are companies without mobile sites who still have not made mobile part of their marketing discipline.

See more of the article...

Posted by Brittany in • General Marketing • Marketing Articles • Mobile Marketing • Web Marketing | (0) Comments | Permalink

At DMG, we are all about what’s next. We love to think outside of the box and come up with the next big idea or service. Often, our best ideas come from simply expanding a service we already offer. Our latest endeavor, which came from combining our services and skills with those of an award-winning client, band producer, Dennis Smith, is a great example.

Dennis Smith produces award-winning, national bands that are represented by an entertainment production group called Official Party Bands (OPB). From DJ-hosted dance groups, to big swing bands, Official Party Bands’ groups play around the nation at high-profile events and weddings, as well as for many fundraising events for non-profits. Not only does Official Party Bands provide entertainment, they also provide event consultation before, during, and after the event, coordinating every last detail.

As Dennis worked with non-profits to maximize their fundraising events, he realized that many of his client organizations needed assistance in event marketing.  Dennis, through Official Party Bands, and DMG thus combined talents in the creation of a Fun-Raiser package, which includes:

- development of messaging, mission articulation and branded creative solutions;
- integrated marketing strategy to optimize attendance, participation and sponsorship; and
- expertise in event planning and a variety of world-class entertainment options

We have had early success with our Fun-Raiser package. Last May the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago used our services for its 62nd Annual Summer Ball. DMG prepared all of the branding elements for the event, including Save The Dates, invitations, and targeted video messages which were displayed during the event. We also assisted the Boys and Girls Club with getting their message out to the community as a whole through social media campaigns and emarketing campaigns.  The band chosen for the event, Party on the Moon, provided the entertainment and helped with pre-event promotion, creating a unique video with children from the Boys and Girls Club, which was released on YouTube and featured in DMG’s marketing communications prior to the event. The Summer Ball was a tremendous success and with the help of DMG and Official Party Bands, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago were able to raise $1.3 million dollars through one night of dancing and celebration.

The Fun-Raiser package combines the best talents of DMG and OPB, integrated to provide a seamless experience for non-profits or any group connecting an event to a mission.  If your next event demands maximum exposure, targeted marketing and professional marketing, a Fun-Raiser may be in you future!

Posted by Brittany in • Entertainment • FunRaiser • General Marketing • Non-Profits | (0) Comments | Permalink

Social enterprise (also known as social entrepreneurship or social ventures) has caught our attention over the past few years.  Social enterprise, represents a new form of business in which two goals are pursued equally: sustainable revenue and the creation of positive social impact. Social enterprises can be formed as non-profits or for-profits and are defined by employing business strategies and techniques to create social good.

A DMG client, Social Venture Partners Rhode Island (SVPRI) is expanding the power of social entrepreneurship by building and deploying a social enterprise ecosystem with key fundamental supports. 

1. Economic Eco-System of Social Enterprise

In an economically challenged state like Rhode Island, social enterprise has attracted interest for its ability to provide revenue strategies for non-profits, build sustainable enterprises supported by consumer dollars and create jobs. 

SVPRI connected business leaders to social entrepreneurs, helping build new businesses that would help the economy of the state.  The organization partnered with local universities, community foundations, private philanthropy groups and other stakeholders to build a network of financial, mentoring and educational support for the early enterprises.

Social enterprises have the ability to transform the economy of local communities. While social enterprises bring valuable jobs and investment to the community, they may also provide increased access to public services, access to affordable credit, and assistance to local businesses and services.

2. Local Public/Private Incubators

SVPRI also developed an interactive, collaborative space for social ventures to network and grow. One incubator – the Change Place – offers low-cost rent, support services and networking and education. Incubators bring together a number of social ventures, availing them the ability to share ideas, challenges and networks.

3. Building a sense of Community through Mentorship and Support

Probably the most important element of developing a successful social venture or social venture community is to develop a spirit of support among the ventures. As this business organization style is developing, it is crucial for social ventures around the country to come together and learn from each other.

SVPRI has numerous initiatives to help bring together social ventures from both the local Rhode Island community and across the nation. One way they have done this is through the annual SERI (Social Enterprise Rhode Island) Summits. These annual events bring together social entrepreneurs from all over the country to discuss important matters regarding social enterprise. Last year, the SERI Summit brought together 100+ social ventures to learn best practices and new trends in this rapidly growing field.

We at DMG are thrilled to be part of this new wave of sustainable and “double-bottom-line” business.  We continue to support many social enterprises, through advice, assistance and support, and we look forward to the social enterprise sector taking root as a key job creator in the US.

Posted by Brittany in • General Marketing • Non-Profits • Social Enterprise | (0) Comments | Permalink

It’s hard enough trying to stand out in the crowd in a typical B2B industry, but standing out in the crowd in an industry full of creative, over-the-top competitors is decidedly difficult. Many of DMG’s entertainment clients face this very dilemma.  While many clients seek exciting, innovative promotion or attention-getting brand building, our entertainment clients need something more mundane…structure, financial and marketing discipline, investment rationale.

In fact, combining strong business sense and marketing savvy allows DMG to create truly outstanding results for companies that need to stand out distinctly in crowded fields.  Marketing success in the entertainment industry, like in many others, can be attained by focusing on three core things:

· creating a unique product/experience;
· identifying its unique selling points; and
· using that uniqueness to create a sustainable brand experience.

How?  Consider these:

1.  Create a Unique, One-of-a-Kind Product: This seems like a no-brainer, right? Easier said than done. Look carefully for gaps in the market, gaps in pricing levels and integrated offers (product+service+product) that can meet expanded needs.  One of our clients, an entertainment producer of nationally reknown bands, did just that. He combined unmet demand for high-end entertainment—especially in the price gap between recording artists ($300K+ per performance) and local artists ($10K per performance) – with the novel idea of a party band which would play for 3 hours straight, never allowing that party “dead zone” to occur.  The result?  A portfolio of in-demand party bands, of multiple genres, priced at premium levels for optimal profitability.

2.  Carving out a Market Niche: Once your product is set, it’s time to identify your target market and key competitive differentiators. Think hard about core selling attributes – be honest with yourself – and focus all your messaging on the quantitiatve and qualitative benefits of those attributes.  As you develop your target market, don’t fall into the trap of “the whole world is my potential market.” Even if you have invented the next zipper or paperclip, you can’t reach the whole market—you’ll have to focus.  Be disciplined about asking “Whose world will change for the better with my product?” “And, how?”

3.  Stay Ahead of the Curve: Developing a unique product and creative, one-of-a-kind market niche will provide success – but for true sustainability, you’ll have to be three steps ahead, thinking about the “next big thing.” If you sell to consumers (and who doesn’t, really?), you’ll need to stay as current on your product as you do on your marketing, promotion and selling.  At DMG, we help our entertainment clients stay ahead of the curve by assessing, recommending, executing and evaluating integrated marketing programs.  We experiment freely with new technologies, we constantly scan the market for innovative ideas and we integrate the old tried-and-true into the new seamlessly.  If your marketing partner is old hat, your market’s perception of you will be the same.  Be bold.

If you are in the entertainment industry and feel yourself drowning in a sea of creative competition, try some of these ideas. And, if you need a savvy business partner, consider the team at DMG.  We can take your business - no matter how entertaining—to the next level.

Posted by Brittany in • Competitive Differentiators • Entertainment • General Marketing • Target Marketing | (0) Comments | Permalink

Have you ever looked around your office, your website or your product packaging and thought, “This doesn’t look or feel like our exciting organization – we need to feel newer, fresher … more relevant!”?

If so, you might need a brand re-fresh, or a new branding altogether. A brand update can revitalize your entire organization, from the inside out. You can update your look, the way you communicate to your customers—even update employee sentiment towards the company and your customers. Of course, this process isn’t completely risk-free: while there is excitement in renewing your company’s vision and purpose, you may also disconnect with current customers and employees who don’t want to see the new you. So, how do you know if it’s truly time for a total re-brand?

Consider these 5 signs:

1.  Your Brand No Longer Represents Your Company: Remember, your brand needs to reflect how your core customers perceive you, as well as how you see yourself. Do customers complain about unmet promises? Are sales dipping, even while competitive products stay stable or grow?  If so, your organization may be disconnected from the wants, needs and perceptions of your marketplace.  You can choose to get closer to your customers and prospects (wise choice) … or you can choose to move away, perhaps to a different segment of the market whose needs and perceptions are more in line with your own brand beliefs (riskier choice).  In either case, alignment of markets, opportunity and delivery is the most important factor.  Key Note: Don’t guess on this one – get real data, do some analysis and get serious about your choices.

2.  Your Web presence, Logo, and Graphics are Outdated: You wouldn’t be caught dead in the glasses you wore in 7th grade, right?  Well, neither should your company.  In our rapid-fire world, trends and fads move at warp speed. What might have seemed “modern” in 2006 feels clunky in 2011. If your website is more than five years old – it’s time for a face lift. If you’re in a trendy industry sector, like entertainment, it’s time for a total overhaul.  While you’re at it, invest in an updated look: vintage logos can be cool, but old-fashioned web pages and collateral can weigh you down like an anchor.

3.  The Customers You Currently Serve are Not Your Future Targets: It’s likely your business started by meeting the needs of a core customer perfectly.  Over time, however, things change and your target customers may change as well.  If your brand doesn’t meet your new targets’ wants, needs, or perceptions in the ways they demand, it’s time to change how you look, what you say, what you offer.  This situation demands a total re-brand, starting with a business plan, involving key employees and customers in feedback sessions and decision making.

4.  Employees Are No Longer Excited About Your Brand: Let’s face it – if your own employees aren’t evangelical about your brand, products or service, who will be?  Employees need to understand and represent your company’s brand, every day and in every way.  If they don’t, turnover, low productivity and poor customer service can result.  If you feel like your employees are no longer excited about working for your company, it’s probably time to re-approach, reinvigorate and re-communicate your image and purpose. A new mission, value statement, and environment will give employees a new passion – which will shine on through to your customers and prospects.

5.  Your Customers are Being Stolen by New Competitors: When you entered the market, you were Top-Dog. Your product was cutting-edge, your branding was fresh and innovative.  Your competition couldn’t compete. Fast forward:  Your early innovation is old-hat.  Your market share has slipped. You commiserate with long-time competitors while the new guys get the sale. Sound familiar?  If this is a situation you currently face, a re-brand may just be what you need to push yourself over and above the competition. With a re-brand you can reestablish your identity within the marketplace. You can develop a fresh image that will help you stand out in the crowd and entice customers once again to choose you as their supplier. Getting swallowed in the competition can harm and even ruin a business, however, a re-brand can make an old thing new again and revitalize your sales and profits.

While there may be other scenarios that call for a re-branding of your company, these are a few of the biggest signs that you are in need of a business makeover. This is a process that comes with exciting challenges and imposing risks. It is important that before you enter the process, you know exactly why you need to re-brand and a road map for where you see yourself at the end of the process, whether that’s with increased market share, happier employees, or a fresh, modern look.

For more information about how DMG can help you begin your re-branding process, check out our website and contact us today!

Posted by Brittany in • General Marketing • Logo Development • Re-Branding | (0) Comments | Permalink

Hello Everyone,

We are excited to introduce you to our new DMG blog. We know we were a little late to this party, but at this point, we’ve been developing and managing social media programs for our clients for 2+ years, and we thought it was time to blog about it (and other things). The marketing professionals on our team spend just about every waking moment of their professional lives (and lots of personal time, too) living and breathing marketing, and we wanted to share our passion for what works, what doesn’t and the whimsy of marketing campaigns and concepts that drive real interest, awareness and results.

We hope our marketing stories will create a resource to help guide you through your own marketing thought processes and give us another forum to interact with you and gain insight about your specific needs and challenges.

We focus on providing our clients, colleagues and coach-ees three important things:

1. Innovation: We love to experiment with what’s new in and around marketing. We’re risk takers, within reason, and we pride ourselves on pushing clients to think about new ways to tackle marketing challenges.

2. Value Creation: We’ve all worked with ad agencies and marketing groups who are one-shot wonders or happy with pretty pictures, and we’ve always deplored that approach. Our ultimate goal is to create value for your business, whether that’s through stronger market understanding, value propositions articulated, leads generated, or increased sales.

3. Sustained Growth: We’re in this for the long haul: most of our customer relationships date back to the very first meeting, and we’ve seen their businesses grow over time.

We have been very fortunate to serve clients in many industries, in organizations of various sizes, and with a variety of missions and challenges. We hope the entries on this blog will help you succeed in the art (and science) of marketing!

Best,

Ellen Donahue-Dalton
Founder of Dalton Marketing Group

Posted by Brittany in • General Marketing | (0) Comments | Permalink