6 Secrets to Better Online Reputation Management

According to wikipedia.com Online Reputational Management (ORM) "is the practice of attempting to shape public perception of a person or organization by influencing information about that entity" online.  In other words, this process controls what someone sees online and ultimately thinks about you. It’s pushing the positive and cleaning up the negative...Helping you to soar in cyberspace.

1) Get Started
Over one billion names are searched everyday on Google. Understand people make judgments about you based on what they search for and find online. According to Google, 45% of those who are searching to buy and/or hire, have found negative information that caused them to take their business elsewhere or hire someone else. Because people can readily publish negative comments about you and/or your company, there’s not much you can do about it. EXCEPT, to have a robust ORM strategy and implementation plan in place.

2) Research
Search yourself. Search for your name, business, your image, and anything else that may be related. Taking notes and snapshots will help you later with your assessment and plan of attack.

3) Work It
Remember everything is recorded online. Everything. From Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, online searches and transactions, websites we visit, text/messenger conversations, years-old status updates, to private emails (they can be hacked), and more. So, as much as possible, keep private what should be private. And don’t hesitate to ask others to take down pictures of yourself that you think will compromise yours or your company’s reputation. Sometimes suppressing the negative is a full-time job, so be ready. Ensure your first impression stays a great one.

4) Invest
Buy your domain name. Buy as many as you can afford: Johndoe.com, Johndoe.net, Johnathandoe.com, yourbusiness.com, etc. The more, the merrier. Have a reputable design firm create your website and embed your content. You should include your company information, your bio, business interest, education, interesting articles, the benefits of your services, etc.

5) Focus
Increase your positive footprint by creating compelling and targeted content. Keep your content in one place and include your social media page links. Then make sure your social pages are completely filled out and active. Schedule and add new content at least twice a month. This will make your online presence stronger and push you up in search results.

By optimizing your online profiles you'll push down any negative content to the 2nd and 3rd pages within a Google search...which is where irrelevant content goes to die.

6) Stay The Course
Monitor. Set up a Google alert on your name or business to keep track of any new content that’s been published. Notifications will be sent to your e-mail.

Being proactive with your online reputation management will help make public perception your best friend, NOT your worst enemy. For more information and to get started on your own campaign, contact info@hornsbybrandesign.com.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reputation_management

4 Steps to Successful Word of Mouth Marketing (Hint: It's More Than Just Being "Liked.")

According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers follow recommendations from friends and family more than ALL other forms of advertising. According to the American Marketing Association (AMA) in a recent study, 64% of marketing executives indicated that they believe word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing. However, only 6% say they have mastered it.

So, if marketers really believe Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) is so effective, then why aren’t they implementing it more?

In short, many brands are too caught up in collecting numbers (any kind of fan) instead of collecting AND connecting with fewer, but more passionate fans (a specific kind of fan). And if you didn’t know already, “passion” is exponentially more effective than the former.

Being “loved” wins over being “liked” every time.

4 STEPS

1) Identify
Who and where are your influencers? This will be your basis for building a long term relationship, NOT pitching them on a one time deal. Your “friends” are the ones who will take your WOMM to another level.

2) Listen
What are they saying about your brand? Turn “I” into “WE”. Be part of their conversation and respond accordingly.

3) Provide
Give them reasons to talk about your incredible products and outstanding service. Go even further and share insider knowledge and exciting (sharable) stories and facts. By really listening you’ll learn to understand your customer’s likes (what drives them) and then be able to provide them what they need.

Your end goal? Create trust.

4) Enable
Engage them by letting them know that their opinions are important to you. Develop experiences that are actionable: Give them ways to share through innovative campaigns, creative incentives, and participatory events. Be sure to remember to always use the 90/10 rule. 90% is about them and 10% is sharing your brand message. This will enable them to become your personal brand evangelist, paving the way for your cause.

Winning the battle of Word Of Mouth Marketing by making your brand “the most recommended” requires not only a commitment to a creative strategy, but an aggressive implementation plan, and the wait time it takes to grow it.

And remember...“If people aren’t talking about you, they’re forgetting about you.” - Unknown

Contact Hornsby Brand Design at info@hornsbybrandesign.com today and learn more about how you can start your own WOMM campaign.

Source: www.AMA.org.

Online Video Marketing: 3 Tips You Need To Know

1st, the Facts

• 4Xs as many customers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it.
• 50% of Internet users look for videos related to a product before visiting a store.
• Men spend 40% more time watching videos on the Internet than women. Videos no more than 2 minutes long get the most engagement.
• 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound.
• Video on a landing page can increase conversions by 80% or more.
  

Now, the 3 Tips

1) Strategically Plan
This will help you leverage the powerful marketing path of video. Determine what type of video you will need and why. For example, should you create a video that showcases your product, builds awareness, publicizes a special event, or educates your customer? Then ask why one or the other will make a difference? Outline your goals, objectives, target, budget, due date, and other requirements for each individual video in order to track your success.

2) The Story Is Always First. Always.
Center around the value your product/service offers your potential client instead of the sale. Always speak to their desires and needs. You’ve only got :08 seconds to capture their attention before they click away, so make it the best, most interesting short/long form video possible. Use your money wisely, because boring is for losers.

3) Don’t Play Hide 'N Seek
Help your target find you online by implementing the following SEO recommendations.

• Be sure to create a video interface on your website (limits disk usage), and also post it on all your social media pages.
• Make sure it is easily sharable by adding the correct tags and SEO requirements.
• Make sure it has detailed written descriptions of its content and relevant key words. This will help search engine spiders categorize and catalog your campaign.

Video best practices suggest that strategy and creativity go hand-in-hand. And besides that, evidence shows that customers love to ride the video train!

So, if you want your video(s) to continue to get results, then you must plan, tell your story, broadcast your product, engage your customer, and repeat. If done correctly, you’ll continue to stay on track, stop-after-stop along your journey.

For more information on how to get on board, contact info@hornsbybrandesign.com.

Source: 
https://www.facebook.com/bufferapp/posts/-85-of-facebook-videos-are-watched-without-sound-93-of-twitter-videos-are-watche/1425000810905695/

Marketplace News

Embrace Voice Marketing
Voice assistants are now everywhere from being on your phone, in your car, and at retail stores to being in your home and office. It’s been suggested that 50% of all searches will be voice activated by 2020! This, of course, opens the door for marketers who are starting to understand the potential these devices hold. Radio marketing may be a potential model, but there will still be a lot of trial and error to be worked out. In fact, Amazon and Google will most likely use the voice search data gleaned to push ads into other platforms, like search results and email.

Bottom line? At this very moment people are buying products based on the power of speech, so the businesses that capitalize on this rapidly moving new media trend will definitely see a return on their investment and be poised for future growth.

Consider Creative Delivery
Every new integrated campaign should consider creative distribution approaches that focus on engagement. Target ways that your competitors may not be considering. For example, instead of digital newsletters, consider using direct mail (I know, old school). Or instead of telephone cold calling, make group presentations at uniquely created events. Remember, it’s always about breaking through the clutter and zigging while others are zagging.

Create Engaging Content
Two words: Influence Marketing (IM). Influencers are people who can deliver actual value to your target audience. If you don’t know already, IM is a form of marketing that focuses on influential people rather than the target market as a whole. It identifies specific individuals that have influence over your potential customers, and then orients your marketing activities around these influencers. They could be academics, journalists, industry analysts, professional advisers, etc.

Developing long-term relationships with influencers will lend credibility to your brand, thereby building TRUST...and no matter what year it is, TRUST is always “in.”

Communicate Personally
Technical automation is here to stay AND very beneficial when used correctly. However, it should never take the place of an authentic, person-to-person conversation.

Make it a company rule to visit your clients in person at least once a year to see how you can improve your service. I can assure you that your relationships will improve and your clients will stay longer and spend more. Why? Because you will be building a relationship, not just adding a number.

For more information on creative communication strategies, contact info@hornsbybrandesign.com.

Source: https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2018/04/10/voice-search-statistics-2018

Things that make you say, "Hmmm"

We've come across some interesting and creative ads, billboards and signs... some sensical, nonsensical, and some that just cross the line. Do they get their message across? You be the judge...

I'll buy a vowel....

I think I'll park in the one-hour parking lot just to give my eye surgeon some leeway.

Secondary is the tiny print that states "the bridge is out" because it is SO tempting to forget your destination, stop the car, get out, and touch the sign.

And dont't drink and make road signs, either.

Bus graphics gone awry? This poor man has no idea why the folks on the sidewalk are laughing at him.

Didn't anybody at the foundation think this one through?

Someone in the creative meeting just should have said no to this pairing.

Apparently did not get the memo.

This ad may be a little too honest: Not everything is big in Texas.

Little known fact: Cows depreciate the most their first year off the lot.

You know someone is going to see this billboard as a dare.