While relevant, keyword-rich content is still the biggest weapon in your search for great search rankings, I think it’s interesting (and encouraging) that other elements of user experience are factoring in. Google doesn’t just want you to find what you’re looking for, they want you to find it quickly and easily. It’s also a strong nod to growing traffic from mobile devices.
Over time, search is getting smarter. This development is just more evidence of the growing importance of content strategy. Companies must evaluate what customers want to learn and what they want to do. They’ll need to organize and design accordingly, and maybe cut some dead weight.
Do you need that Flash intro? More importantly, do your visitors need it?
Kimberly Wold Janke sits down to talk about what brought her to Flint Communications, her educational background, and what keeps her ticking everyday. She shares insights about working with clients and balancing work time with family time.
As mobility and the speed and availability of connectivity continue to increase, local search is becoming much easier and much more efficient to accomplish online, rather than having to sift through the yellow or white pages. Besides that, they are adding value to their services through partnerships, user reviews and ratings, and more.
So is the Phonebook dead or nearing its death? What online services do you get the best return from? Please leave your comments below or on our Facebook page.
When you come across a great product, you want everyone to know about it. That’s why we are so excited to launch a new website for SunButter. Our task for developing the website was to create a user-friendly site that was fun, functional, informative and allows for interaction. Check it out and let us know what you think.
Check out SunButter at http://www.sunbutter.com
SunButter, a peanut-free spread made from sunflower seeds, is one of those products that people can’t stop talking about and are constantly praising. We love it so much we keep a supply at the office for employees to enjoy. If you haven’t tried it, try it. It’s so yummy.
The main audience for SunButter is people with peanut allergies. The number of people affected by this food allergy is astounding – more than three million in the US. SunButter appeals to health and fitness buffs and regular joes too, just because it tastes so good. The biggest SunButter fans are online – a lot. Social media is abuzz with conversations about the product and the comments are exceptionally positive. They are extremely creative when it comes to uses for SunButter. This has become a form of daily entertainment and fascination for me.
Here are some recent examples of what people are posting:
Welcome to another edition of 5 Question Friday! Today I sit down with Ken Zakovich, WestmorelandFlint Creative Director, to discuss brands that inspire him, the creative process, keeping up with changes in the advertising world and life outside of work including birding and playing guitar. Enjoy!
Flint Interactive is proud to announce the addition of Jason Lotzer and Ashley Jauss to the team.
Jason graduated from the Minnesota State University, Moorhead in 1998 with a degree in Graphic Communications. His career began as a graphic designer in 1996, primarily in the realm of print but that quickly changed in 1998 when he immersed himself in the web. With many years of experience in the digital world, Jason joined Flint Interactive as an interactive designer on March 1, 2010 and will be located in our Fargo office.
Ashley, also joined the Flint Interactive team on March 1, 2010, as the fourth interactive web developer. Ashley graduated from the College of St. Scholastica in December of 2006 and worked in Minneapolis for a couple of years before making the jump to Duluth.
Please join me in welcoming both Jason and Ashley to our family!
From left to right: Alissa Pesta, Andy Ganoe, Jon Seykora, Jan Christenson, Nicole Sandman, Mikaela Krenzen, Jenny Barthen, Jason Lotzer and Ashley Jauss. Missing: Jennifer Strickler (she was taking the photo).
Today Andy and Alissa Pesta sit down to discuss her tenure at Flint Interactive and the Flint Group, staying on top of new trends and advancements on the web and what the future of digital marketing looks like. We also talk about her family, working remotely and coming back to work after her first child.
I’ve been there, about to present our communication audit findings to the client team and truly understanding how an IRS auditor must feel. But unlike the dreaded IRS audit, a communications audit is better compared to a complete physical at a doctor’s office where routine health indicators are reviewed and tested to determine “how you’re doing” or where improvement is needed. That may make you cringe as well. But the opportunity to take the time to examine how well you are communicating with key audiences is an investment in your organization’s future, and just like an annual physical, it is a smart investment.
What is a communications audit?
A communications audit is a method of research, where we focus on the process of communications. We look at the exchange of information between you and your audience (think internal or external, customers or members, potential customers, those who influence your audience, volunteers, employees and more) and examine how well you are achieving your communications goals in reaching each critical audience. We define the audit scope based on the audit objectives; some have included interviews with key audiences or review of media coverage, others focus solely on advertising and communications materials.
The hardest part is getting started
Actually, the most painful part of the audit is the process of pulling together representative samples and lists of all audience touch points, both internal and external. Once you strip away the different silos, department ownership or rationalization that can surround communication and advertising, and review all your communication collectively, you’ll discover consistency or inconsistency, strengths and weaknesses, gaps and opportunities.
This process also helps you analyze how effectively you’re telling “your story” and most importantly, can serve as both a benchmark and a roadmap for your future. Just yesterday, I read a client’s 2010 communication plan that was developed from our 2009 audit findings.
What about your company or organization? Do you cringe at the thought, or are you ready for a communications audit?
The “10,000 Strong” microsite was designed and developed to raise excitement for the NDSU Bison football team’s upcoming season by visually tracking the ambitious goal of 10,000 season ticket holders. The site includes streaming highlights, and a chance to become part of the action by uploading a photo of yourself which will be used in the 2010 Bison mosaic poster. Weekly prizes and incentives for those registered coupled with the general interest of tracking the goal’s progress drive repeat visits to the site.
Ok. (Deep breath). I have a confession to make. I am a bonafide email nerd. Yep, there it is, I said it. I live it, I breathe it, I put ez-cheese on it and eat it. Now I wouldn’t have admitted that a few weeks ago…until I made a discovery. I’m not alone. I had the pleasure of attending the Direct Marketing Association sponsored Email Evolution Conference earlier this month in Miami, FL. So while the Indianapolis Colts were poolside next door, Jordan Sparks was giving a concert in an adjoining conference room, and Lou Ferrigno was having drinks at the lobby bar (I’m not making this up folks) – hundreds of fellow email practitioners gathered behind closed doors to discuss the latest eMarketing trends and best practices. Oh yeah, email nerds unite!
Listening and learning from the brightest minds in email innovation, I took away a few simple gold nuggets of knowledge I’d like to bestow upon my fellow email enthusiasts out there…
Don’t forget the welcome mat. Growing your email list can be difficult and sometimes expensive. My advice, once you get that email address – treat it like your mom on Mother’s Day. The first thing many email marketers do is forget to send an immediate welcome email after a prospect/customer signs up for their email distribution list. A big no-no. Why is this so imperative? Well, like the saying goes, first impressions are everything, besides that here are a few reasons why welcome emails are imperative:
Immediately reminds the subscriber they signed up for your emails (hey, I forget where I put my keys down two minutes earlier). By gently jogging their memory it also helps reinforce their decision to begin a relationship with you and lets them know that you will be attentive to their needs.
Allows the subscriber to put your email send from address in their safe sender list. This way your email will always reach their inbox and images will automatically be displayed in their email browser. If you aren’t asking your subscribers to put you on the white list, start asking now.
Provides you the opportunity to set expectations with your customer. Give them a taste of the content, promotions, or value-add your emails will be bringing to their inbox. Start training your subscriber on what you’d like them to do in your emails, whether it’s as simple as gleaning industry knowledge or directing them to your website to purchase a new widget.
Four seconds to save the world. That’s it, four seconds is all you get. That is how long the average email reader scans (I didn’t say reads, scans) an email to see if it is worth their time. It shouldn’t surprise you – you are guilty of doing it yourself. Heck, sometimes I don’t make it past the send from name and subject line. As email practitioners this should give us some understanding of just what an integral part email design and call-to-action play in your email. When they glance at your email they should know exactly what the purpose of the email is, what the offer and call-to-action is, and what their next step should be. You accomplish this by first and foremost having these items above the fold (before you scroll down to see the rest of the email) as well as having them stand out using both images and text (in the event images are disabled when they preview). Remember, your readers are busy just like you – don’t make them regret signing up for your emails. Give all your emails the four-second-glance test. Tick tock tick tock.
Email isn’t near extinction. Nowadays everyone seems to be enamored with the new shiny object called social media. And well, rightfully so. Its public adoption is unparalleled and has countless ramifications for marketers regarding their brand participation and perception. However, email and social media need each other. Email remains the foundation for social network verification and notification. Furthermore, email ROI continues to be the strongest of any direct marketing medium with numbers that continue to increase each year. Email isn’t going anywhere and in fact it’s getting sexier. Technology advancements now allow email content to be dynamic based on behavior and soon, still in beta testing, these advancements will allow email to be interactive with content that changes and moves (much like a website or rich media banner ad).
The best game plan is to embrace and integrate the three newer digital mediums -call it the “Triangle Offense” – of email, social media, and mobile. You will see all three channels of marketing become stronger when used together.
The professionals at Flint Interactive are always hungry for new marketing trends, techniques or hot topics that we can share with friends and clients. Watch for a regular stream of insightful information – or join in the conversation.
