Envision Blog Web Technology and Marketing News
2 Social Media Questions Marketers are Asking: How and Who?
Social Media went mainstream in 2009, and marketers across the globe are realizing that consumers are using Social Media to exert more influence over marketing and business decisions. A recent study by Unisfair found that 75% surveyed plan to spend more money on social media in 2010. Our own research with marketers in the Dallas area tells us that companies are facing two issues when it comes to social media: knowledge to create a strategic plan and manpower to put the plan into place.
If you are wondering how to organize a social media campaign, how social media should integrate with the rest of your marketing efforts, or where to find the time to manage the process…think about contacting us for a discussion. If Envision can help you devise or manage a social media campaign for your business, feel free to contact us.
Social Networking, Technology | No Comments » | Add Your Own »
New Website Launch: WFAA’s BigDNYE.com
We just recently launched the BigD NYE website. The Ultimate New Years Eve Destination! The site packed full of information on the night including the bands that are playing, things you can win and instructions to make parking & getting around easier.
Check out the site, listen to the bands, enter to win a car, and make plans to show up on New Years Eve!
New Website Launch: ScottCarlson.com
We helped Dallas Real Estate Broker, Media Guru and Dallas culture enthusiast Scott Carlson recreate his website. This project included a powerful content management system allowing the SC team to update real estate listings, add video, and create blog entries. Congratulations, Scott!
PPC Spending in a Recession: Improving Ad ROI
In a down economy, most companies begin to scrutinize ad spending, and are often are required to cut back on non-measurable advertising channels. In the search for marketing channels that provide reliable Return On Investment (ROI) figures, where do we look?
Enter Pay-Per-Click advertising. Also known as PPC. If you are new to this term, don’t worry. You probably know more about it than you think. PPC ads are the text-based ads that appear on the results page of any search you perform. You’ve probably seen them a million times on Google or Yahoo! or Bing. They usually take up the far right column, and sometimes can be seen at the top of the page too.
First let me say that PPC isn’t good for every company, nor is it always the right tool to use to market a new product or service. For instance, if you run a software company that makes a never-seen-before business-to-business application for education institutions, you would probably find that PPC doesn’t work as well as direct sales. If your product is highly technical, or if it requires a shift in thinking for your customer to “get it”, a small text-based ad probably won’t make the sale for you.
But for many companies (dare I say most companies?) running a PPC campaign through major search engines can provide incredibly accurate ROI in a time when spending is critical. During a recession, advertising dollars rightfully are directed toward performance-based marketing, such as paid internet advertising. Why? Because when cuts are needed, it’s easier to stick with results-driven channels that have a measurable ROI.
If Envision can help you understand the benefits of PPC, contact us.
Marketing, Search Engine Marketing | No Comments » | Add Your Own »
New 3D Modeling and Animation Project: North American Spine Education Video
North American Spine, our client, is a leading provider of a laser spine surgery procedure called The Revolutionary Accurascope™ Procedure. Envision created this 3 dimensional animated video which they use to explain this minimally invasive spine procedure which can prevent traditional open spine surgery and is superior to other so-called Minimally Invasive techniques. We completed extensive research, digital storyboarding, modeling, texturing, lighting and compositing phases to achieve a photo-realistic style.
3d Modeling and Animation, Completed Projects | No Comments » | Add Your Own »
Twitter Quitters: Some people just don’t get it
The boys over at Slate.com posted an interesting article today about a large number of Twitter members who sign up, post once, and never return to…well…Tweet again.
After examining some 300,000 Twitter accounts, a Harvard Business School professor reported last week that 10 percent of the service’s users account for more than 90 percent of tweets. The study dovetails with recent analysis by the media research firm Nielsen asserting that 60 percent of Twitter users do not return from one month to the next. Both findings suggest that, thus far, Twitter has been considerably better at signing up users than keeping them.
We’re thinking the explanation is pretty simple: Twitter is just like any other networking channel – some people just don’t get it. Read the entire Slate article.
Industry News, Social Networking | No Comments » | Add Your Own »
New Website Launch: TeeBoxCaddy.com
If you’ve ever been to a charity or corporate golf event, chances are the event was put on by Dallas golf event coordinators Tee Box Caddy. Envision helped to launch the new website and they are currently ranking on Page 1 of Google for their target keyphrases.
The website features a custom photo gallery that the client can update using a simple content management tool, as well as Flash and contact forms. Simple and effective.
Completed Projects, Search Engine Marketing | No Comments » | Add Your Own »
Marketing Budgets in a Slow Economy: Cut or Don’t Cut?
The economy is slow, no doubt. We are all bombarded by the media with stories of Wall Street losses, rising unemployment, and bailouts. My goodness. It’s no wonder many Advertisers want to crawl into a hole and not come out until the economy shows major signs of a turnaround.
So, the big question most Marketers are asking us these days is: do I cut my marketing budgets or not? The answer is simple: absolutely not.
History tells us that the great companies find ways to grow during a slow economy, not shrink. They change their strategy, or even launch a new product or service that is more suitable to consumers when times are tight. Here are some examples:
- Procter and Gamble – During the Great Depression, pushes Ivory soap.
- Intel – In 1990-1991, during economic difficulty, pushed out the campaign “Intel Inside”.
- Wal-Mart – Launches their “Every Day Low Prices” campaign in 2000-2001.
In some cases, buyers are spending more than they were before the economy entered a recession. If your business falls into an high-end luxury category, you may even benefit from increased spending. Customers who can afford these products are more insulated from recessionary concerns.
Still thinking about crawling into that hole? You might re-emerge from your budget-slashing mode only to realize that a competitor has grabbed a portion of your customers. That’s right – you might just save your way out of business. Increasing or maintaining your marketing spending during a recession can increase your share of the market voice. As other players in your industry “chicken out”, they leave the door wide open for you to move in and steal their customers. Keeping budgets where they are may be a risk, but if your voice is heard louder and stronger, you win.
Continuing to advertise in a recession also sends your customers a very clear message about your longevity and strength – an important thing in these uncertain times.
So, focus on spending smarter, but not less. And if you are planning to cut your marketing spending, keep a few things in mind:
- Keep it short-term. – You should think of cutting your marketing budget in a down economy as a very short-term strategy. And, if this course of action is taken, know that you are at risk of your brand emerging weaker and much less profitable.
- Cut unmeasurable marketing first – Your goals are probably the same as all marketers: achieve the highest ROI possible. So, if you have a hunch that you need to cut spending, start with marketing channels that are impossible or difficult to measure.
We propose you think of your marketing budget as and investment and not an expense.
Our New Dallas Office at Mockingbird Station
Envision Interactive has officially grown out of our old office space and graduated to new and improved digs at Mockingbird Station. This conveniently-located space is located in central Dallas at the corner of Mockingbird and Hwy 75/Central Expressway, with a convenient DART stop right next door.
We plan on providing the same great Marketing, Web Development, Flash and Branding services in the new space, but now our clients can enjoy multiple conference rooms with projectors, coffee service, and great views. Contact us today for a tour of the office.
Visit Envision Interactive at Mockingbird Station
Larger Conference Rooms, Same Great Service
Top 10 Google Ranking for Dallas CPA Firm Baker & Company
SEO pays off. Just ask our client Baker & Company, a Dallas, TX CPA Firm focused on tax preparation and accounting for individuals and businesses. One year ago, Baker and Company’s website couldn’t be found for any of its target key-phrases. Today, they are ranking in the Top 10 for the search “Dallas CPA Firm“.
Congrats guys! Let’s keep working on those other target key-phrases!
Completed Projects, Search Engine Marketing, Technology | 1 Comment » | Add Your Own »
