There are thousands of directories your business can connect with. Some directories require a fee but with a little research, you will be able to find many that are free. We did a little of the leg work for you. Here are a few general directories you may be interested in using for your business:

• Google Places
• Manta
• Merchant Circle
• Yahoo Local
• Superpages.com
• Oodle
• Clush
• Rate It All
• About Us
• Vast
• Yelp

Some of these sites also include user review sections. When signing up for these sites, don’t forget to check back for reviews to see feedback from your customers. If the option is available, provide as much information about your business as possible including address, telephone number, website and links to your social media sites. This is another way for potential customers to find you!

But what makes a video “go viral”? If anyone had this concept down to a science, then he or she would be very rich. There is one brand that seems to know what it’s doing. Mashable points to Procter and Gamble’s Old Spice “Smell Like a Man, Man” campaign that has taken the internet by storm.  Paving the way to viral success, “The Old Spice Guy” has become an internet sensation. The commercial first became popular after airing during the Super Bowl. Wieden + Kennedy, the agency that is responsible for the Old Spice boom, continued building on the viral nature of the video by creating more videos in direct response to Twitter posts from fans and even celebrities. The result: millions of views of Old Spice videos and an increase in sales. Not too shabby for a campaign fueled by the internet!

Want more of the Old Spice Guy? Check out the rest of the videos on the Old Spice YouTube Channel.

Be  sure you can continue to be found even while someone is on the go. Smartphones and other devices like iPads work differently than a computer so be sure to optimize your website for mobile technology. Also, take advantage of free services such as Google Places. By registering with Google Places, your business can be found more easily by mobile device. Your telephone number and address will be accessible for the customer on the go.

Now it’s time to get creative with your marketing. Mobile apps are where it’s at! If you have the resources, creating even a basic mobile application can provide another way to interact with your consumer. A mobile application that is relevant and useful to your audience will have a significant return on investment.

Mobile applications are not the only way to interact in the growing mobile market. The wildly popular QR (Quick Response) Code is making its way to the United States. Already a hit in many countries overseas, the QR code was originally developed in Japan as a more efficient barcode system. Now, it has turned our world into a digital scavenger hunt. If you spot a QR Code, grab your smartphone and use your barcode scanning application to read the code. Once the scanner reads the code, the image will provide you with a surprise. It may be a coupon, a link to a website, an image, a video, a game, a song or anything the creator dreams up. QR Codes can be printed on practically everything. We have seen them on billboards, hats, magazines, t-shirts and even coffee mugs. The sky is the limit!

Don’t forget the traditional use of coupons and offers during your mobile campaign. Ashley Drummond Viebrock, a Mass Media Marketing Account Executive, says she loves receiving coupons on her phone because she remembers to use them immediately. As a recycling enthusiast, she also likes that mobile coupons are environmentally friendly which translates into savings at the printer.

The links below provide a wealth of information on mobile marketing. Read and enjoy!

Article: 1 in 2 Americans will have a smartphone by Christmas 2011

Mobile Marketing Popularity Rapidly Grows

Try out our QR code featured here in our blog. Don’t have a QR code reader on your smartphone? Try using the ShopSavvy application.

Ashley recommends starting with your website. A website is the hub of your marketing campaign. Think of it as your 24 hour store front. If your brand identity and marketing message are not clear to the consumer on your website, you are hindering customer calls or visits to your store. This is your opportunity to show the world how you envision your business. The look and feel of your website should be reflected in all business materials.

In all marketing advertisements and materials, keep your logo, color schemes, fonts and verbiage consistent. Feel free to vary photos and images on your ads but don’t go for a drastic change. Retaining the same look and feel in your advertisements allows potential customers to recognize and remember your business. Think back to your high school or college sports teams. You would never catch a Georgia Bulldog wearing orange onto the field! Keep this in mind and keep your business materials uniform. Remember to always include your phone number and website address on advertisements so potential customers can find you!

You should also keep consistency when purchasing ad space during your campaign. This takes commitment. Our clients who see the most success designate a budget for the month that they are comfortable with. They remain committed and consistent when running their ads which typically translate into a nice return on their investment.

Mass Media Marketing Owner Rick Donaldson and Account Executive Courtney Prouty leave us with these words of wisdom: “It can be tempting for clients to change up their message frequently because they want to see something different, but it’s important to remember that just when you become tired of the message, that’s the time when the message is just beginning to resonate with your audience – so stay the course!”

At our recent seminar, we discussed the numerous ways in which a blog can benefit your business and we thought we would discuss them further here.

First, blogs are great for search engine optimization. Blogging keeps content on your website updated so that Google will come and search your site more often. Using a blog also gives you the opportunity to add keywords to your website so that it can be easily found when someone is searching that topic. Also, if your content is informative, users of other sites will link to yours. All of these factors will increase your chances of someone finding your website when they are using a search engine.

Blogs are also a great way for you to enhance your relationship with your clients. You can keep them informed on what your organization is doing.  Think of your blog as a newspaper. You are the reporter covering the stories on your business. You are the authority on the subject! Keep in mind that your blog can also serve as a way to inform employees of what’s going on in your organization almost as a company newsletter. This is especially useful with a large organization with many members.

Now that you are ready to begin your writing you may be hitting a common roadblock for new bloggers: What will I write about? To begin, decide how often you would like to write an entry. We recommend writing at least one blog post a week. Keep in mind that a blog does not have to be extremely long. A few paragraphs will be fine. If you have more to say on the subject, by all means write away! Now begin thinking about your organization and your clients. Try answering some of the following questions to begin generating ideas:

• What are important topics about your industry?
• Are there any important events your organization is involved with or hosting in the future?
• What would you like your clients to know about your organization or industry?
• How is your organization structured?
• Feature star employees on your blog and their contributions to your organization
• What ‘hot topics’ are happening in the news involving your industry? Discuss your opinion of these topics on your blog and include a link to the news source.
• Does your organization have frequently asked questions from clients? Feature one and discuss it.
• Have a fantastic consumer or client? Feature them and ask them to provide a testimonial of their experience with your organization.
• Provide consumers/clients tips on how to use your product or service. For example, a flower arrangement company may want to write about creative ways to use the vase their gift came in.
• Totally stumped on ideas? Look for a little help! Have a guest blogger write a piece for you or interview an employee.

With a little creativity, you should always be able to generate new ideas for your organization’s blog. Happy blogging!

Still a little intimidated about blogging or just don’t have the time? Feel free to contact us at Mass Media Marketing! We are always ready to help.

To cover this topic further, we decided to speak to the expert at Mass Media Marketing, art director Lynn Forbes. As a SCAD Alumnus, she believes good design is a labor of love and approaches each logo with thoughtfulness and creativity. With hundreds of logo designs under her belt, Lynn has provided these tips for an effective logo:

1. Keep it Simple. – Don’t use every color in the rainbow. Actually, you shouldn’t use more than three colors. Design the logo so it’s strong in its presence and easy to read, so even your grandma can read it. Also, you have to think in terms of how it is to be used. For instance, if you are going to have it on a television commercial, will it be bold enough for the viewer to see it? Your logo will need to be able to stand on its own in black and white and as well as in color due to the multiple uses you may showcase it, so always consider the multiple platforms your logo will be displayed. Choose function over innovation.
2. Keep it Classic – Your logo should have a timeless appeal. Your logo shouldn’t look trendy, and definitely not old-fashioned. Do not use special effects, obscure layouts, photographs, thin lines, taglines, more than two fonts and please, absolutely no clipart. Avoid the recent logo trends and think of your logo as a branding element to your business. A perfect example would be the wallpaper trend. Remember in the 90’s when all the dining rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms had wallpaper or even better…borders? You look at that now and it’s dated. It doesn’t hold up to today’s standards. Your logo should be classic, something you never get tired of looking at. Think ten, fifteen, twenty years down the road, will it hold up? There is nothing more deserving of a logo to have a modern, yet classic feel that holds it own for years to come.
3. Keep it Real – You want your logo to reflect your business – so make sure it fits the personality of your business. For instance: don’t use a frilly font for men’s weight lifting equipment, make the logo bold and confident. Know who is going to be looking at your logo before you think of ideas for it. Make it recognizable, so people associate your company with what it is. Do not overpower the logo by adding every symbolic icon about your company, but make sure there is a connection to what your business represents.
4. Keep selective Input – You should confirm that your new logo looks appealing, with at least three individuals. After all, you want your logo to be adored. An objective opinion is always welcomed, but remember unless that individual has design experience, keep it to just an opinion. Variations are great, in fact the more variations you have, the more likely you are to get the look you are wanting. However, you do not want input from your parents on what your logo should like, so stay on course with your thought process and let your designer get to work for you.
5. Keep the Napkin – You’ve seen it before. Napkin doodles. Great ideas that come together over dinner, over conversation, and over drinks. If you write it down on a napkin, don’t throw it away. Share it with your designer, it may spark an idea. I always start on the drawing table, sketching ideas with the freedom of pen and paper. It looses your thought process and it’s quicker than drawing out all ideas on a computer. If you love it on a doodle, you’ll most likely love it when it’s drawn professionally on a computer.

Need more tips from Lynn or any of our Mass Media Marketing staff? Feel free to contact us!

Title: Web Coordinator

Childhood Aspirations: Ninja Turtle or Power Ranger

Details: I get to do a little bit of everything and I love it! As a Mass Media Marketing newbie, I’ve been taking advantage of being able to learn about all the different aspects of advertising and marketing. My favorite part of working at Mass Media Marketing is being sneaky and taking photos of everyone for the Facebook page.

Free Time: I spend most of my time eating, sleeping, reading nerdy books and watching my favorite television shows like 30 Rock, The Office and Dexter. When I’m not doing that, I’m playing drums in my band Soapbar. When I decide to get athletic, I like to play soccer, tennis, and basketball and I occasionally bike at the canal. Oh and I try to make someone laugh everyday. Even if it’s at me.