If you have ever driven during rush hour in the Philadelphia area, you might have noticed a rather curious billboard. This billboard is in attention-avoiding black with no images or color. Instead in a slightly weird font is the URL to a single website: I Hate Steven Singer dot com. While driving by the billboard, you may also hear the same Mr. Singer on the radio - talking about the many reasons to hate him. Getting home, and logging onto the Internet, if you happen to visit the website you would find what may be the most irreverent jewelry store homepage ever created. On the right hand side is the simple question “Is she pushing for the ring?” Underneath, Steven Singer offer his “guide to buying you some more time.”

(more…)

As consumer use of and time spent on social media sites increases, the opportunities for effective advertising become more attractive to companies in search of customers to connect with.   We’ve given the advice that to grow a social network, a company should participate and engage with communities of interest.

That’s still great advice, just as it is to consider different advertising options within relevant social channels to create awareness, keep a brand top of mind or to suggest timely and relevant offers.   Advertising tools made available by social platforms are also useful research tools when collecting demographic information used with personas in organic social media marketing.

For marketers just getting started with advertising on social media sites, here’s a quick rundown on programs available through Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Groupon and Foursquare.  As with organic social media marketing, each is appropriate according to your own goals, the customers you’re trying to reach, resources, timeline and ability to measure.

(more…)

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that online marketing is a gamble, but it is a form of calculated risk. Unlike typical wagers, you have the ability to adjust how much you are placing on a particular tactic, there are more than two teams, what one channel does impacts another and there is much more than just a win or loss outcome.

But if you are placing all of your marketing budget or efforts on only one channel, you might be missing the big payout: conversions and brand awareness. Why? Because so many digital marketing efforts are not measured against their actual value.

(more…)