Interactive branding, marketing and advertising blog

Ask Your Customers – Internet Marketing

Looking for a new idea or anything to help get your business booming? Well who better to ask then the people who already know you so well. The only ones that can make a difference and increase your companies word of mouth are the ones already engaged with your brand. They know what they like and they know what they don’t like about your brand and it’s up to you to figure out how to utilize this knowledge.

Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and even email marketing can be very effective with the right steps taken. Too many companies today join facebook and update their followers with the information that most of them are already aware of because they do “like” you’re brand. If you really want to gain some ROI on your time invested in social media, it is best to ask your loyal consumers what they would like and build up a majority of input that can be realistically met. When you see through with the requests of your consumers it builds a strong loyalty to your brand making your consumers more inclined to spread the word about your brand and the new changes put forth. Just remember. Facebook isn’t going to help your company, but rather help you get in touch with the people that can.

By: Mark G. Valente | Online Marketing Director | @MarkwithMWL | Vigor Interactive Branding

40 Personal Branding Quotes: By Dan Schawbel

These 40 quotes act as a great insiration to build your personal branding focus. Put into a company perspective, you can also find some usefulness for focussing your business brand as well. Enjoy and don’t forget to check out Dan’s site. Personal Branding Blog

1. “Brand yourself for the career you want, not the job you have.”
2. “By focusing entirely on your personal brand, you become unemployable.”
3. “Create your own career, instead of letting your company do it for you.”
4. “If you want to be known for everything, you’ll be known for nothing.”
5. “When you have passion, expertise and a support system, you can do anything!”
6. “Make your life one giant networking event.”
7. “You have to be as committed to your personal brand as you are to your husband or wife.”
8. “Just like content is king on the internet, your experience is king when it comes to getting a job.”
9. “In order to succeed in the new world of work you MUST become the commander of your career.”
10. “Be the real you because everyone else is taken and replicas don’t sell for as much.” Read the rest of this entry »

Social Media Flow Chart

This Infograph gives Social Media skeptics a better grasp on the processes taken and how the word of mouth can be spread throughout the internet using many different social networks. Social media is effective every time so long as you care about your consumers and provide the customer service they search for.

Foursquare For Businesses

Social media has been an increasingly effective part in the marketing strategies of many big and local businesses. The main question when Foursquare came around with their innovative geolocation sharing network was; How do we use this to benefit our brand or business? But the Foursquare team has added a few cool features with their network, bringing the game focus to the site, while continuing to build on their own marketing and professional relationships. Today we have some unique ways in which Foursquare has become an effective business marketing tool for more. Read the rest of this entry »

Business & Restaurant Dont’s on Facebook

So we all agree Facebook is as necessary as a website if you’re going to make any kind of traction with online marketing, right? Good. Now that we have that cleared up, let’s talk about some ways NOT to use Facebook for your business.

Facebook has given businesses a way to connect directly to consumers on the consumers’ terms. It’s the epitome of why online marketing works. Facebook’s tools give businesses a way to engage them, bring them in and let them experience their brands. However, they can be used negatively without the restaurant or brand even knowing. Obviously this is detrimental as abusing a consumer’s acceptance of you will result in ejection and a bad reputation to their friends. Not good. So, let’s stave off some common pratfalls by other brands….

Read the rest of this entry »

Make a REAL Impact With Social Media

Social Media can be quite confusing coming from different markets, leaving many businesses confused on how to develop their online marketing campaigns. The main question always tends to be this; Which online networks do I utilize first to gain effective results? At Vigor, the we answer this dilemma with three simple words: ALL OF THEM!

It makes no sense to try sites out individual and wait for results before moving onto the next one. Start with all of the sites and learn from your mistakes quickly and learn which sites are least effective. This is a better and quicker way of getting rid of “the bad apples.” You want your content to be everywhere from Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Youtube, and even photo sharing sites to spread your company brand. Many different tools are offered today to help manage all of this content from one site. Ping.fm allows you to maintain blogs along with any social networking site with the ability to post to any or all networks with a single click. Of course there is a lot of time put into the development of these accounts, but maintaining the content with frequent updates and business-to-consumer information has become much more efficient thanks to tools such as ping.

By: Mark G. Valente | Online Marketing Director | Vigor Interactive Branding

Optimize Your Facebook Page with FBML

Want to really customize your company or band’s fan page? With the use of the FBML (Facebook Markup Language) application you open a new window of possibilities for sharing your information. Build fully customizable pages where users can interact with your companies site right from Facebook. Don’t force people in a certain direction; be where they already are.

The Static FBML application enables users to render HTML and FBML for a more enhanced page customization. Many bands and corporations are utilizing this app to promote and sell their products while still keeping the user on facebook for direct contact with your consumers. These are just a small list of some of the companies:

Best-Buy

Honda

Now you see the list of possibilities opened up to you with FBML. Do some research and bring a NEW look to your Facebook Page.

By: Mark G. Valente | Online Marketing Director | Vigor Interactive Branding

Featured in Central Penn Business Journal Entrepreneurs Under 30

Joseph Szala featured among other area entrepreneurs

Joseph Szala, principal of Vigor, is featured in this week’s Central Penn Business Journal in an exposé on entrepreneurs under 30. Check it out here: Central Penn Business Journal

Driving word of mouth traffic

Everybody wants more word of mouth business for their company. It’s a need and want that supersedes the B2B and B2C specific interests. However, there is no magic bullet that builds more word of mouth beyond wowing your current customers. Until Blabberbug.com was launched. Read the rest of this entry »

Arooga’s Chooses Vigor

Arooga’s Sports Bar & Grille has chosen Vigor, a restaurant branding firm to handle all marketing, interactive, advertising and branding initiatives for their three, and growing, locations. Be on the lookout for a new website in the coming month!