This first image shows how if the profile image is longer than it is wider, you will not have the problem that Sonic has here.  Although the profile picture looks good, when it is made into the thumbnail, it cuts off and looks unprofessional.

This second image shows how in the sidebar information panel of the Sonic Facebook page, the website link can be made active and click-able by changing it from www.MediaPowerTools.com to http://MediaPowerTools.com (Sonic currently has no sidebar information panel.)

This third image is similar to the last one.  In this case though, Sonic gives more information than is necessary.  If they remove the “www.” from their website link on Twitter, then it will make more of the website address visible since Twitter cuts off if it is too long.

According to an article by Harvard Business School, now is not the time to cut back on marketing. (Marketing Your Way Through a Recession) http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5878.html

Maintain marketing spending. This is not the time to cut advertising. It is well documented that brands that increase advertising during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times.

Now is the time to vamp up your marketing. Do not cut your marketing no matter what! That is what your competitors are probably doing. Even more reason to get out there! Look at various ways and plans for implementing even better marketing strategies through the uses of things such as social media, online marketing, email marketing, web site redesign, etc.

Do your research. Your potential clients are! During an economic crisis you need to know more than ever how consumers are redefining value and responding to the recession. Consumers take more time searching for goods and where do most of them do their research? Online! So, it’s important that you not only have a presence online, but it’s key that you look professional. A quality website not only shows you care about your company but more importantly it shows you offer a quality product or service.

The power of video marketing is being seen all over the internet.  What makes for a successful campaign is to make sure your videos are not too long and the quality is good.  A good quality 1-2 minute video can reap great rewards for your business. 

This video example shows just one of the unlimited creative ways you can serve your clients by giving them free tips.  http://talkfusion.com/products_case_studies.asp#top

Imagine getting ready to go into a freezing cold swimming pool in March.  Some people would run and dive right in.  They would get a sudden jolt from the cold water but then their bodies would adjust to the low temperature.  Others may prefer to slowly wade into the water, getting a shock every time the pool slopes down another foot in depth.

Approaching a swimming pool in early spring is not all that different from approaching social media for the first time.  You can jump on and create an account for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, DailyBooth, Diggit, Yahoo groups, Blogger, and any other online media platform you can find.  The trouble though is that it takes time to learn the pulse and workings of each platform since no two are the same and each was designed with a different objective in mind.  It can also be daunting to juggle those accounts and stay current with each community.

To avoid this predicament, consider phasing in one platform at a time.  Start with one that you are most comfortable with.  If you believe less is more, then consider starting with Twitter or Jaiku.  This format is easy for those who love to text message.  You are just sending your texts to a larger audience.  It does take time to develop relationships on Twitter but once you do you will love it and want to hang out there more often.

If you love photos and like to share check the Daily Booth.  Daily Booth is a photo sharing community.  The concept is to share a photo of the day.  You can have friends, followers and a community of those sharing their favorite photos online.  If you love pictures you should definitely check out the Daily Booth.

If you enjoy making videos and would like to share your message YouTube is a great community.  There are no limitations on what you can discuss or have videos about on YouTube.  If you love books discuss them in a video.  If you want to talk about your kids, family, or even for business your product there is a community for you to interact with on You Tube.  The energy of You Tube seems less judgmental and open to conversation.  It can be a really fun place to hang out and if you need to know how to do just about anything or need an answer to any question, it is almost always available on You Tube.

Facebook is a great place to dip your toe in the Social Media Waters.  The platform is easy to navigate.  Your community you have as friends are usually family, friends and close associates.  This allows you to have conversations and share online with those who you may not see as often as you would like.  I read recently that Facebook has been hijacked by grandma and I think there is a bit of truth to this.  There is no limits to this community and you really can use it as a central place for family and friends to keep in touch.  I think everyone should be on Facebook.  The relationships that are built there are made stronger and more interactive than if you were just seeing each other at birthdays or holidays.

Now that we have discussed these social media options lets discuss the options of phasing in.  It will normally take 2-3 months to phase in and be comfortable with a nice network growing on any network.  If you allow yourself to be 100% vested you will have a better experience and will benefit from participating in social media.  With that being said I would phase them in one every 3 months.  Find the ones you love and really spend your time there.

We think of a business card as a way of turning what may have been a brief first meeting into a potential long-standing business relationship. Whether you have a small business or you’re an employee of a large organization, your business card communicates your professionalism. Your business card will help your customer or colleague to remember you even after you leave.

So what do you with such precious and small amount of real estate? A good business card should clean and easy to read. Since space is at a premium, it should only have relevant contact information in a legible font. Be careful with background photos or images because they may make your information harder to read. The design of your card should convey the essence of your company and the quality of design of your business card should distinguish you from your competitors.

Use the business card, but don’t rely on it – if you don’t make a memorable impression on your own, the card itself isn’t going to help you much.

Media PowerTools worked with 4RKids to design and build a website that mirrored their brand, with a fun yet clean and professional design.  The website was made user friendly for the client so that they could easily make changes and updates to the content of the site on their own.  A blog was integrated with the website to provide a means of repeatedly bringing back visitors to the site who desire up to date news about the foundation’s efforts.  If we need more content here we can talk about adding the Gift Shop for them to sell their products.To further expand the 4RKids presence and provide more open streams of communication between the foundation and the community, Media PowerTools utilized multiple social media networks including Facebook and Twitter.  The foundation uses these networks to promote current activities, fundraisers, and new products available in their 2nd Story Bookstore & Gift Shop.

 The challenge that Media PowerTools faced was to expand the reputable brand of Miracle Staple to encompass Miracle Skinny Drops.  Media PowerTools also focused on finding a solution to show consumers that MSD was not just providing a weight loss “fad” but instead a weight loss solution that was designed to help individuals maintain their new healthy weight for a lifetime.  

Website Development:

Media PowerTools began by creating a website that clearly expressed healthy living through its design.  A key branding tactic for Miracle Skinny Drops to set them apart from their competition was to maintain a growing stream of helpful information for the diet.   One of the challeges was the amount of content added to this website and making the navigation for the visitor to find what they need by using the quick search feature and categories for the ongoing recipe additions the site provides.  The added subscription option and social media connections make it easy for their visitors to interact on a regular basis.  

Social Media:

Social networks including Facebook and Twitter were utilized to allow MSD to provide diet support to individuals on a more personal level.  The Facebook page in particular is used in part as a forum where people can post questions, suggestions, recipes and more to share with the group.  In essence the social networks further the support for the diet community.

Effective SEO:

The approximately 20% growth per month on the site has landed it as #10 on Google as top 10 hCG websites.  Media PowerTools team focus is on effective SEO techniques that allow your company to gain more traffic.  Miracle Skinny Drops has been successful in implementing the strategy proposed by the team to increase their monthly traffic signifantly by providing great content that Google loves.