Managing communications between a business and its audience is the traditional definition of Public Relations. And that perfectly describes how social media and SEO function in this brave new world of marketing.

The  drawback however, is content-overload; sometimes companies are more focused on having constant ‘marketing touches’ to their audience and they ignore whether that message is relevant.  And that is where the ‘old school’ teaching of Public Relations comes back into play – evaluate the message, rank its relevance to the audience, decide which media channel is appropriate, and examine if it even has any positive impact on the organization’s marketing presence.

“Content is king” has always been and will continue to be true, but managing all that content in a memorable, actionable and meaningful way is an art form in itself, and puts Public Relations smack in the driver’s seat.

Have a look at this full article from the Social Media Examiner on, “6 Ways to Use the New LinkedIn Features to Get More Business” by Viveka von Rosen. This post will show you how you can use LinkedIn for your business to make better connections, engage and create more business with the latest features.

1. #1: LinkedIn becomes more Image-Centric
2. #2 Cool, Clean New Look
3. #3 Get Introduced and Get More Business
4. #4 Whom Do You Know?
5. #5 Get Active and Get Business
6. #6 Common Interests for Engagement

So basically, LinkedIn’s new interface allows you to easily generate new connections to add to your  network, review potential prospects and ultimately interact and engage with them. We encourage you to take a look at your LinkedIn account and consider using some of these new features and follow Viveka’s advice!

Bonus: Below is an article from Forbes, “3 Ways LinkedIn Just Made It Easier to Find a Job” by Nancy Collamer, if you’re on the hunt for your next gig! This post covers the New Job-Hunting Free Features, and LinkedIn Profile Tips for Job Searches.

Happy Clicking!

David Ogilvy In His Day

David Ogilvy was known for saying he was not a good copywriter. But he clearly understood the elements of how to communicate and get results. He promoted the concept of writing naturally, not using pretentious words, or relying on clever cliches to make the easy sell to clients. His idea #4 is about “Big Ideas”, not small ones. Read on:

“#4. Big Ideas: Unless our advertising is built on a BIG IDEA it will pass like a ship in the night. It takes  a BIG IDEA to jolt the consumer out of his indifference – to make him notice your advertising, remember it and take action. Big ideas are usually simple ideas… BIG SIMPLE IDEAS are not easy to come by.”

The Takeaway: Nothing could be clearer than Ogilvy’s own words, but if you have found these few tidbits we have shared have piqued your interest in learning more, you can read the full article of all 38 “tips” from David Ogilvy at: http://smartonlinesuccess.com/david-ogilvy-advertising-tips/

For more good reading, I recommend the following books by David Ogilvy: Ogilvy on advertising and Confessions of an Advertising  Man.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3000794/rise-visual-social-media

Capturing Information

This is a provocative video presenting a different view of the impact of the ‘filter bubble’. With all the changes in search engines happening at lightening speed, it begs the question of whether we are really understanding the full scope – good and bad.  Is anyone bothered by having searches filtered based on algorithms about where you are, what computer you’re using or what browser you use, or do you think this just makes marketing more effective? Watch the video and let us know what you think.

Eli Pariser: Beware online \”filter bubbles\”

Going old-school is a risk for any advertiser as you have to walk a fine line between dull and outdated or ‘new retro’, as this is being coined now.

Let us know what you think of the new and improved Mr. Peanut – clever and intriguing, or just a desperate attempt to resurrect what was once a classic campaign icon?

Read more at  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/business/media/08adco.html?src=busln

Article courtesy Springfield Business Journal

Tags:
marketing

advertising

The Lumpkin Family Foundation is an east central Illinois foundation providing support through grants to nonprofit organizations working towards innovation and long-term improvements in the environment, health, education and the arts.  The organization is focused on the special needs of small and rural communities to leverage additional resources and enhance local philanthropy.

The Lumpkin Family Foundation has also created an online community space and virtual resource center connecting the good work that nonprofits do in east central Illinois with the Good Works Connect website.

Omni looks forward to working closely with this impressive organization so fully dedicated to building on their legacy of community involvement.

“Tweaking our image and clearly communicating our corporate message in an aesthetically pleasing manner while embracing ever-changing digital technology is critical in our industry. Omni is committed to evolving with the times.” 

The new website incorporates a minimalist, less-is-more concept effectively utilizing white space and effortless site navigation to convey the philosophy, services and professional flair of the advertising agency and its staff.  The highlight of the website is the impressive digital portfolio, proudly displaying a large sampling of Omni’s creative marketing solutions and graphic design skills across a wide variety of industries and mediums.

Have a look around and let us know what you think!

At Omni, we like to refer to clients’ marketing programs as their ‘tool box’. There are many tools you can use, but just as you would not use a hammer when a screwdriver is needed, neither do all marketing tools work for all clients or all situation.

You have to determine what each tool is used for and what result you want from it. And you have to understand how the tools work – there is passive marketing and aggressive marketing. Some marketing simply creates under the radar buzz (a poster in your store’s window), some marketing efforts shout at you (TV or Radio Ads), some just want to be friends (Facebook).

Know what you want to achieve, what is possible with the media you have chosen to deliver the message, and how you want your target audience to react. But then there is that measurement issue… senior decision makers want to know if the dollars going out translate into dollars coming in to the company – ROI.

With a specific time-sensitive event, such as a clearance sale this weekend only, you can measure the effectiveness of your advertising by how many people visit your store and asking them how they heard about the sale. That is an easy way to measure, although not 100% accurate – many times it is the layering effect of multiple media channels and the one that is recalled may just have been the last one seen. Most marketers would cringe to hear the reason a customer came in was because of the giant inflatable monster at the store entrance!

But social media is different. First you have to accept social media is not a direct means to simply sell – it is designed to create a conversation and become a brand builder for your organization. It is an ideal way to show your service to customers. Ultimately, those actions will reap benefits, much like the top-notch greeter or receptionist who makes every visitor feel like royalty. Those are marketing moments you can build on that are part of the toolbox, but they are not the only tool.

Social media is not the same as traditional forms of marketing; the process for engagement and contact is different. But, it still is highly valuable in how it can develop new opportunities and new loyal customers, it just takes time.

If you use social media with the expectation of making a sale or generating a qualified direct lead, it can seem counter-productive. However, if you understand how to fold social media into a marketing toolbox and use this tool for the specific purpose of creating a connection with your customers, it will build your foundation and your brand.