By Molly Albrecht | July 21, 2011

Places

Did you know one in five Google searches is for local information? People of all ages now go online to look for details about local businesses and organizations. That’s why it’s so important for business owners to make sure they manage their web presence – one place to start is your Google Places listing. Are you listed? Have you “claimed” your listing? Updated it with correct phone numbers, addresses, websites, business hours, special deals and promotions, photographs and even videos?

Google creates basic Places pages for many businesses automatically, but the business owner has to “claim” and update it with complete information. Check if you already have a Places page by searching for your business name under Google maps, and clicking on your link when it shows up on the left. If there isn’t a listing for your business, you can create one. If one exists, you’ll have the option to claim it.

When claiming a business, you’ll need to choose a way to verify your listing. Google will either send you …Read more »

By Molly Albrecht | February 16, 2011

Analytics? Bounce rate?

What language are they speaking?

I have to admit, I thought I might need a passport and a pocket dictionary on my first day at RSA. That day I attended several meetings with the search engine marketing team, and most of the words buzzing around me sounded like a foreign language.

I’m the first to admit, I’m a search engine marketing (SEM) newbie.

I applied for the interactive marketing specialist job at RSA because writing skill was included in the job description. That sounded ideal, since I love writing and studied journalism in college. Little did I know the job encompassed so much more, and I’d be grasping to understand parts of it.

I’ll let you in on a few of the secrets I’ve learned.

Luckily for me, I’ve discovered …Read more »

By Tarah Heupel | August 5, 2010

As self-professed social media junkies, we have a pretty robust obsession with keeping tabs on what’s happening right now in all facets of the marketing world. We constantly have our eyes peeled for info about emerging technologies, new platforms, and most importantly, innovative campaigns that mix it up in new ways.

Take, for example, some of the inspiring (or at least creative) work we’ve been passing around the office this week: …Read more »

By Kyle McCabe | July 1, 2010

?

The Black Hills Home Builders Association recently help a seminar for its members and invited RSA to come speak to them about social media for business. It was a great time with a small, intimate group, and we fielded quite a few questions. Here are a few of those questions, including our answers.

What is Twitter?
I’ve written about Twitter here a couple times. In short, it’s a networking tool, a way to engage in conversation with people around the globe. It may be new technology, but it’s still just people talking. Sign up for an account and post, 140 characters at a time, about things that matter to you and the people you wish to interact with, whether they be customers, prospects, colleagues or friends.

Try using Twitter’s search feature to find people talking about topics of interest, and begin to engage them. Keep in mind every “tweet” is an invitation to engage – people want to hear from you! …Read more »

By Aubrey Watts | May 7, 2010

Simplicity and Social Media….Do they really go together?

In an age where advertising isn’t just about a billboard and a plan, many marketers are running around in circles trying to figure out the next platform to follow. While most large companies are looking for the next big thing, the next idea to get them ahead of everyone else, we like to remind our small business owners that simple can still be better.

What Is All The Fuss Really About

From Twitter and Facebook to Foursquare and Gowalla, there is plenty to choose from in the social media world when it comes to creating buzz without spending the cash. If you have asked yourself many times, “Why does any of this matter to me?” It’s simple. Advertising to your customers not at them, can be the best way to reach multiple demographics at one time.

While traditional advertising can still play an important role in any business owner’s marketing strategy, social media can play just as an important part in the grand scheme of things. Just as word of mouth between friends, family and co-workers can raise …Read more »

By Tarah Heupel | April 29, 2010

Me, in a bad dream last week:  “So, tell me why you want to be on Facebook/Twitter/YouTube?”

The phantom client:  “Because everyone else is.”

Still not using a plan? Time to wake up and smell the bacon.

Me: (Shuddering)

To be fair, we spend a lot of time talking about how important it is for businesses to have a social media presence, and a lot of people are ready to get on board, which makes us really happy. However, when we see a business with a lackluster fan page or a silent Twitter feed, it makes us sad.

Social media is seductive – it’s new, exciting, and a relatively cheap initial investment (in both dollars and manpower), requiring only that you choose a clever screen name and upload the perfect photo.

But then what?

Like everything else on the web, social media is a twisting, turning, ever-transforming thing, and you have to be prepared. It’s like having a baby, but with (hopefully) fewer dirty diapers: you need to nurture it, respond to any messes, and eventually …Read more »

By Tarah Heupel | April 27, 2010

The MacGyver of marketing.

As first-time home buyers, my fiancé and I have discovered that we are woefully unprepared for jobs that require a certain level of handiness. While I have a small (pink) toolkit that has been deemed unfit for manly use, his tools are limited to 1) a hammer, and 2) a Swiss Army knife. Apparently, that little knife is a miracle worker.

In the world of interactive marketing, we have our own pocket-size tool complete with screwdriver and bottle opener, à la social media. Social platforms are serious workhorses that give businesses an opportunity to connect with specific people who might be interested in products or services, learn about them, listen to feedback, stay informed, build the brand, and more.

While a lot of businesses have fully embraced the new frontier, there are still a few hold-outs who want to see concrete proof …Read more »

By Tracy Mailloux | April 13, 2010

[In this guest post, Tracy Mailloux points out a trend in advertising he noticed while on his Great Education Adventure, and is kind enough to share some insight with us. Thanks, Tracy! ]

Interactive TV ad

Traditional TV isn’t dead… yet. It is, however, on a respirator, and the priest has been called in for last rites.

Digital TV, on the other hand, is very much alive. Although in it’s infancy, it is growing at a rapid pace–its steroid of choice: advertising.

Now I know what you are thinking, “there’s nothing new about advertising on TV.” True, advertising has been around ever since cavemen could sketch on rock walls. But with the digital revolution in TV, advertising is becoming more and more interactive and engaging, which is a new thing for ads. …Read more »

By Tarah Heupel | March 23, 2010

Google, KS

For the month of March, Topeka doesn’t exist. The town of 120,000 is now officially named Google, KS. The big question, of course, is why?

Earlier this month Google announced a contest to bring Google Fiber (ultra-high-speed broadband Internet) to one or more trial communities around the country. A Topeka Facebook group urging locals to support the project spread like wildfire, and culminated with the mayor’s proclamation to change the city’s name.

Topeka’s stunt kicked off a marketing feeding frenzy …Read more »

By Aubrey Watts | January 5, 2010

While driving through town on your way to work, you notice a billboard advertising a new coffee shop somewhere in the city. In great need of morning blend, but passing the sign too quickly to write down the web address, you seize the next chance you get to pull out your phone and do a mobile web search for the coffee shop.

Within the search results you not only get a link to Google maps for directions, but a link to the coffee shop’s site. Upon entering their website you are automatically eligible for a mobile discount: a free latte, which is redeemable at the register by simply showing the mobile coupon code you will receive in a text message.

Does your website work for mobile?

Does this scenario seem a little crazy or far-fetched to you? Well, it is more realistic than you might think. In fact, it’s already happening.

Mobile Marketing Today

Mobile websites are not only used as a quick way to find information, but they have become yet another avenue for marketing campaigns. …Read more »