Satow Strategies delivers world-class branding, naming as well as traditional and e-marketing solutions for any-sized businesses.

• Strategic messaging and taglines
• Brand strategies
• Unique selling propositions
• Product names
• Marketing plans
• Marcom plans
• Social networking strategies
• Web content

Satow Speedbranding sessions are like Group Therapy for your Brand. Suddenly, your messages are clear…your communications is more effective…heck…you’re feeling better than ever!

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Maybe the mere fact that you’re not alone in your dilemma makes you feel better. But I have three key suggestions for how to stay on top of your company’s social networking tasks that should help take the load off even more:

1. Set a realistic schedule. Where is it written that your eNews has to hit your customers’ inboxes on the same day every month? I hate to disappoint you but chances are your clients and prospects are too busy to notice that your publication arrived later this month than last. Relax, write when you can and send your work out only when you’re good and ready.
2. Take it one program at a time. People ask me if they really need to do it all – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. The answer is a resounding NO. But they do need to determine which Web 2.0 media are right for them at any given time. Twitter is all about hyper-communicating, helping your customer keep in touch with the moment-to-moment  ”pulse” of your business. Facebook is great for building a network of  “friends’ to keep close to your day-to-day activities and business updates. LinkedIn is a wonderful tool for connecting with people you’ve worked with in the past and those you hope to work with in the future. All you have to do is choose a vehicle and get on the road to Web 2.0.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are many outstanding experts out there who understand the nuances, strengths and weaknesses of social media and how to make them work in your market segment. There are also some great writers and bloggers who can take the writing load off of you and deliver quality writing and  instill your materials with a unique perspective and a high level of professionalism.

When you’re ready to tap into the power of Web 2.0, call Satow Strategies at 602-481-1942 or email us at info@satowstrategies.com. It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

1.  Take baby steps.
It’s a good idea to start small by simply creating a profile on one or two select social networking sites to become familiar with the territory. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are great places to start — these sites really seem to resonate as exciting new marketing vehicles for businesses everywhere. In addition, industry-specific sites with chats and blogs can be invaluable as well. Build up your network of personal and professional contacts and then, once you’ve got your feet wet, you can take the plunge try creating a “company page” on Facebook or starting a group on LinkedIn.

2.  Keep it new.
Be sure your personal profile and company information are up-to-date and strive to generate fresh and interesting content on a regular basis. If you’re stumped about things to write about, follow the tried-and-true rules of good marketing and focus on your area of expertise. For instance, if you’re a solar energy start-up, tweet about solar topics and provide links to interesting industry articles and news posts. If you’re a financial advisor, offer your insights on day’s market activity. Don’t worry about overloading your fans and followers because they can always adjust their settings and usage to read your posts at their leisure or not at all. 

3. Seek expert advice.
Since social networking is so new, to some degree, we’re all still learning as we go and defining best practices in real time. But there are already some highly knowledgeable experts and consultants around offering everything from free Tips & Tricks to full-court services such as content development, site optimization and website integration. Sign up for free webinars and search Twitter for postings from topic experts. There’s a lot to learn and a lot to be gained in the process.

Satow Strategies is here to help along the way with any of your social networking needs. Contact us at info@satowstrategies.com or (602) 481-1942.

Traditionally, when we think of good writing, we often think that the creative adage, “Less is More”, is a good rule of thumb to write by. While it is still true that good content should be well-written and compelling, several new dimensions now come into play when it comes to defining what makes good writing in the age of the Internet.

Here’s a list of short list of tips to live by when it comes to producing good quality writing for your website:

More is More:
Content developed for the Internet is often better when it’s chock-full of keywords to attract more and better qualified leads in your target market segment. If the search engines cannot find you, hot prospects may not find you either. Therefore, be sure you regularly monitor and evaluate your web site in relation to keyword presence and search engine metrics.
Be Clear: When customers and prospects are browsing your website, they are not necessarily interested in reading every word. More likely than not, they will be clicking through, quickly searching for key ideas and data that’s directly relevant to their needs. Therefore, stick with the facts, highlight what’s important and, by all means, keep things very simple and easy to understand. Visually highlighting titles and key words can be very helpful in catching their eye and capturing their interest.

Stay Connected: In the realm of the internet, it seems that water seeks its own level. You are often associated with the partners and customers who link to your site and who let you link to theirs. Proactively connect with your customers, partners and other industry associates, leveraging their position and your own as you cross-reference each other on your respective sites. This affords your customers and prospects convenience and easy access to the information they need while, at the same time, let’s you and your associates tap into the power of shared information to elevate your respective brands.

Get Organized: When it comes to developing your web design and navigation bar, be sure you’re covering all the important bases that you need. Typical sections that visitors often expect to see include: About Us, Products/Services, Capabilities, News & Events and Contact Us. Of course, if your site also serves as an on-line store, be sure you have an easy to find and access “Shopping” section. Your site map design says a lot about your company and your brand so be sure you plan ahead before jumping in and spending money on the implementation process.

Deliver Quality:
The more your company can be positioned as expert in your field and the more your website can be seen as a hub for critical data, the easier it will be to attract qualified leads and future prospects. Copy written to simplify complex concepts, define industry buzzwords and aggregate critical links and statistics can serve your market segment well and, in turn, translates into potential market share for you.

When you’re ready to plan your new website or get started on redesigning an existing site, contact Satow Strategies at 602-481-1942 or info@satowstrategies.com to learn more about how strategic planning and design can boost your site’s value and effectiveness ten-fold.

Visit www.SatowStrategies.com to learn more about outstanding branding, marketing and communications solutions for any company, large and small.

© 2007 Satow Strategies, LLC

Websites designed as electronic brochures are always popular. They are useful when you already have leads for your business and you want to direct them to a convenient place on the web to learn more about your company and its products and services. However, more and more companies are looking to the Internet to not only inform customers about their offerings but to actually bring in new prospects and customers in the first place. That is where the following key methods come in handy:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Wikipedia: Improving the number and/or quality of visitors to a web site from “natural” (aka “organic” or “algorithmic” search engine) listings. • Search Engine Marketing (SEM) – Wikipedia: A set of marketing methods to increase the visibility of a website in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Here are some important steps that can get help any company or group, large or small, started in optimizing their site to attract new traffic, tap into the power of internet marketing, and convert prospects into customers:

1. Keyword Research and Site Evaluation Your current web site is evaluated to determine keyword presence, the quality of your content and HTML coding. Research is performed to determine the most effective words to target based on current search trends, relative competition and your target audience.

2. Site Optimization Key pages in your web site are optimized based on the recommended target search terms. Additionally, new pages of specifically optimized content may also be added to your site.

3. Submission Your web site is manually submitted to major search engines and web directories to insure any new site edits are re-cataloged as quickly as possible. It may take several weeks for new SEO pages to be fully cataloged.

4. Link Building The link popularity of your web site is increased by gaining inbound links from highly qualified, relevant web sites. One-way links and reciprocal links are carefully obtained. These links are an important component to raising your position in search engines. In addition, they can send a good deal of traffic directly to your site and help build brand awareness.

5. Monitoring and Maintenance Changes to search catalogs do not occur instantly. It is critical that the position of your web site in the search engines be routinely monitored. Minor updates will be made to fine tune your site content based on its performance. Additional incoming links will be obtained, and search engine catalogs will be evaluated to insure any updates to your site are properly reviewed and indexed.

Summary
It is also important to understand that the process of increasing your search engine rankings takes time. Many factors affect how quickly your rankings change. You may see dramatically increased rankings for some terms within a couple weeks while other terms may require several months or more to gain noticeably increased positions. It is not uncommon to have very different rankings for the same term across Google, Yahoo and MSN. Each search engine uses a unique process to catalog your site. SEO and SEM are critical methods of growing you business in today’s Internet-focused world. Working with an industry expert to get on board with these methods and manage the necessary steps efficiently and effectively is one of the most important business decisions you can make.

And, as companies the world over have already discovered, it is well worth the effort.

© Macy Creative and Satow Strategies, LLC*

Other trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.

by Paula Satow, Managing Member, Satow Strategies, LLC

If your home is your castle then your company’s home page must be one of your firm’s most valuable assets. And, just like a house works best when it is designed for the family who lives there, so, too, a Web site’s design works best when it is tailored to fit the business or group it represents. If you sell retail products, your Web site should look like a store your customers never want to leave. If you sell your services or expertise, then your site should uniquely showcase your unique prowess. This all sounds pretty basic and, yet, many companies do not spend enough time defining the basic functionality of their site before implementing a design. You can start with this simple, three-step analysis:

Step One: Consider whether your site will be “Read-only” or “Read-Write”
Although the Web is still in its nascence, Web applications are already in their second generation. Now, instead of being “Read-Only” in nature – where 100% of the content is developed by the company and for the company – new sites are springing up everywhere that are “Read-Write” in nature. Such sites boost the added dimension of allowing visitors to post content to them – they are more by the people and for the people. With the added dimension that Read-Write sites promise to deliver, the Internet may never be the same. This is a bandwagon that your firm may be advised to jump on. So, before you commit to a new Web site design, consider how the added interaction of visitor/customer postings can help you build your brand. For instance, Read-Write site, YouTube, was just sold to Google for over $1.5 Billion. Talk about brand valuation!

Step Two: Consider the basic functionality of your new site
Web sites can serve a host of purposes and companies can design their site’s primary functionality around their business model and financial goals. Common site models include:
E-Brochure: Perhaps the most common category of Web sites today, e-brochure sites help companies and organizations provide a one-stop resource to convey basic information on what makes their company tick.
E-Store: Many companies use the Web as a way to sell their products and services in an e-commerce environment.
E-Network: Social networking is one of the Internet’s newest buzzwords. Web sites that serve as a resource-finder to help people locate everything from new friends to new business suppliers are becoming more prevalent.
Content Portal: Companies who offer content expertise around a particular industry or content area design their sites for quick, easy access to comprehensive information around their focus segment.
Web-based Application: From on-line project management to sales force tools to media downloading, many web portals are centered around application functionality to help individuals and businesses access the capabilities they need to live and work better.

Step Three: Keep It S-I-M-P-L-E
No matter what type of site you decide is best for your organization, when it finally comes time to produce it and roll it out, remember to keep it Short, Intuitive, Motivating, Leveraged, Positioned and Elegant.

Short – When a site is too wordy, you can loose visitors within one or two clicks. Remember, Google revolutionized the Internet and their site design is as simple and basic as can be.
Intuitive – Design your site to be visual and easy to grasp at a glance. The Internet is a real-time, visual medium. Take advantage of its sights, sounds and action to more readily convey your key messages and brand essence. Remember, if one picture is worth a thousand words, then one digital image can help you capture a new customer in a snap.
Motivating – Include a clear call to action right up front and across the site to be sure visitors understand the possibilities it represents.
Positioned – Be sure to include a clear positioning statement that conveys how different you are from the competition. If prospects are confused about what you stand for, you will lose them as fast as you can say, “Click Here.”
Leveraged – Effectively tap into the power of your brand and the brands of your strategic partners to help ensure that your Web site strategically conveys their true meaning and business value.
Elegant – Create a design that is well-organized and well-engineered. Use exciting techniques like flash and sound effects but do not overuse them. Over-engineering a site can slow down a site and make even the best special effects appear gratuitous and trite.

*Other trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.

These days, marketers everywhere understand the sheer power and immeasurable value of the Internet. Thanks to a torrent of tools available online, we can use the web to identify strategies, research industries and even implement programs to enhance our bottom line. And, if you are like me, there are a few websites in particular that have become my secret weapons and I return to them again and again. They have made my job easier and my results more tangible than I ever dreamed possible. But, since there are no secrets, I thought I would share my five favorite online marketing tools with all my fellow marketers. Of course, please feel free to share your favorite secret weapons with me too!

1. The WayBack Machine www.archive.org/web/web.php The “Wayback Machine” is a service of the Internet Archive. Through it, you can visit a website’s archived pages. Like the Ghost of Websites Past, it allows you to surf through 55 billion (!) web pages that have been archived since 1996. Imagine the thrill of exploring a company’s old web site designs, its past press coverage or its communications from decades past. Witnessing a business’ past can only help when it comes time to plan its future.

2. Trademark Search Engine www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm Conduct one trademark search on the TESS (Trademark Electronic Search System) system and you’ll quickly understand the power of this indispensable search engine. TESS contains more than four million pending, registered, and dead federal trademarks. It is an invaluable tool for marketing people in search of the perfect brand name, marketing term, or tagline. The USPTO main site at http://www.uspto.gov/ is also very helpful.

3. Visual Thesaurus http://www.visualthesaurus.com/ As a writer both of marketing materials and fiction, I have often dreamed about a resource just like this one. Thanks to Thinkmap (http://www.thinkmap.com/), this dream is now a reality. Visual Thesaurus is a commanding 3D visualization tool for finding just the right word. This site literally brings words to life, forming highly interactive and animated displays of words, related words, and their meanings. Marketers cannot go wrong when they are looking for the right word. You can try it out at no charge and annual subscriptions are quite reasonable.

4. Enterprise Search Platform http://www.grokker.com/ Grokker (named comes from the term “to grok” — to deeply understand — from Heinlein’s science fiction novel, Stranger in a Strange Land) is an enterprise search engine from Groxis that enhances the ability to “explore, organize, and share digital information.” It links corporate databases, subscription content, and search engines to create highly visual and interactive maps about any subject under the sun and then some. Market research will never be the same.

5. Branding Newsletter http://www.brandchannel.com/ Founded in 2001, Interbrand’s Brand Channel claims to be “the world’s only online exchange about branding.” I think this site is a valuable resource for brand practitioners everywhere. Offering a truly global perspective on brands and enough articles, glossaries, white papers and book reviews on the subject to sink a ship, this website should be a regular click stop for any marketer in virtually any industry.

When you want help tapping into the power of the internet to enhance your marketing capabilities, please contact Satow Strategies at 602-481-1942 or info@satowstrategies.com. We’re ready to help you succeed.

*Other trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.