Blog / 2009 / May

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Be on the Lookout for the New Google

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

Tgoogle 265x105 Be on the Lookout for the New Googlehere is a new website in the works that we here at Promoting Group are keeping our eyes on, and we think that you should too. Currently, Google holds 60% of the market shares for search engine sites, with Yahoo! following in a distance second place. Microsoft has now decided that they want a piece of the pie, and has announced plans to launch Bing, their answer to the search-engine phenomenon that has become the American way.

It’s hard to imagine a world without Google, though it hasn’t been that long since the world was just that. Before Google came sweeping into our lives with it’s unfathomable email allowance bandwidth, near-perfect maps and satellite images, and the why-didn’t-I-think-of-that email “conversations,” there were Yahoo!, Ask Jeeves, (which is now just known as www.ask.com) and the less-popular, though highly-efficient, DogPile.

Then Google was born, and the world changed. The word “google” is now officially in Webster’s dictionary both as a noun describing the site, and as a verb. The phrase “to google” something is now used on a daily basis by those young and old. In the days BG (Before Google), if you didn’t know an answer, you were told to “look it up.” Now, you are told to “google it.”

It’s no wonder then that Microsoft should want a part of the search-engine brand action. It’s said that the Bing advertising campaign will cost over $100 million. As for what will distinguish Bing from Google and other search engine sites, that seems to not quite be known yet. Some have speculated, but for now it seems that the only concrete evidence available is that Bing will be a type of search engine, and users will be encouraged to “Bing it” instead of “Google it.”

Will Bing truly be able to draw Google-lovers away from the site that has become such an integral part of our lives? And if Bing does manage to win over search-engine site goers, what about all of the other aspects of Google? Gmail? G-Chat? Google Maps? Google Images? Google Earth? Google Satellite View? Will Bing stand a chance? Could the Google Era truly be coming to a close?

The questions are endless, so I guess we really will have to wait and see what Bing has to offer once it is launched (which is estimated to be sometime this week or early next week). Keep your eyes open, your search-engine questions ready, and your SEO techniques flexible, as we wait to see if Bing offers Google any true competition.

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Posted in News and Updates, Search Engine Optimization | No Comments »

Tips on creating Twitter Background

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

There is no doubt that Twitter is one of the hottest thing online right now, and it is addicting. Some people like to use a simple pattern, some with their contact information on it. In order to design a background that works best for you, you need to know at least how the mechanic works. Twitter ’s content area is 440px wide and always horizontally aligned to the center of the screen. What it means is the content areas will float to the center depending on the viewer’s screen size and resolution. Proposal Writet Adam Plitt’s Twitter is a good example, and indeed very well thought out.

good twitter bg 1 Tips on creating Twitter Background
This is how the background looks on 1024 x 768 resolution

You can see his background with him holding the content area fits perfectly to the screen on 1024 x 768 resolution, which is what most people would be using these days.

good twitter bg 2 Tips on creating Twitter Background

This is how it looks on an unusual 1440 x 900 resolution

And you can see on the right size of his background, the content area covers his left hand slightly because the background is not designed for a widescreen monitor like the one I am using with 1440 x 900 resolution.

Adam actually really put a lot of thoughts in when he designed this background, and you will know why in a second. I downloaded his background itself off the Twitter and know that the image has a split on the right.

good twitter bg 3 Tips on creating Twitter Background

This is because the image background is designed for 2 different, but most common screen resolution, 1024 and 1280 in width. It can be tricky when it comes to design Twitter background, because you will never know what resolution of people are using. The only thing you can do is, know your audience, and design it with a certain demographic in mind.

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Posted in Design Tips | No Comments »

Humor in Marketing

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Everyone likes a funny advertisement. Whether it’s a catchy jingle on the radio, a silly picture on a billboard, or a laugh-out-loud commercial during the Super Bowl, funny almost always seems to win.

It is no wonder then that many marketers and advertisers are turning to humor to spice up their products and services during the recession. McDonald’s dropped their cheerful “We Love to See You Smile” jingle for the now-infamous “Filet-O-Fish” commercial, which became an immediate internet sensation on YouTube and hilarious, yet frustrating, jingle that no one can seem to get out of their heads.

Did this humorous ad bring McDonald’s more business than before? It’s doubtful. McDonald’s is an international company who is well-established among the masses. Since the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish© sandwich has never been their biggest seller, we also doubt that millions of people ran off to McDonald’s to give it a try upon seeing the funny (yet slightly disturbing) ad.

So why go funny?

For one thing, everyone can use a laugh. As previously mentioned, McDonald’s is an established company, who is probably affected by the recession, but it is doubtful that they were previously suffering from lack of decent advertising. So why not give the people a laugh? It is good for mental health, for physical health, for productivity, and is desperately needed in this depressed economy.

Secondly, catchy humor can be incredibly useful for those companies who are not so well established. The Red House furniture store in North Carolina went from a slow, local business, to an internationally-recognized brand who can barely keep up with the ringing phones. Their latest commercial, filmed in the store and featuring real employees and customers as their actors, became an internet sensation on YouTube with over a million hits. The commercial is ridiculous, and features bad acting, bad lighting, bad comedic timing, a bad jingle, and a gimmick based entirely on the idea that The Red House sells furniture for black people and white people (“and Hispanic people too. And ALL people!”). The commercial is absurd, yet we here at Promoting Group dare you to watch it without cracking a smile.

In conclusion, using humor in marketing can work wonders—it can give people a brief lift and even put your business on the map if your commercial or marketing is funny enough. Be careful though—what is funny to one person isn’t necessarily funny to another. Also be careful when playing with things like race, sexuality, or violence. While some clever ads, such as The Red House one, can pull off saying things like “this couch is perfect for a black person…or a white person!” you never want your ad to come off as offensive. Make sure you screen your ad or marketing strategy by many people to ensure that your ad is both funny and non-offensive. With that in mind, keep the creative juices flowing and see what you come up with.

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Posted in News and Updates | No Comments »

Be Tech-Savvy but People-Friendly

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

We here at Promoting Group are always encouraging our clients and other business owners to be tech-savvy and to keep up-to-date with the latest multimedia trends and innovations. It is important to network through social media sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace for both networking purposes and also to let your clients know that you are in full knowledge of all the latest internet marketing and socializing trends. It is important that you can communicate with your customers on any technological level—through email, Twitter, Google Chat, Skype, instant message, text message, voice message, or message board. It is important to make sure your website is streamlined, user-friendly, and full of useful content. There should be no questions about your company or what services you offer—your website should answer all of those in an up-front and concise manner. These are the markings of a technology- and internet-savvy company, and a modern marketing and PR plan.

While it is immensely important for any company in this day and age to take advantage of internet, technology, and social media marketing advances, it is just as important to maintain traditional customer-service skills. Websites, technological innovations and communication devices, and social media networks are meant to enhance customer service and customer interaction, not replace them. It is imperative that a customer can access your services and information via a website, but it is just as imperative that a customer can call your offices and receive helpful, friendly customer service via the phone from a real person, not a computer-automated messaging service.

Even the most technologically-savvy of us have felt the frustration of being “locked out” of a company. There are contact forms, Frequently Asked Questions lists, question robots, and automated messaging systems everywhere, but sometimes nothing can compete with good old human interaction. Up-to-date technology systems show customers that you are modern, knowledgeable, and scientifically advanced; this will draw customers to your business. Friendly, helpful, person-to-person customer service shows customers that you care; this will keep your customers coming back.

So keep moving forward with social media networking, internet marketing, and technological advancements. This will keep your company looking fresh, working efficiently, and growing with the times. However, never forget the grass-roots of any successful business—customer service. Answer your customers’ questions, make friends with your clients, and always be ready to offer friendly customer service from a real person. There is nothing quite as impressive as a company with the newest technology, but there is nothing quite as comforting as a sympathetic and helpful ear.

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Posted in Branding and Identity, Reputation Management, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »

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Who We Are: Promoting Group is an internet marketing company whose priority is to make your organization rise above the competition. We are a group of talented and dedicated individuals with a passion for marketing and demonstrated skill in public relations and search engine optimization. We will custom-tailor marketing strategies that are right for you and ...

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