Put Twitter to Work for Your Business

You first opened a company Twitter account because everyone was doing it. You started to tweet because it was fun to try to get a full thought out in 140 characters or less. It probably didn’t take long before the honeymoon was over and tweeting became just one more thing on your to do list.

Before you let that Twitter account go cold, consider these tips for getting the most for your business out of this social media site.

Get Linked Up. Chances are if you are using or thinking of using Twitter, you probably already have a LinkedIn Group, Facebook Page, a blog or all of the above. Programs like TweetDeck integrate all of your social media sites allowing you to post content across multiple sites easily. Not only will this save time, but it will ensure your Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections are all receiving your posts.

Strike the Right Balance. Resist the urge to be overly promotional or "salesy." Your customers know that you are on Twitter to promote your business, but if you treat your account like a 24/7 infomercial, no one will be listening when you have something important to say. Start a conversation with your followers and give them a reason to listen.

Make Friends with the #. You’ve probably seen hashtags peppered through peoples’ tweets. Hashtags are a simple way to connect tweets about a specific topic. They make it easier for users to find tweets on a given subject. So why is this important to you? Twitter users often search hashtags for content from people they aren’t currently following. Using hashtags can be a great way to extend your reach and connect with your current audience in a new way.

Twitter can be a valuable way to communicate with your customers (and prospects) online. While it’s not a panacea, it can play a key role in an integrated branding and awareness campaign.

Still unsure how to get started? We can help!

Kaitlin Friedmann

PR Manager

kfriedmann@cmasolutions.com

CMA Displays its Many Talents to New Clients

CMA has begun launching marketing campaigns for three new clients: PIERS, Commercial Cleaning Corporation and KNF Neuberger.

For PIERS, a global trade intelligence organization, CMA is revamping its online presence through a custom-designed blog called Data in Motion, LinkedIn profile and Facebook page. CMA will additionally be conducting digital marketing for PIERS.

Commercial Cleaning Corporation, which offers maintenance services to both public and private sectors, turned to CMA update its brand including a the development of a comprehensive corporate brochure. After completion of this project, CMA plans to focus its efforts on the company’s website.

CMA is also working with KNF Neuberger, a manufacturer of diaphragm pumps for gases and liquids, supporting the company’s tradeshow sales follow up through digital and print communications.

Win with the One-Two Punch of Branding and Marketing

Branding and marketing are different but synergistic activities. 

Your brand is what prospects and customers say and think about your business. Marketing is what you say about your business, either in face-to-face settings or communicating through various media your target audiences deem credible and informative.

Driving brand and demand. You are in control of your brand and how your customers’ experience it through the products and services you deliver, the way you deliver them, the quality of customer interactions with your products and your employees as well as the value you add to those interactions.

Try it, you’ll like it. Customers are ultimately in control of your marketing success. Based on your ability to identify and communicate your company’s relevance to customers’ needs, challenges and aspirations, marketing drives awareness and trial of your company’s products or services. Successful marketing is about near-term customer action. Successful branding is about long-term customer reaction and retention. 

Marketing: the brand evangelist. To be successful marketing and branding must be symbiotic. For one thing, both need to be consistent. A successful brand results from marketing consistency. The customer comes to expect a brand will display the same qualities and benefits at each touchpoint with the company. As a brand’s evangelist, marketing serves as a constant reinforcement of brand consistency.

It begins with you. Marketing begins with the customer, branding begins at home. Busy as your company may be, introducing a new product or banging on the door of a new market segment is vital. Successful marketing references and supports the brand, while marketing’s more immediate task at hand basks in the brand’s stability.

ROI ASAP. If marketing ROI is about the quarterly profit battle, branding ROI is about the long-term marketing war. Marketing drives awareness, interest, desire and action while burnishing the brand’s ability to inspire customer loyalty, repeat sales and cross selling within a company’s product or service line.

Differentiation makes the difference. In today’s dynamic marketplace where true product/service differentiation is rare and price advantages are elusive, the synergy of branding and marketing is a primary means through which companies can build competitive differentiation by wielding meaningful, relevant and enduring relationships with their customers.

Jeffrey Barnhart

President and CEO

jbarnhart@cmasolutions.com

Put Life Into Your Blogs with Video

Keeping your blog fresh and engaging is an ongoing battle that can wear out even the most committed blogger. Once you’ve won the battle of capturing followers, or just regular visitors to your site, you have to consider how to keep them coming back. Video content is one way to help keep your blog fresh while giving readers a new way to interact with your business.

Here are some easy tips for incorporating videos into your blog strategy:

Put a face to the brand. It might be daunting to select a visible spokesperson to represent your brand, but in the end, building a personal connection with your target market will help your company build relationships that are crucial to growing business.

Consider the message. Jumping straight into lights, camera, action could result in a crash and burn situation. Take the time to consider what will be said or presented in the video. This isn’t the time for off the cuff remarks or adlibs.

Keep it simple.  With today’s technology, there isn’t always a need for green screens or video production studios. Video has come a long way from your mom’s heavy duty camcorder, but you will still want to take your time putting together your video blog. Keep an eye out for good lighting and an ear out for distracting background noise. This video will be an ongoing representation of your business. Make sure the end product meets business standards and doesn’t look like a home video.

Have some fun. Always consider the reader or in this case the viewer. They are already on your blog because they value your insights or are interested in your product line, but at the end of the day, no one wants to view a dull lecture. Keep things engaging with imagery and personable delivery. Give them a reason not to hit the STOP button.

Need help getting the camera’s rolling? Give us a call.

Erin Higgins

Director of Marketing Services

ehiggins@cmasolutions.com

Social Media: Do’s and Don’ts

It’s become pretty clear to businesses across the board—social media is here to stay. Now that you know you need to have a social media presence, let’s examine some best practices we’ve found work best for us and our clients.

1. Do participate. You might currently be what we in the social media business call “a lurker.” Maybe you have a Facebook profile, you check it once or twice a week, but you rarely provide your own status update. Social media is about two-way communication—don’t be afraid to test the waters. Share a funny article or quote your favorite author and show you are ready to engage with your friends. You will be rewarded with their feedback.

2. Don’t do it all at once. You’ve identified the need for a social media presence, but it can be overwhelming to launch everything at once without a clear plan. A good way to start is to launch a blog and post on at least a weekly basis and keep a schedule of what you’re going to post and when. Once the blog is launched, it gives you a solid foundation for future tweets and updates for your Facebook and LinkedIn walls.

3. Do maximize your time by using apps or tools that update across multiple platforms. HootSuite and TweetDeck are good examples of this—whatever your 140-character comment is for the day can be updated on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. all at once. You can even schedule posts throughout the day. This is especially important for businesses who want to keep a consistent message across all platforms.

4. Don’t be afraid to try new things! Social media changes every day and the most used platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn make updates to their inferface, policy changes and new privacy rules very frequently. Stay flexible with social media—it takes time to develop a following and is self-policing. Only the most consistent participants are rewarded with followers, fans and group members. Change it up to keep those folks engaged long-term.

Keep in mind, social media is growing and changing, AND best of all, open to new and frequent innovations! While there’s no charge to use these sites, often the biggest investment is time. Let us know if you’re ready to jump in and we’ll work with you to develop an organized schedule and customized approach to a successful social media campaign.

Kaitlin Friedmann

PR Manager

kfriedmann@cmasolutions.com

The Complex World of Healthcare Marketing

There are many different companies in the healthcare marketplace: pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, medical practices, device manufacturers, dental practices, mental health facilities and radiology companies among others—each with its own unique set of messages and goals. Knowing how to market these various companies is a challenge and an experienced marketing partner is needed to successfully navigate the market. What can CMA do for your healthcare company?

First, it is important to note that healthcare marketing is very complex and not “one size fits all.” It is important to help each company find the right mix to reach their target audience. CMA measures these efforts so as to leverage each firm’s unique products or services with a strategic eye for market research and other essential preliminary steps that will help healthcare companies secure more customers and grow a positive reputation.

Here are some other key ways CMA can help healthcare clients achieve marketing goals:

Define your market.

Pinpoint your core market through audits and market research.

Develop a strategic plan.

Create a plan that incorporates the vision and goals of your business or practice, and how to achieve them. CMA’s Marketecture^TM process has helped create a strategic blueprint for many healthcare companies over our 24 year history.

Create a budget.

Lay out what you want to accomplish and create a budget that best optimizes your dollars.

Implement your plan.

Roll out a program that is unique and specific to your company’s goals.

Manage your program.

CMA account executives revisit your plan frequently to help keep it on track.

With stiff competition in all fields of medicine, it is important to promote your brand in such a way to capitalize on your strengths and communicate your expertise to your markets in as many ways as possible. This is an ongoing challenge and one that requires a certain amount of sophistication and market savvy. Many companies have entire in-house staffs that handle all their marketing and communications needs while others seek outside help. 

CMA has developed specialized marketing expertise and industry knowledge over the years to implement strategic branding and marketing programs for clients ranging from healthcare manufacturing to healthcare providers and service businesses. When you are thinking of healthcare marketing, think of CMA. Give us a call to see what our strategic marketing team can do for you.

Jeffrey Barnhart

President and CEO

jbarnhart@cmasolutions.com

CMA Staff Recognizes Jennifer Thayer

CMA is proud to recognize Jennifer Thayer as being the company’s first Crew Star program winner for 2011! The Crew Star program recognizes a CMA employee every quarter for exemplifying CMA’s core values and going above and beyond.

Jen is responsible for event planning and promotions, member services and providing direct strategic and tactical support both on and off-site for CMA association clients. A driven leader, Jen has been responsible for brainstorming and implementing critical member benefit enhancements. A resident of Freehold, NJ and a graduate of Boston College, Jen has been with CMA for three years.

Jen was selected by her peers for her exceptional response to client needs, positive energy, passion for her work and ability to overcome challenges. As 2011’s first quarter Crew Star, Jen will enjoy perks such as a prime parking spot, lunch with the executive team and her picture on the wall in the CMA reception area.

Congratulations Jen!