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Building a YouTube presence takes time, work, commitment, and creativity. The social media marketing experts atNew Media Marketinghave created a beginner’s guide for building your presence on YouTube:

• TurnYour Watermark into a Subscribe Button

This strategy is like a cheat code for getting new subscribers. You probably already know that you can add a branded watermark to your YouTube videos. A branded watermark is a little icon that sits on the bottom right-hand corner of your video. These watermarks are a great idea because it allows people to subscribe to your channel without stopping the video or leaving the page.

Make your watermark look like a subscribe button by putting it into a rectangular, red box, similar to the YouTubesubscribe button. This simple change can significantly increase your subscriber count.

• Use “The Top Formula”

It’s no secret that a YouTube channel trailer can turn random visitors into loyal subscribers. The question is how do you create a trailer that actually works? The answer is “the top formula”. This formula is a three-step process that gets results. Here’s how:

1. 1. Target Audience:

Address your target audience in the first 10 seconds of your trailer. At this point, the person watching your video isn’t sure if your channel is for them. That’s why they are watching your trailer in the first place, so you want to start your trailer off by saying who your channel is for.

2. 2. Origin Story:

Here’s your chance to explain why you created your YouTube channel in the first place. Your originstory will help you explain what sets your channel apart from your competitors in your niche. It also helps your viewers relate to you as a person, which makes them more likely to subscribe.

3. 3. Pitch to subscribe:

At this point, your viewer is very close to subscribing to your channel. All they need is a little push. Don’t be afraid to ask people to subscribe to your channel. In fact, YouTube recommends that you end your trailer with an explicit call to action for your viewers to subscribe. Add a five to ten-second screen at the end of your video that displays a prominent subscribe button.

• ShareYour Contenton Other Social Media Platforms

YouTube is already the second biggest search engine, but you can make sure your video content travels even further by sharing your videos on other platforms. Add a blog post with a short intro to your blog and embed new videos into posts. Share your YouTube video on Facebook, YouTube, and even on Instagram (by adding the link to your bio page).

• Engage with Viewers

YouTube users regularly leave comments in the comment section below videos. Check back on your videos regularly and reply to questions and queries below. A good idea is to check the comments for future topic ideas. That way, you can start crafting contentthat appeals to your direct target audience.

Need more information about social media marketing? Then contact our local SEO company today.

The holiday season is just around the corner and Black Friday and Cyber Monday are huge events that every business should capitalize on. The sales figures from last year’s retailers show remarkable spikes in purchases.

In 2016, American and UK-based online retailers alike saw their traffic explode on Black Friday, with 220% more sessions than a normal day (according to research by econsultancy.com). Statistics by Techcrunch.com showed that despite significant discounts, Black Friday sales totalled $3.34-billion spent online (a 21.6% increase year over year). Fortune Magazine reported that Cyber Monday sales in 2016 broke records, reeling in $3.25-billion.

Instead of taking a back seat and watching your competitors make money, be proactive and consider the following ways to give your sales a massive boost:

Slash your prices

Consumers are used to being able to rake in mega savings on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so make sure your products are also available at discounted prices. While a below-average price tag isn’t necessarily a great idea for a random promotion, you can move a lot of stock during this time of year so it’s worthwhile to jump on the bandwagon and offer lower prices than usual.

Come up with a freebie

Everyone loves to get something for nothing. If you have products that simply aren’t selling, consider adding them as an extra freebie upon a purchase. You could also consider offering free shipping if a certain number of products are purchased.

Service-based savings

If your business is service based or based on a subscription model, then you can also tap into the Black Friday and Cyber Monday frenzy. Offer a free trial of your software or a free consultation.

Run a competition

Competitions are a great way to boost engagement with your brand and increase your number of social media followers and newsletter subscribers. Host a contest that will excite both your existing and potential customers. If you can incorporate a social-sharing element, where people generate their own content and share it across their networks, even better!

Create comprehensive campaigns

A solid digital marketing strategy means that you have to hit a number of touchpoints. Instead of a single email blast, work with a social media or internet marketing expert to create a steady stream of content related to your Black Friday and Cyber Monday offerings. Your target audience should be seeing what you have to offer on their phones, social media feeds, on your website and in their inboxes.

You will need effective social media marketing and SEO marketing for your Black Friday and Cyber Monday initiatives, so contact WSI New Media Marketing in Greensboro, North Carolina for everything from Pay Per Click advertising and mobile content marketing today.

When it comes to your business, your brand is key to building a loyal customer base and differentiating your products.  Although brand marketing and strategy are essential parts of the success puzzle, it’s also things that small business owners tend to find the hardest to fit in their day-to-day duties.

Sound familiar?  If so, you’re in good company.  In honor of making your brand marketing efforts a little bit easier, we’ve compiled some helpful tips:

• Be You.  This may seem obvious, but somewhere between market competition and striving to be successful, small businesses can lose their unique identities.  Be mindful of the attributes that make your company special, and embrace and communicate the personality and values of your business.  Know your competitive advantage, and use it to build your brand.  Understand what sets you apart from The Other Guy, and incorporate it into your messaging.  

• Cast a Wide Net, but Stay Consistent.  Brand marketing is a cumulative effect of every interaction you have with your customers.  This means that every time you touch someone, you’re leaving an impression of your brand on them.  To continue to grow your sales funnel, you may need to reach far and wide, but it’s important to maintain consistency so you don’t cause confusion with your consumers.  All of your web content, images, marketing collateral, social media posts, and promo products should be aligned with your company’s identity and unique values.

• Socialize.  You need to establish yourself as an authority in your industry in order to gain the trust of your consumers.  Build your brand on social media by interacting with your followers, and offer tidbits and tricks that can make their lives a little easier where your industry is concerned.  When people see you as a trusted resource, they’re more likely to come to you when they’re ready to purchase products and services.  Plus, reliable, helpful information and an occasional discount or free tip is more likely to be shared among your followers’ networks, allowing you to gain more exposure.

• Invest in Great Branding.  Your logo, website, and business cards are foundational to your branding and aren’t places where you should skimp on the budget.  Invest in professional companies who help build brands for a living, and you’ll put a better foot forward.

Great brand marketing is all-encompassing.  From engaging social media to business cards, it’s all about staying true to who you are as a business.  

WSI announces that it has recently been awarded the contract to complete the digital rebranding of United Methodist Communities, a non-profit group of New Jersey assisted living communities and senior housing communities across the state.

For 109 years, United Methodist Homes has been a leader provider of senior living and care with 10 locations across New Jersey serving thousands of adults. Over that time the brand has grown and expanded its charter to reflect the needs of its communities, residents and families. In a major rebranding activity the organization has changed its name to United Methodist Communities and adopted the tagline, “Abundant Life for Seniors”.

When it came time to select an agency to manage the digital rebranding activity, WSI participated in a competitive bid process and was selected to design the websites, implement and manage the transition strategy of the reinvigorated brand across 8 separate websites and scores of other digital properties. “We selected WSI owing to the high quality of their design proposal and the results to date from their previous digital marketing initiatives” says Stephanie Coutros, Digital Marketing Director for the company. “We look forward to a continued relationship with the WSI team.”

The company’s larger statewide brand presence will be reflected in a series of web properties which represent the individual communities, the corporate entity, and the UMC Foundation which is the charitable donation arm of the brand. New to the brand is also UMC HomeWorks, a new service dedicated to supporting seniors in their homes around the communities. The revised individual community names retain their heritage, but align with the parent organization;

• United Methodist Communities at Bristol Glen (Newton)
• United Methodist Communities at Collingswood (Collingswood)
• United Methodist Communities at Francis Asbury (Ocean Grove)
• United Methodist Communities at Pitman (Pitman)
• United Methodist Communities at The Shores (Ocean City)

WSI’s Rebranding Strategy for United Methodist Communities

Any kind of rebranding activity is a complex affair, especially one involving such an established brand with multiple locations all with individual digital assets. The WSI approach to rebranding is comprehensive and includes the following major elements:

1. Design of a cohesive the look of the brand across its web properties.
2. Increase the type and variety of conversion tactics used, and improve the use of video and enhanced photography.
3. Minimize the impact of NAP changes on local search prominence through careful review of hundreds of existing brand syndications.
4. Create a large mass of blogs and other content to quickly and consistently increase the presence of the new brand using sites like Blogger, Weebly, WordPress, and Tumblr.
5. Determine a care redirect strategy that preserves most of the domain authority achieved through the old domain.
6. Prepare a rebranding strategy for primary and secondary social media channels with new graphics and copy where appropriate
7. Implement more advanced analytics for goal and event tracking of new elements like video views, loyalty, demographics, as well as conversion analysis
8. Monitor results, make changes, repeat.

The WSI approach is characterized by careful attention to detail and proactive engagement with the client team, and staff to create a real team oriented rebranding activity.

Call WSI for a Digital Branding Overview

No one has more experience in creating a digital brand than WSI having done this for hundreds of clients over our 20 year history. If you are contemplating a rebrand of your company or franchised business, you owe it to yourself to call us today.

This Blog originally published at http://www.wsinetmarketing.com/wsi-umc-rebranding-seo/

People love to spend money on Valentine’s Day!

According to the National Retail Foundation, Americans spent an average of $142.31 on Valentine’s Day last year. Just over half of adults celebrated the holiday, bringing the total amount spent in 2015 to a whopping $18.9 billion. If you want a piece of the pie, you have to start thinking about your promotional schedule. You won’t be the only business trying to capitalize on the holiday, so you must be creative in your thinking.

Choose Your Promotion

The goal of your promotional schedule is to drive sales, so create awareness of what you’re offering. Maybe it’s a small gift, free gift wrapping or a classic discount. Even the most traditional brands can run a Valentine’s Day promotion with the right message, so don’t think that you can’t gain from this holiday just because you don’t sell red roses or boxes of chocolates.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

• Offer a special discount for your customer and the person they love.
• Give a small gift to customers.
• Present a rose with each purchase.
• Provide free gift wrapping.
• Offer a S.A.D. (Single Awareness Day) discount.
• Donate your time to a charity and talk about it.

Launch an Email Drip Campaign

Email marketing is one of the best options for reaching customers on Valentine’s Day. You can easily segment your lists based on gender, activity, interests and age. For example, men and women have different needs. Men are thinking, “I want to get her something special,” while women may be thinking, “I can’t wait to see what he gets me!”

The more you can personalize your emails, the better. People will be receiving an extra number of emails due to the holiday, and they’ll probably be heavy on the “delete” button. By sending out a series of emails, you can create awareness around the holiday and get customers thinking about your brand.

Publish Related Content

Create content around your promotion and Valentine’s Day in general. Your goal is to get people thinking about the holiday and motivated to spend money on their significant other. Content ideas include “Ways to Surprise a Significant Other,” “The Best Gifts for Valentine’s Day” or even a simple recipe for heart-shaped pancakes. Include a call to action on each piece of content to increase conversions.

Create Anticipation

It’s best to create anticipation a couple of months in advance, but we’re working on a tight schedule here. The good news is that the anticipation you do create will lead to instant decision making. If people want their gift in time for Valentine’s Day, they have to stop into your store or order your product today. Start posting information on your social media channels to get your customers geared up. A custom image or sneak peek of your promotion is a great way to get customers excited.

It’s not too late to create a successful Valentine’s Day promotional schedule for your brand! All you need to get started is an offer and a call with WSI New Media Marketing.

WSI New Media Marketing in Greensboro wishes you a prosperous 2016!.

WSI, the world’s largest internet marketing company, announces it has partnered with Fluoramics Inc. makers of HinderRUST™ (http://www.hinderrust.com), the worlds most advanced rust inhibitor and automotive undercoating product.

HinderRUST™ is the first scientifically formulated rust inhibitor with surface-active adsorption chemistry, preventing rust longer and more completely than any other rust preventer in the world. The Rust Stopping power of HinderRUST™ was developed by world-renowned lubricant chemist Franklin G. Reick, also the inventor of Tufoil, an engine oil lubrication additive that holds the Guinness Book record as the world’s most efficient lubricant.

What Sets HinderRUST™ Apart

Unlike most other rust inhibitors, HinderRUST™ is based on solid science and chemistry. As a surface active product, HinderRUST™ attacks existing corrosion and displaces moisture as it reaches deep into the smallest areas to penetrate the base metal, putting an end to rust and corrosion without needing to be reapplied every season.

Applications for HinderRUST™ include:

• Industrial Machinery
• Prevents rust during transit or storage of metal products
• Maritime or shore side equipment
• Auto and Truck undercoating
• Household tools and equipment
• Leisure Vehicle preservation and leisure Equipment
• Special Formula for Guns and Firearm rust protection.

WSI Marketing Program for National Brand Development

WSI consulted on the design and development of the HinderRUST ecommerce website and designed a broad national marketing program, which is focused both consumer and corporate clients. The program is designed to build brand recognition and awareness for the rapidly growing product line. Target markets were identified and a fully custom marketing program and custom content were conceived. The WSI team then expertly weaved these new concepts into the visual and structural redesign of their existing website and all online brand properties.

Through its elite national branding program, WSI customized a content strategy for HinderRUST™ through on-page and off-page activities. Using our unique and proprietary techniques of Search Engine Optimization, WSI conducted an in-depth keyword study in order to better understand how customers will search for terms related to the brand. These key search terms were then mapped into a strategic hierarchy for the company website and a series of technical and content specifications. WSI’s National SEO Program will also produce quality blog, graphic, social media and video content to syndicate on external web properties including Tumblr, WordPress, and Weebly in addition to several other WSI exclusive media and content distribution hubs.

Contact WSI Today

For further details on WSI’s capabilities and strategies around SEO, SEM, Paid Search, and online marketing opportunities in general, please contact us for a free marketing analysis and consultation.

This blog was originally posted at http://www.wsinetmarketing.com/wsi-partners-with-hinderrust/

The goal of any business is to grow a loyal customer base that actively engages with your brand. This five step plan and combination of web strategies will ultimately help you stand out from the crowd and realize increases in repeat business.

When following these five tips, your brand stands out, remains top of mind and is well positioned when it is time for your audience to buy! If you’d like to learn more about brand promotion for your company, WSI New Media Marketing in Greensboro can help. Give us a try!