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16 Jun 2011
Sticky Post By Posted in Recent News & Updates, Social Media Permalink

Your Business’ Enemy on Facebook: Beware the Community Page!

Sticky Post By On June 16, 2011

They’re everywhere, they’re taking your fans and they can’t be stopped! No, it’s worse than an alien invasion. It’s Facebook’s automatically generated Community Pages.

These Community Pages have created a lot of confusion and anger for businesses. Why? Because they were created out of thin air, and all content posted is fully out of their control!

This notion can be completely and understandingly scary, but this blog post is designed to unmask Facebook Community Pages and provide important actions your business should take.

 

What in the Heck is a Community Page?

Great. Another aspect of Facebook in which to learn and adapt.

Facebook first announced Community Pages as a feature designed to address all the fan pages set up around generic, non-business topics. The example Facebook uses in their blog announcement is for cooking. So, the “cooking” Community Page could prove to be a helpful source of information on a topic you’re passionate about and/or a great networking resource to identify and reach out to people who share your passion for cooking.

"Cooking" Community Page

At first, Community Pages seems like a great solution to create a clear delineation between official Fan Pages — administered and controlled by company representatives — and all the fan pages created around an idea or topic. But here comes the problem.

Facebook automatically created 6.5 million Community Pages last year! These pages were auto-generated from users’ “Likes and Interests” and “Work and Education” sections of their personal profile’s “Info” tab.

As stated, these Community Pages were auto-generated, so anything separated by commas produced a Community Page with those keywords/phrases as the title. So there are literally thousands of pages that deal with the same keywords, many of which have only one or two fans.

Employment = Community Page

 

Who in God’s Green Earth is Providing the Content?

It’s terrifying. The Community Pages actually gets their content from — the community! Of all places!

Depending on the subject matter of the page, content (including the Page photo) gets automatically pulled in from Wikipedia. All other content is auto-populated from wall posts and status updates made by any Facebook user containing the keywords of the Community Page.

This is where the nightmare begins for many businesses, schools and more. There are no administrators (yet) for Community Pages, and you have zero control over what shows up on the page.

 

I’m Getting Angry; Who’s with Me?

Following is a forum post from a college social media coordinator that pinpoints the frustration with Facebook Community Page.

“Much to my surprise I did a search on our College name yesterday on Facebook. Now there is a ‘Community Page’ with the exact same name. They stole our logo without permission and are aggregating all of our posts—and other completely unrelated posts.

This page has 53 fans—our students I assume. I immediately let our students know that this was not our page, nor were we responsible for any information put on it. However, there is no way to post anything on the Community Pages. Clicking on the ‘Sign up’ to add to this page button was a joke, as was adding an official website. “Thanks for signing up, we’ll let you know when we need your help” which to me translates—’we aren’t really sure what we are doing yet.’

When I dug further I found a dozen or more versions of our College name with ‘nursing’ or ‘business’ in them—WITH NO CONTENT. Isn’t creative content important in social media??? Why would Facebook push all of these blank pages?

Why in the world would Facebook create all of these pages with no content? I don’t want our students confused by these pages. Is anyone else having this problem? This just seems like the most ridiculous move ever.”

This articulates exactly why so many organizations are reacting to the confusion of Community Pages.

For clarification, the college’s Community Page had 53 fans because of two things. Facebook users do become fans by clicking the “Like” button, the same as Official fan pages. However, the vast majority of fans were automatically connected because they had the Community Page name in their “Likes and Interests” section. For further explanation on how these auto-connections came about, see Facebook’s official post.

 

What Can My Business Do?!

There are six steps businesses can take to optimize these Community Pages.

#1: Monitor your mentions.

As part of your routine brand monitoring efforts, experiment with a combination of www.youropenbook.org, www.kurrently.com and Facebook’s own deep search feature to search for your various keywords and company name.

For the most part, you may not need to take any action at all, depending on how large your brand is, what’s being said and how often. But there are two primary aspects to look for as described in steps #2 and #3 below.

#2: Appease any naysayers.

Look for any negative mentions of your brand and, depending on the severity of the negativity, reach out to these individuals. Email them on Facebook and/or search for them on Twitter, Google, etc., and contact them. See how you can listen to their complaint, take remedial action and turn them into fans.

#3: Find your Superfans.

Look for your undiscovered brand evangelists and reach out to them. Email them on Facebook and/or search for them on other social media channels, and contact them as well. See how you can reward, incentivize and empower these individuals to become what Aliza Sherman calls Superfans.

#4: Keep your Wikipedia content accurate.

Make sure you periodically check that any content pertaining to your company, brand, products and services on Wikipedia is highly accurate.

#5: Continue to drive attention to your Official Page.

The more you can put the spotlight on your Official fan page, the better you’ll be able to dissipate any confusion among your fans and potential fans. Refer to a great post about increasing your fanbase here.

#6: Sign up for all community pages of your brand.

As best you can, search for all possible Community Pages in your name, company name, product names, etc. (As mentioned above, I found Google search was more reliable than searching on Facebook.) Sign up to put yourself on the list of possible administrators, and also suggest your official Wikipedia article if you have one, and your official website for sure.

 

So, it looks like your business may have some competition on Facebook. That competition would be … Facebook. I suggest all of you do a search (from someone else’s computer who does not “Like” your organization’s Official Page and never has) to find out if you have a Community Page that you were not aware of, and then do something about it. If Facebook does change anything, we’ll keep you posted!

31 May 2011
Sticky Post By Posted in Recent News & Updates, Social Media Permalink

Entrepreneur Series Workshop a Social Success

Sticky Post By On May 31, 2011

Everybody seems to have the initial feeling of dread when first introduced to Social Media.  On Thursday, our goal was to remove that fear from our event attendees and replace it with a sense of excitement to incorporate these unique and powerful tools into their company.  No more should you fear Facebook!

The day kicked off with a meet-and-greet for all attendees and presented them the opportunity to not only network, but to find out how the different guests were able to use social media in their businesses.

Rachel presentingAfter lunch, Integra’s own Social Media Specialist, Rachel Fornatro, took the reins and led our guests through a presentation in which she taught the value of different social media tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Youtube, and FourSquare.  She educated the group on how to utilize each of these websites effectively and to cater to their own unique strengths

Following the presentation, the groups then broke down into four teams; each with their own assignment.  We gave them a brief history of a company, a current news story, and we then asked them to come up with a social media campaign designed around that certain news story.  Each group then presented their campaign to a panel of judges.  And WOW.  We were so happy to hear such great ideas coming from our guests.  Everyone truly did a terrific job on each of their tasks.

Group 1- NY Police & Fire Benefit Fund Group 2- FedEx Group 3- Lance Group 4-Lincoln

Although everyone did such a good job, the judges did have to pick a winner, and after careful consideration the judges decided on the FedEx campaign.  The group created a “Chillaxin” campaign which incorporated Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter tactics to hold a contest for small business owners to have a chance to win a Hawaiian vacation.  Although we’d like to reward your hard work with a vacation of your own, we can only offer a well-deserved “Congratulations.”

We know some of you may still have some questions about social media and/or the presentation and please do not hesitate to call or email the staff here.  For your benefit, we have also uploaded the entire presentation that you may go through at your leisure in case there is something you may have missed or wanted to see again.

Social Media: The End of Business as Usual

 

Integra Marketing Group sincerely thanks each and every one of our guests for coming out to our first Entrepreneur Series Workshop and we look forward to holding more of these in the future.

For all of those who could not attend the event, we hope that you are able to attend our next workshop and join in on the fun!

Winning Presentation- Group 2

 

12 May 2011
Sticky Post By Posted in Recent News & Updates, Social Media Permalink

Social Media: The End of Business as Usual

Sticky Post By On May 12, 2011

Social Media BandwagonIf you’re like most of the known world, you’re using some sort of social media. Whether it’s catching up with friends on Facebook, making business connections on LinkedIn or watching hilarious videos of babies laughing on YouTube, you’d have to be hiding deep in a cave to not have had some contact with social media (if you were just near the front of the cave, you’d probably still have seen a Tweet or two).

But are you using social media for your business? And if you are, are you seeing results? Believe it or not, this free “media” is capable of kicking the pants off of any other marketing tactic.

Michael Fox, President of 22 Michaels, said it best:

“We’re still in the process of picking ourselves up off the floor after witnessing firsthand the fact that a 16-year-old YouTuber can deliver us 3 times the traffic in a couple of days that some excellent traditional media coverage has over 5 months.”

There’s no doubt this ever-changing medium is taking over the world. The real question is, how are you going to take advantage of it?

Let social media specialist, Rachel Fornataro, show you how to capitalize on one of the greatest shifts in our generation. She’s presenting a workshop at Integra Marketing Group, Inc. headquarters Thursday, May 26th from 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. as part of the Entrepreneur Series.

Interested? RSVP here. Seating is limited. Lunch and workshop materials are provided.

Social Media: The End of Business as Usual

12 Apr 2011
Sticky Post By Posted in Branding, Recent News & Updates Permalink

When You Look in the Mirror, Does the Glass Break?

Sticky Post By On April 12, 2011

Last Wednesday, Integra Marketing Group traveled to the beautiful Montour Country Club to meet with the top producers of financial planning in the nation to present a marketing and advertising workshop.

The theme was Look in the Mirror. What do you see? More importantly, how do you convey what you see to your customer?

Most companies are too focused on being the biggest and the best, that they can’t see what they’re niche actually is.

In IMG’s case, we can’t say we’re the largest agency in the US, or the largest in PA. So rather than say we’re the largest on Jackson Street, which no one really cares about, we stress our niche — we only deal with the top guy at a company, only work with entrepreneurs and only do full campaigns, not piece work.

It’s okay to be number two, three or four! The point is to stand for something no one else can.

In every industry, there are certain brands that stand out for winning.

No, not that kind of winning.

Take our favorite example of branding — cars. There are thousands of car brands out there, and there isn’t really an over-all numero uno. But what about the different categories customers look for?

Safety?                            Performance?                         Value?

.       .        

 

So what do you see when you look at yourself? Have you figured out your niche? Now, how will you communicate it to your customer?

 

Call us today to schedule your own marketing and advertising workshop.

23 Mar 2011
Sticky Post By Posted in Branding, Recent News & Updates Permalink

How Sweet is Sauer!

Sticky Post By On March 23, 2011

Sauer Solutions

Utilizing Integra’s penchant for creating solutions, Heating and Air Conditioning expert J.A. Sauer Co. embarked on a branding journey that involved a comprehensive image overhaul.

“Niche them where they could be the best.”

J.A. Sauer Information Guide With DVD Video

Sauer, already a successful  commercial HVAC company in the Pittsburgh market,  hired us to get them into the residential game and make it a larger part of their business.

Owner Jack Sauer foresaw  that with the shift of the  economy there would be less need for commercial than residential work. With  that in mind, we looked at all their competitors in the market and found areas where they could win.

We told them, “you need to LOOK like the best.”

J.A. Sauer Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show Booth

 

And so we worked with them to gain that number one  position in the market.  That encompassed everything from the way they did advertising,  to their booth at the home  show, to the leave-behind  sales materials for potential and new customers.

 

An all-inclusive plan to be number one!

J.A. Sauer Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show Booth

Getting to #1 is a long road; and Sauer was wise enough to take the first step in the  journey. Integra trained the J.A. Sauer employees to market their company in a customer-centric way,  touching on every aspect of customer service and job category. We produced an all-inclusive road map to gain the number one position in the market.

 

We can do the same for you that we did for Sauer’s image transformation.

18 Mar 2011
Sticky Post By Posted in Branding Permalink

Does Your Business Have a Pretty Face?

Sticky Post By On March 18, 2011

How to Build a Strong Logo

Case Study: TH Trade

In an age of extreme sensory overload, only the logos that truly standout will make an impact. This is no easy task, given the countless business’ out there, all of which have logos floating around in space.

Even so, some people will have you believe that logos are designed quickly, with little preparation and even less revision time. But we’re not going to lie … elbow grease doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Inspiration from the Source

Once upon a time, a renowned graphic designer was commissioned to create a logo for his client, McBride’s Bar and Grill. After about four hours of work, he showed his design (a big yellow “M”) to his wife, asking her for a critique. Her reply? “Boy, I really feel like going for McDonalds.”

You may not be able to be original in every design you do, but to help, check out what other people have done before you first.

When IMG designed the logo for TH Trade, a business that offers a comprehensive range of furnishings exclusively to interior designers, we looked at logos from other furniture stores and any brand using the letters “TH” in their name. Our favorite places for inspiration are Brands of the World, World’s Top Brands and, of course, Google Images.

Every great logo has to start with a concept, just don’t steal someone else’s!

Pen to Paper

The next step is to bring your inspiration to life. IMG goes through literally hundreds of hand-sketched ideas before picking the few diamonds from the rubble. It’s easy to weed out designs if you revisit the primary use of logo. If a design is too vertical or too horizontal, chances are they’re not going to be as versatile as you’d like. You won’t be able to use the logo on a Web site, business card, etc.

Once you’ve narrowed your sketches down to your favorites, scan them into the computer and draw them there. We like to use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

If you have trouble starting your design, the best way to spark creativity is to work with any letters you want in the logo. Fonts are powerful tools in any circumstance; the way letters interact with each other can generate genius.

In TH Trade’s case, we wanted to focus on the fact that TH Trade helps designers build their visions. We liked the idea of drawing blueprints, but it wasn’t until we tried a variety of different fonts that we realized using Lansette Display SSL font allowed both the “T” and the “H” to have perfectly straight lines. And viola, we could make them into grids!

If a business already has their own brand colors, it may be a good idea to stick with those colors. But if you have free range of the color wheel, the more options the better!

Unwelcomed Feedback

Even though sometimes we hate it, feedback is a big contributor to making a good logo great. With anything we work on, we ask for feedback — from our mothers (our biggest fans), neighbors (which in New Galilee is oftentimes a cow), and, of course, the client. What they like or don’t like will influence the direction of the logo.

But remember, if you really like a concept that others hate, you shouldn’t give up on it. Just keep working on your idea, tweaking it along the way, until the potential you see comes through to others.

Believe us, TH Trade’s logo would look completely different if we didn’t take every criticism with a grain of salt.

Just When You Think It’s Over …

So you’ve got a killer concept, the right font and it’s looking like a logo! But that’s just it – it looks like a logo. What comes next is the ever important step that takes a “logo” and makes it the gorgeous face of a company. What can you do to make your logo stand out?

For TH Trade, we added four different colors, a reflection and scaled the “TH” to make it more prominent. When you’re close to the finish line, push yourself to do the little extra effects. That’s what will stand for your brand’s personality.

The Wow Factor

Remember that in the dynamic world today, logos can go beyond print on a page. What will your logo do on a Web site? What will it do in a TV commercial or on a Facebook page? Adding different, unique elements to your logo will help it stand out from the ordinary.

To “build” TH Trade’s logo into something bigger, we wanted to literally “build” the logo. We took our blueprint grids and added animation so that it looked like the logo was being constructed right before our eyes.

TH Trade Animation (Version 1) TH Trade Animation (Version 2) TH Trade Animation (Version 3)

We tried different versions of  assembling the blocks before finally settling on a real show stopper. But even that wasn’t enough. Using the blueprint mocks, we decided to include some of TH Trade’s furniture into the background of the blocks. With a few bells and whistles at the end, we had finally done it.

If you’re tired from reading the blog post on the construction of the TH Trade logo, you should have tried making it! Like we said from the beginning, creating the face of your business is not something to take lightly. But if you put in the time, effort and skills, you can stand out from the rest.

Want to see the finished product? Check it out here.

10 Mar 2011
Sticky Post By Posted in Recent News & Updates, Social Media Permalink

Top 5 Reasons Your Business Needs a Blog

Sticky Post By On March 10, 2011

Integra Marketing Group has recently started what will soon be known as the greatest blog in the universe. People have been urging us to blog for years, saying embarrassingly flattering things like “Oh IMG, we wish we could know what’s going on in those brains of yours! If only we could read it on neat paragraphs on the internet!”

Well, sure, that’s a perfectly good reason why anyone (especially IMG) would want to blog. However, there’s more to the picture than just imparting your immense wisdom upon the world. So we at IMG have outlined the top five reasons why your business should consider blogging.

5 – Blogs CAN Beat Press Releases

You know what Daddy’s reading with his morning coffee? Blogs. Blogs are subscribed to more than newspapers and magazines today, and users who are interested in your business will be watching your blog significantly more than your press releases. By making announcements over a blog posting, you are guaranteed to get the interest of those customers and share holders who will spread your message faster than wild fire.

4 – Increase Your Traffic (SEO)

Search engines love blogs. A blog that’s updated regularly provides fresh, keyword-rich content that search engines feed off of. This will cause your site to rank higher when potential customers search for your products and services and drive more traffic to your entire site. Linking your blog articles to your social media outlets puts that increase on steroids.

3 – Become the Authority

Like IMG, you may be the absolute best at what you do. But if no one knows it, then it’s all for loss. With a blog, your customers will hear what you’re saying, and hopefully, what you’re saying will be genius! The point is not to change the quality of your work, but rather to seize the opportunity for potential customers to get to know you and learn about your skill set. Suddenly, you’ll realize your getting a lot more respect for what you say.

2 – Creating Customer Loyalty

Just like courting a new beau, the more time you spend with your customers, the more they’ll fall head over heals. As you feature different aspects of your business, your readers are encouraged to do business with you. Featuring some of your best customers will solidify their relationship with you and make your top tier even more loyal. Most blogs will offer a subscription option through RSS and email, which means you will have opportunities to interact with subscribers every time a post is published.

1 – Keep Up with the Discussion

No matter what, people will talk about you. The only question is: will you talk back? Your blog allows you to host a conversation – to talk and listen to your customers. By addressing customer needs as they arise, your customers will see your dedication to them. But what will really make them stay on board your company’s train is what you do after you address them. Adapt to your customers needs, and you’ll win.

Of course, none of these points will happen for your business if you don’t stick to what you know. Don’t try to be someone else, or become an expert overnight. You’re in business for a reason, so tell your story and utilize your strengths.

In IMG’s case, you can expect our blog to feature topics such as guerrilla marketing, social media, brand positioning and public relations. We’ll showcase client examples, share tips and tricks and keep you informed on news and events. Believe us, now that we’ve unleashed ourselves on the blogosphere, we’re not going anywhere.

09 Mar 2011
Sticky Post By Posted in Recent News & Updates Permalink

The Right Marketing Oil?

Sticky Post By On March 9, 2011

Integra Marketing Group specializes in the development of businesses within the Marcellus Shale marketplace. Our experience with trade shows, influence on the right media and connections to trade experts has allowed us to successfully package and sell products for businesses in the oil and gas market.

Can We Stand Out in the Rubble?

With our resources and tools, we know how to propel companies to the forefront of the market. Our dedicated team takes and in-depth look at business operations, analyzing every angle. Then we take what you’re good at and refine. We package your company as the authority in the market, creating top of the mind awareness for the big names in the business.

What Does it Take to Dig into a Profit

Since we deal primarily with entrepreneurial businesses, we understand the businessman’s mind. We know what you’re driven for – profit. To make this happen, you must market yourself correctly. As an expert in the Marcellus Shale marketing arena, we know how to effectively poise your business to compete … and win.

Drilling Down to the Issue:

Integra Marketing Group is looking for businesses that want to enter into, or expand their existence, in the Marcellus Shale industry. If your business is searching to find its profitable niche in the market, you may be the right fit for us. Call today to set up a meeting.

10 Feb 2011
Sticky Post By Posted in Recent News & Updates Permalink

Holy New Location!

Sticky Post By On February 10, 2011

Integra Marketing Group has faith in their new location — after over two years in preparation, the team has moved into a restored church building.

Located in New Galilee, Pennsylvania, the new headquarters was purchased by president, Chuck Verrett, in 2008.

“It had always been a dream of mine to have an office in a really cool church building,” says Verrett. “It’s like everything is finally falling into place.”

It wasn’t easy getting the church into working order — the walls, heating and electric all had to be replaced. The facility is now fully functional with top-of-the-line appliances, new furnishing and state-of-the-art electronic devices. Luckily, not everything changed. Integra has kept the exterior almost identical to it’s original condition. That, partnered with the interior’s high ceilings and stained glass has kept the church’s genuine aesthetic.

“We’ve been excited about this building for what seems like forever,” says Verrett. “Now, we’re ready to share that excitement.”