Recently Market Dynamics created content from a recent workshop by a Boston Feng Shui Design Consultant at our client Acton Real Estate Company .  We find that content comes easier when: 

• Provide tips that are of interest to your target audience – like in this case - home buyers and sellers and prospective real estate professionals.
• Create content that builds conversation.

Share information on the event on Meet ups, social media, create a blog post, and follow-up post event with some tips or learning from the event! 

​What is the value of customer reviews? A recent survey by Econsultancy revealed that 8 in 10 (79%) businesses say reviews have a positive financial impact on their business.   
The question we are asked frequently by clients is which Social Media Review Sites should we focus our requests for reviews on?   YELP – Facebook – Google Plus?  It really depends on your industry.    
Market Dynamics looks at reviews as a tool to reinforce branding and for clients to connect from and learn from their best (target) customers.  When thinking about REVIEW sites, consider where do your customers spend their time? Is it YELP – Facebook – Google Plus?
Also consider industry specific review sites.  For example:

• Lawyers – AVVO Reviews 
• For Real Estate Professionals – Zillow Reviews may be valuable
• Auto Services – Angie’s List Reviews or Better Business Bureau

​While Facebook, YELP and Google+ are valuable to most consumer facing industries they might not be the places B to B customers are 'hanging out' online.  The key is to 'fish where the fish are'.   
 
Remember that reviews are a cost-friendly way to let prospective customers know about your fantastic services/products but it is important that you:

• Monitor online reviews on key review sites from Yelp to Facebook to Google+
• Take the time to personally respond to online reviews - do not be defensive when faced with a negative review, be proactive.  

Source: ​http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/customer-reviews-can-be-valuable-for-your-business-infographic/617665

Market Dynamics is proud to support STEM Workforce Pipeline
Worcester Biz Journal:  "Local STEM Resource Can Be Huge Asset for Schools"  https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/594237-november-2-2015-cmbtn (page 14)  #STEM - #STEMInBox

Sharing a Market Dynamics Brand & Marketing Visibility Tip:  Be authentic, REAL and responsible – and tell your story about what makes your company or brand unique. 

How can you differentiate your brand or service? Be transparent, authentic and genuinely care about your customers and their needs as real peeps (people) beyond the data and numbers. It can be a challenge to truly connect and stay true to your consumers in this day and age with the rise in technology, and myriad of social channels to stay real and connected as our industry friend & social media marketing expert Jen Vonderbrink notes:

“Many companies have become disengaged from customers by relying on cost saving, self-service technology solutions.  These tend to dehumanize the customer experience and distance the firm from consumers…”

Being authentic and real will serve your company well and allow your brand to make valuable connections with consumers.

 

Our friends at Thrive Hive Small Business Marketing just shared valuable brand marketing and visibility tips for small (and large or growing) businesses.  From business blogging to content marketing to guerilla marketing for national or local organizations, these tools all help to build your brand visibility and presence!  Market Dynamics also recommends adding market research surveys to the mix as a tool to gain market visibility among your target audience.  Thinking creatively about your content marketing efforts, original research content marketing can translate ‘owned’ media (your blog and social media) into ‘earned’ media (e.g., press, articles, social media mentions).  For example, our Annual  Market LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health And Sustainability) MamboTrack Survey of Health And Natural Consumers is an industry bellwether resource in the health and wellness and organic product marketing arena.   

See more Big Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses  http://thrivehive.com/big-marketing-ideas-for-small-businesses     #brandmarketing   #marketresearch #ContentMarketing.

(Boston, MA) At ‘the New Gospel of SEO – Role of Search + Social + Branding’ Talk today, Harry Gold, CEO of Overdrive Interactive said ‘Search is Your New Home Page’.  When customers search for your brand or company, what do they see?  Trying search in Google or Bing (from another computer) to find out! The net is that ‘Search’ is driving traffic – few enter direct website URL.  It’s your company or ‘brand’ pages – Social Media websites such as Facebook, GooglePlus, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Slideshare and Wikipedia, etc. that define your brand’s online identity and presence.

5 Search Friendly Social Media Marketing Branding Tips and Takeaways to enhance your online visibility: (Courtesy of Harry Gold, Overdrive Interactive – New England Direct Marketing (NEDMA) Talk) www.overdriveinteractive.com

1. Manage your branded social media content websites to optimize your brand’s ‘Search’ visibility. 

2. Create valuable, relevant, sharable online and social media content. The success metric should be ‘Shares’ vs. ‘Likes’ and ‘Follows’.

3. Create SEO rich content marketing using ‘Search Friendly’ words that resonate with your target audience.  

4. Use Infographics and create ‘byte’ size content that is EASY to share.  Simple compelling visuals can tell a Story!

5. Be an Industry Thought Leader or Authority (e.g., blog, share on social, engage online, topical survey research).

It’s a big task to manage your online branding and your work.  Be sure to seek out partner brand marketing resources  (e.g., Overdrive Interactive and Market Dynamics can help!) whether your company/organization is large or smaller to help optimize your online market presence, content creation and search visibility.

Digital media and technology are changing and growing everyday. Whether you like it or not, both are usually a huge part of our daily lives. The best thing to do is embrace it, and find ways to use it to your benefit. Take a look at these Top 10 Trends in Digital Branding and Marketing. 

CMI/Market Dynamics Content Marketing Research Study

Content Marketing Institute (CMI) partnered with Market Dynamics LLC to conduct research interviews with 27 senior-level enterprise (1,000+ employees) marketers actively engaged in content marketing in their organizations.





The Findings:

So how will marketing leaders change as a result of content marketing?

·         Improve their editorial process and become ‘publishers’

·         Integrate editorial and demand generation so content can better drive business results

·         Foster executive and leadership ‘buy-in’ around Content Marketing

·         Create and build upon ‘Pockets’ of Content Marketing for Success!

·         Always be transforming – Content Marketing is a process …


         …Read More… 

Lately there have been some great infographics full of data about Content Marketing and how companies are engaging in it.  The below graphic courtesy of OneSpot really paraphrases what many are experiencing.   Original research to create content is a great way to help with the content pipeline and one of our favorites at Market Dynamics.