Archive for the ‘advertising’ Category

Do I Need An Advertising Agency?

Aug

08

2011

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One of the most important aspects of marketing any business is advertising. Advertising is designed to raise awareness and convey your company’s product or message to the world. Most of the world’s most successful brands were built from the result of a strong advertising strategy. Successful advertising is the backbone to a thriving business, and achieving that is as simple as choosing the proper Agency. Whether you are a large or small business, the right agency can guide you by using the right tools and methods that suit your individual needs. It is important not to be above or intimidated by using an advertising agency, remembering that all size businesses can benefit and profit from properly advertising.

There Are Advertising Possibilities for Businesses and Budgets of All Sizes

If you’ve ever felt like advertising for your business was ‘out of your league’, or you feel that the costs will be to high, than you aren’t looking at the big picture. Agencies work with companies of every size, and the right agency knows that what matters is discovering the business, its values and its message and then conveying that to customers. The right agency knows that there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach and won’t push you into projects that don’t make sense for your company. As a business owner, you should approach an advertising agency with an open mind, a strong message and realistic expectations. Even better about advertising as a small or medium business is that provided you approach it with the right attitude, you are sure to notice an impact and reach customers you may have never been able to

Work Together with the Agency

Don’t be afraid to share ideas and thoughts with the agency, and to discuss your thoughts and ideas for the progress of your Brand. After all, at the end of the day it’s your business. If you input, as well as draw from the process, you will reap more value from your consultancy and generate more revenue for your business when the process is over. While some clients expect the agency to sit and throw ideas around, it is those that offer some input into the creative process that tend to receive the greatest value from their advertising agency, which is directly transported into their profit figures at the end of the year and reflected in long term business value.

The Benefits of Hiring An Advertising Agency

As a larger business, it is important not to become wrapped up in your company so much that you can’t look outside for assistance. The properly chosen advertising agency can not only be a fresh set of eyes and an unbiased opinion, but can have marketing connections and techniques that your in house does not. Hiring an agency will allow you to focus on what your business is really about, while still accepting and encouraging your ideas and thoughts. If your business is a success now, think how much further a decorated agency can take you.

Why You Need To Rely On An Advertising Agency’s Expertise

Regardless of the business size, the main point is to advertise, period. Strong brands come from strong advertising, which spreads awareness of your product or message to a vast audience. Once you understand this, the possibilities can be endless. Remember that you are experts in your field, and marketing agencies are experts in theirs. Why not put the future or your business in an expert’s hands, one that can significantly increase your business and create a comprehensive strategy to keep it on the upward trend.

Customized Facebook Apps

Jun

15

2011

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Social Media, specifically Facebook, has clearly surpassed the phase of just being a trend and has become a business standard. Having a Facebook page validates your Brand and allows you to communicate with huge audiences on a daily basis. But simply creating a Facebook account will only get you so far. You want to grab your audience’s attention, and get them to share what they’ve found with the millions of others on Facebook by getting them to “like” you. Accumulating “likes” is one of the main goals of having a business Facebook page, so we use a customized application to entice every visitor to click that button.

Not sure why “likes” are so important? They represent Brand support, and are visable to countless amount of people.  Each “like” means you are reaching and exposing the company to a new person and their list of Facebook friends.  All of these people will then be directed to your site, which will produce more “likes” and create a contact list that will continue to build upon itself.  In other words, it has the ability to go viral, which means reaching a limitless amount of people for free .

 

Using the AJ Ross Facebook, we can explain just how custom apps work.  The initial page that a newcomer will see is the key in maintaining interest.  Now that you’ve established the goal is to gain “likes”, we have to give a reason to click the button.  Using a masking feature to blur the contents of the page underneath allows the page visitor to see what they could be experiencing.  All they have to do to have access to the page below is click the “like” button:  a small and easy gesture for them, but a success in the eyes of the business.

 

 

Once you attain the “like” then you have to make it worth their while.  A professionally and properly put together page will keep visual interest, and having business relevant links will prove that your Facebook page offers much more than just a wall to view.  Still using the AJ Ross Facebook app as an example, you can see that we offer a variety of Marketing and Advertising related links to not only show what the company is about, but also to offer experience and knowledge so the page visitor knows there is something in it for them.

 

 

Once the Facebook user clicks on one of the different options, another technique used in the app is the light box feature.  This allows the user to view what they chose, but without directing them away from the business page.  They get a brief overview of what the topic is, and have the option to download more or to visit our site.  Other than the company Website, you don’t want the visitor to be guided outside of the app and Facebook page, so using this feature is a way of having all roads lead back to your business.

 

 

This is just one example of the many types of custom Facebook Apps we can create. The possibilities are endless with what can be created, and the more unique, the more attention it will get. Having a Facebook App allows your business to reach an unlimited audience and keep them interested enough to return to the page. Remember, anyone can have a Facebook account, so staying ahead of the curve with a custom app will give your business a sense of validity and be sure to improve its growth.  Start taking advantage of all the great advertising benefits of social media, and contact us to find out what kind of custom app makes sense for your business.

 

Competitive Marketing

Jun

03

2011

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Something crucial to remember when creating a marketing plan is anticipating your competitor’s strategy.  You could be doing everything right: providing the best goods with the best services and prices, and yet your competitor could be outshining your business.  It’s because they are doing one other major thing right, which is properly advertising.  Being the best at what you do is key in gaining a reliable reputation, but it means nothing if no one knows about it.  Having knowledge of what advertising techniques similar businesses are using will help you be a step ahead of them, and possibly allow you to use their marketing to benefit your own.  Below is a playful example of how you take your competition’s marketing and advertising and spin it to positively effect your business:

 

A retailer was dismayed when a competitor selling the same type of product opened next-door to him, displaying a large sign proclaiming “Best Deals”.

Not long after he was horrified to find yet another competitor move in next-door, on the other side if his store. Its large sign was even more disturbing- “Lowest Prices”.

After his initial panic, and concern that he would be driven out of business, he looked for a way to turn the situation to his marketing advantage. Finally, an idea came to him. Next day, he proudly unveiled a new and huge sign over his front door. It read, “Main Entrance”!

 

Although this is a great example of competitive marketing, there are other steps that should be taken before you throw up a sign.  First, objectively analyzing your own business and all it entails: the goods, service, prices and/or whatever else you are offering to consumers, and compare yourself to the competitors.  Before you start advertising ‘the best’ of something, make sure you can back it up, and be prepared to explain why what you’re offering is the better choice.

 

It is also necessary to understand who your target audience is, and make sure you are gearing your advertising to how they would want to receive it.  Different ethnicities, cultures, genders and ages all respond to things in different ways, so it is important to speak to your key demographic(s).  Other tools would be to note what your competitors did during peak and low sale periods, and use their triumphs and failures as guides.  Another extremely important tactic is pushing through when the market is bad in order to maintain your business’ credibility.  Staying afloat during hard economic times builds Brand assurance, and you’ll gain more exposure while your competitors sink.  In addition, taking advantage of new and changing advertising methods will benefit your business.  You don’t have to fear social media, phone applications, and advanced websites because they are extremely useful marketing tools.  They not only expose your business, but they gain validity with consumers regardless of the product or generation.  If your product is a cutting edge gadget, then an advanced Facebook page will speak to your technology savvy customer.  If you are an established company with more of a traditional product or service, then a user friendly Website can be creatively designed to help portray your business as distinguished while maintaining its values.

 

Every business will have a competitor at some point.  Whether you are the number 1 in your field and you are looking to maintain your current status, or you are lost in the mix and want recognition in the industry, competitive marketing and advertising can make the difference between the two levels of success.  Like the retailer did in the joke, know your competition, look for a way to turn the situation around and don’t be afraid to ‘put up the sign’.

 

Finkelstein & Partners Celebrates Win for Veterans’ Rights

May

18

2011

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For Immediate Release

May 17, 2011
For more information, contact
1279 Route 300 Newburgh, NY 12551
Danielle Mackey – 845.563.9522 or
dmackey@lawampm.com

Finkelstein & Partners Celebrates Win for Veterans’ Rights
 Firm’s Veterans Services Group Helps Earn Ruling to Improve Rights for
Mentally Incompetent Disabled Vets

Newburgh, NY – Nancy Morgan, managing partner of Finkelstein & Partners’ Veterans Services Group, announced that the group participated in oral argument and won a significantly important appeal  that will fundamentally change the rights of mentally incompetent disabled American veterans. The case Freeman v. Shineski was argued at the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

It’s an unfortunate reality that our nation’s veterans make a great many sacrifices in the course of service to our country. Some, as a result of injury or age, have even sacrificed their mental competency. For those mentally incompetent disabled veterans, the Veterans Administration (VA) took away their right, and that of their family, to choose their own fiduciary, the person to whom the veterans’ property or power is entrusted.

The issue argued before the Court in Freeman v. Shineski was to determine whether the veteran or his family had the right to question the VA’s choice of a fiduciary for the veteran. Prior to this decision, the VA unilaterally appointed a fiduciary of their choosing. Frequently, the fiduciary was paid for their role and the fee deducted directly from the disabled veteran’s benefits. If the decision was challenged by the veteran or his family, the VA denied the appeal stating that the appointment of the fiduciary was the sole discretion of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Mr. William Freeman is a Vietnam-era veteran who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. The team of veterans’ attorneys contributed to the briefs and made oral arguments before the Court that the choice of a fiduciary by the VA was appealable to the Board of Veterans Appeals and to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims  just like any other decision made by the VA.

In a unanimous decision, the Court agreed that the veteran “is clearly and indisputably entitled to appeal to the Board the decision of the VSCM to appoint a paid fiduciary.”

“This decision is a tremendous victory not only for Mr. Freeman and other incompetent disabled veterans, but for all veterans,” said Andrew G. Finkelstein, managing partner of Finkelstein & Partners. “It points out once again that the VA is not above the law and is accountable to the people like every other branch of  Government.”

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Finkelstein & Partners’ Veterans Services Group (VSG) is dedicated to ensuring our nation’s veterans receive the benefits they have earned and deserve. Comprised of a team of veterans advocates which includes accredited attorneys, the VSG represents veterans seeking VA benefits for current Medical conditions caused by their military service. We handle VA service-connection claims related to combat wounds, PTSD, TBI, toxin (such as Agent Orange) and environmental exposures, and other service-related Medical problems. To learn more, visit www.lawampm.com or call 1-800-LAW-AMPM (1-800-526-2676).

Traditional vs. Digital: How to Market your Business

May

13

2011

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Traditional Vs Digital
How to Market Your Business
Brought to you by Allan J. Ross

Hi this is Allan Ross on How to Market your business.

Listen to this article from Allan
My subject today is “What ever happened to doing business with people?”

You’re probably thinking you always do business with people, so what is he talking about? But do you really?

How many times a day do you opt to use text messaging, emails, voicemails etc? You probably do that a heck of a lot more than a face-to-face interaction or a handshake. Another question you might consider, is who answers your business phone? Is it a real person or voicemail? Where has all the ‘so-called’ personal touch gone? At some point, the lack of personal interaction is going to catch up to us, and it seems like only a matter of time before people are going to get sick and tired of communicating through cyber space.

Do you notice differences between communicating online versus face-to-face? What are the implications of our increasing online communications and decreasing face-to-face communications? Although there are many positives to online communication and social media, we must be careful not to only nurture our relationships in this way. Interactions online tend to be brief and to the point. Having personal interactions brings a human element to your work and the services you provide, which leaves a nice impression. It is impossible to truly relate to even the biggest social media ‘over-sharers’ without physically meeting them in person, because you miss out on certain qualities that cannot be substituted for online. The social interactions of these personal meetings are not only more genuine, but they also allow you to physically see what you will get.

Now don’t take me wrong, I believe in Social Media as an extremely useful tool, but I make sure I use it without sacrificing personal relationships. My company uses it and also supplies our clients with the capabilities and knowledge on how to break through what can seem like an online marketing maze. Finding the balance between the two forms of communicating is not only important, but it is key in building real relationships. Remember, you still need to market your company the old fashioned way: face-to-face.