R.I.P. Senator Ted Kennedy

2009-08-26T14:51:00.003-05:00

Need A Reason to Invest Your Time & Resources Into Social Media? How About 4 Really Good Ones?

2009-08-14T14:28:00.006-05:00

Moving into the revolutionary age of "new" media, it is becoming ever-so important -- with all the means of reaching people available to businesses and individuals through social media networks -- to learn reasons why it is imperative to be involved. ESPECIALLY if you are attempting to develop a business, brand, or just gain a solid following and grab the spotlight. With traditional methods of advertising having become pretty much obsolete, interactive marketing and online presence is more important than ever (and, to be honest, it's just plain fun!).

We've looked around, searched high and low for resources that will give you greater insight and reasoning to throw your hat into the mix as it pertains to social media. Everyone has jumped the bandwagon and your market is there. Isn't it time you were as well?! Check out just a few reasons, below, why you need to get the ball rolling...and quickly! Reasons after the jump...

1) The cost for entry is minimal.

At the very least, for the price of hosting and setting up a blog, you can begin to engage in social media marketing. You can spend dollars on buying banner advertisements, keyword placement on search engines and so forth. The cost barrier for entry is relatively low, compare that to the costly old-school, and increasingly ineffective ways of marketing such as print, TV, radio and so forth. Don’t get me wrong, blogging is just one aspect of your marketing strategy, but the essential tools you will also use such as Twitter, Facebook, and social bookmarking, for example, for the most part cost nothing to use. Your cost is time, time spent establishing and engaging your brand’s presence online. If you decided to retain a PR agency, or social media consultant, you obviously will incur higher costs. Doing it in-house, if you can, is the way to go. Specifically, if you are a small business and don’t have a large advertising budget. With the economy in it’s current state, even the larger corporations are feeling the brunt and they are slashing their advertising budgets in half, some are totally eliminating them all together and looking for more effective means of advertising. You can bet a lot of them are using their in-house staff to accomplish this.

2) Your current and potential customers are using it.

We are not living back in the 1996-1997 era, where the Internet to most people was AOL, and the way we accessed it was through 56K modems or lower. Fast forward ten going on eleven years, things have changed dramatically. It’s now not an option to be online, it’s a necessity. We are living in a connected digital state of mind, we are connected at all times thanks, to broadband. With that being said, people, your customer’s purchasing decisions are being influenced by social media, i.e blogs. Before making a purchasing decision, consumers nowadays are smartly using the Internet to find, compare, and research before ultimately spending their money. Have you looked around? There is a reason why your competitors, especially the ones in the know, are already using social media. There is no reason why you shouldn’t be as well.

3) Brand monitoring, listen, learn and react.

If your customers are online you can bet they are talking, positively or negatively. Social media is largely word of mouth marketing. Positive chatter can be used to your advantage and should be taken advantage of when possible. You should put forth the effort to respond to this chatter with gratitude. It never hurts to reward positive feedback, as it could only be beneficial to your brand. This can be done in a multitude of simple and effective ways. Negative chatter on the hand, can be detrimental and needs to be paid close attention to. On average, dissatisfied customers will tell somewhere between 13 and 20 other people how dissatisfied they were, and that’s offline we are talking about. Now could you imagine online? Learn how to use the tools to your advantage, and most importantly listen and react accordingly.

4) Compete on an even playing field.

Before the advent of social media, you needed Madison Ave dollars to compete with the big boys. Social media affords you the opportunity to compete on an even, level playing field. By using an effective social media and SEO strategy, you can achieve the same reach and success your competitors have no matter their size or bankroll. Social media actually gives you a leg up on your competition, if you are determined, motivated and willing to put the time into it.

For more info, be sure to visit http://www.fpmedia.net

**Reasoning courtesy article by Adam Singer @ http://www.futurebuzz.com

FPMedia.net Into the Stratosphere! Site Launches!

2009-08-10T14:50:00.003-05:00

Hey gang! First time around and we're incredibly excited to be here! For those who may not know, when I say "we", I'm referring to The FPMedia Group (FocusPoint Media)! A digital solutions agency, Dallas based FocusPoint Media is unsurpassed in quality and efficiency. We take your ideas and spin a web of creative flair in bringing them to life in full-color! Presentation is imperative in any facet of business and we take our job in visually connecting with your target audience seriously! Check out some of our services and let us FOCUS on your brand!

We'll spare you the horror of the "used-car salesman" pitch and just keep it short and sweet. Come to us when you're good and ready! So, in essence, this first blog is nothing more than a, "Hi! How ya' doin'? If you need any help, just come give us a shout! My name's [insert name here]!" Below are just a few of the services we offer. Hopefully, after checking out our NEW WEBSITE in all its glory (on which we worked REALLY hard, by the way), you'll soon realize we're better than the other guys. If not, hey, at least give us credit for being "as good as".

Never the less, check out some of the services we can provide by peeking below! Thanks again for stopping by. Come back often for more fun & funny updates, links, cool & helpful articles, great resources, write-ups and just good ol' all-around super creative creativity! Oh, FYI, the plain white background isn't indicative of our abilities. ;-) Until next time...

STUFF WE DO/SERVICES

Social Media
Online Development
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Graphic Design/Creative
Viral/Email Marketing
Brand Conception
Merchandising
Media Planning
Print

Visit the new site @ http://www.fpmedia.net by clicking the above image!

We're So Focused

R.I.P. Senator Ted Kennedy

Need A Reason to Invest Your Time & Resources Into Social Media? How About 4 Really Good Ones?

FPMedia.net Into the Stratosphere! Site Launches!