In business, everyone is constantly looking for new markets, searching high and low to find additional audiences to target. But what if the audience you have searched for has been right in front of you the whole time? Well, at least accessible from the computer in front of you.

Social media outreach strategies have been all the rage since the possibility arose to use the sites as targeted marketing tools. Many approaches look to connect with the Digital Age users, or those who have grown up with this communication channel at their fingertips, but what about those who are relatively “old school” when it comes to social media? The market of older adults and seniors is one that has been expanding online, and devising a plan of action about how they can impact your business could be extremely fruitful.

According to statistics gathered by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, there are three you might want to consider when using social media to engage with prospective business.

1.    50 percent of older adults (50-64) and 34 percent of seniors (65+) who use the Internet access some form of social media on a regular basis.

2.    The Baby Boomer generation controls roughly $7 trillion in wealth, making them a viable audience to consider when looking to present your product or service to them.

3.    With the multitude of products and services they come into contact with (healthcare, insurance, legal, etc), there is opportunity to find a niche where your business could plug in.

Bridging the technological gap is easier than ever before with the convenience of constant connectivity. Are you doing everything in your power to prosper from these possibly untapped opportunities?  If not, we can help you create a comprehensive plan for social media marketing across demographics and consumer needs.

The Next-Mark team recently wrote, designed, produced and edited a powerful campaign video for our client, Nuance Healthcare, a division of Nuance Communications.

As a marketing communications company, we develop many videos each year, working collaboratively with our clients to create an end product that is representative of their product or service offering.

This experience has shown us that there are five key elements to creating compelling and memorable video content. They are:

1. Have a solid team – Understand that this is a collaborative effort that requires concepting, writing, creative production, special effects and other talents to deliver an outstanding product.

2. Always start with an engaging, yet concise, script – We live in a sound- byte world of short attention spans. Thus it is important to keep the narrative simple, to the point and under three minutes ,whenever possible. This will make it more likely your audience will process the information and remember your message.

3. Remember that your brand identity is integral to the look and feel of your video production – Whether you have a formal brand book in place or a just a logo, your video production should be a mirror of your brand identity.  Understand your brand constraints and exploit every creative opportunity to fully represent your brand promise.

4. Use dynamic production techniques as your budget permits – Every day, new video technologies are introduced. Monitor these tools, but keep your eyes on your goal; don’t add unneeded bells and whistles that don’t enhance the communications experience.

5. Distribution is critical to overall success – Once your video is produced, it is imperative that you map out a solid distribution strategy, whether you are posting your video on your website, sharing it in social media or producing DVDs. The more exposure you receive, the more successful your video project will be. Leverage every opportunity to gain the exposure you need!

This past week we launched our first Big Picture Marketing seminar.  Entrepreneur and social media guru, Veronica Pastore and I hosted a group of budding entrepreneurs, business leaders as we spent a day sharing a wealth of knowledge and insights into driving business forward through marketing success.

I wanted to share a summary of key points we left with the group.  These truly apply to business professionals at all levels.

1. A Brand is a Unique Promise – You are inseparable from your brand. Always build a brand Identity and understand the value of your brand equity- BRANDS MATTER!
2. Discover the “Power of Words” – Always spread the word and tell your story.  Hold your team accountable for strong communications – words do matter.

3. Marketing is NOT a “Quick Fix” – Remember, there is NO silver bullet or crystal ball in mapping your marketing direction.  You CANNOT predict behavior.
4.  Referrals Matter – Build a referral program, nurture every referral opportunity.  Be sure to manage the process and always monitor results.
5. Perception is Truth – Perception is the way we receive and translate our experiences – how and what we think about them.   Work to discover how you are perceived and gain invaluable insight into others’ truths. Work hard to transcend the limitations of perception!
6. Be Aware of “Gimmicks” – Focus on long-term results versus short-terms gains.  Quality will always transcend Gimmicks!
7. Internet: Be Strategic – Invest!  Balance content, design and technology, and remember to manage the “back-end” of your website.
8. Build your Social Media Program – Leverage a clear strategy, be clear in your message. Be consistent and explore all channels
9. Invest – Overcome the fear and apathy of launching marketing programs – be practical – beware. Monitor marketing activities like any other aspect of your business.
10. PLAN! GROW! BUILD!

We will be offering the Big Picture Marketing seminar again in 2013.  Details to be announced soon.

Does your web site’s About Us page really answer that question? Oddly enough, many don’t.

As noted in a recent article on Inc.com, though the About Us page is among the most-visited pages on any site, it’s often the weakest, mired in phrases such as “global solutions provider” and “world-class services.” That is, the type of writing that translates to visual white noise and doesn’t work to create relationships.

But you can fix that, as the article notes, by taking an approach that focuses more on your prospects and their needs and supplying facts vs. superlatives. There’s a lot more, but we encourage you to take the time to read the article and take it to heart.

And, of course, we stand ready to deliver an effective web site and an About Us page that gives the right answer when prospects ask, “Who are you?”

After all, they really wanna know.

Don’t miss our October newsletter, download here.

Your brand is more than your logo, name or tagline — it’s the holistic experience your prospects, clients and others have with your organization.

Your brand is what you stand for. The promise you make and the persona you convey.  And while it includes your visual identity, your brand lives in the day-to-day interaction you have with your market:

Brands are critical.

Brands make you stand out among your competition.

Brands enhance your competitive position.

Brands bring your value proposition to life.

Brands are profitable and contribute to the bottom line, build company equity and overall client loyalty.

Your brand consistently communicates to your prospects and customers why they should engage with you!

To learn more about how we partner with clients to build their brands, please contact us.

At Next-Mark, public relations crisis management is one our of main areas of focus. It can take a company many years to build and sustain a strong reputation. The downside is that a good reputation can be destroyed in seconds. Between word of mouth, media communications, social media influence and other online distribution of information, your reputation is always at risk.

It’s important to stay proactive when it comes to reputation management. For example, having a plan of action for when a crisis happens or taking steps to make sure conflicts are avoided. These six tips recently reported on www.mashable.com will help you in knowing how to handle a reputation crisis.

1. Don’t Pretend a Crisis Is Not Happening

Having a response ready in a timely manner is important. Delaying on this could make you pay the price. Also, you do not want to over respond. This is just as bad as not responding at all.

2. Don’t Make an Empty Gesture

Apologizing for apologizing only comes across as lazy and uninspired.

3. Don’t Refuse to Backtrack

Backtracking is simply meant in regards to covering your tracks and not being afraid to admit you were wrong. Social media is the perfect location to communicate directly to your consumers about what your next steps will be to fix the problem, use it.

4. Develop Channels of Communication

Develop your social media by creating a Facebook, Twitter and blog. Combining this with the creation of a strong company will put you in a good position for the future. By having the social media pages, it allows you convey messaging by using video, email and webchats.

5. Establish a Crisis Communication Response Team

This will be beneficial for anything someone sees on the Internet or external stakeholders. Having a response team in place will create immediate attention to the areas needed. Be careful though, some comments or “rumors” may not need attention. There are people that want attention from you and post things that are untrue. If you know it’s going to fall under the radar and not create a potential disaster, it may not be worth your time. Remember, your company must drive the response and messaging.

6. Become Influential and Change Perceptions

Connect with your audience. Becoming a role model and being influential is important. If not, your may fall under the radar yourself, so speak about things that will influence others positively. Use these channels to focus the conversation around your brand so when a crisis does arise, you have more control over the perception.

Remember, a reputation can be tarnished in a matter of seconds, so following the proper steps in a crisis is critically important. Don’t hope that your crisis will blow over, it won’t. Next-Mark has significant experience in public relations crisis management. If you are ever unsure how a situation should be handled, or the proper steps you should take, don’t hesitate to contact our team.