Wednesday, June 25, 2014

SEO and Reputation: Putting Your Best Foot Forward

Reputation management, once solely a PR term, is now the widely used practice of controlling one's own online listings and driving down negative or unwanted results in Google.



How do you know if you need to build or repair your online reputation? First do a search of your name, company name, product(s)/service(s), maybe some top employees and usernames. You'll want the most accurate results not influenced by your own personalized search history. Start by logging out of the account for the search engine, or if searching in Google, disable personalized search results.
 Sometimes all it takes are a few bad reviews, a spiteful competitor, or a misinformed blogger to tarnish your image. Don't let others set the stage and control your brand. Here are a few SEO tactics for managing your reputation online.


Social Media


Register social profiles and be as active in your accounts as possible. Fill out the profiles completely. Use tags, images, videos, and links wherever applicable. 
Focus on the following Networks:

 • Twitter
 • LinkedIn
 • Facebook
 • Youtube
 • Flickr

Content Consistency


You'll want to do the same for local listing directories, and there are quite a few. Brockett Creative Group offers it's own Powerlisting service that uploads your company profile information on leading directories, maps and applications.


If you or your business appears regularly in the press, create a stock bio that you can distribute to the media. Include links to your relevant pages. For example:

It's all about Art and Science at BCG. For more than a decade, we have delivered impressive results to our clients through unique and powerful branding, advertising, online marketing, and social media management campaigns, and a dedication to provide the very best in web services and applications, like the tSpark Content Management System.  


Remember, Reputation Management and monitoring isn't static. You may enjoy favorable results today but that doesn't mean it will remain the same tomorrow. Your search results can change based on recent news, social media posts, or other SEO factors. Building and keeping a positive online rep is a continuous process that you should remain involved in.


For help with your reputation management or more information on Powerlistings, contact Matt or Kari at [email protected] or 315.797.5088.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Overcome your Fear of Commitment: Retainers



There are many common misconceptions and concerns about entering into a retainer relationship with an agency. But we’re here to tell you the benefits of a retainer and how to overcome your fear of this beneficial business marriage. Could this be you?

“I’m in love with my agency, they do wonderful work and I’m already seeing ROI  (my customer base is already expanding!) but they recommend we commit to a year-long retainer. That seems like a long time. Does that mean I lose my freedom and right to customize or make adjustments to my marketing plan? How will I trust that my agency will keep their end of the bargain and that I won’t overpay for services? Sometimes I worry that my agency is just looking out for itself. I really do love them, but when my project manager hints at a long-term future together, I freeze. Help!”

Signed Jittery Corp

Dear Jittery,


Your worries are completely normal when it comes to protecting and growing your business. Rest assured, your agency has your very best interest at heart and there are many benefits to joining into a retainer.

Here are all of the positive aspects of the retainer:


There is an opportunity to build a stronger relationship


There is a reason you chose your agency in the first place, and your agency cares about you and your future. As you enjoy success, so does your agency.

A more hands-on campaign experience


Your agency can dedicate appropriate hours, strategies, and assets to fit your specific needsleading to better collaboration between you both. There is also more focus on business goals rather than individual tasks.

Security


There is comfort in knowing what to expect and budget for. You'll know what your marketing cost will be for the year.

Trust


Open communication means you can contact the agency anytime knowing you won’t be billed a consultation fee.

So take heart, Jittery, there is no reason to fear the retainer commitment. It sounds as though you and your agency are on your way to a beautiful relationship.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Top 10 Grammar Rules

Brockett Creative Group's Top 10 Grammer Rules

You don’t need a Master’s Degree in English to convey your brand message or publish a social media post. It’s true that most online conversations are informal, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t heed the rules of grammar.  Nothing will tarnish your professional image faster than a misspelled word or misplaced quotation mark.

Here are the top 10 grammar mistakes you should avoid:

 

#10 Fewer vs Less

Simply, if you can count it, use “fewer.” If you can’t, use “less.”
  • Matt has published fewer blog entries this month.
  • Kari has less incentive to finish her tasks until the first cup of coffee.
  •  


#9 Improper Apostrophe Use

Use an apostrophe when writing a contraction (Can’t - Cannot; Don’t- Do Not; Wouldn’t- Would Not)  or showing possession (This is Brockett’s Blog).



#8 Complement vs Compliment

Complement- Something that adds to or supplements something

Compliment-Something nice you say to or about someone. Brockett Creative Group has the best clients in the world.



#7 Then or Than?

Here’s an easy way to remember this rule: Use “than” whenever you are comparing, use “then” for everything else.



#6 Who, Which, or That?

"Who" (or "whom") refers to persons. "Which" refers to animals or things, never to persons. "That" can refer to either persons or things.
  • The copywriter who was hungry.
  • The dog which bit the mailman.
  • The car that goes to the car show.
  •  


#5 Anyone vs Any one

"Anyone" means "any person," not a specific person. It could refer to multiple people simultaneously. Anyone can read this blog.

As two words, "any one" refers to a single person.
  • Anyone can learn how to use tSpark’s CMS. But a single-user account can only be managed  by any one user at a time.



#4 Affect vs Effect

Affect is a verb.  Effect is a noun.
  • Your ability to communicate correctly will positively affect your business growth.
  • The effect of poor grammar on a business’ reputation is evident.



#3 Their, They’re, There

  • Are you talking about more than one person and something they possess? Their!
  • Are you talking about a place? There is my cup of coffee!
  • Are you saying ‘they are?’ Use the contraction- they’re.



#2 It’s for Its

"Its" is a possessive pronoun that is gender neutral. The word "its" is used to describe something that is connected to an animal or an inanimate object.
“It’s” is a contraction for “it is” or “it has.”
  • It’s my desire to have another cup of coffee.

 BCG tip: If you can’t remember this rule and unsure of which to use; substitute ‘it has’ or ‘it is’ in the sentence.

  • Brockett Creative Group publishes it is blog posts every week.
That doesn’t work, so obviously it’s “its!”




#1 Quotations

As a rule, punctuation should always go inside quotation marks, even inside single quotes.
  • "It's a good idea to read the weekly BCG blog," her boss suggested.
This applies unless there is a question outside of the quoted material.
  • Do you agree with the saying, "The early bird gets the worm"?
Use single quotation marks for quotes within quotes. Note that the period goes inside all quote marks.
  • He said, "Kari said, 'Poor Grammar is bad for first impressions.'" 
 


If some of these rules are hard to remember, fortunately there are some great websites and online grammar check tools you can refer to in a pinch.

Grammar Girl
Ginger Grammar Check
Spell Check Plus is great as an on the fly spell-check tool, but doesn't seem to work as well for grammar.

For any assistance with copy writing or content development, the Brockett Creative team is here to help. Also, if there are any grammatical errors in this blog, it's because this copywriter is low on coffee.

[email protected]
#BCGroup
315.797.5088