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3/24/2013

Business Quote

"It's easier to change a business than it is to change a person." Jon Taffer from Bar Rescue

Read more Business Quotes here

2/19/2013

#Hashtag vs Keyword

Hashtags and keywords and both vital online marketing tactics and both share some of the same definition attributes but also have some distinct functional mechanics.

Let's begin with the basic definitions:

Keyword
(1) In text editing and database management systems, a keyword is an index entry that identifies a specific record or document.
(2) In programming, a keyword is a word that is reserved by a program because the word has a special meaning. Keywords can be commands or parameters. Every programming language has a set of keywords that cannot be used as variable names. Keywords are sometimes called reserved names . (3) A word used by a search engine in its search for relevant Web pages.
Hashtag
The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages.
The similarities are that both are a word or phrases that is a key identifier to reference by the author and to be searched. Now the difference, the word or phrase is only identified by it originating platform.  A hashtag is now only identified to its platform Twitter. A keyword is identified with the giant search platform Google and diluted into other areas of online marketing language.

Additionally, keywords are a long term not a limited or one time usage SEO/Social Media strategy. Add in that hashtags can be used as search terms when people want several choices for the word or phrase. Twitter feeds are found in search results especially favoring active twitter accounts and extremely popular terms.
When developing a strategic marketing plan including the usage of hashtags and keywords (should always be included) insure that you understand the difference and the similarities and how to strategically incorporate into your plan. You can expect results varying from top search results, twitter trending, brand impressions and a gateway to sales.
All the Best,
Michael Newhouse

WCNGroup is a Strategic Marketing and Branding agency founded by Michael Newhouse. Services include brand identity, demographic discovery, marketing planning, business plan development, experiential campaign execution, digital marketing and social media.

2/09/2013

How to write a business Email

Attention spans are limited while not knowing what type of device your contacts are utilizing to open and read your message. So how do you know the email strategy?

Relating to my own experience has a marketing strategist, account manager and business development professional, I open on multiple platforms; mobile, laptop, ipad and pc. Each device provides a different experience but the main issue is the allotted time to read the email. Taking that into consideration with the fact that a growing number of email's are opened on a mobile device, the length of the email is the critical factor.

As our attention span demands brief snippets of information vs long form communication, your email content must be concise and communicated succinctly so that your contact can process and respond on a mobile device. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Pinterest, Linkedin and other social media platforms have limited posting character allowance with links to longer forms of communication if desired.

So when crafting your next business email correspondence, take into consideration how your contact will be experiencing your business communication.




WCNGroup is a full service Brand and Marketing agency deeply rooted in developing successful solutions for brands that match their marketing and sales goals. From brand research, customer discovery, events, creative, digital marketing and social media.

1/22/2013

What's missing in your Brand Monitoring

Most businesses are online with a website, social media presence and possibly doing some SEO within those properties. Now some have taken the next step to include monitoring brand content and industry specific conversations online. Tools to monitor these activities vary from free (Google Alerts) to paid (Raven Tools) and can be set to keyword terms that are being used to describe and define your brand.

So what is missing with Brand Monitoring?

Missing from Brand Monitoring is when marketing agencies are contracted to provide social media and content strategy services that are Not capable of accurately representing the brand. This type of brand negligence can rapidly damage the brand with months of work needed to clean up the mess. Just cause an agency states that they know social media and/or content management does not mean they are astute in this marketing activity. Your responsibility as a brand or agency of record (AOR) is to perform your own online review which should include basic searches about the company and its constitutes.

The current customer is getting savvier by the day with reading reviews, joining brand's social media platforms, performing their own search and finally, ad networks are getting in on this action by way of designed ads that include who likes what brand and what they are saying. For the unskilled marketer, this can be a daunting task with a wide variety of answers online.

The amount of information and data about your brand is there for your taking. So take it and run with it! What you'll find is truly a gold mine of information and the most embracing, wonderful brand ambassadors that can do more for your brand than ever imaginable.

All the Best,


Michael Newhouse




WCNGroup is a Strategic Marketing and Branding agency founded by Michael Newhouse. Services include brand identity, demographic discovery, marketing planning, business plan development, experiential campaign execution, digital marketing and social media.

1/13/2013

Who was Aaron Swartz

First, let me introduce to Aaron Swartz. Per wikipedia, Aaron was born November 8, 1986 and was an American computer programmer, writer, archivist, political organizer, and Internet Activist. His latest endeavour was merging Infogami with Reddit by which he became one of the owners. His story is fascinating while also tragic. He fought hard for his passions but also with depression.

Please take a few moments to read this revealing post and if motivated, search for other postings to learn more about his passions.


WCNGroup is a Strategic Marketing and Branding agency founded by Michael Newhouse. Services include brand identity, demographic discovery, marketing planning, business plan development, experiential campaign execution, digital marketing and social media.

1/01/2013

What's in store for 2013

Happy New Year!

What a year 2012 turned out to be. The economy seemed to stabilize with some positive signs of better outcomes. Companies started reaching out seeking more services and consumers responded by a strong Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Online sales continue their strong growth with no sign of slowing down. Global markets were hit and miss with some regions doing well while others decreased.

All of this and more this year brought a new found wealth of business knowledge that multiplied faster than in years past for me. This knowledge along with current business topics will be document and shared this year on a consistent basis. I have added some dedicated pages including Consulting, Quotes, Management and Organizational Development. I request that you provide commentary and share with your social networks.

Here's to a fabulous 2013.



Michael Newhouse

WCNGroup is a full service Brand and Marketing agency deeply rooted in developing successful solutions for brands that match their marketing and sales goals. From brand research, customer discovery, events, creative, digital marketing and social media.

11/10/2012

Quotes, Quotes and more Quotes

Announcing my new Quotes page. Quotes are a great way to share motivation, inspiration and positive sentiment. I will share business quotes, personal quotes, motivational and celebrity quotes. They are one of the most shared post on Twitter and are rampant on Facebook. So please, share and check back often to my quotes page.

All the Best,


Michael C. Newhouse


WCNGroup is a full service Brand and Marketing agency deeply rooted in developing successful solutions for brands that match their marketing and sales goals. From brand research, customer discovery, events, creative, digital marketing and social media.