Dabrian Marketing Group

Internal Office Communication Impacts Business Success

March 25, 2015 by Dabrian Marketing Group Leave a Comment

Introduction to Internal Communication

Whether you’re chatting by the office cooler, or discussing the newest client contracts; communication is key to keeping your business afloat. Balancing office antics and effective management can seem unrealistic, but minor changes could lead to immeasurable benefits.

By building a healthy relationship with your superiors and subordinates it will encourage and enhance communication. Working as a team and ensuring no work slips through the cracks will work in everyone’s favor. An effective manager understands the benefits of connecting with your coworkers to grow their business. We should leave our doors and our minds open to stay informed.

Promote an Open Door Policy

Speaking freely while in the office doesn’t always call for a big meeting with Human Resources. Communicating with our coworkers can play a crucial role in keeping work flowing smoothly. Creating a rapport is the easiest way to stir up serious conversations. A simple “How was your weekend?” on a dreaded Monday, could usher in a series of rewarding changes. When your coworker’s weekend didn’t go as planned, playing the role of confidant can boost esteem that generates productivity. Using a Project Management Platform to communicate with your team allows employees holding different roles to participate in all projects. Beginning conversations with light banter can ease the stress when troubleshooting and problem solving. Lending your time can create efficiency in the inner workings of your company.

Collaborate Effectively

While gaining the trust of your coworkers, you can become an essential part of your company. Holding brainstorming discussions to prepare for the next big meeting, can become a necessary step. Speaking up or chiming in can leave you at the top of the minds of your coworkers and bosses! One small idea can snowball into the launch of the next big thing. Collaborating with open communication can be a common practice that keeps your company one step ahead. Google Docs is one of the most user friendly collaboration tools in the market allowing numerous people to view,edit, or comment on any document. The environment in which your company grows is correlated to its success. But what happens after the planning and brainstorming? You’ve got an objective, the next step is to act upon it efficiently.

Use Technology as a Tool and Not a Crutch

Technology has become a cog in the machine of businesses around the globe. Taking notes during meetings can be done digitally to reduce waste and streamline next steps. Note taking on a tablet or even with the latest Smart Pen can become your next favorite habit. Recapping, or sharing notes, makes it easier for everyone to assure they’re on the same page. Using apps such as Google Keep Notes can provide a handy reminder that can also allow your team to communicate with notes. Scheduling meetings digitally with the use of the Checker Plus for Google Calendar Chrome extension provides an easy forward thinking method of making sure you’re on track.

Triumph Together!

Now is this time to guarantee your company isn’t tearing down its own walls. Use your relationships with your coworkers to stimulate connections, join hands for your business, and assure a blossoming environment. So, the next time you’re leaning by the cooler, remember your words translate to effective management communication.

We’d love to hear your success story below!

Technical Considerations for Going Mobile Design

March 11, 2015 by Dabrian Marketing Group Leave a Comment

What method should you use when starting your mobile design?

There are a lot of variables you need to consider when making your site mobile friendly. To start, there are three different ways you can do it. Only 1 of the 3 ways is considered best practice, and the other 2 are being phased out. Ideally you want to shoot for responsive design which with media queries work. Then no matter the size of your screen, your website’s look and feel will always be as at the width you want it.

Before we get into the 3 most common ways to design for mobile, I should mention the absolute most ideal way to do it. If you are doing a complete re-design then you should design for mobile first. I know it’s a bit different from how we developers have been doing it for decades, But going from the simplicity of mobile to complex is much easier. If you are not doing a re-design and already have a website you want to go to mobile, then you are going to choose between one of the 3 methods below. Keep in mind that there are other ways to go about it, I only mention the most common.

The 3 most common ways are as follows: media queries (referred to as responsive), mobile version of site (you would have 2 sites basically – one for desktop, and one for mobile), and making it fit exact sizes (making it fit 320, 450, 700, 900, 1024. If someone has a screen size of 400, they would see the 450 size. Basically, the design jumps as if you moved the browser).

Helpful Tools For Mobile Design

There are dozens of software packages and sites you can use to help. I am going to keep it simple and only mention 2 specific ones. The first is to help with Internet Explorer since you’ll usually encounter the most issues, as with previous versions of the browser. The next one can help with every browser, but it only gives you a screenshot of what you select. Still very helpful for checking multiple versions of chrome in one go.

The last one allows you to view websites in different sizes without having to resize your browser. You can also browse the site using this, which is helpful for usability. If you use Google Chrome then you can use this next bit. If not then I highly recommend downloading Chrome. It is actually a built in feature that I use all the time.

All you need to do is right click on a site, and select “inspect”. Then another bar will pop out showing you the code of where you right clicked, and below that will be the CSS properties associated with it. It is handy for anyone programming. I have used Chrome for years and never noticed this until recently.

At the top of the inspect window there are buttons to change what you are seeing. Those are cool to use also. You can change the position of the inspect window from there. It can either be bottom, right side or a completely different window. On that top bar between the magnifying glass and the “Elements” tab, there is a phone icon. Click on it. Instantly you can browse in any size and go to specific device sizes. You can also see the recommended screen sizes to hit when going for mobile design.

Mobile Design Cross Browser Issues

Here is where all of the trouble is. You need to pick which devices you want to design for, and for which browser versions. The more versions and devices you support the better. Choose wisely – supporting every browser version under the sun for all devices simply isn’t possible. A good standard would be the webs top 5 browsers that cover 95% of the user market: Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Opera. You can download them and use them for testing, or use the tool above to see screenshots in those browsers. I recommend both so that if you want, you can use the site on that browser instead of only seeing a screenshot.

Browser version wise, it is recommended that you go back at least as far as 3 versions. For Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera those typically can go even farther back, maybe as far as 10 versions or more because they usually show roughly the same. For Internet Explorer, you will need to pick what specific version you want to design for.For each version you go back, it will become harder and harder to design for. So your mileage my vary with Internet Explorer versions.

Programing wise, inside your CSS you can use 3 properties to target those browsers. First is “ -webkit- “ – this targets Chrome and Safari. The next is “ -moz- “ – which targets Firefox. Lastly, there is “ -o- ” – and that targets Opera. To target Internet Explorer, you need to do some research depending on the version you’re designing for – that pre-fix might be different.

Thinking about going mobile and have questions? Ask away in the comments below!

Social Media 2015 Scouting Report: Instagram

February 18, 2015 by Dabrian Marketing Group Leave a Comment

Kevin Systrom has certainly gotten where he wanted to be in four short years (or 104 in social media years) since founding Instagram. The domination of visual content platforms has forced the re-visitation of many a social media strategy for marketers. Now the only question is: what’s Kevin got up his Prada-conceived sleeve?

It was the biggest social headline of 2014: “It’s Official: Instagram Is Bigger Than Twitter”. We all read it, we all did a double-take, and we all had the same reaction: “Wow – well, actually… I guess I could see it”. Of course we could all see it. Instant user gratification (following Twitter’s recipe) mixed with virtually 100% visual presentation (with maybe 1% left for the hashtag game) – Instagram couldn’t have any more #swag if they tried.

But (unfortunately for the English language) swag WORKS in the social space, and it works well. Appealing to the masses is the name of the game, and Instagram has a stiff leg up on the competition. In the past nine months alone, Instagram has doubled its monthly active users to 300 million. That’s right – Instagram has gained nearly 150 million active users since Samsung launched current flagship Galaxy S5 in the U.S. “Really?”…yeah, really.

Will Instagram Go Public?

C’mon, everybody who’s ANYBODY is doing it. Facebook in 2012, Twitter in 2013, even Snapchat and Pinterest are joining the party with expected IPO’s in the coming year. It certainly makes sense – as going public has hardly put holes in the pockets of social’s biggest players to date. It’s only a matter of time until that conversation surfaces. The question is: what cash-flowing, business-driving, investor-enticing feature do these platforms have (yes, even Snapchat) that Instagram is still lacking? Advertising. Should Instagram decide to test the public waters in 2015, we can most definitely expect to see a more robust (and accepting) advertising platform. Speaking of which…

Instagram Ads

Okay, fine, Instagram has “advertising” – that is, if you’re a top-1% advertiser who’s willing to spend egregious amounts of time and resources working with Instagram to meet the toughest ad regulations in the industry. But for the rest of our brands, Instagram Ads are about as useful as the local Classifieds.

Instagram Ads don’t appear to be getting any more accessible any time soon, either. According to Instagram’s Director/Market Operations, Jim Squires, the platform is being “very methodical and deliberate” about the process. It’s a benchmarking phase. Their sloth-friendly pace is most likely a reactive approach due to parent company Facebook’s regular user meltdowns that come with platform alterations. Bottom line: don’t expect your average client’s brand to be advertising on Instagram anytime soon.

In the meantime, Instagram has yet to give us any diminishing algorithms to contend with, so paid advertising isn’t a necessary evil to maintain our reach and visibility (italics means it’s emphasized, people). As long as creativity is emphasized, a proper advertisement is as simple as the tap of a thumb.

Instagram Analytics (or, lack thereof)

We’ve been begging Instagram for an analytics platform for a while now. Sure, we have access to services like Iconosquare or TOTEMS, and even the big boys like Hootsuite pretend to have what we need from a reporting perspective. But metrics like “engagement rate” lack the context of what we need to prove that our content is really resonating with the end user.

Instagram has been buzzing about a new “time spent” metric for a while now. In fact, in a recent interview with Recode, it was announced that the average mobile user spends 21 minutes per day in the application. If Instagram is really as art-sy as they claim to be, they should know of this metric’s importance to us. Think of a fine art museum. How can you tell what pieces are TRULY appealing to an audience? They stop and stare at it for a while. Soon, a crowd gathers, and before you know it you’ve got what social media is all about: attention. When will Instagram actually grant us access to a “time spent” metric? Who knows. For now, “engagement rate” and a properly tagged link in your bio are going to have to do.

Here’s the thing, though – for everything Instagram is lacking, they make up for ten-fold. They still have the highest user “engagement” (if you’re into that sort of thing), they still have more active monthly users than Twitter, and they still maintain among the highest growth rates of any platform out there. Seriously, Instagram could give us all or none of the things in this report, and it wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference. We’re all still suckers for swag.

Have any predictions of your own about the Insta-future? Let us know in the comments below!

DMG Guest Blog Featured By Web Analytics World

February 4, 2015 by Dabrian Marketing Group Leave a Comment

This week, DMG’s Principal Owner Daniel Laws was featured as a Web Analytics World guest contributor with his “Mobile Analytics Guide for Mobile Websites.”

Daniel walks you through the necessary steps to capturing the meaningful data you need to

make informed decisions surrounding your mobile website. Check out the featured blog in full at:

http://www.webanalyticsworld.net/2015/02/mobile-analytics-guide-for-mobile-websites.html

This is Daniel’s second featured blog for Web Analytics World. We’d love to hear your feedback, so connect with us (or Daniel) on Twitter!

Google Partners Connect Event

January 28, 2015 by Dabrian Marketing Group Leave a Comment

On February 11, 2015, DaBrian Marketing Group, LLC, a full service digital marketing agency located in Reading, PA, will host an exclusive digital marketing event sponsored by Google.

DaBrian Marketing Group, LLC is an official Google Partner. This status allows the agency to access research, advertising promotions, and exclusive events from Google. The Google Partners Connect event on February 11 will give local marketing professionals and business owners the opportunity to see how digital marketing can drive success for their businesses.

Where:

Gallery Above Penn Square (GAPS)
128 North 5th Street Highway, Reading, PA 19601

When:

February 11, 2015 at 12 PM

What:

Livestream Google AdWords presentation
Q&A session to cover your questions about Pay per Click advertising

Why:

Free Parking downtown at Abraham Lincoln Hotel
Free catered lunch
Learn about growing your business through PPC (bring your questions for the Q&A)

The online registration form can be found at bit.ly/dabrianmarketing.

Why Paid Content Marketing Should Be on Your Radar

January 21, 2015 by Dabrian Marketing Group Leave a Comment

Content marketing is at the top of every marketer’s mind. How to plan it, how to execute it, and—most importantly—how to dive in and pull with the most value from it. The problem is, since content marketing is becoming such a blanket term that encompasses social media, email, video, and everything else, it can be difficult to dial in to the combination of tactics that generates maximum ROI.

A big issue we’re seeing in the space isn’t around content development processes, best practices, or even how to go about measuring content marketing’s effectiveness. For a lot of businesses, the problem lies in getting the right message in front of the right people. We know that operating different areas of the content marketing machine in isolation is a recipe for disaster, so we’ll have to tackle this hurdle at the source—building awareness around the content being produced.

Paid content distribution (sometimes called “content syndication”) is the practice of paying to distribute content to users via a third-party site. If you’ve ever read a blog post and seen a “Sponsored from around the web” section near the bottom of the page, that’s one way that content syndication works. As with anything digital, platforms vary in both price and functionality. Let’s start by covering why you may want to consider incorporating paid placements into your content strategy.

Benefits of Paid Content Syndication

Gain Exposure – Generally, the value of paid content syndication comes from the quality of the message itself; not how much you spend or how enticing your ad copy is. This value is perceived as more genuine and, thus, more likely to drive business results.

Streamlined Process – In order to get started syndicating content, you often don’t need anything more than a budget and a URL. If you already blog as part of your content mix, it’s just a matter of selecting a choice few to get started.

Customization – In order to make sure the right people see your content, solutions are available that allow you to control targeting settings, whether by location, age, or interests. This ensures you’re not wasting your budget on uninterested users.

Easy Measurement – Nearly every content syndication solution has built-in analytics that are no-nonsense and allow for simple CSV exports. For the more advanced marketer, custom URL tagging is supported as well.

Now for the Drawbacks

You’re probably thinking that you’re completely sold on paid content marketing. We’d advise taking a quick cautionary step before you head down that path, though. Some drawbacks of taking your content marketing to this level include:

It’s not a silver bullet – Paying for this kind of visibility isn’t the end-all be-all content marketing tactic. That means it may work in conjunction with more proactive outreach, or it may not work at all. In other words, your mileage may vary.

Potentially high costs – Our research shows that this type of approach warrants a more substantial monetary investment (Between $300 and $500/month at the low end). For small or medium-sized businesses, this may be problematic when it comes time to divvy up the annual marketing budget.

The time investment – Put simply, if your content doesn’t provide value in some way, it won’t be worthwhile to pay for its distribution. As your budget dwindles, it won’t take long to determine whether the content you’re pouring money into is sub-par.

So is paid content syndication right for your business? Unfortunately, it depends. As noncommittal of a response as that is, the decision to invest in this type of marketing should not be made without answering some fundamental questions:

How much do you currently invest in your content marketing program?
Has your content been well-received by your audience in the past?
Are you looking to build a wider audience or interact with existing ones?
Do you have well-defined policies and procedures around your brand’s messaging?
How have you measured the value of content marketing up until now?

Whether you’d like to get your brand name out there, showcase your expertise, or generate more buzz around your message, paid content syndication can be a great way to start building those relationships. So long as you’ve got something meaningful to say and a way to measure success, it’ll be well within your reach.