Pour yourself a cuppa and poke around for a bit. Click through our blog for a tour of our work. Learn a little about what we do and our pricing. Give us woof: 360-642-4431 or email. We're at our best when we've caught your vision and are working to help you gain the greatest return on your investment.What do Clatsop Community Bank, Knutsen Insurance, Clatsop Coin and Town & Country Home Furnishings have in common?
They all believe in protecting their customers’ personal information and are sponsoring a community “Shred-It” event:
Saturday, April 16th
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Outside the Astoria Branch of Clatsop Community Bank
10th & Commercial Streets – Astoria
Suggested Donation of $5 per ‘banker’s box’ or large bag
Click the image for a closer look.
The Internet is very much like a toolbox. You have a problem, you go to the toolbox, select a tool and fix your problem. But, with so many options, the question becomes: Which tool is best? Should you devote some of your budget to a public relations campaign or to developing and implementing a targeted social media marketing strategy? What’s right for your company? How do you know?
Well, before you rush off and start your research, it’s important to remember the Rule of ABM: Always Be Marketing. To ensure that you don’t slack off on your marketing efforts, here are a few guidelines:
It’s about quality, not quantity. Yes, it’s a cliché but it couldn’t be more appropriate when it comes to social media. Is it better to cast a wide net, or be selective? Too many initiatives or poorly directed efforts can quickly alienate and confuse your audience. If your marketing is worth its salt, it’ll deliver results, without offending or browbeating. If not, at best you’ll be irritating and at worst, you’ll be ignored.
To ad or not to ad. The choices are many; however, good choices are few. Should you buy Facebook or Google ads? Should you add advertising to your own website? The answer to this can only come from you. Take a hard look at your objectives and business plan. Are you trying to sell a big-ticket item or service? Do you need to target customers in a particular vertical? Do you have the personnel and infrastructure in place to handle the response ? Examine what your business needs to accomplish and then start small. You can always ‘upgrade’ later.
Deliver. If your brand’s social media marketing is done well, the work that’s done for clients and customers needs to have the same level of quality. Nothing is more disappointing for a customer than biting the marketing bait and being interested in what appears to be a qualified business, only to find out that the business cannot deliver on the promises made through their marketing.
Stick with what works, ditch what doesn’t. If your company has engaged a ‘big deal expert’ to provide you with marketing guidance and the efforts are not producing results, move on. Experts aren’t always right. Conversely, if your social media marketing strategy is working and someone tries to convince you to abandon it, stick to your guns — and your strategy.
Measure twice, cut once. Be sure to measure your marketing efforts and results. When you get a positive response, you’ll be able to pinpoint which marketing activities are paying off and which need additional attention.
Treat social media marketing like dollar-cost averaging. You can’t expect to get outstanding results with your first efforts (in fact, don’t expect that at all) – it’s nice if it happens, but it’s rare. It’s important to invest a steady, consistent effort and be patient with your marketing.
Social media marketing is sticky business and the worst part is there are no hard and fast rules. The absolute best thing you can do when it comes to social media marketing is to develop and implement a viable strategy and stick to it. To do so is to find your brand not only ahead of the game, but on solid ground as well.
–––––––––––
By Lena West – xynoMedia via American Express OPEN
Many of you know, but others may not have heard, due to recent budget cuts, the Washington State Tourism office within the Department of Commerce will be eliminated this year. Here is some background information and an update on the current situation.
Is there anything we can do to retain the state tourism office?
No. The governor, Department of Commerce leadership and the legislature have agreed on closure of the office. The only question that remains is the closure date, which is currently May 1st in the Senate version of the supplemental budget, but could choose to keep the program running through June 30th.
What did the industry do to keep the tourism office funded?
Industry stakeholders fought quickly and aggressively through strategic lobbying in Olympia, direct meetings with the governor and legislators, and broad-based pleas to constituents across the state to voice their concerns in Olympia. While advocacy efforts of the past five years have been highly visible and inclusive, the unexpected and urgent nature of the proposed tourism office closure required fast behind-the-scenes work by industry leaders.
What Happens next?
Although this can be considered a crisis, it can also be seen as an opportunity. The industry leaders and partners have been working hard on a transition plan for the immediate future. We need your to help set the course for long range plan. Please attend the upcoming summit on March 31st to learn about what is happening and how you can provide input and direction into the future of our state’s fourth largest industry. Tourism Matters and so does your opinion. Please join us.
The Washington State Tourism Industry invites you
Join us for a half-day tourism industry summit to talk about what happens next as we work toward a unified, statewide tourism plan.
This summit is sponsored by the newly formed Washington Tourism Alliance (WTA), a 501[c]6 established by industry stakeholders with the sole mission of sustaining destination tourism marketing for Washington State. Our plan is to procure and administer funds for statewide destination tourism marketing activities and create and implement a strategic statewide destination marketing plan. WTA is governed and overseen by the tourism industy and is not a state government organization.
Please come prepared to join us as we initiate the Washington Tourism Alliance!
WHEN:
March 31, 2011
8:00 am – 9:00 am Registration, Breakfast & Networking
9:00 am – 12:00pm Program
WHERE:
Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center
17620 International Blvd.
Seattle, WA 98188
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Anyone with a vested interest in a successful statewide tourism program.
COST:
Complimentary but pre-registration is required. Click here for information and to register.
SUPPORT:
QUESTIONS? Visit, www.watourismalliance.com
If you need overnight accommodations, please call Debbie at the Hilton Seattle Airport at 206 248-7150 and ask for the WTA rate.
Thanks to Mary Kay Nelson & the Visit Rainier Board of Directors for this information.
It’s happened to a number of our clients. They log in to facebook only to find that their profile has been posting on their behalf. Aaack!
We have a client who isn’t the most techno-saavy person. She’s only been on facebook for a few weeks and is really just starting to get oriented to the amazing and wonderful power and diversity of the platform. So I was a bit surprised to get a post to my wall this morning:
I zapped her a quick email that I then thought may be useful for more of you:
Unless you really got a free iPad (which I find highly doubtful), do this:
- Log into facebook.
- Go to: http://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=applications
- Delete ALL applications you’re not using by clicking the blue ‘x’ to the right.
- In the upper right hand corner, click ‘account’ then, center of the page, click ‘password’. Change yours.
- Now click the ‘notifications’ tab (these tabs go across the top of the white part of the page).
- Review this page and change any checked boxes to your preferences.
That should keep facebook apps from having access to more than you prefer, and posting on your behalf.
So tell me, beachdog fans, is this useful info for you, or old hat?
~Keleigh
Peninsula Events
