Pardiman Small Business Marketing Tips

Using Content Marketing

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Mark Brent has been talking about this for a while, but it looks like others are finally starting to catch on.

Check out this interview from Social Media Examiner on Content Marketing.

sme_cc_chapman_v1 from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Great Shoot at Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

2011-10-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, I get a chance to shoot something really enjoyable. This week it was out at Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.

I got some good shots, and you can see the outcome here.

(hat supplied by George Sharp of the VCB, I'm not a Cougs fan)

6 Ways to Measure Your Social Media Results

2011-10-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Spending time on Social Media, but not sure it's worth it?

Check out this article from Social Media Examiner.

6 Ways to Measure Your Social Media Results

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

What is Your Mom Doing on the Internet?

2011-10-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this article and find out.

Moms Continue Flocking to Facebook - eMarketer

Myths of Social Media

2011-10-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this interview from Social Media Examiner

Attacking the Myths of Social Media: An Interview With Jason Falls

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Owner to Speak at Small Business Conference

2011-10-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Pardiman Productions owner Corey Lopardi will be speaking on the Marketing Panel at the South Sound Success Small Business Conference.

The topic is "Comprehensive Marketing Plan: Take the Guess Work out of Marketing"

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

How Twitter is Empowering Businesses from Social Media Examiner

2011-10-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

In this video Laura Fitton, founder of Oneforty, inbound marketing evangelist at HubSpot and co-author of Twitter for Dummies.

from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Determining Social Media ROI

2011-10-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this article from Social Media Examiner.

How to Estimate Your Social Media Return on Investment

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

6 Steps to Great Video Production

2011-10-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this article from Video Maker

6 Steps to Great Video Production

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Visit Us at Business Showcase - Free Admission

2011-10-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Click here for a free admission coupon for the Thurston County Chamber's Business Showcase.

You can find us at booth #60!

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Perfecting the Landing Page

2011-10-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

Looking for a good lead generating tool? Landing pages are just the trick.

Check out this website for The Anatomy of a Perfect Landing Page.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Pardiman Productions to Present at Business Expo

2011-10-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Corey Lopardi of Pardiman Productions will be giving presentations -

12:00-12:20 Getting the most of of your Trade-Show Booth

12:30-12:50 Facebook for Event Promotion

Check out information about the event here.

Confirmation | Facebook shows how to monetize the like button | Tiffany Chang Black | Facebook

2011-10-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this article about how you can increase business with your Facebook page.

Facebook shows how to monetize the like button | Tiffany Chang Black | Facebook

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Pardiman Productions Launches Discover Thurston

2011-10-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

Pardiman Productions launches new weekly video magazine covering the events, attractions, and businesses of Thurston County.

Watch our first 4 episodes below.

If your business, event, or non-profit would like to be featured on Discover Thurston contact us at 360-259-6672 or info@discoverthurston.com

Owner to Speak at Business Showcase

2011-10-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Pardiman Productions owner Corey Lopardi will be giving the presentation "ROEI - Return on Event Investment" at the Thurston County Chamber's Business Showcase on October 12th, 2011.

You can find out more about the event here, and print out a free admission coupon.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Google Offers in Seattle

2011-09-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Google now has Google Offers in Seattle.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Using Facebook Geotargeting

2011-09-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article from Social Media Examiner - Facebook Geotargeting Draws 500,000 Fans for Small Biz

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Facebook's new education resource for businesses

2011-08-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Facebook has a new resource - Facebook for Business.
Find step-by-step best practices for creating Pages, Ads, Sponsored Stories, and more.
Check it out here.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

QR Codes Increasing Sales

2011-08-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered if you could make QR Codes work for your business?
This video shows how a Korean grocery chain used QR Codes to increase sales and online customers.

Your can find out more about using QR Codes in the article "5 Steps to a Successful QR Code Marketing Campaign" from Social Media Examiner.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

New OMB Tour TV Spot

2011-08-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

This spot was created to promote Olympia Master Builders 2011 Tour of Homes.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Using LinkedIn Mail

2011-08-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article from Social Media Examiner

How to Use LinkedIn Mail to Connect With Your Contacts

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Most Who Read Tweets Also Write Them - eMarketer

2011-08-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

Check out this article illustrating that Twitter is gaining and engaged user base.

Most Who Read Tweets Also Write Them - eMarketer

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Networking with LinkedIn

2011-08-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Curious about how to benefit from using LinkedIn? Check out this video that explains the new LinkedIn mobile app.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Google+ Brand Pages

2011-08-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

Found on Mashable from Zeny Huang

4 Reasons Google+ Brand Pages Will Be Better Than Facebook's [OPINION]

What do you think?

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Video Marketing Tips

2011-08-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

2011-08-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is a great article from Social Media Examiner

8 Ways to Maximize Your YouTube Marketing Results

Shows just how you can get the most out of your YouTube account.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Embedding A Video - Social Media Quickstarter

2011-08-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this informative tutorial here on embedding a YouTube video from Constant Contact.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Marketing With Video - Email Tip

2011-08-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

For a couple of years now I've been talking about the benefits of using in in email.

Some of the articles include:

Video in Email - A Powerful Sales Tool

Video In Email Can Increase Web Traffic

If you are using an e-newsletter program like Constant Contact or Mail Chimp sharing video in your emails is very simple to do.

But what if you just want to share a video to a few clients, and send out a small direct email blast from your inbox? Many email such as Yahoo Mail and others don't allow you to directly embed video into an email.

One workaround for doing this is through YouTube.

Once you have a video hosted on YouTube, there is an option on the videos page to share it via an email. If you email the video to yourself then you can use the video image and link that YouTube sends you to share the video to others.

Just click to forward this email, and then delete the portion of YouTube's email that you don't want others to see. Then you can save this to your draft email bin, and when you want to send it out just and the rest of your email message, subject and send it like you would any other email.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Facebook Marketing—Strategies for Turning “Likes” into Loyalty

2011-07-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this free eMarketer webinar

Facebook Marketing—Strategies for Turning “Likes” into Loyalty

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

IKEA Uses Video to Increase Business

2011-07-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this video that shows IKEA's 365 days of video campaign.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Hot Social Media Trends

2011-07-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

In this video Steve Rubel, EVP/Global Strategy and Insights at Edelman Digital.

from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

The Beginner's Guide to Facebook Commerce

2011-07-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

Article about the pros and cons of F-Commerce.

The Beginner's Guide to Facebook Commerce

When You Post Your Video Makes a Difference

2011-07-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Recent stats posted on eMarketer show that there is a 27% higher Clickthrough Rate on Wednesdays than on a Sunday.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Marketing With Twitter Testimonials

2011-07-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ever get a great testimonial from a follower on Twitter and wish you could capture it for your marketing efforts?

Here's one way you can: check out "How to Embed Twitter Testimonials on Your Website" from Social Media Examiner.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Facebook Post Effectiveness

2011-07-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this video from Vitrue that discusses what and when to post on Facebook.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Shoppers Willing to Connect With Retailers on Facebook

2011-07-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

From eMarketer

Software provider Ability Commerce found that 79% of the Internet Retail Top 500 retailers have Facebook pages, yet only 12% offer apps or widgets that enable ecommerce transactions on the social network. Meanwhile, according to a joint study by Shop.org, comScore and Social Shopping Labs, more than half (53%) of Facebook users have reached a retailer’s website from its Facebook page, and 35% of online shoppers said they would be likely to make a purchase through Facebook.

Read the full article here:

Shoppers Willing to Connect With Retailers on Facebook - eMarketer

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Facebook Apps

2011-07-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

This is a great article from Social Media Examiner

Top 10 Facebook Apps for Building Custom Pages and Tabs

It not only shows some good apps to try, but talks about how you install them, list their costs, pros and cons, etc.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Using the Facebook Photo Strip

2011-07-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Facebook Photo Strip has been around for a few months now, but not everyone (myself included) is using it to its full marketing potential.

This video from Make It In Music shows how they created theirs.

You might want to also check out this article - "How to use the Facebook Photo Strip on your Fan Page"

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Check Out Google+

2011-07-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Curious about what Google+ actually is? Watch this introductory video from Google.

Or check out this article "How to Get Started With Google+, Your Complete Guide" from Social Media Examiner

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Training Videos - An Effective Way to Train Employees

2011-07-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

As printed in the Thurston County Chamber's July 2011 Voice.

Get All The Basics of Social Media

2011-06-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

Constant Contact has a new site called Social Media Quickstarter that covers all the basics of getting setup and using Social Media.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

The Seven Performance Metrics that Matter Most

2011-06-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

Check out this article from eMarketer.com The Seven Performance Metrics that Matter Most

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

New Ways to Improve Google Rankings

2011-06-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Are you aware of Google’s recent algorithm changes (known as Panda)?

Check out this article 7 New Ways to Improve Your Google Rankings from Social Media Examiner.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Mobile and Social Media

2011-06-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

In this video is Jason Falls, founder of the popular blog Social Media Explorer.

from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Placement is Key in Website Video

2011-06-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

As printed in the Thurston County Chamber's June 2011 Voice.

2011 Thurston County Healthcare Champions - Distinguished Service Award - Dr. Gary Goin

2011-06-23T09:18:00.000-07:00

Recently we had the opportunity to produce this great award video for the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

2011 Thurston County Healthcare Champions - Innovative Community Service - Kershisnik and Ritchie

2011-06-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

2011 Thurston County Healthcare Champions - Community Impact Award - Bob Appel

2011-06-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

2011 Thurston County Healthcare Champions - Health Care Safety Net Award - Jon Peterson, DO

2011-06-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

Twitter Makes Link Shortening Simple

2011-06-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

Tired of having to pre-shorten links to fit into Twitter's 140 characters?

Twitter now has automatic link shortening.

How does it work?
Just paste a link into the Tweet box and when you hit the “Tweet” button, it's shortened so that it only takes up 19 characters.

Sharing links on Twitter has never been easier.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Video Tips - Getting Good Audio

2011-06-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Online viewers will be forgiving of low quality video most of the time, but they expect good sound. Outside of a quite office, you really can't rely on the internal microphone on your camera to do the job. When looking for a video camera, even a Flip style, look for one that allows you to use an external microphone.

If the option isn't there to plug in an external microphone, you can still use a separate inexpensive audio recorder and mic, and sync the two audio tracks together in post. In a conference or seminar situation, place this mic on a podium or plug it into the house sound system to get clearer quality audio.

Always monitor your audio through headphones to make sure it is recording at the proper level, and there is no noise that you might not hear with the naked ear.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Twitter Inlcudes Photos & Videos

2011-06-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

Check out this video from Twitter that shows it all.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Small Businesses Think Social Media is Cost Effective

2011-06-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

Over half of small businesses surveyed think that social media is more cost effective than direct mail or other traditional advertising.

To read the entire article "Social Marketing's Benefits Rival Email for Small Businesses" from eMarketer.com click here.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Curious About Groupon?

2011-06-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Click here to check out the article: "Will Groupon Really Boost Your Local Business?" from Social Media Examiner

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Add Value To Your Website With FAQ Videos

2011-05-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

How many times a day do you answer the same questions?

Do you get bogged down by explaining basic procedures, pricing structure, or simple policies to customer after customer?

Your website or print material may already cover frequently asked questions that your customers have, but you can be even more effective on your website or in emails with FAQ videos. A short series of simple videos answering questions that every customer has, or explaining and demonstrating what the customer will experience, will go a long ways in making sure that new customers are ready to speak with you about meeting their needs.

These videos can be as simple as you talking directly to the camera, or can include other experts in your office or demonstrations.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Friend Recommendations Drive Local Business Visits

2011-05-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

According to a recent article from eMarketer.com friend recommendations are the primary factor that influences US Consumers to try a local business.

Read the entire article Here

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Grow Your Business with Content

2011-05-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

Check out this video from Social Media Examiner

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Promote Your Event with Video

2011-05-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Pardiman Productions had the opportunity to follow the attendees of the 2010 & 2011 Thurston County Chamber's South Sound Classic.

Why not use video to promote or document your event?

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

How to Effectively Monitor Social Media

2011-05-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

Learn how you can effectively monitor social media in ten minutes a day.

New free ebook by HubSpot Click here.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Drugstore.com Uses YouTube and Facebook for Video

2011-05-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

"Our video distribution strategy has been focused on looking at where our customers go. The logical places are YouTube and our Facebook page. We have a YouTube channel and a video tab on our Facebook page. About once a week we do a post that highlights a video from our library. "

Check out this article from emarketer.com

Drugstore.com Uses Industry Access to Boost Video Appeal

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Facebook Success Beyond the 'Like'

2011-05-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

According to emarketer.com

Most Fortune 100 companies now use Facebook for marketing. And HubSpot’s “The 2011 State of Inbound Marketing” report found that 44% of companies in North America see Facebook as critical or important, up from 24% in 2009.

Read the entire article here.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Annie's Unique Gifts.com

2011-05-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

Check out this video we did for Annie from Annie's Unique Gifts.com to introduce new customers to her custom gift baskets.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Telling Non-Profit Stories

2011-05-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

This video was created for The Salvation Army to show at their annual fundraiser luncheon.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Display Budgets Make Room for Online Video

2011-05-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ad Agencies are shifting their ad spending to Online Video.

Read the full article from emarketer.com

"Display Budgets Make Room for Online Video"

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Online Video Increases Consumer Time On Web Pages By 9% For Living Direct

2011-05-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

From retailtouchpoints.com

"Online retailers are increasingly looking for ways to enhance the online shopping experience in order to boost sales and improve loyalty. Video can be one answer to the challenge of keeping shoppers on retailers’ web sites longer."

Check out the whole article:
Online Video Increases Consumer Time On Web Pages By 9% For Living Direct

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Swimwear Company Uses Video in Marketing Mix

2011-05-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this article from Author: Kelly Hushin of The eTail Blog

"Video: One of Marketing’s Newest Fastest Growing Distribution Channels"

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Event Video For Local Non-Profit

2011-05-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to produce this video for local non-profit Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County.

This video was shown at their wine and chocolate event celebrating their 20th anniversary.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Online Video for Retail Gains Sophistication

2011-05-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this interview with Craig Wax, Chief Executive Officer of Invodo

This article is from emarketer.com

"Online Video for Retail Gains Sophistication"

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Owner Named Ambassador of the Month for April

2011-05-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

Some Thoughts On Transforming Your Marketing

2011-05-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this slideshow from HubSpot Transform Your Marketing

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Increase Your Blogs Activity With Facebook Video

2011-05-01T22:57:00.001-07:00

Embedding video from your Facebook page is a great way to increase your blogs traffic and make your posts more social.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

How Retail Sites Can Make the Most of Video

2011-04-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

According to eMarketer.com’s “10th Annual Merchant Survey” 75% of retailers rated video as a valuable merchandising feature in Q1 2011, up from 68% in Q1 2010 and 58% in Q1 2009.

Click below to check out the whole article from eMarketer.com

How Retail Sites Can Make the Most of Video - eMarketer

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Tips For Better Website Ranking

2011-04-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Managing your own SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in house can be a daunting concept, but one of the best ways to move your website up the rankings is by having lots of content on other websites linking back to yours.

Here are some sites that Google loves to see you put content on and include links back to your website.

YouTube - Online Video site - www.youtube.com

Craigslist - Online Classifieds - www.craigslist.org

Merchant Circle - Online Business Directory - www.merchantcirlce.com

Yelp - Online Reviews Site - www.yelp.com

While there are hundreds of other sites out there that you can list your business on to increase your rankings on Google, by creating content for just these four sites you will go a long ways in getting closer to first page ranking in your category.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

New Product Promotional Video

2011-04-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

Ever had a new product that you were ready to launch and were looking for a great way to do it?

Here at Pardiman Productions we recently had the opportunity to produce this video for RoboLight.

Find out more about RoboLight at their website here.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Are Your Customers Opting Out?

2011-04-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

I'm sure we've all heard about the declining effectiveness of the phone book as a marketing tool. With the proliferation of online searches and mobile phones with directories at our fingertips, fewer and fewer people are going to the phone book to find businesses to purchase goods and services from.

Today, my wife made the situation all the more clear to me. She texted me to let me know that she had just opted out of having the phone book delivered to our home.

As I looked further into this not only were we not going to receive one of the multiple phone books that we receive on a yearly basis, but that she had opted out of five different directories.

I was a little surprised at how easily she was able to refuse the marketing of hundreds of local businesses who have spent thousands of dollars to be at her fingertips when their services are needed. I reflected on the fact that I had chosen to discontinue my phone book listings over a year ago, and how this one simple action solidified for me the great marketing shift that still needs to take place.

Never before has it been more important to not put all of your marketing dollars in one media. As a business are your customers opting out of recieving phone calls, phone books, e-blasts, and direct-mail pieces?

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

What Makes Videos Go Viral?

2011-04-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Check out this video about Viral Video from Social Media Examiner

from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Thurston EDC Awards Video - Small Business

2011-04-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Recently we had the opportunity to produce this great award video for the Thurston Economic Development Council.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Thurston EDC Awards Video - New Business

2011-04-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

Thurston EDC Awards Video - Non-Profit Organization

2011-04-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

Thurston EDC Awards Video - Corporate Business

2011-04-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Audience Targeting, ROI Draw Advertisers to Digital Video

2011-04-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

Digital video advertising is steadily gaining momentum within online marketing, with eMarketer estimating a 38.6% online video ad spending increase this year alone.

Click on this link to read the complete article from emarketer.com.

Audience Targeting, ROI Draw Advertisers to Digital Video

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Posting Strategies that Encourage Engagement on Facebook

2011-04-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

According to eMarketer "Companies should consider the day, time and content when writing posts."

Check out the full article here.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Social Media Has A Positive Effect On Search Performance

2011-04-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

Almost half of business to business marketers survey said that Social Media activity had a positive effect on the Search Performance.

Check out the full article from emarketer.com here.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Lacey Company Uses Video to Promote New Magazine Launch

2011-04-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

This video was produced to help promote the new Business Values Magazine.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Video Marketing in 90 Seconds or Less

2011-04-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

As printed in the April 2011 Thurston County Chamber VOICE.

There are many great opportunities for you to promote yourself and your business by taking advantage of low cost video. One of the keys to being effective and getting everyone to hear your story is to deliver your message in 90 seconds or less.

So how can you be effective in just 90 seconds or less? While there are many types of successful short videos out there, my suggestion is to Be Real, Be Concise, and Be Engaging.

While it's not easy for most people to speak comfortably in front of the camera, the worst thing you can try to do is read off a script word for word. If you truly want to connect and build trust with customers, they have to know that what you are saying is genuine. A great way to solve this problem is by having someone ask you questions off camera, and just use your responses in the video.

Many customers want to stuff all of their marketing messages in to one video. What happens, though, is you end up with a 4-5 minute video that bores most viewers. Studies show that viewership drops off significantly after the first 90 seconds. What I recommend is that you choose one message per video, and then make that video as effective as possible.

Your video can be more than just a talking head. Using pictures, video of your product or service in motion, graphics, and even customer testimonials can help make your video as entertaining as possible.

Video is one of the most effective ways to increase traffic to your website, improve sales, and gain new prospective customers. Just keep your message short, simple, and engaging and you will see great results.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Local Hotel Gets New Tour Video

2011-04-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Recently we had the opportunity to produce this great video tour for The Governor Hotel in Olympia.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Why Most Businesses Get Facebook Wrong

2011-04-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this video from Social Media Examiner

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

How Social Media Monitoring Can Grow Your Business

2011-03-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

Check out this video from Social Media Examiner

from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #5

2011-03-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

Continuation of Speaking to Groups

Don't forget why you are there to speak.

5. Wow Us

This is your time and you’ve paid for it. Why not give us a reason, or better yet, make us remember you and your business by doing something fun and unique related to your business or speaking topic. This can go a long way towards generating interest and being memorable. In the words of Bonnie Raitt “give them something to talk about.” Put on a show. Inform us, excite us, and then make sure we leave with a way to get a hold of you, and something great to remember you by. One of the best leave behinds for us has been our custom wrapped chocolates.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #4

2011-03-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Continuation of Speaking to Groups

The next thing to consider is your marketing message.

4. Sizzle Not Steak

You’re not going to close any deals on the spot at a meeting or event where you are the speaker, so forget about selling and focus on the sizzle. In other words, keep your message to the highlights and interesting parts of your business, products, or services to make it more desirable to your audience to contact you and find out more. Get them excited about what's new, what you have to offer, and how you can help them fulfill a need. Trying to sell to an audience like this is the number one way to lose their attention, and the sale.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #3

2011-03-02T09:01:00.000-08:00

Continuation of Speaking to Groups

The next thing to consider is the content of your presentation.

3. The Image is Mightier Than The Bullet

The saying “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” is never more true than during a presentation. Avoid the long bulleted PowerPoint. No one goes to a business meeting or luncheon looking to read. They may have come to hear you or someone else speak, but not to read. Now I realize that not everyone is comfortable speaking for several minutes without some notes, but that’s where the benefit of pictures comes in. Video is also a great tool that uses moving pictures to tell your story in a captivating way that encourages people to listen. If you have information you’d like your audience to read, give them a handout they can take back to the office and read when they are avoiding doing something else. You are paying for this time, so make sure you keep your audience captivated with shiny images and eloquent words.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #2

2011-03-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

Continuation of Speaking to Groups

The next thing to think about is how you structure your presentation.

2. Tell Me 3 Times

Even though you may only have a few minutes to speak you can still get a lot accomplished in that time. One of the best ways to aid memory retention is through repetition, and the format for using repetition in a presentation is: Tell your audience what you’re going to talk about, talk about it, and wrap up by telling them what you just told them. A good format for this is a 30 second introduction, two minutes of information, and a 30 second conclusion. If you are asked to give a longer presentation make sure to keep your introduction and conclusions short, and if possible add a time for questions at the end of your presentation.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Speaking to Groups - Tip #1

2011-02-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

You may at some point in marketing your small business join a group that will allow you to get up in-front of tens if not hundreds of people to promote your business. Over the next week, I'll be laying out some tips that will make you a better presenter, and hopefully help you see a return on your speaking investment.

Tip # 1. Keep It Short & Sweet

You are given only a limited amount of time to speak for many reasons. The most important to you is your audience’s attention span. You’ve probably got an arrangement where a good portion of the room has their back partially or totally turned toward you. They’ve also just eaten, and are probably wondering if they can find a way to squeeze in a nap, or get in a little digital prayer (texting). Keeping your presentation brief, to the point, and impactful will go a long way in being understood and remembered. And that should be one of your main goals in speaking in front of groups, increasing brand awareness so that your audience thinks of you when the need arises.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Adding Video to Your Linkedin Profile

2011-02-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

Linkedin has recently made it easier for you to add video to your Linkedin profile. Check out this article which explains the process.

You can check out my profile and video here.

You can also add video to your companies product and service listings on Linkedin.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

BUMP - Do We Need This Kind of Social Interraction?

2011-02-22T20:14:00.000-08:00

I'm not usually one to criticize others ideas and inventions, but is this the type of social interaction that we need. I'd love to hear others comments and opinions.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Can Video Help Your Retail Business?

2011-02-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

Curious if video can help your retail business?

Check out this recent article from emarketer.com.

How Retailers Can Make Video Efforts More Effective

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Tastless TV Ads - How To Lose Your Market

2011-02-07T22:00:00.000-08:00

I don't normally make a point of critiquing the work of others, but during yesterday's Super Bowl one ad stuck out that really rubbed me the wrong way. The spot involved Timothy Hutton downplaying the plight of the people of Tibet in order to plug Groupon, an online coupon company that has been getting a local following.

You can watch the ad here:

And when I looked for more details about this blatant marketing misstep I came across the fact that the Super Bowl ad was actually one of three produced with similar themes. One mocking the distinction of whales, and another comparing Brazilian Rain Forest Deforestation to bikini waxing.

Groupon founder and CEO Andrew Mason doesn't seem to get the tastelessness in his blog response.

"Since we grew out of a collective action and philanthropy site (ThePoint.com) and ended up selling coupons, we loved the idea of poking fun at ourselves by talking about discounts as a noble cause," he wrote on the company's blog.

At SaveTheMoney.org, Groupon is fundraising for Rainforest Action Network, buildOn, and the Tibet Fund and plans to match up to $100,000 in donations to each charity. It's also soliciting contributions to Greenpeace.

But nowhere in the spots was there any information about these charities, or how someone might donate.

I truly find it hard to believe that these spots starring Hollywood Celebrities, and directed by Christopher Guest, made it past everyone's best judgment and onto such a national stage.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

Getting the Most Out of a Networking Group

2011-02-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

If you've been looking for a way to boost the effectiveness of your online marketing and social media efforts you should really look at joining a local networking group. If you are not familiar with what a networking, leads, or referral group is; it's a group that usually meets weekly to build relationships with other business people and to pass leads and referrals. These types of groups come in all shapes and sizes from corporate run groups to chamber of commerce groups to free coffee clubs. Whether you are new to this type of marketing or have been going for years, the following tips should make your experience much more enjoyable and profitable.

1. Build Relationships First - Your first goal in joining a networking group shouldn't be to gain new business. If you join the group with the only intention of finding a new stream of potential customers, you are missing the point. Just like you shouldn't engage in social media just to spam others with your latest offers (another topic by itself), you shouldn't join a networking group just to snatch up business cards to add to the pile (yet another topic for another post). By focussing on building relationships, you ensure that you are not only a trusted member of the group, you prepare yourself to do a better job with step 2.

2. Give First, Then Get - Once you've got a good feeling for who the members of your networking group are, what makes them different from others in their field, and what would make a good referral for them it's time to start actively looking for ways to get them some business. First look within your immediate group of family and customers for opportunity to generate some business for the members of your group. After a few successful referrals to others, you can start to look to generate referrals for the members of your group no matter where you are. As the other members of the group start to receive referrals from you, they will start to pass them back in return.

3. Be Ready to Refer - It's always a good idea to have a few cards from each of the members in the group with you at all times. You never know when you might have the opportunity to pass along their card to a prospective customer. This can also be a good way to get your card in the hands of others, as they see you as a connector, and someone beneficial to be connected with.

4. Give & Get Quality Referrals - Passing unqualified referrals, and not following up on the referrals given to you, are guaranteed ways to lose the trust of others. If you pass a referral to another member of your group, make sure to give them as much information about the referral as possible. Also, make sure that the person whose referral you are giving is expecting this person to contact them. The last thing you want is a member of your group calling on the referral and having the person they are calling on be upset or caught off guard that they are calling.

Joining a referral group can be a great way to connect with people in person to strengthen relationships built online, or to create new social networks. Just make sure to be social and respectful of the other members, and you might just have 20-30 other people selling your services for you.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.

LinkedIn Now Has Company Pages

2011-02-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

LinkedIn now has company pages similar to Facebook fan pages.

If you haven’t yet created your LinkedIn company page just click on companies in the top bar, and then just click Add Company.

For more marketing ideas and advice contact Pardiman Productions at 360.259.6672 or info@pardimanproductions.com.