Softmirage Blog

Navigating the New Facebook Timeline Effectively for Business

Steve Pollack — Mon, 07 May 2012 23:13:54 +0000

Facebook is now the most popular social media networking tool in the world with over 845 million active users, and over 100 billion connections as of 2012. In September 2011 the new ‘Facebook Timeline’ was unveiled, and is now available to all users. To keep up with modernizing social media platforms and user capabilities, Facebook has slowly begun converting its users and will eventually convert your business page! Is your company’s Facebook page ready for this radical change? Let SoftMirage provide you with useful insight to effectively navigate through the new Facebook timeline.

Aim for the Big Picture

The timeline is a new kind of profile that lets you highlight photos, events, and experiences to tell a story. The way the timeline organizes your past postings is by year, and from there it showcases the most important events and postings. Take this as an opportunity to record notable milestones in your company’s business so that Facebook emphasizes the successes and truly significant events you’ve posted throughout the years. Share an interesting story with your fans and the entire community at any given point of time on your company’s timeline.

Smart Cover Photos

A hot new feature on the new Facebook timeline is the ‘cover photo.’ The cover photo is a large image of your choice located on the top of your timeline, above your profile picture. These images are public, and anyone visiting your timeline will be able to view this image.

Be smart and use a meaningful image that is visually appealing and interesting. Carefully select a cover photo to showcase an important aspect of your business. Companies choose images that are often logos, sale banners, event promotions, or images of their products and services. Update your cover photo every once in a while, just like you do with your profile image.

Navigating the new ‘Admin Panel’

Manage everything in one place with the new ‘Admin Panel’ located in the header of your Facebook page. Your notifications are consolidated in one place for easy access and viewing, right at the top of your timeline. The new user ‘likes’ allows you to see who has recently ‘liked’ your page, giving you the opportunity to reach out to these potential clients, and even direct message them! Direct messaging capabilities have changed and do not allow for mass messaging, so this significantly cuts down on spamming.

The business insights section of the admin panel produces a convenient, color-coded line graph that displays the regularity of your posts, who’s posting about you, and your company’s outreach frequency. This section provides you with the latest trends on your profile activity, and we highly recommend you take advantage of this useful tool.

SoftMirage provides a wide range of social media services for businesses, including Facebook services. SoftMirage can create completely customized Facebook Fanpages that are fully branded to fit any business. Contact SoftMirage today for further inquiry, and our specialized team of social media experts can help build your business.

Reflections on Quarter 1 and Looking Ahead to Quarter 2

Steve Pollack — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:27:26 +0000

After almost four year of economic recession, the strains of Auld Lang Syne that welcomed 2012 were sung with exuberant hope. This year held promise and, indeed, it appears to be living up to the anticipation by some people’s estimation. Others approach the good news with a grain of salt bearing in mind the seeming recovery in spring 2011 which quickly plunged against the backdrop of the Euro Zone crisis that wasn’t resolved until early this year.

Quarter 1 Reflection

If one examines the data for Quarter 1 alone, it appears the US economy is doing well. Home sales are up due to the extension of historically low mortgage rates and first-time home buyer tax breaks, and thanks to warm weather trends, retail sales have continued to grow beyond the typical holiday boost through the first few months of the year. The stock market rallied and the Dow Jones had managed to remain above the 13,000 mark for more than a few hours at a time. These positive indicators were tempered by 8.3% unemployment holding steady through January and February; however, the outlook was generally positive.

Quarter 2 Projections

The first weeks of Quarter 2 have been marred by the latest unemployment report. After a preliminary report by ADP indicated a significant decrease in the unemployment rate in the U.S., the official 8.2% was underwhelming. With only one tenth of a percent decrease, experts are concerned that the country may not be on the mend but rather the official report may be an anomaly in a growing unemployment rate. This, along with uncertainty about China’s economic future, has affected the stock market; however, many are still cautiously optimistic that the recovery seen throughout Q1 will continue in Q2, especially in the housing and retail sectors. There is even evidence which supports the fact that the slight decrease in the unemployment rate indicates the overall trend, with 30% of employers seeking to increase their rosters of full-time employees this quarter. This percentage is up from 24% in Q1, according to a CareerBuilder.com report.

Summary

Quarter 1 showed some solid indications of improvement and there is little reason to think that Quarter 2 won’t continue, if more modestly, in that vein. While there is some potential concern regarding the stock market’s reaction to Asian market projections, key indicators of true economic growth appear to be headed in the right direction. It appears that recovery is on the horizon.

Is Your Company Prepared for Recovery?

Have you reviewed your existing website and print materials lately? Are you considering starting a new business? With the economy recovering, now is a great time to refresh your marketing strategy or realign your marketing materials for consistent branding. SoftMirage offers numerous solutions for a wide variety of businesses. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

To view SoftMirage’s latest work, visit our recently updated portfolio.

WordPress- Not Just Another Blog

Steve Pollack — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:23:57 +0000

WordPress is a free and open source blogging platform and content management system (CMS). It has many advanced features including plug-in options, template systems, social media integration, customizable themes, and multi-user capabilities. WordPress is currently the most popular CMS in use on the Internet.

Custom Theme Development – Wordpress.com versus Wordpress.org

WordPress.com provides theme choices from existing templates that are standard to all users. While this option works fine for some, the design options are very limited and not recommended for business website integration.

WordPress.org is highly customizable. WordPress.org gives users much more control over their blogs and pages for more robust designs and advanced functionality. Utilizing the full capabilities of WordPress.org takes more skill and time than the WordPress.com templates. SoftMirage utilizes WordPress.org to create custom blogs, web pages, and even entire sites that are individualized for each client. Our theme customizations break away from a generic, one-size-fits all model. SoftMirage’s creative team builds visually stunning WordPress pages that match your branding for integration into your website. Integrating WordPress pages onto your site allows your users to read your blog and other WordPress pages without navigating away from your primary site.

Social Media Integration and SEO Optimization
WordPress pages can be an effective way to achieve a comprehensive SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy. Optimizing your search engine results is a crucial component for driving traffic to your website. WordPress pages help increase your rankings due to more frequently updated content on your website. This is only one piece of the SEO puzzle, but it will positively impact your visibility on search engines.
Commentary feedback capabilities are beneficial for building an interactive site. Allowing users to comment on your blogs (with your moderation) enables you to communicate directly with site visitors on a variety of subjects. Please note that this will only help users perception of your business if you or your assistant is able to invest the time to maintain the commentary and respond meaningfully. If you are not willing or able to maintain the feedback, it is best to not enable this functionality.

Social media networking sites can be synced together to automatically release new WordPress postings simultaneously. This means you can publish a blog on your website and all of your social media networking accounts will automatically be updated. Social media notifications will allow your friends and followers to see that you’ve just posted a new blog. This will direct traffic directly to your website.

Contact SoftMirage today for WordPress Services

SoftMirage offers a variety of professional WordPress services. Our highly skilled creative team of graphic designers creates bold, distinctive designs for fully branded websites that fit your company’s aesthetic. SoftMirage’s social media team also offers specialized services for continuous blogging and social media maintenance. We offer monthly or weekly blogging services, as well as routine social media maintenance programs that can fit the specific needs of your business.

Contact SoftMirage today for more information and a free consultation about our WordPress.org services.

Effective E-mail Strategies for Business

Steve Pollack — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:27:23 +0000

Website Domain

The first impression your business makes on its customers is crucial. It is highly recommended that you use your registered business domain name in email addresses to emphasize the company’s professionalism. (The domain name is the part of the email that follows the “@” symbol.)

Content Formatting

Business emails should always be concise and easy to read. The format of emails should be clearly outlined with appropriate spacing and page breaks especially in lengthy emails. Be sure to use plain text in common fonts with a simple signature line in all business emails. The inclusion of fancy graphics, fonts, and backgrounds can take up unnecessary storage space in the recipient’s inbox and may load slowly or not at all.

Consistent Signature Incorporation

At the end of all business emails always use the same signature, no matter what. It is common to have signatures that include links and other modes of contact. Consistency is key as your signature emphasizes your company’s professionalism. As a precaution, be sure to test your email signature on a smart phone.

Marketing and Advertising

Consider creating E-newsletters to fully utilize the advertising capabilities for your business email. E-newsletters are an inexpensive and highly effective, serving as both a marketing and branding tool. These newsletters can be sent to a large range of clientele and should include both current and potential clients. Sending out regular newsletters to your customers keeps your company in their mind increasing the likelihood of repeat business and referrals. The content should feature products and services and also highlight company news and promotions.

Need Help?

Do you want to align your branding with your emails but are unsure how to do it? Contact SoftMirage today to see the variety of marketing and branding solutions we offer our clients. We look forward to working with you!

3D Rendering and Visualization Specialization

Steve Pollack — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:45:19 +0000

SM Sold provides unique real estate marketing solutions that utilize premiere services in 3D architectural visualization and design. Our creative team of professional graphic artists works precisely with a keen sense of interior design to create stunning visualizations, illustrative models and 3D renderings that are completely customized.

SM Sold can work with your commercial, residential, or industrial properties to give you the ultimate virtual visualization experience. 3D walkthroughs, interior/exterior design modeling, landscape plans, and structural renovations are just a few of the many customizable solutions we have to offer. Comprehensive virtual model homes include interior and exterior designs are completely modified to fit your ideal color schemes and patterns.

Expertise in architectural design offers infinite options of highly styled visual representations that are constructed based on your preferences. You are in complete control, as all of your desired building materials and color palates can be applied to your one-of-a-kind model. Our 3D renderings and illustrative models allow you to see your desired architectural and structural designs before they are built. SM sold can personalize your space providing the most accurate and realistic visualizations of any property.

Contact SM Sold today for more information on our services in design visualization and 3D rendering at: www.smsold.com

QR Codes – What are they? How can you use them?

Steve Pollack — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:35:10 +0000

You’ve probably noticed them by now – QR codes – strange 2-dimensional designs that show up in magazine articles, on websites, in newspapers, and in print ads. In fact, sometimes they’re even printed on shirts. But what are they and how can they help your business grow?

QR stands for Quick Response. Think of these codes like new and improved barcodes. Where the old 1-dimensional barcode was limited to conveying 20 digits which various industries used to track inventory and process sales, QR codes can convey a great deal more information and can be easily scanned in a moment by an app on a mobile phone or tablet.

How much information can one of these QR codes convey? A lot more. QR codes on a business card can allow someone to scan and input all of your contact information into his or her phone in a matter of seconds. Including a code in a print ad can allow the reader to access a hidden promotion or deal or be linked directly to your website so he can purchase the item post-haste. A QR code on a poster in your store front can immediately connect the scanner to your Facebook and Twitter accounts, allowing her to like and follow you with the touch of a button. Incorporating QR codes into your website can allow at-home viewers to see and save the details about the merchandise they want to buy in-store the next day to their phone so they’re sure to get exactly what they want.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The possibilities are endless. So use your imagination and then call Softmirage to see how we can help you incorporate QR codes into your marketing strategy today.

Residential Real Estate Forecast for 2012

Steve Pollack — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:07:24 +0000

Experts agree that 2012 will continue to be a buyer’s market – a buyer with cash, that is.

Sources seem to be optimistic about the real estate market’s affordability in 2012. Lawrence Yun, the National Association of REALTORS’ chief economist, predicts that “very favorable affordability conditions will dominate next year…which will probably be the second best year on record dating back to 1970.” This is welcome news to many buyers, yet it comes with a caveat – buyers may need to have more cash on hand at the time of purchase.

In the 3^rd Quarter of 2011, the European Debt Crisis took its toll on consumer confidence in the US, a trend which has continued into the 4^th quarter of this year. In response, many lending firms tightened their grasp on their cash reserves, decreasing liquidity in the market. Despite record low interest rates, which the Federal Reserve is committed to maintaining until mid-2013, it has become increasingly difficult for would-be buyers to acquire funds.

Recent developments point to a course correction in Europe which may boost lenders confidence in early 2012, though this opinion is not shared by NAR President Phipps who believes that “mortgage availability remains a real concern since the private market has yet to return.” He acknowledges a rebound in the housing market yet believes that the “that lower loan limits will only further restrict liquidity in mortgage markets.” Yet the ever-emotional market volatility of late may swing the pendulum back into positive numbers spurred on by reports in early 2012 of higher employment and retail profits as a result of the holidays. How long into 2012 that boost will last remains to be seen, yet the overall predictions appear to be rosy.

As unemployment is projected to decline in the New Year and the forecast for buyers in the real estate market looks favorable, more prospective buyers will be seeking out realtors to help them in their search for the perfect home. Make sure that buyers in your area can find you. Consider investing a sleek, easy-to-manage website from Softmirage.

The fact of the matter is that internet searches have become the norm for finding new services and a user-unfriendly website can be as detrimental to your business as no web presence at all. If your website is not up to the caliber of the properties you represent, you could be losing clients without realizing it. Review our portfolio to see the difference we’ve made for our past clients. We look forward to your business in 2012.

Online Lead Management

Steve Pollack — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:23:27 +0000

There is no denying that the increase in internet usage, social media, and online interaction has transformed the way people do business and market their products and services. The internet has also dramatically changed consumers’ habits. Consumers do research before expressing interest in a company so it is more important than ever to have consistent branding and professionalism across all internet platforms. When you do get an online lead from a website or social media, don’t let them fall through the cracks! Here are some crucial points to help you maintain efficient responses to online leads.

Online Leads Have a Short Shelf Life

If you are getting leads from the internet, you must respond with internet speed. According to a Harvard Business Review Study, companies that contact leads within an hour of the inquiry were 7 time more likely to have a meaningful conversation with the lead than those who waited more than an hour. Those who waited 24 hours were sixty times less likely to have that kind of connection.

The loss of online leads means you are losing potential clients that have explicitly expressed interest in what you have to offer. 70% of consumers choose the first company that gets back to them.

Don’t Rely on Auto Responders

Auto-responders are good; they make contact immediately after a lead comes in and give the lead additional contact information, but an auto-responder won’t close the deal. You must check in with your CRM and social media sites frequently to stay up date with new leads. Personally responding to a lead within 30 minutes of the inquiry is ideal. If you cannot get a hold of them immediately, leave them some information using whatever medium they used to contact you and follow up within 24 hours.

Be Accessible

Smart phones offer all that you need to respond to online leads in a timely fashion. With similar capabilities to a computer, smart phones provide instant accessibility to a wide range of client contact information, company email, and social media outlets with the appropriate applications. Smart phones provide a variety of resources that allow for customer interaction in the palm of your hand.

Ask for Help

If you don’t have the tools in place to efficiently manage your leads, contact Softmirage and we will help you get on track. We are continually developing strategies to help turn online leads into sales.

Softmirage is a marketing solutions agency that specializes in helping companies large and small to achieve their business goals through the use of targeted marketing strategies that deliver clear business benefit and return on investment. Visit our portfolio to view our high level creative and interactive capabilities.

Search Engine Optimization for Blogs

Steve Pollack — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:00:58 +0000

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or webpage for search engines and in online search results. The more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more traffic the site receives.

When trying to increase traffic to your site, you should consider a blog as part of your campaign. Blogs are no longer just a way for adolescents to complain about their teacher’s assignment. They are a sophisticated tool that can dramatically enhance your business’s search engine visibility. Business blogging is crucial for attracting, informing, and interacting with your target audience. A successful blog will consistently gain and retain readers interested in the content presented as well as increasing traffic to your site through the use of keywords.

Keyword Search

One of the reasons blogging is good for SEO is the opportunity it presents to include relevant keywords in meaningful content. Use words and phrases you think will be frequently searched by the users you are targeting. Integrate these words into your blogs within a relevant post. Warning: do not use too many keywords in a title or fill your post with keywords in a non-meaningful way. This is unappealing to your readers and search engines will pick up on it as spam. Aim for a concise amount of keywords that really nail your blog’s intended audience.

Interlinking Your Blog

Your blog site should include both links that connect back into your own site as well as relevant outbound links. Wise interlinking will encourage more circulation to all of the places your company is present on the web. One way to organize the interlinking of your blog is to arrange category pages in sidebars that link to other relating subjects and topics and the main web pages of your company. Although outbound links must be used sparingly, they are necessary to draw attention to your blog. Outbound links are needed because they enhance your site’s ranking in search engines. Outbound links are needed for citing references, credible sources, and focus attention to other relevant and applicable subject matters and themes. Be sure to link to your internal pages and social media outlets.

Contact Softmirage today to find out more about how to add a blog to your website. If you feel you don’t have the time to maintain a blog yourself, we offer in-house solutions! Call Softmirage today!

Video Marketing is the Wave of the Future

Steve Pollack — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 09:07:29 +0000

It seems like every day there is some new-fangled way to market your company. With the internet, the possibilities seem endless yet woven in among some of the fly-by-night marketing measures there is one trend that is here to stay – integrated video.

In the competitive world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), there are many different factors that affect your site’s visibility in various search engines. While relevant keywords, blogs, and social media can all help boost your site’s rankings, sites with integrated video content are given priority over those that do not have it by Google, Yahoo, and a host of other search engines. Moreover, if produced properly, video content will not only draw viewers to your site, it will also keep them there decreasing your bounce rate thus further increasing your site’s ranking. To be clear, video content on YouTube alone is not sufficient. It should be an integrated part of your website in order to create a boost in your site’s SEO.

Consider the following fact provided by Rob Leach, managing director of Line Up, an experiential marketing and content creation agency based in London: today approximately 40% of all consumer internet traffic is generated by video. This statistic comes from a report done by Cisco which estimates that the number will increase to 62% by 2015. With such strong projections, SEO competition will only grow steeper.

Leap ahead of the curve and consider integrating meaningful video content into your website. Contact Softmirage to learn more about how we can help you grow your business.