Maison Weiss (Jackson, MS), a Jackson, Mississippi icon for its generations of designer fashions, launches its new Facebook web property, www.facebook.com/maisonweiss. Facebook (FBML) pages allow businesses to create websites within Facebook and actually engage their audiences. Owner Ken Szilasi is proud to announce this launch in unison with new website and Twitter online presences. See a list of thinkWEBSTORE.com websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.

Maison Weiss (Jackson, MS), a Jackson, Mississippi icon for it’s generations of designer fashions, launches it’s new website design, www.maisonweiss.com. Owner Ken Szilasi is proud to announce this launch in unison with new Facebook and Twitter online presences. See a list of thinkWEBSTORE.com websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.

Today’s landscape of communication options can be overwhelming for any sized business, let alone small and mid-sized businesses that already feel crunched when it comes to time and resources for self promotion. However, the plethora of options has also come with advances in the technology that can be used to manage those communications.

In Ridgeland, Mississippi, thinkWEBSTORE is helping clients face these challenges and understand the tools that make it possible to communicate with customers in many new ways.

According to Bryan Carter, President of thinkWEBSTORE, there is no silver bullet. “People often ask what specific message to create for which specific platform,” he said. “They are trying to choose specific technologies to reach specific audiences. But it’s more about opening the lines of communication so that people get your message however THEY choose to receive it. Be that email, Facebook, Twitter or in traditional media. Today’s opt-in approach in the social marketing segments has allowed people to actually ask to communicate with you and your company.”

A year ago, audiences were more segmented and had less tolerance for receiving the same message in multiple formats. But today people (customers) are embracing multiple ways to communicate. And, they don’t mind getting some repeat communications from their different channels. Using social networking channels also means that a positive message can spread far beyond its initial recipients. That said, every communication must be relevant. Otherwise, your audience members will begin opting out.

Website

Your website is still your most important communication hub for your customers. It is the place that defines your look, visuals, content, deep content and messaging.

Facebook

With the introduction of FBML, Website pages on Facebook have debuted and taken off with vigour. Time will tell how much of ‘The Next Big Thing’ they prove to be. But, as of now, they are having real impact despite having only recently been introduced.

Instead of looking for a silver bullet, try seven. Use each method or media for its strength and don’t be afraid to overlap a little. As long as the message is well received, customers will still be fans.

Seven Standard Ways of Communication for Today’s Business

• Web
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email
• Phone or Chat
• In Person
• Third Party (Referral and Word of Mouth)

For more information and insight into integrating your marketing and communication strategies across multiple media channels, building websites and building new Facebook web pages, contact thinkWEBSTORE.com in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Lake Harbour Drive next to Primos Cafe.

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Located next to Primos Cafe on Lake Harbor Drive in Ridgeland, thinkWEBSTORE is a leader in online presence in the Jackson metro area. Their services include website design, social marketing, hosting, logos, search engine optimization and graphic design. They can be found online at www.thinkwebstore.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thinkWEBSTORE and on Twitter @thinkWEBSTORE. Contact thinkWEBSTORE.com by phone at (601) 856-2000.

A website can just sit there like a dusty can on a shelf. Or, it can be a vivid expression of what you want your business to be and how you want it to compete with others. More and more small to mid-sized companies are realizing that how they express themselves online is crucial to how well they perform in today’s economy. Increasingly today’s messaging isn’t about shouting louder, it’s about speaking smarter. This means targeting the message and the medium to the right audience. Online, you can.

There was a time when websites were a luxury for businesses. Today they are as necessary as a phone number and logo. Now that websites are mainstream, people expect every business to have one. And what’s more, potential customers use them. So your website should not only properly represent your business and its capabilities, it is also critical that your website performs for you and outperforms your competition.

To make sure your web presence has full impact, you might have to move beyond your url. This gives your audience the chance to encounter you in more than one place on the web. Welcome to social marketing. That’s right, the online world didn’t sit still and, while we watched, applications like Facebook and Twitter entered the online social scene, grew to mainstream status and finally penetrated the business market. In fact, there are companies that rely completely on their websites and social marketing to promote their business — successfully.

Everyday millions of people are shopping online and comparing competing companies. Many of the companies being surfed don’t even know how many sales are clicking out the door. Since it all happens online, it‘s easy to fall asleep at the wheel while the competition racks up.

One amazing thing about your online presence is that it works while you are awake, and while you are asleep. It is critical that you create the right tool and the best experience for your customer . A properly designed online presence can be your best, most reliable employee. It can qualify leads, drive sales, attract phone calls and inspire in-store visits. It will consistently do whatever you have set it up to do, all day and all night long. It costs less than an entry level sales associate and does much, much more.

Your online properties must work together. And, depending on which applications you employ — Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, etc. — you will need to do your part. That means spending some time communicating with your customers, answering questions, offering them advice and offering deals. With proper execution, the return will be in your customer relations and in your bottom line. Consider your online presence to be your ship. Pick a great captain and watch your tools perform.

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For more information on websites and social marketing, contact thinkWEBSTORE.com at (601) 856-2000, visit www.thinkwebstore.com or find them on Facebook and Twitter @thinkWEBSTORE. Located next to Primos Cafe on Lake Harbor Drive in Ridgeland, thinkWEBSTORE is a leader in online presence in the Jackson metro area. Their services include website design, social marketing, hosting, logos, search engine optimization and graphic design.

Social Media Marketing has hit mainstream.  And, while MySpace has been thrown under the bus, Facebook and Twitter are thriving.  How well?  Well rumors of Google’s interest in Twitter are all the rage and if Google’s track record of picking winning online strategies is any indication then don’t expect this wave to end anytime soon.

Not only has social media technology hit mainstream, yes, even grandparents are checking out Facebook and blogs to see the latest pictures and videos of their grand kids, businesses have seen this as an opportunity to market their products and services.

Social Media Marketing using applications like Facebook and Twitter are allowing businesses to market to their customers in real and near real time on their terms, and the public is responding.  This new form of communication is opt in.  People choose to receive messages and updates from their fellow Facebook and Twitter users.  These days that group is not just friends and family, it includes celebrities, media outlets and yes, businesses.

Businesses benefit from getting a dedicated audience, ready to hear what they have to say.  To marketers, this is pure gold.  However, businesses beware.  If you do not use this medium correctly you can do more harm than good.  While social channels provide unprecidented access to potential customers, the social market is a fickle one.  And, if you come across poorly, you cannot only be dropped, you can become blacklisted by your customer base.

It is important that ANY messages you send out to your social network not be seen as SPAM, mundane or worthless.  Anything you send must have value.  The way to determine that value is by first having an in-depth understanding of your audience.  By effectively predicting what your audience deems worthwhile, you can have a significant impact on your customer relations and your sales in an almost real-time and fluid way that cannot be rivaled by any other form of media.  The loyalty you can instill in your customer community and your ability to attract them to your offerings may surprise you.

While no marketing tool is a silver bullet, each has its place and Social Media Marketing has secured its place as a viable mainstream strategy.

Contact thinkWEBSTORE.com for more information on Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

thinkWEBSTORE.com is a Mississippi based company that specializes in website design, web technologies, logo design, business identity and marketing strategy. thinkWEBSTORE.com is co-located with Advanced Microsystems (www.advmicrosystems.com), a company specializing in computer repair, networking and network administration.

www.thinkwebstore.com
info@thinkwebstore.com
601-856-2000
655 Lake Harbour Drive
Ridgeland, MS 39157

Read more about Social Media Marketing, SEO and SEM at thinkWEBSTORE.com

There are ways to actively and passively use social apps to promote your business, but before you get too excited, take care.  Amateur use of these mediums often results in poor results.  In social marketing, it is critical that advertising is not seen as advertising.  If it is, 4 in 5 times you will lose.

Social marketing is about value.  What does that mean for your business?  How does it play with your website design, branding and web presence?  Come in for a consultation.  We will discuss what it means for your business specifically.  And, get ready, it turns out to be a lot of fun in addition to rewarding when you utilize social channels the right way.

For more information on Facebook, Twitter and other Social Marketing tools and strategies contact us directly or, if you are in the Jackson, Mississippi area, we encourage you to stop by for a tour of our facilities and a quick, obligation free conversation.