Category: Blog

Is Your Website Responsive?
By Categories: Blog Tags: , , , , , ,

In today’s dynamic, electronic media landscape, having a “responsive” website is becoming increasingly more important. It means that your website is designed to respond according to the device on which your website is viewed, i.e., a desktop computer, laptop, iPhone, Android, tablet, touchpad…The underlying code knows which device is used and adapts accordingly.

In 2011, Compuware published results from a survey entitled “What Users Want from Mobile” that showed global consumers’ expectations for mobile and application performance.

One of the survey results mentioned that, “A bad experience on a mobile website leaves mobile web users much less likely to return to, or recommend, a particular website. Nearly half of mobile web users are unlikely to return to a website that they had trouble accessing from their phone, and 57% are unlikely to recommend the site.”

Another stated, “Mobile users do not have much patience for retrying a website or application that is not functioning initially — a third will go to a competitor’s site instead. The majority of mobile web users are only willing to retry a website (78%) or application (80%) two times or less if it does not work initially.”

Two advantages of responsive design are 1) faster load times and quicker access to information on your website, and 2) it eliminates the need to develop a separate mobile version of your website.

If you would like to have your website redesigned or designed in a responsive manner, please contact us for a consultation.

 

Do-It-Yourself Marketing. Can You Really?
By Categories: Be More Visible, Blog

I recently attended a seminar that focused on how to get more clients. This is the premise: If you want more customers, you have to do all of the marketing yourself. Don’t rely on anyone else to do it for you.

While this sounds great and wonderful, it may not always be practical. Let’s think about this for a moment. You are a small business owner. You started your business because you have a passion for something. You love to create, work with your hands, design, strategize, transform or improvise.  We can even break it down further…you love to cook, paint, cut hair, talk, teach/instruct, fix cars, design brochures, sell houses, heal wounds.

You started your business because you love what you do and want to make a living doing it. Can you really do everything it requires to run a business?

If you worked in Corporate America, most likely you had a specific job to do. For illustrative purposes, let’s say you were a salesperson.  You came to work, made phone calls, conducted meetings, responded to emails, completed sales reports, then went home and started again the next day.

While you were selling, someone else at the company was answering the phones, determining the company’s budget, ordering supplies, filing tax forms, interviewing potential employees, ordering lunch, generating publicity, making travel reservations, designing the marketing materials, placing advertisements, updating the website…and the list goes on.

Now you own I Amma Salesperson Inc.  Not only do you have to perform your responsibilities as a salesperson, you also have to do all the above … answer the phones, determine the company’s budget, order supplies, file tax forms…

Every professional has his/her gifts and specialties. They are experts at what they do. Why not hire them to do what they do best? It’s impossible for you to do it all.

When it comes to marketing (or any other discipline), there are professionals who have skills and years of experience. They have been doing for years what they do best while you were out selling, because that’s what you do best.

While there is the do-it-yourself mantra out there… many are finding that, if the company is to grow beyond the “solopreneur,” it’s best to hire professionals to help you get to the next level.

Don’t believe the hype. You can start out by doing-it-yourself, but if you have plans to grow, you have to hire professionals to help you.

Annual Reports… Who Reads Them?
By Categories: Be More Visible, Blog Tags: , ,

No one.  Annual Reports are long, boring and usually have awful photos. Well…not all of them. Some people actually do read them, because even though they are few and far between, there are good Annual Reports out there.  You just have to know how to create them.

Corporations with shareholders have to report their Income Statements, Cash Flows and Balance Sheets.  However, no one reads financial statements. So, if that’s all they published, no one would know about all the other wonderful things corporations do.  They have to put their Income Statements, Cash Flows and Balance Sheets in pretty packages so that people will read about the other contributions they make.

Non-profit organizations are not required to produce Annual Reports. But they do. They want their donors to see their names in print as a thank you for their contributions. Publicizing the charitable work that they perform may inspire others to help out as well.

Make it Easy to Read

Annual Reports usually aren’t. There is so much information organizations want to share that it ends up in tiny print.  You don’t have to include all the details of the last 12 months. Pick a few great things that you think are more than interesting. Use a larger font. It’s easier on the eyes.

Pick Great Photos

Don’t use stock photography.  Make it genuine and hire a photographer to capture events throughout the year.  Use close-ups whenever possible and candid shots rather than stiff, posed images.

No Stiff Copy

Punch it up. Make it fun. Invite the reader into your world. Instead of, “More than 350 people attended the annual fundraiser, and a good time was had by all…” include a quote from someone who attended the event. It gives the article a more personal feel.  “I had great time at the annual fundraiser. The entertainment gets better and better each year. My children loved the balloon animals and the talking bear.”

Engage the Public

No one wants to read a bunch of comments from employees about what they do at such-and-such a place. They want to read about people like themselves.  Ditch the employee humdrum and find real people who are benefit from your products or services.  Include real testimonials from the company blog or Facebook comments. Make it real.

Make it Accessible

Save a few dollars and make a pdf version that can be electronically distributed. Hard copies are nice, but you don’t need 10,000. You can save on distribution charges using email, or have a link to the document on your website.

Who reads Annual Reports? More people will. If they are easy to read, have great photos, include interesting, easy-to-read copy, stories from real people and are easily accessible, they will attract the inquisitive rather than repel the curious.

A Sustainable Planet – We Need to Educate
By Categories: Blog, Sustainability

As an energy management professional, I am always reading terms such as “Smart Grid,” “energy efficiency,” and “carbon footprint.”  Among my peers, I also use such terms.  However, the esoteric use of such language is proving to have little effect among the masses.  Some of us are attempting to be good environmental stewards, but let’s face it – most of us are energy hogs.

I say this to illustrate a point, and it is not my intention to be judgmental.  The fact is that public-interest institutions and organizations have to do a better job in delivering a value proposition to the average citizen.  Utilities have to engage consumers in ways that encourage them to embrace behavioral modification that results in energy conservation.

It is imperative that local governments develop communication plans designed to engage citizens in substantive ways that make them want to recycle.  I live in a small suburb of Cleveland that offers weekly pick up of recyclable material (cans, glass containers, plastic).  Yet there are only a few of us on my entire street that voluntarily place their recyclable items curbside.Surely, a community of educated and professional people knows better.

The fact is poor messaging results in a lack of awareness in any community.  All schools should integrate environmental and energy literacy into the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) curriculum.  Religious institutions need to align spiritual messages with principles of environmental stewardship.  Every level of government should have someone who ensures that we meet our growing energy needs without compromising our planet.  In addition, this person should lead effective public education and awareness campaigns.  It is also about time that utilities develop hands-on tactics that enable customers to save money while reducing energy consumption.

The point is that we need to leverage those with existing political and social capital to drive home the message.  We have to educate, and then reinforce what’s learned.

From your preferred position, let us advocate for a sustainable tomorrow.

Cleveland Bridge Builders Celebrates 10th Anniversary…
By Categories: Blog

…..with Advertising Campaign

I’m excited! Our company isn’t the only one celebrating a decade of success.

Cleveland Bridge Builders (CBB) is launching an advertising campaign to celebrate their Flagship Program. Yours truly is one of ten alums selected to tell their story! The ads foster community awareness about the positive impact we’ve made in the community after participating in the program.

If you haven’t heard of CBB’s Flagship Program, it’s a 10-month leadership development and civic engagement program for rising civic leaders. It seeks to identify, educate and channel rising leaders into effective civic engagement. We participated in highly interactive curriculum with individual leadership assessment, small group discussions, presentation from community leaders, team projects and a review of best practices in leadership across sectors.

Continue reading Cleveland Bridge Builders Celebrates 10th Anniversary…

No More Black Beans and Rice (It’s Gumbo Now)
By Categories: Be More Visible, Blog

The deep psychological wounds of slavery cannot  easily be measured, but the evidence of the superior race mind-set is ever present.

As America’s pot becomes gumbo rather than black beans and rice, everyone has to learn to accept and welcome the positive changes diversity brings. Not only do we now have an African American running our nation, but minorities are at the helm of some of our great businesses and institutions. Many minorites and some in the majority accept what is, because from generation to generation we have not known otherwise.

A recent incident brought the necessity of diversity education home. For nearly one year I attended job-related meetings at which I was the only African American. One meeting I could not attend, so I asked a co-worker to stand in for me.

Imagine my surprise when she returned, exclaiming how nice and accomodating everyone was. She was beckoned to sit with the hosts and made to feel like a “sorority” sister – gestures of acceptance, acknowledgement and appreciation I had never experienced.

At first I could not quite understand why my emotions were on a roller coaster. Then, it dawned on me. My color prevented me from being in their “club.” I could not join because I did not look like them.  Maybe  even deeper than that – they were uncomfortable with me. In their world I don’t exist. I am invisible.

The days of  “black beans and rice” are over. The numbers of Latinos, Asians, Native and Arab Americans and other ethnic groups are growing. Therefore, diversity education is necessary. By making entire races invisible, we are shortchanging our schoolrooms and boardrooms of their talents, time and treasures. We have to try to learn and understand the history, cultures and souls of those who are different.

There were two lessons learned from this incident. One, I was used to being invisible and ignored. I didn’t recognize it until it was blatantly brought to my attention. Alienating others was their way of life – their actions went unrecognizable to them.

Two, I now have a better understanding of what Jesus meant when He said, “…love your enemies. Do good to them…Then your reward will be great and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” (Luke 6:35 NIV).

The attitudes and actions that have brought the need for diversity education to took hundreds of years to create and may take just as long to eradicate. We must be patient and continue to seek change with love. We may not see it’s full manifestation in our lifetime. Maybe our great-grandchildren will.

Too Busy? Outsource Your Social Media
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Social media in today’s business world has become a vital part of branding and in building new business relationships. Some businesses have found that they are unable to commit the time, personnel and resources in maintaining a successful social media campaign. Instead of pulling your hair out, you can outsource this function to an outside consultant who is an expert in your business field.

Social Media

Although this is an important function, you need to make sure that the consultant you choose has a successful track record in social media. What they write on you or your businesses behalf could potentially harm your business and brand.  You must ensure that they write and/or share information that represents your business’ vision, ideals and overall brand.

To begin searching for the right consultant, ask a few key questions on the role of the social media consultant:

  • Will the consultant merely look for information and share it on your behalf?
  • Will they be a part of your team helping to develop a campaign, marketing new business initiatives, or launching new products or services?
  • Will they voice “an opinion” on your behalf?
  • Will they provide content via your blog?

Defining the role is going to be very critical in the beginning to eliminate any misunderstandings and errors.

The next step is selecting a consultant. Visit their website. Read their blog and look for comments. Review their writing style. Does it fit with your business or brand? How often do they blog and how many “shares” are they averaging? Look for testimonials from their clients. Visit their Facebook and Twitter accounts to review the information they have written and shared. Look at the number of shares and “retweets.” Check their Klout* scores. These are just a few of the many strategies that will help you make a clear decision.

Develop guidelines and identify tasks for the consultant:

  • If they are writing blogs on your behalf, create a list of topics that should not be included, such as religion, political views, negative comments about competitors, etc.
  • Develop a list of topics that require your approval before publishing.
  • Create a schedule for performing these tasks. And lastly,
  • Delegate a member of your team to oversee the consultant’s progress. Someone who will follow up and keep track of what is being shared and also any feedback that might come back to the company.

Social media is evolving daily. For you business to reach new clients, it should be someone’s daily responsibility.  If you are unable to do it – think about outsourcing it.

*FAQs about Klout.. “Klout digs deep into social media to understand how people influence each other, so that everyone can discover and be recognized for how they influence the world. You can use the Klout Score to understand how influential you are; you can use your topics to shape what you are influential about; and you can be recognized for your influence by receiving +K from friends or Perks from brands.”

We Need Black and Brown in Green
By Categories: Blog, Sustainability

You can call me an energy technology nerd, but I enjoy assisting clients in the development of energy management solutions that help to reduce our societal carbon footprint.  More importantly, I find it intrinsically gratifying to develop successful consumer engagement strategies that incentivize the average citizen to reduce water and energy consumption.  After all, we should all be good environment stewards.  Yet, I attend energy and water management conferences where I am literally one of few Black people among conferences with attendances that range between 8,000 and 12,000 people.  I also struggle to find Hispanics attending such events.

Since environmental sustainability is a global issue, it would stand to reason that initiatives related home energy management, water conservation, or recycling of any kind be targeted in an equitable manner.  My point is not to make this a race issue, but to acknowledge “the elephant in the room”.  A white upper middle class public utility corporate communications specialist inherently knows how to connect to her suburban neighbors.  Tactics such as community forums, high-touch mobile displays, and engaging the church pastor will lead to significant traction in communities of color.  Politician running for office have known that for a long time.  After all, we are ultimately seeking ways to modify human behavior.  The methods and the messenger matter for African-Americans and Hispanics – a lot!

The 2010 U.S. census counts almost 90,000,000 African-Americans and Hispanics collectively.  Race or ethnicity aside, the fact is that we have to develop substantive consumer engagement strategies for such a large demographic. After all, everyone consumes water, uses electricity, and heats their homes.  Institutions that serve the total public such as utilities and local governments have an obligation to create value propositions for all.  If we are asking people to change habits, they have to understand what is in it for them.  For poor and working class people of color, water and energy conservation has to be linked to cost savings.  However, being an environmental steward may resonate more with higher income people of color.  If the message of environmental stewardship is being driven home by someone with significant social or political capital within the community, then you will have more success.  I have not even begun to overlay regional and age differences among communities of color.  The larger point is that it is time to better engage people like me.

Despite all of this, I see progress on the horizon.  Just as wireless phone providers slowly learned that people of colors also use cell phones, business models emerged to facilitate consumer preferences for communities of color.  Various studies now show that African-Americans have a higher cell phone adoption and use rate than America in general.  I expect the same phenomenon to occur in communities of color relative to the adoption of home energy and water management technology.  At a recent consumer engagement symposium in Texas, a utility executive told me that he is engaging African-American pastors and politicians as a means of generating Smart Meter and energy management awareness within the service territory for his utility.  Major energy trade organizations have made recent public declarations to develop consumer engagement strategies targeted to communities of color.

All of this signifies opportunity for people of color experienced in the development of customer segmentation strategies.  Whether you be the owner of a public relations firm or a corporate communications specialist for a utility, this is represents a tremendous opportunity to contribute to your triple bottom line (financial, environmental stewardship, social responsibility).  Retailers such as Best Buy are beginning to sell home energy management electronics.  Green is becoming main stream.  Pastors and grass roots community leaders also need to step up to the plate.  Being a protector of the planet is a spiritual matter.  The advocacy of green jobs workforce development programs can serve to economically revitalize many African-American and Hispanic communities.  Although I believe that government and public sector institutions need to do more to ensure equity in the green movement, ultimately African-Americans and Hispanics have to take ownership of changing the landscape.

Sustainability – It’s a Matter of Stewardship
By Categories: Blog, Sustainability

While engaged is a discussion today regarding consumer engagement strategies for home energy management solutions, a colleague raised the question, “How do you make environmental sustainability resonate with the average person?’ For that matter, does the average person really connect personal driving habits to air quality? As we turn on our tap water, do we ever question whether clean water will flow? As I pondered these questions, it occurred to me that the questions are not really about conservation or reducing pollutants. We have to probe further into human nature to ask the right questions.

Although the “green movement” has gained significant momentum, tom many, environmental issues still remain abstract. Humans respond to things that are immediate and personal. People that experience the death of a loved one to cancer will often become the most passionate champions of charities committed to cancer research. The fact is that sustainability and environmental stewardship have to be personalized in similar ways.

Environmental stewardship has to be linked to outcomes that align with human values. Electric utilities have found that saving money on a monthly bill can motivate consumers to conserve energy. A reduction of carbon emissions may be viewed as a good thing, but financial stewardship at home in a tough economy is viewed as absolutely necessary.

In urban communities, people are more likely to live near electric generation plants that emit pollutants into the air. Environmental justice advocates assert that pollutants from cars and factories also disproportionately impact underserved communities and communities of color. They cite the skyrocketing rates of asthma in such communities as proof. Thus, many people are beginning to see environmental stewardship as a matter of life and death – literally. We are now speaking of a public health issue and not merely an environmental issue.

The fact is that we have to communicate to people in ways that are personal and compelling. The success of recycling programs, home energy management programs, and water conservation initiatives depend upon strategic public relations campaigns. After all, the focus is not the environment – it is ultimately the manner in which people treat the environment.

Making Season’s Practice More Visible!
By Categories: Blog, Client News, Projects

Season’s Practice, a Middleburg Heights company that “provides healthy minds and bodies for women at every season of life” has retained Visibility Marketing to help make them “more visible.”

Some of Season’s Practice’s services include: Adult ADD/ADHD, Caregiver, End of Life Support , Easting Disorders/Body Image, Marriage Counseling, Military Families, Parenting Issues, PMS, Sexual Issues, Post Abortion Loss and Grief.

Continue reading Making Season’s Practice More Visible!

260 Ways to Be More Visible
By Categories: Be More Visible, Blog, News

For the tenth anniversary of Visibility Marketing Inc., we’ve compiled a list of 365 260 ways to “be more visible.” They are quick and easy.  Nothing hard.  Nothing new.  It’s only a matter of incorporating the old Nike tagline philosophy “just do it.”

We started out with 365 but then realized, why work them on the weekends?  We’ll just give them enough for Monday through Friday and let them rest and play the other two days.  Now, if you’re really ambitious we can have that conversation.

So, if you want to be “more visible” just do one of these a day.  Or, you can do one of these for 5 days, or 25 days.  If you get bored with one, choose another. It’s all a matter of working it until it works.

Now sign on to Twitter and follow @BeMoreVisible to get your visibility for today.

Touched By a RAK
By Categories: Be More Visible, Blog, Hey.. Try This Tags: , ,

The year was 1998 – I was touched by a RAK. I even wrote about it in Kaleidoscope magazine. It was in the early days of the Internet when we didn’t have to worry about Spam or phishing. Not many people were on the Internet back then. Since I had an AOL account, the only people I connected with were on AOL.

One day on April 9th I received an email from a stranger. Which was quite rare in those days. It simply said, “You don’t know me. I want to wish you a Happy Birthday. You’ve been hit by a RAK… “Random Act of Kindness.”

The email threw me. Since he was also on AOL, it wasn’t hard to figure out how he got my email address. I emailed him back to thank him. He said that’s what he does…thinks of various ways to perform random acts of kindness.

Continue reading Touched By a RAK