Longview Downtowners

omOriginals Marketing! would like to present our latest and greatest site for Longview Downtowners.

Longview Downtowners represents the Downtown Commercial District.  They encourage vital business activities and enrich business establishments by providing education and networking opportunities to their members.  Longview Downtowners also supports the community and Longview’s historical buildings by being an advocate for and supporting streetscape and beautification strategies downtown.

Downtown you will find beautifully restored historical buildings, streetside gardens, pedestrian friendly sidewalks and crossings, entertainment, art galleries, specialty shops, Charming Eateries…Find out Who’s Downtown.

Longview Downtowners
1339 Commerce Avenue, Suite 316
Longview, Washington 98632
(360) 423-1020
Send an Email

http://longviewdowntowners.org

REMINDER: COUPON UPDATES DUE 5.20.2010

REMINDER: COUPON UPDATES DUE 5.20.2010

Greetings!

To all of our valued clients, regardless of the services we provide to you…Happy May!

Please let us know if you are needing eClub sign up forms or return envelopes.

eMail Marketing!
You may look forward to a Memorial Day eMail coming out on the 27th of this month. Next month we will be sending out First Day of Summer eMails on June 21st. If you have any suggestions of what you would like to see, I would love to hear them! Please eMail us.

I have two things I would like to talk about this month: Content and Customers. Both are relevant and connected.

Content
It is true that some businesses may have it easier than others in coming up with a coupon to entice people to come back…everyone likes to eat out and everyone has to get their car fixed, but what about companies that offer a very valuable service that is not so easy to make a coupon for? Like insurance or kitchen remodeling or legal representation…how about web design?

Customers want value and we need to create value for them. How much value are we creating by offering free air duct removal to a client that just had a new heating system installed? It is true that that coupon will benefit the person that is still shopping, but once it is done, if we always offer that same deal or something like it, how much significance have we produced? Yes they may forward it to a friend or family member that also needs that service, but what did we give our customer?

What if instead of always offering the same deal, we sent them a newsletter that included a tip on how to better care for the system they spent their hard-earned dollars on? It would only need to have a couple paragraphs, but giving them care tips or teaching them about a related topic would be of greater value to them than a coupon for something they already have. I am sure that your distributors already have promotional articles written up that you could use and maybe even personalize.

If you have a web site we could create value for you by archiving those articles on your web site.  This will give the search engines something new to look at and make your web site look cooler to those same search engines.  It will also show people have not joined your eClub what they will be getting and why they should sign up.

Customers
In case you didn’t know there are 2 reasons that a customer that has signed up for your eClub is not getting the eMails we send out.

If your customer typed in the wrong eMail address when they signed up online, they will not get any eMails…but the person that owns the incorrect email address will. The chance of this happening increases drastically if they fill out the sign up cards with sloppy handwriting…we can’t fix the first by accusing the customer of typing it incorrectly (that is how they will hear it) but if you are able, doing it for them while they stand there will show them that you really care about them.

On the same token, if someone has given you a card you can’t read and later complains about not getting any emails from you, suggesting signing up online or doing it for them would help the situation. (Those of you that have received new sign up forms may have noticed that your contact information and web address are on them so you can let them take it home and sign up there if they want to.)

Another reason your customers are not getting ALL of their emails is that they want eMails sent to 2 people at the same eMail address. The system we use can only acknowledge 1 contact. They may be able to get an eMail to Dear Ed and Sue because we put Ed and Sue in as their first name but they will only get one birthday eMail because they can only enter one birthday per eMail address into the system. Please educate your customers that if you update the eMail address with a new name, it only kicks out the first contact person and replaces it with the second. Suggesting that they enter the second person with a different eMail address is the only way to ensure that each person gets a birthday offer on their birthday.

Web Sites!
Many of you have helped us keep your web site fresh and new…or at least bring it up to date…AWESOME!

I know there are several web sites that I haven’t even tackled yet. You might want to take a moment and look at it. Are the prices up to date? Are you offering new services that are not on your site? Are your bio’s or About Us pages still current? Are there some pictures we could add to make the site more interesting to your clients? If you have a testimonials page or a place to list articles, when was the last time we added anything?

The internet is like a popularity contest. The more people visit your site, or the more sites link to you – or you link to them, the cooler the search engines think you are. You get more people to your site by eMail Marketing or just advertising your web address but also by giving them content that is valuable…like tips to care for your custom granite countertops or how being a safe driver benefits your insurance coverage.

If you have any questions we are hear to answer them. Remember, we are here to help! ~:-)

Have a Refreshingly Different Day!

Precinct Pizza

omOriginals Marketing! would like to reintroduce Precinct Pizza!

Precinct Pizza has been creating outstanding pizza since 2006.  Their web site wasn’t bad, but they wanted an updated look and something they could jump in and edit themselves when they weren’t making fabulous New York Style Pizza with names like Ellis Island Alfredo Pie, DA’ Bronx DA’ Works Pie and In Liberty We Trust Thin Crust Pizza and we were excited to help them do just that!  Precinct Pizza was created from the ashes of  9-11 by former New York City paramedic, Rick Drury, who living with post 9-11 respiratory problems had decided to relocate to Florida and create a little of New York in Tampa’s Channelside Entertainment Complex.  Our goals was to create a site that reflected the look of the New York Rick loves and honor the emergency support teams that serve them.

At Precinct Pizza it is not just about great Pizza, Pasta, Heroes, Burgers and Desserts or Catering your next party but also about service.  Not only do they serve all their customers great food in a great environment, but Precinct Pizza also serves those who serve off of us.  >>>Learn more about Fallen Heroes Foundation

The next time you are in Tampa make sure you check out their Jurisdiction!

Precinct Pizza
615 Channelside Drive
Tampa, Florida
(813) 228-6973
Report to Precinct Pizza

http://precinctpizza.com

Figuring out ‘LinkedIn’

Thanks for tuning in for this Months GeekSpeak. Let’s dive in to LinkedIn. Maybe you’ve receive an eMail from a contact that says “Join my network on Linked In”.

Let’s start with the basics.

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn claims to be the the world’s largest professional network. They have over 65 million users. Not as large as Facebook’s 400 million, but 65 million members is very impressive. We are barely into the article and we are already talking about Facebook!

I thought this article was on LinkedIn…

Facebook has done a tremendous job to humanize technology. They have welcomed millions of people that wouldn’t consider themselves computer people or geeks to connect with others through their site. This is has transformed the way people look at their computers. ~:-)

Both FB and LI are social networking sites. The main difference is the intended audience where FB is aiming to be everything for everyone, LI’s focus is on business professionals. LinkedIn says it, “connects you to your trusted contacts and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals.” It is all networking without the anxiety of social networking.

Joining LinkedIn is easy but making it work for you requires some work and savvy. Here are 4 steps to success that I’ve got for you.

1) Establish your Profile

Take control of your online identity. LinkedIn’s profile is a glorified and modern resume, that includes a summary, specialties, experience and links to blogs and groups. The profile is public to the work and it invites people to add you to their network. Note: since this profile is public the major search engines with allow show this profile on the first page of results when people search for you.

2) Build and Maintain your Network.

As you keep your Profile updated, and people in your network do too, they claim your address book will never be out of date. This is a great tool to keep you current with their latest jobs, projects and contact info.
Build core network with people you know and trust. Note: I have had a number of my connections that I didn’t really know, send me spam. I had to disconnect with them to quit receiving the excessive advertisements. That being said, you can click on Add Connections to start sending out invitations your contacts.

3) Find Experts and Share Knowledge.

LinkedIn has a question and answer section similar to answers at yahoo.com. People post questions, people answer and you can determine who the expert is. This is an interesting place to learn and to share the knowledge that you have with the community. To paraphrase Ivan Misner, founder of Business Network International, ”Gives Gain, if you truly help others you to will reap the benefits.”

4) Recommend Others.

A powerful part of Linked In is the Recommendations. Seek out professionals that are worthy of your praises and write a thoughtful recommendation. Encourage others to do the same for you. Testimonials are invaluable.

How much does it cost? The basic account is free. They have paid upgrades that can allow you to send messages directly to people you don’t yet know, expanded searches & notes. Sound interesting?!

Check out my Profile:
www.linkedin.com/in/oscarmyre4 and get connected!!

~ Oscar & his hot wife Michelle are the Owners of omOriginals Marketing, located in Longview WA! On May 11th they are presenting a workshop teaching about Online Marketing. Don’t miss it. Learn more @ omOriginals.com or call (360)575-9839