Happy (do something) New Year!

Ready for a New Year for your business? Well then you need to do something NEW.
If you don’t want it to be just like last year you should trying something new and different.
Theoretical physicist and old school Geek,  Albert Einstein was a revolutionary. He encouraged us to do things differently. I love his theory of insanity. “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
The good news is that we don’t need to understand the electromagnetic field or the quantum theory to revolutionize our business. ~:-)
For the new year I encourage you to use some new technology and improve (or begin) your online marketing.
We simply need to make more connections more often with our potential customers. It is simple, but I didn’t say easy. Get out your Rolodex (physical or digital) and update your contact info for friends and clients.
Getting Started.
I first recommend we take an honest assessment of where you are at today and where you’d like to be in 3, 6 or 12 months. Please fill out this basic goal worksheet that I’ve included in this article and then pat yourself on the back – you’ve just completed the first step towards revolutionizing your business.
1) Grow your Facebook Fans
Invite ALL of your customers and friends to “like” your page.
2) Grow your other social networking contacts
There are many social networks out there. Wikipedia lists about 100 “major active social networking sites”. Since time is finite, I would just look to Google+, LinkedIn & Twitter. You might find other industry specific sites – add them to your list.
3) Grow your eMail Marketing List
Start collecting Names and eMails from everyone you do (or would like to do) business with. You can do this by having entries at your front desk, by asking and even direct from your website or Facebook or Google+.  Many of our clients and business associates utilize this information with an eClub, a monthly eMailout for informational items, holiday greetings or coupon offers for eClubbers only.
4) Grow your Snail Mail list
Postage isn’t cheap, but direct mail (if properly targeted) has the potential to generate more sales. Add the mailing addresses of your clients that aren’t in your address book yet.
5) Connect :-)
This is the fun part. Share your success!
Share on the social sites, start an eMail list, send direct mail & start BLOGGING. The key to connecting is to deliver value. If you give real value people will appreciate the connection.
Some of our clients share specials or coupons, others share updates about the business offerings and service. Our focus @ omOrignals Marketing! is to share knowledge, have some fun while helping people grow their businesses.
Ready to get different results?
Then you, my friend, are ready to try something new. If you’d like to increase your connections, please contact omOriginals for a 30 or 60 minute consult. I’d be happy to help you connect the dots. I encourage you to do something new & different in 2012 to revolutionize your business through creative marketing!
Oscar Myre IV is the chief Geek and Creative Director at omOriginals Marketing! in Longview, WA. His team of individuals help create and produce anything and everything “marketing” – from web sites to graphic design (like all the great ads in this publication), and everything in between….including +1 codes.
Reach them 9am – 5pm Monday through Friday @ 575-9839 or online anytime @ www.omOriginals.com

Google +1 and why you need it

Thanks for tuning into another edition of Geek Speak. This summer I shared with you about Google’s answer to Facebook. Google Plus One (+1).
There has been a fair amount of hype with Google’s new social efforts. Fast forward to today “Is Facebook dead, yet?”
No, not at all. My Facebook connections and interactions continue to grow like crazy. ~:-) But today I want to discuss my favorite feature of Google Plus One. To save ink I’m going to refer to it as simple +1 button.
Here it is. The +1 button.
You might say, “So what? It looks like a Facebook “like” button to me.” My first reaction was, “I wonder if the +1 affect search results. That would be awesome!”
<<Remember I’m a marketing geek…
Fortunately, I was correct. Search results are now personalized based on the likes of those in your Circles. Circles are similar to friends on Facebook. As a marketer, this really changes the game.
In the past, there was one Google and one set of search results (at least for this article). Now the social aspect is shaking it all up. Rest assured search results are still based on Google’s proprietary algorithms, they aren’t thrown out the window(or chrome), they now just have a social component. Sites with more +1s will appear to be more relevant and thus ranked higher.
Google appears to be personalizing the search results on the micro and macro level. Meaning if you are logged into your +1 and you do a search, Google will give sites higher rankings if people in your circles (your connections) have +1’ed those sites. Additional on the macro level, the +1s of people outside of your circle are changing your search results as well. I suspect that when I search, my results are personalized by my connections AND by others on Google(outside of my circles).
Is this making your brain hurt yet?
The bottom line is this. Google has a new Plus One button and you want it on your website so you will have better search rankings.  Savvy professionals can get the code for their websites @
www.google.com/intl/en/webmasters/+1/button/
Need help with integration? omOriginals Marketing! can help with any site regardless of who developed it.  Isn’t it nice to know a geek?! Call us local geeks at 575-9839

Want to try a button? You should first get an account with Google. If you don’t have one you can get signed up (it is free). http://www.google.com/+
I invite you to read the intro article that I wrote in my August 2011 BLOG post.
Time to start clicking.
You can see examples of +1 on omOrginals.com and on ValleyBugler.com.
You’ll see that we’ve placed the button on each individual page. This allows visitors to “vote” for individual pages. If you appreciate this article, I’d appreciate your +1.

Beautiful Skin Website

We are proud to launch the Beautiful Skin Website for Oscar & Michelle of omOriginals Marketing!

This site was created to share Nerium AD, with its amazing age-defying ingredients derived from the oleander plant.  Clinical results have shown dramatic reduction in appearance of wrinkles.

Nerium International offers an exciting Home based small business opportunity.  To learn more please visit BeautifulSkinWebsite.com

tags: age-defying ingredients aging beauty contest biotechnology research clinical trials enlarged pores extract fine lines hyperpigmentation nae-8 nature-based nerium nerium oleander nibio-pl2 noncomedogenic nourish your skin oleander plant reduction in appearance of wrinkles safe for all skin skincare line sun-damaged skin sun-dried skin uneven skin texture wrinkes wrinkles

Retain customers and Grow your business with e….

Hello Geeks,
It is my job to help businesses with their marketing and communications needs. We are always on a quest to find cost-effective (with emphasis on effective) way to help businesses grow. Before you figure out what you marketing you need to first consider “who“ you wish to market to.  I read many articles discussing ”Customer Acquisition vs. Customer Retention” Or what does it cost to get a new customer compared to the cost to keep and current customer? My conclusion. The best potential customers to market to, are those that you have already done business with. ~:-)
I recently found the following stats from Frederick Reichheld of Bain & Company to back this it up.

• Acquiring a new customer can cost 6 to 7 times more than retaining an existing customer.
• Businesses who boosted customer retention rates by as little as 5% saw increases in their profits ranging from 5% to a whopping 95%.

Now that we got the “who” to market to. What is the most cost-effective way to connect with our current customers. I found eMail to be the answer. Disclaimer: I know that not “Everyone” has an eMail account. But, I can’t think of a friend that I personally have that doesn’t have eMail. I Googled for some stats and according to Internet World Stats almost 80% of North American have internet access. http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats14.htm
Back to eMail. I’m not suggesting that you starting eMail everyone in the world. That is SPAM. I don’t believe that sending SPAM (Unsolicited eMail) benefits legitimate businesses. I’m saying eMailing can be a few very effective to nurture current customers and potential customer who opt-in or sign-up for your eMail Marketing list. But, no one was to joining one of those so we created “VIP eClubs” for businesses. The eClubs help them say, “Thanks” to their customers and deliver value to their inboxes. Many of our clients have us send coupons, tip & tricks or newsletters or articles like this <GeekSpeak>.
The key to eMail marketing is to deliver professional eMails, consistently and to offer a genuine value. We’ve had the opportunity to help business that on have a just a few eMail address to business that have collected thousands. Regardless of the size of your list, eMails can be sent for a fraction of the cost of postage from the USPS.
I love to harness the power the the Internet and eMail to help businesses. Here are just a few types of business that we’ve had the honor to setup and manage eClubs for; Nail studios, Chiropractors, Restaurants, Coffee Shops, Professional Services, HVAC, Car Washes, Non-Profits, Retail Stores & Automotive Repair. Regardless of your industry a professional eClub should be part of your marketing plan.  Want to see what one of these things look like? I thought you’d never ask. ~:-)
You can sign-up for GeekSpeak @ http://omoriginals.com/omoriginals/eclub
<GeekSpeak> delivers web + print marketing tips, tricks to your eMail inbox fresh each month.
To learn more about eClub for your business you can contact omOriginals and request a free 30 minute eClub consultation. omOriginals.com | 360.575.9839
Oscar Myre IV is the owner and creative director at the flourishing company, omOriginals Marketing! in Longview, WA. They’re local geeks and ad designers for this paper, who have esteemed clients from all over Cowlitz County (and the nation), and would be happy to chat with you about your own online marketing goals and thoughts. They can be reached at (360)575-9839 or online @ omOriginals.com

Does Your Business Really Exist? Google it!

For years it was my job (or part of it) to convince people on the importance of using the Internet for business. I don’t really do this anymore.
It’s not that I don’t still believe that the Internet is a powerful tool for marketing business, the shift is that everyone else knows it now too. Instead of me convincing people on the value of a web site, I now get to jump right in and help them harness the power of the Internet.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting with Mr. Rick Winsman, President/CEO of our local Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce. Our subject of discussion was about all things “business and the internet”.  Imagine that! Mr. Winsman expressed to me that “every business needs to be online”. He went on to say, “If people can’t find a business online it is likely that they (the business) won’t be around much longer”.
Maybe that is what happened to the Dinosaurs. ~;-)
We all know that Big Foot (Sasquatch) exists. But, does your business really exist?
Let’s find out the existence of your business with two simple questions:
1) Can people find your business online?
To find your business, let’s do some searching. Go to Google.com and get started. I recommend you take some notes on the results (digital or old school pen and paper will work). We are going to do two types of search.
A search for your “business name” and a search for your “product or service”.  Type in your “business name” and hit return/enter. I typed in “omOriginals”, and I also tried “Valley Bugler”. I’m happy to say, “We exist!!”
Next click on “maps” to see if your business is on the map.
Our second search is for your keys words such as “Longview WA Marketing” or “Longview WA Newspapers”. You can do these searches without the state name, but sometimes the results show Longview, TX.
Record your results. Don’t be shocked or discouraged if you don’t show up on the first page or results for your keywords. Just be motivated to be on this page so people can find you.

[Quick Tip: To be found for your “keyword”, make sure your web site has Google content discussing your keyword. Relevant (and fresh) is the best way to receive better search rankings. For maps, you need to add a list, or edit].

I recommend you do the same searches on bing.com, yahoo.com and even facebook.com <<< wow 400 words in before mentioning facebook!
And if all of the above is over your head, then call me anyways because we can help it make sense for you.
Now to our second question.
2) What does your presence say about your organization?
Start with the basics, to make sure your information is correct and up-to-date. Then ask yourself if you’d be interested in your business (based solely on what you see online)?
Not too interesting? Then perhaps it’s time for an online marketing review. Here at the office, we are currently offering those for free. If you’re interested, please give Johnene, our awesome Administrative Assistant and Office Manager a call! She can get you on our calendar with a free review. (360)575-9839
Long Live your Business.
Make sure your business can be found AND is putting it’s best foot forward. Take advantage of today’s technology – not only to survive, but to flourish.
Oscar Myre IV is the owner and creative director at the flourishing company, omOriginals Marketing! in Longview, WA. They’re local geeks and ad designers for this paper, who have esteemed clients from all over Cowlitz County (and the nation), and would be happy to chat with you about your own online marketing goals and thoughts. They can be reached at (360)575-9839 or online @ omOriginals.com

<GeekSpeak> is also published monthly in the Valley Bugler Newspaper.

MEGA Winner from Chamber Mixer

Thanks to all who visited with us at our  Valley Bugler Newspaper & omOriginals Marketing! booth @ the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce  MEGA Mixer 2011.

Great Weather & Great Networking with local businesses in Cowlitz County Washington.

And the moment you’ve been waiting for…..
• How many Jelly Beans were in the MEGA vase @ our booth?
• What was the MEGA “secret prize” in the vase?
• Who is the MEGA winner?

Off by only 34 Jelly Beans…..
Jeni Quiriconi w/ Heartsong Massage  in Longview.
Guessed 2531 Jelly Beans!  (actual number 2565)

Jeni is now the proud owner of 2565 Jelly Beans and the awesOMe vase/candle holder AND the MEGA cool secret prize.
A Kodak 12 MEGA Pixel Digital Camera. :-)

Dentist CEO – Website

By consistent viral marketing, effective external marketing and community involvement, I developed a strong brand for a highly recognized business in the community. Over the years, I learned how to hire and train team members who literally became “dental team rock stars” and enabled me to concentrate my energy on the important tasks of doing quality dentistry and brand building.
Due to the competitive advantage my staff and I created, my business not only weathered the ups and downs of the local economy but also flourished. I am fascinated with the business aspects of dental practice. I believe the business models that create successful companies world wide are the same ones that successful dentist entrepreneurs use….
http://dentistceo.com

Reminder: Updates Due 12.20.2010

Greetings Friend,

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy New Year! (I hope I didn’t miss another wonderful event this busy month).

With that said, I will keep this message short, since I know we are all very busy!

eMail Marketing! is a great way to reach your clients and remind them that you are here to help. I am happy to know that campaigns have been growing and several of our clients are reaching the 1000 client threshold. We have evaluated this service and created a breakdown that we invite you to look at. Please click on the small flyer to download the actual flyer.

omOriginals Marketing! hopes you have a great holiday season!

Please have your updates and changes to your Web Sites and/or eMail Marketing Campaigns to us by Monday December 20, 2010.

If you have any questions please Contact Us today!

2011 It's Time for a Web Site Review!

Hello Friends,

With a new year just around a corner it’s time to review your website.

In October, we discussed the web site statistics that are available from your web hosting provider. This information told you how many people have been visiting your site and which pages they checked out. I invite you to dust off your web site statistics and take a look. If you are content with the quantity and quality of visits then read no more – we can talk in January.

Any of you left?

Let’s make the most out of the visitors that are already coming to your site and then you will be ready to improve your online marketing. Ready?

Let’s go to Google and find your web site. I want you to start @ Google (any search engine would work) to make sure you could be found if people don’t know your web site address. Enter “your company name” in the search box and click “search”. Find your business and click on it. If you aren’t there, we need to talk!! Side note: Google has a new “Instant Preview” You can click on the magnifying glass to take a peek at your website. You can learn more about this @ http://omoriginals.com/2010/11/google-is-it-again/.

As soon as a visitor clicks on your homepage you have 30 seconds or less to catch their attention. That’s because the average web site visit is less than 30 seconds…..Tick. Tock.

Here is a quick checklist to make the most of the visits you are getting:

1) Professionalism: Is your Logo/Company name professionally and prominently displayed? Are you impressed with your site?

2) What you Do: Are you clearly outlining what you do (your services) with links to learn more? Be sure to also include the regional area you service. This is VERY important for visitors and the search engines.

3) Who you Are: Assume that visitors have never heard of your company. Make sure you are putting your best foot forward. Educate them.

4) Call to action – Do you have a compelling offer or invitation for your visitor to do something? For example, Buy Something, Sign-up for eMail newsletter, Contact you, download a free report or any other value you can offer. > Check up on this page. Is it working? Are people clicking on this (check those web stats). Why or Why not? Is your offer still a good value? Consider changing your offer.

5) Fresh News – Here is a multiple choice test for you. If you have news to share should you publish it on; A) Your BLOG, B) Facebook, C) Twitter, D) LinkedIn, or in an E) eMail newsletter? If you know me, the answer is easy – “YES!, all of the above. ~:-) It takes a lot of work to create content so be sure to publish it efficiently and to as many eyes as possible.

6) Don’t make them scroll. All of your important stuff should be visible above “the fold”. Meaning they should be able to see it without scrolling. Scrolling vertically is ok, but make sure the 4 things aren’t buried. If they have to scroll to find stuff, they will won’t.

7) The death of Flash. Flash is a cool technology from Adobe. You can create beautiful slideshows and add some interesting interactivity to your site, but flash has two major issues that may lead to its demise.
a) Most mobile users can’t view Flash.
b) Search engines don’t really know what to do with Flash content (they are still working on this).

Ask your web site developer about alternatives to flash. Speaking of flash and mobile devices. How does your site look on a mobile phone? Note to omOriginals clients: We have a dynamic and affordable way to create a mobile version of your existing site. Contact us for the geeky details and pricing. ~:-)

WOW: We just made your site better to serve your visitors (and you). I encourage you to get on the line with your favorite webmaster and/or online marketer and to plan for a more prosperous new year. Work Smart and Play Hard in 2011!

Oscar Myre IV is the owner and Creativity Director at omOriginals Marketing in Longview, WA. He spends his free time playing with his family, running the lake or checking out new and splendiferously geeky toys. If you have questions regarding your web site, please call him @ 360-575-9839 or online: omOriginals.com

Insty Tune & Lube

omOriginals Marketing! would like to present Insty Tune and Lube.

Insty Tune and Lube is another web site that we provide hosting services, web site maintenance and eMail marketing services for.

Insty Tune and Lube is located in Tampa, Florida. They are a family-owned and operated business with 40 years of ASE Certified Technical and Mechanical Expertise. They offer affordable auto service on both foreign and domestic vehicles and offer Tampa, Florida Fast Oil Changes.

Insty Tune and Lube
14783 N. Dale Mabry Hwy.
Tampa, Florida 33618

www.instytunetampa.com