Your Website is Your Hub: Your Base and Your Foundation. Make sure it is strong!

There are so many digital programs which help you on-line but there is nothing like having a strong home-base which we call your Hub - AKA website! If you do not have a strong foundation, your house will crumble. This is where all magic happens. You create it here and share it out throughout your communications vehicle. Once again, I’m talking about Integrated Marketing!

So, how do you create a strong website you ask. It’s simple, the basics are listed below.

Your website must be:

• Easy to update. There are numerous platforms for creating your website such as Wix, Squarespace, and even Go Daddy has stepped up it’s templates. However, remember that all people should have access to your website which includes people with disabilities. Make sure your template is “accessible” and it could drive thousands upon thousands of extra people to your business.
• Easy to navigate. Put yourself into the shoes of your visitor. Make sure YOU are easy to contact when / if there are questions. Your phone number or email should be easy to find in the top right corner and also at the bottom of each page.
• A marketer's nightmare is the new fancy template that has one url and basically allows people to scroll down the page for all of your information and events. This design is beautiful but horrible when you are trying to send content out about a specific area of your company! In my opinion (as a professional marketer) avoid this template.
• Your visitor needs to know how you help them within seconds of visiting your site or you will lose them.
• Limited content and engaging images which “cement in” the fact that you can help them. This also enhances your brand and will help lengthen their visit. The average length of stay on your website will be 1 minute or less. Make the most of this time!
• Your sales funnel needs to be apparent and easy to find. Chances are high that your visitor is there in order to use your services because you or something drove them to that page. Make sure they can easily give you their money!
• Be sure to attach Google Analytics to your website. No marketing or communications should be done without being able to measure the effectiveness. Read these reports at least once a month and if your marketing is not increasing in numbers...change direction!
• Last but not least….be sure your website template is mobile friendly before you build it!

Photo credit to Kodework

Recently, a few friends have asked for help in creating their presentations and then in creating another one for myself recently, I realized, there is a real science to creating these so I thought I would share with you on this topic.

Most presentations are 30 to 40 minutes in length so it keeps the entire commitment within 60 minutes and provides time for Q&A.

You were asked to do the presentation because of your knowledge on a particular subject so congratulations!  I am almost positive that you have thousands and thousands of hours involved with this particular topic and more than likely, this topic has about 50 side conversations that flow into it as well, right?  When you get to be our age (51 years old), we have a great deal of knowledge piled up in our brains and sometimes it all feels like it is all related so we could go on and on and on and on.... However, our audience is there for one reason....to learn about the specific topic that was promised.  So here, we go.  Stay focused....I am going to try and keep it brief even though each bullet could be paragraphs long!

• Take the title of the presentation, along with the description and put it onto your first slide.  This will help to keep YOURSELF on point as well as provide a nice overview for your audience in the beginning.  It's best to set expectations in the beginning of what they will learn so it may need editing but plan on leaving it there.  Let's say your description states that you are going to teach your audience about 4 main points of information.
• Create 4 or 5 blank slides and put a title onto each slide which breaks out your 4 main points of information - one on each slide. This is going to keep your information narrowed down to the most important information.  I put 2 or 3 bullets onto each of these slides and then type all of my thoughts below into the notes section.  The next day, I will go back and edit those notes. Narrowing down the words to pinpointed information and always making sure it is relevant and on point with the main objective of the slide.
• Do the same for each slide.  Always making sure that you are only talking about what was promised.
• Do not use acronyms or jargon for your industry unless it is obvious.
• Make sure this information is broken down into bite-sized pieces and in a logical hierarchy of relevance so the audience will be able to digest the information while you talk. Our goal is for them to be able to implement this information into their own work or thoughts after they leave.
• Each slide should include an interesting image with few words so it creates impact and stirs emotion. Keeping a few words on the slide will ensure the  audience is listening to you instead of reading your slide.
• Your design should be on point with your brand. I have been using the same PowerPoint branded slides for the past 9 years because that is my brand. It is what people are expecting to see.  Font needs to be easy to read, great color contrast, not cluttered, vibrant colors and  images with impact are always best.
• Since I want the audience listening to me instead of writing notes AND I want their contact information, I will let them know the notes can be emailed to them tomorrow if they give me  their business card afterward.  Works like a charm and helps me to build a relationship with each person who is interested enough in the presentation to ask for the notes!  Of course, always, first thing in the morning after the presentation, be sure to send the PowerPoint (in pdf form) with the notes to the contact.  Do not miss this very important step...ok, this leads us into a "Turning Your Presentation into a Sale" blog!
• On your last slide, type "Thank You" and/or "Q&A" with your contact information and your logo.  While answering questions, leave this slide up for people who want to write down your contact information.

Easy right?

I just love this work and am excited to be able to share this information with you!

Christine Morse

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn!

Well, if you are a marketing geek, like me, Integrated Marketing IS exciting!!  It provides a rhythm and cadence which will attract more attention to your products and/or services.  Also, the best part of it is that you are creating the information ONE TIME and using the same content and images through all of your marketing tools.  This saves a great deal of time and provides a consistent flow of approved and useful information.....what could be better?

So what is Integrated Marketing you ask....... It is an approach to creating a unified and seamless experience for consumers to interact with the brand/enterprise; it attempts to meld all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, and social media, through their respective mix of tactics, methods, channels, media, and activities, so that all work together as a unified force. It is a process designed to ensure that all messaging and communications strategies are consistent across all channels and are centered on the customer.  Thanks to DMA for the definition. 

Make sense?  If you are searching for a way to cut back on the amount of time that you spend on your marketing programs, reach out to us, it's what we do on a regular basis for clients and we love it!

Christine Morse

Here is my LinkedIn profile if you're interested.

Website and Printed Materials Working Together - The perfect combo!

This is your organization's hub - main storage of public facing information. This needs to be updated, precise, full of relevant information for your audience and pointing visitors towards your sales funnel.  We can create an engaging, beautiful, accessible website which will be fully optimized for various search engines. We believe in first trying organic optimization which combines Universal Design elements with strong content focused on obtaining sales and interaction for your programs and services.

Your printed marketing materials should be a mirror of your website which is vibrant, has impact and is minimalistic in nature. Laser focused content that helps to catch attention (preferably without jingles), describes your product or service, directs people on how to contact you for more information.