The Belford Group
Social media strategy is not just playing on the Internet
Published August 6, 2012 | 
By mid-2012 it’s hard to find a business or organization that would say social media is not somehow important to their overall marketing strategy. It’s become an accepted concept that social media is a vital part of business success. The continued conundrum for many businesses and organizations is just how to manage this thing called social media.
Good social media strategy makes sure it has what we call the three Cs:
- Channel-finding the right social media platform for your message
- Consistency-using consistent tone and timing of updates
- Content-developing content that is engaging and informative.
This graphic explains the difference between some of the most popular social media platforms in an easy, humorous way. Managing a multi-platform social media strategy is best handled by a full-service marketing agency. (Photo courtesy of Flickr user ChrisL_AK)
Sounds easy, right? After all, social media is as simple as learning how to write in 140 characters on Twitter and how to be witty on Facebook … or is it?
Social media marketing is a learned skill
Social media marketing is a strategic business practice that requires specific skills and knowledge. It also requires someone who is able to stay up on the many changes that happen in social media from changing search engine algorithms to radical changes to social media platform interaction to new social media platforms that rise to the surface.
Continue reading
Hiring a printing company is an important process
Published August 1, 2012 | 
Printing has come a long way since the 1930s, when this photo was taken. There are many printing options available for quality print marketing materials. (Image courtesy of Flickr user Seattle Municipal Archives)
Any company willing to invest in well-designed and carefully thought out marketing collateral should also consider carefully the printer it uses to produce successful print marketing materials. A high-quality printer with trained staff who can advise their customers on the best materials, ink and other printing options to fit their needs is well worth the time and financial investment to investigate.
People often choose a printer based on the lowest price for last-minute work. While cost and ability to get the job done in a hurry are both important, taking time to research the various options or printing companies is time well spent. One common belief is that the bigger the company, the less expensive and higher quality the printed product, but that’s not always the case.
Choosing a large national chain is sometimes sufficient, but they often do not offer as many options or are not capable of providing the same level of service as locally-owned printing companies. The Belford Group has relationships with several printing companies at the local and national level that we can choose from based on our client’s specific needs. Continue reading
SEO is not a one-time task
Published July 24, 2012 | 
Google Analytics is a valuable tool for monitoring your website's SEO. (graphic courtesy of Flickr user seocamberley)
Establishing good search-engine optimization (SEO) might seem like a “do it once and leave it” kind of business practice. After all, unless a business goes through a major rebranding and changes services, the keywords and descriptions on the website should still be valid, right?
Not necessarily.
WordCamp is coming – you need to be there
Published July 10, 2012 | When many people look back at their childhoods, they have fond memories of summer camp where they learned, played and made great new friendships.
The WordCamp Fayetteville Facebook cover photo
A different kind of camp is coming up at the end of July that we at The Belford Group strongly endorse and hope our clients consider attending because we are sure they will find ways to better manage their own website and learn ways to grow their business. That, and it’s a lot of fun.
WordCamp Fayetteville is Saturday, July 28 at the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville. A free beginner’s session is scheduled for Friday, July 27 and the Guru Gallery is Sunday, July 29. The Guru Gallery is a chance for one-on-one help for WordPress users who answer each other’s questions about how to manage their sites. Tickets are only $30 and it includes the conference, lunch Saturday, the after party, the Guru Gallery and a T-shirt (sizes guaranteed for those who sign up by July 15). Continue reading
Want results? Don’t do your graphic design DIY
Published July 2, 2012 | In a world where entire television shows and store departments are dedicated to those who are skilled (and brave) enough to do their own remodeling, it might be easy to assume that Do It Yourself (DIY) is the way to go with all services.
Anyone who has looked at community bulletin boards can tell you what caught their attention first: it was the fliers that were bold and gave the important pieces of information in an obvious way. Fliers, or any form of print marketing, should grab attention and provide the right information to be effective.
Using good graphic design for even the most simple of publications will garner a greater, more positive response to whatever is being promoted. DIY graphic design rarely meets the standard for good graphic design. Continue reading
Posted in Graphic Design, Services, Uncategorized | 
DIY, graphic design, professional design | 
Leave a commentDoes your site fit Krug’s web usability rules?
Published June 25, 2012 | 
When looking at a website, we often talk about how well it functions and how appealing it looks. A good website also has well-implemented search engine optimization.
The question remains, is the website usable? We at The Belford Group spent time as a staff last year reading a very valuable book by Steve Krug called Don’t Make Me Think (2nd Edition). The book talks about how good website design and development creates a site that doesn’t make the user have to think too hard to navigate through the site. Continue reading
Posted in Services, Web Development | guidelines, Krug, user friendly, web usability, websites | Leave a commentGoogle + Local gives businesses great social opportunities
Published June 14, 2012 | 
Businesses can use Google+ badges to direct traffic to their Google+ pages.
Google Places has undergone a few changes in hopes of becoming more social. Google + Local pages officially replace Google Places this month. While the new format may seem disorienting at first, many say that the changes are for the better. The two different formats have five noteworthy differences, including: Continue reading
Posted in News, Social Media | Business, google, Google Places, Local, social media | Leave a commentPrint marketing that stays out of the trash
Published June 11, 2012 | 
There are ways to keep print marketing pieces out of the trashcan. (Photo Courtesy of Flickr User Jaaron)
Anyone with a mailbox has received junk mail. From advertisements offering deals we don’t care about to companies flooding our mail box with print marketing items that are so boring we don’t even know what they offer.
If done correctly, using direct mail marketing to create buzz and promote a business can create a positive response. On the other hand, if done incorrectly the ad can land itself in the trashcan very quickly and leave a bad impression of the company in the recipient’s mind. So what are the tricks to keeping direct mail out of the garbage? We recently shared ideas for keeping your email newsletters from going to the trash. The same is possible with print marketing pieces that are direct mailed. Here are some simple tips for direct mail to be effective. Continue reading
Posted in Marketing, Services | direct mail, junk mail, mail, marketing, print marketing, tips | Leave a commentBranding on social media more than a logo
Published May 28, 2012 | All too often companies forget that branding is just as important online as it is offline. Maintaining a consistent brand image across all platforms is crucial to ensuring that a company’s brand is easily recognizable. This means using the same colors, graphic icon elements and typography in all places where the branding appears such as print marketing material, social media, signage and other forms of marketing.
The cover photo for client Oh Baby Food's Facebook page is clearly associated with its packaging, its website and all other forms of communication. The status updates provide the same type of information and carry the same informal tone that parents of babies would appreciate across all platforms.
Maintaining the corporate branding on social media goes beyond just having the same logo as the profile picture. Continue reading
Posted in Branding, News, Social Media | Branding, consistent branding, social media | Leave a commentWant better SEO? Write a company blog
Published May 21, 2012 | 
(image courtesy of Flickr user willymarryme2011)
Blogs are one of the many platforms that both benefit from and increase search engine optimization. The benefits of improved SEO and the ability to use a blog to establish the company as an industry leader make the work that goes into maintaining a blog a good time investment. Companies and organizations can also establish themselves as an industry leader by providing good content about industry trends, their services, etc. For the purpose of this blog, we’re focusing on how having a corporate blog can improve SEO. Continue reading
Posted in News, SEO Consulting, Services, Social Media | blogs and SEO, corporate blogging, SEO | Leave a comment
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