Once you’ve developed your copy and laid out your design, it’s tempting to forgo all email testing and just send it out – especially when you’re crunched for time. However, testing, editing and proofing your email on a regular basis helps to ensure a successful campaign. Here are some easy-to-implement email testing tips that’ll take your email campaigns to a new level of success.

Email Testing for Accuracy

Once you’ve added images and links to your draft email, you need to send out a test email. Send one to yourself as well as a few coworkers or eagle eyed friends to proofread and click your links, as it can be easy to miss something when you’ve been looking at it for a while. When you get the test, do a quick check of the following:

• Is the subject line attention-grabbing and typo free?
• Do the images render correctly?
• Is there alternative text for images? (Most email clients block images by default, however the alt text will appear)
• Do your links go to the right places?
• Is your font easy to read and consistent throughout the email?
• Are there any typos in the content?
• Is there a clear call-to-action (or calls-to-action)?

Testing Email Clients

Because emails consist of HTML code, each email client has its own rules that determine how your email will look in a recipient’s inbox. Outlook, Apple Mail, Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail are all commonly used email clients that you may want to test. We recommend sending a test email to a few of these email clients to ensure your bases are covered.

To learn more go to: http://www.sakrete.com/softcrete/

Produced by Charlotte Video Production Company: L.A. Management Company

L.A. Management Company Produces Viral Video to Highlight Corporate Company’s Sense of Humor on April 1

Video production company creates April Fools video for SAKRETE® that generates tremendous traffic to website.

 CHARLOTTE, NC – - L.A. Management Company, a strategic marketing firm specializing in website development, online marketing, social media management and video production, produced a viral video for SAKRETE®, a leader in concrete and concrete-related products, that highlighted a new product for the company – SAKRETE® Soft-Crete, the world’s first soft and flexible concrete.  Sounds smart, right?  And fills a need by preventing breakage when valuable items are dropped – brilliant!

The video, complete with product managers showcasing the product in the SAKRETE® lab, highlights the technical aspects of the product and offers demonstrations, including a phone being dropped and subsequently broken on regular concrete and then being dropped on the Soft-Crete with no damage.

This April Fools video not only went viral, but also generated a lot of laughs from SAKRETE® customers and distributors.  The SAKRETE® Soft-Crete April Fools launch was a collaboration between L.A. Management Company, the SAKRETE® marketing team and the E-dreamz Web development group.

About L.A. Management Company

L.A. Management Company specializes in online marketing, video production, multimedia production, website development and optimization and social marketing. The company has won numerous awards for their marketing work and video productions.  For more information, visit lamanagementco.com or call (704) 560-6274.  Join L.A. Management Company on Facebook at facebook.com/lamanagement.

Spamhaus, an email spam filtering service, experienced a large-scale DDoS attack over the past weekend and extending into this week. DDOS, short for Distributed Denial of Service, is a type of DOS attack where multiple compromised systems — which are usually infected with a Trojan — are used to target a single system causing a Denial of Service (DoS) attack. Victims of a DDoS attack consist of both the end targeted system and all systems maliciously used and controlled by the hacker in the distributed attack.

Our spam filtering practices include Spamhaus and this attack caused some of our customers to have temporary issues sending and receiving email and seeing and increase in spam messages.  We have disabled this service indefinitely until we are sure that it is working at 100% and are reconsidering using it at all since our other spam filtering practices seem to be doing the job of catching 99% of spam without the need for Spamhaus.

There have been many dramatic headlines in the past few days about how this attack was the largest DDoS attack in internet history delaying the overall speed of the internet and affecting other services like Netflix but these claims can’t be verified.  While this attack was the largest in history on the Spamhaus and affected their services – that seems to be the extent of the damage.

Have you noticed any issues this past week with email, spam, or accessing any other online services?  Tell us about it.

The video was introduced before the live auction and created the mood for record breaking auction results.

L.A. Management also developed the new web site to promote the event and future fund raising activities.

Components of a Holistic Approach include the following:

Web Development

• You need to begin with assimilating your brand across all communication platforms and that when someone visits your website the look and feel quickly communicates your brand.
• Navigation and usability need to be carefully planned so that visitors can find the information they are looking for. You also need the programming ability to deliver a smooth and seamless experience for your visitors.
• Conversion or data capture capabilities need to be built-in so visitors don’t just use your site as a source and then move on.
• Ongoing evolution of your web site needs to be calculated into your plan, whether you move on and change to a new platform overtime or build your site on a platform that is expandable and easy to keep current as business growth, applications and technology change the requirements of what your web site should be and how it delivers communication to your clients.

Content Development

• Good copywriting is at the core off all content development. If you do not have established content or have no one in-house who can provide this service you need to hire a professional copy writer with search engine optimization (SEO) experience to develop effective, compelling content that is rich in appropriate keywords while still communicating your message in a clear and concise manner.
• Photography should be professional and whenever possible personalized to your business. Professional headshots or personnel, facilities and products help connect your clients to your business.
• Video content is exploding on the Internet and is the easiest and most effective way to communicate your value and demonstrate your products. With the advent of YouTube and other video distribution sites you can have a broadcast channel to your clients.

Web Site Marketing

• Every web site requires at least basic SEO practices to assure visibility across the various search engines. Organic SEO positioning of your web site for major keyword searches is free and raises your web sites visibility and authority over your competition.
• Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the paid placement of ads (Pay Per Click or PPC) , these are the “sponsored links” on search engines and other online advertising channels for specific keywords or phrases. The managing of these campaigns can be difficult and costly. An experienced online marketing firm can significantly increase your effectiveness and ROI.
• Social Media is the fastest growing segment of the Internet and includes content distribution, interactive discussions, audio and video. The community aspects of social media and the ability to communicate to an audience of like minded individuals and groups makes social media an unavoidable component to any holistic online marketing campaign.
• Content distribution to distribute your message on the Internet and to establish quality inbound links pointing back to your web site are critical. Blogs, Articles, Press Releases and YouTube videos are all effective forms of content distribution.
• Customer reviews – with over 70% of online purchases decided by online reviews you can no longer be passive. Today you need a pro-active approach to soliciting and distributing positive reviews on your web site and the many web directories where individuals are talking about your company.
• Mobile ready responsive design web sites assure that the exploding market in mobile and tablet visitors to your web site can clearly view your web site content and easily navigate to appropriate areas.
• Lead capture by developing calls to action and whitepapers are critical to assure that you capture visitor information.
• Email marketing is a cost effective tool to continue to communicate with your audience and stay top of mind when they need your services. It is important to assure that your emails provide value – good information or advice rather that exclusively promoting.

In Summary

A holistic approach to your website development requires an ongoing, flexible and evolving platform and strategy. There are multiple channels to manage and update. Whenever possible you should be directly engaged in the process. Sites with content management systems (CMS) help empower the non-technical user to update their web site and interact with visitors to the site and social media pages.

As your business and online profile grows you need to have a team of professionals that work in concert to make sure your stay up to date, deliver your message effectively and maximize return on your marketing dollars.

There is no place where opportunity is so great to reach a large audience on an affordable budget. You just need to properly plan and bring together a team of experienced professionals to assure that you take advantage of this opportunity rather than squandering the opportunity to your competition.

The days of stationary web browsing strictly from behind a desktop computer are over.  Today’s customers are on the go, relying on their smart phones and tablets to go online and get information at lightning speed.  Over the three years there has been an explosion in mobile and tablet use – iPhones and iPads leading the way.  In 2010 it was typical to see mobile device visits at 3 to 5 percent of total visits to a given website. Today, the majority of websites we mange receive 25 to 30 percent of traffic from mobile visitors.  This number will continue to increase making it even more imperative for companies to innovate with a responsive website design that adapts easily to the different viewing sizes and technology of today’s mobile devices.

Want to see what your website looks like in different browsers (click here)

What is responsive design?

A responsively designed website automatically re-sizes the web page to  fit the screen size – from desktop computers to mobile smart phones to tablets – the content and images fit the browser so a user does not have to scroll back and forth and side to side to see the entire page.   Instead of seeing only part of your web page when viewed on a non-traditional browser, the web browser automatically detects the type of platform accessing the website and shrinks the page to fit viewers screen, leaving the text and forms large enough to easily read and access without adjusting the browser.

It can be a frustrating experience trying to get information on a website that doesn’t adapt to the browser’s space.  If a customer can’t easily scan a page and find what they are looking for then they will most likely go back to their trusty friend Google and visit a competitor’s site.

Apple and Flash don’t mix

You know that fancy Adobe Flash slide show, banner and presentation that your web developer charged you an arm and a leg for?  Adobe Flash is not compatible on iPhones and iPads.  A responsively designed platform incorporates non-Flash tools that work regardless of the browser.  So, those important graphics and presentations show up.

We’re a fast moving society and the ability to access information instantaneously on a variety of technology platforms has caused us to all to be a bit more impatient.  The percentage of mobile and tablet users visiting your website are only going to increase.  Is your website laying out the welcome mat to this on-the-go technology or slamming the door in its face? 

Evolving technology is radically changing the way goods and services are sold.  As a result, market and buyer preferences are changing how we communicate and gather information.  In order to continue to grow, companies and organizations must leverage and embrace technology.

Here are some effective marketing strategies to leverage your company in today’s digital world.

Search engine marketing

When a person searches for a product or service that you provide, you want your website site to be at the top of the search pages. This can be achieved through search engine optimization.

Search engine optimization increases the visibility and ranking of your website on major search engines, such as Google, Yahoo and Bing.  In essence, a website can be designed and positioned to be found on the first page of search engines for industry key words without paying for position.

This can be achieved by properly coding your website, developing internal links and submitting all the pages within your site to search engines and directories. The websites that are successful can enjoy a flow of free leads and traffic generated from these natural searches.

Online video

Another tool to help with your optimization and hold visitors attention is video. People tend to remember 70 percent of what they see and hear, opposed to 20 percent of what they read.  Use of video on your website provides a controlled, interactive method of visual communication to demonstrate your company mission, proposition, product and service.  Videos placed on sites like YouTube, Facebook and other video sites helps you distribute your content and create strong inbound links back to your website.

Good quality videos don’t have to cost a lot to be effective.  Promotional videos should last two to three minutes and concentrate on the benefits and unique features of your product or service.  Videos should tell a good story, follow a logical path and be targeted to the audience.

Content management software

People use the Web to gather information; therefore you want your site to be an information resource.  In today’s competitive market, a well managed site can make all the difference.  Your website needs to be fresh, timely, relevant and accurate if it is going to fully engage its audience.

As technology continues to advance, information technology needs increase.  You can either spend a lot of money hiring additional IT staff or use an effective content management system to help you manage your Web content.  A content management platform provides average business users the ability to build and maintain complex websites without any programming skills.

In today’s fast paced information society, it’s essential and cost effective to give website ownership and management of content to individuals and departments.  Business needs change daily and being able to react quickly and effectively to opportunities is vital.

Establish yourself as a credible resource

Create search engine friendly public relations and marketing materials.  Include hyperlinks and key phrases in your press releases that link back to your website.  When these releases are posted on news sites, it provides another link to drive people to your website and another source the search engines will detect related to your company.

When a potential customer types in “Widgets in Charlotte” your company website along with other websites that have promoted your successes will come up in their search.  It’s great when your potential customers see your company listed favorably in the media when they conduct a search for your product or service.

Customer Reviews

One of the fastest growing areas for growing and differentiating your business are customer reviews.  Over 75 percent of consumers say that online reviews have impacted their buying decision.  Google, Yelp and other sites are making it difficult to compromise the system by requiring reviewers to identify themselves. This is good news because companies can’t pay a service to post bogus reviews and it is more difficult for your competition to place fake bad reviews about your company. The opportunity to organically and proactively build good reviews is better than ever. A multi-phased campaign with email, review pages and QR codes can help you easily encourage your raving fans to tell their positive stories to the world!

Technology will continue to play a bigger role in marketing.  Adapting and embracing technology will help your marketing efforts be more effective in today’s digital world.

With the advent of inexpensive, high quality  HD cameras and simpler video editing software, many individuals and companies are producing and distributing online video content with varying success.

We work with a lot of companies that have tried to develop in-house video programs on their own, but have ended up disappointed with the end result. There are also many clients that have spent a lot of money on glamorous productions, which cost not only an exorbitant amount of money but provided plenty of headaches along the way and the end product didn’t justify the time and expense.

The problem is that both the do-it yourselfers and even some video production companies often do not understand how to develop a strategic plan and communication analysis to develop the right messaging, delivery style and method to effectively deliver their video. As a result, the project becomes an unsuccessful exercise and the enthusiasm for producing video content is lost.

Producing a quality video first starts with research. It’s imperative to know the audience you want to reach and write a script that appeals to that audience. Shortcuts in research on the front-end of a production could derail an entire video campaign.

There are always more than one way to produce a video and many styles can be effective. The restrictions are usually  budget, capabilities, audience and perception.

Every video is confined by budget – large or small. Once you know your budget, you can build an effective program within that budget. If certain components you want to include put you over budget, a good video production company will help you effectively stay within your budget and create alternatives that still effectively convey your message. As an example, if you want a “video host” to describe your services and walk through your facility, but the cost of talent is between $3-5,000, which puts you over budget, another option is to use the company president and or key personnel. The camera crew can film your facilities and staff at work. No cost for talent, your interviews are edited so you all sound like geniuses and the time spent shooting B-roll in your facility can be used for other video projects over time.

It is important that based on your company size and stature, audience and what you are trying to communicate the video quality should be reflective of your company image, branding and message.

Sometimes simple is better…and more effective.

We produce quality corporate communication pieces and effective non-profit fund raising videos, but many times our clients need simple “YouTube” style videos to address a specific topic and educate their audience. This is where the strategy is more important than the style. If budget or proximity make it difficult to shoot a quick video for the client, we coach the client on how to get the footage we need including, type of camera, shooting style, lighting, audio and positioning of the on-camera subjects. Once the footage is gathered, our award winning editors can fix the lighting and audio issues, add music, graphics, titles or animation and edit the footage to look professional and presentable and most important be effective.

Other issues you should be concerned about when distributing video online:

Mobile device capabilities

Many smartphone and tablet users use their devices to watch video–in fact, the majority of tablet users watch video on their devices, and there’s been a 34 percent increase of users accessing video on their smartphones over the past year. If businesses don’t take this trend into account, content creators are losing out on a way to connect with their target market, and employees are losing out on the opportunity to work, learn, and catch up on work while on the go.

Ensure all videos are created with mobile capabilities to best meet the needs of an increasingly mobile workforce. Employers should make a point to confirm that the content can be viewed on any device including iPhones and iPads that are not compatible with Flash

Develop a Call-To-Action

Calls to action inform the viewers on what to do next. Calls to action can be a question, an external link, contact information, social networks, surveys, give-aways, or anything else that invites the viewer to engage.

Not including a call to action decreases the purpose and the shelf-life of a video. Not including a call to action can also leave you with no data to measure the effectiveness of the program.

Distribution

Where will your video be viewed -On your web site, landing page, YouTube, Blip.tv, MetaCafe, Vimeo, BlogTV? There are hundreds of video portals focused on various audiences. You may want the video on a private page for internal or client viewing only. You need a marketing strategy and capable partner to help you manage distribution and how you will analyze the data.  There may be uses for the video offline as well, in the lobby of your office, at tradeshows or for specific visitors to your facility. If you have a strategy before production you can re-purpose the video for multiple purposes and maximize cost efficiency.

At L.A. Management we work with firms large and small to produce and distribute their message utilizing effective and compelling methodology. If you are struggling to come up with an effective process for utilizing video online, contact us at info@lamanagementco.com or call 1-800-651-7818 and we will be happy to do a free communications analysis and help you launch a successful, cost effective video content campaign.

An online presence is essential in today’s digital media age.  Consumers search for information about products and services via recommendations and reviews.  Consumers also want to be engaged with businesses, which makes social media and location check-in services like Foursquare and Facebook Places so important.  Social media allows businesses to communicate directly with their customers and offer special deals to reward loyalty.  It’s a means to make customers feel special and appreciated.  This type of online marketing is not only effective, but also very measureable thanks to online analytics and social monitoring tools that can monitor traffic to your website.

Before your business can be found online, your business must be online.  The first step is to create a content driven website that is frequently updated.  A well-built, attractive website that allows you the option to easily and quickly add and update content will provide you the most online benefits.  Your content should be relevant and key-word rich in terms that reflect your business, product or service.

The second step is to devise a strong online marketing plan, which includes search engine optimization, online advertising and social media marketing.  But how do you begin?

Website

Your website should be organized, user-friendly, clear and concise navigation, search engine friendly and integrate a blog, social media and social sharing features.  Frequently updated content and a site rich in key words related to your product or service are important components for showing up at the right place and the right time online.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine page ranks are determined based on natural results for your business, pay per click ads and local results.  Organic listings are content that has to do with your business (i.e. blog posts, articles, press releases, media coverage, etc.).  Pay-per-click ads are paid search engine listings that are listed first on a relevant search for your business.  Local results are free profiles on sites such as Google Places, Bing Local, Yahoo Local and Yelp.  Search engines use these online listings to verify your businesses’ location and therefore contribute to your business showing up in relevant searches in your area.

Social Marketing

Unlike traditional marketing efforts, social marketing is all about building relationships.  Social media is not a tool for high pressure sales.  Show your value by offering value.  Encourage interaction with your fans by asking questions and soliciting their feedback.  Make sure someone is monitoring your social media regularly and frequently so that questions and fan posts can be recognized and responded to in a timely manner.  Create a monthly social media calendar that organizes valuable content and messages to share via your social media platforms.  When you update your blog, make sure you link your post to your social media.

Location check-in sites are popular.  Make sure you have an accurate listing on Foursquare and Facebook places and be sure to communicate promotions on these sites so that customers are aware when they “check-in” at your business.

While online marketing strategies are much less costly compared to traditional advertising, they do require an investment of time.  This investment of time is well worth it as it allows your business to be in the right place at the right time online – when your customers are looking for what you have to offer.

Amico has led L.A. Management Company to double-digit growth each year and is recognized as an expert in the field of internet marketing. He is also actively involved in professional and community organizations.

“Lou is a great leader and community servant willing to donate his time and talents whenever he can,” said Joe Zammit, L.A. Management Company’s vice-president and multimedia specialist. “He’s built a high morale company with almost no turnover, which says a lot as a place to work and do business with.”

This is Amico’s second Mover and Shaker recognition after being named to this category in 2009. He was also selected as one of the Top 50 Entrepreneurs in Charlotte in 2010 and last year his company was ranked 54 in Business Leader’s Top 100 Small Businesses in North Carolina.