October 19, 2012
What if you could snap your fingers and be living in your ideal future? Turns out, you can, and not by magic! We know of just the tools to help you visualize your ideal life and future and make it happen. MagicFuture (formerly MagicNumber) is a platform for education and inspiration to help happy people fulfill their potential through self improvement tools. And, we have the privilege of helping them bring their wisdom, insight, and inspiration to life online.
After having developed and then obtained some key learnings for the MagicNumber beta site, EIM started on a journey to evolve the site to create greater usability for members and a more cohesive experience, tying in all tools offered–including features for goal setting, habit forming, and a vision board to paint a picture of what they are trying to achieve.
Creating User Value
To engage new users and spur growth, we helped MagicFuture implement a “Try it, risk free 21 day trial!” Seeing the value of user insights and how important it is to hear from its members, the Magic team has always encouraged feedback. Many of the things that we included in the latest MagicFuture release were spurred by comments from their community
Building The MagicTools to Build a MagicFuture
Achieving your desired future starts with knowing you want it, but it takes the right tools to stay determined and on track. And there was always so much more behind MagicNumber than just that tool alone–MagicFuture brings them all to the forefront in a more cohesive toolkit. read the full story...
- MagicGoals – Subscribers can set and track goals towards achievement.
- MagicHabits – Subscribers can set and form habits that will enhance their lives.
October 15, 2012
Since the beginning of the internet, a continuing battle ranges between marketing and IT. Marketing wants more tags on websites, while IT has pushed back, saying too much tagging will slow down websites and make us sad.
But one day, tag management came along and has provided marketing and IT with a quick, easy solution to coexist in peace.
Tag management is applying one tag to every page on your website. This tag then references a management console where you can apply multiple tags to your site pages without slowing down, breaking, or bothering IT (and no one wants to bother IT). The console allows you to create tags and rules for specific pages on your site with the click of a button. This solution speeds up marketing initiatives and empowers your agency. (Not to mention keeps IT happy.)
Do I need tag management?
This question is answered simply by taking an inventory of your current and future tagging and marketing initiatives. Do you have one or more of the following tags on your site?
- Google Analytics
- A/B testing tools
- AdWords or other pay per click management tags
- Ad serving floodlight or spotlight tags
- Affiliate marketing tags
- Remarketing tags
- Site survey tags
You probably do. The likelihood of you adding, moving, or removing these tags for specific advertising initiatives is even higher. Tag management lets you add tags to specific pages and gives user permissions to add and remove tags when necessary, without hurting website performance or impact the IT team. The system promotes playing well with others, which is why our analytics team recommends it! read the full story...
October 5, 2012
When running an Adwords paid search PPC campaign, ad testing plays an important role in campaign optimization.
Why?
- Your ad is where you connect with prospects. Assume that a prospect doesn’t know anything about you, the ad is where you tell a prospect what you can offer & what benefit they will get. It’s where you give them incentives to click on your ad and learn more about you. If you don’t do ad testing, you are losing opportunities to turn prospects into customers.
- A good ad increases your Click-through-rate (CTR), and CTR is one of the main factors that affects your quality score and the campaign health. Instead of increasing bids to attain a short term gain, optimizing your ads gives you long term gains in your account.
What to test?
Small Variations: Besides creating an ad with totally fresh ideas, also try creating ads with little variations–like adding an exclamation point, a question mark or ‘ll instead of “will”–and you will be surprised how a small change could change your campaign performance!
Headline: The headline is what your prospects see first, so make it stand out from your competitors. Also, make good use of your headline with limited characters, tell prospects what you sell (i.e. “Custom Fortune Cookies” instead of “Fortune Cookies” or “Birthday Gifts For Mom” instead of “Gifts for Mom”).
A Strong Call-to-Action: You don’t want your prospects to just read your ads, you want them to take action after reading your ads. If there is space left after describing the main offer, try a strong call-to-action and tell them what you want them to do (i.e. Sign Up Today! Join Us Tonight! Book A Table Now!). Remember, a strong call-to-action doesn’t guarantee a better ad performance, and that’s where ad testing comes in!
read the full story...
October 1, 2012
Rebecca’s not only a new account manager, she’s a brand spankin’ new Chicagoan! Coming to us via Austin, Texas, she’s got a ton of experience managing clients, developing social media strategies (including the social strategy for Texas.gov — yes, she tweeted for Texas), and founding businesses. (She founded a small business marketing consultancy serving clients like Austin Restaurant Week and Autism Trust USA; no big deal.*) Oh, and did we mention she was named a rising star finalist in the 2012 Austin Business Journal’s Profiles in Power: Women of Influence awards?
We couldn’t be happier Rebecca’s with us to help our clients bring their projects to life and help the EIM teams get it done while they’re designing, coding, writing, or SEOing. She’ll be working with brands in a variety of industries to help build and connect with their audience in a creative way — and hopefully, sharing some of her pro entertaining tips with us along the way.
A very short interview with Rebecca:
What’s the one thing everyone should know about you?
My blog, TheRebeccammendations, won Best Blog for Entertaining Tips in the 2010 Austin Blogger Awards. I’ve migrated it to Chicago to write about local restaurants, shopping, art, music, and entertainment and get to know the hidden gems in The Windy City. You can also follow me on Twitter @LocalizeChicago and @Rbcammendations for tidbits on local hotspots and info I find along the way.
Fill in the blank: I can cook or bake…
Oreo truffles that are quite the hit. Actually, there’s no cooking or baking involved (just refrigeration and some chocolate-dipping skills).
*Kidding, it’s a really big deal.
September 26, 2012
Are organic vegetables better for you than conventional vegetables? Debatable. Is organic search good for your business? Yes. Robert takes a holistic approach to SEO: treating the entire site, not just the symptoms or rankings.
But make no mistake — he’s no SEO hippie, even though he’s in charge of getting more organic traffic to our clients’ sites and turning that traffic into quality leads.
With five years experience as an independent consultant, at Ephricon in Baltimore, and as an in-house web marketer (“pretty much makes me a grizzled vet,” he says), he can do that sort of thing. It’s wholesome, organic SEO at its best.
A very short interview with Robert:
What’s the one thing we should know about you?
I’m also an actor, writer, and filmmaker. Most nights and weekends I’m performing improv or sketch, or working on a TV pilot that I’m going to produce next spring.
Tell us a story in six words.
Joined circus. Sorry ma. Will write.
September 20, 2012
It’s not easy being part of the EIM digital marketing team. Those guys go through the ringer! Not only do you have to optimize a page in less than 15 seconds, you have to speak only in keywords during work hours. Okay, none of that’s true, but it’s a big job.
But Jenny’s one to do it. After consulting Coupon Cabin’s mobile app project and helping out with email marketing and partnership marketing as an intern at SitterCity, she’s freshly graduated and on board as our newest media coordinator. A paid search guru, she focuses on launching, monitoring, and optimizing each campaign on a daily basis. But best of all, she’s a hard worker who’s always looking to learn more and give every job her all.
A very short interview with Jenny:
What are your three favorite movies?
Life is Beautiful, I am Sam, The Green Mile.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Definitely my mom’s cooking!
September 17, 2012
Once upon a time, we were a company with exactly one employee. Ten years — and 5 offices — later, we’ve made Inc. Magazine’s 5000 list for three consecutive years, built our dream workspace, and have a team who’s everything we could have ever hoped for. Yup, it’s a pretty big deal. So, naturally, we decided to have a party.
Putting the new Ideation Lounge to good use, the 10-year party was a huge hit. Our whiteboard wall featured a history of the company in timeline form, as recalled by EIM vets, and illustrated by artists-in-residence Mike L. and Hannah.
We enjoyed live music from the Resonators with Adam on keyboard; some singing from Rob, Amy, and Kevin; catering from our friends at Homestead; a strawberry-filled EIM cake from West Town Bakery; showing off the agency hamster to delighted onlookers; and toasting to 10 amazing years in business.
We’ve come a long way, and there’s no way we could have done it without our employees, clients, friends, family, and coffee. Cheers to 10 years, and here’s to 10 more!
See more photos at Facebook.com/EnvisionitMedia.
September 14, 2012
I’m going to do some discipline-crossing here to talk about one simple concept: asking for what you want. In digital marketing, as in all situations, this doesn’t mean demanding anything, nor does it mean you’re guaranteed to get what you wanted.
And in digital marketing, specifically, it doesn’t mean using offensively overt calls-to-action, ie…
What it does mean is that your brand’s audience isn’t filled with mind readers and your network isn’t sitting around thinking about ways they can promote your brand. But if you ask them for help, you certainly increase the odds of getting it.
What can you ask for? read the full story...
- Links to your website. No matter what happens with Google’s algorithm updates, relevant, quality links are good for your site. So don’t be afraid to ask people for them. This is a whole post in itself, but if you’ve identified a quality site that’s relevant to your business, brainstorm clever ways to ask nicely for a link!
- Reviews. Whether it’s a review on Yelp or Google, a testimonial on your site, or a full-blown review on a popular blog, reviews are golden. Ask for them! Include messaging at smart touchpoints expressing your appreciation for your customers’ business and how much a review would mean to them; connect with relevant bloggers, build a rapport, and ask them for a review.
- Website Actions. Asking site visitors to do what you want them to doesn’t have to mean virtually blurting, “Click here!!” Depending on who your brand is, you can find more elegant or clever ways to lead your users/fans/customers down a desired path. Be sure you’re doing that wherever possible; make your webpages and social properties work harder for you.
September 11, 2012
Sarah’s only been with us for a short while, but frankly, we’re not quite sure how we got along without her. As Associate Project Manager, she gets stuff done: she’s a wiz at managing project teams, sees to it they have everything they need, keeps up with clients, and makes sure everyone is happy with the final product. She loves seeing every project come to life, and with experience working with some major brands — including Disney, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, and Lunchables — she’s had a big part in some pretty cool projects. (Like that time she produced a Lunchables media takeover in Times Square. RAD.) Sarah, you can project-manage us any day.
A very short interview with Sarah:
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Toast with white American cheese and scrambled eggs on top.
Fill in the blank: the cartoon character most like me is … because …
Belle, because she lived in France, is always willing to help, and has an adventurous streak.
August 31, 2012
We are so pleased to officially welcome our new Director of Account Services!
Kelly supervises and mentors the account team; she’s the Jedi Master of efficient process, and the go-to person for production and team collaboration solutions. She’s worked in digital for more than eight years and in account management for more than six years, mostly for Fortune 500 companies (like Pampers, Clorox, Brita, and Nissan USA), so it’s fair to say she’s got a pretty firm grasp on how to handle big clients and digital marketing (which are both pretty impressive things to have a firm grasp on).
For her, it’s all about helping the team meet and exceed client expectations while making a difference in their businesses through digital marketing.
A very short interview with Kelly:
What did you want to be when you grew up?
A princess, a teacher, a travel agent, a journalist, a lawyer.
What’s a book you could read over and over again?
To Kill a Mockingbird — I named my cats after the characters!
