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Call us! 470-241-4150
Little self-congratulatory note here. Our photo from Zucotti Park, looking onto Broadway, at the New York Football Giants Victory Celebration today was published by the Giants:
Here’s a few more:
Well, officially anyway. We’ve been doing this for a lot longer than that.
So, Happy Birthday to us!
Stewie’s account of his being born and turning 1 is eerily similar to our own story:
“Every business should have the help it needs to succeed on the web. Everyday, agencies and web professionals work with businesses big and small to bring us closer to that reality.” ~Google
Those were the sobering words of Google upon launching its Google Partners, a brand spanking new platform designed to give even more to digital marketing companies. So take notice world; Google has done something and it will save you all from yourselves. Although the mammoth search engine has not yet officially created its own reality, Google Partners hopes to bring them ever closer to that aim.
Google has always been digital marketers frenemy: delivering top-notch advances in the way they conduct business, but being totally absent and unreachable. Such is life when you’re an automated monopoly who wants the entire world to use its search engine to look up naked celebrities. But with Google Partners, it hopes to deliver a very useful and easy-to-use tool for all businesses to stay ahead of the curve.
Google Partners 3 Main Goals
We at Cote Media are as excited as a kid before Christmas and eager to rip open our new Google Partner badge.
Today’s small business environment is dominated not by spreadsheets, but by “likes” and “shares.” Prior to the advent of social media, a business upstart had to either rely on word-of -mouth, print marketing materials, and a simple website. But with the proliferation of social media and the spread of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, one of the first tasks is to ensure that you have a viable Facebook and Twitter presence.
That’s right–Twitter and Facebook are more than just convenient ways of annoying people with photos of your dinner and pretending to be a political science expert; they’re the ultimate way to attract new customers and interact with them in real time.
Here’s how social media has impacted small businesses, according to Facebook Marketing:
• In an average week, there are more than 645 million views of, and 13 million comments on, local business Facebook Pages.
• Approximately 70% of monthly active users in the U.S. and Canada are connected to a local business on Facebook.
Perhaps that explains the rise of social media marketing businesses and the roles they play in helping businesses reach a whole new market, and how to engage them on a routine basis. We at Cote Media are among those businesses and we offer a whole slew of services relevant to today’s social media environment. Original content production on daily basis, micro-targeted Facebook ads, real-time customer engagement, and real-time social network customer service are but a few of many services we offer.
Small businesses have enough to worry about, which is why they’re increasingly outsourcing their social media and google analytics needs to reliable social media marketing businesses such as Cote Media.
Do you ever see technological advancements and, much like high-end fashion, think “I don’t get it”? Some look like gadgets straight out of a spy film, including iPhone 5’s fingerprint scanner to unlock your phone’s screen. Unless you’re leading a double life, does this technology apply to a wide market? One step further, EyeLock has created Myris, an eye scanner that replaces word-typed passwords. Still, this seems only appropriate for high-security. Yet, if we aren’t creating a different password for each email account or social network, maybe these devices are fitting for a demographic the inventors never intended: people with terrible memory.
Maybe your mom loves to read and solve puzzles so you got her the KindleFire for Christmas. She’s excited for the thoughtful gift until the tablet asks for her email username and password. Assured that she has entered it properly, she is denied access to connect her email to her new device. “That is my password,” she yells throughout the house! Maybe this wasn’t the best gift.
It could be the ideal gift if she didn’t need to remember yet another password, or recall the one cap-sensitive password she uses for any account. See where we’re going with this? Maybe if your mom had Myris, she would have solved dozens of Sudoku puzzles and be on the final chapter of the final “Hunger Games” book, “Mocking Jay” by now!
Myris connects to your devices on a USB port. It resembles a mouse with a glowing ring on the underbelly. Simply hold the glowing ring a few inches in front of your eye to initiate recognition! Then, choose all your established networks to replace your written password with your Myris account. The palm size iris scanner is more secure than a fingerprint and even more accurate when you scan both eyes. EyeLock plans to release Myris to the public later this year. No price has been set.
While the EyeLock tutorial video emphasizes that the setup is easy, we’d suggest being there with your mom when she eases her password security. We did not find any research to support that the Myris would withstand a throw to the wall!
For more on Myris and to reserve yours today, http://www.eyelock.com/index.php/products/myris
At Cote Media, we’re the kind of Super Bowl fans who bring an abundance of burgers to share with our new tailgating friends! Our painted torsos show pride in single digit temperatures for 3 hours. The team chant and occasional stadium wave? That starts in our section every time. We even get all up in the face of our opponent’s fans when we make a touchdown!
There is one thing you might not expect from us, though. Instead of pools for the quarter scores, we’re wondering who will have the best Super Bowl commercials! What can we say, marketing is our thing! Like choosing the winners of the season, it’s not just about watching the final game, but observing everything leading up to that last National Anthem. Some brands are already leaking clues to their Super Bowl presence.
Anheuser- Busch (A-B) isn’t hiding the fact that they’ll be dominating the commercial waves this year. The alcohol distributor has tweeted: “Look for five ads from @Budweiser and @BudLight at #SuperBowl XLVIII.” 30-seconds of advertising during the Super Bowl costs companies $4 million! A-B will have 3-minutes and 30-seconds of air time. A linked article reveals that A-B’s ads will focus on their mascot Clydesdales, celebrities, and our troops. The company produced last year’s number one Super Bowl commercial, “Brotherhood”, about the bond between a trainer and his horse. We expect they’ll hold that rank again this year.
Pepsi has been getting “hyped for half time” on their social networks since the New Year! They’ve combined their Super Bowl enthusiasm with their sponsorship of the Grammys, asking the question “what if the Grammy’s had a half time show?” The short videos (found on pepsi.com) entice viewers to tune into CBS on January 26th for the answer. Pepsi’s latest television commercial reminds viewers that the soda company has been part of the big game since the beginning. Their Facebook and Twitter host a “Twice in a Lifetime” video, starring Rory O’Connor who attended Super Bowl IV where Carol Channing performed at half time. Pepsi brought his experience to life for the second time.
Dorito’s held their annual “Crash the Super Bowl” contest. Through Twitter and Facebook, the Frito Lay’s company urges consumers to vote for the winning submission to air on FOX, February 2nd. Last year’s winning commercial was ranked the #4 best Super Bowl commercial, raising Dorito’s sales in 2013. Winners of “Crash the Super Bowl” will not only win $1 million, but also the opportunity to work on Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” Does this mean we’ll get a look at other upcoming Marvel films during the game? Maybe Captain America: The Winter Soldier?
Super Bowl commercials are just as competitive as the football teams themselves! There are front runners, like the Broncos and the Sea Hawks. There are those who fall short, like teams with a season of 3-13-0! Advertisers go to great, and sometimes bizarre, lengths to imprint their message into our heads. Volkswagon, for instance, hints that they’ll throw all the winning factors into this year’s commercial. While this is only a teaser, we’d be okay if it was the final cut because, hey, “it’s only weird if it doesn’t work!”
~Jess
Why Did the Turtle Cross the Road:
Great Literature Lives On
Today would have been John Steinbeck”s 112 birthday so Google made him a doodle! That has to mean something! Oh yeah, it means Steinbeck left a mark on the minds of those who are familiar with his work. The big question is, do we understand what this mark means?
We read a lot of books in grade school that made us question why such literature was “acclaimed.” Grapes of Wrath (1939) dedicates an early chapter to a turtle crossing the road. A turtle crossing the road! Whether you’re in 8th grade or 12th grade, under average or above average intelligence, you can’t help but wonder “is this guy laughing at us, or is this deep?”
Some resorted to Cliff Notes to make sense of the metaphors and to hear what is being said between the lines. Other didn’t read one page of the actual book and relied only on Cliff Notes. Whatever way you got to the end, one thing was clear: those books were literally ahead of our time. (no pun intended)
Was it too anxious on the school”s part to assign such books to immature, under developed, unwilling minds? In grade school, there”s a pressure to go with the flow. If a majority of your classmates think the book is “stupid,” or they just don”t get it, it”s likely that we pretend not to get it or we go into the book expecting it to be a waste of time. Once we graduate, it’s like this veil has been lifted! After throwing your cap in the air, those books are worth re-reading.
Adapting books to film has become a trend. Is it because more and more Americans have a collapsing attention span? We’re online casino dgfev so adapted to screens and scrolling that the thought of touching a paper page is becoming a distant thought. Whatever the reason, an adaptation still leaves some people wanting to read the book first. Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 remake of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby (1925), led to a spike in book sales (e-books and paper). The film, rated PG-13, was full of flashing lights, pumping music (from modern artists like Jay-Z), and mesmerizing set design.
The millennium generation was one of many to read the classic in high school so it’s no surprise that we picked up the book once more before seeing the new film adaptation. And this time it made so much more sense! Is it because we weren’t asked to define every line, give meaning to each color, and identify all the metaphors in every chapter? Could it be because we are different than the version of us who read the classic 10 years ago? Or is it because there is such hype that this film would be a box office hit, and the novel is a classic, that we go into it expecting greatness?
Next month, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (1937) will return to Broadway, starring James Franco (This is the End) and Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids). It’s not the same buzz as a film adaptation, but being back on stage after 40 years says something. It says that the stories don’t change, but they are always reaching more people and in a new way each time. Stories are timeless, in any form, and whether they are in a book, on a stage, or on screen, they are inanimate objects, a moment in time that cannot change. Instead, the viewers are the ones who change. So while the story may be the same that it was when read in a stuffy English classroom, we read a new message all these years later because we have changed.
Happy Birthday, John Steinbeck. Thanks for the memories!
~Jess
It’s the season of music festivals! Do you have your two lists? There’s the lineup list and, more importantly, your packing list!
In the age of social media, we know that your cell phone is on the top of your list. We have a few things to go along with that necessity for a complete festival experience!
1.) The app!
Many festivals are keeping up with social media and technology by creating an app for the event!
You’ll have the map of the grounds in the palm of your hand, and some include a message board for updates from other concert goers!
It’s also a handy place for your schedule, and most apps show you how many others have scheduled the same artists so you can head over a few minutes early for a good spot!
Getting front and center means better pictures!
2.) The handle!
Knowing the festival’s handle on Twitter is another way to stay on top of some last minute changes, discover up-to-the minute tips, and flip through photos of others’ experiences!
3.) The outlet charger!
You can carry a digital camera and wear a wristwatch or you can keep your cell phone charged! While some music fanatics may be going for the day, it’s still smart to bring your outlet charger!
There are thousands of people texting and posting at the same time! Getting those through takes a lot of battery power.
While some festivals have power strips that you’ll have to hang around between performances, others will have lockers! These are preferred because you can plug your phone into the provided USB charger, lock it, and take a key so you can catch a show while your phone powers up!
Tech Tip: Don’t forget to put your phone on airplane mode when you’re not using it! You can still use the festival app in this mode, while giving your phone a rest from searching for wifi!
4.) The external charger!
If there’s no time between all the amazing performances you want to catch, bring a full powered external charger to the festival! When your phone gets low, you can keep it on you! Crowd surf with the confidence that your phone will be ready for those close up pictures of the lead singer by the time you reach the stage!
5.) The solar panel charger!
Taking your festival experience to the extreme? Most camp sites don’t provide electrical outlets, and you’ll want to save your car battery for the ride home! This doesn’t mean you can’t share your awesome tent pitching or fire building skills in the moment! Keep your solar panel plugged into your phone during the day and you won’t miss a tweet! It’s also an effortless way to prepare your external charger on a sunny day.
6.) Water!!!
This isn’t a technical one, but it’s very important! Whether it’s cloudy or sunny, staying hydrated guarantees that you’ll be refreshed all day. Staying focused in the crowd will result in the most and best pictures and tweets of the festival!
If you show up to the music festival of your choice with these tools, you’ll be prepared for a weekend that you can share 24/7!
By Jess Vasquez
“Happy Fourth of July Weekend! … Now come spend lots of money!!” That’s often the sentiment during every Fourth of July season. While most people look forward to a day off in the sun, businesses everywhere spend their time promoting big weekend sales. We think it’s important to scale back the hard selling and simply wish your audience a happy holiday! Trust us, it can go a long way.
According to JigSaw Marketing Solutions, some benefits of sending a holiday wish are keeping you and your business on the minds of current and potential customers and it establishes your credibility and trust. Those two benefits are definitely crucial for success.
If your business is known for its epic Independence Day sale, we’re not saying it’s off-limits! If you have something awesome going on, use the days prior to the holiday to do your promoting! Your audience won’t feel as bombarded when it’s spaced out and they’ll be more likely to tune into what you’re saying. Keep it fun, keep it simple. When the big holiday comes around, utilize your daily post to wish your audience a happy and safe holiday. Again, fun and simple.
So …how do you say “Happy Fourth of July” without sounding boring and mundane? It’s not too complicated. Big, beautiful pictures of American Flags and fireworks are always appealing. If your audience enjoys history, include a little tidbit about Independence Day. Use a really awesome, patriotic quote. Post a delicious red, white, and blue recipe. DIY party decorations are always great (Pinterest is a fantastic tool for this). The list goes on! Give them something light and heartfelt and it’ll be a hit.
This concept obviously extends beyond Fourth of July and can be applied to pretty much any holiday throughout the year. Yes…even Arbor Day. There’s at least ONE person out there who would appreciate that shout out! When it comes to holidays, nothing is off limits. It allows your audience to take a break from the selling and the promos and realize that you’re human – just like them – and holidays are just as important to you! It not only creates a sense of humility but it allows for a deeper, more personal connection with your audience…and that’s really the ultimate goal.
Happy Fourth of July from all of us at Cote Media! Enjoy!
~Brittany
As much as we’d like to conquer the world solo, very few businesses can meet all of their clients’ needs in one stop. That’s okay because success enjoys company! If you’re getting a new business off the ground or jump starting one, a sure way to build your clientele is to go where your clients go: other businesses! We don’t suggest stealing business from the competition. Instead, round out what you can offer. Team up with companies that compliment your own, and can work with you to treat your client like a super star!
There is one occasion that demands plenty of diverse businesses: the wedding! A wedding party’s to-do list can be a mile long! By making everything as easy as possible, you’re guaranteed to have return clients or at least have positive news of your business spread like wild fire! The wedding serves as a great example to understand how getting to know your neighbors can benefit your business and your clients!
Step 1: Know your Client’s Needs
In the case of a wedding, the list of businesses needed for the occasion ranges from a photographer, a printing service for invitations, a caterer, baker, and the list goes on! Point in case, you need the same list that your wedding party has so you can start to look for businesses to partner with!
We’re not saying to sneak into their laptop or smart phone and steal their list! We mean brain-storm! You just might think of something they forgot, or maybe your business could give a wedding that unique touch!
Step 2: Satisfy Your Client’s Every Need
A client does not want to be going all over America to check off their list! This might not be such a problem if everything is over the web, but being geographically close to a business is always the best choice. The best ones to partner with are those that you know can get the job done, either through great reviews or personal experience!
Contact these businesses (plural), in person or online, to discuss how you can help each other out! Be sure to exchange business cards for in-person clients or a website address and pictures to post on your new business partner’s page. Also, in the world of social media, be sure to follow each other!
The Sassy Chic Boutique of Red Bank, NJ, gets a lot of wedding parties in the shop! Owner Donna Orrechia guides her clients to their next destination, The Cheese Cave of Red Bank.
“They’re getting married and I know that they have a lot of parties coming up, and I just feel that that would really add something, add a whole new level to their experience.”
In a town built on independent shops, it’s smart for the businesses to team up! Keep in mind that if you only partner with one service, you could fall short. An extra incentive for potential clients is a discount they can receive when going from a partner business to yours! It can be as simple as mentioning where they heard about your service.
Step 3: Get out there!
Don’t expect the clients to seek out your particular business, especially if you are new to the game or have been struggling. Search for conventions and community events that can benefit your company. Don’t spend money or time on an event that will not return on your investment.
Like we said earlier, you might know a need that most clients forget. If your business satisfies that need, or is unique from the competition in any way, you’ll want to get your name out there as much as possible!
To keep with the theme of making nice with the neighbors, pass on news of profitable events to the businesses you are working alongside. By keeping them in the know, they will return the favor! You’ll also be able to use your cross promotional skills at these events!
Step 4: Success!
These steps don’t just apply to businesses that complete a wedding day! They are a guideline meant to expand your horizon! Whether your business is a small fish in a big pond or you’re surrounded by company, it’s smart to get to know your neighbors! By getting your name out there through other businesses, in their store or on their website, you can only multiple your chances of success!