katie@zipmediablog.com

Katie Kukar

About Katie Kukar

Marketing professional with over 20 years experience and extremely excited about digital and social media marketing. It's fast, interesting and easier for smaller businesses to get noticed. She has worked with businesses from summer camps to insurance companies and loves to incorporate humor often. "It's all fun and games!"

4 Additional marketing myths

Part 2 of marketing myths.  The myths listed came up recently in conversation with potential clients, so I thought I would use this blog to educate other clients and readers.  Read the first installment.
1. A marketing professional is only needed for a short period of time and then you can take over the marketing.  
Not really, the opposite is true.   If the relationship works well and both the business and the marketing professional are making money the last thing a business owner should do is take over the marketing again. 
When an owner calls in a professional they were struggling with marketing, why go back to the struggle? Besides working with a marketing professional for a year does not make you a marketing expert.
There is also a difference between knowing what to do for marketing and then implementing the program.  Marketing professionals don’t give up all their secrets.
2. It’s not important to review past marketing efforts.  
Not really, it exceptionally important to review past marketing. Why? 
A business can’t move forward unless it knows where it’s been.  Reviewing the effective and non-effective marketing helps a business make better decisions on where to start, what should continue, and what can be tweaked to be more effective.
If the marketing efforts were not successful, but maybe they should have been, exploring why and making minor changes, saves time and money.  Often a simple change generates success.
Keeping detailed records of marketing efforts from the beginning also indicates progress and where future improvements need to be made.
3. Everyone should be the target of your marketing.
Not really, that’s impossible. It’s too general to make a serious impact.  It’s a lot like throwing darts outside a bar, in a field, […]

By |September 26th, 2014|Marketing Tips|1 Comment|
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5 Marketing Myths

Recent interviews with new clients revealed these marketing myths. I’m using this blog to explain why these comments are marketing myths. There are many more, but these were the prominent ones to date. When dispelling these myths in person, I always try to be gentle.

These are the 5 myths

1. Once the marketing plan’s in place, there’s no need to adapt, change or revamp.

The reality is, marketing plans change all the time, and if you are working with a professional, this will be the case. Experimentation is part of the game and if ideas are working, fantastic! If not, change them.

A business focus changes frequently and so does the target of the marketing.  If that happens, the marketing plan must change.

For instance, a current client was just looking for traffic to their website, so we structured the content to speak to a wide audience. As website traffic progressed and client calls increased, they realized attracting a more sophisticated clientele was more in line with their business goals. We changed the web content and blogs attracting those particular clients. Marketing will always be an ongoing process.

2. Building a website creates immediate success for a business.

The reality is, for a website to gain any traction with traffic and search engine optimization; it needs at least 9 months of adding content, updating and adapting specific elements for a business to see web results. Building a site is a stepping stone for success but the marketing must continue on a variety of levels to generate revenue.

If you don’t work your website, you will not see results in 9 months. Plus, results vary according to the type of business. Build the best website possible (pay for a professional), but know […]

By |September 22nd, 2014|Marketing Tips|1 Comment|
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  • photo by stuart miles from freedigitalphotos.net.
    Permalink Thanking people for re-tweetsGallery

    Should you thank someone for re-tweeting your article on Twitter?

Should you thank someone for re-tweeting your article on Twitter?

Majority consensus on this question is No!

Major reasons include its time-consuming for the business/owner to do individually, especially if the article was re-tweeted thousands of times, which frequently happens with my most active clients!

Secondly, it clogs up feeds with unimportant information. Some users send private messages to say thanks and most Twitter users view that as spam.

Tip: A quick way to say thanks without saying thanks is to “favorite” their re-tweet of your message.

For the most part, it’s not necessary to say thanks for likes and re-tweets.  It is much different if they engage you specifically with a question, a problem or a compliment- that blog to be posted later.

Should you choose to respond to those who liked or re-tweeted your posting make sure it’s valuable for the reader.

Reminder about Twitter: it’s a micro form of communication, and since there are millions of accounts there are billions of tweets and re-tweets, your communication on twitter should create value for the readers. If not watch your followers disappear.

Here are 2 ways information acquired from re-tweets can be used to your advantage.

1.  Return the Favor!

The basics of how to use Twitter from way back still holds true today, and that is to Return the favor! Follow the companies or people who re-tweeted your post, but look at their profile first to see if it provides quality material for you or your business. If it does, follow them, if not move on. If their tweets are exceptional, the best way to thank someone is to re-tweet the posts you like.

Following people, who follow you on Twitter provides fresh content from their feeds that may help your business. A business learns more about what people are reading, what are […]

By |September 16th, 2014|Social Media Tips|0 Comments|
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Why is website content important?

Website content is important because it’s how a company introduces itself to the reader, and how it sells itself to potential clients.

Website content includes main pages and the blog.

The website content question pops up frequently from clients, so I wanted to address this issue on the blog.

NO judging! As obvious as this may be to some, it’s not to others. My goal is to help my clients with their marketing, not put them down because they don’t know everything about digital marketing.

It’s true, creating a website can get tedious, but having quality material about the company is imperative. I’m sure this is part of the reason I get asked these questions.

(To all clients; I try to make this process as easy and painless as possible).

A quick guide to the structure of basic website main pages…..

About Us: tells a little about the company.
Services page: introduces the reader to the goods and services offered.
Employee page: showcase employees because they are the strength of the company.
Blog: where the reader gets up to date relevant information.
Contact Info page: all contact info including a form

(A basic website layout can be adjusted or increased depending on the business. Some have used testimonials, but it’s dependent on the target market)

Design of websites main pages needs to be simple and visual, and the content structure should be written for readers and search engines. A delicate line exists between attracting clients and search engines, but can be accomplished with a clear target.

Websites are designed to provide opportunities for readers to buy. Always think sales! If the blog is always WE do WE do WE, in one click your company loses a sale!

Write content with these ideas in mind

What’s in it for the client?
What […]

By |August 15th, 2014|Blogging Tips, Marketing Tips|0 Comments|
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One of the best reasons to blog: personality

Blog personality, an essential reason for blogging, frequently overlooked when discussing the importance of blogging.

Every blog showcases a company’s personality and where a company sells itself or doesn’t. I focus on marketing efforts that generate sales, so my belief is blogging, and blogging with personality make sales.

A sales truism is clients buy from the sales people and companies they like, more than the product itself. Knowing this fact, showing your personality on the blog is crucial.

Personal experience with buying and selling has taught me buyers and sellers want to work with companies they mesh with for personal reasons, and this makes for a higher success rate for the future. Success is long standing relationships between the company and client each getting what they need and want.

On the buyer side of things, viewing blogs prior to decision making works out in my favor, aligning myself with companies I choose to do business with over the long term.

The blog personality is obvious when you are a person writing an individual blog, most of the time for fun, but more professional companies get stuck in the share knowledge trap using business terms most people use for BS Bingo. yawner!

One of the challenges of working with my clients, many of them attorneys, is they want to post straight, to the fact, bullet points, written in legal terminology. Yawner again.

If you are searching for an attorney, you need legal help, you want it fast, simple, and to get a sense of the attorney, before making a decision. Sifting through legal terminology causes reader to move on to the next option. I don’t want that for the client!

I want my clients personalities to shine on their blog. I want them […]

By |August 13th, 2014|Blogging Tips, Sales tips|1 Comment|
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3 questions about Twitter

What is Twitter? How does it work? How do I set it up?

Twitter is a social media site like Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Yelp, Foursquare and many, many more. Social media sites are a way to socialize with people online about a variety of subjects.

Individuals and businesses have the opportunity to communicate on the internet in a social manner. It’s about sharing, meeting new people, having fun and learning.

Twitter is considered Micro-Blogging since you enter only 140 characters to communicate. They are teasers to interest people to read more.

How does it work?

It’s a way of communicating online with short bits of information. 140 Characters or less. It’s a wonderful form of communication in our busy lives since we can only consume so much information in a day.

Twitter sifts through information quickly to find what we want, what’s interesting and stay informed.

Your twitter feed is designed by you and your business to create a feed of information that relevant to your interests.

These shorts bits of information of 140 characters are called tweets. These tweets
contain facts, interests, news bits, ideas, jokes and links.

Tweets can also be two-way communication. You can read other people’s tweets or tweet information yourself or re-tweet (share) other peoples tweets or tweet on someone else’s feed.

Example: To make it easy check out Oprah’s twitter feed, she requests people tweet her with answers to questions she asks on #supersoulsunday. We will get to the hashtag later I promise.

How do I setup twitter?

Each Twitter account has the basic setup of a Twitter Handle, which is the username, a twitter stream, which is like the Facebook wall, a list of followers (people who follow your twitter handle), list of people you follow, space to create your […]

By |July 23rd, 2014|Social Media Tips|0 Comments|
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3 motivating blogging stats.

Encouraging client’s creation of blog postings is a day to day occurrence.  One of the best ways to develop organic traffic on any website is blogging, and this is no secret nor has this tip changed much in the world of digital marketing.

Instead of constantly hammering away at clients the value of blogging I have developed creative and motivating ideas to stress the importance of blogging.

Since motivation and learning come in many forms, my hope is sharing statistics on blogging will trigger certain clients sense of urgency and importance in writing their blogs.

Motivating clients to complete material for the blog is a common problem.  It’s also common for writers in any field around the world.

What has worked for me personally, is one simple quote taped to the wall in mission control, otherwise referred to as my office that states “the difference between a successful writer and a non-successful writer is….. one writer writes, and one thinks about writing.”

This quote is my daily motivation.  It’s simple and creating one blog is also simple.  Here is why for myself.  I have confidence in my ability and knowledge of marketing. The marketing techniques I employ get desired results for clients.  I read and research daily on the ever-adjusting and developing web marketing.  Knowing these details, I have plenty to share with my clients and potential new clients. Simple.

Each business and person is motivated by different “hot buttons” so this post is for my stats driven clients.  My hope is these stats are motivating enough to advance your presence on the web by sharing your knowledge on the blog and work toward increasing revenue.

So here they are…..

1.  The average company will see a 45% growth in traffic when […]

By |July 17th, 2014|Blogging Tips, Marketing Tips|1 Comment|
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3 More Tips for Choosing a Marketing Professional

Finding a Marketing Professional who is knowledgeable and you can trust is challenging.  Trusting the information they provide is a leap of faith and that’s the reality.  This is the second article containing 3 more tips check out the first blog.
These tips were compiled from clients experiences who came to us for help. Our job is fun and when done well our relationships continue and our clients make more money so we all win and we are very aware of this lucrative relationship.
3 more Tips for choosing the right Marketing Professional and deal breakers to help sift through the options without wasting too much time.
Tip 4:  A good MP doesn’t suggest every social media marketing option available.
Most marketing professionals agree that not everyone and every business needs to get involved in every social media option available.  It’s dependent on your target market- first of all.
Social Media Marketing is a giant marketing opportunity and by giant I mean a tiny bit of research shows how many options are available, it’s scary and overwhelming.  Realize most Social Media is free but the time it takes to work it effectively to generate revenue or to communicate with customers is enormous.  Most small business owner just don’t have the time.
A good marketing professional understands your business and picks options that are manageable and serve the purpose of generating revenue or communication with customers.
Deal Breaker:  If they recommend a business get involved with every type of social media options and do not have a strategy for using these Social Media Marketing options then move on.  It’s too much, they don’t have a plan to generate revenue or communicate and they are following a trend without understanding it’s purpose.
Tip 5: […]

By |July 11th, 2014|Marketing Tips|0 Comments|
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Creating Killer Headlines

Killer headlines!

The purpose of killer headlines is attracting attention within seconds and pull them into your article and website.  Therein lies the Power of an amazing headline.

I’m a fan of using humor to grab and explain- I respond well to those types of headlines but I do like important information to enhances what I am reading and I am not alone.

The headline must stand on it’s own. So I’ve compiled the types of headlines that attract attention.

People love numbered lists.            7 Habits, 5 ideas, 3 pitfalls etc
They love resource lists:           7 ways, 7 secrets, 7 things
They read Warnings or Cautions:       Top 10 mistakes, 11 warning signs
What’s New:  We are addicted to new.       5 new ideas to create more followers,  7 website changes that attract search engines
How to’s:  How to implies a solution to a problem.      How to finalize your Divorce in 5 quick steps.
“You can do it”  Adds intrigue-      You can solve your families financial crisis
Ask a Question;  make sure you know the answer!       Does staying in an unhappy marriage benefit your children?
Fear:  Fear and greed are primary motivators.       “4 Phrases that age you”
Astonishing Facts:       1 in 2 marriages end in Divorce, World wastes 30% of it’s food
Controversy:  Controversy is fueled, in part, by conflicting beliefs.      “CO house debates the legality  of home schooling”
Don’t do this: Fear again      “5 things a person says to a police officer to get arrested”
Save Money:    Mediate your divorce to save X dollars
Yes, but….  Legal tips that rock, except when used against husband
Be specific:       Number of DUI’s up […]

By |July 10th, 2014|Blogging Tips, Social Media Tips|0 Comments|
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3 Tips for Choosing a Marketing Professional

Finding a Marketing Professional who is knowledgeable and you can trust is challenging.  Trusting the information they provide is a leap of faith and that’s the reality.  
Here are 3 Tips for choosing the right Marketing Professional and deal breakers to help sift through the options without wasting too much time.
Tip 1: A good MP asks questions about your business first.
A serious Marketing Professional starts every new meeting asking questions about your business.  A good professional already researched the type of business and industry but asks questions for confirmation and perspective on what they researched.  This indicates they’ve invested time into this meeting and take business seriously.
Trying to sell their service immediately is a red flag not a deal breaker.  If the meeting continues and they DO ask questions about your business, continue with the other tips.
Deal Breaker:  If they never ask quality questions of your business, it’s a deal breaker.  How can they help your business when they don’t know much about your business or take time to listen to you?
Tip 2: A good MP recaps what you told them and creates a preliminary marketing plan on the spot.
With the preliminary research completed before the meeting and the quality questions asked in the appointment, a good Marketing Professional can give you an idea of a marketing plan moving forward.
Really good marketers would start with a short term, revenue generating plan and then explain a long term marketing plan.  These plans should incorporate a mix of marketing options specific to your business and industry.
Deal Breaker:  If the marketing professional tries to sell you the “big kahuna” marketing plan right away it’s not a partnership between the two of you, it’s them selling to you […]

By |July 9th, 2014|Marketing Tips|0 Comments|
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