Triangle Direct Media proudly sponsored the 2009 Run Walk Festival in Cary North Carolina this past weekend.  The Festival helps the Rotary Club of Cary to fund many important groups in the community.

Triangle Direct Media fielded 2 Runners and 1 walker.

Thanks to all who participated and thanks to Scott for getting the whole event organized in at our office.

TDM will be speaking at the E-Retailer Summit coming up in March 2008.

We will be part of the Session Entitled:

CREATE A SUCCESSFUL BLOG MARKETING PROGRAM: SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY Monday, March 3, 2:00pm – 3:00pm

Featuring:

Below is the official Description from their site:

“Blogs, social networking sites, and otherWeb 2.0 tools have significantly changed the consumer online experience. This session will focus on the pros and cons of online blog communities, legal considerations and how to reach and engage the consumer.This forum includes moderator Rick Petry, writer, and panelists Scott Allen- author of “The Virtual Handshake”;Tony Feriozzi – president,Triangle Direct Media; Jeffrey Greenbaum – partner, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, PC; Kathy Greif – director of content, HSN.”

Should be a fun and educational show for anyone interested in Social Media Marketing and how to use it to sell more products online.

When a large company approaches us we always do whatever it takes to help them build their brand. Blog Branding is an essential ingredient to further develop who you are as a company in the blogosphere. However, large company marketing divisions that may consider blogging to further brand themselves is another individuals decision. I’ve been in that position before and know it can be extremely frustrating to be excited about a new venture ie..blog marketing, and not have the ability to make a decision. If branding is the most important aspect to your company, you need to unlock the handcuffs and embrace blogging. If your reputation means a lot to your company, there’s no other alternative.

What’s the single most wonderful thing you can do during the 06 Holiday season? You can “SHOP” online for all of your gifts instead of mall crowds. I really don’t see why people go to the mall because all of the stores have websites that you can buy from. For all of you holiday shoppers here’s some helpful tips that I found from KVBC.
The Internet is expected to play a bigger role than ever before when it comes to holiday shopping this year. Experts believe shoppers will buy a fourth of their gifts online this year. But while logging on is convenient, there can also be risks if you’re not careful.

Amazon.com and Ebay are frequently visited sites, especially during the holiday season. If you do plan on buying online, here are some tips you should keep in mind.

1. Know who you’re dealing with. If you’re buying gifts on an online auction site that provides a feedback forum, check the track record of the seller before you bid.
2. Look for signs that online purchases are secure. A lock icon will appear on the website telling you the transaction is secure.
3. Pay the safest way. It’s best to use a credit card, especially when you’re buying something that will be delivered later, because under federal law you can dispute the charges if you don’t get what you’re promised.
4. Keep documentation of your order. Print out the confirmation and keep it handy in case you need it later.

You should also make sure to check your credit card and bank statements carefully and call your bank or credit card company if you notice any charges you didn’t make.

The National Retail Federation says shoppers are expected to shell out nearly $800 each this year online.

Is there any online retailer out there that has the following situation……I have a retail site and my biggest quarter is Q4. I’m about to ramp up my Pay-Per-Click spending so my margins will drop significantly. What should I do? Pay my SEO firm more money to do things that don’t affect my rankings or should I put some of my ad budget into offline advertising. I may do some local or National Ads on Radio and TV. I know I’ll be spending a ton on advertising but it’s what everybody else in my industry is doing and I need to keep up. Does this sound like you?

Solution: The companies that do well online are well ahead of the curve and they adapt themselves into different marketing programs to do so. If you had a Retail Blog, you’d be able to attack what so many in your industry don’t know about, Like,

1. 57 million readers in the United States

2. Starting the Viral Marketing Process

3. Stabalize your Reputation

4. Exploiting Keyword Niches

5. Video Advertising and Poscasting
Your time is now for a strategic gameplan to get in front of your audience. A business blog is step one.

Over on BBM there is a quick article about web 2.0 and how it may impact retail marketing as the web evolves. Check it out.

New Media channels of today have expanded far beyond search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN. Directors of marketing simply aren’t delivering their company’s brand through these channels. Being reluctant to do so will simply put companies behind their competition that welcomes integration. The blogosphere is full of consumers discussing products and services. It’s a network of consumer generated content. Being part of their daily discussion is truly a viable resource for organizations capable of thinking outside of the box.

It looks like Wall Street traders now have access to what consumers have to say in the blogosphere. Monitoring what is being said in the blogosphere provides traders with quality information. The tool they use, scans blogs for information, like Google scans websites – and sends that valuable information to them via RSS feeds. Are investors or consumers finding your company in the blogosphere. Contact Retail Blog Marketing for information on expanding your brand’s online reach.

Google has launched a custom search engine in a new way to bring tailored search to websites and blogs. “The company said that in just minutes, anyone can use the Google search platform to create a search engine focused on any content they like, from Hollywood heartthrobs, to favorite sports team, to personal hobbies and more”  Google claims that they are merely following what other engines have done before.  What will Yahoo do next?  More….

Over the last nine years or so search engine’s algorithms have become more and more sophisticated. Trying to figure these algorithms out will never happen by any in-house marketing team or their marketing director. Therefore it is important for marketing teams and marketing directors to think outside of the box when it comes to their online marketing strategy. Sure old tactics to achieve better organic positioning might have worked back in the day. However, with today’s new media channels and more sophisticated algorithms, marketers that do not adapt to this change are simply hurting their business’ brands.

More and more consumers are becoming a part of social networks. They use these networks as a trusted resource to find any information imaginable. Penetrating these consumer communities means marketers are faced with a decision. Continue to use the same SEO strategy that you used in 2003, 2004 etc. Or not.

New media channels such as blogs and RSS feeds can help companies achieve the same result in half the time – if marketers are willing to listen and apply a new strategy. Because of the shift in more consumer generated content retail blogs give smaller businesses the opportunity to drive deeper into their niche’ market by joining the consumer communities and talking with them about their products in their blog.

Exploit the weakness of your competitors. If you are a small business and want more revenue coming in from your website, the best way is to use a fully optimized retail blog. The staff at Triangle Direct Media will train you on proper strategies to apply when posting articles in your blog, support you and your staff when questions arise and give free updates to all of our clients. Be a leader in your space, not a follower. Start blogging about your products and reach more consumers online by thinking outside of the box.

Here’s an interesting report on search terms by industry. If you have a word or term on the following lists, what are you doing to get in front of people searching for them? It goes to show you by having a blog that is set up correctly, you have a chance to get in front of people looking for you. In your honest opinion, have you done everything possible to grow your online business? Start now.