Did you know that 83% of information processed is done visually? Let’s face it, we are a visual culture and that isn’t going to change anytime soon.

Recent proof continues to prove that our affinity for visuals is growing:

• Instagram, a photo sharing application just sold for 1 Billion dollars.

• Pinterest, a photo scrapbooking website generates more referral traffic than Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn combined.

• Just take a look at how Facebook is progressing with Timeline… you will notice that layout is a lot more visual than the old layout and results with our Facebook accounts show that images receive the most “likes” and “shares.”

Here are some ways to take a visual approach online!

1. Let Your Website Attract Through Pictures

Do not forget that your website is still the heart of your online marketing — and probably your overall marketing!!

Here at Infinite our website receives heavy traffic via search engines for people looking to hire a “Search Engine Optimization” firm. Receiving this feedback from our analytics, we developed a visual banner on the homepage that communicates directly to visitors who are inquiring about that service. The highly-visual graphic banner is one of the highest “clicked” elements of our site!

For your website think about using:

• Real photography! Photographs of your staff and facilities build greater trust.

• Call to action banners that include benefits/results/ and promotional offers.

2. Videos Make It Easier

If you have a product/service that is both expensive or is technical and needs explanation, video is an absolute must!

People would rather watch an instructional video than read an instructional manual. Check out the video we created for Vocado, a project-management service for vocational schools (the video is framed in the iPad):

3. Infographics Get More Attention

Infographics are very popular right now and provide you a great opportunity to receive increased exposure.

Copyblogger, a leading resource for copywriting and content marketing developed an infographic about grammar mistakes that many of people make entitled, “15 Grammar Goofs That Make You Look Silly” (click to view). Between January 1^st and March 5^th they received 15,000 visits to their website just from the infographic on Pinterest.

Think about ways that you can make your content and information more visual so that it appeals to our natural preference for learning.

4. Facebook Timeline Banner/Twitter Background

This is prime real estate to use exciting visuals that personalize your brand. Our approaches to creating these are to include images of people because of the fundamental business rule that people buy from people and those who they identify with.

Make sure you include images of your staff, customers and of your facilities. Facebook fans and Twitter followers love images; we’ve seen this proven, as the timeline banner we created for Sally Kashani DDS (above) has received 12 likes already.

Infinite Communications is proven in creating visual imagery that is appealing and delivers results. Don’t take an apathetic approach. Contact us today (818) 990 9843 to design your engaging content. We promise to make it visual engaging!

This is Part 2 of our blog post, “Capture Your Audience with ‘Sticky’ Content”, (Read Part 1). In this post you will learn 3 easy ways to create content that captures your audience’s attention.

#4 Use Authoritative Sources

This principle is used to build immediate credibility with your audience.

Let’s say you’re in the market to buy a book to help strengthen your sales skills. You might have never heard about the book “The Ultimate Sales Machine” – but as soon as you see that sticker that say “NY Times Best Seller” and “Amazon.com Bestseller” you know it’s worth checking out. This is referred to as an “authoritative statement.”

You are more likely to trust that product because an authority on that field says it is worth reading. Other similar examples are “As Seen on TV”, and “Featured in Inc Magazine.”

Celebrity endorsements are the second way to prove credibility. Don’t worry if Oprah didn’t pick your product for her favorites before her show ended. You can still creatively use celebrity endorsements.

For example, if you are a financial planner you could gain credibility by writing a blog post that references Alan Greenspan.

#5 Strike An Emotional Chord

The “emotional” principle focuses on answering the question, “How do we make people care about our message?”

One of the best ways you can implement this principle is to create an association between your topic and something your audience can relate with.

We recently gave a presentation on “What Makes A Website Great?” Our goal was to make the audience understand the downfalls of a bad website and how it reflects poorly on their business. Instead of diving into our morning PowerPoint presentation, we first asked the room full of 30 people “How many of you have ever been into a store, where you can’t find what you’re looking for and the first thing the store employee does is come up to you and try to sell you something?” Every one raised their hands – with a groan, looking at each other, hating that exact situation.

“Well sorry to say it, but that’s how most of you are making people feel when they come to your website.” It struck an emotional chord. People could relate to the feeling, and it was much easier for them to understand the importance of having a website with great navigation and informative content.

#6 Tell A Story

“If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at one, I will” Mother Teresa once said. That is why we recommend creating your content to focus on one person’s specific story and telling their struggle, show their worry & pain, and then highlight what you did to help.

In 2000, Subway first ran their TV ads that went something like this:

“This is Jared,” the announcer said. “He used to weight 425 pounds” – we see a photo of Jared in his old 60-ince waist pants – “but today he weighs 180 thanks to what he calls the Subway diet.” The announcers describes Jared’s meal plan, and how when combined with a lot of walking – overtime it lead to his extreme weight loss.”

Subways sales immediately picked up, and since then Jared has made it easier for all of us to remember where we can go to eat, when we are trying to watch our figure.

Instead of telling you to eat Subway because it’s healthy, they highlighted Jared’s story and showed you an image of him standing in his old big pants that you will never forget.

Remember, you can extract a moral from a story, but you can’t extract a story from a moral.

People will always remember your stories and not the facts in your content. That is because stories ignite feelings. People forget facts, but not how you make them feel.

When it comes to flying, most people have worries and anxieties about their experience, much like going to a doctor’s office. Why is it that when so many airlines are struggling to satisfy their customer base, Virgin America Airlines has its customers consistently vouching for it on social media and customer review websites. I constantly see positive posts about Virgin America on Facebook and Twitter feeds, so I wasn’t surprised to see a “Yelp” friend write a 5 star review about Virgin. However, it was her statements that caught me by surprise – most of them were negative, but the few benefits Virgin offered that other airlines didn’t are what made her write a 5 star review. “Despite a few inconveniences” she experienced, she and many others wouldn’t fly another airline, proving that even the businesses that people evangelize do have faults.

What sets Virgin apart

Like other great brands, Virgin strategically offers benefits that most of its competitors don’t; benefits that greatly enhance the customer experience. Technology is the benefit that Virgin offers, from the televisions and wi-fi for each passenger to using social media to give its customers service/flight updates, and promotional offers.

Virgin has decided that maximizing technology will give its customers the best possible experience.

Being able to charge more

Offering additional advantages will allow you to charge more than the competition and charge for items that customers have received for free in the past (like Virgin does with passenger luggage and food).

Have you thought about what your business can do to stand out from your competition?

If you are going to charge more and conduct business in certain ways that might not appeal to all of your customer’s preferences, you have to offer more than what customers are typically used to.

For example if you own a dental practice, can you offer patients an enhanced experience with digital x-rays in every operatory? Or how about having iPads for patients in the waiting room.

Lets say you own a gym… does the upfront cost of providing free towels or televisions on each treadmill justify charging a few dollars more than the competition. Your customers might say so.

When defining your brand, look for opportunities to deliver an experience that competitors don’t and you will have evangelists who will write positive online reviews that will help increase your customer base.

Receiving media coverage is something most small businesses, brands and organizations can benefit from and should consider planning for because it can not only increase your exposure, it can also build your company’s value proposition.

Building a social media following is a first step in your efforts to receiving media placement. Working together with our client, Martin Kent, an Emmy Award winning filmmaker, we were able to get him placed in one of Israel’s largest circulated publications.

One of Martin’s goals was to receive targeted media coverage for Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). In the 4 months prior to our pitch we established a solid social media presence, some of the tactics included:

• Consistently updating his blog with relevant content (written by him) and optimizing every post with targeted keywords.

• Creating a branded YouTube page and uploading videos of his prior work, as well as optimizing all his videos to be found for competitive keywords related to his work.

• Creating a branded Twitter page and building a twitter following.

Because we were able to effectively implement all of these tactics, we were able to garner interest from editors even without a published book or movie ready for production.

Brutal Important Fact!
Editors and journalists jobs are to sell papers and to cover stories that are interesting. When he/she sees that you or your company has built a solid social media following it does two things, 1) shows that you are already interesting, 2) establishes that you can bring your followers to his/her respective publication.

Now, you might say that Martin was an Emmy award winning filmmaker and that his topic was particularly interesting. However, as business owners we can build interest in our community, each business can develop content that engages our prospects, associates and fans. This is how building your social media presence could be your first step to receiving media attention!

Please let us know if you have any questions about how you should approach social media.

There are a lot of reasons a company and organization should consider using video marketing. Great brands tell great stories to capture audiences – the right video content can help position your brand to stand out from the crowd. Here are 8 quick reasons why you should consider video marketing.

1. Get More Exposure
YouTube is currently the 2nd most popular search engine behind Google (note: it is also owned by Google).

By producing videos based on a variety of topics you can improve your chances of receiving attention. You can multiply this traffic by uploading your video to other video sharing sites such as:

Yahoo! Video
Google Video
Facebook
Metacafe
Dailymotion
And many more….

2. Motion Picture Appeal
Not all of your visitors prefer to receive content they have to read. Many prefer to watch, listen and read at the same time. With video you improve your opportunity to appeal to more people. For example, people would rather watch a product demo than read a product demo.

3. Gain Top Search Engine Rankings
Google is now using what is called “Universal Search Results” giving searchers a mixed result of websites, videos and other media. Currently, not many small businesses are using videos to help rank for competitive keywords. If you add videos to your marketing mix you could achieve top rankings in your niche.

Example
If you enter “how to drive a car” in the Google search box some of the top search results are videos.

4. Viral Marketing
Developing a strategy to create a valuable or entertaining video that your fans/followers love and want to share could lead to mass exposure and more fans/followers. Web users have many ways to share videos with friends on Email, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the plethora of social book-marking/sharing websites.

5. Inexpensive
Nowadays most computers come with free software that can help you import, edit, convert and upload videos to video sharing web sites. In addition, inexpensive camera phones, and flip cameras (Flip Mino HD) have the ability to capture quality footage.

6. Become Recognized As An Expert
If you work hard at your craft and want to convey your expertise, video is a great communication channel to do so. This can be a great opportunity for you to become recognized as an authority in your field. Once again, you can use a basic video camera for this.

7. People Buy From Businesses They Trust
The Internet is often seen as an impersonal place where it’s hard to trust anybody because site owners don’t provide any contact information and online scams are common. A video offers your visitors a very personal touch that helps remove the fear of doing business with you.

8. Makes Your Website More Engaging
Web visitors skim through websites more than ever. Video gives you one more opportunity to capture your visitor’s attention, thus increasing the amount of time the visitor will spend learning about your business.

If you have any questions about developing and producing successful video marketing, please contact us: info@infinitecomm.net or 818.990.9843.

If you already have a LinkedIn profile and want to learn how to get more out of it, then keep on reading!

Yes. LinkedIn can work for you! The other week I needed to reach out to an LATimes reporter and I did what I always do, “Googled” the person’s name. I saw he had a LinkedIn profile and when I clicked it, it showed that a fairly close acquaintance of mine was one of his connections. I emailed her to make an introduction and the next thing you know, I am exchanging emails with this reporter.

Here are some steps to take if you already have your profile set up.

1. Perfect your profile. Is your profile succinct, organized and does it clearly state how you add value or make an impact in business? (I will write an in-depth post describing ways you can perfect your profile)

2. Make a connection with your email contacts. If you use Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Apple Mail or another email client, LinkedIn has a feature that will invite those contacts to connect with you on LinkedIn. You can do this by clicking on “Add Connections” in the top right and it will ask you to enter your email address and password.

This is a great way for past associates to find out about your latest activities.

3. Recommendations. Isn’t a referral the best way to get new business? One thing I am guilty of not doing much of, is asking for recommendations or offering to give them. “Recommendations” have a box on your profile and you can request clients/colleagues to write about your strengths. Offering to give others a recommendation is a great way to get one back.

4. Q&A Section. LinkedIn has an amazing feature that even Facebook copied, and that’s the Question and Answers section forum. For example, if you’re not sure what type of Internet router to install for your office network, instead of searching Google for an extensive time, simply post your question on this section and you’ll have a half-dozen IT specialists giving you their best recommendation. Time is money. I also use it to share my knowledge about topics that are my expertise. Give to get.

5. Join Groups. One group that I have loved being a part of is the UC San Diego Alumni group. I love the University I attended and want to stay in touch with that community. By answering some threads and posting my own questions I have been able to make some valuable business contacts and actually get a few business referrals!!

LinkedIn can be a very valuable tool to help take your branding to that next level, whether it’s for your company or your personal brand. These are some ways that it can help you gain exposure.

Click here to make a connection with me today.

- Parham Nabatian

Companies beware! It is harder today to put out sub-par products and provide poor service in today’s loquacious world. You will get called out. Don Draper (Mad Men character) is not coming to your rescue anytime soon.

Check out this quote by Jerry Jones, one of the NFL’s most successful business owners (Dallas Cowboys).

“Perception,” Jones says, “is an important word in our decision-making.”

“I spent about 50% more on that stadium for that very reason,” he says of the elaborate $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium that will host Super Bowl XLV in February. “It perked interest.”

Although, Jones is emphasizing the importance of perception, the real takeaway is that Jones spent heavily on a stadium to ensure that his customers’ experience with his product is amazing at every touch point. Every young child who goes to a Cowboys game will forever remember this incredible stadium and become a lifelong customer.

Okay, so how will this help you with Internet marketing?

Here’s how! By now you have heard of the social networking websites below and the growing # of users on each one.

• Foursquare
• Yelp
• Facebook
• Twitter

Based on this, I have these questions for you:

Are you a nail salon?  Believe it or not, my female friends on Facebook do give status updates on their experience at your salon. You better provide the best pedicure possible.

Are you a restaurant?  Just right now, I have 3 people on my Facebook newsfeed with a status update of where they had lunch today. Not to mention, the 2 people on my Twitter feed tweeting about their dinner plans. Hmm, I might have to grab California Chicken Café for dinner.

Are you a Bar? My buddy “@Jim..” sure does check into Laurel Tavern quite often. I wonder why he always goes there.

Are you seeing the connection yet?

Don’t forget – your product or service has to be good for someone to say something good about it. And if it is horrendous, then someone will definitely say something about it.

5 Websites That Will Meet Your Marketing Needs

Evernote

http://www.evernote.com/

If you’re like the Infinite team, you must have a million things going on at once. With Evernote you can capture and organize web clippings, emails, pictures, voice notes, written ideas, and tasks on all of your computers and phones – your notes sync to your phone and computer! And yes it is free. Watch a great video explaining Evernote: http://g4tv.com/videos/27990/evernote

Hoostuite

http://www.hootsuite.com/

Hootsuite is a tool for Twitter that allows users to organize tweets, schedule tweets, shorten links, track statistics, monitor keywords, and much more. It is a must for those using Twitter for business. And no it doesn’t cost you a dime.

Alltop

http://alltop.com/

Alltop is a resource website that aggregates blogs, online magazines, newsletters, websites and more on one platform. You can organize the information based on the topic of your interest. The site is known as the “online magazine rack” of the web.

Grammar Girl

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

If you are uncertain about punctuation or need help with word choice, then making a visit to this site could be very helpful.

TED: Ideas Worth Spreading

http://www.ted.com/

Sometimes in business you need information, inspiration, or just want to watch “Riveting talks by remarkable people.” The site features speeches and talks from thought leaders such as best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell, Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and many more business experts.

Did you know that NFL teams used to give away seats behind the end zone for Free?

Yes, the most popular sport in the United States since the late 1960s – gave seats away for FREE! More attendees sat in those free seats than those who paid for the “better” seats. This was another fascinating nugget that fed to my obsession with consumer behavior and made me revisit my consumer behavior books.

To help me understand how humans think and act when making purchases, my Consumer Behavior instructor at UCLA recommended the Times best seller, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely. Ariely reveals that humans react to the word Free without rationalizing the outcomes of their choices. He also uncovered our fear of loss (money, love, material, memories) and an affinity to gain.

In developing our company’s strategic plan for 2010 and my time management chart, I included my current involvement with a handful of non-profits to which I give away a lot of my time, knowledge, and company resources. But I realized that volunteering is not enough and that I need to utilize social media to give even more. This year I want to give away more because I know that using social media to give is going to be a guaranteed touchdown!:

FREE Webinars
FREE blog posts
FREE podcasts with industry experts
FREE events for businesses to connect and learn

Now that you know this information about our love for anything free, do you think that can you give away more next year?

Speakers Tout Social Media

ONLINE: Material should be relevant and fresh.

By Mark Madler
San Fernando Valley Business Journal Staff
For the 20 minutes Nance Rosen spent writing up a press release about the advantages familiarity with social networking can be to job seekers she received in return exposure from national print and electronic media outlets. Rosen, however, didn’t stop there with her release titled “Job Market Sweet if You Can Tweet.” Using the online social networking mentioned in the article, the cross-promotion provided a bigger reach. Such cross-promotion was just one piece of advice Rosen gave to an audience of about 30 small business owners at the “How 2 Social Media” event on Oct. 27 sponsored by the United Chambers of Commerce.

“It’s a matter of knitting every possible platform together where you can appear,” said Rosen, a nationally known speaker on branding and marketing. “The Internet gives millions of people coming to see you and thousands of media outlets desperately needing good content.”

As the ubiquity of social networking websites and applications like Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter expands from the personal world into the business world, owners and entrepreneurs can use these sites as another way to reach potential customers and a low-cost way to promote their product or service.

Kayvan Mott (VP Marketing, Infinite Communications) explaining the need for company blogs

To get any advantages, social networking must be done right. Business must set clear objectives of who they are trying to reach, what content they will publish and what their outcomes are, said Kayvan Mott, a co-owner of Infinite Communications, an Internet marketing and design firm.

Whether one is using a blog, microblogging application Twitter, or Linkedin the important thing is that the material be relevant and fresh.

At Infinite, Mott and business partner Parham Nabatian update their Facebook fan page once or twice day. “Anything you can do to engage your audience, your fans, is really the point,” Mott said. Engaging customers can also be done the low-tech way: through email.

According to a study from the Direct Marketing Association, for every $1 spent on email marketing a business can realize a return on investment of $45.06. Email newsletters allow businesses to listen to their customers and to keep them close, said Kelly Flint, a regional director with email marketing firm Constant Contact. To grow an email list of customers who want to receive communications businesses should mention the list in phone calls, at events, and through in-store guest books, Flint said.