So What Do Goldfish Have To Do With Marketing?

Have you ever watched a goldfish swim around in one of those bulbous fish bowls? Able to see everything but unable to reach anything, a goldfish stays attentive to any particular object  just long enough for another object to come into their line of sight just long enough for another object to come into their line of sight just long enough for another object to come into their line of sight just…well, you get the point.  Guess what? The average consumer will linger on any particular online object for, at most, 10 seconds. In affect, the modern consumer base is not all that different from goldfish. Looking ‘out’ into the ‘world’ (cyberspace) through their ‘bowl’ (their computer screen), they can see everything but can reach nothing. And their attention lasts just long enough to go to the next object to go to the next object to go to the next object…

How To Market To a Goldfish

When it comes to online marketing, you face an incredibly fierce market in which producers are all battling it out to occupy a consumer’s ‘fish bowl’ window just long enough to make a lasting impression. 10 seconds is such a minuscule amount of time you need web content that does it right, does it fast, and does it again and again and again. It is what we do. It is all we do. And we do It better than anyone else. Don’t believe us? Call us today and we’ll tell you how local search marketing and goldfish have a lot in common. 866-805-1188

Airo Marketing’s AmericasContractors is a National Association of The Remodeling Industry (NARI) member and we are proud to work with hundreds of Remodelers and Contractors. The NARI is a great association to be a part of if you are a serious remodeler or contractor; it is one of the construction and remodeling industry’s most respected trade associations and a leading authority in the remodeling and construction industry for education, information, and technology.

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry continually strives to improve all aspects of the remodeling industry, from helping contractors find leads to ensuring members have access to the most up-to-date training and education materials. NARI also strives to ensure that the industry’s reputation is not tarnished by lazy and inadequate contractors or remodelers.

In fact, at AmericasContractors we believe that choosing the best contractor is not always an easy task. America’s Contractors helps homeowners simplify the process by working with organizations such as NARI to ensure the businesses on our site are trustworthy and hardworking.

Since we make it our full intention to only work with like-minded organizations, our acceptance into the National Association of the Remodeling Industry represents a commitment to our credibility in the remodeling industry. We specialize in offering free listings for your business, as well as, opportunities to dramatically expand your businesses reach with Airo’s Marketing Services package.

If you are a contractor or work in the remodeling industry, being a member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry will drastically improve your company’s credibility, performance, and, of course, your profits!

Local Market Strategy in Minnesota

Now, more than ever, has your business’ presence online been so crucial. With the advancements and improvements in search engine technology and social media applications, your online presence will generate more business, leads, new customers, etc. But, there’s the catch – is your marketing strategy successfully using all the available tools at hand to gain exposure on the web?

Introducing Airo Marketing’s Local Search Marketing

The Local Search Marketing aspect is just a piece of what you will get when you sign up for one of Airo’s Marketing Packages.  Local Search Marketing is an essential component to ensuring you are receiving maximum exposure online. With LSM, your business will show up first in the search engines, maps listings, and be seen on the sites most frequented by your customers. Traffic is important, but converting that traffic into quality leads and phone calls is an aspect Airo Marketing believes is critical to your online success.

Google is now placing more weight on its Maps and Places listings, which means that claiming your business on Google Places is more important than ever. Try it out! Type your businesses name or keywords you want to rank for into the Google search. If you’re not #1, we need to talk. We’ll guarantee your top placement for your top keywords!

Marketing in Minnesota with Paid Search Advertising

Have you used Google Adwords or other services to pay for your online ads? How were your results? At Airo Marketing, we think you should stop overpaying! We believe in quality over quantity, it’s all about paying for quality traffic that converts into leads, phone calls, or traffic to your store front. We have the right tools and strategies to ensure that your ads are only being seen by those demographics you determine. Only want to advertise to people in Minneapolis or Woodbury? No worries, we can tailor your ad campaign to reach any size or type of population. We know it take time and resources to rank high for top keywords, we’ve got both! Through extensive keyword research, linking strategies and proper site development we will get your site ranking high!

Our mission is to get people talking about your business and drive them to your front door.

We specialize in making marketing tools work for you. From choosing the correct tools, to implementing them successfully to create the desired outcome, let the team at Airo Marketing design a customized marketing strategy for you.

Google+ is here, and although it is only available through invitation, soon Google+ will be available for anyone with a Google account and profile.

What is Google+ ?

Google+ is yet another attempt by the search engine giant to enter the world of social media. While not specifically stated by the company itself, Google+ seems to be the search engine’s answer to Facebook. With the addition of new features such as the “+1″ button, social circles (like Facebook’s groups), the stream where users can post and share their photos, videos, links, or their location with their friends and circles.

Circles vs. Groups

Google+ introduces the idea of “circles,” an idea similar to Facebook’s groups, but with a less cumbersome interface. With Google+ circles, you will be able to have distinct ‘circles’ which may be labeled something like: Friends, Coworkers, Clients, Fantasy Football League, etc.

With ‘Circles’ the information you send to your news feed is directly affected by the circles you let see your update, so now you don’t have to worry about the status update you just made falling under your coworkers or professors eyes (unless you shared with the circle they are a part of).
There is a considerable amount of buzz surrounding Google+, but only time will tell if this will be a Facebook killer or just another social media facet.

We’re having a blast!

Airo Marketing is growing like crazing, and although it’s only been two years since inception, Airo Marketing and it’s subsidiaries serve over 400 customers nationwide.  We launched our new website less than a week ago now and have had nothing but positive reviews.

It’s web 3.0

What is web 3.0? From the vector graphics to the layout of the site itself, Airo Marketing’s new site it the real deal.  So, what are vector graphics?  Here’s the Quick answer for you courtesy of wikipedia:

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is a family of specifications of an XML-based file format for describing two-dimensional vector graphics, both static and dynamic (i.e. interactive or animated).

The SVG specification is an open standard that has been under development by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) since 1999.

SVG images and their behaviors are defined in XML text files. This means that they can be searched, indexed, scripted and, if required, compressed. Since they are XML files, SVG images can be created and edited with any text editor, but drawing programs are also available that support SVG file formats.

All major modern web browsers have at least some degree of support and render SVG markup directly with the exception of any version of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE)^[3] released for the widely used Windows XP.^[4]

Smart(er) Searches

Are you tired of having to do a separate search each time you want to look something up? Web 3.0 will take care of that for you. If you are planning to spend a night on the town and want to go to dinner and a movie, instead of doing separate searches for “restaurants” and “movie theaters and times,” Web 3.0 will condense your search time and give users output based on larger search phrases or sentences, as opposed to searching keywords.

We took this idea a step further with our Airo Local brand, a one stop site that will accustom itself to your location and provide you with details and locations to places, such as: bars, churches, coffee shops, contractors, grocery stores, health services, restaurants, retail, and so much more.

Enough Tech Talk.

The web is getting smarter, and we at Airo Marketing are always on board and watching for the next big thing!

Bottom line is we’re excited and we hope you like it.

­­Airo Marketing’s HailAppointments has been a National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) member since early 2011, and we are excited to announce that we will be included in the 2012 International Roofing Expo on February 22nd-24^th, 2012. The NRCA is a great association to be a part of if you are a serious roofing contractor; it is one of the construction industry’s most respected trade associations and a leading authority in the roofing industry for education, information, and technology.

The National Roofing Contractors Association continually strives to improve all aspects of the roofing industry, from helping contractors find leads to ensuring members have access to the most up-to-date training and education materials. The first-year membership fees are quickly recovered soon after your first lead is converted. HailAppointments.com has seen numerous improvements in our business since joining the NRCA in early 2011.

In fact, our mission at HailAppointments is “to change the home improvement industry from the inside out through innovative and uplifting services.”

Since we make it our full intention to only work with like-minded organizations, our acceptance into the NRCA represents a commitment to our credibility in the roofing industry. We specialize in setting roofing appointments in hail-damaged areas, and the NRCA has given our organization access to better training for our call center staff, the first line of contact customers have with your business.

If you are a contractor or work in the roofing industry, being a member of the National Roofing Contactors Association will drastically improve your company’s credibility, performance, and, of course, your profits!

One of the major challenges we see in the industry – particularly in the storm damage replacement arena – is attrition in the sales area. One thing is undeniable: ensuring that you have the sales talent that you require, where you need it and when you need it is a constant battle.

There are two ways to get sales talent: you can hunt it down and secure it, or you can develop it yourself. A good plan generally consists of a combination of both hunting and farming.

Hunting

Many contractors make the mistake of allowing their recruiting efforts to stall out. While you may have sufficient numbers today, by the time the next storm hits you may have lost 25% or more of your sales force to attrition. Recruiting efforts should never stop completely. When you’re fully-staffed, you can ease off a bit, but you should always be seeking out top talent and bringing it on board as needed. When you consider the revenue and profit losses from just one missing salesman in a storm, it’s easy to see that a diligent, ongoing effort will more than pay for itself.

Look for a combination of candidates from traditional contractor sales, as well as candidates from outside the industry with similar, applicable skills. Above all, look for those who are in a lifestyle situation that lends itself well to the seasonal, traveling nature of this work. Too often we see people attracted to the money, but who put themselves in a situation which isn’t sustainable for the long term. This is often due to family pressures and they simply shouldn’t be in the situation in the first place. Looking for people who can pick up and go and stay on the road for a month or more at a time will help tremendously.

Farming

Another pitfall we see in the industry is that contractors hire 1099 salesmen and because of this, feel no responsibility to invest in their training. But who is really being hurt here? If your sales force could be closing at a 20% higher rate, shouldn’t you do everything you can to ensure that they do? Again, it’s in your best interest to ensure that the sales force you do have is at peak performance, so that you get the most out of every opportunity and every storm. In addition, higher performance translates into lower need for a volume of salespeople, easing the pressure to hunt down more new people all season long.

Incentives

We’re constantly advising our clients to create a situation where salespeople have every reason not to leave. From paid housing to monthly, quarterly and annual sales contests, giving away everything from digital cameras and cell phones to an iPad to a company truck, incentives go a long way toward keeping people focused on maximizing their results in both the short and long term. These friendly competitions keep people out there selling every day, so that they won’t fall behind the others. They keep them at the storms longer and get them to move more quickly and they easily pay for themselves.

Locking Talent In

When you realize an asset, make it your own. Don’t leave it out there on the free market to be taken by someone else when you can readily create programs that will instill loyalty. Consistent top sellers should be considered for W2 employment, profit sharing programs, etc which will turn them into long-term company assets.

After reading this, you probably now realize that you do have far more control over this situation than it seems. There are any number of possibilities to improve your sales force, in terms of performance, size and quality. Strong commitment to improvement in this area is the key to consistently hitting and exceeding your revenue goals.

If you’d like more information on how Airo Consulting can help you staff, train and maintain a top-performing sales team, please contact us today.

Successful telemarketing programs start with the right foundation. Many companies throw together a few telemarketers and give them a phone book and expect instant results. Sorry to break the news but it’s much more work than that.

It all starts with proper management, if you have never managed a call center than you should NOT start now. Hire one, a call center manager is much more than a babysitter, they will motivate, hire, train, and are not afraid to get on the phones themselves. Hiring a manager is a large overhead but worth every penny and every potential headache.

Next comes hiring the right callers, take it from me, pay well and you’ll get what you paid for. Callers have to be chosen wisely and typically haven’t been long time telemarketers.

Technology, dialing phones the old fashioned way will cost you more money and will decrease production from your call center staff. We recommend using a VOIP dialing system for your phones just because it ends up costing one fifth the amount.

Calling lists have to be scrubbed, the DNC is very strict and is not something to be messed around with. You can loose your entire company and more if this is not done every 30 days.

Office space, many people ask how much office space should I allocate to my call center? Should I rent a separate suite? The answer is, it all depends, every company is different but many end up renting at least 500SF just for separation from regular office staff.

With the right training your Telemarketing team can be generating you 100% more revenue in 2011 and be 50% less of a headache to you. So let’s get started:

1. Recruiting Right
2. Compensating Correctly
3. Training Properly
4. Managing Effectively
5. Providing The Technology

These are the five areas of which we cover in our programs, whether your ready to make the next step in hiring your own crew or you want someone to handle it all for you, we have the solution for you.

Using social media can provide vital information on how consumers accept products and services. But many marketers express uncertainty about how to measure the return on investment for a social media campaign. Small businesses, with little capital, have even more difficulty determining investment of resources.

Part of the confusion is the historic use of ROI. Managers use it to determine what to invest in before any projects are started. But social media operates as trial by fire: You jump in, learn quickly, and move on. And social media is typically inexpensive, so based on its formula, the ROI can be potentially inflated.

Social Media Campaigns-

One approach is to re-imagine ROI from a Web analytics’ perspective. Evaluating some Web analytics measurements relies on data precision to answer business questions. Businesses can evaluate the precision of the results to see if the social media effort is worth the investment instead of trying to be “accurate” with one measurement.

For example, let’s say your company, Great Memories, sells computer memory storage devices. You want to use social media to increase online sales of SD high capacity memory cards. You hope the offer will create traffic at your Web site. Here is the way to measure a social media plan:

1. Decide your purpose for social media. Do you want your audience to undertake an action (purchase a product, sign up for something), or are you hoping to build awareness?
2. Establish a pre-campaign baseline performance of your site. You can use Web analytics metrics, such as traffic sources, to determine how visitors are coming to your site.
3. On the social media site, share a link to an analytics-tagged landing page containing the offer. A landing page is a linchpin to your measurement on traffic behavior. Having a landing page will ensure visitors find exactly the offer they expect. Testing the appeal of the offer will also be simplified because the content will be separate from your main website.
4. Set a transaction page on your main Web site as the goal page and quantify the goal with a reasonable estimate, if possible. For example, if the median transaction at the Great Memories Web site is $24 per person, then $24 is the goal value per visit.
5. After the campaign has run, determine the change in traffic (T) from the analytics: T = Vf-Vi. Vi is the number of visitors at campaign start; Vf is the number of visitors at campaign completion.
6. Finally, evaluate the data to see if the campaign value can be compared to the expense. Determine a campaign value by calculating Gi, the value of goal increase: Gi = G x (Vf – Vi), where G is the goal value per visit. Assume the median sales per customer is constant.

Let’s say the campaign creates 2,000 sales (T = 2,000 visits) of the SDHC cards, so the campaign revenue is $48,000. You have spent $15,000 for the campaign. The ROI formula is ROI = $48,000 – $15,000 / $15,000 = 220%.

As suspected, the ROI is high and positive because expenses are low relative to the revenue. With the spend so little, the ROI will almost always look like a spectacularly large rate. But ROI can be assessed from a quality standpoint. A positive value means the campaign trended to conversions that outweighed the cost; a negative value indicates that the campaign offer and social media channel need to be revised.

A suitable comparison is a cash-to-campaign expense ratio. We can look at the total contribution margin (TCM) of the SDHC cards. If the median cost of the SDHC cards is $8 per unit, your calculation would be TCM / campaign expense = $48,000 – $16,000 / $15,000 = $2.13. So for each dollar spent on the campaign, Great Memories gains more than $2 from the SDHC card sales. Not bad.

A benchmark ROI would be the bull’s-eye of the precision/accuracy analogy. But benchmarks on social media investment are not usually available. The point, in a typical ROI scenario, is not to predict and compare but to examine analytics metrics and the campaign purpose to best determine what could measure a campaign’s value relative to effort.