The Loch Ness Monster.  Extraterrestrials.  A teenager’s mind.  There are a lot of mysteries in this world.  Some that could keep us up for hours fretting about at night.  I mean really, someone tell me once and for all, which came first – the chicken or the egg?

But of all the questions that ]]>

The Loch Ness Monster.  Extraterrestrials.  A teenager’s mind.  There are a lot of mysteries in this world.  Some that could keep us up for hours fretting about at night.  I mean really, someone tell me once and for all, which came first – the chicken or the egg?

But of all the questions that we have left unanswered, social media shouldn’t be one of them.  Especially as it relates to doing business.  Here’s a quick social media 101 tutorial with the top 5 most important things to know about social media.  Hang on; this is going to be a fast ride.

#1) Your reader’s digest of some of the highest performing social networking sites:

Facebook: a collection of all your friends, sort-of friends and “I had to add them as a friend so I wouldn’t hurt their feelings” online, where you can share photos, videos, random thoughts and opinions for all of the above to see.

Twitter: in a way it is an abbreviated version of Facebook. You have 140 characters to share your thoughts, favorite links or inner most hopes and desires.  You can follow (receive updates or tweets) anyone you’d like from Justin Bieber (don’t deny it, you’re a fan) to your surprisingly tech-savvy grandma.

LinkedIn: a place to shamelessly network in the business world.  Your profile consists basically of a resume of past jobs, skills and hirable traits.

Google Plus: Facebook with a Google twist.  Let’s keep it at that.

Pinterest: a digital pinboard where you can post favorite images to help you organize party ideas, decide what to wear, gather design ideas or collect recipes (among many, many other things).

#2) Even though they may seem all alike, they are different. Each social media platform cannot be treated the same.  You have to learn the nuances of each, and proceed accordingly.  On Facebook you can post a paragraph, while on twitter you are limited to 140 characters and on Pinterest, you really don’t need words at all.

#3) Don’t be socially awkward. Be the gregarious one on all of your social media sites and show your personality.  This is true for your personal accounts, but it’s  even more true for your business accounts.  People need to see the culture and personality behind the corporate front.  So don’t be caught being shy.

#4) Don’t be afraid of Debbie Downers. There are always a few that won’t have so great things to say about you or your company, but treat it as an opportunity to win them over with sincerity and transparency.

#5) Don’t be negligent. Leaving a social media asset unattended can be disastrous.  If a potential consumer were to go to your Facebook page that hasn’t received the proper care and attention, they’ll be turned off and will most likely doubt your credibility.

And there you have it – one less mysterious, unanswered question in your life.  Hopefully you were able to keep up and didn’t experience any mental whiplash.

In order to increase the ease of use for the customers, agents, potential ]]> A trucking company based in Jerome, Idaho recently came to us looking to update their website, bringing it to the same level of sophistication and technological savviness as the rest of their company. Therein lies the problem. Here lies our solution: www.Giltner.com.

In order to increase the ease of use for the customers, agents, potential and current drivers, and owner/operators we created portals, rather than pages, that enable the user access to their desired information and resources. This allows for the more traditional navigation in the second half of the page to remain accessible and useful throughout the user’s visit.  And as clean as it is, don’t the opening portals remind you a little of a trailer’s roll-up door?

With Giltner Trucking a cleaner, simpler, and smarter experience can be expected than that of the competition. We made sure the same can be said of their website.

One of the more common comments I hear these days goes along the lines of, “We don’t sell to consumers, we’re a business-to-business model, so I’m not too worried about all this social media mumbo jumbo.” Such ignorance assumes that the new media are some kind of contained burn ]]> Social Media Strategy for Business-to-Business Marketers

One of the more common comments I hear these days goes along the lines of, “We don’t sell to consumers, we’re a business-to-business model, so I’m not too worried about all this social media mumbo jumbo.” Such ignorance assumes that the new media are some kind of contained burn that only affects businesses trying to reach out to retail consumers. I suppose ignorance is bliss. But in such cases, blissful myopia will be the by-standing dead fall that gets burned by the new media wildfire.

Most companies view the social media as merely a way to engage in conversation with the masses. So, if their target audience doesn’t represent the masses, the medium isn’t a good fit. But what they fail to recognize is that the social media, and other new media assets, play a major role in casting a wider net – expanding Web presence – and making a company more visible, current and active to the niche demographics that need specialized products and services.

I like what Ardath Arbee says in her book eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale:

“Think of today’s marketing department as a publisher with a variety of content channels at its fingertips that can provide you with a larger communications reach than you’ve ever had before. Even though 80% of companies say that they “found” their vendors rather than their vendors finding them, chances are high that their initial discovery was somewhere other than your corporate Web site. ”

So what should a business-to-business company’s “wider net” consist of? A baseline Web presence for any company should include:

1. Company Website
2. Industry-focused Blog
3. YouTube® Channel
4. Facebook® Page
5. Twitter® Profile Page
6. LinkedIN® Profile Page

However, merely establishing these assets is not enough. Each of the online tools is user friendly enough, that page set up is fairly simple for even a non-technical user. The real value comes from proper activation of each asset. This takes a detailed defining of objectives, content planning, listening, and understanding what the rules of engagement are.

For example:

• Company Website: Objectives are to persuade and close the sale, and primary tools are catalogs, specs, details and contact/transact functionality.
• Blog and YouTube Channel: Objectives are to resolve concerns and soft sell, and primary tools are thought leadership, demonstrations, testimonials, evidence and answers.
• Facebook and Twitter Pages: Objectives are to empathize and establish brand alignment, and primary tools are sentiment, experiences, activities, impressions, and feelings.

If executed properly, an objective-driven visibility strategy can become a powerful tool for engaging more prospects and migrating them toward product and service consumption. It’s much less about reaching out to the masses and much more about being visible and available to those currently searching for your products and services – a wider net.

Growing up, I remember hearing my younger sister pester my mom to predict answers to things she couldn’t possibly know. “What happens at the end of this book?” “What if they’re out of chocolate chips at the grocery store?” “How long does it take to run around the house 19 times?” Parents have a ]]>

Growing up, I remember hearing my younger sister pester my mom to predict answers to things she couldn’t possibly know. “What happens at the end of this book?” “What if they’re out of chocolate chips at the grocery store?” “How long does it take to run around the house 19 times?” Parents have a special gift for making up answers that satisfy a child’s curiosity, but, unfortunately, this skill is not often applicable in the real world. Adults are not content with answers like, “Go and try. I’ll time you!”

It seems to be human nature to want to know the end from the beginning – to prepare for contingencies and gather the information that will help us to know how to react to any given situation. That information, however, is not always available. So, we have to anticipate outcomes, based on previous experience.

While some people are better at preparing for the unknown than others, this ability is paramount in account service. There is little I hate more than hearing some variation of, “Why didn’t you tell me?” “I wish I had known that.” Or, “I thought you were taking care of this.” We can’t possibly know every single concern that our clients are going to have. But, we can avoid having these conversations if we can be better at thinking ahead.

As account service our job is to anticipate the client’s needs before they do. Whether that means stocking the fridge with their favorite drink or providing a project status update before they have to ask, these are the things that will set us apart. Here are a few simple tips on ways to answer a client’s questions before they ask them:

• Put yourself in their shoes. What would you want to know about the project’s status if you were the client?
• When was the last time you talked with the client? If it’s been longer than they would expect without hearing from you, find a reason to reach out.
• If there are any changes to the project, let them know as soon as possible. This may be cost, timeline, dimensions or scope. Don’t let them find out when it’s too late for them to feel like they have any say in the matter.
• Take responsibility if something goes wrong, but offer an immediate solution for how to make it right.
• Surprise them and let them know you’re thinking of them. Maybe it’s an e-card congratulating them on making it to Friday, or maybe it’s a treat that gets sent along with some printed material. They probably won’t realize that they needed the pick-me-up until it gets there.

So while none of us have a crystal ball to look into the future, we can be smart and reduce the number of questions that will be hard to answer when it’s too late to have control of the situation. If all else fails, offer to time them while they run around the building.

One thing us Jibers consistently have to emphasize over and over again to our clients, is that your website is a living, breathing, asset. Many people seem to think that as soon as their website is done, they no longer need to worry about it anymore. They view it as a one time cost ]]>

One thing us Jibers consistently have to emphasize over and over again to our clients, is that your website is a living, breathing, asset. Many people seem to think that as soon as their website is done, they no longer need to worry about it anymore. They view it as a one time cost and after completion, the work is done. You must remember, however, your website needs as much attention as your teeth.

Some people don’t brush their teeth twice a day. Some people don’t brush once a day, for that matter. Some people rarely floss. Some people don’t brush their tongue, and come to work with breath that could kill a small kitten. We all know, if you don’t routinely maintain your teeth, bad things start to happen. Cavities, crowns and yellow teeth are among some of those things.

Your website is no different than your teeth. When was the last time you visited your own website? Do you do it twice a day? Once a day? Ever? When was the last time you added new content to your site? How many years have you gone without a web-flossing? Does it need a cleaning? Could IT kill a small kitten? Quite honestly, if you aren’t regularly visiting and maintaing your website you are probably suffering from web-givitis and most likely a few web-cavities. Maybe all hope is lost, and you now need web-dentures. Hopefully though, you’re doing your best and all you need is a little web-visalign-ing.

Here are 3 easy treatments to help you stay web-visaligned:

1. Be Visible – It sounds sort of cliche, but when you have no strategy behind being visible, it can be one of the hardest things to accomplish. Merely having a website up is not even close to enough these days. You should be creating new content on your site 2 or 3 times a week, as well as updating and “flossing” out those things that could grow into web-cavities. This keeps the material fresh and keeps people coming back for more. It also helps your organic visibility tremendously because Google doesn’t like stale, moldy, outdated, websites. Having a blog as part of your website is one of the best, if not THE best way to keep content fresh, keep people coming back for more, please Google’s algorithms, and improve your organic visibility/ranking.

2. Get a Facelift – Maybe you’re doing all the right things to stay visible, but your website still looks like a flattened pancake. A current looking website is key, and sometimes a good facelift is all you need. Updating the front-end of a website can make a drastic difference in how people perceive your brand and how much trust they place in you altogether. Usually this process is simple and easy. Sometimes it can be done in a matter of a few days with the right team behind you. Some of you think your website IS current, but let me ask you a question or three. Is your website responsive or does it look good on mobile devices? Do you even know what it looks like on mobile devices? Was it designed in 1999? If you’re doing good in these areas, then my only recommendation would be to refer back to number 1. It might look good, but without staying visible, no one will see that it looks good.

3. Never stick a Fork in it – You’ve heard the phrase, “Stick a fork in it,  it’s done.” At the rate technology moves, you should never assume that your website is done – so never stick a fork in it. You may have just completed a new face-lift on your website, and for now it looks great. You may already have a blog that is pumping out new and fresh content 2-3 times a week. But you should always be looking to the future for the next piece of the puzzle to help you stay visible and fresh. You’ll be outdated again before you know it if you don’t stay on top of it. It’s a living, breathing asset that needs your daily attention, nurturing and maintenance. If you do a little piece at a time, you’ll never have to do one giant website migration and update that takes months or even years to complete. Some of you currently wearing web-dentures know exactly what I’m talking about.

It may seem frustrating to think that your website is never truly done. But trust me – this mindset will save your teeth in the end.

Sincerely,

Your web dentist at Jibe.

Marriage requires trust, as does just about any solid, healthy relationship.  Just ask Tiger Woods or Newt Gingrich if you don’t believe me. They’ve learned from experience that in order for relationships to last, they need ]]> “Maowage! Maowage is what bwings us twogetha today!” … and is the topic that brings us together for this blog post.

Marriage requires trust, as does just about any solid, healthy relationship.  Just ask Tiger Woods or Newt Gingrich if you don’t believe me. They’ve learned from experience that in order for relationships to last, they need to be built on a foundation of trust.  This is true for marriage, and is just as true for advertising.

So, how does this apply to advertising? You want people to consume your product or service, but times have changed, people have changed and some of the old ad methods aren’t as affective anymore. You’re advertising in magazines and newspapers.  You’re out on billboards.  You may even be on TV. These mediums may have worked in the past so you’re hesitant to change.  You’ve heard about social media, you may have fiddled with Facebook, leveraged LinkedIn, even tweedled with Twitter (Yeah, I just made that up). But you don’t see the connection. Advertising is about building relationships, which lead to trust. Don’t seek to sell. Relax, and relate.

Today, just like “maowage”, advertising is doomed to fail without a solid relationship built on trust.  The old adage is still true.  People like doing business with people (and companies) they like.  So become likable and build relationships – we promise if you do you’ll see great results…or at least better results than Woods and Gingrich saw.

On an average day, consumers are exposed to six thousand advertisements and, each year, to more than twenty-five thousand new products.” –Scott M. Davis Brand Asset Management

Methods of advertising have evolved over time. What once was a focus on the features of products is now an attempt to make a personal connection with ]]>

On an average day, consumers are exposed to six thousand advertisements and, each year, to more than twenty-five thousand new products.”
–Scott M. Davis Brand Asset Management

Methods of advertising have evolved over time. What once was a focus on the features of products is now an attempt to make a personal connection with the consumer. It seems impossible to avoid bombarding ads—taking up real estate nearly everywhere we go, online and off. With advertisements incessantly fighting for our attention, it is easy to get lost in the noise.

The goal of branding is to create something that evokes an emotional response in order to stand out from the noise. My mom always told me the way to a man’s heart is through his belly. Well, the way to a consumer’s heart is also through the belly, you have to create an emotional response. Target is a wonderful example of good branding. They do what they can to appeal to the senses, through use of color, photographic style, typography and messaging. The red Target uses in their branding has a science behind it, it evokes emotions of excitement, power, seduction, and can also cause a slight shortness of breath.

A good brand can engage the audience by telling its own story. These “brand stories” connect people within companies in a united purpose as well as connect them with consumers. Brand stories explain who brands are, what they do and why it matters. They take flight and evolve into their own identity, including their own unique use of color, stylized imagery, typography, composition and so on. Target has set standards on the quality of goods they sell and they hold to it. The repeat consumer knows what to expect when they go into the store and where to find it. Target’s logo isn’t anything out of the ordinary, however, their “branding” is what makes them stand out.

When I drive into the Target parking lot, my first thought is always, “I love Target,” followed by a big smile. I know that when I go into the store, I am going to find stylish accessories for a good price, fashionable clothing, great kitchenware and so on. I am what they would call a “brand evangelist” for Target. Target doesn’t pay me to say this stuff, they have just made a really great impression.

Evangelism means convincing people to believe in your product or ideas as much as you do, by using fervor, zeal, guts, and cunning to mobilize your customers and staff into becoming as passionate about a cause as you are.” Guy Kawasaki

How do you create a strong brand? Follow Target’s example. Know yourself. Know who are, who needs to know, how will they find out about you, and why should they care. The goal is to set expectations for yourself and know how to hold to those expectations for the consumer.

All of us are creatures of habit.  Most of us hate change.  Many of you are whining and complaining about ]]> Change has arrived. Today Facebook rolled out the new timeline format for all Facebook pages. If you haven’t seen how they look yet, here’s a peak at Target’s new page:

All of us are creatures of habit.  Most of us hate change.  Many of you are whining and complaining about the new look, but I’m going to try and help you see it from a different perspective.

First, let’s get your attitude right.  Imagine a world with no Facebook.  How much harder did it just become to reach your audience and to reach out to their friends?  Realize that Facebook is a free service that offers an incredible way for you to network beyond your wildest dreams.  Facebook doesn’t owe you anything, and you aren’t paying them a dime to house your business page on their servers.  Yet it empowers a gigantic network of people to come in contact with your company/business and brand, who otherwise might not have through any other way.

Now that you’re feeling grateful, hopefully I can help you see the good in the Timeline change.  Here are my top three reasons why this change is a good thing:

1. More real estate - Both the homepage and the custom tabs allow for more space to brand your page in better ways.  Would you complain if you had a billboard on the freeway and you got notified that they were going to make it bigger?
2. Easier to navigate - Now that your status updates/posts are organized by year and on a convenient timeline, it’s much easier to find that hilarious gif of a cat knocking a 3 year old off his trike you saw 3 months ago.  Who can argue that that’s not better?  Also, the new layout highlights your custom tabs MUCH better, as they have been given a convenient spot near the top of the page.
3. Much cleaner layout – I don’t know about you, but personally I don’t like websites with a bunch of gobbleygook (Gobble E Gook) everywhere. Gobbleygook is anything that gets in the way of you trying to do whatever you’re trying to do.  The new layout is MUCH simpler. And although there might be a bit of a learning curve, I think once a new habit is formed, you’ll all agree with me.  Even the new and improved admin interface is much cleaner and more organized.

Target has a well-branded, good looking Facebook page that demonstrates the beauty of the new look.  When done right, Timeline can bring even more power to your brand and online presence.  So stop your whining and start taking advantage of that bigger billboard Zuckerberg just gave you.