Business Operations Halstead Media Group Business Operations Halstead Media Group

HalsteadTVEp7: The Disconnect between what the customer saw in the magazine vs what you installed

Mrs. Jones saw a Unilock .. or a Techo .. or some kind of natural stone outdoor living pic in a magazine or catalogue. You (Mr. Landscape Designer, Landscaper, or Landscape Architect - whatever it is you call yourself) promised her she was getting that. It's the same patio - same materials. Same paver patterns. Pretty much the same size. You might even have the similar planting and fence installed. Yet, she's not quite thrilled. Something is missing. Maybe she's telling you that "it's close - you did a good job," or maybe she's hiding it and you're left wondering "is she happy?" Why did this happen? Why isn't she in love with this new outdoor space? After several weeks (or months) of design and landscape construction - what's the missing piece? DESIGN! Interior design is the missing piece to every beautiful home design and remodel - why would you leave it out for the exteriors?

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Social Media, SEO, Traditional Advertising Halstead Media Group Social Media, SEO, Traditional Advertising Halstead Media Group

Before You Consider Digital Marketing...

…you need to read this. Cutting-edge web design, excellent SEO, and an active social media presence will do very little for your business if there is no foundation for these strategies to build upon. You need professional etiquette, marketing basics, and conceptual ideas before you can dive into digital marketing.

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Social Media Halstead Media Group Social Media Halstead Media Group

HalsteadTVEp6: Snapchat or Facebook for a Design/Build?

In any business, regardless of the industry, companies need to be where there potential customers are. Would a toy company be at a local home show? I sure hope not! And while on that topic, not many people should be at a home show ;-). Back to digital marketing, should design/builds be on Snapchat? Is all the hype about it really better than Facebook for the design/build industry? Find out.

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Traditional Advertising, Social Media Halstead Media Group Traditional Advertising, Social Media Halstead Media Group

HalsteadTVEp4: What Does it Mean To Get a Referral, Today?

Anna talks about how to apply the still-very-true approach of growing your design/build business with referrals - except this means to expand your definition of what a referral really is today. And it's not just people sharing your info with one another while they're visiting someone's home. Referrals are indeed - online reviews! So stop skipping this part. ASK FOR REVIEWS!

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Website Design Halstead Media Group Website Design Halstead Media Group

HalsteadTVEp3: IT versus Website Design

Why are you going to your hosting company for a website design? Why is your computer technician your website design guy? IT and design are not one in the same. And website design isn't a skill that comes from IT. Stop mixing the two up! In this episode #3 of HalsteadTV, Corey shares his thoughts on this frustrating mix-up that produces websites that look like they're from 1995.

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Online Reviews, Part 1: Why You Need Them & Who to Ask

Online reviews are one of the more subtle arts of inbound marketing. Business owners are often confused and disappointed about the lack of reviews they receive from happy clients. Many times the initial reaction is simply to just shrug and move on, assuming that there isn’t anything that can be done to bolster their online reviews.But it’s not true! We've compiled some useful rules to help you understand why you need to work on getting online reviews and who are the best customers to ask.

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Halstead Media Group Halstead Media Group

How Virtual and Augmented Reality Can Help Your Business

Consumers (that includes you) absorb and retain any given content 3X better when communicated in visual form. It's no wonder virtual and augmented reality devices are really starting to peek interest from a marketing standpoint. This blog includes an infographic that perfectly describes why VR and AR tech are gaining so much traction as business marketing tools.

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Inbound Marketing Halstead Media Group Inbound Marketing Halstead Media Group

Your Brand Voice: Content Marketing Isn’t Strictly Business Anymore

It’s not only what you say but how you say it. We’re talking about tone of voice (ToV), and in content marketing, tone can have a big influence on users’ perception of your brand. It may not seem like it, but there’s quite a difference between “Hello.” and “Howdy!”. It’s the difference between formal and casual voice, and it could be the difference between losing and making a sale.

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Email Marketing Halstead Media Group Email Marketing Halstead Media Group

Professional Email Signatures: The Do's and Don'ts

Professional email signatures are concise passages that include promotional information, like contact details, and are automatically included in your emails as footers. An effective professional email signature is essential in order to leave a lasting impression on your audience. Although email signatures should be as unique and personalized as ordinary signatures, there are certain properties that can make them more desirable and others that should be avoided at all costs. Consider the following tips if you're looking to create an impactful email signature from scratch.

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Traditional Advertising Halstead Media Group Traditional Advertising Halstead Media Group

Creating a Successful AdWords Retargeting Campaign

Retargeting, also known as remarketing, refers to a type of online advertising which targets the people who have visited your website but haven’t made a purchase, signed up for a free trial or completed any other ‘conversions’. This group is known as ‘bounced traffic’ and consists of approximately 98% of a website’s total traffic. Retargeting campaigns anonymously follow these users to other sites and advertise your brand to them again, ensuring that you maintain their awareness and encouraging them to revisit your website and become a customer.

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Social Media Halstead Media Group Social Media Halstead Media Group

Effectively Using Call-to-Actions on your Business’ Facebook Page

Facebook users will visit your business’ page driven by a certain need or desire that you promise to fulfill, but this doesn’t guarantee that they will follow through and engage in business with you. The call-to action feature on your Facebook page serves to keep these people ‘hooked’ and is a mechanism through which they can interact with your business without leaving Facebook’s convenient platform or doing any searching of their own.

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Social Media Halstead Media Group Social Media Halstead Media Group

Making Sense of Facebook Audience Insights for your Business

Quality data about your customers and potential customers is key to running a successful business. In days past, collecting this sort of information was a time consuming process involving weeks of gathering data and transcribing that research into readable charts and reports. Now this sort of information is readily available: fully compiled and ready to work with, provided you know how to read and use it. Introducing Facebook Audience Insights.

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Case Study: Website Redesign and SEO for Landscaping Company

Lehigh Lawns & Landscaping, based out of Wappingers Falls, NY, has spent the last 30 years providing landscape design, fertilization, maintenance, and commercial snow management services. As one of the largest landscaping companies in the area, Lehigh needed a way to better attract and communicate with the many different types of target customers. Their previous SEO and website limited their ability to attract these potential opportunities.

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Website Design Halstead Media Group Website Design Halstead Media Group

Case Study: Cockburn Christmas Tree Farm Website Redesign

The new website came with the bells and whistles needed to promote this now Christmas destination Christmas Tree Farm. Starting with the overall look and feel, the fonts, colors, and overall style all represent the farm's brand: classic, cheerful, celebratory, and elegant. And since the company had limited images, we used all stock images that looked local and relevant to the area as well as the business type. Everything really spoke to and resonated with Cockburn Farm's target customer.

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B2B, Business Operations Halstead Media Group B2B, Business Operations Halstead Media Group

Co-op Marketing for Building Products Manufacturers: Does it Still Work?

Dating as far back as the early 1980s, marketing co-op programs and marketing development funds (MDFs) have played a large role in the marketing industry. It made logical sense in previous decades for businesses to set aside a portion of their budget for co-op marketing. But is just as wise as it recently waste invest in this kind of marketing technique? Are co-op marketing and MDFs still an investment, or are they become solely an expense? 

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