Insights

There has been a surge in building mixed-use developments due to a demand for more walkable, all-in-one-place neighborhoods. With the emergence of the newest generation of entrepreneurs and young professionals, studies find these “urbanites” have an increased desire for a more in-town living experience and lifestyle.

There are three categories of mixed-use properties: vertical mixed-use buildings, horizontal mixed-use blocks and mixed-use walkable neighborhoods. Although the layout of these different types of mixed-use properties varies in spatial design and layout, they all have the same goal in mind: to create an atmosphere where residents can live, work and play.

A large misconception about mixed-use projects is that they are simply shop-fronts with housing located above. Architects have declared a primary and secondary use for mixed-use developments. The primary use of a development controls configuration, orientation and disposition which helps to marginalize the building’s ability to effectively host other, commercial or office uses. This designation allows for a landowner to have the right to “choose” a specific use for the property: commercial or residential.

The common goal is to create a three-dimensional, pedestrian-friendly place that allows for compatible land uses, public amenities and utilities on a multitude of scales and intensities. The variability of mixed-use developments creates an atmosphere that allows people to live, work and play in one location that Millennials find very appealing.

If you are interested in what you’ve read and are looking for a solution to your real estate marketing needs, contact our Atlanta advertising agency today.

With the growth of technology and specifically social media, digital media in 2014 is full of promising ideas and technological advancements. Whether in fashion, food or travel, trends this year favor a love for life and the “simpler things.” Here is a look at 2014’s digital media stats and facts.

Growth in Mobile Revenues

In 2014 retail sales via smartphones and tablets more than doubled to 13.5 billion.

“Consumers want anytime-anywhere computing that allows them to consume and create content with ease, but also share and access that content from a different portfolio of products. Mobility is paramount in both mature and emerging markets,” said Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner.

Desktops Taken Over by Mobile Devices

According to Mashable, by 2015 mobile web browsing will be more common than desktop Internet use. Naturally, with this move from desktop to mobile devices it is important for businesses to have digital design solutions for their mobile sites and a compatible, user-friendly interface for mobile viewing.

Interacting on the World Wide Web

With the increasing number of mobile devices sold, interaction of all types on the World Wide Web has greatly increased. Studies by Business Intelligence found that the sales of mobile enabled objects went from just under $1.4 billion in 2013 to over $3.24 billion in 2014 and is projected to reach $6.94 billion by 2018 when they will account for half of all internet enabled devices.

Interactive Society

With more access to interactive media, society is shifting to a more virtual economy. More and more businesses are joining the movement and transitioning from traditional to digital advertisements in their marketing and communications strategy because developing your company’s digital media and social media strategy will ultimately boost revenue.

Triple Threat: Mobile, Social and Video

These three mediums proved to be the triple threat in 2013 and they continue to be powerhouses in 2014. Collaboration amongst these three mediums has created the newest trend of “visual sharing.” From the development of go-to meetings and sharing videos on all social media platforms, this trend is definitely one that we would all benefit from “jumping on the bandwagon.”

Digital Marketing

Companies are moving from costly ad campaigns to utilizing social media and other digital channels. Simple things such as creating a Pinterest account can increase engagement and website traffic.

Technology as a Fashion

With digital devices growing smaller and smaller we have seen the convergence of technology and fashion on a whole new level. Software companies have designed digital devices that are embedded into clothing or are wearable accessories. Nike for example has developed the Nike+FuelBand smart watch NikeFuel, a bracelet that syncs with your phone that provides a single, universal way to measure all kinds of activities—from your morning workout to your big night out. Uniquely designed to measure whole-body movement no matter your age, weight or gender, NikeFuel tracks your active life. Sales are expected to exceed $125 million units by 2017.

The Pursuit of Happiness

Not that this trend should ever come as a shock to people, but 2014 is seeing an increase in people’s desire for their happiness and well-being. Mood of the nation found that brands played a role in improving people’s level of happiness through being ethical, empowering people to be more active and performing unexpected acts of kindness.

Internet Currency

Currency is also joining the digital movement and venturing away from mere paper and plastic. Bitcoin is a new de-centralized currency that allows for the flow of transactions that can be made without going through a private bank or any trading fees. Other Apps have been created to perform the same actions such as BitGo and AirCoin.

For more information on trends in digital media or insights on how your company can benefit from adopting any of the above, contact our Atlanta advertising agency today.

Walkability, vibrancy, community, all traits of mixed-use developments that have been called a trend to watch in 2014, as the demand to live, work, and play in one location continues to grow at remarkable rates. Consumer and tenant interests are transitioning from the hustle and bustle of large urban areas to small town, niche environments. A large portion of this increasing demand is driven by the young adults making up Generation Y who are graduating or still in school and want to live close to where they work and play. Others who desire more variety within their community and who are not ready to settle down in suburban neighborhoods support their demands.

Current and future mixed-use developments vary in their purpose, function and offerings and include a wide mix of alternative destination styles and features. The following are some of the most popular trends for 2014.

Main Streets

An environment that is pedestrian friendly, designed similarly to a town square or a city strip. Scottsdale Waterfront, a thriving mixed-use development in Scottsdale, AZ created a property consisting of two 13-story condominium towers called the Waterfront Residences, connected by adjoining office spaces, restaurants and retail establishments. The design by Opus West creates the perfect live, work and play atmosphere, giving residents and consumers alike the feeling of ultimate luxury and convenience, all within a short walk.

Active Lifestyle

Upscale lifestyle boutiques and nationally recognized “healthy” retailers, restaurants and grocers, such as Lululemon and Whole Foods are moving out of strip malls and into mixed-use developments. These health conscious retailers have done exceptionally well since the recession and are attracting a younger, more affluent crowd. Successful developments include at least an “anchor” grocery store, health club, farm-to-table restaurant and a few lifestyle boutiques. This rising trend leads to the overall appeal of the property by fulfilling active lifestyle needs.

Entertainment Destinations

Entertainment venues such as dine-in theaters, microbreweries, and outdoor amphitheaters are thriving in mixed-use developments. They are as appealing to residents and tenants as they are to neighboring communities and serve as a place to meet and mingle. In additional to adding to the social interest of the developments, these venues are driving incredible amounts of traffic to surrounding retailers.

Hotel Partnerships

When hotels collaborate with retail and mixed-use developments, they experience increased market share, potentially 20%-40% sales increases, reports Global Hospitality. And hotels in these developments can demand 30%-40% rate increases per room compared to hotels not associated with or located within a property that offers variety and convenience for shopping and eating.

Transportation Convenience

Consumers and tenants alike agree that the proximity to public transportation is a huge benefactor in the decision to move into a mixed-use development. MultiHousing News reported in their Apartment Market Statistics that the majority of people would rather live in a smaller home with a smaller commute over a bigger home with a longer commute. Location continues to be key.

Now more than ever consumers desire a connection to their neighborhood and mixed-use developments are providing the solution.

Our Atlanta marketing agency fills spaces for real estate clients, both directly and indirectly. From high-rise Class A buildings to mid-rise Class B properties as well as mixed-use developments, warehouses and medical offices, infinitee is your national real estate marketing expert.

Learn more about the author here.

Nearly 120 million individuals in the United States work for small businesses, accounting for over half of the country’s population. Industry professionals claim that in order to remain competitive in the search for efficient office space, commercial real estate companies must work with architects to implement open office space designs and modify their real estate marketing strategies to meet small business needs. Below we dive into why these claims are debatable, outlining the pros and cons of open office space design.

The International Facility Management Association reported that 68% of North American employees already work in an office with an open floor plan or open seating. While in some cases this design trend has proven successful, others found it to be downright disasterous.

Pros

1. Cost efficient: According to a General Services Administration report, AT&T implemented the open office plan saving $3,000 on the cost per office and a total of $550 million per year. Another company that greatly benefited from this floorplan change was Nortel’s Telecommuting Program. The company saved $20 million a year in costs.

2. Increased Property value: Updating a building’s design not only increases the property value but also puts your building on the radar as a “hotspot” to rent. By doing so, you not only distinguish your commercial building as a place to be but it serves as an additional strategic real estate leasing marketing tool.

3. Enhanced office flow: Studies found the flow of the open office has allowed for staff to maintain morale and encourage teamwork. It also creates a sense of equality among all of the employees. The open office layout breaks down the barriers between communication among colleagues and allows creativity to flow. One could easily argue this free flow of ideas and feedback significantly increases innovative design solutions to many problems.

“Open office spaces encourage people from different backgrounds to interact with each other—the accountant with the creative guy or the C-suite executives with the janitors—thereby producing more creative output,” says Raj Raghunathan, a professor at the The University of Texas McCombs School of Business, who specializes in the study of happiness. “Open space connects people with diverse experiences to exchange notes on what is going on in their life and offers new perspectives.”  

Cons

1. Health hazards: A study examining short and long-term illness by Stockholm University found a ‘significant excess risk’ of short-term illnesses in open office spaces. These were especially greater among women. In terms of long-term illnesses, environmental stresses, ‘irrelevant sound’, lack of visual privacy and a reduced ability to control one’s own personal space showed greater risk for long-term infections.

“In a study by Cornell University psychologists, Gary Evans and Dana Johnson, clerical workers who were exposed to open office noise for three hours had increased levels of epinephrine—a hormone that we often call adrenaline, associated with the so-called fight-or-flight response. Evans and Johnson also discovered that people in noisy environments made fewer ergonomic adjustments than they would in private, causing increased physical strain. The subjects subsequently attempted to solve fewer puzzles than they had after working in a quiet environment; in other words, they became less motivated and less creative.”‍

2. Unnecessary Noise: Another major complaint with open office space is the distraction of noise. Studies have shown that open office spaces tend to be too loud for employees to fully attend to a project.  Noise can be managed through soundproofing with white noise and noise-proof materials. However, a major down side to soundproofing can be the exorbitant cost.

Although the open office space debate continues, some companies are using the feedback to create the optimal working space. One of these fortune 500 companies is Google. Christopher Colement, Google’s director of global design stated,

“We found that employees need a lot of diversity. There are so many ways to work—as a team, solo—and there are so many kinds of workers, from introverts to extroverts and so on. We create many different places so people can be as productive as possible—from formal and informal conference rooms to open spaces to stretching and yoga areas and gyms.”

A 2005 report by the UK Commission for Architecture & the Built Environment found that a well-designed, employee-friendly office environment can boost productivity by as much as a 25%. Planning spaces for employees based on their needs can create a highly functional and enjoyable office for everyone.

Our Atlanta commercial real estate marketing agency fills spaces for real estate clients, both directly and indirectly. From high-rise Class A buildings to mid-rise Class B properties as well as mixed-use developments, warehouses and medical offices, infinitee is your national real estate marketing expert.Learn more about the author here.

infinitee, a full-service, strategic marketing agency in Atlanta, GA received the Silver Award of Distinction from the 20th annual Communicator Awards for their integrated marketing campaign produced for Cousins Properties, Inc. Cousins Properties is a leading diversified real estate company with extensive experience in development, acquisition, financing, management and leasing. Based in Atlanta, the Company actively invests in and markets office and retail projects nationwide.

The award winning work highlighted the transformation of 2100 Ross, Cousin’s Class-A office building located in the Arts District submarket of Dallas, Texas. Design elements included a renovations look book, digital on-site display boards and supporting printed collateral.

The Communicator Awards is the leading international annual awards program honoring creative excellence for communication professionals. Over 6,000 entries were judged and overseen by the International Academy of Visual Arts (IAVA), an organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of Visual Arts.

“infinitee is honored to receive this award for our work with Cousins Properties as it acknowledges our unique point of difference in commercial real estate marketing,” said Jocelyn Smith, CEO and founder of infinitee. infinitee specializes in real estate, with over 25 years of experience in shopping center, mixed-use, commercial, multi-family and residential development.

For more information about infinitee, call 404-231-3481 to speak with Managing Partner, Jocelyn Smith, visit www.www.infinitee.com or find us on Facebook.

About infinitee

infinitee is a full-service marketing and advertising agency that understands how to improve brands, communications and customer experiences. With a focus in real estate, its strategic and creative solutions build brand equity and drive sales for companies across the country. infinitee’s expertise has proven invaluable to national and southeast regional brands wishing to strengthen and grow their bottom line, including: OliverMcMillan, Cousins Properties, Parkway Properties, PM Realty Group, Tanger Outlets, Craig Realty Group, Lennar Commercial Investments and Banyan Street Capital. Through all facets of advertising, collateral, digital media and brand strategy, infinitee creates award-winning marketing and innovative communications.

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There is a new term being tossed around in the marketing world. That term is "tradigital" and it refers to the successful integration of digital media and traditional advertising in marketing, often used in the sales process. Industry leaders consider this new train of thought to be extremely integral in developing all-encompassing marketing strategies, especially those geared towards millenials. In order to embrace this approach, you must understand the goals and how to reach them. In a recent article published by the Atlanta Busiess Chronicle, writer John Garcia outlines this method.

Step No. 1 - Determine Destination

Before diving into a marketing strategy, you must think further than your goals to increase sales. Tradigital leverages traditional media to drive digital for maximum results. By setting clear and reasonable benchmarks, specifying the results you're trying to achieve, you are guaranteed a benefit even if you don't reach those goals. When the expected outcome is clear, your campaign will be effective.

Step No. 2 - Understand The Roles

As mentioned before, tradigital is a combination of traditional and digital marketing efforts. You have to recognize that each has its own place in the world. Traditional media is no longer the end-all-be-all method. It is now more of a conversation starter. Consumers take these messages and then turn online to continue those conversations.

Step No. 3 - Know Your Position

Garcia outlines the three strategies of digital adaption to help determine where you and your company are. These stages can also apply to new product or service launches.

• • Embryonic – At this stage your digital marketing techniques are not very well integrated into the marketing and sales process.
  • Intermediate – Digital marketing techniques are somewhat integrated, but there is still a lot of work to do.
  • Progressive – Marketing techniques are well-integrated, and are centered around a tradigital strategy.

Step No. 4 - Decide Approach

After you've determined where you stand in the digital adaption process, it's time to figure out how to allocate your marketing budget and efforts. The success of most tradigital campaigns will result in a shift of dollars, migrating from traditional to digital. Naturally, your digital space will begin requiring more support and your reliance on traditional media will decrease.

If your company is in the embryonic stage or launching a new product or service, it's recommended to allocate the majority of your funds to traditional media. The goal is to reach the largest number of people in your target audience with a clear and engaging tradigital message. This will drive the conversation or conversion online. You don't necessarily need more digital to build digital. Remember, it cannot stand alone. You need the right mix of traditional media to build your digital, and then increase your digital efforts to engage and maintain that audience.

Step No. 5 - Build Your Audience

A tradigital strategy will help you find and build your own audience, people that come to you instead of having to reach out to them. The goal is to leverage traditional (mass) media to build your audience and then provide the proper support so that you can keep them engaged.

To further discuss tradigital marketing, contact our Atlanta ad agency today!

Learn more about the author here.

August is right around the corner, which means moms and kids alike are already gearing up for back-to-school shopping. It’s time to make sure your digital media strategy is up to par with the competition. The best way to maintain a competitive edge is through mobile strategy. What’s the one thing no one consumer will leave the house without this shopping season? You guessed it, their cell phones. Shoppers make lists, save coupons, research what stores have certain items in stock and compare prices to competitors, all while in the marketplace.

By now, most businesses have implemented some type of mobile strategy, but there are common interactive media mistakes that should be avoided or corrected before the back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons kick into gear in just a few short weeks.

The whole point of going mobile is to provide ease and convenience to your customers. Customer service is the driving force behind all successful campaigns, but as identified by Social Media Today, there are 10 common mistakes that can hinder your mobile interactive strategy.

1. Don’t Violate the 3-Click Rule.

Interactive media should take no more than three clicks on a mobile device to get the user to where he or she wants to be. Digital media is all about convenience.

2. Make Sure Your Content Fits on a Mobile Screen.

The size of a laptop, iPad and iPhone screen are all vastly different. Your digital media needs to adapt and fit appropriately on each device’s screen, especially a mobile phone.

3. Match Mobile Users Preferences with Your Mobile Media.

Your mobile interactive strategy should match what your users preferences are on their phones. If they don’t use auto complete, don’t have your mobile app incorporate auto complete either.

4. Don’t Violate User Security.

This one point hinders the convenience rule a little but for a very good reason. Make sure your users are safe when using your app or mobile optimized site on their phones. If you require a login, make sure a login exists on the mobile interface as well.

5. Make Navigation Easy.

If the user has to scroll every which way to see all of the content on their mobile device, then change the layout of your interactive media to adapt to smarter paths to accomplish the same goal.

6. Make the Most Important Functions Easy to Spot.

A mobile app should have the most used, most important interactive media bolded, underlined and centered on the mobile device screen. Ok, not literally, but the content should be easy to spot. The quicker users can access what they’re looking for, the better your engagement metrics will be.

7. Keep Graphics Simple.

Keeping graphics clean and sleek on each mobile and standing interface allows for easy navigation and makes functions easier to spot. Simple design supports many of the other points outlined above and below.

8. Have a Way to Correct Mistakes.

If a user needs to insert content, create two back buttons – one that returns to the previous page and another that allows users to delete inserted text. If this function doesn’t exist, bounce rates will soar due to user frustration.

9. Make Content Legible in the Sun.

Mobile users are on the go. Sunlight can hinder your digital media strategy if not taken into account. Incorporate legible font and color choices and highlighting techniques into your interactive strategy so users can see the most important content clearly no matter their surroundings.

10. Don’t Let your App Drain the Battery.

Make sure your app has a way to turn off when the user is not interacting with it.

All of these are great tips for avoiding mistakes in creating interactive digital strategy. Accounting for these issues, and many others, can improve your mobile sales and engagement.

If you need help developing or designing your mobile strategy, contact our Atlanta ad agency today.

Learn more about the author here.

Without trust on social media sites, you have nothing. If people don’t trust you, they don’t like you, they don’t believe you and they don’t care to know anything about you. All of this carries over to your brand.

Just like when forming relationships with new people, trust is one of the first things we need in order to develop an attachment to a brand or company. Luckily, Social Media Today has outlined 10 tips to becoming a trustworthy brand on social media sites.

1. Display Authority

Too many people try to fake authority online because there’s no face-to-face interaction. But, what social media strategy consultants will tell you is that everything can be validated and with great ease. Display authority by giving credit to other people, establishing that you’re the real organization and publishing results.

2. Prove Yourself

Again, everything can be validated. Mashable created a list of things to publish to prove that you are real: testimonials, customer references, partner references, kudos from other thought leaders, examples of work completed, links to work completed, guest blogs you have contributed to, links to blogs where you and your content has been cited, white papers, ebooks, etc.

3. Do what you say. Say what you do.

Don’t make a claim that you can’t support and don’t claim something that you can’t do. If you say you give the best social media strategy advice out there, then post some good advice or better yet, post a client’s work that you’ve done. Either way, you have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

4. Consistency

This is really tricky in a large corporation, but in small business, it is essential. A large corporation may have one, two, even five people managing their social media services and somehow they all have to tweet, post and blog in a similar voice. Similarly, small businesses need to maintain the same type of consistency. Social media consultants for companies, large or small, need to have personal and professional beliefs aligned with company values in everything that they share.

5. Apply these tips to others.

You need to follow, like and interact with other real deal companies. Apply all of the tips listed here to measure if what they’re doing is real too. This helps you, helps your fans and it even shows a little love to complimentary businesses.

6. Tweet Carefully

How many times have we seen people mess up the 140 characters in a tweet? Kitchen Aid will forever go down in infamy for the astonishing tweet posted about President Obama’s grandmother during the election. Be careful. Use the 140 characters to inspire, create calls to action or for news releases, but carefully monitor who is in control.

7. CRM

Use social media and advertising on social media to manage customer relationships. It should be an informal place for consumers to learn about the brand, products/services and company. Really develop that relationship, don’t sell yourself short.

8. Create Conversations

The way in which social media is being used today has changed. Create conversations that are actually meaningful. Create a platform or space that answers questions, addresses complaints and reinforces positive experiences.

9. Leave Yourself Out of It

This is not about you. This is about your audience, clients, partners and markets. Learn from them and listen to them. This way, you will be able to post worthy content and helpful items attracting a larger following and building more trust and credibility.

10. Take Credit for Posts

You started this business because you know a thing or two. Give a biography at the end of content posts explaining who the author is and why they have the credentials to tell you what they said.

For help with your social media strategy, contact our Atlanta advertising agency today!

Learn more about the author here.

We all know that there are multiple factors that are taken into consideration when purchasing a product. In fact, studies show that 70% of consumers say they look at product reviews before making a purchase, and that these reviews are 12 times more trusted than product descriptions from the manufacturers themselves. One of the more recent considerations has been tagged - Social Proof. Buffer recently released an article explaining that "Social proof is the concept that people will conform to the actions of others under the assumption that those actions are reflective of the correct behavior."

Social proof has gained attention in the last couple of years because of social media and it's impact on the ease of information sharing. User-generated content, and the internet have made it a lot easier to use it in marketing and communication strategy.

Why is social proof important for your marketing campaigns? Here are 5 examples of social proof and the scientific reasons why they work, published by Ed Hallen.

1. Expert Social Proof

Has your product or service ever received a stamp of approval from a credible expert? Have you received Likes or endorsements from industry bloggers? This is expert social proof and can be in the form of a Twitter mention, Facebook Like, press quote, blog post, etc.

The Science:

Marketers are always trying to get influencers to endorse their product or service. This is often referred to as influencer marketing, but it's much more than a buzzword. Hallen states, "The halo effect is a cognitive bias in which we judge someone’s opinion based on our overall impression of him or her." These online influencers already have established reputations and if positive, anything they are involved with will also be seen in a positive light by association alone. This is why influencer testimonials truly work.

2. Celebrity Social Proof

Celebrity social proof is similar to expert social proof, in that the celebrity expresses an appreciation or liking for your product or service online. The only negative to celebrity endorsements is that the celebrities themselves control the impression of your brand. If they are seen in a negative light, it can be tougher to separate them from your brand. You don't want to them to produce a bad image.

The Science:

Hallen explain the concept of the extended self, stating that "the extended self is made up of the self (me) and possessions (mine). It suggests that intentionally or unintentionally we view our possessions as a reflection of ourselves." This is why consumers look for products that signify group membership and mark their position in society.

3. User Social Proof

User social proof is when existing users or followers recommend a product or service online. This includes customer testimonials, case studies, online reviews and more.

The Science:

User social proof is particularly effective when it involves storytelling. Hallen states, "Although statistics can be effective, it can be tougher to really see yourself in the aggregate the way you can with a personal account." User social proof is scientifically effective because people tend to imagine themselves in other people's shoes when reading a story. This is why they're often times more persuasive and trustworthy. It helps when the reader or follower can relate to your brand.

4. ‘Wisdom of the Crowds’ Social Proof

This type of social proof explains approval of the masses. It's evidence that thousands, millions, or even billions have taken the action that the company wants you to take – making a purchase, subscribing, etc.

The Science:

A big part of social anxiety is the fear of missing out. This is extremely relevant on social media as the sharing of what’s going on in our daily lives means you can constantly compare your status to others on these platforms.

5. ‘Wisdom of Your Friends’ Social Proof

This is by far the most popular type of social proof. There are Facebook widgets that show other Facebook friends that “like” a brand, Twitter displays of people you follow that also follow another person, and the various ways that companies offer rewards for referring others to the brand. Hallen notes a study from a German bank stating, "customers who came from customer referrals had 16% higher lifetime value than those who came from other acquisition sources. Additionally, the customers churned 18% less."

The Science:

Implicit egotism is the concept that most people subconsciously like things that “resemble” them in some way. Hallen says, "we value the opinions of people we perceive as most like us. We tend to become friends with people that we have a lot in common with, so it makes sense that social triggers like Facebook’s Like Box or referral programs are successful."

So how do you begin incorporating social proof into your marketing strategies? It's easy! Start with these small steps:

1. Add customer testimonials to your website or newsletters
2. Emphasize your follower and subscriber numbers on your blog
3. Automate follow-up with great customers or contacts to ask for referrals
4. Find experts who are interested in what you’re doing, build relationships and work together to find ways that they can help promote you

To learn more about effective social media strategy and interactive marketing solutions, contact infinitee today.

Learn more about the author here.

SEO(Search Engine Optimization) is not a new a dimension to the online marketing world, but has recently gained the spotlight as the leading online marketing tactic. SEO can be slightly overwhelming to the creative marketing or advertising mind. From keywords, to Google results, to alt tags, Meta tags, content-driving web results, it’s easy to lose yourself in the technicalities instead of focusing on the creative marketing that drives SEO.

SEO is fantastic for B2B marketing strategy or B2C. It’s the key method of connecting businesses and consumers in cyberspace. It’s imperative that your brand’s site incorporates SEO into its digital strategy to generate and capture leads and ultimately sales.

But again, SEO can be very overwhelming. Too often we feel we are learning about it as we go. But if you do nothing else for SEO, try implementing the following three proven marketing strategies as defined by Search Engine Watch to start building a foundation for search engine optimization strategy.

#1 – Figure Where Your Site is Now

An SEO assessment allows you to have a bird’s eye view of how your brand’s website is currently performing. The best way to do this is by checking your Indexing Status through Google Webmaster Tools. By doing this, you can see how many pages of your website are included in Google’s Index (Special Note: You can reach this by clicking the “Health” tab once you have logged in to your Google website account).

There are two things to look for with your Index Status:

1. How many pages are registered in Google’s Index

2. How many are not registered

If you have too few pages registered and/or if you have too many registered pages, this could present a problem in your website appearing in Google’s search results. That’s ultimately what this small test can teach you. The tricky part is deciding what to do next in your digital strategy if a problem exists.

#2 – Perfect your Keyword List

Keywords are what generate organic leads. Make sure the keywords you use on your website match what future prospects are typing into search engines.

The best way to match your keywords list with clients in a B2B marketing strategy is to make the keywords the title of your pages for major products or services. These title tags should accomplish two things:

1. Focus on the individual characteristics of each page

2. Only use each title tag once per page

If you are unsure of what keywords you should use, there are two tools Google provides: Google AdWords Keyword Tool and Bing Webmaster Tools. Just remember, specialize each page with a different title tag. Duplicating any sort of content is considered a bad practice and search engines will penalize your site accordingly.

#3 – Links are the Keywords of Search Engine Results

A key determinant of what position your site appears on Google or Bing are links. By links, we are referring to internal links among your site and inbound links from other websites to your own. A proven marketing strategy is to incorporate three links per piece of content, like a blog post or something similar. These will separate your site from the thousands of others that are in the same boat.

In summary, there are three proven marketing strategies for SEO that will get your website on the right path given significant time constraints or budgets.

1. Figure out where your site is now with Google Index

2. Refine and use your keywords list

3. Incorporate links in your digital strategy

These three steps are just the beginning in forming an SEO strategy, but they will begin to separate you from your competition. Do your research on SEO or reach out to a marketing and advertising agency that serves as experts in the industry.

For help with your next campaign, contact our Atlanta advertising agency today.

Learn more about the author here.

infinitee, a full-service, strategic marketing agency in Atlanta, GA wins two prestigious awards of 44 upscale outlet shopping centers in 26 states coast to coast and in Canada, totaling approximately 13.3 million square feet leased to over 2,700 stores operated by more than 440 different brand name companies.

The Gold Award of Excellence in the Marketing and Promotional Campaign category was granted for the 2013 Tanger PINK campaign. The Silver Award of Distinction in the Integrated Campaign for Business to Consumer category was awarded for the 2013 TangerStyle Holiday Campaign.

infinitee began as a full-service agency dedicated to the shopping center industry in 1989 and has diversified over the last 25 years to include other real estate business verticals, including mixed-use, commercial, multi-family and residential. infinitee has produced many award-winning campaigns for Tanger Outlets for the past 18 years, while employing the agency’s unique retail flair to help grow their market share.

“It is with great honor and gratitude that we accept these awards. Working together, we have reached international recognition and couldn’t be more proud of our team,” said Shannon Petty, Creative Director of infinitee.

The Communicator Awards is the leading international annual awards program honoring creative excellence for communication professionals. Over 6,000 entries were judged and overseen by the International Academy of Visual Arts (IAVA), an organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of Visual Arts.

For more information about infinitee, call 404-231-3481 to speak with Managing Partner, Jocelyn Smith, visit www.www.infinitee.com or find us on Facebook.

About infinitee

infinitee is a full-service marketing and advertising agency that understands how to improve brands, communications and customer experiences. With a focus in real estate, its strategic and creative solutions build brand equity and drive sales for companies across the country. infinitee’s expertise has proven invaluable to national and southeast regional brands wishing to strengthen and grow their bottom line, including: OliverMcMillan, Cousins Properties, Parkway Properties, PM Realty Group, Tanger Outlets, Craig Realty Group, Lennar Commercial Investments and Banyan Street Capital. Through all facets of advertising, collateral, digital media and brand strategy, infinitee creates award-winning marketing and innovative communications.

Contact: Jocelyn Smith Founder, CEO infinitee, Inc. 3400 Peachtree Rd., Suite 921 Atlanta, GA 30326 404-231-3481

Developing and executing events is a specialty that takes experience and attention to detail to successfully implement even the most modest event. Event planning for a business event that anticipates attendance in the hundreds or even thousands can be a daunting task and requires refinement and decision management skills as the Consumer Events Project Manager for Volvo Cars of North America discovered which led him to define and implement a standard he calls the Five P’s for Successful Consumer Events. Dan Louie's five-step approach to planning successful events includes: Parameters, Process, Partnership, Prepare and People.

1. Parameters – Clarify The Marketing Objectives

Prior to beginning any project, all marketing campaign objectives should be defined and agreed upon. Lack of objectives can lead to many mishaps including: incomplete proposals, frustration, wasted time, and going over budget. Louie says during the planning stage focus on S.M.A.R.T (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely) objectives.

2. Process – Use An Objective Decision Making Process

Clearly define the right choices through the Kepner-Tregoe decision-making process to reveal vendor choices that have the right balance of acceptable risk and reward. The four-step four step process: Clarify Purpose, Evaluate Alternatives, Assess Risks, and Make Decisions will ensure that the best decisions are implemented.

3. Partnership – View Each Vendor As A Valuable Partner

Louie emphasizes that relationships based on mutual trust and respect will result in more collaboration during project implementation.Relationships where each person communicates, listens, trusts, and collaborates on creative solutions result in greater rewards, additional benefits and ultimately event campaign success.

4. Prepare – Plan For The Unexpected

Not every project is going to run as smoothly as predicted. Louie advises to analyze potential problems and create multiple action plans for possible disruptions or issues that may come up including: weather, delivery problems, technology issues, equipment failure, and food and beverage delays, to name a few.

5. People – Interact With Consumers At The Event

It is critical for project managers, vendor partners and company stakeholders to attend the event to see the success first hand in order to collect feedback, evaluate partnerships and personally analyze the most effective marketing tactics executed.

Below is a chart of the refined Kepner-Tregoe Decision Analysis Process:

To learn more about developing effective event planning for business, contact our Atlanta ad agency with over 25 years of experience in trade show planning, collateral development and lead generation techniques for business conferences of all sizes.

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