Welcome New Clients Himex and Exedin!

Bull's-Eye welcomes another 2 new clients! Himex, based out of Scottsdale, Arizona is a company that develops usage-based insurance software for corporate fleet management programs. This software combines telematics systems with a 3D interface to increase user engagement. Exedin, in Namibia, Africa is a software education and training center for the Windows platform. They give training on the full line of Microsoft products. We look forward to working with both new clients on their marketing creative service needs! Glad to have you onboard! www.bullseyecreativecommunications.com

Patrick Carlson Appointed to BMA Atlanta Board of Directors

Patrick Carlson - The Business Marketing Association of Atlanta (BMA) has appointed Bull’s-Eye Creative Communications Principal Partner Patrick Carlson to its board of directors for the 2014-2015 term. Patrick has extensive experience with Atlanta’s marketing and creative services industry having previously served on the boards of the American Marketing Association (AMA), Graphic Artists Guild, American Institute of Graphic Design (AIGA) and The Freelance Forum.

BMA Atlanta - The local chapter of BMA is being reinvigorated and ready to reengage with the local marketing community as the goto source for business-to-business (B2B) marketing information and education.

BMA Atlanta Event - The Atlanta chapters first event is a lunch and learn with SEO Consultant, Jenny Munn. It’s about Search Engine Optimization tools for small marketing businesses. The event “B2B Lead Gen for SMBs: How to Integrate SEO into Your Marketing Mix” is on Tuesday, April 29, 2004.

Using Pinterest for Business

Great video summary on using Pinterest for business! I can see the benefits of Pinterest for a product based business but how about a service one? How about BTB? What do you think? http://youtu.be/f0IeOnsglZs

Perfect Affinity Brand Identity Comes Together

When this computer systems integration company, Perfect Affinity, wanted a new brand identity, they were looking for something that convened that they helped "get networks together". Bull's-Eye evaluated the current brand, gave recommendations for improvement and then developed one that better fit the new direction.

Using abstract arrows, the new brand mark conveys this subtle message of coming together with four arrows intersecting. The rebranded identity was used for stationary, brochures, advertising, promotional items and trade show presence.

Interested in publishing on LinkedIn Pulse? Want to know how?

I’ve been trying for months to figure out how to crack the code on how to publish on LinkedIn’s Pulse community. It seemed as elusive as the da vinci code! I searched quite a bit and found nothing about it anywhere. It seems the only way one could publish on the Pulse platform was to have been invited into the community. How to be invited? That is still an unexplained mystery.

LinkedIn is now slowly opening up it's publishing platform to all users. I’ve found some information that you can use to begin the process of getting your posts onto the social network's publishing platform. Here are some links to helpful information on the subject:

1. “Want to Publish on LinkedIn? Now You Can" - Article from HubSpot on the LinkedIn introduction of publishing for all users; http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/linkedin-publishing-all-members-nj
2. “The Definitive Professional Publishing Platform” - Official blog post from LinkedIn on the introduction of access to all members to posting capabilities; http://blog.linkedin.com/2014/02/19/the-definitive-professional-publishing-platform/
3. LinkedIn Publishing Platform Overview - Official LinkedIn help center section for info on the publishing platform; http://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/47445/ft/eng
4. Early Access Application for the Publishing Platform; http://specialedition.linkedin.com/publishing/

Aptiris Re-Brand Case Study

When this communication software company wanted to expand its business into a new direction, the company's marketing manager realized she needed to update it's brand identity. Bull's-Eye evaluated the current brand, gave recommendations for improvement and then developed one that better fit the new direction. The result is a modern "Miro" spiral representing the software's ability to integrate voice, data, e-mail and fax into one application.

Bull's-Eye Spring Newsletter

Find out what Bull's-Eye been up to with it's Spring Newsletter. Lot's of completed projects, industry articles and tips! 

New client recommendation!

I'm very pleased to recommend Patrick Carlson and his firm, Bull's-Eye Creative Communications. Over the last several years Patrick has worked with me on a variety of projects, including package design, print collateral, online advertising and more. Our most recent projects have been infographics and Patrick does an amazing job with each and every one! Patrick's infographic concepts and designs have brought the data from ControlScan's payments industry studies to life. He is creative, personable and a true master of his trade." Stacey Holleran, ControlScan

5 Important Rules for Internet Marketing Success

The professionals in any industry who have seen it all, the ones who know that everything comes and goes in and out of style eventually, have a habit of saying that "the more things change, the more they stay the same." I certainly think there is some truth to that especially with online marketing. That's because, even though tactics, tools, and ideas shift from one year to the next, some are enduring.

To see what I mean, and learn how you can use it to grow your own business, here are five tried-and-true rules for Internet marketing success that still apply:

1. Your website is the starting point for everything. Without a great website, you really don't have a workable online marketing plan, just a set of things to try. That's because your site is the hub that supports everything else, including your search engine optimization and social media campaigns. Concentrate on building a great, useful, and informative site first, because everything else follows.

2. It's about your best customers, not the rest of your customers. Since more and more websites, blogs, and other Internet destinations are being launched all the time, it's important to your success that you be able to focus. For most small and medium-sized companies, the true market for their products isn't "everyone," but a handful of businesses or individuals. Know who your best potential customers are, and market directly to them.

3. Traffic, sales, and relationships are all different things. Far too many businesses get hung up on a single statistic or metric, missing the big picture in the process. Things like traffic, and traffic sources, matter a great deal. In the end, though, what matters most is your ability to turn those visitors into buyers, and eventually to build relationships with them. Don't lose sight of the results that are actually important.

4. You should never be reliant on any single marketing source. While some business owners or executives will swear by optimizing their sites for Google, and others may prefer social media sites like Facebook, or even pay-per-click advertising, the reality is that most companies should try everything and be reliant on nothing. You never want to be in a situation where a single competitor, policy change, or search algorithm shift could bring your pipeline for new business to a screeching halt.

5. Better products and sites always rise to the top. For all the attention paid to search, list-billing, etc., the fact of the matter is that the best companies tend to attract the most customers, online or off. So, if you have a reputation for great value and strong customer satisfaction, and can demonstrate that online, you'll almost always be moving in the right direction.

Patrick Carlson is Principal Partner of Bull’s-Eye Creative Communications, an Atlanta-based creative marketing communications company that assists businesses with increasing awareness and sales. He can be contacted at: 404.352.3006 or patrick@bullseyecreativecommunications.com

Is You're Marketing Strategy Reactive or Proactive?

A colleague once told me that her company relies exclusively on referrals for new business. I silently wondered how she passes the time while waiting for the phone to ring.

Customer referrals can’t be beat. They are a solid pipeline to new customers. However, relying on referrals is a reactionary marketing strategy. Great marketing is proactive. It is always in search of a new customer through action in the market. By having a proactive marketing strategy, you’re not relying on someone else to reach out to you; you’ve already reached out to them!

Proactive marketing generates top of mind awareness and puts you in front of an audience that might not know you exist. Use it to your advantage and you’ll never have to wait for the phone to ring.