2012-06-24

Using QR Codes For Event Marketing


Appropriate and effective promotional campaign is a crucial and integral part of organizing a successful event. Organizers can use various promotional tools to optimize their campaigns; QR code is one of them and is gaining ground these days.
 
Quick Response code or QR code is widely used nowadays to make events interactive. This code simply refers to a barcode, which contains information that can be read into Smartphone. This article is going to show you how to use these codes to boost your event registration rate.
 
1. Link to Event Schedules
 
These codes help your attendees check an event schedule on their Smartphone, even when they are on the go. Organizers can place these codes at the registration desk, so that someone can scan it and bookmark it for future use. In fact, using this code, you can schedule your entire conference and reach out to a larger number of audience, even when they are not using their computer.
 
2. Mobile Ticketing
 
Keep in mind that these codes, if applied in the right way, are highly capable of accelerating your ticket sales. In fact, it is the most effective system that is designed for mobile ticketing. Using this code, you can reduce the production and distribution costs involved with manual, paper-based ticketing channels.
 
3. Event Promotion
 
A QR code allows you to promote your event extensively and in a short time. If you are distributing flyers and brochures, make sure of placing a QR code and link it directly to a sign up page. As a result, your potential attendees can sign up right away from their Smartphone. Moreover, such conveniences are likely to attract potential attendees in large numbers.
 
4. Registration Badges
 
With the arrival of QR codes, business cards are no more in the scenario. Using these codes on the registration badges, you can allow your attendees to exchange info by scanning the code and spreading it to their own network. It not only gives you access to a great deal of information, but also helps you do the same within a short time.
 
5. Sponsor Information
 
Using these codes, you can give your visitors a great opportunity to engage with sponsors. Put a QR code next to each sponsor's name on your event website as well as on the flyers. It will allow your attendees to learn more about that sponsor.
 
Use Quick Response codes properly to boosts your event registration rapidly.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6871083

2012-06-20

BANNED IN THE U.S.A.

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In many large corporations, Facebook and other social networks are banned. Some organizations have taken it a step further by banning their personnel from using personal mobile devices during business hours (by confiscating mobile devices at the start of the work day OR by installing ‘blocking’ radio waves – which prevent mobile devices from receiving signals when in the corporate building(s).

What fun it must be to work at a place like that, right?

There are several studies that show office productivity decreases when sites like Facebook are banned from a corporate environment. There is also the fact that Facebook bans also find they lose the benefit of their staff giving their company free marketing support. Oh yeah, and let’s not forget the push-back and disloyalty that can be created when an organization treats personnel like junior high school students (i.e. taking away cell phones).

So why, then are companies willing to lose out on the marketing potential of their staff talking about them on Facebook?

Most corporations site the issue of not trusting their staff to say positive things about the firm (may as well get rid of your Google reviews then while you’re at it, ban Yelp – or just remove the ability for any employee to search the Internet while at work, right?).

If you cannot trust staff members to communicate a positive image for your company (online or offline) – that says more about the organization’s culture, employment practices and employee relationships than it does about the access they have to social networking sites.

Sounds like an organizational problem, not a ‘Facebook’ problem to me!

A new study emphasizes the following:

Psychologists have discovered that Facebook usage during studying has no impact on the students who use Facebook, compared with those who do not. The fear was that Facebook would contribute to lower grades because of the distraction. However, this is not the case.

This finding suggests suggest that staff selection is the key issue. If a company has issue with social networks, it may mean that they have larger human resources issues. Rather than shutting off passive (yet fruitful) marketing channels – why not stop hiring people who come to work to screw around?

2012-06-11

Do’s & Don’ts of your WEB PRESENCE


Here at AI Software, Inc.we often hear

'I don't know what I don't know'

It's difficult to follow the changing landscape of the Internet Marketing world and for this reason, we are happy to give you some Do's & Don'ts about:

PUTTING YOUR WEB PRESENCE TOGETHER!


DO | Hire a professional team that has personnel dedicated to each individual portion of your website.

DON'T | Don't hire a single-person shop, it is impossible for a 'one-man-show' to design, develop, optimize and manage a web presence effectively.



DO
| Make sure your web provider includes a content management system (CMS) so that your staff can make updates without incurring additional fees and waiting for simple and important updates.

DON'T | Hire a firm that wants monthly retainers because they do not offer you the ability to update and manage your own content.  Maintenance fees are OK, but having the ability to manage content on you own is a must.


DO | When looking for SEO services, make sure your company can show examples of their work.  It is very simple to ask a vendor to do a Google search and display results they have gotten for their clients.

DON'T | Hire a 'SEO Expert' based on certifications.  These 'consultants' are not programmers and have little knowledge of how algorithms actually work.  They also typically lack knowledge and ability for technical SEO and will not be able to show you any examples of their work.


DO | Hire web development professionals for your web presence.

DON'T | Hire a 'general IT guy' to do your network, phones, web development.  It is impossible for a single person to provide all IT functions well in today's marketplace.


DO | Purchase every domain available that represents you brand - even vanity URLs such as 'www.aifacebook.com'.  Include misspellings. 

DON'T | Miss opportunities because someone mistypes a URL or cannot find your organization online.



DO
| Choose URLs that are easy to remember such as www.WeSellThis.com.

DON'T | Choose URLs that are relevant but hard to remember and likely to be mistyped in a browser.


DO |  Hire AI Software to put your web presence together.

DON'T | Hire another firm ;)