Paso Robles Marketing

Our small-but-mighty, comprehensive marketing agency is on the hunt—for YOU!

If you are a visionary of viral campaigns, an innovator of internet marketing, a guru of graphic design and a have a burning desire to become a wizard of web development, we want to offer you the fun, collaborative environment in which to hone your craft, feed your creativity and build your empire—that’s right, our employees are not just employees; they’re motivated by the opportunity to make partner one day.

If this sounds like music to your ears, read the full job description below and tell us why you’re a marketing mover and shaker! We look forward to being wowed, and toasting to our next Paso Robles “A-Team” member.

Here’s to YOU!

Job Title: Graphics/Web Development

A comprehensive marketing powerhouse in Paso Robles, we are on the lookout for a graphic designer/web developer superpower that can join our team of marketing masters and mavens and help inject some real verve and creativity into the art of modern advertising and marketing.

A part-time, in-house position (24 – 30 hrs/wk, with room to grow and climb, even up to becoming a partner!), this opportunity is perfect for candidates that are well-versed in all forms of marketing material design: logos, websites, flash ads, graphic design collateral (brochures, flyers, business cards, etc.), advertising, email marketing newsletters, social media platforms, and more.

Our Super Hero Candidate:

- is a team player that can jump in and fit in with our tight-knit group of professionals

- is highly motivated to achieve slam dunks for the team and home runs for our clients (working well under deadlines is a must, victory dance skills a plus!)

- has a strong administrative “head” on his or her shoulders (organization and time management are essential)

- is a stellar communicator (both verbal and written)

- knows the Microsoft Office Suite like the back of his or her hand (i.e. Word, some Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint on a PC)

Essential Super Powers:

-Possess a keen eye for balance, whitespace, and overall clean designs

-Experience developing and updating websites in Dreamweaver (or HTML), also updating CMS websites

-Experience with email marketing platforms and online software (i.e. Constant Contact)

-Experience with social media strategy (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Flickr, YouTube)

-Experience in preparing art files for print (i.e. Prepress, Production work)

-Solid computer and software skills (i.e. fluency in Adobe Creative Suite – Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop and Flash) on a PC

Bonus Skills:

-         Ability to create flash banners

-         Video editing skills

-         Fluency in CSS & Javascript

Ready to Move and Shake? Give us a jingle at 805-239-4443 (AR & Co. PR & Marketing, 612 12th Street, Suite 206, Paso Robles, CA 93446) to obtain the email address for submitting your résumé.

Remember the days when a website was such a simple thing? You just hired someone to build it, launched it, and there it would sit, floating in the ether, waiting to capture online consumers as they surfed the net on their hulking desktop computers.

In those days, we didn’t have to think about how our fancy new home page would appear on a tiny two-inch-wide smart phone. We didn’t have to consider whether links would be as easy to click with a clumsy forefinger as they are with the agile mouse.

But reality has caught up with us: more and more people are surfing via mobile device, and your business doesn’t stand a chance if you don’t make the necessary steps to convert to a mobile site. Think your site’s immune? When was the last time you checked it out on your phone? You might be in for a surprise.

As Lisa Buyer of Search Engine Watch warns in this recent Ragan’s article, immobile sites are invisible sites. “If your brand isn’t set up for mobile, this could be a PR crisis called ‘unnecessary lost visibility.’ You’re letting it slip through your mobile fingers.”

The article outlines some smart ways to get your website up to mobile speed. Here’s an overview:

Simplify to Mobilize: Mobile sites should not just be miniature versions of desktop sites. Desktop sites can afford complexity, wide images, small font and complicated design; mobile sites should streamline the experience so that on-the-go consumers can navigate easily without having to “pinch” the screen.

Optimize to Mobilize: There are free and inexpensive tools and companies out there to make it easy and instantaneous to turn your site into a mobile-capable site. Take advantage of technology.

Redesign to Mobilize: “Responsive” is the word in savvy web design today. It means enabling your site to be automatically translated to fit the given device, whether desktop, phone or tablet.

Mobilize to Capitalize. Capture the consumer wherever he or she may be, at home or on the go. Ask a marketing agency like AR & Co. PR & Marketing to help you convert your site so that you can continue to convert to sales.

Many companies come to social media on their knees, desperate to get on board as quickly as possible and clueless as to how to utilize the new marketing tools at their fingertips. But as applications such as Facebook gain more traction in the mainstream marketing sphere, people are starting to figure out the rules of the brave new social marketing world. A recent “Cheat Sheet” posted by LinchPinSEO.com makes social strategizing on Facebook even easier, for both the novice and the seasoned status updater.

But even the cheat sheet can be overwhelming in one dose. Here is a breakdown of a few of the best points made:

1. Post Photos. The cheat sheet says that posts with photos receive 39% higher interaction rates than the average post. Each time your company posts an update, consider whether the post could be conveyed visually. For instance, if you are announcing a new product—show, rather than tell.
2. Brevity Reigns. According to Linch Pin, posts that contain 80 characters or less receive 23% higher interaction. (Which means that sentence would be too long.) That’s not much to work with if you are trying to sell consumers on the benefits of your services, but use this number as a goal to help keep your message in line with readers’ preferences.
3. Encourage Generosity. The study shows that when fans are specifically asked to share a post, share rates skyrocket to seven times the amount of the average post. This brings up an interesting point: not only should you remember to ask fans for their help outright, but content should also be developed based on its ability to inspire sharing. What would you consider sharing with friends? Funny, cute, inspiring, wise and money-saving posts are some that come to mind.

Ready to tackle a comprehensive social media marketing strategy? Call an expert that doesn’t need a cheat sheet to show returns on social media investments. Call AR & Co. PR & Marketing.

According to a report by Ragan’s PR Daily, HP has just become the first to hit the 1 million mark on social media site LinkedIn. The article shows that part of the company’s success comes from seeing the difference between LinkedIn and consumer-oriented social sites like Facebook.

“So, what’s different? For one thing, people on LinkedIn aren’t just accepting of posts about products, they welcome them. On Facebook, being too product-focused is a big no-no. LinkedIn users can’t wait to dive in to a discussion of the specifications of a new tablet or printer.

‘You can have more technical discussions,’ [Natalie Malaszenko, HP's vice president of digital marketing] says. ‘You can talk about your products in a very open way.’”

In other words, LinkedIn is a land of marketing opportunity.

The article argues an important point: not all social sites should be treated the same way. And clearly, if you nail the content for a given site, the PR pay-off is huge.

How are you managing your business’s content for various social sites like Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn?

Need help navigating the social sphere? Contact the social media whizzes at AR & Co. PR & Marketing.

Get Your Brand on Vine

Video has again killed the radio star. That is to say, moving pictures have again trumped still photos. At least according to the overnight popularity of the new Twitter app called Vine that enables short, six second video clips to loop and be easily shared via Facebook and Twitter.

“Like Tweets, the brevity of videos on Vine (6 seconds or less) inspires creativity,” the Twitter site says.

What does it mean for marketing your business? As with any other social media network or app, Vine offers a new medium and mode of sharing your brand with your market. The particular appeal of this app is that it makes video—which is a preferred medium—easier and more convenient to view in the places where your market spends its time. Instead of taking viewers to Youtube or some other platform, they can view the video right where they are, on Twitter or on Facebook. This makes it more likely that people will watch, and since the 6 second window of opportunity is so small, their brains will have downloaded your marketing message before they blink twice.

The question is: how will you use your time in the limelight to make an impact on your bottom line? Sneak preview a new product? Demo? A short How-To? The options are limitless. The video shown here offers some inspiration to mini-filmmakers in all of us. For tips on how to bring your brand to life on social media, contact the “A-Team” pros at AR & Co.

As your company makes marketing plans to get more exposure and make more money for 2013, consider the idea of giving, that you may receive. Supporting charitable events and organizations could pay off for you in the long run, if you take steps to make the most from giving.

1.      Choose events with high visibility. If you have the dollars to give, select events and charities that are very popular or highly publicized, that way your logo will benefit from the publicity of event banners, commercials, ads and more.

2.      Toot your own horn. Distribute a press release to the media and announce on your website, blog and other channels that you have chosen to support the charitable organization. Increased publicity improves brand recognition and eventually sales.

3.      Say ‘Cheese.’ Attending fundraiser galas is great for the hosting organization. It’s also great for your business in that it allows you the chance for photo ops with local magazines covering the event, and opens the door to mingling with other movers and shakers who may just have an interest in your company.

4.      Join the Board. Time is a precious thing. But if you donate some of yours to a charitable organization by volunteering on the board, the investment may pay off. Add your title as board member to your bio to boost your professional resume. Volunteer strategically. If, for instance, you are looking for more medical industry clients, perhaps sitting on the community health board will put you in touch with potential leads.

5.      Get some attention. A marketing team like that at AR & Co. PR & Marketing can help you craft a message about your company’s charitable efforts and then convert that message into unpaid editorial coverage, community awards and accolades, and increased visibility with a comprehensive campaign consisting of press releases, social media, professional pitches, awards applications and more.

Check out the AR & Co. website or call the “A-Team” today to see how charitable ventures could become profitable for you.

Black Thursday and Cyber Monday may be behind us, but there are still over 20 days left to make the most of holiday marketing. Consider these tips and persuade your target market to bring you their business this season.

1.      Give and You Shall Receive

Whether it’s free shipping or gift-wrapping included, whether you donate to a charity or offer no-questions-asked returns, giving a little can result in big returns for your business. Customers will appreciate the gesture and repay you with purchases, loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing.

2.      Gimme Gimmicks

Everyone wants to participate in the holiday cheer. The other day, a Starbucks barista asked me if I wanted to buy a tumbler to receive 30 days of free coffee. Even though I was holding my own tumbler, and do not frequent Starbucks enough for the deal to be worth it, I almost caved when she said it was their 12 Days of Christmas deal for that day, and it ended in ten minutes. Why did it (almost) work? There was a cheery gimmick, there was urgency and there was value. Think about incorporating those golden rules into your holiday deals, whether on Facebook, in the store or in email newsletters and ads.

3.      Be Jolly

Parties, open houses, free samples, free demonstrations, swag: all of these things tell passing consumers that they are going to have more fun and get more value from shopping at your business than at the one next door. Lure in shoppers with free jolly festivities, and just watch as the merriment adds up to more sales. (The Trader Joe’s sample station is working proof of this for me.)

4.      Put a Bow on it

Sometimes it really is the packaging that makes all the difference. Hire a marketing pro, like those at AR & Co. PR & Marketing, to revamp your holiday newsletter, rethink a promo poster or mastermind new packaging for a special gift set, and make an impression on your target market this season.