Blog

On the 12th day of Christmas MAX Advertising gave to me… 12 Tweets-a-Twittering!

On the 11th day of Christmas MAX Advertising gave to me 11 Facebooks-a-liking! Check out these top branded pages we just can’t stop looking at.

Whether you’re at home sitting around the fire or avoiding doing anything at work, here’s a list of 10 blogs that will keep you entertained and busy for hours.

While skimming through PR Daily this morning I came across a study that looked at social media usage. Coming from someone who has been working in the PR and advertising industry these stats baffle me.

On the 9th day of Christmas MAX Advertising gave to me… 9 apps to download! As much fun as 9 Ladies Dancing may be, we think 9 apps might be better.

The holidays are rapidly approaching, which means lots of evenings with friends, family and sitting on Santa’s lap. Make sure to capture those moments and share the pictures using these photo storage and sharing sites to make all your friends jealous!

On the 7th day of Christmas MAX Advertising gave to me… 7 ways to listen to Christmas music!

On the 6th day of Christmas MAX Advertising gave to me 6 Geese-a-laying! Okay, maybe not. How about 6 awesome places to check-in this holiday season?

MAX is sharing with you the five best, most watched videos of 2011 that we love.

The newest thing in social media, Google+ allows you to connect with other people and businesses to stay on top of everything going on. Here are four Google+ pages we like to visit.

Here are some great sites to visit to waste some time and get through those slow days (just don’t tell your boss we told you about these)!

On the second tweet of Christmas MAX Advertising gave to me… two turtle doves? Or two awesome discount websites! Skip the crowds at the mall and save some cash by shopping these Atlanta deal websites.

We’re spreading the holiday cheer this year by giving one lucky social media addict a $50 Amazon gift card. “Like” us on Facebook, add us to your circle on Google+ or use the hashtag #12DaysOfMAXmas in a tweet for a chance to win!

MAX is getting everyone in the holiday spirit again this year with the 12 Tweets of Christmas! Starting Monday, we will be sharing cool tips, tricks and things we love every day until Christmas. Spread some holiday cheer by following us on Twitter, “Liking” us on Facebook or adding us…

Between my past internship and being here at MAX, I have been in an agency environment for roughly 6 months. With that being said, organization has become my best friend.

It’s that time of year again; Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Trust me, I’m just as surprised as you are. How is it already the week of Thanksgiving? How is it even November?

My name is Christine, and I am the newest member at MAX. I’ve done a little bit of everything so far, and what I gathered from the past few weeks is that I have the opportunity to learn so much from the people here.

What’s the big deal about the ability to make one of these pages for your company? After all, it’s still in beta testing, so why the excitement? The concept could turn out to be a dud, but there are good reasons to think Google+ brand pages could grow into something big.

Some hospitals and medical facilities generate buzz in their communities and increase visibility of their marketing messages by giving away prizes through social media.

Facebook recently announced that it will be teaming up with Department of Labor and a handful of career agencies to help the unemployed find new employment. This initiative involves a new “Social Jobs” area on Facebook where candidates can access job-hunting tools as well as skills and educational training.

Along with keywords, there are many other ways to help your ranking, including keeping content fresh, and embedding videos and inbound links, just to name a few. Here are three quick trends that will help your law firm’s ranking.

Since I started my internship here at Max a month ago, I’ve noticed certain characteristics about the ad agency environment that are hard to find anywhere else.

Working with reporters is easier than you may think, and it is especially important when you are trying to get press coverage.

A recent survey from LivingSocial indicates that there are as many carnivores as herbivores, and that the economy isn’t having as large of an impact on Americans’ eating out as one might think.

How can you use this tool to your law firm’s advantage, and how is it different from your current social media analytics?

Quality Wine and Spirits has been putting on the annual Holiday Show for 11 years now and every year it continues to grow and get better and better.

What many don’t realize is that there can be benefits to receiving negative feedback. By learning something you or your firm is doing falls short of its intended goal, you can correct it and make it better.

New and better practices are in order from banks to help rebuild public trust. But all the new policies in the world won’t make a bit of difference if no one knows about them.

In today’s competitive market place, some restaurants try too hard to please everyone and end pleasing none. Why do people go out to eat?  People go to restaurants to enjoy a good meal, something you don’t normally eat or cook yourself. They also go for the atmosphere, and to dine without…

Facebook, and more specifically photos on your Facebook page, can be a good way for your business to get further exposure and improve your search engine optimization. I recently found this incredibly comprehensive, and frankly very LONG, post on ways to get more from your Facebook page. It’s chock full…

When it comes to marketing your hospital’s foundation, there are a variety of approaches you can take.

Whether you are in a CON state or not, whether you are not-for-profit or for-profit hospital system, marketing your services will always be a critical part of your strategy to gain patients and remain in the black.

When creating a new Website – or reworking an existing one – it’s important to make it easy to find information and give visitors multiple ways to interact with your law firm. Creating a website is a daunting task for any law firm. You can’t just snap your fingers one…

Facebook hacking has become a common theme in news stories. These steps will help protect you from unlawful Facebook intruders. Safeguard social media.

Smart phones & iPads are making their way into the food and beverage industry. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Your Website should give valuable information about what your company is all about and the services or products you provide, but people have to find it first, right? Don’t make visitors work to find you; creative use of social media can drive traffic right to your doorstep.

Before creating any marketing message, material or tactic, you should ALWAYS think about your audience first. Just because something informs – or amuses – you, doesn’t mean your audience will embrace it.

There’s always some risk in any new marketing effort. You can increase awareness and buzz by offering discounts, but once those customers walk through the door, it’s important to focus on providing the best service and creating an environment where customers feel comfortable and can find what they want.

For some hospitals and health practices, new and improved imaging technology is the defining differentiator in a competitive market.

Medical professionals in the Atlanta area can benefit greatly from using social media to build awareness and create loyalty among your patients, referral sources and future patients, but not too many Atlanta-based healthcare organizations are using this strategy yet.

Calling all Atlanta-based law firms! I have a new tool to keep you above the competition. Twitter has entered the URL shortening market with its own addition, t.co.

A new consumer packaged goods review site launched today in beta version, which resembles the idea of Yelp, in that it allows consumers to rate products online. Great new site for Atanta-based restaurants and CPG companies.

Follow these rules on SEO and get your Atlanta financial services firm’s website ranked higher on search queries in no time!   Search Engine optimization allows for people to easily find your firm’s site. Getting your website optimized usually only means making some small modifications. The following is a list…

Industry-specific social networking sites can help your Atlanta-based firm reach your audiences with the right marketing message as well as network with professionals in the legal industry in you community.

With the creative use of hashtags, your Tweets will be read by more people and your financial firm will gain much more exposure in the market.

When pitching story ideas to healthcare reporters in the Atlanta area, what are they really looking for?

In Georgia alone, 42 cities have started using the network with hundreds of restaurants taking advantage of this amazing tool. So I would say if you haven’t already, it’s definitely time to get on board!

I’ve often said that content is king, but I’d like to add that “client-focused” content is emperor. If your Atlanta law firm’s site is too firm-centric, it may turn off potential clients.

Are you ready to add social media to your marketing mix but worried about doing something wrong? Steer clear of these common issues and you’ll soon be seeing a great return from your social media investment.

Just getting on social media won’t change the reputation of your Atlanta bank or credit union overnight. It does, however, give you a whole new way to reach out to your Atlanta customers and potential customers, which is invaluable.

The big question is will children and parents abandon the food products in Atlanta that they love if the brand is given a more generic look? Or would it make more sense all around to simply change the product to make it healthier?

Waking up at the buttcrack of dawn to battle Atlanta morning traffic for the first time ever to start a “real” job for the first time ever; I must admit, I was pretty overwhelmed.

Though I do have a love for advertising, I wouldn’t argue that the ability to fast forward through television commercials is one of the best developments in technology history. Or that the best thing about magazines is how easy it is to ignore the pages upon pages of advertisements by…

With every piece of valuable content you write for the Web, you should put that much effort (maybe more) into marketing it for your Atlanta law firm. Just because you’ve written an incredible post on current Atlanta legal trends doesn’t mean people are going to read it. Your ideal readers…

Writing and publishing press releases online is more than a way for hospitals to communicate information; it can also bring more patients to your Web site and to your hospital. Search engines look for information from sources other than your Website to establish your hospital’s legitimacy. When they see your…

Social media has become a powerful tool in the professional services world. Many very successful Atlanta-based financial services firms are using it to develop professional connections with colleagues, attract new clients and deepen relationships with existing clients. If you’re still thinking of social media as merely a time-waster for teenagers,…

People are always looking for the next big thing, whether it be in technology, movies or the food and beverage industry. What genre of cuisine is going to capture our imaginations and palettes next? And what will we use to wash down that trendy new food in that Atlanta restaurant?…

Ever loved an ad at first, but grew to hate it after seeing it far too many times? The solution may have been found in a new breed of campaigns.

By adding inbound marketing tactics to your Atlanta law firm’s more traditional outbound methods, you can reach more prospects and turn them into real clients. Everyone is familiar with the idea of outbound – or traditional – marketing, where messages are pushed out to customers with the goal of turning…

Here’s one more reason to be active on social media: Your social media activity is now taken into consideration by Google when determining what pages get ranked the highest for your financial services website. Originally Google ranked sites by using information such as how many traditional links you have, the…

The new wave of social media has forced businesses to get creative in reaching their consumers. They know that if they do not keep up with the ever-changing trends, their business will ultimately suffer.

Usability is critical to a Website’s success. If yours is hard to navigate, it reflects poorly on your Atlanta financial services firm and prospects won’t stick around. Web design expert, Jakob Nielsen states that, ”Web design is not a matter of taste or aesthetics — it’s a matter of science…what…

While it is important to know your target audience and direct the message towards that target, picking multiple extremely narrow targets and throwing them into one ad does not constitute an effective ad.

Many of us now use smart phones to access tons of information. Atlanta law firms should be no exception. Raise your hand if you have a smart phone within three feet right now? How many of you never get more than three feet from your smart phone at any point…

The other day it struck me that the reason I know about cool technology advances or nifty tools online is because of my sons. They are smack in the middle of the age group referred to as “Millennials.” If you have done any research on this generation you know why they are the ones who are teaching the rest of us about all things technological and social.

Creating a “label,” or recognized brand, for your law firm will increase your credibility and clientele base.

With all of the media outlets, this truly is a digital, royal wedding of the millennium. So make sure you get to your blogs and Twitter streams this Friday so you don’t miss a second of the festivities!

By thinking outside of the box and getting creative, your Atlanta law firm can make a big impression and win new business too.

Well-placed white space helps readers know what to read first, allows them to rest from time to time, and even gives your materials a touch of elegance.

Take to your Twitter and Facebook feeds and dive into this new food market. It’s definitely an easy meal to make – it’s right around the corner, parked on the street. Eat up.

If your Atlanta law firm is ignoring women in your social media efforts, do so at your own peril.

It’s important to include certain social media tools in your law firm’s blog to drive more traffic and make it easier to share your ideas.

This just in! LinkedIn announced earlier this week that they now have more than 100,000,000 users. Just to put that into a bit of perspective, if you were to stack 100 million business cards in a pile, it would reach 98,425 feet, according to Read Write Enterprise. You’d pass Mt. Everest at 29,029 feet. Let’s just say, it’s a whole lot of business professionals in one place.

How many national nonprofits are still struggling with a silo mentality when it comes to their marketing efforts? How do these walls affect a donor’s experience and the messaging they receive? I wonder if these functional silos still exist because the same people remain in charge of the organization for years, and they get tired of fighting internal battles. It is best to just let each department do their own thing and not make a fuss. In the end, each staff person is responsible for meeting specific goals and bringing in certain revenues. They tend to be risk-avoidant and are nervous about impacting their program. If the bottom line is affected, it may not be worth it in their minds.

Participating in trade shows can be a great way to increase exposure for your law firm and the services you provide. But to get the most from the experience, make sure you create a plan ahead of time so you are well prepared.

Online press releases are another great way to market your Atlanta law firm. They are short, easy to write, and they won’t take up much of your time. Considering the potential boost in search engine results for your law firm, they are definitely worth the effort.

The time has come for you to look for a new agency to help with your marketing plans. Maybe you’ve decided to divide the labor this year and find someone that can help with your social media or just your direct mail acquisition strategy. Rather than work with one agency,…

LinkedIn is becoming the social network of choice for some of Atlanta’s top law firm marketers.

Compared to all the addicts in the news lately – Charlie Sheen, Lindsey Lohan, et al., my current addiction to Twitter and all things social is pretty tame.

Your logo is a visual representation of your law firm, and it should be recognizable, consistent and memorable.

Now I’m not saying to Tweet just to say, “my breakfast was wonderful today!” because guess what, if you aren’t Lady Gaga, no one cares. Tweet and blog about things you are passionate about, showcase your writing and communication skills.

During my years as an undergrad studying to be a graphic designer, I was under strict instruction to adhere to “the rules” of design. Here are some of the biggies:

The names given to online pressrooms vary greatly, from simply “Media Room” to more audience-focused titles like “Reporter Resources.” But the content is essentially the same. Here are ten tips to assist you in designing an effective and interesting site. Review leading industry Web sites to find unique and effective…

For those of us considered “creatives,” I wonder when the line on what we do shifts from clever to slimey? Are we creating entertaining spots that sell or simply pandering to the spineless to make a buck?

Maybe it’s time to take a bigger bite with a new product launch. Change cannot just be a good thing. It can be a profitable thing too.

It being my first time overseas, I had to become quickly flexible to the different cultures and etiquette in fear of being rude or too “touristy.”  Overall I had an amazing time in Europe and for those of you who have been there, you might relate to some of my…

No matter what budget restrictions you may have in your healthcare marketing department, SEO development, content management, mobile optimization, as well as website tracking tools are four great steps to bring your website to the next level.

I recently went to Europe with three of my best friends. Needless to say we had an amazing and unforgettable time tearing up Europe one city at a time. We had three stops in ten days: Amsterdam, Paris, and Madrid.

Tracking software on your website is a necessity to your healthcare marketing department and a great way to step up your site.

I once had a Vice President of Marketing, who oversaw our department at a major corporation, ask me how we thought up all of these ideas for ads. I knew our department was in trouble if the VP of Marketing didn’t understand the creative process. She was left with amazement…

So it was Friday-the calm before the storm-and everyone was warning us southerners about the huge snowstorm that was coming our way.

I asked around for recommendations and decided on Mr. Smith.

The time has come once again-that “slow-motion” time between Christmas and New Years-at your company. For every company it’s different. Some companies shut down for a week (or maybe even two), employees are out of the office, offices get cleaned, emails get cleaned out, work slows down, etc. Here at…

Instead of 4 calling birds we have “11 Tweets-A-Twittering.” Follow these suggestions on Twitter and you will never be bored again!

Being part of the media world, we know how important and addicting social media outlets are in staying in touch with friends, family, clients, favorite things, etc. So when you are sitting and admiring the chestnuts roasting on the open fire, pull up these top 10 Facebook pages and become a fan.

9 Ladies Dancing? No, it’s “9 Bloggers Blogging!” We have put together a list of 9 of our favorite blogs to follow so that when you start to feel a little disconnected from being at home for the holidays, you can stay in touch with what’s happening outside of the eggnog and cookies.

Instead of 8 Maids A Milking, how about “8 SEO Tips-A-Suggesting” to make sure your company website is up to par. The holidays are getting closer each day which means more time at the mall and less time trying to optimize your company’s website. These 8 general SEO tips will definitely help you optimize your website.

What’s more fun that watching 7 Swans A Swimming? “7 Tumblrs Tumbling” Tumblr allows anyone to share information effortlessly through blogging. So in the spirit of Christmas being about sharing and giving, we have put together a list of the best tumblr blogs to follow for the “7th Tweet of Christmas”

6 Geese-a-Laying or rather, “6 Discount websites-a-streaming.” So Christmas is right around the corner and you have no presents. Don’t worry because our 6th Tweet of Christmas is here to save you! Here are our top 6 discount websites to visit.

5 GOLDEN RINGS…Or even better, “5 Golden THINGS” Trying to find some fun and holiday-themed activities to do in Atlanta? Check out MAX’s top five ideas.

And on the 4th day of Christmas my MAX buddies gave to me… “4 Leapers Leaping” (or falling in snow). This 4th day “tip” should give you some holiday laughs-check out these HILARIOUS Youtube videos.

On the 3rd Tweet of Christmas you received “3 LinkedIn-Tips-a-Teaching.” As a business professional, or maybe even someone looking for a job, make sure you have a LinkedIn profile to get yourself or business out there!

On the second Tweet of Christmas you received 2 Turtle Doves…I mean…“2 fonts-a-frolicking” This is for all of you designers out there!

MAX wanted to get everyone in the holiday spirit and spread some cheer by sending out the “12 Tweets of Christmas.” Every day until Christmas we will give you a free social media “tip” leading up to our last day-Christmas. Follow us on Twitter and “like us” on Facebook

A marketer goes “undercover” to see fundraising through donors’ eyes

Let the truth be known.  I have dedicated my career to marketing for the last 28 years and I could not be prouder.  As I hang with the youngsters in this industry, I watch their ability to catch the latest wave of new media and understand how it will help…

The Pros and Cons to Napping: When you get that “2:30″ feeling, don’t reach for the 5 Hour Energy shots, reach for a blanket and pillow.

Hey everyone, I’m the new MAX intern – Meghan Carfang. Read more about my cure for “Cabin Fever” and let me know your thoughts.

As hospital administrators know, successful healthcare marketing requires a little more finesse in its approach than a standard marketing plan.

We started off the week modeling/acting for a new “brain freeze” commercial.

So these days it’s not uncommon to find recent college graduates moving back home to live with their parents. I am among that crowd.

So the next time you are having one of those days where everyone seems to piss you off — and you know it happens — try to step outside of yourselves and exchange yourself with others!

Working in Atlanta has been a dream for me. Even though I sit in about an hour of traffic going to work and on my way home, I just find working in the big city a thrill.

I am an admitted Facebook stalker. Am I proud of that title? Not necessarily. Am I going to change my Facebook habits? Not on your life. I love Facebook.

Is the expense of branding really necessary for the legal profession? It’s a question partners face, often without benefit of an important fact: Their firm is already branded by public perception – and possibly not in the way they would like. A few weeks ago, I was at a Legal…

So I have finished my first month here at MAX Advertising. Last Friday was officially 4 weeks! I have already learned so much; I learned how to put a media plan together, learned how to cut posters…kind of, how to write a direct mailer, and a lot more, too much…

By Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk, President of BBR Marketing
I’ve recently had a number of conversations with professional service providers and other marketing consultants on the topic of marketing spending

Last Friday was a day of firsts for me and for MAX Advertising.

Week 2 as the Max Advertising Intern.

Hospitals and medical centers in Georgia – and especially those in Atlanta – are sitting on a gold mine of marketing opportunities right now, and most don’t even know it. The time is right and the audience is ready. Be one of the first to strike, and you’re likely to…

By Rich Wilson, Creative Director, Big Scary Cranium
My how far we have come. I remember as a Creative Director for JWT back in 2007 talking to a marketing director for a very large company who had never even heard of Twitter, much less employed it as a marketing tool.

By Stacy Williams, President of Atlanta search engine marketing company Prominent Placement
Much has changed in social media in the last year and it’s time to re-align our social media sites and our search engine optimization goals.

As a web designer for MAX Advertising, I’ve been involved in many projects with all kinds of deadlines. I also enjoy cooking and face mealtime deadlines at home. Here’s an observation comparing client projects and cooking projects. This morning, for whatever reason, I had the urge to make a dish…

I feel like I am coming into Max Advertising at the perfect time. The company is re-branding as I am learning the ropes.

“Sometimes a little change can be a good thing.”