It is no secret. The world has changed. The way people do business has shifted. How are businesses going to take advantage of this shift? More importantly, what is the modern ad agency doing to help bridge the gap in the fast changing world?

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Today, marketing reach has become a cat and mouse game. In a world where consumers and other purchasing decision makers only have to go to Google to research their options, businesses are realizing that traditional messaging platforms are becoming less and less effective. The fact is, people want to make a purchasing decision – they no longer want to be “sold to.” This is where the modern ad agency comes in to help businesses get found and make it easy for their prospective clients and customers to make an informed purchasing decision.

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While the medium is advanced, the approach is as “old school” as it gets. What is the approach? Simple. The approach is in building a relationship with your prospective client. It is easier than ever when you know how to leverage the right tools in Search Engine Marketing, Social Media, and other interactive methods. When you are ready to take your business into the modern era of marketing and advertising, be sure that your ad agency is on the cutting-edge of these interactive technologies. It is not enough to buy TV spots! Enjoy the following video about the modern ad agency. As always, feel free to contact three sixty solutions when you are ready to learn more.

The biggest players in the world of search engines are now making a move for Twitter domination! Not too long ago, we saw a brilliant move by Microsoft’s Bing, which made a partnership with Yahoo, to work out a deal with Twitter to have access to Twitter’s database, which would include Tweets in its search engine. As it turns out, there will be no exclusive deal between Twitter and Bing.

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In the last week, Google, the dominant player in the search engine market, made a deal to gain the same access to Twitter’s backend. Coming soon: a new blended search that will not only include local maps, YouTube Videos, and standard websites, but Twitter tweets as well! If this doesn’t spell out the importance of social media, we don’t know what will. There has been a long-standing debate as to the relevance of social media strategy, as it relates to search engine optimization (SEO) and online marketing. That debate is over with the marriage of search engines to social media. Now, we must all grab a good seat to see what happens next. More importantly, it is time to start paying attention to Twitter’s next move to monetize their huge footprint. Beyond that, it will be no surprise to see Google or Microsoft buy Twitter for a large sum.

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To see Google’s Annoncement, click here.

When the day is done, marketing is little more than enhanced “word of mouth.” Considering all the new mediums in which we promote our businesses, it is becoming more and more evident that there is a need for business owners to get educated on ways to increase their reach. Just because one method of marketing worked at one time doesn’t mean that it is as relevant today as it used to be.

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three sixty solutions put together a fun and short video that highlights the evolution of marketing and illustrates the importance of paying attention to the trends. whether you call it the new media, social media, or Web 2.0, the future is here. Businesses on the forefront are reaching loyal customers, while those who stand aside are fading. The good news is that the new era has only just begun.You may even notice, three sixty solutions is reaching out to savvy loyal customers with the social media. This YouTube video is just another example of how interactive marketing builds loyalty.

Facebook. A topic of constant discussion lately. Social media marketing is hot. All over the world – whether you are in Chicago, Sydney, or Austin, internet marketing and SEO companies, like three sixty solutions, have been preaching the benefits of social media for years. Today, it is mainstream and many businesses want in. Guess what? It is still just as easy as ever to grab your piece of the social media real estate and get heard. Today, three sixty solutions would like to share 5 important tips to get the most out of Facebook…-

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The Good People at DuctTapeMarketing.com put together some great tips that will help build a strong Facebook strategy for your business.

1. Fan page – Facebook had personal profiles and groups from the start, but a few months ago they added to the function called fan pages and made them more business friendly. Any business on Facebook should create a fan page for their business and start optimizing additional content there. The cool thing about fan pages is that it’s now a lot like having another web site. You can add applications, newsletter sign-up pages and events and promote them to your friends on Facebook. When someone becomes a fan of your page, your updates on the page show up on their wall giving additional exposure.

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2. Custom HTML – this one’s a little more technical but when you create a fan page you will see that your page comes with tabs for various categories of content you create (each tab has it’s own URL so you can promote each section on your fan page around the web). Using the Facebook Mark-up Language (FBML) you can create custom boxes of HTML content, like newsletter sign-up pages, blog RSS feeds, and white paper downloads just like you might on your web site. FBML is a Facebook application you can get here. I’ve also done a quick little video showing you how to add FBML custom HTML here.

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3. Special content – Give your Facebook fans a little something extra they might not find on your blog or web site. Upload images from your PowerPoint presentations, articles from the local publication you contribute to, or on the fly videos created using the Facebook video application. You’re bound to find some crossover from other social networks like twitter, so give the Facebook users something unique.

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4. Events, videos and apps – Use the heck out of all of the Facebook applications. Promote events, upload or record video, hold contests and polls. All of this extra engagement is so easy to do using pre-built tools. And don’t forget to integrate your Facebook activity back to your web site and blog using a Facebook Fan Box.

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5. Ads for awareness – Facebook has built one of the better ad targeting tools going. You can target ads to Facebook members on all kinds of criteria and run pretty low cost campaigns. The trick though is to run campaigns that are compelling and promote your FaceBook Fan Page instead of trying to sell something. Promote your white paper, events, and educational content – create awareness about your great content and your will get the chance to earn the trust it takes to actually sell something to someone.

What is social media? We all wonder and we all act as though we know the answer. Truth is, it is a very confusing subject. We even hear it referred to in the same sentence as web 2.o. If only there were an easy to follow explanation of how it works and what the benefits of “going social” actually are! It is clear that many businesses who are adapting social media strategies are gaining droves of loyal customers. We hear these success stories in the news on a regular basis. Let’s clear the air and clarify why this whole social media thing is all about – in plain English…

This short and entertaining video we found on YouTube will explain everything. After you finish it, get in touch with one of our internet marketing/social media experts, here in Austin. We’d love to assist you in your social media strategy!