Entrepreneur, June 1, 2016 -- Social media marketing is still a new business tool, relatively speaking. There’s no magic formula for success, and the potential benefits of your efforts are broad and not entirely predictable.

That promise is appealing, especially to young entrepreneurs, but results don’t come automatically -- even if you have a solid strategic foundation for your campaign. In fact, it requires a tremendous amount of planning, effort and refinement before you start to see results. And in most cases, the tools and features offered by social media platforms straightaway aren’t typically enough to give you the edge you need.

Social media operates in a hyper-competitive arena, and if you want to stay alive, you’re going to have to use the newest tools to support your efforts.

The key measure of success in social media, as in most other forms of marketing, is your overall return on investment (ROI). When most people think about ROI, they focus on the return they’re getting, and how to improve it.

They help you work more efficiently, to reduce the amount of time and money you expend in managing a campaign, and increase the power of everything you create or direct. In theory, at least, this should boost the potential of every dollar or hour you put in.

Related: 6 Tools to Develop an Outstanding Social Media Marketing Strategy

With those goals in mind, we want to show you five incredibly powerful up-and-coming social media tools you should be using to enhance your campaign:

1. Notifier.

One of the biggest trends in social media marketing right now is influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is the art of engaging with prominent authorities to earn more visibility for your posts and brand.Notifier is a tool that helps automate and improve your influencer relationships. By plugging in your content, it will automatically search it for references you’ve made to other brands, and pull up their social information so you can notify them that you’ve cited them. This gives you an “in” for engaging with new influencers, streamlining your influencer marketing campaign.

2. Real Geeks’ Facebook Marketing Tool.

If you’ve ever been intimidated or frustrated by the process of Facebook advertising, but are convinced of the potential value there,Real Geeks’ Facebook marketing tool is perfect for you. Designed for realtors, the tool connects your Facebook ad campaign directly to your website. From there, it automatically pulls data (such as home listings, images, etc.) and generates the type of ads that tend to generate the best results. You’ll be able to monitor and adjust these ads before they go out, and create your own if you so desire. The tool also provides detailed, easy-to-follow reporting, so you can track your progress accurately.

3. SocialOomph.

SocialOomph doesn’t have a particularly fancy user experience layer, but its functionality is powerful. With this, you’ll be able to connect all your social media profiles into one area, schedule posts in advance, and even “bulk upload” updates to have them roll out periodically over a preset schedule. It’s fantastic if you’re in the business of content syndication (as you should be), and it offers a number of audience insight tools as well.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

6/22/2016, Entrepreneur -- Few marketing vehicles offer the advantages live events do. They provide unmatched opportunities for customers and prospects to touch, demo and otherwise interact with a product. Events facilitate relationship- and community-building with like-minded individuals, and enable brands to create a “brain-washing chamber” where they have complete control over the environment and messaging.

Related: Online Marketing Gets All the Buzz But Check Out the ROI for Live Events

Plus, live events are custom made for photo-sharing on social networks.

It is probably no coincidence, then, that event planning is one of the fastest growing career categories in the United States, projected to grow at three times the average job growth over the next ten years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Here are some time-tested professional tips for successfully marketing your brand through live events.

1. Set clear, measurable goals.

It’s shocking how often this doesn’t happen, but without articulating event objectives, how will you know if your event was successful? If you’re having trouble with this, consider this perspective: What action(s) do you want people to take post-event? What circumstances or outcomes would lead you to absolutely not want to host the event again? What outcomes would prompt you to guarantee you'll host it again? Or, what do you want attendees to think about your brand after this event, and how does that differ from their current perception, if at all?

2. Build an easy narrative for guests to share.

Think about what you want attendees to say about your brand when they leave your event. The text should be like an elevator speech: short, easy to understand and compelling. (There’s a reason why so many startups explain their companies with references like, “We’re like Uber -- but for baby sitters": It's easy for people to grasp.)  Every element of the event should be designed to support this message. The goal is not just for on-site attendees to understand your story, but also to enable them to easily share that story with others. Likewise, avoid anything that might detract from it, or confuse people, such as a branded giveaway that doesn't clearly reinforce your narrative.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

April 2, 2018, Omaha, NE - Introducing ROCK-N-REV Sales and Marketing, the new rep firm created by 12-volt Veteran & Pesonality Jeff (Boody) Budin. ROCK-N-REV will service the Midwest states of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Southern Illinios. Boody will take with him all the lines previously held by David Gill’s SMS INC. “Jeff has been a staple part of the SMS INC rep firm for over 13 years," said Gill. “He will be sorely missed, but this was a decision we both agreed would be the best for both parties. I wish Jeff nothing but the best on this new venture.”

Boody’s Garage ROCK-N-REV Sales and Marketing will operate through its home office in Papillion, NE, offering such lines as ATREND, BOYO, Bazooka, Cerwin Vega / Diamond Audio, and all the DB RESEACH Lines such as DB-DRIVE..etc, DUAL Audio / Axxera, REIKKEN, Rocky Mountain Radar, DEI and SAVV Multimedia. Jeff will also service the home C.E. lines from MTX/Atlas, SWANN Home Security and SPECTRA Portable.

“I am excited to get the ball rolling,” Budin said. “Dave has taught me a ton about the rep business and I give him a lot of credit for putting up with me for over 13 years. He supported me through the best of times and the worst of times. I love the guy, but it was just time for me to branch out on my own.”    

For more information on ROCK-N-REV Sales and Marketing, contact Boody at 402-578-9894 or email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..Y">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also follow Jeff on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rocknrevsales or www.facebook.com/boodysgarage

STILLWATER, USA – KICKER®, the audio brand produced by Stillwater Designs® of Stillwater, Oklahoma, is pleased to announce the Crossover Marketing Group (Portland, Ore.) as its newest Sales Representative firm in the Pacific Northwest. They will service authorized KICKER dealers in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.

“We wanted a firm that focused on KICKER and wanted to concentrate on forging deep relationships with KICKER dealers in the region,” said Tracy Focht, KICKER’s Western Regional Sales Manager. “Crossover is extremely relationship driven. They are dedicated to working hand-in-hand with retailers.”

Focusing on quality over quantity, Crossover Marketing principal Rob Sutton is committed to a select line card and defining his company’s direction as “an old-school approach with a 21st-century back end.” Sutton said he believes representing KICKER is something to aspire to, highlighting the people as much as keeping the brand’s 51-year legacy flourishing.

“I managed reps for decades,” Sutton said. “We want to reinvigorate what we think reps should do. That means no pressure – a true partnership that focuses on being there for the dealer. We will provide a personal touch to as many people as we can. It’s about service.”

“I’ve gotten to know Rob over the past year,” Focht said. “He has decades of 12-volt experience at the manufacturer, distribution, and retail levels, plus his reputation is second to none. After listening to the dealers and how excited they are, Crossover was the natural choice.”

KICKER Performance Audio products, a division of Stillwater Designs and Audio, Inc., are available for the mobile and home audio aftermarket at authorized retailers worldwide, and also as Original Equipment for boat and automobile manufacturers. Consumers seeking more information on KICKER or Livin’ Loud® may call the Consumer Information Line at 1-800-256-5425 or visit the brand website at www.kicker.com. Consumers can follow KICKER socially at Facebook.com/kickeraudio, Twitter.com/kickeraudio, Instagram.com/kickeraudio, or Pinterest.com/kickeraudio, and use the hashtags #kickeraudio and #livinloud.

RINGWOOD, IL – October 16, 2023

Race Sport Lighting is proud to introduce Synergy Marketing as their new 12-Volt representative firm for the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Synergy Marketing will play a crucial role in growing Race Sport Lighting products across the Southwest Territory. David Toliver is based in Houston, and Tim Crawford is based in the DFW area. Keep an eye out as Synergy Marketing is eager to hit the ground running and light up the territory! The new firm will be traveling with Ignacio Ayala, Race Sport Lightings Product Specialist, the week of October 23rd . They will be showing off some of the new USPTO patented and made in USA professional grade lighting technologies, and more.

“I am so excited to have such an experienced and focused rep firm help Race Sport Lighting in our expansion in these key T.O.L.A. states. Synergy Marketing is a perfect fit to bring our full line of lighting technologies to the territory.  They are established, experienced in the lighting category, and excited to be part of Race Sport Lighting, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Synergy Marketing Agency to bring their resellers the lighting solutions they need”. – Steve Jergensen, President of Race Sport Lighting

“We now have a full line of LED lighting offerings and solutions for our dealers and distributors in 12-Volt, Marine, Motorcycle, and Powersports. Race Sport Lighting has some amazing technologies and tools for our accounts that make lighting a huge profit center for their stores. We look forward to a long successful relationship”. - David Toliver, Principal of Synergy Marketing

About Synergy Marketing

Synergy Marketing Agency is a Manufacturer’s Representative focused in the 12-Volt Consumer Electronic Industry. Synergy has grown to be known as a trusted rep firm in the industry. Using their collective 25+ years of professional experience, they provide proven results for their manufacturers and retailers by leveraging their relationships to provide optimal product distribution, placement, and promotion. Visit https://www.synergyagency.net/ to learn more.

Race Sport Lighting is the leading manufacturer of LED and HID lighting technology in North America, and serves the 12-Volt, Truck Accessory, Powersports, Motorcycle, Marine, and RV industries primarily. Founded in 2007, Race Sport Lighting is going on for 16+ years leading the way as the Pioneer for the lighting category. They offer the highest quality lighting products to industry and back it up with award-winning customer service and tech support. This reputation has earned them the position of Preferred Lighting Vendor for several buying groups in the industries they serve.

Good news, fellow marketers: Email is not dead.

Indeed, the ROI for email is more than $40 per dollar spent, a return higher than any other marketing channel, according to the Direct Marketing Association.

While email isn’t dead, one thing is clear: The email newsletter is a dinosaur. Emails that mimic print newsletters of yesteryear are bulky, lumbering and sometimes monstrous in size. But like the T-Rex’s stunted arms, the reach is tiny. These newsletters try to accomplish too much, and in the end, they do very little to drive results.

Why email marketing needs to evolve:

Our attention spans are shorter. The average adult’s attention span is down to just 8 seconds (That’s less than that of a goldfish.)

Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/232266.