The Leader In Marketing Adventure.

Now, more than ever, a fragmented approach costs your organization money and market share.

WELD unifies strategy, content and application to achieve a rapid and measurable return on your marketing investment.

integrated_digital_marketing_west_virginia

Integrated Digital Marketing. Get results in 120 days. Be The Hero.


Archive for June, 2009

The Never-Ending Search Game

Friday, June 26th, 2009 by Reid Williams
Image by Danard Vincente/Flickr Creative Commons

Image by Danard Vincente/Flickr Creative Commons

Just about everybody that follows the web biz knows that Google serves the lion’s share of search queries. But how well do you know the breakdown of the rest of the search market?

Frankly, I was surprised by last month’s figures. I wonder if you wouldn’t be, too.

Here’s a fun test: Based on the May 2009 figures from comScore, see if you can put the following websites in order, from largest to smallest, on the number of search queries each handled for the month.

They are, in no particular order, Craigslist, Google, YouTube, Yahoo, Microsoft Live, AOL, eBay, Facebook, and Amazon.

Ready? Go. (more…)

When Work Blurs The Line With Life and Play

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 by Reid Williams

One goal every person on the WELD team shares is to maintain a healthy balance between work and play.

We’ve each taken the hard road in life, trying to turn what we’re good at and passionate about — the active, outdoor lifestyle, communication and technology — into a successful business.

The WELD team recently wrapped up a web build and content production for a client in economic development — The Woodlands — and it does a good job of reminding us why we chase that dream here in Southern West Virginia.

What comes to mind when you think of West Virginia? (more…)

What Is An ‘Agency,’ Really?

Friday, June 5th, 2009 by Reid Williams

WELD is by no means an “advertising agency” in the traditional sense. We do strive, however, to redefine what it means to be an “agency.”

What’s the definition of an agency?

Historically, we’re talking about the one-stop-shop for advertising and marketing, an organization capable of media buys (think TV spots and billboards), market strategy and campaign planning, and producing the creative content and/or orchestrating that work among specialty shops.

But little guys like us, we can’t do all that.

We’re probably best categorized along the lines of one of those boutiques, given our specialization in the digital space.

There’s another definition of agency we like, though. (more…)

Who’s The Mini-Marketer In The Cape?

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 by Reid Williams

mini-marketerSome people have asked about the “superhero” who appears in the banner graphic that greets you on this website. Should we reveal his secret identity?

First, we hope you’ll indulge us in a quick fairytale to elucidate the images:

There once was an ambitious young man who decided he wanted to go to the moon.

Looking off into the distance, he set his sights on his goal. He calculated the number of steps it would take, the supplies he would need to get there and the obstacles that might get in his way.

Perhaps most important of all, he determined the critical test that would tell him when he had arrived.

He had been told that, with anything worth doing, begin with the end in mind and decide, before your first move, how you will measure completion and success.

The young man, now with plans in hand, set to work building the bridge to his objective. (more…)

10 Reasons People Give Their Attention

Monday, June 1st, 2009 by Reid Williams
Image by Stephen Poff/Flickr Creative Commons

Image by Stephen Poff/Flickr Creative Commons

There are lots of “economies” people keep talking about — the “new” economy, the Internet economy, the “knowledge” economy, and so on. But with marketing, there’s only one that matters.

It’s the attention economy.

We’re all bombarded by messages, all day. Our problem is not a shortage of information, but our ability to filter it.

There’s a limit to our attention span and the energy it takes to focus. That scarcity puts a premium on a marketer’s ability to engage and captivate an audience.

What we forget is that attention is a trade-off, and the audience only gives when they get something back.

Answering the question of “What’s in it for me?” - subtly or directly - is paramount if you are to transact.

So, when WELD produces content, these are the 10 reasons we consider and ask ourselves, “Why would anyone pay any attention to this?” (more…)