A very special welcome to Hana Schrand Bieliauskas, who joins Marketing Works today as an account coordinator! Hana, an Ohio University alum, has experience working in the agency and non-profit worlds in Columbus and Washington, DC. She will leverage her talents and skills in public affairs, media relations, writing and social media to help Marketing Works clients achieve their objectives!

A few nuggets about Hana!

- Actively volunteers with Komen for the Cure Columbus on the Communications Committee and Nationwide Children’s Hospital

- Majored in magazine journalism at Ohio University

- Enjoys running, spending time with friends, watching movies and reading

- Wanted to author children’s books when she was very young

Welcome Hana! We are glad to have you as part of the team!

We are proud to announce that Finance Fund has received $50 million in New Markets Tax Credit funding from the U.S. Department of Treasury! A long-time Marketing Works client, Finance Fund is a statewide organization that connects Ohio’s distressed urban and rural communities to funding resources that create and sustain jobs and improve quality of life.

This is the organization’s fifth round of New Markets funding and a 150% increase over the award it received in 2008. Finance Fund has previously received $75 million in New Markets Tax Credits, which it has leveraged to spark $212.2 million in funding – resulting in an investment in 26 projects.

The impact this funding has on all Ohioans is truly remarkable – leading to creation of more than 1,249 full-time jobs, 1,467 construction jobs, safe child care for 536 children and 431 units of for-sale housing.

Learn more about Finance Fund at www.financefund.org/blog! And, follow them on Twitter at @financefund.

Marketing Works is hiring! Description: Seeking an experienced account manager specializing in business-to-business strategic communications to implement integrated campaigns for multiple clients. Ideal candidates are self-motivated, passionate and relationship-oriented. Prior experience should include media relations, strong copywriting capabilities, marketing communications, and management of client relationships. Experience with new media and technology industry a plus.

Requirements: Qualified candidates will have a minimum of 5 years of practical business-to-business public relations experience, preferably in an agency in environment, and a degree in public relations, communications, journalism or a related field.

To Apply: Please e-mail a resume and cover letter to info@marketing-works.net

Marketing Works is an equal opportunity employer.

Contact Email: info@marketing-works.net

For many companies, tweeting has become an everyday occurrence and Facebook updates always seem to be on the ‘to do’ list. The evolution of social media has happened so fast, for many professionals, there is barely enough time to keep up. Networking has evolved to include social media tools, as people tweet about the latest marketing trends, blog about company’s latest success stories and share videos on Facebook and YouTube.

 This is all evidence the train of social media is not slowing down anytime soon. Now that social media has become the norm for most companies, where is the social media train heading next?

 
For many companies, 2009 was the year for social media to connect to their customers and key audiences.

As people continue to seek the human connection beyond the posts on their profiles, 2010 will be a crucial time for companies to use social media. In 2010 companies will use social media not only to inform but reach their clients. Social media gives companies a chance to build their client relations, more than just informing them on upcoming events and trends.

2010 will also be a year for companies to use social media as their marketing guru.  

Considering the growing number of people using some form of social media, it only makes sense to direct advertising to where your clients are. Social media provides a chance to promote your company without breaking the bank. Whether it is blogging about an upcoming event your company is having or tweeting about a new business venture, social media offers a great outlet to market your brand.

Social media has several possibilities in 2010, where will social media take your company? It is up to you!

Being from Columbus, Ohio, we are especially proud today to celebrate Columbus Day. This day is a federal holiday, celebrating Christopher Columbus’ exploration of the “New World.” It is celebrated throughout the world, in Europe and Latin America as well as the United States.

As we take a few moments today to reflect on Columbus’ journey across the Atlantic, we are reminded of the daily risks and new strides we can all take. How can we explore new places in our careers, families and communities? How will people, businesses and government be changed tomorrow because of our work today?

Brenda Stier-Anstine spoke on the topic of personal branding at today’s Hilliard Chamber of Commerce event. The very well attended lunch drew 80+ local business people from the area, who were all eager to learn more about the topcic. If you’d like a copy of the presentation, please e-mail Amy Polkovitch at polkovitcha@marketing-works.net.

A recent article in Defense Daily reported on how the Department of Defense is considering a ban on social networking sites for security reasons. The armed forces had reluctantly begun considering the use of social media , with the Army using MySpace for recruiting purposes. The potential ban is still being debated by officials.

Another recent article written by blogger David Coursey at PCWorld posed the question, “Should companies follow the marines and ban social media sites?” As companies are figuring out the nuances of how to use social media effectively without hindering productivity, this and other questions will continue to play an important role in the debate. What are your thoughts?

Watch Sandy Fekete and Brenda Stier-Anstine share their thoughts on getting results for our clients in this short, but informative video.

Mark your calendars for August 21, 2010. Brenda Stier-Anstine, president of Marketing Works, will speak at the Hilliard Chamber on the topic of personal branding. Attendees will learn about  strategies and objectives for building Brand YOU, including:

• Strong brand identities have evolved from something just for large corporations to an essential for each of us.
• Navigating the right approach to developing a personal brand for you doesn’t need to be overwhelming.
• Learn easy steps for building your own brand and dos and don’ts for maintaining Brand YOU.

For more information visit the Hilliard Chamber. See you there!

These days, the buzz is all about social media. Much to the surprise of younger users, sites like Facebook and Twitter, have nearly exploded with new users in the +40 age group. A recent article on Mashable shared a study of various age groups and their activity online. What did the study show? Facebook users are getting older. Most of the users (20.3 million, or 28.2% overall) on the site belong to the 35 – 54 age group. Younger groups, which made up Facebook’s primary demographic for a long time, no longer dominate.

What has bee your social media experience? When did you join sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn?