KMK Media Group, Inc. created a website for the Florida-based military plane restoration company, Code 1 Aviation. The new site has a professional appearance and offers detailed information on Code 1’s extensive warbird repairing and restoring capabilities. The site can be viewed at www.code1aviation.com.
Code 1 Aviation provides outstanding warbird aircraft restoration, maintenance, sales, support, training and consulting services to customers around the world.
Pam Maher, CEO of KMK Media Group, Inc. shared some insight on her experience as an entrepreneur with a class of Rockford College students pursuing their Masters in Business Administration. Maher’s presentation detailed her journey from the founding of KMK almost 14 years ago to the present day and the setbacks and accomplishments in between.
If you haven’t already heard, Facebook Pages will be switched over to the new Timeline format tomorrow. It’s been in preview mode for a while now, giving you the chance to fill in all the blanks, but tomorrow your page will be viewed by the public in the new format.
So, back to those blanks! Basically, all you need to do to take advantage of the new design features is to upload a cover photo, profile photo and some milestones:
Liz Kulevich
…Oh, and if you come across any issues, feel free to email us at info@kmkmedia.com!
KMK Media Group, Inc. completed a brand new website for the Rockford Board of Elections. The new site has an updated look and feel and is more user-friendly. Visitors to the site can now view their registration information, view a sample ballot before heading to the polls, search for polling places and view past election results, as well as night-of results. Additional information on the electoral process and how to get involved is also included. The site can be viewed at www.voterockford.com.
The Rockford Board of Election Commissioners is responsible for election operations within the city limits of Rockford, IL. The commission was established in 1910 by a vote of the citizens of Rockford in order to provide an accurate and unbiased election as well as to maintain an accurate and up-to-date list of registered voters.
KMK Media Group, Inc. completed design and development of a website for a unique flood fighting barrier manufactured by a Belvidere company. The new site, www.metalithH2O.com, showcases a clean, modern look and integrates videos, test results and case studies of the impressive product used to stop major flood damage to companies and cities worldwide.
Metalith H20 barriers are engineered and manufactured by Infrastructure Defense Technologies, a developer, manufacturer, and marketer of physical security products designed to meet the threats of the 21st Century. The company maintains its headquarters and manufacturing operations in Belvidere, Illinois and a Government Projects Office in Schaumburg, IL.
While many people use social media only to be social, some smart business owners are using the information and networking available through sites like Facebook and LinkedIn to attract new clients. This great article from Ragan.com gives some guidelines and a few steps to get you on your way to more business through social media!
http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/44488.aspx
KMK Media Group, Inc. produced a video for area law firm WilliamsMcCarthy to show as platinum sponsor of the Rockford Chamber’s annual dinner. The video highlighted the firm’s deep connections with Rockford and surrounding communities. View the video here.
Founded in 1932, WilliamsMcCarthy is one of the largest law firms in northern Illinois. The firm is headquartered in Rockford with an office in Oregon, IL and serves a diverse range of international, national, regional, state and locally based clients.
KMK Media Group, Inc. completed a traveling display for the Rock River Water Reclamation District. The design illustrates the cogeneration process used by the District to turn wastewater into electricity. The display will be brought to events and conventions throughout the state to showcase the district’s state-of-the-art renewable energy initiatives.
The Rock River Water Reclamation District covers more than 88 square miles of Winnebago County and serves over 250,000 people in the communities of Rockford, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Roscoe, Rockton, Cherry Valley and New Milford. The District owns and maintains most sanitary sewerage collection facilities within its boundaries, which convey wastewater from industrial sites, other businesses, and residences to the treatment plant in southeast Rockford.
KMK Media Group, Inc. developed a new website for Miller, Buettner & Parrott, Inc. The new site has a cleaner, more professional look and contains additional information and tools for employees and clients. The site can be viewed at www.mbbenefits.net.
Miller Buettner & Parrott, Inc. is a full service employee benefits firm based in Rockford. Servicing more than 100 corporate and municipal clients, the company also specializes in working with area school districts. The company was recently named the AAIM Employers’ Association 2011 Employer of the Year.
KMK Media Group, Inc. was hired by Rockford-based Dial Machine to develop a new company website and marketing collateral. Both items will get a modern look and feel with updated information.
Dial Machine is a precision machine shop specializing in milling, boring and turning medium to large components for various industries. The company has been in business for nearly 40 years and utilizes the most up-to-date equipment ensuring precise results and quality end products.
Pam Maher
That question reminds me of a conversation often had 15 years ago when we started our firm and websites were first dotting the Rockford region’s online landscape. Companies who were big enough to have both a communications and an information technology department— even if each consisted of just one person—fought like cats and dogs over who would be responsible for the company website.
Was it an IT role or a marketing role? My guess is, several years later, you’d be hard-pressed to find too many respectable firms with marketing arms (internal or outsourced) that allow their IT departments to handle their websites. Why? Because websites are a communication, customer service and branding tool for a company—not something typically handled by someone with a computer science degree (no offense to computer science majors, of course!).
The same is true when it comes to social media. According to a new study by the University of Massachusetts, among Fortune 500 companies, only 58 percent maintain a Facebook page (an opening for any company looking to compete with those that don’t have one).
The PR agency or team is best equipped to manage corporate Facebook and Twitter pages because they already understand company messaging—what you can say and can’t say (or shouldn’t say according to the legal department, the boss and clients).
Media are avid Facebook and Twitter users and if they want to follow up on a post, the company’s communication folks know what’s going on and are able to quickly respond to it. Presumably, most firms with marketing and IT departments have developed a communications strategy. A social media strategy should go hand in hand with it; one supports the other. Who manages the social media for your company?
Lori Wallace
From a marketing point-of-view, I can understand the importance of bringing two crowd-drawing teams to the Super Bowl, especially if it’s in the best interest of a client! However, I have to question those TRUE football fans: would you be able to stop supporting your team—actually root for another team—for just one game, in the interest of bringing more business to your town? AdAge reports that marketers are hoping for just that: http://adage.com/article/special-report-super-bowl/marketers-bet-super-bowl-giants-patriots/232223/
I’m all for supporting my community—my clients more so—but asking me to NOT root for the 9’ers? Maybe, if the Bears were playing!
Have you ever used your smartphone, tablet or laptop while watching TV? A joint study conducted by Razorfish and Yahoo found that 80% of respondents have done just that.
We found a few studies that have shown users are using mobile/tablet devices more and more while watching TV, but little in terms of how marketers are adapting to this type of consumer behavior.
How have you evolved your marketing strategy to include a multi-screen approach? Should you? We would love to hear your story.
Read the full story after the jump.
Doug Burton
Communications Manager
KMK Media Group
Your business has a Facebook page. If you’re really ambitious, you’re tweeting its praises. So why in the world would you expend any more of your precious energy on another social media site? Opinions on the value of Google+ are certainly mixed among marketing professionals, but you should at least have some basic information before you decide to dive in head first or head for the hills.
If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It.
Google has kept most of the basic functions necessary for a proper social media experience for both its individual profiles and business pages. You can share the same content, including photos, videos and articles. People can comment on your posts and you can do the same. And, of course, there’s a mobile app to do it all on the go.
Selective Sharing
A main selling point Google+ touted upon its launch was its use of Circles. Rather than “friending” someone, users can add people or pages to their Circles. No permission is needed, but the person being followed is notified and can opt to follow back. When you choose to follow a person, you put them in one or more of your Circles. You can then choose who can view your shared content.
Personal profiles are given default Circles: Family, Friends, Acquaintances and Following. The Circles feature can be very helpful for those who don’t want their New Year’s Eve photos popping up on Grandma’s stream.
Business pages utilize Circles, as well. If your company serves several different demographics, you may want to specify which of those groups receives certain information and content. As with Facebook, businesses cannot solicit people to follow a Google+ business page. However, once someone does follow your page, you can add them to your Circles and their activity will show up in your stream.
Do You “Like” It?
If you like a photo someone posts on Facebook, you can “Like” it. If you like a photo someone posts on Google+, you can “+1” it. The same goes for that interesting article you read or that great post by your favorite blogger. But, Google+ lets users do something they can’t on Facebook. Type anything in a Google search box and it’ll give you results. Google+ lets you “+1” any of those results. You can even “+1” a resulting article about why Facebook is better than Google+.
So, why does that matter? Well, because Google is the largest search engine in the world. Companies spend a lot of money on search engine optimization (SEO) to make sure their websites get to the top of Google’s results. The more interaction Google sees on your website, the higher your site will rank, meaning those “+1”s can add up to a better chance of being found by potential customers.
An Internal Tool
Google+ has some additional tools that make it great for collaborating among colleagues. The Hangout feature allows up to 10 people to video chat with each other. The screen sharing option lets all users see what one person is viewing on their computer. Integration with Google Docs means one document can be viewed and edited by multiple people in the Hangout. Hangouts even allows for phone participation if a computer is unavailable.
Hangouts can also be used to gain a more personal interaction with followers. Companies are already hosting Hangouts to share tips and information and gain feedback from customers.
Getting Started
So, you’ve decided to at least try out Google+. What’s the harm, right? Setting up an account is pretty simple. You need a Google account to start. If you have a Gmail-supported address, you can log in with that. You’ll just need to create a public profile. Once you have your own Google+ profile and are logged in, you’ll see the square Google+ Pages icon on the right side of your screen with the option to “Create a Google+ page.” Once you click it, you’re guided step by step to create a basic page.
We all know basic doesn’t cut it in the world of social media, however. You’ll have to jazz it up a bit with photos and interesting content. Don’t just dump over everything from your Facebook page, though. Take this as an opportunity to start over with best practices for social media.
Here are some quick tips to keep in mind:
And, don’t be afraid to look around a little (or a lot) to see what other companies are doing and how it might work for you. Google+ is relatively new to everyone and we’ll definitely be seeing some changes, so don’t worry if you don’t get everything right away!
This article was originally printed in the January 2012 issue of the The Rockford Chamber VOICE.
Liz Kulevich
ROCKFORD, IL. – KMK Media Group, Inc. designed several print advertisements for the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. The ads promote Rockford area tourist destinations and will run in various regional and out of state publications. KMK also completed designs for a variety of promotional items. The items, which range from pens to umbrellas, will be handed out at events throughout the year.
The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is a private, non-profit organization established in 1984 to promote the Rockford region as an overnight visitor destination.
KMK Media Group, Inc. completed a website for SAMCO Sales and Marketing Co. The new site has an updated professional look and offers more information on the company and its products and services. The site can be viewed at www.samcologo.com.
SAMCO Sales and Marketing Co., based in Loves Park, customizes a range of promotional products and gifts for small, independent businesses to large corporations and franchises worldwide.
Anderson Environmental & Engineering, Co. hired KMK Media Group, Inc. to develop the firm’s new website. The new site will have a more professional look and give more comprehensive information on the company and the services it offers.
Anderson Environmental & Engineering, Co. has more than 35 years of combined staff experience in environmental consulting and engineering. A certified woman-owned business, Anderson offers inspections, assessments and permitting compliance assistance to companies across the nation.
KMK Media Group, Inc. will design and program a new website for the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. The site will offer better resource accessibility and more information to county residents, along with a more professional image. A translation tool will also be incorporated to accommodate non-English speakers.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office serves and protects more than 300,000 residents of McHenry County. The Sheriff manages an annual budget of approximately $23 million and a staff of approximately 400 employees. The office will celebrate its 175th year of service in 2012.
KMK Media Group, Inc. developed a new website for Stenstrom Companies Ltd. The site has an updated look and better highlights the company’s four divisions. It now includes a project portfolio and a searchable database of available land and commercial property. The site can be found at www.rstenstrom.com.
Stenstrom Companies Ltd., founded in 1953 and based in Rockford, is a family-owned business offering general contracting and design/build services, real estate development, excavation and blacktop and petroleum services across northern Illinois.
KMK Media Group, Inc. was hired by Beacon Operation Security Services Chicago, LLC to handle the company’s public relations and marketing activities. Beacon Chicago is an affiliate office of a Boston-based security company of the same name.
Beacon Security offers VIP and executive transportation and event security to a number of high profile clients, including company executives, politicians, dignitaries, professional athletes and celebrities. The company is based in Schaumburg, but serves cities across the Midwest, including Rockford, Milwaukee and St. Louis. More information can be found at www.beaconoss.com.
716 North Church Street, Rockford, Illinois 61103 p: 815.399.2805 f: 815.399.1726