LET'S EXPLORE

The Brainchild Group Insights

Your source for information on everything from internet marketing strategies to revolutionary AI/technology innovations.

Real Estate Marketing with Video Content | What Brokers SHOULD Be Doing

August 28, 2009

I’ve been a customer in the real estate market for many years, and have noticed that most real estate agents have marketing that simply sucks (I’m sorry to admit it). I’m sick and tired of seeing a dressed up agent in front of a home, with some Kool Aid smile, trying to get me to purchase a property. This marketing is over and done with, especially with the economy in the toilet. This leads me to the topic of this article: Marketing with Video Content. When looking for properties, I have always found that media-heavy listings attract my attention. I want to see photos, videos, floor plans, and anything else possible. This is what attracts me and makes me schedule a showing — nothing else. I don’t care if the agent has perfect teeth, a nice suit, can juggle 5 watermelons with their pinky finger, etc. This just doesn’t matter to me or my bank account.

Read More »

The Guide to Using Blogs for Restaurant Marketing

August 27, 2009

Blogs have been one of the most influential marketing tools in recent advertising history. They’re a phenomenon — they truly are. Most businesses, especially restaurants, have a difficult time directly connecting with customers, and all patrons know is what they see in the dining room. This is their perception of a restaurant. I myself, as a true gastronome, want more. Much more. Luckily, blogs feed me with just that. When looking for a nice place to have dinner, I always jump online and browse reviews. More importantly, I look for for photos (and possibly even videos) of prepared food. I want to see what I’m eating before I eat it. There’s just something about seeing amazing food that adds a “wow” factor to restaurants and often draws me to them. Blogs are the best and most effective way to offer diners a glimpse at what a restaurant is all about…

Read More »

Cost-Effective Ways to Market Your Small Business Using the Internet

August 27, 2009

For all of you small business owners out there, the times are tough and you need to do everything you can to save a dime and increase profits. Now is the time to re-think your marketing efforts and make a real change. I’m not talking about jumping out of bed and being semi-inspired to work on marketing because you read this article, or had a tasty glass of fresh squeezed orange juice then had a marketing epiphany. You need to be truly inspired. This is not a walk in the park. One of the most effective and most cost-efficient forms of promotion is, by all means, internet marketing. The internet is not only a portal to contact your customers, but also a genie in a bottle that will help you fully understand your customer’s wants and needs. Google analytics and other website/keyword tracking tools provide webmasters with invaluable information on what pages are viewed by visitors, how long they’re on a site, how they found the site, and much much more.

Read More »

Topanga Canyon Hike w/ Nikon D90 + Voltaic Generator Solar Bag

August 23, 2009

This Saturday just happened to be my birthday, and a bunch of friends were asking me where I wanted to go.. I thought about it for a few days and decided I’d love to go hiking, to a cool spot, and simply get out of Los Angeles (proper) for a day. We drove about 15-minutes from my house, up the Pacific Coast Highway, and made a right turn on Topanga Canyon. From that point forward, the directions will have to be a mystery. I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you. =)~

Read More »

I’m In Love With A….. Toilet? Yes, You Heard That Right!

August 23, 2009

As the title says, I have been intrigued by a toilet. What has become of me? The other day, as I ever-so-graciously tinkled in a Los Angeles restaurant restroom, I noticed the sound of water was absent. At first, in all honesty, I thought I was missing the toilet (yes, I’m a man), but realized the toilet was one of the new waterless urinals, which induced a few ohhh’s and ahhh’s on my part. I’ve always been the type of person to hate flushing the toilet in public after peeing (too much information, I know, sorry) because odd, fanatical calculations would run though my head. For example, if each flush downs 1.6 gallons of water, and 25 people use the toilet in an hour, for 10 hours a day, 400 gallons are wasted per day or 2,800 gallons per week. Waterless urinals truly solve this issue…

Read More »

Green Living | 7 Tips to Purchasing Local Green Products

August 23, 2009

Living on organic products that are pesticide-free, chemical-free, sustainable and healthy is truly the way to go — but — where to start? Where does one find organic products? Are there local eco-friendly businesses you can support? How about farmers; are there local farmers you can purchase your fruits and veggies from? Well, this post is a guide to finding eco-friendly, local businesses. Purchasing locally will reduce carbon emissions generated by excess transportation and will help preserve the environment…

Read More »

Solar Air Conditioners | Southern California Gas Co. Goes Green

August 23, 2009

As the title reads, Southern California Gas company has taken a green initiative and is testing solar-powered air conditioners. This, by all means, is a step in the right direction. SoCal Gas Co., We applaud you! According to CNET, “Both products–one from Hawaiian start-up Sopogy and another from HelioDynamics in the U.K.–reflect and concentrate incoming sunlight onto a pipe to heat water. That heated water is used in place of gas or electricity to power an industrial absorption chiller, which creates cold air using a heat exchanger and compressor.” For all of you car fanatics, this is similar to the cooling kits that are available for forced induction systems (superchargers or turbos)..

Read More »

How Can I Market My Restaurant Using The Internet?

August 23, 2009

With the economy still in the toilet, and many businesses suffering, I’ve found that restaurants have been taking a big hit. With less spending money, people are choosing to cook at home or eat inexpensive food as opposed to eating at nice, casual restaurants. If they do go out to eat, appetizers and dessert are often skipped, which significantly decreases the total bill. Small bills means less profit for restaurants as well as the waiters/waitresses who make their tips on a percentage of the total bill. Simply said, for restaurants to really survive, and survive without stressing, a lot has to be done.

Read More »

Marketing for the Automotive Industry | How Social Media has Transformed the Business

August 22, 2009

Social Media and the internet itself has been one of the most influential causes for a drastic change in automotive marketing efforts, which all of us marketers (and auto enthusiasts) have noticed in the past 5-7 years. Instead of sending postcards with offers, dealerships are utilizing Google AdWords. Local, niche performance shops are no longer counting on word-of-mouth, they’re jumping on forums. And, large manufacturers like Ford, Mercedes, BMW, and the other big shots are relying on viral video advertisements and, shockingly, updating and designing custom YouTube pages. This is, by all means, marketing of the future.

Read More »

SEO | Optimizing Page Titles Will Save The Day

August 20, 2009

Sometimes I come across clients with projects/goals that are extremely difficult, and nearly impossible. Other times, there are small but meaningful things that can be done to achieve uber-cool results. This, my friends and fellow marketers, is an article on one of the first and most important steps to search engine optimization. Have you ever searched in Google for a set of keywords and G-Dawg (as I shall coin it) spits out some odd results? For example, you’re looking for a restaurant in Los Angeles but all you see is an address and phone number that’s underlined, then a short imprecise description. Well, this — ::cries:: — is a common mistake over 75% of websites make. The page titles are one of the absolute most important parts of your website when it comes to search engine optimization and marketing. If search engine users have no clue what your website is about, where you’re located, and why they should visit your site, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.

Read More »