How Much Does Marketing with an ad agency, marketing company , social media company and video companies really cost?

At times Trusted partners and prospective partners don't know how to measure their online marketing success , and they may not realize the full VALUE of the many extras only Trusted offers our clients...

...You might want to grab your fainting chair — The industry average marketing rates will give you a case of the vapors. Not your Trusted Marketing Services in Saskatoon, SK though.

Blogging

Custom design and template creation most Charge – $1,000-$3,000 /month

Writing/Editing Content for the blog plus ongoing training – (Assume 1-2 posts a week at this rate) Most Charge – $1,000-$3,000 / month

Ghostwriting blog posts – Most Charge – $75-$200 per blog

Cost to Trusted partners- FREE

Twitter

Set up Twitter account and personalise Most Charge – $500-$1,000 one time fee 

Ongoing Account Management and Training – (For this service, the more content you need provided for you, the higher the fees) Most Charge – $500-$1,500 a month

Cost to Trusted partners- FREE

Facebook , Google Plus, Linkedin and You Tube

Initial Setup Most Charge – $500-$1,500 one time fee Trusted does it for FREE

Monthly Content Management and Creation –Most Charge – $1,000-$2,000 a month Facebook Promotion Creation- Short-Term (1-3 months) Contest, including branding for the app, limited promotion on other channels such as Facebook and Twitter to promote the contest. Fee doesn’t include prize and Facebook Ads to promote – Most charge $1,500-$20,000

WE PROMOTE TRUSTED PARTNERS INFO ON FACEBOOK to 1000's of local consumers FOR FREE and actually invest in Facebook ads for individual partners for no additional cost!

How Much Does an Audit of your social media cost?

What if you just want an audit of your current strategy with an expert consultant, with a few pointers on how to improve? Better bust out the AmEx, because it's going to cost you anywhere from $2,000-$10,000.

Trusted does it for FREE

Cost of videos ( comparable quality to Trusted videos )

Average cost for 2min video - $500-$750 

Cost for creation of 25min ‘ slideshow’ Talk to Experts style video with audio bed - $500 -$800

Cost for 2-3 Minute ‘tour’ Video with music bed - $1,000 - $3,000.

Cost of a Talk to the Expert RADIO Show with 21 x 30sec radio ads running week of show to promote

$2000

Trusted invites partners on the show for FREE and pays to promote the partners via Facebook for a week before 

SEO Consultation

- $200 - $500hr plus travelling expenses

Trusted does it for FREE

The average Trusted partner invests just $4000 a year in Trusted ..and we offer all this as additional value, along with dispute resolution, mystery shopping, free catered networking events, a coop rebate program, a Trusted gift certificate program, online reputation management consulting, free booth time and individual promotion at local trade shows and a category specific local Google Adword campaign.

The Trusted team are confident that we offer more value and a better service than anyone in the advertising world...  so the question has to be WHAT do your Yellow Pages, Radio, TV, Magazine, Newspaper reps and other media companies do for their money ....

Contact us if you want to find out more - Sara@trustedcanada.com 

Sources - 

http://www.mackcollier.com/cost-of-social-media-in-2012/ 

http://www.contentfac.com/how-much-does-social-media-marketing-cost/

What is trusted about and what are the results from the trusted partners and the publics sides?  

The comprehensive feature in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix Monday 7th Oct 2013 lays it all out beautifully!

Trusted really is the SMART & SIMPLE choice.

Part 1 - the Trusted Story  

How many times have you wished someone could recommend a good lawyer? Or plumber? Or financial advisor? There are times you need expertise or just good advice and it's hard to know who to trust. Where do you look to find un-bias information on businesses and services? Imagine that same feeling when you are one of the 100,000 plus newcomers who have arrived in Saskatchewan from another province or another country since 2007. Sara Wheelwright, the founder of S & E Trusted Online Directories, Inc. arrived in Canada from the U.K. in 2006, and she needed everything. As a newcomer it was tough finding businesses and services she felt comfortable trusting. There were lots of differences about Saskatchewan life, both large and small. For example, she had never seen a furnace before!

She didn't know anyone, so she spent hours Googling and researching where to go, yet she still encountered bad service. It occurred to her then that it would be a good idea to have an online database of local verified businesses for the thousands of immigrants and newcomers', like herself, that arrive in Saskatchewan each month. In 2008, she found herself working fulltime and a single mom to three small children. Finding good quality work and businesses she could trust was more important than ever. "I ran a busy and hectic household and I didn't have a lot of spare cash or time available," notes Wheelwright. "Then one day I made what I thought was an educated choice in selecting a service provider. It was an emergency situation and afterwards I was left feeling taken advantage of, both emotionally and financially." The service provider took longer than they advertised to show up to fix the problem. Then they charged a ridiculous fee for an item that costs pennies. In the end the final invoice was triple the original quote. Her father wished he could be there to help out and was annoyed she'd been treated so unfairly, and he said he wished there was a trustworthy directory for single women to refer to.

Wheelwright quickly realized she wasn't alone. People from all walks of life want to deal with trustworthy businesses, not just newcomers. When she began to ask around it soon became clear that regardless of marital status or income, it seemed everyone had a story about being treated badly by a disreputable business in the past. Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to list the great companies in a useful format like an online directory? The directory would have to be unique. It would have to work for the consumers, not the businesses. It would have to demand excellence in service as standard. A directory that could be trusted - no fingers crossed.

TrustedSaskatoon. com launched in 2011. But it's more than a simple online directory of local shops and service providers, and it is not simply a place to share reviews. The Trusted directory is unique in that it only allows 100 per cent verified and real testimonials from the businesses that are featured. "After a business is nominated and then submits an application, we go out and speak to the customers ourselves," explains Wheelwright, "over the phone and in person as part of that application process. The businesses don't pay to be Trusted. They earn their Trusted status by passing the application process, being fully verified and by agreeing to uphold their contractual obligations." Companies do pay a small monthly fee that goes towards membership - this covers running costs, networking events and the far reaching and unique marketing campaign that spreads the word to the public. Wheelwright also adds, her team's certification process doesn't end with initial acceptance either. "Just to make sure we also have a mystery shopper program in place, and we have had to remove businesses and turn others down who were not able to achieve the required standards or who were unwilling to do what was required to retain their status." Contracts are on an annual basis, and if issues come up, there is a clearly defined dispute resolution process that works towards an amicable resolution if a customer is dissatisfied with a Trusted business. The website also offers a treasure trove of tips, information and advice supplied by the Trusted partners, who are the local experts in their industries - over 300 articles cover more than 60 categories. After reading through the tips on the website on a particular subject, a user can then go into the Trusted business that submitted the tip and get more information. It's that connection between consumer to business that makes TrustedSaskatoon.com so unique, and it really is a wonderful local resource and online community. "We have built a valuable local resource library - everything from tips on car care, health and wellness, travel, pets and even financial tips," says Wheelwright. Trusted encourages the public's input via their Facebook page, Twitter and email. Public feedback is then shared with businesses and businesses are able to share information directly with the public. By increasing the level of communication the standard of customer service inevitably rises.

Since launching the website has steadily gained a following with over 100,000 individual visitors passing through its virtual doors, up to 560 a day! With over 65 per cent from Saskatoon and over 80 per cent from Saskatchewan, this is a truly local service. Within a year Trusted spread to Regina. TrustedRegina.com offers the same service and offers local advice and tips from Trusted Regina experts.

Earlier this year, Wheelwright launched the Trusted Canada App, which was built by Saskatoon's CollegeMobile, Inc. Thousands of users have downloaded the app. With people's hectic days, the Trusted Canada app keeps Trusted businesses at their fingertips no matter where they roam. TrustedSaskatoon.com is invested in the community and is an enthusiastic supporter of many local events and non-profits including Child Find Sask, BPW International Women's Day Athena Awards, Synergy-8 events, City Hospital Foundation, Campbell Homes' Pink House, YWCA, The Little Red Dress Club and Saskatchewan Senior Volunteer Awards just to name a few. So the next time you wonder where to find a good electrician or a new hot tub, look for the Trusted thumbs up... they are local and they care.

Did you know...?

According to Google Canadians spend 17.2 hours a week online -that's more time than any other nation in the world, and online reviews and a companies' online reputation are rapidly growing factors in decisions people make on a daily basis. TrustedSaskatoon. com offers verified testimonials from local businesses who meet the criteria.

What Trusted partners are saying

"Before I was approached by TrustedSaskatoon.com I had never really advertised. Most of my business came from word of mouth, but with over 500 realtors in the city it can be tricky to stand out from the crowd. I thought the idea was brilliant and immediately signed up, like Sara I had moved around in my life and knew what it was to start a new life in a new city and all the challenges that presented, I wish Trusted had been around for me. I can honestly say it has been a wonderful experience all around, my investment has more than paid for itself and the additional value offered by Sara and the Trusted team to the partners is priceless. They have helped me with social media and understanding what I can do to stand out online, they have done some fantastic videos of a condo development I am the realtor for in Warman, and explained to me how important it is to have a good online reputation in the world today. Another benefit is I have a group of fantastic local businesses that I network with and can recommend to my clients knowing they will be looked after. My business has gone from strength to strength in the last few years and I know that being a Trusted Saskatoon business is meaning more and more to the public." - Marla Janzen, Century 21 Fusion, a Trusted Saskatoon real estate agent and the first Trusted Saskatoon partner to sign up

What the public is saying about Trusted

"What an amazing site! It is especially helpful to someone like myself who moved her from another province! Nobody likes to be taken advantage of! Luv it!" - Sherry Ann G., Saskatoon

"I have just discovered your page, I like what you do. Thank you!" - Susan Tady, Saskatoon

"After asking the SGI gent who would you recommend He told me he couldn't say, so okay then... If this was your car where would you take it? He mentioned a few with good service, bad work/great work, poor service. I said I think I'll look and see if there's a trusted one. Told him all about TrustedSaskatoon. com and a few others that happen to have nothing else to do while they waited for their turn. Thanks Trusted, for making this easier!" - Chantelle Butterfield, SK

"What a good thing TrustedSaskatoon.com is. Like them on Facebook and you might win prizes like me. At the very least you will have access to good info (great article on fencing a while ago) and find out which companies are worth your business." - Teresa Gagne., a Trusted Saskatoon.com Facebook contest winner

"I'd like to thank you for taking the time and effort to make a difference in our community. Your services and ambitions are appreciated." - Michael Lander, Saskatoon

"Trusted is the real deal! My husband and I contacted Trusted after having issues with a vehicle that we purchased from a Trusted Auto dealer a few years ago. We notified the owner of Trusted Saskatoon (Sara Wheelwright), who got us in touch with the operations manager. We promptly met with him to iron out our concerns and he dealt with them in a straightforward and timely fashion. He and other staff showed us utmost respect and patience. In the end we walked away feeling very satisfied. We have used more Trusted businesses since and recommend them to anyone looking to purchase as we have found them to be honest and to live by the Trusted Guarantees! Thank-you!" - Tracey D , Warman

What kind of Saskatoon businesses partner with Trusted?

The nomination process leads to partnering with amazing Saskatoon businesses. Just look through the directory and you will find high profile award-winning Saskatoon companies , long-established Saskatoon businesses, and innovative new start-ups you may never have heard of before. Regardless of size, age or demographics the common bonds are integrity, honesty and a commitment to the five Trusted Guarantees BEFORE being approached by a Trusted representative. The Trusted partners as a group give back to their community - in a huge way like Campbell Homes Pink House in support of the Breast Health Centre and Decora Homes Support of the Crisis Nursery, to those that have helped individuals in times of crisis like 3'n1 Construction, KTS Custom Cabinets, Spa Ahava, Saskatoon Woodworks, and Hairstyle Inn. Trusted shares these stories via social media to encourage more local support. See the articles in the TrustedSaskatoon.com tips library and check out the videos on The Trusted Channel on You Tube.

The Trusted Saskatoon businesses are not perfect, but the Trusted team believe that Trustedsaskatoon.com promotes the best our city has to offer.

So does your marketing work? How do YOU measure the effectiveness of the medium and the company that you choose to advertise with ?

Many business owners expect their customers or the public to tell them where they got their names from and how they ended up calling/ visiting them .

The hard fact is, is that it is simply NOT THE CUSTOMERS JOB to remember or even care where they found you or heard about you....so if this is the main way you measure,  you need to re think your position!

Of course we understand the need to know what works and what doesn't work, especially for the small- medium businesses with limited marketing $'s to invest, local businesses  like the ones we promote and partner with on www.trustedsaskatoon.com  and www.trustedregina.com directories.  

Sara the Trusted Online Directories founder sold advertising in the past, everything from Yellow Pages to Radio and was frequently asked about measurability from clients. She always said if you get busier and the only difference is that you have bought something new, chances are that is why you are busier! This was true especially of long term consistent branding radio campaigns ,  as lets face it, customers rarely walk into a retail store and say " Hi, I heard your ad on the radio on Wed morning and decided to come in and see what you had " .

Yellow Pages was a different beast,  as much of time customers were calling businesses like plumbers etc..with the book in front of them, so when asked on the phone where they got the companies number from they said immediately Yellow Pages , even though lots of times they were searching specifically for that business because they had heard their ad on the radio, or they had seen their van at a neighbors house and that company was ' top of mind' in that category for them at that moment- which should be what every company strives to be!      

Now lets talk about the internet - the ultimate tool of measurability we are told, yet many businesses still don't have a website, nor do they understand how measurable,  measurable really is and most don't know what to do with the data, or what it means.  

The Trusted websites are local directories with local resource libraries attached and as such people go there for a SPECIFIC NEED not just a read like other local websites that carry news, weather , traffic reports and other entertainment.

When we sell the product we make sure to explain to the partners that we do not sell CLICK through's, as it is not an accurate measurement of the Trusted product. You see our directories have very comprehensive listings with a lot of information to help the consumer to make their decision, and the consumer can contact the business right there- we make it easy and this mostly means the consumer doesn't click through to the businesses site unless they are super interested and want even more info than what has been provided. We would expect other online directories that just list the basic details- name, number, www, category  and a sentence or 2 about the business to have a much higher ' CTR ' ( Click Through Rate) as people look for more info to base their decision on. You see people in Canada spend 75% of their total shopping time online these days- research is key ( and if you can't be found you will LOSE the chance of getting the sale completely !!)  

So we were pretty interested ( and a wee bit surprised) to see the analytic data from 2 of our partners on www.trustedsaskatoon.com. We are sharing the source traffic data - that shows how visitors to their website actually got there and I think you will agree we have just proved our worth...

Case Number 1- company listed in Kitchen and Renovation Categories on the Saskatoon directory 

• www.trustedsaskatoon.com is the 1st referring source after Google.
• The most time spent on the website is from visitors from www.trustedsaskatoon.com( this indicates quality and engagement)
• Trusted team helped this company set up their Facebook page and help them manage the content to get the best results from social - clearly it had helped.

Case Number 2- company listed in Auto Repair and Tire Categories on the Saskatoon directory 

• Number 1 referring source after Google
• Way ahead of any other online directory ( this company advertises in Yellow Pages)
• Great level of engagement 
• Currently doesn't do much with Facebook and what has been done has not been that effective - we are helping them to implement a new plan and expect to see this have an immediate effect on the numbers. 

So absolute proof of the valuer of Trusted - analytics don't lie :) 

If you want to meet with us to chat please contact us by emailing sara@trustedcanada.com

The Trusted team strives to keep up with the innovations in marketing and advertising as they happen.. we 'WALK the WALK and TALK the TALK' . Trusted is super active ( and effective) on our many (SM's) social media platforms, we blog consistently and we have a fantastic new Trusted App.

' New media ' is constantly changing and it is important as a business owner and / or marketing person to take the time to keep yourself informed (and on track) with new developments, so you can see how they may influence and affect your businesses bottom line now and in the future. When we find great information we share it with our partners and friends here on the Trusted Canada blog and in person, after all, that's what being social is all about.

Have you Googled your category locally lately? If not you should,  as like many others you may be wondering why your search engine rankings have dipped suddenly? Watch out! You may still be unaware of the latest version of a Google update named “Penguin” & “Panda” Series update!

So, each year, Google changes its search algorithms innumerable times. While most of these changes are minor, every few months Google runs out a ‘major’ algorithmic update that affects search results in significant ways...if your rankings have dipped significantly then you need to make some changes to your current website. Whether that be yourself, the ' web expert' in your business or the web designer or outside consultant that you turn to for web help don't delay!     

In short: Old SEO strategies are passé. To stay ahead in the game, you need to be in tune with these ever changing prerequisites. If you thought your website could get away with:

• Links from pages having no content

• Poor quality links from irrelevant sites or links from site JUST crammed with ads

• A static site that isn't updated

• Not having a blog or blogging the same content for multiple submissions or providing poor quality content 

• Absence of Social Media strategy in the overall SEO plan

 Your rankings will suffer!

At Trusted we keep a track of all these unpredictable Google updates for our Trusted partners  and we don't just explain why and how but we  also help them  tackle these changes before they start to hit their rankings and organic website traffic.

Firstly just BEING part of Trusted really helps their SEO!!

Here we share our SEO strategies that are attuned to the latest Google Panda update:

• We link ONLY to sites that make logical sense and we steer clear of deceptive, ad-heavy sites.

• We use mostly unique and always top quality, relative content, every single time we blog...and we blog ALOT ( up to 52 times a month)  

• We incorporate Social Media in the best possible way and that generates a lot of quality  traffic

• We focusing on local search and that is what GOOGLE focuses on when it comes to the kind of businesses we partner with.

But most importantly we don't try to cheat Google rankings or cut corners- we work hard to provide everything that Google values and considers when doing these updates and in the end that is what will win out - It's ALWAYS better to be good than to be slick ...!    

Doesn’t Let the Panda Devour Your Rankings! 

If you are interested in applying for Trusted Regina directory  or Trusted Saskatoon Directory and benefiting from our expertise contact us today!  

The Trusted team strives to keep up with the innovations in marketing and advertising as they happen.. we 'WALK the WALK and TALK the TALK' . Trusted is  super active ( and effective) on our many  (SM's) social media platforms, we blog consistently and we have a fantastic new Trusted App.

' New media ' is constantly changing and it is important as a business owner and / or marketing person to take the time to keep yourself informed (and on track) with new developments, so you can see how they may influence and affect your businesses bottom line now and in the future.

When we find great information we share it with our partners and friends here on the Trusted Canada blog and in person, after all, that's what being social is all about.

The Trusted Directories mandate is to make consumers life easier by promoting and supporting GREAT local SMB's ( Small Medium Businesses) because we realize without them in a marketplace offering great service and local accountability we would all suffer...they are the true life blood of the economy, the worms in the dirt, and it's important that they are supported and that they are encouraged to make time to keep up with consumer trends and habits.       

Canadian connectivity and mobile trends...why it's important to have an online AND mobile presence in business today

( and if not plan for it soon!)

FACTS FIRST:

• Canadian consumers are WAY ahead of the rest of the World when it comes to Online and mobile usage- spending on average 17.5hous a week online!   
• Over 80% of the population has internet access, and more and more Canucks are signing up daily and embracing social media via smartphones. 
• Canadian watch more videos online each month than any other nation on Earth.
• The average Canadian consumer is plugged-in everywhere!

In the average Canadian home it is not uncommon to have 10 + points of internet access ( multiple smart phones, desktops, tablets, laptops, ipods, smart TVs, online gaming system's like Play Stations, Digital Media receivers like Boxee's or Apple TV's) . Canadians access the internet on the go, at work, while watching TV, and while shopping ( who hasn't check a bottle of win on an App or done a quick internet scan to price check on an item you are considering buying? ). So it really doesn't make ANY sense that Canadian businesses are still lagging when it comes to integrating ecommerce and mobile marketing into their marketing strategy. If they want to engage with the constantly increasing online Canadian consumers, businesses must take action to increase their online activity to have a chance of ' getting the sale' .

Marketing experts have been telling us for 2+ years now that “mobile is the next big thing.” ..and guess what it is HERE! 

Local SMB's need to Adapt and Grow ..or they will SUCK, because if they aren't where their customers are looking for them,  they will lose the sale to someone that is! Chances are that someone is a BIG BOX that has been waiting for the opportunity to take the business, with a department of marketers who are in step with what's been happening and who have everything already in place to make the experience as smooth as possible for customers to switch their business over or new customers to choose them.

Here is a great Infographic from 6SMarketing that does a great job of laying out EXACTLY where Canadian connectivity was at in 2012..and it isn't decreasing that's for sure! Some truly startling stats ( from GOOGLE ) that really do prove our point!

So what do we know for sure?  

This ' interweb thingy'  isn't going away,  social is vital for business success NOW (and in the future) and mobile IS an important factor and SHOULD be an important consideration in any SMB's marketing strategy (especially in their website design).

Even if you personally don't feel like you and your social group of peers are as connected as the stats we have shared, even if you don't personally like to be online so much, even if it 's not how YOU do business....take heed of this great saying that we use all the time to prospective clients who struggle with our concept and way of doing things..

"The Fisherman doesn't have to eat the worm ..it's not MEANT for him!"

If you want to know more about Trusted and what we do-  connect with us ..you'll find us on Facebook in Saskatoon, Facebook in Regina , on Twitter @Trustedcanada on You Tube , on Blogger on Pintrest , on LinkedIn or just Contact us through the website