Bellagurl

Bellagurl Announces Name Change for Carteret Surgical Associates

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:59:54 +0000

Bellagurl is pleased to be the advertising agency of record for the Carolinas Center for Surgery, and has been active in the practice’s recent name change from Carteret Surgical Associates to the Carolinas Center for Surgery. Carteret Surgical Associates has grown over the past 30 years to serve those not just in Carteret County but areas beyond. The practice’s expanding specialty areas, advanced technology and additional services are just a few of the reasons for the identity update, as the name Carolinas Center for Surgery now defines the prominence the practice has achieved in Eastern North Carolina and how the center for surgery will continue to grow in the future.

The image gallery below represents print, billboard and web samples of Bellagurl Marketing Publishing and Advertising’s current comprehensive campaign for promoting Carteret Surgical Associates’ name change. Click here to read the press release for more on this prominent identity update for one of Eastern North Carolina’s major surgical services providers.

Carolinas Center for Surgery

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:20:42 +0000

Bellagurl is pleased to be the agency of record for the Carolinas Center for Surgery, and has been active in the practice’s recent name change from Carteret Surgical Associates to the Carolinas Center for Surgery. Carteret Surgical Associates has grown over the past 30 years to serve those not just in Carteret County but areas beyond. The practice’s expanding areas, advanced technology and additional services are just a few of the reasons for the identity update, as the name Carolinas Center for Surgery now defines the prominence the practice has achieved in Eastern North Carolina and how the center for surgery will continue to grow in the future.

The Power of the Handwritten Note

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:48:57 +0000

Forget technology, smart phones, email and texting for a second and take note. Putting pen to paper for a handwritten note can really make an impression. Tommy Spaulding, former CEO of the leadership organization Up with People, and author of the book It’s Not Just Who You Know reveals his thoughts on this thoughtful, old-fashioned follow-up.
-
“We get flooded every day by text messages and e-mails; meanwhile our mailboxes are filled with bills, advertisements, and solicitations.
-
“And that’s exactly why handwritten letters and notes are so special — they are the rare personal note amid a sea of impersonal statements and bills.”
-
Says Spaulding, “I think of communication in terms of its impact. There is a hierarchy. A text is nice, but an e-mail is better. And a phone call is better still. Sometimes, however, a handwritten note is even better.
-
“All of these things – all of this relentless communication – shows that you care, that you want to continue to build and grow the relationship. In most cases it leads to the thing you want next -face-to-face time with the person you want or need to know.”
-
So practice up on that penmanship, and take note regarding the value of a personal greeting or follow-up.
-
Whether you need notecards designed and printed for your business, are launching a new business venture, looking to create a great website or updating your professional marketing collaterals, Bellagurl is pleased to be a part of your growth. Corporate branding, logo creation, professional design and printing, website design, advertising and social media campaigns are what we do best. Call 877.219.1403 or email cherylp@bellagurl.com today to set up a meeting and to receive a complimentary quote for services.

In Social Media We Trust?

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:31:34 +0000

Social media advertising continues to skyrocket upwards, with social network ad spending projected to reach more than $2 billion in 2011. More than half of this advertising spending will go to Facebook, while MySpace continues its downward spiral, according to eMarketer Digital Intelligence.
-
But do potential consumers of products being advertised on Facebook, in blogs or on Twitter trust what’s being promoted to them? Surprisingly, not very much, according to an Invoke Solutions study. The percentage of people in the study that trusted completely a blog post by someone they knew was 26%. Posts by friends on Facebook were trusted completely by just 23% of respondents, while posts by a brand, product or company on Facebook were trusted by just 9%. Twitter posts registered 3% lower at just 6%.
-
The good news is, the percentages are much higher for those that trust social media posts somewhat. By nature, humans will always be skeptical, right? And that’s not a bad thing. That’s where you’ll receive some solid inquiries regarding your professional products and services, and the opportunity to gain a new customer or client.
-
Asked what was important in inspiring trust on social media sites, respondents said a dialogue open to both negative and positive comments was extremely important, along with the overall quality of the comments and content.
-
To read more of this survey and its responses, click here.
-
Whether you are looking for help with your social media marketing, launching a new business venture, looking to create a great website or updating your professional marketing collaterals, Bellagurl is pleased to be a part of your growth. Corporate branding, logo creation, professional design and printing, website design, advertising and social media campaigns are what we do best. Call 877.219.1403 or email cherylp@bellagurl.com today to set up a meeting and to receive a complimentary quote for services.

Increasing Business Name Recognition: Sometimes You Just Gotta’ Go for It

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:35:07 +0000

Trying to think up an effective campaign to increase your business name’s recognition can drive you quackers. You come up with a slogan, logo or mascot that you think is great, and then you pass it around to your co-workers and your friends for consideration, and all they give you in return is a look of serious doubt.
-
One of the most memorable name recognition campaigns also started out that way – the Aflac duck. Aflac’s CEO, Daniel Amos, in a recent edition of the Harvard Business Review, noted that when he first became CEO, the company’s name recognition with consumers was at about 2%. A decade later, it was still below 10%. He realized he needed something radical.
-
Amos invited more than 20 different advertising agencies to pitch ideas. Most were very safe, very businesslike. But one had a very different concept – a talking duck. The idea had come to the ad rep because no one could remember the acronym of the company, and a colleague kept saying, “It’s AFLAC! Aflac-Aflac-Aflac!,” and he just happened to sound like a quacking duck.
-
Aflac’s CEO liked the idea and started talking to others to get their reaction. “Well, there’s this duck,” he’d begin. The response was always the same… a silent stare. No one shared his enthusiasm for the agency’s concept.
-
So they tested the duck with a couple other, safer concepts. A commercial with Ray Romano and some kids’ playing with blocks spelling out AFLAC scored an 18% name recognition rate. But the duck? It scored 27%.
-
Amos said he didn’t even try and explain the duck concept to his board for fear it would knocked down for a safer, within-the-box approach. He just told them they were trying something very bold and creative, and he was willing to take the fall if it didn’t succeed. It was a big risk – an obnoxiously-loud, in-your-face AFLAC!-quacking duck representing an insurance agency. But today, Aflac’s name recognition rate has gone from 2% to more than 90%. The Aflac duck has more than 170,000 Facebook fans. And, Aflac’s total worldwide revenue has doubled.
-
When someone gives you a great out-of-the-box marketing concept, even though it may not be the safe choice, a large, white talking duck can tell you that sometimes you just gotta’ go for it.
-
Whether you are looking for creative ideas to increase your business’s name recognition, launching a new business venture, looking to create a great website or updating your professional marketing collaterals, Bellagurl is pleased to be a part of your growth. Corporate branding, logo creation, professional design and printing, website design, advertising and social media campaigns are what we do best. Call 877.219.1403 or email cherylp@bellagurl.com today to set up a meeting and to receive a complimentary quote for services.

Are You the Master of Your Own Domain?

admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:23:46 +0000

In this digital age, where a strong web presence is a key part of any businesses or organization, your website’s domain name is one of your most valuable assets. Your domain name is typically an extension of your business or organization’s name, containing vital keywords that people will search for when looking for your business online.
-
It’s 11pm. Do you know where your web domain is? Many business owners and individuals, surprisingly, do not. And if your web domain expires, is owned by, or has been registered by, another company who does not renew it or does not relinquish ownership to you when requested, you could lose this valuable business asset in an instant.
-
Domain names that expire without being renewed can be purchased by anyone, and then they are typically sold or ransomed. Domain names that are registered for a business or individual by another company can be difficult for the true business owner or individual to prove and gain ownership of should they need to.
-
So what can you do to protect your domain name, and ensure you do not lose it?

Register your domain name with a reputable registrar such as Network Solutions. A deal on a domain name is not really a deal. Don’t skimp on registration and security.
If another company registers your business’ domain for you, make sure your name, address and email address are listed as the contact for notifications regarding your domain. When your domain is about to expire, you need to be aware.
Know when your domain or domains expire, and make sure any web design or web hosting company that has helped you register your domain is keeping up with renewals and maintenance.
Are you unsure about your domain name’s registration information and expiration date? A good starting place for information is Network Solutions’ WHOIS search. Type in your domain name and you should be able to view your domain name’s current registration information.

For professional and affordable website design, redesign and web development services, contact Bellagurl Marketing, Publishing and Advertising.
-
Whether you are launching a new business venture, looking to create a great website or updating your professional marketing collaterals, Bellagurl is pleased to be a part of your growth. Corporate branding, logo creation, professional design and printing, website design, advertising and social media campaigns are what we do best. Call 877.219.1403 or email cherylp@bellagurl.com today to set up a meeting and to receive a complimentary quote for services.

Who are the Overall Champions of Social Media – Women or Men?

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:19:52 +0000

Who uses social networking sites more – women or men? According to a recent comScore, Inc. study, Women on the Web: How Women are Shaping the Internet, social networking sites reach a higher percentage of women than men globally, with 75.8 percent of all women online visiting a social networking site in May 2010 versus 69.7 percent of men. Additionally, women demonstrate higher levels of engagement with social networking sites than men.
-
Although women account for 47.9 percent of total unique visitors to the social networking category, they consume 57 percent of pages and account for nearly 57 percent of total minutes spent on these sites. Women spend significantly more time on social networking sites, averaging 5.5 hours per month, demonstrating the strong engagement that women across the globe share with social sites.
-
Additional highlights from the study:

Although men are in the majority across the global Internet, women spend about eight percent more time online, averaging 25 hours per month on the Web.
Globally, women spend 20 percent more time on Retail sites overall than men.
In the U.S., women are more avid online buyers than men, with 12.5 percent of female Internet users making an online purchase in February 2010, compared to 9.3 percent of men.
Health sites show some of the largest overall differences in reach between female and male, with a nearly six-point gap between global women and men.
In both the U.S. and Europe, smartphone usage is dominated by men with both markets experiencing close to a 60/40 split in smartphone adoption between the genders.

To read more about this study, click here. For ideas and strategies on how your business reach women more effectively, and to use the above data to your business advantage, contact Bellagurl Marketing, Publishing and Advertising.
-
Whether you are launching a new business venture, looking to create a great website or updating your professional marketing collaterals, Bellagurl is pleased to be a part of your growth. Corporate branding, logo creation, professional design and printing, website design, advertising and social media campaigns are what we do best. Call 877.219.1403 or email cherylp@bellagurl.com today to set up a meeting and to receive a complimentary quote for services.

Trusted Business Magazine Launches Q & A Website for Entrepreneurs

admin — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:05:59 +0000

Inc. Magazine, one of the most trusted business magazines, has launched a stand-alone question and answer website for entrepreneurs at http://ask.inc.com. The website is a spinoff of Inc. Magazine’s popular column by the same name where readers facing thorny business problems get their questions answered by Inc. staff, industry experts and leading entrepreneurs.
-
Questions on the site include “Should family members work together in a business?,” “What are the tax benefits of an LLC?,” and “I have three business concepts. How do I decide which one to go for?” Advice and answers are absolutely free. While you may not get the answer you want, there’s no harm in asking.
-
Inc. Magazine also offers business news and advice on Facebook. Check out this free online resource. Here’s to your business!
-
Whether you are launching a new business venture, looking to create a great website or updating your professional marketing collaterals, Bellagurl is pleased to be a part of your growth. Corporate branding, logo creation, professional design and printing, website design, advertising and social media campaigns are what we do best. Call 877.219.1403 or email cherylp@bellagurl.com today to set up a meeting and to receive a complimentary quote for services.

Bellagurl Welcomes Alison Parker as Account Executive

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:53:05 +0000

Bellagurl Marketing, Publishing and Advertising is pleased to welcome Alison Parker to its staff. Alison will serve as an Account Executive and marketing consultant for Bellagurl’s growing stream of agency work, including but not limited to, advertising agency representation, commercial printing for businesses and organizations, social media coordination and website design and development. Alison holds a Bachelor of Science degree in communication with a concentration in journalism from Appalachian State University.

Invitations, Announcements & Letterhead – Oh My!

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:21:29 +0000

Fun, funky, functional, formal and fabulous! When it comes to custom design and printing, Bellagurl can take your creative ideas or business vision and put in on paper – beautiful, quality paper. Bellagurl can work with you on the design and printing of your business collaterals to custom announcements and invitations with fantastic flair.
-
We make it fun and easy for you to present something wonderful, whether it’s for a special occasion, or to make your business or organization stand out from all the rest. From corporate collaterals to Christmas cards, we make you look amazing! Call us today at 877.219.1403. View our samples below.