Enjoy your journey

The following post was written by our summer intern, Janeicia Neely

If you’re reading this blog right now, you may be a bored reader, skimmer, or someone glancing at the article and skipping over it. These are some of the basic issues content marketers face in 2014 and in the years to come. These types of readers exist as a result of the noisiest, or most distracting, internet to date.

“Content shock,” the cause of the newly uninterested person, describes the idea that people are now so distracted by everything else available on the internet that they struggle to stay on one page for any length of time, let alone read a dense article. Content shock also describes a tendency to view an article and immediately feel intimidated by the length, leaving the article unread and useful information unentertained.

People are much more likely to be entertained or informed by a GIF or a visual than by a content heavy article. كازينو ٨٨٨ There has been a rise in visual content in recent Internet media, attracting these type of readers and skimmers. This trend will definitely hinder content heavy material or writers. كازينو آنلاين  As “Too Long; Didn’t Read: How To Save Your Blog From Content Shock” mentions, the best way to keep readers engaged is to make the content interesting and posed in a way where readers feel inclined to keep reading; the headline must cause a double take, the image has to make a viable, entertaining first impression. There are people out there that will still read an entire article; it’s the writers’ challenge to create a reason for them to reach the end of the article.

The writers who seem to achieve the impossible are often copywriters, who have learned how to compete with the rest of the noise that will forever exist. Studying copywriters’ methods is a great way to find new strategies to compel people pay attention. Through examining their schemes, you will find that there are many different angles they use to approach the topic they are writing about. Pop culture, sports and recent events are all interesting angles to associate another less interesting topic with. Of course, the topic must be relevant and not forced: readers can tell when a writer is trying too hard to be funny. However, using these different facets will surely differentiate your article from the next person writing about the same current event.

Great copywriters write as if they are telling a story, eliciting an emotional response be it a laugh or a “hmm.” Copywriters are often readers and fans of well composed dialogue and storytelling, employing some of the same techniques to make their story worthwhile and attention grabbing. They are tasked with using space and words effectively, style.

Style is something all copywriters must employ to keep the reader engaged. The writer’s voice must encourage readers to keep going. Depending on the article shorter or longer sentences, analogies, or visual language may do the trick. Copywriters always take into consideration their topic, their readers and their goal. لعبة القمار بوكر Though there will always be skimmers and disinterested readers, content shock can be fought and managed by apt writers ready to engage their readers in the most interesting way.

Thanks to iScrap App for nominating Peak Seven for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge! The purpose of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is both to raise money AND to raise awareness. According to the ALS Association’s website, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. When the motor neurons die, the brain cannot initiate or control muscle movement. With our new found knowledge, we nominate Tirso San Jose of SobelCo, Steve Myers and all of the Yatco team, and Tom Buechel from iScrap App for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge! Peak Seven also donated to the ALS Association and encourage all of our clients and nominees to do the same!

Please visit http://www.alsa.org to donate to The ALS Association.

When I was in 4th grade, there was nothing I wanted more than a Geocities webpage to showcase my obsession with Sailor Moon (a popular Japanese anime show). Geocities pages were the perfect beginner webpages: they started free, and almost anybody could design a page to their liking. “Cool” webpages had tons and tons of images and not a lot of text. But webpages that really were worth sharing were the webpages that had your name in sparkling pink letters (thanks FlamingText.com), an “under construction” sign that flipped vertically, or a dancing banana. These moving or animated images are called “GIFs,” an acronym for “graphic interchange format.” After being MIA following the demise of MySpace and the rising popularity of limited design social media sites like Facebook, GIFs are having a renaissance. But like most things these days we have to wonder: are GIFs back for good, or is this just another Millennial fad?

GIFs made their official debut in 1987, hence the painfully outdated name of “graphic interchange format,” Almost immediately the GIF met controversy in a copyright war that lasted until 1994. The disagreement ended in the winning company licensing the GIF format to other companies for a fee. Most people didn’t want to pay, and ditched GIFs for the PNG format by 1996 – a free, non-patented single-image format. By the early 2000’s, time had passed: we survived Y2K, Britney Spears was America’s Sweetheart, and the GIF patent had expired. ربح المال من لعب الالعاب Enter Geocities and inexperienced Internet users.

Before MySpace and Facebook, there was Geocities, and what better way to express your limited HTML knowledge and trendiness than with a bunch of animated images? GIFs are compressed image files, meaning they could more easily load for people with modem connections and outdated web browsers. The ease of loading GIFs made GIFs accessible for people of all Internet speeds and bandwidths. Remember, this is the time before we had YouTube, Vimeo, Netflix, and Hulu: accessing video files used to take hours! How people ever survived is a mystery to me. Somewhere around 2001, a flash music video for the song “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” featuring a pixelated, dancing banana took over the World Wide Web. The dancing banana went on to be one of the most popular GIFs of that time. After the Geocities craze came the next bigger and better Internet trend: MySpace. MySpace was hot for about four years and truly kicked off our dependence on social media. Other than constantly worrying about who should be in my Top 8, I know I was one of the millions of teenagers who spent far too many hours littering their MySpace profile with as many GIFs as humanly possible. قوانين البوكر Why did we love GIFs so much? They were new, shiny, fun, and added a little bit of quirk to an otherwise stereotypical MySpace page. Once Facebook eclipsed MySpace in users, GIFs died out because Facebook only offered, and still only offers, limited customization aspects on profiles. However, like most trends including Jelly sandals from the 90’s and unfortunately overalls, every trend gets a second-go, and now is the time for GIFs.

Today, thanks mainly to Tumblr, the home of many GIF-centric pages, we have GIFs for every situation, every reaction and every feeling featuring clips from TV shows, music videos, movies, YouTube videos, you name it. Furthermore, companies like Victoria’s Secret PINK, J.Crew, and Steve Madden are cashing in on the GIF trend by using their merchandise to create GIF images on their marketing emails. لعبة قمار For example, Victoria’s Secret PINK recently sent out an e-mail promoting their collegiate collection, featuring an image model with the pullover sweatshirt she was wearing changing every few seconds to showcase different colleges and universities. Steve Madden often features GIF images in their emails with rotating images of their latest and greatest shoes. Even K-Mart got on the GIF-train during the 2013 Holiday Season with a “GIFing Out” campaign. This campaign featured commercials of family members doing strange repeated movements after scoring great deals at K-Mart, to which the onlookers would remark that their family member was “GIFing out.”

GIFs have evolved greatly past pixelated images. In addition to having a GIF for any mood, we now have “cinemagraphs,” which feature still images with only a minor repeated detail moving.  But what does this mean for the future of GIFs; are they here to stay, or are they another fleeting millennial fad? Kerry Trainor, CEO of Vimeo, stated, “We really feel like the GIF format overall really represents an interesting connecting tissue between what people typically think of as video and what people typically think of as still images… This is a new area of video creativity that we think bridges the gap between video and still photography.” With the attention span of users shorter than ever and the number of hours in a day ever dwindling, it is important for marketers to provide users with content that can be accessed quickly and easily. Sure, YouTube and Vimeo videos are great, but users’ time is limited, and watching a minutes-long video just takes up too much of their precious time. Not to mention buffer time! Enter the GIF – typically a few seconds long – short enough but to the point. Furthermore, GIFs can be instantly shared through social media, bypassing the inconvenience of having to click the play or pause button like on a YouTube video. Are GIFs the future of video? Will there one day be a social media site dedicated only to GIFs? As the popularity of GIFs continues to increase, I personally believe these are not such farfetched ideas.

So how can you jump on the GIF-train for your business? First, you can share GIFs across your social media accounts: be it Facebook, Google+, or even your blog. GIFs don’t always work on all social media platforms (Instagram and Pinterest for example) but they can help spice up your posts on social media platforms where they do. Whether you are sharing original, curated or repurposed content, GIFs can help tell your story with a little quirk and flare. Another way you can use GIFs for business is by creating GIFs that are centric to your work. In other words – don’t just use or make a GIF just to say you did. If you are using GIFs just to fit in or look cool, trust me, it’ll be painfully obvious. But when a GIF syncs with your brand or campaign, people will know who is responsible for that fun piece of content (you!). Email campaigns are another great outlet to create your original GIFs to market your latest and greatest products. As previously mentioned, Victoria’s Secret PINK has mastered the art of GIF marketing, as has Urban Outfitters. Lastly, if you are a website or blog that frequently posts a lot of tips or how-to’s, GIFs can be used as an educational resource. Showing your readers how to follow your tips step-by-step in a short, repetitive clip will help keep readers from second-guessing your directions, or leaving your page to turn to YouTube for help.

When words can’t say what you’re feeling or thinking, a GIF can. GIFs are like Hallmark cards for Millennials, except free and less compassionate. As consumers’ attention dwindles and patience is fleeting, I believe marketers will eventually have to be even more creative and find a quicker way to reach their consumers, and GIFs are the perfect medium. With GIFs, your creativity is limitless – the only real boundary is your mind, and maybe some copyright laws (watch out for those when using content lifted from movies, TV shows, and anything you don’t). Below are some of my favorite GIFs, and of course, I included the dancing banana. Long live Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Source: http://mashable.com/2012/10/19/animated-gif-history
Source: http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/7-best-practices-using-gifs-cinemagraphs-business-0939520#!bLjeQm
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/most-popular-gifs-of-2013-2013-12
Source: http://victorious.wikia.com/wiki/File:Cupcake_dog_gif.gif
Source: http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070819174055/uncyclopedia/images/b/be/200px-Dancing_Banana.gif
Source: http://vspink.com
Source: http://www.urbanoutfitters.com

It has been approximately nine years since Facebook consumed my life, and I’m not afraid to admit it. When Facebook first started to catch on, I was a sophomore in high school, and being the rebel that I was, I refused to get one initially. Keep in mind I initially also refused to try Chipotle because I “didn’t like Mexican food,” (but really I was lying to myself, I was just trying to be defiant). Neither of those delusions lasted very long, and soon I was a Chipotle and Facebook addicted teenager; a textbook Millennial.

When Facebook introduced “Pages” and made a push for them instead of user-created groups, it was a game changer. Gone were the days I spent mindlessly browsing for Facebook groups that I felt encompassed my interests and made my profile look cool. Now, connecting with people and companies was just a quick search and “Like” away! And, even better, you could easily see which of your friends shared your Likes as well. With stories from Pages now showing up on my newsfeed, I could easily see what was going on with all my interests, which made it infinitely easier for me to stay connected to things I cared about.

Why am I telling this story from my perspective? العاب رب وس حقيقية Because I am a consumer, and I now stay connected to all my favorite brands through Facebook. I even use Facebook to find coupons or learn about sales only valid for Facebook friends. To this day, I judge a brand’s legitimacy by its Facebook page. If you don’t have an updated and flourishing Facebook page, I question your legitimacy. If you aren’t keeping up with the Kardashians (sorry Jones family you’re out), you will surely be forgotten. Here are the top 6 reasons I believe everyone should have (at least) a Facebook Page for their business:

1). There are over a billion people on Facebook.
Each month 1.5 billion people use Facebook, trailed by Google+ at 359 million, then Twitter at 215 million, and then Instagram at 150 million. Pretty much this statement says that for a business, the world is your oyster via Facebook. Facebook allows you to connect with not millions but BILLIONS of customers around the world that you may never have otherwise reached with traditional marketing efforts.

2). 30 million businesses have Facebook pages.
But only 19 million have optimized for mobile (or are mobile friendly). If you have not optimized your page for Facebook mobile, then you are making your resources inaccessible to potential consumers who are on the go, have their cell phones glued to their hands, or are not confined to a desktop device, which nowadays seems like most people. If your business is brought up at a Starbucks between 2 Strawberries and Cream Frappuccinos and the two Millennials talking about your Facebook can’t access it because it isn’t mobile friendly, chances are they will have forgotten about you before even getting home; a missed business opportunity for you.

3). 25% of the Facebook-using population exclusively uses Facebook Mobile.
Following up to my previous point, 654 million people use Facebook on a mobile device daily, and 399 million users exclusively use Facebook mobile each month. Your Facebook page should be an extension of your resources, and not optimizing Facebook for mobile devices puts you at a great disadvantage by limiting your reach. Once again I reference the saying, “If a tree falls in the forest and nobody’s there to hear it, does it make a sound?” Similarly, if a consumer goes to your establishment but can’t check in on Facebook mobile, were they ever there? Millennial logic says no: if we can’t show off on a mobile Facebook check-in that we’ve been to the coolest new club or restaurant in town, it’s like we were never even there, and you miss that exposure to that users’ Facebook friends (which, by the way, was free).

4). 47% of Americans say that Facebook is their #1 influencer of purchases. لعبة الكازينو
Being able to interact with content, read customer feedback on pages and see the company remedy unsatisfied customers all attribute to a purchaser’s final decision. A few months ago, I purchased a dehydrated vegan soup (I was a huge fan of this brand until this incident), which, upon opening it, prompted live moths to fly out of the container. Furious, stunned, and extremely nauseated, I contacted the company via Facebook and complained about their disturbing lack of quality. Notice how my initial reaction was to head to their Facebook and not their company website. They are a small company, and it took them days to respond. In my post, I stated I did not want any replacements of their products; who would after that incident? What did they do, after taking days to respond? Offered me a replacement. Not only did they not listen to me, they did not remedy the situation, and that was present for their other 800+ fans on Facebook to see. Other people jumped in on the post, disappointed with the company. To this day, they have done nothing to remedy my situation, and I will never purchase their products again.

5). 42% of Marketers said that Facebook is critical to their business.
Although millions of businesses crowd Facebook with their pages, it is something no business can afford to sit out on. If you sit out joining Facebook like stubborn ol’ me tried to refuse to like Chipotle, you are ultimately giving your competition the upper hand in reaching the same consumers that you so desperately want. Furthermore, chances are you are already operating in an oversaturated industry. Why do we need another brand of jeans? Or another pizza place? Or another dry cleaners? If you have something special to offer that sets you apart from the millions of other businesses in your industry, your Facebook page is a great place to show it.

6). It’s a free tool for your marketing toolbox.
Yep, for the most part maintaining a Facebook Business Page, posting content, generating a following for your great content, interacting with new and potential customers, and posting about your products and services are all free. Facebook is an ideal platform to help you promote all the marketing material you’re creating and writing across social media platforms, in hopes that it’s intriguing enough for people to share it with their friends (all free exposure for you!) Paid advertising obviously costs money as does sponsor advertising, and paying for likes is something you should NEVER do. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be successful sticking to just the basics of Facebook for Business. If you have a great product to sell and have interesting content to share and a knack for interacting with even the toughest of consumers, there’s little chance you won’t be successful.

Of course, while social media like Facebook offers a great platform to engage with your audience, having eye-catching visuals is just as important to capture their attention. This is where a strong graphic design agency comes in. If you really want to elevate your business marketing and make your brand stand out, professional design can make all the difference.

Whether it’s creating logos, infographics, or social media graphics, Graphically can help take your brand to the next level. A well-designed visual not only grabs attention but also communicates your brand’s message clearly and effectively, helping you stay ahead in today’s competitive market. With the right blend of creativity and strategy, even the simplest content can become compelling enough for customers to engage and share, amplifying your reach without costing you a dime.

While I admit that Facebook has its flaws, having a Facebook presence is an undeniable marketing advantage for your business. Don’t try and be that hipster business that is “too cool” for Facebook, because you aren’t. بلاك جاك Social media is there to connect you to your customers and open doors to new customers: use it to your advantage. There’s a whole world of untapped business opportunities out there, so go get em Tiger. If you aren’t sure where to begin with content, we’ve got you covered.

Just like social media, a well-designed business card is a powerful tool that should not be underestimated. It’s often the first impression someone will have of your business, so why not make it count? A sleek, high-quality business card tells your potential clients that you’re serious about your brand and the services you offer. Think of it as a mini-billboard that fits right into someone’s wallet.

And if you really want to stand out from the crowd, consider Metal Kards. These premium cards don’t just sit in a pile—they make an impact, giving your business that extra edge and professionalism that people remember. In today’s competitive landscape, it’s all about making your brand memorable. Sure, digital marketing is great, but tangible items like business cards give people something to hold on to, something that lasts beyond the scroll.

Imagine handing out a metal business card at a networking event. The weight, the feel—it’s a conversation starter on its own. It’s not just about giving your contact info, it’s about making a statement that says, “Hey, I’m here, I’m serious, and I mean business.” So, whether you’re killing it on social media or making waves in face-to-face meetings, don’t overlook the simple yet effective power of a killer business card.

Peak Seven is proud to announce that the Promenade at Coconut Creek has been awarded South Florida Parenting’s Kids Crown Award for Best Shopping Center in Broward” for 2013 and now 2014! بينجو اون لاين Local businesses and service providers awarded the Kids Crown Awards are considered to be the best-of-the-best in the tri-county South Florida area. Winners are chosen by local South Florida Parenting Magazine readers and confirmed by a panel of local readers and judges. ماكينات القمار

Peak Seven has played an active role in facilitating and promoting all of the great family events held at the Promenade, including the South Florida Parenting Holiday Festival, Water Fun & Sun Event, Easter Egg-stravaganza, Halloween at the Promenade, Chanukah Menorah Lighting, Christmas Tree Lighting, and more! This year, Peak Seven introduced the Annual Fashion and Food Event at the Promenade, featuring food and wine samples from everyone’s favorite restaurants, as well as a fashion show featuring the Promenade’s most fashionable and trendy retailers!

To see all of the great upcoming family-friendly events at the Promenade at Coconut Creek, please visit www. كازينو 888 ThePromenadeAtCoconutCreek.com/News or “Like” the Promenade at Coconut Creek on Facebook!

These past two months has been a great experience for me. As a native New Orleanian, coming to South Florida was a much anticipated change. Spring semester this past year I realized that I wanted to leave New Orleans for the summer for an internship elsewhere. My only criteria was that I wanted to go somewhere sunny with a beach. I eventually began searching for opportunities in Florida.

I found Peak Seven Advertising through a simple Google search and saw that they were a small boutique agency with some major clients. At first glance, I figured this agency may be a good fit so I emailed Kata Breman my resume and cover letter, and called many times (most likely more times than necessary) until I received a response.

Once I arrived to South Florida I knew it would be different for me. Though the weather was very similar to New Orleans: it was distinct simply because I was away from home. لعبه با جاك My first day at the office, everyone made sure to make me feel welcomed as I became acquainted to the agency. I learned many hilarious things about this office on my first day which made me feel as if this could be a place I would come to enjoy and it did.

Here at Peak Seven I learned how daily agency life goes including how hectic it can be to how completely calm some days are. I was able to sit in various creative meetings and client meetings. I was able to witness how we the agency interacted with the client as well as client/agency frustrations all a part of daily agency work.

I unexpectedly learned the most about online marketing. العاب ماكينات قمار At Loyola University of New Orleans I am studying mass communication with a focus in advertising, this sequence allows me to learn about the creative side of advertising, like how to develop a campaign and social media strategies. شرح لعبه البوكر With my sequence I haven’t learned as many online marketing techniques and practices. Though this year will be my senior year and I will most likely learn some about online marketing, it was great to be able to get a head start learning this useful information.

I was able to work with Google Adwords and create a few landing pages for some of our clients. In the process of working with both of those tools, I learned basics of how online marketing works and its purpose. I also became acquainted with moz blog, inbound.com, and kissmetrics blog. These blogs are all great online marketing tools that will be useful in whatever field I decide to go into. I’ve learned some about SEO and how valuable it is.

Overall, I have enjoyed my time in South Florida at Peak Seven Advertising. I will go on to use all of the tools and skills I have learned this upcoming year and in my career. This internship has been a valuable experience for me and am thankful for the opportunity.