I found out about the opportunity to intern at Whizbang by way of an email sent to a club in my major. I responded not knowing too much about Whizbang but I found out more through a friend of mine who had previously interned with them and highly recommended the experience. Having now interned here for two months I can see why my friend recommended Whizbang.

Many times internships are seen as opportnities that look good on a resume but in reality offer little in terms of real, hands-on expereince. This has certainly not been the case for me at Whizbang. Not a day has gone by where I haven’t had something to work on and I am continually asked by just about everyone in the office if I can work on a new project, both big and small. While not every project I have been given has been stimulating and creatively challenging, many have exceeded my expectations. For instance, I was included in the process of both ideation and design development on a project for a local non-profit. From this I learned about creating an attention grabbing piece of design in a group environment while simultaneously balancing a client’s demands. At Whizbang I have had the opportunity to contribute to many projects that have helped me grow as a designer and learn about design in a professional environment. I have no doubt my time spent here will serve me well as I transition into a full-time professional position.

Whizbang also launched a follow up campaign to introduce Mission Community Bank’s new and current team of bankers to the community. Whizbang created the Our Mission is Your Success tagline to simplify the complex financial goals of Mission Community Bank. Whizbang also came up with the concept for the new “Mission Makers” campaign. The ads are quietly confident through their use of white space, portraying the professionalism of Mission Community Bank.

Whizbang is looking forward to continuing efforts that position Mission Community Bank as the leading business bank on the Central Coast. Our current ad focuses on new CEO, Tom Dobyns. Take a look at what we’ve done so far and let us know what you think!

With all the focus on creating quality content that engages readers, people wonder why content alone isn’t producing them the desired results. What’s lacking in these emails, blogs, and other social media updates is the deal closer that makes the sale, a call to action or CTA. I’ve outlined 7 tips to strengthen your CTAs and get readers to take that final important step.

1. Start with a clear strategy. Its best to design one CTA for each piece, whether it’s an email or social media update pick the CTA that you want to achieve the most. For example, telling your reader, “check out our website, like us on facebook, and twitter, then sign up for our monthly newsletter,” will most likely mean they do none of the above.

2. Size and color matter. Guide their eye to the CTA with text, color, bold, and increased size. Your readers aren’t dumb, but they are busy and you’re competing for their attention so make it easy for them and effective for you.

3. Make a clear path to your CTA. If you provide your reader with good content don’t be afraid to ask for a “like” in return. Don’t expect them to read your mind! Be clear, tell them what you want them to do and show them how to do it.

4. Call your reader to act throughout the email, social media update or website. CTAs are a great way to transition readers at the end of a piece. However clear, action-oriented writing throughout will make all the difference.

5. The more informational and action oriented your CTA is, the more impact it will have. “Click here” doesn’t tell your reader what they can expect and what they’re going to get out of it if they click. Be specific with your CTAs. Alternatives to saying “click here” that give your reader more information are, “make a donation,” “subscribe to the blog,” “sign up for the newsletter,” or simply “visit our website.”

6. Include a graphic or image to make your CTA pop! Caution, when including graphics in emails be sure to have your CTA somewhere other than the graphic as well, this way if the graphic doesn’t open in the email they still get the message.

7. Test your CTA placement on websites, and other materials. Don’t be afraid to adjust colors and location. There are numerous programs that allow you to set your CTA up one way and track the results so you can know for sure what layout and delivery will get the most clicks!

8. Bonus tip! The top 10 CTA phrases according to marketingbones.com:

1. Get a free trial
2. Talk to an expert
3. Free consultation
4. Free shipping
5. Contact us
6. Free download
7. Request for free quote
8. Money back
9. Offer expires
10. Limited availability/limited time only

For explanations on what makes these CTAs successful, and the top 10 phrases not to say visit http://ow.ly/9OXsd

Interns have aspirations higher than refilling the coffee pot with Trader Joe’s exclusive Costa Rican beans. Interns have motor skills that allow them to generate, foster, and express ideas. Interns have skeletal systems that enable them to do more than reload the copy machine, and staple unruly stacks of paper.

Here’s another true statement: Whizbang treats its interns like valuable employees.

Though I’ve been interning at Whizbang as a data analyst specializing in social media for only a short while, I immediately felt a sense of purpose, comfort, and collaboration. Truth be told, I was surprised by the speed at which I felt acclimated, by the level of detail my questions are answered with, and by the genuine desire to teach me lessons that cannot be taught in a classroom.

Working in a shared, open office space contributes significantly to the amount of knowledge I’ve absorbed over the last couple of months. For ten hours a week, I am quite literally a sponge. I pick up on industry jargon just by sitting at a desk amidst some of the most creative left-brainers, and analytical right-brainers. Surprise myself when suddenly I’m speaking logo talk with friends over wine, or chatting about the impacts of social media in the hospitality industry with my “What do I need a computer for?” grandfather. I’ve not only learned the ins and outs of data analysis, but also the importance of client etiquette, clear and concise communication, the art of creative briefings, routing, and folder naming. Every day I indirectly learn something not related to my original job description, and for that I am thankful to be an intern at Whizbang.

By Casey Campbell, Mission Coordinator

If you own a small business, chances are you have been contacted by dozens of sales people wanting your business to advertise with them. Chances are they all can make a good presentation and make their publication sound like a great investment. Chances are, as a small business owner you don’t have unlimited funds, so you need to choose your channels wisely. Here are four simple tips to help make that decision:

1. Know your marketing goals: is your goal to reach a bunch of people fast? Then TV is your answer. Print and outdoor advertising can help with top of the mind recognition. However, no advertising channel can solve all your problems at once.
2. Know who your customers are and choose the channel that is right for them. If you are selling skateboards, don’t advertise on talk radio where the audience skews older, and if you are selling prunes it may not be the smartest thing to focus your efforts on digital advertising which tends to skew younger.
3. Think about where your impressions are actually going. CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) is great to see how far your advertising dollar is going. However, not all impressions are created equally. If you own one store in a city that is part of a large TV market, a TV ad would probably have a lot of wasted impressions on people who will never be near your store.
4. Don’t just follow the competition. Salesmen will often tell you that your competitor is advertising with them. This could mean that they offer a channel you need to advertise on, or it could indicate your competitor is targeting a different audience than you wish to. Blindly following can get you into a lot of trouble.

As with all parts of your business, you have to think strategically with your advertising efforts. Salesmen believe what they are selling is what’s best for your business, but no one knows your business (and your customer) as well as you do. You must do your own critical thinking or seek help from a qualified marketing/advertising agency with your best interest in mind to help you get the best from all media channels.

I read the newspaper last Sunday. That’s right, the real NEWSPAPER. I didn’t find much of interest, except for the ad that I am about to discuss. This ad is for independent living and reads, “Life gets better at 55” (age that is, not speed) and it shows really old people in a swimming pool with rubber caps on.

If you are 55 years old and need to live in an independent living facility, I guarantee you life is not getting better. Unless maybe you don’t remember how good life was when you were 20 because you forget things easily now that you’re 55. If that’s the case you will be able to take advantage of The Villages Memory Care Program. The Villages also promises peace of mind to resident’s families. Maybe that’s why life gets better? The family gets rid of that darn 55-year-old relative who life has given up on. Please help me out here. 55. I wonder if I’ll still be able to chew my food or remember how to use the internet when I’m 55. I can’t wait!

The Villages is a wonderful independent living facility with a caring staff that just suffers from a bad marketing strategy. My suggestion, come in for a BrandBang© and walk out with a clear understanding of who your target audience is, what motivates them, and how to market to them effectively. That goes for any business that communicates in any way with others. Here are a few simple tips to follow so you can deliver a realistic and truthful brand promise. Do it now, before you turn 55.

1. Know who you are and what problems you can solve for your customer.
2. Know how you specifically solve their problem.
3. Know how your customer feels after you solve their problem

On Wednesday, Facebook announced that business pages will have to convert to the timeline design by March 30th. I can already hear the groans from my clients and peers, “Another Facebook change? I just got use to the Facebook page I created.” If there is one constant about Facebook, it is that they are always changing. After live streaming the Facebook Marketing Conference where all the changes were rolled out, I am hear to tell you you’re going to love the new design.  There will be a little pain in the conversion process, re-orienting yourself to the new admin dashboard and lamenting the death of the default setting. However, the the pain will soon be outweighed by the features and benefits you gain with this new design. The big pluses are the ability to interact more easily with your fans/customers. They can now message you directly. You can also promote your business with several cool tools, like Facebook offers. We have already changed Whizbang’s Facebook and our food and beverage division, Recipe’s, Facebook. Below is a list of resources to help guide you through the transition.

1.  Get going in less than 5 minutes with A View of Facebook Timeline Brand Pages and How to Enable it Right Now.

2. A must for all graphic designers. Facebook Cheat Sheet: Sizes and Dimensions.

3. Got timeline questions? Hyperarts got answers. FAQs about Facebook Timeline for Fan Pages

4. Get your info straight from the source.  Facebook’s own timeline tutorial. 

5. There’s a lot to like about Likeable media’s overview of timeline.

6.  You can always count on Mari Smith for great info. Her post about Facebook offers lives up to her reputation.

7.  Didn’t catch the first ever Facebook Marketing Conference? You can watch the replays.

8.   Mashable offers their view on Facebook Timeline and a whole list of additional sources.

9. Wildfire Interactive’s Victoria Ransom gives an insider’s take with Facebook Brand Timelines: 6 Big Changes Every Marketer Needs to Understand

10. AllFacebook confirms my excitement about timeline in their Facebook Timeline Is The Best Thing For Brands Since Pinterest.

11. Bonus source: because for every timeline lover, there is a timeline hater.

Two things to note, there are two Facebook bugs reported. The Like button does not refresh the page: Facebook Bug Report; and 810px Timeline Apps not centered in containing div: Facebook Bug Report. So you might want to wait a week or so before changing over your Facebook.

If after reading all the sources, you still need help. Or you just prefer webinars over reading, join me on Friday, March 9 at 12pm PT/3pm ET for a free run through of timeline and its marketing opportunities. Just click this link on Friday.

As a marketing graduate from Cal Poly, I always knew that I wanted to explore and be a part of the marketing business world. However, after graduation I couldn’t find that perfect opportunity within the perfect company. Therefore, I worked as a preschool teacher for a year and a half in order to give myself the time necessary to find a position that fit me just right. And in January that  opportunity opened up for me. I was given the chance to be a Business Intern at Whizbang Ideas and I couldn’t have been more thrilled for this new adventure.

Since working at Whizbang I have been able to test my skills and knowledge in a variety of marketing aspects. I have come to know and understand the importance of social media no matter what product or service a company is selling. And through this process, I can almost call myself an expert in the worlds of Twitter and Pinterest! In addition, I have been able to help in the creation and revisions of various marketing and social/media plans. This has enabled me to become more skilled at turning business goals into actionable strategies and tactics.

But most importantly, I now understand the value of working for a company that encourages creativity and teamwork while believing in having fun every step of the way. From my experience at Cal Poly I think that it is ingrained in students’ minds that in order to be successful they must work for a large corporate company. However, this experience at Whizbang has taught me that a smaller agency which values collaboration and new ideas is more able to meet the requirements I am looking for in a career.

I have truly enjoyed every minute I have experienced so far at Whizbang. With my internship not yet complete, I can’t wait to see what else this company has to offer me in terms of learning and growth as a marketing professional.

We have all heard the old adage that business is all about networking. Well this could not be more true in the world of small business. In a small town, everywhere you go there is an opportunity to network and find potential business. While this may seem exciting that new customers surround you everywhere, it can be a double edged sword. Every action you take is magnified and if you conduct yourself in a less than moral way, word can spread fast and end up costing you business. With conducting yourself in an upstanding manner in mind, here are three ways to find easy networking opportunities:

1. Go to chamber networking events. Join your chamber of commerce and    attend their events. You will meet a lot of business owners and some could possibly use your services.

2. Attend industry events. Not only can you find potential customers, but this could be a chance to meet and make a personal connection with your suppliers. Those personal relationships can come in handy down the road.

3. Get involved in your community. Volunteer your time to a charity you are passionate about. It is a great way to meet new people and give back at the same time.

Let’s not forget that networking isn’t just great for business, but great for meeting new interesting people and building lasting relationships.