Going Viral: Can your Business Do It?

Posted on June 6, 2013 by mediagro

think outside the box

It has been a phenomenon that has been around for a few years now, especially with the introduction of the Internet, but how easy is it to get your business’ marketing message to go viral?

Viral marketing is basically a way to get the message about your products and services out to the public – getting widespread attention like a virus.

For instance, say Media Messages created a memorable audio production and set it loose to the public, and the public took to it and then forwarded it on to their friends, who then shared it with their friends, well this is called an audio message that has gone ‘viral’.

Here are a few tips on how to get your message to go ‘viral’.

Make an Impression
To make an impression, your message or creative needs to capture an audience. If it fails to do so, then your viral campaign will be lost. You need to be unique and appeal to your customers. Humour tends to work really well with viral messages. But there is no point going viral, if your message doesn’t include information about your company. Make it short, sweet and straight to the point. Mark your territory and make an impression.

Incentivise your Message
The team at Media Messages aren’t necessarily talking about giving stuff away, but we are talking about giving your customers a reason to pass on your message. Think outside the square for this one. Maybe discount for your product, or the ‘Ultimate Friend’ reward on Facebook.

Think Outside the Square
Successful viral marketing campaigns usually come from companies who either have the big bucks to produce a captivating advertisment (think Carlton’s “This is a very big Ad’), or smaller businesses who have created unique content and creatively spread the word. Mainstream media is not always the right way to stand out from the crowd

With so many channels to reach your customers there really is so much opportunity to be creative with your campaigns …. But be careful, there are so many businesses, that it is easy to get lost in all the saturation.

If you are looking for a unique way to stand out from the crowd, then maybe a creative and professional audio production by one of the very best audio production companies in Australia could help. Contact the team at Media Messages today and let us produce you a compelling telephone music on hold program. You never  know … it could be the next big thing.

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Audio Sharing next in Social Media

Posted on May 27, 2013 by mediagro

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In this digital age we have seen photo sharing, video sharing and story sharing, but haven’t heard much of audio sharing as an online social networking tool.

At Media Messages, that’s out business, and whilst we can certainly help with professional recordings for your social media marketing, our main form of audio media messaging is on the phone lines of every professional business and as a customized radio station at various retail outlets.

So we know there definitely is a market for audio sharing online and in-store, hell we even listen to audio sharing every day on the radio, but is there a place for audio sharing online? And if so, what sort of application could be developed to share your audio messages?

Would it be a set up similar to YouTube? Or possibly one major radio station put together by various online users eager to share their audio engineering talents?

What type of audio media sharing would there be? Radio commercials? Commentary? Music? How could an audio social networking application inspire and entice the masses to join the network?

Could it be from the pure simplicity of just being able to record your thoughts on your smartphone and uploading an audio diary – rather than having to put your thoughts into words and post online? Or would users be more interested in using their creativity and producing inspiring pieces of audio that would have the masses flocking to listen the Joe Blow FM?

The team at Media Messages Australian certainly thinks that there is definitely a market for an online audio sharing network. And it would certainly be a great place for businesses to engage with customers – both in the sense of sharing their audio advertising and also by getting inspiration.

As audio engineers and professional voice artists, we are intrigue with what is around the corner, and can’t wait to see the world of audio get the credit that it deserves.

To be part of our audio sharing network, and to get the most professional messages on hold program for your business, call us today. Get a free message on hold sample – scripted and voiced for your business.

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Sneaky Snake Proves to be One Slippery Customer

Posted on May 15, 2013 by mediagro

boa-constrictor

Did you hear about the Giant Boa Constrictor in Nerang? It’s a LONG Story. That’s right, we had an exotic pet incident right here in Nerang when the sizable snake was found crossing the road. As HISS-terical 

as it may strike you, it’s become more common for these particular illegal pets to be found slithering around your local neighbourhood. As they grow bigger and bigger they become more expensive to feed and harder to maintain, so many owners end up letting them loose to roam the wild in “adder” to avoid penalties and paying hefty fees for their illegal pet. 

The problems begin when these dangerous wild animals go looking for food or to find a nice dark place to sleep. This must have been the case several days ago, when a giant boa constrictor was found crossing the road in Nerang. Luckily Bio Security Queensland was called and the snake was safely captured before he could squeeze the life out of anyone. Well suited to our tropical climate and a highly reproductive species, an introduced species such as this can cause irreversible damage to our native Flora and Fauna, just one of many deadly scenarios that could occur when a serpent like this is set on the loose.

“FANG-kfully” those that suffer with Ophidiophia (or a fear of snakes), can rest assured that everything is back to normal. This leads us to question was the curious constrictor venturing out to obtain messages on hold for its owners? Being that this intrepid reporter does not speak any kind of reptilian we’ll leave that for you to decide. Sssspeak to ussss today.

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How to Choose the Best Voice Artist for Your On Hold Message

Posted on May 5, 2013 by mediagro

big-vs-small

Voices are like the people they belong to, no two are exactly the same. There are big booming voices and little tinny voices, old voices and young voices, voices with authority and voices that make you smile. So what makes a good voice actor for your on messages on hold? 

The first criteria is obviously that they can speak clearly and articulate the ideas you want them to present to your customers on hold. Especially since this is a situation where you can't actually see the person speaking, it makes it doubly important that they can get the messages across clearly without using the normal visual cues. 

They must have a pleasant and inviting voice. The last thing your business callers want to hear when they call is a high pitched whiney voice asking them to wait on hold. If your callers get annoyed by the sound of the voice, they will hang up.

The voice must be a good fit for your company. If for example, you are a supermarket, your target market would be women aged 25-45, as they would be the majority of your customers. It would make sense to draft your messages on hold and choose your voice artist to speak to that target market and make your company more relatable. On the other hand, if you are a mining excavation company or a mechanic, you would probably want a tough male voice who your callers would relate to. Your on hold messages would also have a different spin to them, with the focus being on what information they would like to hear. 

At Media Messages we write your scripts to match your company profile, using  either your website, or information that you provide us to create the best customised on hold message program for your individual company. You can choose your own voice artist personally, or our experienced audio technicians will choose the best one for you. They then mix them to produce a polished and professional finished on hold message program for you.

Try out a free message today to see for yourself what a great voice artist and a talented team of creative writers and audio producers can do for your on hold messages!

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Chimpanzee Goes APE for Human Porn

Posted on April 26, 2013 by mediagro

Women around the world have been going bananas over the erotic novel “50 Shades of Grey”, and they aren’t the only ones monkeying around with pornography. Gina a female Chimpanzee in captivity at Seville Zoo in Spain, aroused interest in the media recently for her appreciation of Homo Sapien porn.

chimp loves porn

Scientists found that when a digital television and remote control were placed in her enclosure, the frisky primate chose to solely watch adult entertainment channels. Chimpanzees and their evolutionary relatives Bonobos are the closest cousins to humans sharing 90 percent of our DNA, and now as we’ve learnt, 100 percent of human pornography habits.

Certain species of animals have been known to have bizarre sexual habits. Panda pornography has been used at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base in Sichuan Province, China to encourage the animals to get in the sexy time mood and reproduce, ensuring the species doesn’t become instinct. However, scientists say they couldn’t have predicted how Gina the Chimp would respond to a television with access to adult channels.

A television was just one of the toys used to stimulate Gina psychologically. Scientists where surprised to find that within a few days of being placed in the enclosure Gina was using the remote perfectly. Even more interesting was the fact that she chose to watch the porn channel for entertainment, just as they would expect of any human being.

Scientists have concluded that humans and non-human primates possess an intense sexual life. It’s not certain if Gina took private time out from her pornography to “Spank the Monkey” per se, or if as a result the next edition will be “50 Shades of Primate Grey”.

What we do know is that people like to be entertained and comforted. Hopefully your callers won’t be sitting around in the nude. Whatever they are doing in the privacy of their home, the team here at Media Messages can ensure your on hold messages will sound titillating, and make being put on hold a more pleasurable experience.

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23 True Facts to Make You Smile

Posted on April 18, 2013 by mediagro

Everyone has those days where its just so hard to get yourself out of bed and into work. For those of you having one of those type of days, this post is for you. For those of you having an aswesomely spectacular day, bookmark this for later, or at least stop rubbing it in our face. Here are 30 happy facts to brighten your day.

otters holding hands

1. Otters hold hands while sleeping so they don't drift apart.

2. The country of Norway once knighted a penguin.

3. People blind from birth still know how to smile even though they have never seen anyone do it. Its just a natural instint. 

cat version of corgi

4. There is a corgi (short legged dog) type of cat as well. Its called a munchkin. 

5. The voice over actors for Mickey and Minnie Mouse got married in real life. 

6. Spiders can't fly. 

 


rabbit show jumping

7. Switzerland hosts a popular rabbit jumping competition called Kaninhoppning.

8. Gene Cernan, the latest man to walk on the moon, promised his daughter that he would write her initials there. This means that "TDC" will be written there for thousands of years.

9. If you fake laugh for long enough, you actually start to laugh for reals.

10. A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance. A group of pugs is called a grumble, and a group of ferrets is called a business of ferrets.

11. When you were born, for a very short amount of time you were the youngest person on the planet.

puffins

12. Puffins mate for life. Baby puffins are called pufflings.

13. When you cuddle with people, it releases a chemical called oxytocin, which actually helps heal physical wounds.

14. According to scientists at Northampton University, cows have best friends, and stress out when they are away from each other. 

15. Turtles can breathe through their butts.

16. Alexander Graham Bell originally wanted people to greet each other with ahoy when answering his new invention the telephone. Luckily it never really caught on.

17. Rats laugh when tickled.

18. Thousands of new trees are planted each year by squirrels who forget where they hid their nuts. 

19. Police in Indiana once tried and convicted a monkey of smoking a cigarette.

spiderman window cleaner

20. Worms communicate with each other by snuggling. 

21. Butterflies taste with their feet.

22. A group of friendly window washers working at a childrens hospital randomly dress up as superheros while cleaning the kids windows. 

23. Somewhere in the world: an orangutang just became best friends with a dog, a baby just discovered bubbles for the first time, somewhere someone is having the best day of their lives, and someone is pushing a door that says pull. 

Everyone needs a good laugh every now and then, and at Media Messages we are exactly the same. Thats why we give our creative team free reign when it comes to writing your on hold message scripts, they are able to craft any style of on hold message you like, from corporate to fun, and everything in between. Check out some of our samples of the work we have done for customers, chances are they is an industry similar to yours there so you can hear the different approaches we have taken to businesses similar to yours. 

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What Charlie Brown and Lucy can Teach Us About On Hold Messages

Posted on April 8, 2013 by mediagro

lucy_call_centre

Its funny how just by putting someone famous into a commercial, we instantly pay more attention to it. Even if that person is an animated character. The much beloved Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Schroeder from the popular Peanuts cartoons feature in this ad from American insurance company Metlife. 

In this ad, Lucy is a call centre attendant and like most, she ends up putting her caller on hold. But even in a funny commercial, there are a few truths we can pull out. 

1. She is courteous and polite to the caller, explaining that she will have to put them on hold. Make sure they know that you are doing everything possible to help them in a quick and efficient manner, and that you care about them and meeting their needs.

2. She is passionate about her on hold program. Sure it maybe music by her boy crush, but she still makes sure that her caller get the absolute best on hold music that she has. 

In a way, Media Messages has a lot in common with Lucy. We care about each and every one of our customers and want to make sure that they walk away from all interactions with us feeling like we have helped them and done everything possible to meet their needs. We also are passionate about our on hold programs, we live and breathe quality on hold messages and on hold music. We make sure we have the best script writers, voice artists, and audio producers working for us, which means your completed on hold program will be the best one around and custom created just for you. 

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Six Degrees of Kylie Monogue?

Posted on April 5, 2013 by mediagro

Six Degres of Kevin Bacon, is according to wikipedia is a "parlor game" that claims that any 2 people on Earth are only separated by six connections. Made popular by a couple of college students in the mid 90's, the theory caught on and they found themselves being interviewed on Jay Leno, and their game became a worldwide phenomenon with books, tv ads, and even a board game created in inspiration. Google has even added the capability to their search pages that uses popular movie database IMDB to create an actor's "Bacon number". Thats right, all you have to do is type in any actor's name and the words "Bacon number" and google knows your trying to find the link. For example, Angelina Jolie's Bacon number is 2: she and Billy Bob Thornton appeared in Pushing Tin, and BIlly Bob Thornton appeared with Kevin Bacon in Jayne Mansfield's Car. 

Kylie-Minogue

So in honour of this esteemed tradtion, we decided to find a connection from our company, Media Messages, to someone famous. We thought about the Prime Minister, but then thought maybe someone in the entertainment industry would be more exciting. Luckily for us, we have established a connection, and its even less than the recommended six connections!  Our marketing manager's mother-in-law has worked with an ex Neighbours actress's baby, and Kylie Minogue acted on Neighbours in the late 80s. That's four connections from Media Messages to Kylie Minogue! 

We proposed inclusion of this amazing fact onto some new marketing material, but were shut down by the marketing department. They suggested instead that we should focus on those things that make Media Messages great. Things like our flexible on hold message contracts, and outright purchase message on hold options, as well as the quality of our completed audio productions that use talented voice artists and on hold music to create professional sounding messages on hold. We reluctantly agreed that this is probably a more responsible marketing plan, but still plan to bring out our connection to Kylie Minogue at every future Christmas party and weekend barbeque!

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The Importance of Social Media for Businesses

Posted on April 2, 2013 by mediagro

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Whether you are a serial tweeter or a internet recluse, social media is no longer a flash in the pan phenomenon, it is a new way of communication that is here to stay. Savvy businesses and individuals have used these platforms for everything from raising money for charities, to Obama's getting relected as president.

It is a fantastic way for big corporations to connect with their customers and create a more intimate type relationship where people feel like their voices are being heard. It is also a great way for businesses to encourage customer loyalty, by offering social media exclusive discounts and promotions, and releasing information about new products or services exclusively to their social media followers first. 

There is no need to get into all the technical side of social media marketing, or to hire an expensive social media consultant, most businesses have at least one person on staff who is a bit tech savvy and can show you how to set up and run a successful social media site. And the bonus is that its totally free, so you are able to expand your market reach and customer demographics simply by being open to new forms of communication. 

Feel free to check out our social media sites accessible via the links below. Media Messages specialises in on hold on hold phone messages and on hold music for businesses. We provide quality voice artists and production facilities to create top quality on hold messages and on hold music. 

           

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How Messages on Hold Work

Posted on March 22, 2013 by mediagro

Its a fact you probably know well, that through the course of a normal business day, some callers will be placed on hold, and if your on hold system is not up to par, they may not stay on the line for long. So what do your valued customers hear when you put them on hold or transfer them? Sometimes they may hear a click on the line before its completely silent and they think they've been disconnected.  Or if you have the radio playing, your on hold callers may be listening to your competitor's commercials, boring DJ chatter, or worse, static.

By creating a customised message on hold you gain control over what your customers hear and eliminate the problems that arise with using alternative methods. By informing your customers about current promotions or letting them know about new products pr services, you can enhance your company's image and ultimately increase sales. Plus, you can update your on hold messages with new promotions for maximum effectiveness and to keep things fresh and new.

Typical on hold messages are anywhere from 4 to 6 minutes in length, with 5 to 20  individual messages, depending on what type of package you choose. The on hold messages play on a continuous loop, so there's no beginning or end, and the caller will hear whatever part of the on hold message that is playing at the moment they is placed on hold. There is also music in the background, and a musical transition in between each message so that it all flows together smoothly.

Unless your a big telephone company or airline who keeps customers on hold for long amounts of time, your callers should not be on hold for your entire 6 minute on hold message program.  Most businesses will only keep callers on hold for a few minutes at the most, but with our program, they still will not hear the same messages twice.

If you have any other questions about how on hold messages work, or if you to talk to someone about getting your free message, contact us today.

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Telephone: (+61) 7 5502 0264

Fax: (+61) 7 5677 0635

Media Messages
2, 2 Spencer Road
Nerang, QLD 4211