When I first started at DDA as an advertising copywriter, one of the first projects I worked on was a search engine optimized website for a printing company in Philadelphia, PA. Years ago, I knew nothing of search engine optimization (SEO) or, for that matter, of the printing world. Wanting desperately to do well with the given task and to learn as much as possible about both areas, I threw myself into the website development project with both feet.

I travelled to the company and took a tour of the entire facility from digital prepress to mailing and fulfillment. I spoke to the company’s President who climbed the corporate ladder literally from the ground up and to those that perform their strategic responsibilities within the company day in and day out to obtain first-hand information. I can remember to this day how I went home after work and told everyone everything I learned about the printing industry.

My excitement soon faded when I realized I needed to then learn all there was to know about SEO copywriting - something one was and is not taught in college curriculum. With the help of my colleagues, research, and trial and error, I discovered how to integrate relevant keywords into the copy in order for the web page, and subsequently the website, to achieve high rankings on major search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN.

Hearing years later that through the collective efforts of optimized online copywriting, strategic website design and development, and the DDA exclusive SureThing™ Program, the site is doing well and that they have achieved high rankings and more rankings than they ever initially thought they could is a great feeling. I’ve learned so much since that introductory project with respect to a large variety of companies in different industry segments, as well as what it takes to write the seo copy that makes websites not just “brochures”, but effective online businesses.

That said, there is still much to learn, so back to work.

As a Project Coordinator at Dynamic Digital Advertising (DDA), I work closely with clients and all members of our team - from graphic designers and programmers to copywriters and animators - that are involved in a given project. In my experience, I have come to realize how important it is to take the necessary time and word correspondences correctly to convey a clear and straightforward message. While some of our clients consist of well-established companies with extensive experience in all forms of advertising, others are innovative start-up organizations that lack the knowledge on the best way to proceed in a project, whether it is a website design or a video production.

Bottom line, it is not our clients’ job to automatically understand, it is our job to provide all pertinent and relevant information in an easy-to-understand format so they, in turn, can make wise and educated decisions. That said, it is critical that every form of communication be well thought out and that important points, issues, or potential problems are discussed internally beforehand in order to ensure that everyone is on the same page and there are no discrepancies. Anticipating complications and misunderstandings prior to initiating a response and doing our best to avoid them helps things flow from one stage to the next as smoothly as possible.

“More important than the quest for certainty is the quest for clarity.” ~ Francois Gautier

Our professional advertising agency is often contracted by major marketing companies to do the creative work involved with a variety of projects from website design and development to video production and print design. Although we offer marketing services in conjunction with our advertising capabilities, we are more often than not employed for production purposes and delve into marketing when appropriate and applicable.

As a novice in the field, I used to think that DDA could take on all marketing and public relations work in addition to advertising. We’re fully capable and the combined experience of those who comprise our team is quite extensive. Alternatively, I once thought it was strange that so many marketing companies outsourced creative production. Today, I’ve come to realize the need for both areas of business, and for that matter, the need for them to be separate, specific entities that work together to accomplish a similar goal.

DDA’s production process is seamless, making it easy for clients or marketing agencies to be our main point of contact for direction and feedback. Whether clients come to us directly or through one of the many marketing companies we work with, the end result is the same… a great overall experience and a strong product for an unbeatable campaign. Everything considered, I could definitely see DDA expanding to include full-fledged PR and marketing divisions, but only time will tell.

Working with clients from project inception to completion as a Project Coordinator helps me establish an overall understanding of the needs of particular clients, their direction, and their intentions for the outcome of the projects at hand and those of the future. It is my hope that every project ends on a positive note for the client and DDA. I work closely with staff members, such as programmers, search engine optimization (SEO) specialists, graphic designers, copywriters, photographers, videographers, animators, and the AR/AP department to ensure that every “i” gets dotted and “t” crossed. Working in this manner also helps me to understand the intricacies, responsibilities, and tasts involved with every DDA employee.

In the past few weeks, we’ve managed to complete and close a variety of different projects from copywriting services to logo design, and much more. I’m pleased to say that we were able to meet each project’s deadline and every client was satisfied with a job well done. But with the completion of one project means the inception of another and the same goal… to meet and exceed client expectations so that he or she returns to our full-service advertising agency for any and all of their advertising and marketing needs.

Developing a search engine optimized website takes careful planning and conceptualization, outlines and organization, content generation and graphic design, and much more. With so many strategic processes involved, one must expend time, maintain patience, and sustain dedication to see it through to frutition. At our full-service advertising agency, we are in the throws of developing a new division called DDA Corporate and Medical Training.

We’re proud to say that this is the third official division of DDA; others include DDA Video and DDA Medical. When finished, the DDA Corporate and Medical Training website will feature search engine optimization (SEO) copywriting for lead generation, engaging graphic design for appeal and easy navigation, an Intelligent Spokesperson™ video for interactive guideance, and a comprehensive portfolio for examples of our capabilities in advanced training solutions.

It’s very exciting to see, first hand, all the pieces of the site come together seamlessly. It’s my hope that after the site is launched, it will prove to be a valuable tool as we take our business to new heights. Stay tuned as we introduce this new division and further evolve the full-service offering of DDA.

Life is full of unexpected “surprises” - some good, some bad. I’ve learned that it is your perspective and attitude that helps shape the outcome. Even with foresight, all possible precautions, and extensive organizational structure, every day at our full-service advertising agency, DDA, something unexpected occurs. Whether it is receiving a phone call from a prospect we spoke to months before who is now ready to proceed with a video production project or a series of new website design updates for a long-term client, every day has something new to offer.

Surprises - good and bad - keep one on one’s toes so as not to stagnate in life, get too comfortable, or be too predictable. Regardless of the type of surprise, it is this constant state of flux that keeps me enthralled with the type of fast-paced advertising and marketing work we do here at DDA. It can be difficult to find the silver lining in every surprise, but it exists to be found.

This past weekend, I went into the city (Philadelphia) for my mom’s birthday one day and for lunch with my girlfriends another. When first in center city and then in the Northeast, I realized what a convenience it is to be able to travel to and from the city in about 45 minutes to an hour from my home. I thoroughly enjoy being able to be a part of all the hustle and bustle of the city just as much as I love the quiet, but unique festivities of the Bucks County suburbs.

Dynamic Digital Advertising (DDA) is located between my home and the city in Southampton. This location lends itself well to easy travelling for clients in the city limits and clients in more suburban and rural environments. Our full-service advertising agency serves clients in large corporations and small business, as well as those from all industry segments. With services that run the gamut from copywriting, graphic design, and website design to search marketing, video production, and animation, DDA not only has an ideal location, but a complete service offering for all advertising and marketing needs.

In 2008, we’ve come a long way from when my grandfather was an advertising executive and had to travel to the city every day because that was the heart of where businesses thrived. Today, businesses large and small are found on urban blocks and suburban street corners. DDA’s location enables us to reach them all.

With DDA’s four, 10-hour day (Monday-Thursday) work schedule, today is our “Friday.” As I sit here drinking my usual morning tea and writing my blog, I’m thinking about all the projects that I will work on today as well as all the options that are available for this weekend’s fun. At our advertising company, I will need to work on search engine optimized content for a medical website design we are developing and for a new division of DDA called DDA Corporate and Medical Training. I’ll also need to proof different materials before they go to the client for review and oversee the development of about 17 different projects that I’m responsible for coordinating at the moment. At home, I plan to celebrate my mom’s birthday this weekend, go to a dinner party with friends, clean my house, do laundry, take my dog to the park, go shopping for a few household items that we are in tire need of, and take a little time to relax.

With my long work and home “to do” lists, I’ll need to prioritize myself. Today, within 10 hours, although I’ll strive to get everything accomplished, I’ll need to figure out what it most important to address so I can leave for the weekend knowing that nothing has slipped through the cracks or has been stalled or delayed. This weekend, although I’ll have high hopes to utilize every possible moment for fun, I’ll need to make sure that the chores that help our house run smoothly are handled (by myself and my husband) so we don’t have extra work around the house next week. Establishing priorities is important in and out of the workplace. But, enough for now… I’ve got much to do

When I write copy that is incorporated into a brochure design, website design, newsletter, direct mail piece, trade show display, or even when I create a script for a corporate video or voice over for a medical animation, I try to first think about the organization I am to represent, the product or service, and the target audience, and then develop the linguistic strategy that captures people’s interest at initial glance.

To promote an active response from the target audience, I might use strong verbs that convey the right “call-to-action” message. To encourage readers to reflect on what is being presented, I might ask questions that appeal to their wants and needs. To improve their memory retention, I might play on well-recognized words, phrases, sayings, idioms, and expressions that have evolved over time through regional dialect and colloquial vocabulary.

“Discover!” “What?” “Keep tabs on…” Each of these “strategies” works to the benefit of selling the given product or service. Words and they way in which they are used have an impact that can be negative or positive, subtle or obvious.

When I was in college, I struggled to find my niche with regard to a career. I started as an accounting major and then filtered my way through marketing, psychology, sociology, and secondary education to end up with a rare degree in Professional Writing. My hobbies as a child ran the gamut from photography, violin, and sewing to softball, poetry, and singing. I tried almost everything at least once, and for the most part I loved it all. I even liked ballet, although I pirouetted into the wall in a dance recital and rollerblading, although I fell and scarred myself for life.

Today, as an advertising copywriter for DDA, I’m able to enjoy the many different aspects of the career options and hobbies that held my interest when I was younger. I can express my creativity as I did in photography, poetry, and sewing through copywriting services for brochures and websites. I can utilize what I learned in psychology and sociology classes to maintain a good repore with clients, and the organizational skills gained through accounting for overseeing projects from start to finish. For that which I did not necessarily succeed, I’ve learned to pick myself up, dust myself off, and move on to the next venture.

The lessons learned in school and fun as a child I carry with me every day and try to build upon them with practical application. It sometimes amazes me to step back and think about how one’s experiences truly do shape the ethics and capabilities displayed in the workplace.