The NorthEnd Group, Ann Arbor MI
Brian Meeks from The NorthEnd Group

Brian Meeks

The NorthEnd Group

About Us

The NorthEnd Group provides marketing solutions to the any industry. Agility and innovation are key ingredients. It's everything from traditional advertising to search engine optimization and reputation management. We work astutely on Organic and Digital Advertising ranking, Email Marketing to develop and execute on short and long term marketing plans and strategies to improve the customer’s online presence with paid search programs while providing overall account management of your online presence. In short, we know that Marketing is a comprehensive application of analysis and strategy with implementation along many fronts. Or in less annoying terms we get the phone to ring and people to your door.

How We Got Started

Basically, I have worked in Sales and Marketing for 20 years utilizing various strategies across a number of different verticals. The typical company profile: Fortune 1000 with the requisite astronomical marketing budget. I worked quite well in that space but then I had a thought: what about the smaller companies who don't have expendable assets? The ones that are the true backbone of this country. Coming from a family of small businessmen I knew I had to find a way to serve those verticals. Thus The NorthEnd Group, LLC was born.

Products & Services
Search Engine Marketing (Pay Per Click) by The NorthEnd Group
80% of consumers rely on the internet to discover, research and purchase. Let me help you find those micro moments, gauge intent and engage your cu...
Social Media Marketing by The NorthEnd Group
Social media. Every like, share, favorite and re-tweet is a measuring stick of the attitude, the humor and heart of a company that shapes sales. Le...
Content Marketing by The NorthEnd Group
The modern search engine uses uses social indicators, such as FB Likes and Twitter Re-tweets, as a measure of quality. We will construct content t...
Recommendations Given (21)
"The man is a consummate, intelligent professional who works tirelessly to help his clients to..." Read more "The man is a consummate, intelligent professional who works tirelessly to help his clients to reach the American dream of home ownership. "
"Have you seen their work? Amazing!"
Recent Activity

Brian from The NorthEnd Group Answered this on January 01, 2020
Part of what we offer our clients for social media management is responding to all reviews. because we understand the importance of CONSISTENT transparency. So.....respond to all reviews! Next: One of the first things I tell my clients is to be quick to respond and make sure it's... (more) Part of what we offer our clients for social media management is responding to all reviews. because we understand the importance of CONSISTENT transparency. So.....respond to all reviews! Next: One of the first things I tell my clients is to be quick to respond and make sure it's wherever the reviewer laid their complaint.  That way other clients or customers can visibly see that you are trying to work out any issues, are transparent and dedicated to a great customer experience.  First off........DON'T BE COMBATIVE OR CONFRONTATIONAL. 1. Address the reviewer Your customers want to be heard individually and addressed personally. So don’t forget your salutations and, if possible, avoid the generic “Dear guest,” or “Dear customer.” 2. Say thank you Show customers that your business appreciates and values the time that it took to review your business.  Assure them that this will help you get better.  3. Apologize and be truly sympathethic Saying sorry shows that you care about your customers and that you’re not too proud to own up to your mistakes. Even if it’s not your fault, and there will be PLENTY times when this is true, say sorry anyway. Besides, people don’t like businesses that are too perfect or too proud to apologize. Keep the apology short and sweet.  4. Take responsibility Don’t make excuses. Even if what happened was an uncommon instance, an isolated case, an unfortunate incident, an off day — acknowledge the customer’s experience. At the same time, provide reassurance that you hold yourself to high standards. 5. Make things right Avoid cookie-cutter responses that do not resolve or address any specific issues raised in the review. Be as specific as you can about the customer’s experience, and communicate any changes or improvements you have made or will make as a result of their feedback. If there’s nothing you can do to fix what happened, here’s a really compelling way to respond to the reviewer, take ownership, and promise to make things right in the future: “I apologize on behalf of everyone at [Company Name]. Please know that your situation was an exception. As you can see on other reviews, we are known for taking ownership and caring deeply about our customers. We can’t fix the past but you have my personal commitment to improve the way our staff serves every customer. Until then, please accept my sincerest apologies on behalf of everyone on the team.” AND THEN.... 6. Take the issue offline It’s best for you and your customer to talk directly about the problem they had and take the issue offline. For this reason, brands will provide direct contact information for their customers in their review response.  Here is my email/phone number.  Let's discuss this further.  7. Ask for a second chance Don’t slam the door on negative reviewers; extend a hand. Invite them to come back; when they do, welcome them with open arms. Not only does this create an opportunity for you to change the conversation; it also establishes confidence in your ability to deliver an experience worth raving (instead of ranting) about. If I can emphasize this once again..... Make this a teachable moment for all "offending"internal parties. Don't be combative.  That will just fan the flames. Genuinely seek a resolution. That may involve discounts or freebies.  Your choice.  Put safeguards in place that won't allow the issue to ever happen again....or at least safeguards that minimize a reoccurrence.  Also.....encourage positive reviews on all facets of your business. Flood the net with them!

Brian from The NorthEnd Group Answered this on March 23, 2018
When I worked for Google I was assigned an attorney whose Adwords campaigns were under-performing badly and costing tons of money. After dealing with his anger about his lack of return on ad spend and reluctance to continue using the Adwords platform I set about correcting it. Once all was said... (more) When I worked for Google I was assigned an attorney whose Adwords campaigns were under-performing badly and costing tons of money. After dealing with his anger about his lack of return on ad spend and reluctance to continue using the Adwords platform I set about correcting it. Once all was said and done...he was well on the way to profitability and less irritability. When quarterly assignments were handed out he ALWAYS requested for me to optimize his campaigns. I am proud because dedication to excellence and a positive attitude turned a sour situation into a great one.

Brian from The NorthEnd Group Answered this on March 16, 2018
Being busy does not equate to success. A flurry of activity just means that you are moving in a lot of different directions but not necessarily accomplishing anything. If it does not translate to more business and or revenue (or whatever you deem your bottom line to be) then it's a waste. In... (more) Being busy does not equate to success. A flurry of activity just means that you are moving in a lot of different directions but not necessarily accomplishing anything. If it does not translate to more business and or revenue (or whatever you deem your bottom line to be) then it's a waste. In summary: It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. -MacBeth or even better: Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. – Sun Tzu. Planning and execution. Simple and effective.

Brian from The NorthEnd Group Answered this on November 11, 2017
The reality is this: Not everyone can benefit from social media usage. A lot really depends on the nature of your business and the vertical in which you operate. Example: A company wanted The Northend Group to launch a tremendous marketing campaign for them but only appealed to A, B and C... (more) The reality is this: Not everyone can benefit from social media usage. A lot really depends on the nature of your business and the vertical in which you operate. Example: A company wanted The Northend Group to launch a tremendous marketing campaign for them but only appealed to A, B and C level executives albeit globally. An outstanding idea? Yes. Relatively feasible? Not necessarily. They would be have been better off dealing with them directly via phone or email rather than waste money. Of course, we declined but not without giving a few recommendations that might help. In short, just find a company who will seriously assess your needs (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Markets, what is your markets evolution, seasonal influence) , understand your service/product (what is the importance of what you sell/do, differentiation from competitors) and current/former/upcoming strategies (what has worked, what is working now and what were the exact levels of success you've had). If they aren't really digging into the meat and potatoes of what you do or, more importantly, buy into what you do, showing excitement about the opportunity to help your business in a professional, astute manner, run away. Fast.
2 Replies

Brian from The NorthEnd Group Answered this on October 27, 2017
In all honesty one has to really know the actual worth of their service along many fronts: 1. What type of monetary value might it add to the client? Show and prove. 2. How does it compare with the results your competitors have gotten? Show and prove. 3. What is the market value of your... (more) In all honesty one has to really know the actual worth of their service along many fronts: 1. What type of monetary value might it add to the client? Show and prove. 2. How does it compare with the results your competitors have gotten? Show and prove. 3. What is the market value of your service? Let them know why. 4. Why can you charge what you charge? Again give evidence to the true value of what you offer. I know what I have to offer and I have done so across many business verticals. That is why I do not haggle. I know I put in a ton of work to make sure clients meet with success. I give companies the structure of their marketing strategy and if they want to question my price I invite them to look at competitors and see what is being offered. I don't price match either. You do get what you pay for. Most come back to me for that reason. Hope this helps.

Brian from The NorthEnd Group Answered this on October 17, 2017
Word of mouth is one way. I am very actively engaged with social media and pay per click. Here's an oddball way of being found. Find out what common problems are in your particular line of work...essentially commonly asked questions or what amounts to FAQ's. Do a Google Search. Find out where... (more) Word of mouth is one way. I am very actively engaged with social media and pay per click. Here's an oddball way of being found. Find out what common problems are in your particular line of work...essentially commonly asked questions or what amounts to FAQ's. Do a Google Search. Find out where those questions are being posed and help. People remember those that assist them and often turn to them when its time to pay for the service or when what they are looking to accomplish goes beyond their time constraints or levels of expertise.

Brian from The NorthEnd Group Answered this on August 29, 2017
I am an avid MS Office user. There is a certain measure of trust that I have had for years and I am not willing to easily discard that. That said, I appreciate being able to use Google wherever I go. Being cloud based has its advantages. Wonderfully, you can work between the two. Let's say... (more) I am an avid MS Office user. There is a certain measure of trust that I have had for years and I am not willing to easily discard that. That said, I appreciate being able to use Google wherever I go. Being cloud based has its advantages. Wonderfully, you can work between the two. Let's say you build presentations in PowerPoint. It's equivalent, Google Slides, will let you import your presentation rather handily while you are on the go. There will some minor things lost in translation (small formatting issues) but its still rather convenient. I will admit to a small bias. I only recently began to use the Google suite of products because I worked there for 4 years. Take from that what you will.

Brian from The NorthEnd Group Answered this on August 21, 2017
I think honesty, integrity, professionalism should go without saying but I personally like for my realtor to provide information above and beyond what I can research myself. And I am a person who does tremendous amounts of research. Provide information about the schools, surrounding areas,... (more) I think honesty, integrity, professionalism should go without saying but I personally like for my realtor to provide information above and beyond what I can research myself. And I am a person who does tremendous amounts of research. Provide information about the schools, surrounding areas, crime rate, local points of interest, clubs to join, etc. Then another perspective to consider is the more detail oriented approach to certain aspects of the house. What can you tell me about materials used, structure, neighborhood noise levels, enough lighting, future nearby projects I should know about, sufficient natural and artificial light, etc. To know that these are concerns is to listen attentively.

Brian from The NorthEnd Group Answered this on August 12, 2017
It really depends on the client but I have tended to use email/phone/skype when closing a deal. Just bear in mind that a monetarily sizeable contract may require a more hands on/face-to-face approach with said client. Example: Before I left Google my team was in communication with online... (more) It really depends on the client but I have tended to use email/phone/skype when closing a deal. Just bear in mind that a monetarily sizeable contract may require a more hands on/face-to-face approach with said client. Example: Before I left Google my team was in communication with online travel giant, Priceline. Now, given the size of that particular company we were fully prepared/informed that this would not be a typical email/phone/skype closing. We would likely travel to their offices! Though the world has essentially gone digital there are a few transactions that may still require a simple handshake.

Brian from The NorthEnd Group Answered this on August 05, 2017
I am new here but I think this will be a good and fruitful thing. I am willing to go and check out other businesses and introduce myself. If and when I can use the service then I will. There are some awesome companies here ad I look forward to getting to know them. What better way to get to... (more) I am new here but I think this will be a good and fruitful thing. I am willing to go and check out other businesses and introduce myself. If and when I can use the service then I will. There are some awesome companies here ad I look forward to getting to know them. What better way to get to know your community?
1 Reply

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