SEO: Strategic Primer for a No.1 Rated Blog
For a popular blog, you must understand the process — important basics in search engine optimization (SEO). If you’ve been blogging for awhile, you know success doesn’t keep come automatically. SEO is arduous work.
You must have a strategic blogging goal. Is it to promote your business or e-commerce? A consultancy? Is it an advertising business model?
Whatever you decide, there are certain SEO tips to keep in mind.
They include:
Keywords. Decide your keyword niche, and in what categories you want to be found. Pay special attention to key words, as they are the first step in determining whether you are successful. If properly implemented in search engine optimization, they will help determine when your site appears when users are looking for content. Insert them throughout your text, but don’t go overboard. Use 10 or fewer key words for each topic.
Page headers and titles. The words you use in page headers and titles will be the first read by the spiders and users of your site. So, first impressions are important in describing the value of your pages. Short action verbs should be included.
Bots and spiders. Spiders are important to your success because they crawl your site to view your content and collect data. The spiders determine what pages appear on search engines when users are surfing for a topic.
Ostensibly, the most-sophisticated is Googlebot, which looks for your new and updated pages. Google uses an algorithmic process.
It’s helpful to understand Google’s reasoning for best Web site rankings and how to be optimized for Bing (in some ways, my sense is that bing is more logical). If time constraints prevent you from mastering both, focus on Google because of its 66-percent market-share dominance. If you’re successful on Google, chances are you rank well on Bing and Yahoo. Above all, quality of content rules – Google speaks out about frequency vs. value.
Sitemap. You can improve your odds for success with a Sitemap, which is a list of pages on your site. That’s to insure Googlebot and other spiders can detect your links on pages.
Google says Sitemaps support your cause, if:
- Your site has dynamic content.
- Your site has pages that aren’t easily discovered by Googlebot during the crawl process—for example, pages featuring rich AJAX or images.
- Your site is new and has few links to it. (Googlebot crawls the web by following links from one page to another, so if your site isn’t well linked, it may be hard for us to discover it.)
- Your site has a large archive of content pages that are not well linked to each other, or are not linked at all.
Images. Many people believe images are helpful to make a site interesting to users. That’s true. But they can’t also hurt you, if they’re not inserted properly. You see, spiders can’t detect images. Spiders can read a text description on your images, if you insert an ALT tag.
Flash pages are hip and attract users, but they serve no purpose in maximizing the impact of crawling spiders.
Videos are good. As you might expect, videos continue to surge in popularity.
Format. Keep your site’s format simple. Make sure it downloads fast, keep in mind Google’s continuing quest to increase page speeds because in SEO, your site’s download speed matters to Google. Update content frequently. But don’t insert multiple topics on a page; instead insert links to other pages. Links from one page to others helps your time-spent-viewing. The longer you keep a user on your site, the better off you’ll be.
It’s preferable to make the blog part of your Web site – don’t separate the two. Otherwise, you’ll have to work twice as hard to make sure both rank well. Further, search engines don’t like even the appearance of duplication.
Links. With one caveat, encourage other sites to link to yours. However, make certain the inbound links have a higher Google page rank than your site. If you can persuade a bonafide reporter to insert a link to your site from an authoritative media site – congratulations. If you need tips, here’s how to leverage the news media.
Another strategy is to submit press releases to online press release firms. Some are free, but again check their Google page rank. Quality of links is paramount. Always avoid weak links to you.
Minimize the number of your outbound links. Your site will be penalized.
Social Media. If you want a strong business brand, leverage these social mediums: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
Bear in mind these tips aren’t all-inclusive. But if you put them to use, you’re on your way. Good luck.
From the Coach’s Corner, note achieving strong results on Google is now easier with social networking. Here are 25 best practices for better business writing.
“…the time has come to ask yourselves does your blog suck … and what are you doing to change it?”
- Michael Gray
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Columnist Terry Corbell is also a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services (many are available online). For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule Terry Corbell as a speaker, why don’t you contact him today?
Understanding Customers: Social Media Teaches Another Lesson
Marketing is the understanding of your customer for the cost-effective process of selling the right product or service at the right time and at the right price.
Inexplicably, Verizon joins the list of big companies failing to understand how poor research and judgment would draw fire from their customers and social media.
You might recall the wireless company announced a controversial $2 fee on their customers for making one-time telephone or Web payments. It was to take effect on Jan. 15, 2012. Less than 24 hours after making the announcement, Verizon was forced to rescind the scheme.
Why?
Verizon was lacking in discernment, and the fee announcement instantaneously drew the wrath from thousands of jolted customers.
Social media was buzzing. More than 100,000 customers signed a Change.org petition demanding the company change course. A regulatory agency, the Federal Communications Commission, announced it would investigate the issue.
In turn, Verizon was startled into reality. It was a sharp reminder that Verizon misread the situation. To be fair, Verizon isn’t alone.
Just two months ago, Netflix backtracked on its decision to break up a division – morphing its DVD rental service into something called Qwikster. Poor sales caused the CEO to take a cut in his remuneration.
In November, Bank of America incurred the wrath of thousands of customers when it announced a $5 charge for using debit cards. Thousands of customers became credit union members.
What were they thinking? Why aren’t such companies aware of the implications of the Digital Age and the economy?
Apparently, executives need to spend some time in sales with customers. Companies need to think 1930s for business success. Consumer attitudes are changing.
Verizon, Bank of America and Netflx should have enough marketing sophistication to understand the economic elasticity of consumer attitudes and fees. To the businesses, they were only charging a little extra money. To their customers, it was a strong perception of greed and unfairness.
Add social media to the mix and the companies face a firestorm. Not only is it a waste of corporate time and money, such naiveté leads to a dilution of their brands and weakening of sales.
The Internet launched an era of consumer awareness. That was both good news and bad news for business. It gave Web users unprecedented power – power for them to research brands and prices – and power to share critical information with countless other users.
And given this economy, Internet users and all consumers are more concerned than ever about value. So it’s important for companies to use best practices to optimize their brands and manage their Web reputations.
It’s also a good time to review PR-crisis management tips, research their customers and make certain that they’re discerning correctly.
Again, the lesson: Marketing is the understanding of your customer for the cost-effective process of selling the right product or service at the right time and at the right price.
From the Coach’s Corner, before you’re tempted to make a possible catastrophic decision about fees or prices, consider eight simple strategies to give you pricing power.
“The only thing that’s worse than being blind, is having sight but no vision.”
-Helen Keller
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Columnist Terry Corbell is also a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services (many are available online). For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule Terry Corbell as a speaker, why don’t you contact him today?
Checklist: 14 Strategies to Rock on Google
Updated Feb. 2, 2012
Periodic changes in Google’s search criteria and algorithms have indeed hurt many Web sites. But it’s possible to bullet-proof your site’s prominence on Google by taking 14 precautions, which is worth your time and energy.
Google has perennially owned about a 66 percent search-market share in the U.S. and a 90 percent share worldwide. Combined, Bing and Yahoo have about 30 percent in the U.S. Most of the other search engines are also powered by Google.
Now, there’s talk that Google might bid for Yahoo, which would mean another double-digit increase in market share. (True, such a merger would be impacted by the Yahoo-Microsoft search partnership. The implication: Google would then have to buy out Microsoft for the remainder of the 10-year Yahoo-Microsoft partnership.)
So, obviously, it will behoove you to take full advantage of strategies to maximize your presence on Google.
Here’s a checklist:
- Make frequent changes on your home page. But be sure it’s all about quality and relevance to Internet users.
- For content marketing, regularly blog about relevant topics (see Google Speaks Out About Frequency vs. Value).
- Interact with your target audience using the salient social mediums: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+. Here are 8 Tips to Optimize Sales with Social Media, But Beware of a Red Flag.
- Be very careful about what you post – keep it professional and on business. Don’t assume that your professional profile can be separate from your personal life. Did I say be careful?
- Be aware that Google is influenced by links from the news media, quality online press releases distributed by authoritative firms, and other sites with a strong Google page rank (PR).
- Be careful about your other links. Do not allow weak Google PR pages to link to you. Minimize your links to other sites, as Google will perceive you as being manipulative.
- Make certain your profile or bio is professional and consistent throughout. Use the same picture.
- Insert relevant videos.
- Check your Internet reputation on a frequent business. Here are Best Practices to Optimize Your Brand, Manage Your Web Reputation.
- If you have employees, develop and implement a social media policy regarding your business reputation.
- Change your passwords frequently – make sure they’re strong. 6. Separate business and your personal life. Avoid posting compromising photos, text or videos.
- Accelerate your site’s download speed, which is important. See Google’s Continuing Quest to Increase Page Speeds and In SEO, Your Site’s Download Speed Matters to Google.
- Understand what matters to Google – see Google Insights – 23 Key Questions about Your Web Site.
- Despite what you might read, pay close attention to your use of meta tags and key words. They will influence Google and the other search engines.
By the way, don’t be fooled by the incessant hype about Facebook. Your Web site and prominence on Google will always be more important than what you do on Facebook. (See Winners and Losers in Facebook’s Invasion of Google’s Turf.)
My only regret about Google: That it hasn’t found a way to restart its real-time feature with Twitter. If you use the 14 recommended strategies, and if Google and Twitter get back together for real-time results, you’ll really rock.
Oh, here’s more good news — surprise — these strategies work on Yahoo and Bing, too.
From the Coach’s Corner, here are two more resource links:
10 Tips to Optimize Your Web Site for Higher Sales
Startup Toolkit – How to Make a Hit on the Internet
“The only thing Google has failed to do, so far, is fail.”
-John Battelle
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Columnist Terry Corbell is also a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services (many are available online). For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule Terry Corbell as a speaker, why don’t you contact him today?
E-mail Marketing Goes Better with Social Media, Study
A common sense conclusion from a marketing study, but it’s surprising when you consider the source. Small businesses are more successful in an e-mail marketing campaign if they combine it with social media, according to a 2011 study by e-mail marketing firm Constant Contact.
Constant Contact says companies using the two-pronged approach net a 14 percent increase in their e-mail list vis-à-vis 9 percent for just e-mail by itself.
Businesses that combined the two strategies experience 53 percent larger e-mail lists.
More importantly, the click-through rates are higher, says the company, which has 450,ooo customers.
“Small businesses are always asking us, ‘Email marketing or social media marketing? Which is the best use of my time and resources?’ In fact, it’s not either/or; it’s both. Use email to communicate with your current customers and social media to reach new customers,” said Rick Jensen, chief sales and marketing officer for Constant Contact.
“The average click-through rate for those using both email and social media marketing was 59.3 basis points higher than for those using email only,” he said.
When Mr. Jensen released the results of the study, he offered a guarantee.
“We’ve created a playbook to help our customers get started and be successful with email and social – fast. We already know our email marketing provides superior results, and we’re so confident that this combination will deliver even more success that we’re guaranteeing results,” he said.
The study’s results make sense. An integrated approach should make it easier to engage customers. While this column probably makes me appear as a cheerleader for Constant Contact, no worries, as I’ve never done business with the firm. The guarantee is intriguing.
On average, in my experience, buying decisions are made after the customer receives five positive messages. Social media helps a company branding. It sets the stage. It seems logical that an e-mail campaign would be more effective if complemented by social media – once the five message threshold is achieved.
From the Coach’s Corner, here’s more on digital-age marketing: The Key to Internet Dominance: Think Integration.
“Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.”
-Mark Twain
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Columnist Terry Corbell is also a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services (many are available online). For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule Terry Corbell as a speaker, why don’t you contact him today?
8 Tips to Optimize Sales with Social Media, But Beware of a Red Flag
Updated Feb. 1, 2012
It’s time-consuming, but there is data to illustrate why social media should be part of your marketing and human-resources recruiting mix.
For example, social networking continued to increase in popularity with consumers in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project in 2011.
Pew reports 50 percent of all U.S. adults are social networking. So are 65 percent of adult Internet users – an increase of more than 100 percent since 2008. Daily, 43 percent of adults using the Internet are also on social networking sites.
Data from the month of May: Eighty-three percent of the 18-29 age-demographic are social networking. That compares to 70 percent for the 30-49 demo, and 51 percent among 50-64 year-old users. Thirty-three percent of seniors, 65+, are social networking.
The three salient social networks: Google+, Facebook and Twitter. LinkedIn is, of course, favored by professionals. (The Biz Coach has the AddThis option for readers to share this and other columns — there are 330 social media options.)
Social Networking Red Flag
So, social media has value. However, look before you leap into a full-scale dependence on social network marketing. Social networking doesn’t necessarily lead to sales, according to another Pew study.
It shows three types of social media aficionados:
- Heavy users – 26 percent of time spent
- Medium users – 4.1 percent time spent
- Light users – .42 percent time spent
Surprisingly, heavy users don’t necessarily consume products. Statistically, Pew reports they’re not as likely to buy products and services on the Internet. Plus, they spend less when they do.
Average spending among the three categories:
- Heavy users – $126
- Medium users – $212
- Light users – $297
What you need to do is find the right use of social-mediums for your business, and start interacting.
Here are eight options to consider:
- Manage your online image and reputation
- Branding for repeat customers
- Respond to customer complaints
- Complement your press releases with blogs
- Crisis management
- Stage contests to attract Web traffic
- Publish thought-leadership commentaries
- Attract and recruit employees
Naturally, the latter – No.8, recruit employees – is especially viable on LinkedIn. Ask any headhunter who is concerned about competition from LinkedIn. Conversely, it’s a networking tool for jobhunters, too.
From the Coach’s Corner, before investing heavily in Facebook, you might want to consider this Biz Coach column: Is Facebook Approaching the End of Its Product Life Cycle? Ostensibly, Yes.
“Social networks aren’t about Web sites. They’re about experiences.”
– Mike DiLorenzo
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Columnist Terry Corbell is also a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services (many are available online). For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule Terry Corbell as a speaker, why don’t you contact him today?
The Key to Internet Dominance: Think Integration
Updated Feb. 4, 2012
Whether you’re a new or established business, it wasn’t that long ago that a strong Internet presence meant having a great Web site with a top ranking. Partially, that’s still true but the competitive marketplace continues to rapidly change daily, which means the No. 1 objective should be a vibrant, integrated presence.
In other words, what matters most is your total Web image – your Web site is an important secondary consideration.
Naturally, it’s important to develop online relationships with social media and other strong Web sites. They will enhance your Web image until it achieves a dominant position in your niche. So, an integrated approach works best.
That means think big picture to achieve a proper balance. Facebook has, of course, become a player. But it’s important to note there are Winners and Losers in Facebook’s Invasion of Google’s Turf, including a threat of cannibalizing your Web site’s presence on the search engines. Here’s a second analysis: Aside from Privacy, Security Issues — Facebook is a Threat 2 Ways. Harness the power of Facebook, but don’t let it make your Web site irrelevant. Use due diligence to capitalize on Facebook.
Besides, there’s another ramification if you allow Facebook to cannibalize your Internet reputation. Why? Facebook appears to be Approaching the End of Its Product Life Cycle. Fixing the problems caused by a faltering Facebook would be costly in time and money. Building a successful Web site consumes a lot of resources. Don’t let Facebook exacerbate your situation.
A Web site doesn’t have to be an expensive venture. With WordPress and other options, you can forget about HTML, which is challenging and time-consuming to learn. You can use a free WordPress template, www.blogger.com, or buy a complex WordPress template and customize it.
Another challenge: Cyber security. Be sure you take every security precaution. (This portal has more than a dozen columns quoting a nationally respected security expert, Dr. Stan Stahl.)
If you’re a blogger, the possible downside for not using HTML is that it will be a challenge for you to convince Google that you’re a news site. Stature as a news site, of course, means more prominence. But you can still be successful without HTML – if you lay the right foundation for success.
21 steps for integrated approach
Not to over-simplify, for an overall great Internet presence, here are the basics:
- Research options for your ideal branding.
- Decide on your slogan – three to five words that will pique the interest of your target audience.
- Develop a logo that tells your story.
- Create a favicon, which is a short description for “favorites icon.” A favicon is small, often 16×16 pixels, used as a logo for your Web site on the search engines. If it’s the same as your company’s logo, you’re really rocking. For example, just look at the URL in this search line on this Web page and you’ll see mine. Or look up any major company or site. All the big dogs – successful companies – have a favicon. It will help portray you as a unique firm.
- Install a good site map for the convenience of search engines and SEO (search engine optimization).
- Don’t under-estimate the power of the news media. Include a “Press Room” on your site for the convenience of journalists to read about your firm’s developments.
- Know and implement the right key words for you. If you’re a small firm, include your name and a brief Web description that isn’t too long to be inserted on the search engines when they mention your site.
- Develop your site – if possible, include a blog, and blog frequently.
- Consider inserting relevant videos — an increasing draw for traffic.
- Register your site with the search engines.
- Read the search engines’ Web developer tools. However, in the main, if you focus on quality and relevance you’ll do well on the search engines. Many people think you have to have use separate strategies for each search engine, but that’s not the case. Relevance and value are what matter most.
- Immediately establish a Google profile, and create profiles on the four salient social networks: LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and Facebook.
- Miscellaneous tips – on LinkedIn join all relevant groups focusing on your target audience and your industry. Promote your work on the groups. For Facebook, decide if you want a personal or company fan presence. Grow your Twitter followers every week.
- If possible, include StumbleUpon (see Using StumbleUpon To Drive Traffic to Your Website.) There are more than 340 social media sites from which to choose, but you’ll only have time to utilize a handful of them.
- For your profile, make sure you use a good picture with strong resolution. Use the same picture in all your promotions. Consistency is a requirement to earn universal trust. Include all your profile basics.
- Develop and implement an editorial schedule for your blogs. Life happens. Keep it flexible in case the schedule has to be temporarily altered.
- For every salient event or blog, write an online press release and have it distributed on an authoritative press release service. Many will do it for free.
- Post your blogs on your social media, especially your LinkedIn groups.
- Install a sharing button, such as Add This, to every page. You can also insert separate buttons for your social media. Despite what the conventional wisdom indicates, you can also do the Facebook “like this routine,” but it isn’t crucial.
- Check the Google page rank of all sites linking to you, and you’ll need a lot of them. Google assigns page ranks from one to 10. However, remember your new Web site will have a zero page-rank, and you don’t want other zero-ranked sites linking to you. That goes for your online press-release company. Shoot for links with a page rank of 6 or higher because if you do things right you’ll quickly earn a page rank of one or two. Allow for some wiggle room for your site’s future ranking. (Check sites here.)
- Continue to innovate in all that you do.
The best way to innovate is to keep an open mind. The best way to keep an open mind to spot and capitalize on new opportunities is to practice the “Principle of Contrary Action.”
It’s a tip from a cherished mentor more than three decades ago. Keep track of everything you do and strive to do it differently each time. That includes taking different routes to work or even going to the grocery store. (It was a simple but effective strategy from Dr. Len Brode, who has had many accomplishments as a scientist and as a great human being. He also was a proponent of “how to keep your personal power,” long before I heard of Tony Robbins. He is married to Jade Brode, the author of Marry the Man of Your Dreams and No Is The Word.)
A Web site is important. But an integrated approach is the key to Internet dominance. Good luck in your venture.
From the Coach’s Corner, here are more research links:
Checklist to Build Your Brand on a Budget
Google Insights – 23 Key Questions about Your Web Site
Study Provides Vital Lessons for Web Sites Seeking Profits
Checklist: 19 Quick Marketing Tips for New Entrepreneurs
Marketing Checklist to Measure Your Brand’s Personality
“A strong foundation increases the value of everything you do.”
-Aaron Wall
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Columnist Terry Corbell is also a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services (many are available online). For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule Terry Corbell as a speaker, why don’t you contact him today?
Despite Hoopla over Social Media, Web Searchers Stay Longer
May 1, 2011
If you want your Web site to dominate your competitors, you might want to consider that social media doesn’t enhance your odds as much as other strategies. What works best is an investment in content and search engine optimization (SEO). Ironically, the hype about social media makes this seem like an improbable proposition.
However, a new study shows you’re missing opportunities for growth if you’re too influenced by the social media buzz – investing more in social media than enhancing your Web site with frequent, strong relevant content backed by SEO strategies.
The study by Outbrain shows referrals from user-traffic deliver more results than social media. (The firm, www.outbrain.com, provides services for an impressive array of publishers including content and traffic information.)
Outbrain says users that directly visit your site and surf more of your pages constitute about 66 percent of your visitors’ data.
The firm’s study indicates social media enthusiasts will spend less time on your site – the bounce rate is higher – they visit one page and that’s it. On the other hand, surfers who visit your site based on their key word or phrase-search will visit more of your pages.
To quote from Outbrain’s study:
- While search still reigns supreme in terms of directing traffic to content pages (41% of external referrers), social is gaining share at 11%.
- Of the six content verticals examined, stories in the news, entertainment and lifestyle categories are the most likely to receive traffic from social sources.
- Traffic coming from social media sources has the highest tendency to bounce.
- Readers who go from one content site to another (i.e. USA Today to The Daily Beast) are most likely to be engaged in what they’re reading, presumably because they are already in content consumption mode.
- Facebook delivers a more diverse audience than Twitter.
My sense about the study: All traffic – social media enthusiasts and content searchers – is welcome. However, Outbrain is right. With all the hype about social media, if you have to choose between the two strategies, it might seem riskier to invest more in your content and search engine optimization. But your ROI will be stronger.
Candidly, that’s my experience, too, as business-performance consultant and publisher of this business portal. Content searchers tend to be more studious and will spend more time looking for content that interests them. The bounce rate for them is insignificant. That enhances your odds for more revenue – whether you’re marketing products or services or depend on display-advertising revenue.
It may seem riskier in the face of the social media hooplan, but focus on providing frequent, relevant content backed by SEO. The social media efforts should be secondary. If you have to make a choice, remember Web sites with current, strong relevant content earn more respect.
From the Coach’s Corner, if you want more specific tips, you might consider the myriad of business-coaching topics in Marketing/Sales.
“If you don’t make a mistake, you never know when you’re right.”
- Actor Robert Ryan (in the movie, House of Bamboo, 1955)
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For a complementary chat about your business situation or to schedule Terry Corbell as a speaker, why don’t you contact him today?
Social Media – 5 Quick Tips to Boost Your Christmas Sales
Dec. 14, 2010
Yes, time’s drawing short if you want to switch strategies to make your cash registers ring. But there are at least five social-media ways to increase sales by the end of the holiday season, according to strategist/writer Sam Cannon. He offered his tips recently in E-Commerce Times.
What struck me was his wisdom in this comment:
“Just be sure your social media efforts offer something of benefit to the customer, and you’ll see the benefit to your brand image and bottom line.”
He cites 2009 data – social media triggered 27 percent of 2009’s shopping decisions. And it’s likely going to grow.
Mr. Cannon’s five tips:
Use Location-Based Apps – Foursquare, Gowalla and Facebook’s new “Deals.” Adding location-based promotions is an effective way to drive in-store traffic and creates another touch point for consumer engagement.
Give the “Wish List” a Makeover - Finding that perfect gift for someone can be a challenge, and shoppers oftentimes will turn to gift cards as a last resort. As an alternative, consider a new twist on the “wish list” feature on most leading e-commerce sites. If your target audience is made up of music fans, launch a poster or album cover creator – something that will resonate with consumers and be seen as less of a chore to assemble.
The most important element here, however, is making the wish list easy to share across Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites.
Create Custom Shopping Experiences Online - Some of the most effective retail marketing campaigns are those that create truly personal connections with consumers. After a consumer interacts with the promotion, give them the tools they need to easily share their experience with friends in their social networks so they can join the fun too.
Use Social Media Channels to Promote Time-Sensitive Deals - Retailers have been extremely successful using social media to broadcast time-sensitive deals as a way to reward their loyal customer base. Post-holiday, these deal feeds are a great way to clear out the inevitable stack of returned merchandise.
Be as Clear as Holiday Crystal - It goes without saying that retailers should try to make the holiday shopping experience as stress-free as possible. So when using social media channels to communicate with your customers, be sure to clearly articulate the value.
Be clear about what role each of your social community efforts is supposed to play — both internally and with your fans and followers. If it’s to answer gift questions, then do that only. If there is another effort to address availability of gifts, make sure your team understands that.
Anticipate that if you create the impression or expectation that your social environment can help with holiday shopping, then customer expectations for you to deliver on that promise will likely be higher than at almost any other time of the year.
My sense is that he’s right. To see his entire article: 5 Ways Social Media Can Plump Up Holiday Sales.
From the Coach’s Corner, here’s a related column: Marketing Strategies to Cut Through the Clutter.
Winners and Losers in Facebook’s Invasion of Google’s Turf
The world has been buzzing about Facebook’s achievement over Google. Harness the power of Facebook, but don’t let it make your Web site irrelevant.
Sept. 13, 2010
It seems the world of marketers and net users – cyber citizens – have been buzzing about Facebook’s achievement over Google. That being the comScore data indicating cyber citizens spent more time on Facebook than the Google sites in August.
Cyber citizens spent an aggregate 41.1 million minutes on Facebook — 9.9 percent of their search-time. That beat the 39.8 million minutes, or 9.6 percent, on all of Google’s sites.
It’s noteworthy because Google, of course, is the leading search engine and has Google News, Buzz, Gmail and most-importantly, YouTube.
With more than 500 million cyber citizens, Facebook’s achievement was over-shadowed by the unveiling of Google Instant, an innovative new feature, which speeds the pace of search.
However, it would appear there are other questions to consider:
- How does Bing profit as Facebook’s Web search partner?
- What should businesses do in marketing on Facebook?
- What precautions should businesses take to make certain their Web sites are not obliterated by Facebook?
Facebook’s time spent viewing can only mean increased search share for Bing vs. Google.In 2008, for $240 million, Microsoft bought 1.6 percent of Facebook. (You might wish to read Why Facebook May Be Inching toward An IPO.)
To maximize the marketing investment, businesses should consider establishing a Facebook page.
For a Facebook presence, Website Magazine’s Linc Wonham recently published some basic tips:
- Set goals for your Facebook page and monitor your progress
- Make your page interesting and informative, and update it as often as you can
- Promote your Facebook page on your business website and elsewhere; add a Find us on Facebook button wherever you can
- Reward your Facebook Fans with discounts and special promotions
- Create a Facebook user group that will be of interest/useful to your audience
- Join other Facebook user groups that pertain to your industry or niche
- Take advantage of Facebook’s tools; track your success with Facebook analytics
“Businesses can add a Facebook Place to their Facebook Page, or the two can be combined,” according to the Website writer. “The result of either option is getting your company’s address, map, phone number and other data in front of Facebook’s massive user network and giving them a way to share the information with friends.”
Mr. Wonham specifies the benefit: “The result of either option is getting your company’s address, map, phone number and other data in front of Facebook’s massive user network and giving them a way to share the information with friends.”
His tips for Facebook ads:
- Be as specific as possible with your keywords and demographic selections
- Use compelling images, titles and copy in your ads
- Make your ads as interactive and engaging as you can
- Frequently update and refresh the images and copy for better results
- Be vigilant about testing your ads and monitoring the results
- Bid high to get your ads approved faster by Facebook
- Start with CPC ads if you have a very small budget, otherwise CPM is the better bet
- Use Facebook Ads Manager, which can be downloaded and installed on Firefox
However, it’s important to take precautions – there are two dangers to Facebook marketing:
- Facebook tends to supersede the importance of your Web site in the minds of cyber citizens.
- The most successful companies achieving success on Facebook have done it by slashing prices and offering coupons.
For more on this angle, see this column: Aside from Privacy, Security Issues — Facebook is a Threat 2 Ways.
But always remember what drives cyber citizens to your Facebook page and Web site — broadcast advertising and strong PR – the ultimate keys to your marketing mix. To target credit-worthy or high net-worth customers, broadcast news is your best bet.
So, harness the power of Facebook, but don’t let it make your Web site irrelevant. You want to dialogue with consumers on your own turf. Use these measures and you’ll be a winner in Facebook’s invasion of Google’s Turf.
From the Coach’s Corner, in view of the news reports that burglars have used Facebook to target victims, syndicated columnist Kathy Kristof provides these privacy tips: 6 Things You Should Never Reveal on Facebook.
Marketing to Women? Study Says More Love Social Media
April 11, 2010
In just three years, a major change has occurred in Internet usage – women under 40 love social media and most men in the same age group love it less, according to a study by the University of Southern California.
A published report, penned by Mike Sachoff at WebProNews, indicates the USC research reveals both genders value social media, but younger men are moving onto other interests.
Sixty-seven percent of females under 40 are as passionate about their social media as they are their offline friendships. This compares to 38 percent of males.
This represents a major swing in preferences since 2007. That’s when 69 percent of males and 35 percent of females were passionate about social media.
The research was conducted by Michael Gilbert. Mr. Gilbert’s a senior fellow at the school’s Annenberg Center for the Digital Future.
“Women have been a bit more cautious with new technologies but they generally catch up and often exceed men in their enthusiasm once they’ve had a chance to look around,” WebProNews quotes Mr. Gilbert. “Men tend to charge in to new technologies and the opportunities they enable.”
His research reveals 48 percent of women under 40 use online contacts to create offline friendships. That compares to 36 percent of the same age group of men. This about the same percentage of women in 2006 but reflects a switch in preferences in young men. In that year, 59 percent of males became in-person friendships after Internet introductions.
It is not surprising that both genders have acknowledged the importance of the Web for making connections.
However, it is surprising that men indicate their Web connections are not as important as in 2007, but now 84 percent of them say they contribute “to their Internet community” vis-à-vis only 69 percent for women.
“The survey also found women of all ages have a wider range of online community interests, putting more emphasis on social, spiritual and relationship aspects,” writes Mr. Sachoff. “Gilbert believes these deeper personal and social interests likely account for the increasing importance women place on their online communities.”
So, the obvious Biz Coach conclusion: Social media is an excellent option for marketing to younger women.
From the Coach’s Corner, WebProNews is a terrific source of information, such as “Social Media May Get Much More Convenient for Businesses.”
