• Selling to the Future (Part 2 of 5): Learn your XYZs

  By Christina | Posted Oct 21, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing, Social Media

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  (Part 2 of a 5-part blog series on Selling to the Future)

  Tools such as search engine optimization, pay-per-click campaigns, online ads and viral marketing are important elements of a company’s Internet marketing strategy. 
  
  However, the emergence of social media, including forums, blogs, social networking, wikis and more, has given businesses the chance for dialogue — in the figurative online sense — with both current and potential customers. 
  
  But for your voice to be heard with online generations, first understand whom you’re talking to.

  GENERATION X (Born 1965-1982)

  • The MTV generation of divorce, social problems and economic strain
  • The generation between the baby boomers and their children
  • Digital adaptives — technologies began to emerge (in a mass sense) largely during the teen years of Generation X 

  GENERATION Y (born 1980-1994)

  • The Net Generation, The “Millennials” of the work place
  • Represents more than 70 million consumers in the U.S.
  • Peer oriented and seek instant gratification
  • Heavy users of Internet forums, email, Wikipedia, search engines, social networking sites, etc.
    

    

   

  In a survey of 7,705 college students:

  • 97% own a computer
  • 94% own a cell phone
  • 34% use websites as their primary source of news
  • 28% own a blog
  • 44% read blogs

  Generation Y is a prime target for Internet marketing. According to the online article, “Why Gen Y is going to Change the Web,” Generation Y doesn’t care about advertising: they care what their friends think.
  
  The article continues: “Because they are immersed in media, both online and off, Gen Y'ers are marketed to left and right. But when it comes to making decisions, Gen Y tends to rely on their network of friends and their recommendations, not traditional ads…They're also somewhat distrusting of ads, which is why grassroots efforts can also work.”

  Source: Wikipedia reference - Connecting to the Net.Generation: What Higher Education Professionals Need to Know About Today's Students, Reynol Junco and Jeanna Mastrodicasa (2007).

  GENERATION Z (born 1995-present)

  • Today’s children and students, and tomorrow’s employees and leaders
  • History's first 21st Century generation
  • The digital natives, the dot com kids, Generation Media
  • The 'Multichannel Teens' — super-communicators who have a host of technology options for dealing with family and friends

  Sources: Wikipedia.com; Marketingvox.com, Marketingcharts.com

  Where the wealthy are
  

  According to The Luxury Institute’s latest WealthSurvey, “The Wealthy and Web 2.0,” the participation of wealthy online consumers (average of $287,000 income) in social networks dramatically increased to 60 percent in 2008, from 27 percent in 2007.  The wealthy average membership in 2.8 social networks, with an average of 110 connections.

  Selling to the Future Blog Series Links

  Part 1 - Connecting with Younger Audiences
  

  Part 2 - Learn your XYZs

  Part 3 - Facebook is life for college students and beyond (coming soon)
  

  Part 4 - Blogging in business (coming soon)

  Part 5 - Don't call us, we'll text u (coming soon)

• Blogging For Business Video: Inbound Marketing Summit - Sept. 8, 2008

  By Paul | Posted Oct 21, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in:

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  I had the privildge to present at the 2008 Inbound Marketing Summit on Sept. 8, which drew more than 300 attendees, 1,300 live stream viewers, 10,000 Website visitors, and 100,000 social media connections. The inaugural event brought together experts in the field of inbound marketing to share the latest strategies, tools, and best practices to utilize inbound marketing methods to grow your business. 

  Below is the session abstract and video (including the always nerve-racking technical glitch to start).

  Blogging for Business: Improve Your Search Engine Rank & Engage with Your Customers

  Are you looking to grow smarter and faster than your competitors, connect with audiences online, boost search engine rankings and position yourself as a thought leader? You can do it all with highly relevant, keyword-centric blogs. In this session, you will get an inside look at the blogosphere, including corporate blogging trends and statistics, learn how to establish or strengthen your blogging strategy, and discuss best practices for businesses of all sizes.

  
  
  Also, be sure to check out 8 Blogging for Business Tools.
  
  
  

• Managing Your Online Reputation (Part 1 of 4)

  By Laurel | Posted Oct 21, 2008 | 1 Comment(s) | Filed in: Brand Marketing, Internet Marketing

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  Try this:  Google “Comcast technician.”  Now try just “Comcast.”  (Quotes are not necessary.)
  
  Now, I can’t guarantee anything, but chances are that on the first results page for both searches, you came across the viral video of a Comcast technician that fell asleep during a customer house call.  (Hat tip, Mark Hornung)

  

   

  
  Needless to say, this is not a great thing for Comcast.  Imagine a potential client, doing research on your company, searching Google, and finding (arguably) the worst customer service video ever.  What if you didn’t even know it existed?
  
  This is the world of Web 2.0.  You may not be able to control your message as much as you used to, but you can have a handle on it.  And by understanding what others are saying, joining the conversation, and actively participating in social media, you can push the most relevant content to the top of Google.  Or at least get a word in edgewise.  This four-part blog series will introduce you to reputation management in a Web 2.0 world.

  Stay tuned for a series of posts on Managing Your Online Reputation:

  Part 2 - Are you listening? 

  Part 3 - Join the conversation

  Part 4 - Web 2.0 is like Kindergarten.  For people to like you, you have to share. 

   

• The New Four Ps of Marketing

  By Paul | Posted Oct 21, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing

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  I did a guest post today on the HubSpot Internet marketing blog that asks the question, "Are the Four Ps of Marketing Dead?"

  Here's the intro:

  "In Marketing 101, we are taught the four Ps of traditional marketing - Product, Price, Place and Promotion. While these fundamental elements are still relevant, they may not be as important in business today as the four Ps of inbound marketing - Personas, Participation, Publishing and PageRank. . . ."

  Read the full post on the four Ps of inbound marketing and let me know what you think.

• Six Tips for Getting Started on Twitter

  By Laurel | Posted Oct 21, 2008 | 1 Comment(s) | Filed in: Social Media

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  I just posted about the five reasons I use Twitter.  In hopes that I may have persuaded a few people to give Twitter a shot for themselves, here are a few tips for getting started.

  1.  First of all, even if you’re still not sold, you should still protect your brand by securing your name, and your company name on Twitter, before someone decides to get on there as you.  For example, Paul doesn't actively use Twitter (yet), but he has set up two profiles — one for himself and one for PR 20/20.  (Another brand management tip — go to Twitter search, pick a keyword, like maybe your company or brand name, and see what people are already saying about you.)

   

  

   

   

  2. It’s generally not a great idea to tweet as “YourCompanyName” unless you are only posting about company info.  But unless your company does really cool stuff, that would probably be boring and nobody will want to follow you.  (For an example of a Twitter brand that works, check out @BaconSalt.)
  
  3.  When you set up a profile, include as much information as you can.  Don’t leave stuff blank, upload a photo of yourself and link to your Website.  People are more likely to follow you if they know you’re a real person, especially one who seems interesting.
  
  4.  Arguably, in any area of social media there becomes a gray area where your private and public self start to merge.  I think this is especially true with Twitter, particularly if you are using it to network for business, because you don’t’ want to lose your voice or personality.  This might sound scary, but really, it’s pretty cool to actually get to know people. 
  
  5.  Whether you think it or not, people rarely post stuff like “I’m eating breakfast,” “I’m bored,” and “watching TV. I love LOST.”  Its actually more like “reading an interesting article about the bailout at URL,” or “if you’re in the Cleveland area tonight, check out this concert,” or “I’m traveling to Boston next week, anyone want to meet up?”  This is useful stuff, for information and for networking.
  
  6. If you give Twitter a try, give it time.  Twitter is difficult at first.  Start by following anyone you know (or even vaguely know).  Then look for people you admire in your industry — most major bloggers, for example, are probably on Twitter.  Follow people and see the kind of things they tweet about.  Then, post your own updates that are useful to others (but don’t constantly only promote your own content). 
  
  When you feel comfortable, send someone an @ reply like “hey I liked your blog post about XXX” or “thought you might be interested in this article.”  Relationships will build organically, and the whole thing becomes really, really cool.  (And very valuable, in my opinion, both personally and professionally.)
  
  Want more information on using Twitter for your business?  Check out the free Webinar, How to Use Twitter for Marketing & PR, TODAY (Friday, Oct. 10) at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
  
  (And if you’re on Twitter, or want to be, follow me @LaurelMackenzie.)

• 5 Things to Ask When Hiring a Web Development Firm

  By Paul | Posted Oct 21, 2008 | 7 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing

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  Historically, Web development firms have focused on design and functionality when building Websites. And while the sites look great and are user friendly, they are not built to drive traffic and convert visitors into leads.

  If you want your Website to be a cost-effective, lead-generating tool, then it is important that you evaluate Web firms on more than just their design capabilities. Here are a few questions to ask when hiring a Web firm:

  Q1: What’s your Website Grade?

  If the firm you are about to hire has a Website Grade less than 70, you may want to talk to a few more firms.
  
  Visit www.WebsiteGrader.com and see for yourself.

  Q2: How will our Website be optimized for search engines?

  The goal of your site should be to connect with audiences, drive qualified Website traffic and generate leads. You'll want to talk with the firm about their Internet marketing capabilities beyond design, such as: search engine optimization, social media, content publishing and pay-per-click.
  
  Here’s a starting point for on-page optimization to get you ranking higher on major search engines:

  • Conduct a complete keyword analysis. Keywords are used for both on-page and off-page optimization, including: Website content, meta data (i.e. page titles, tags, descriptions), blog topics, product/services naming, optimized press release copy, video/photo tagging, anchor text and much more.
  • Identify critical long-tail keywords (high conversion rates, low competition)
  • Evaluate geographic optimization for target zip codes.
  • Establish landing pages optimized for priority keywords.
  • Create page descriptions.
  • Optimize page titles, headlines, copywriting, meta keywords and image alt text.
  • Monitor your rank against competitors for each keyword/phrase, mirror competitor best practices.

  Q3: What Website analytics will we have access to?

  At minimum, you should have real-time access (meaning it’s available when you ask, or you can login and see for yourself) to the following information:

  • Unique visitors by month
  • Total visits by month
  • Page views by month
  • Pages per visit
  • Avg. time on site
  • Bounce rates
  • Traffic sources (search engines, direct, paid)
  • Top pages
  • Top entry pages
  • Top exit pages
  • Top keywords

  If your current firm doesn’t offer this information, ask them to install Google Analytics on your Website. It’s free, and gives you all the data you need to assess their work and your site’s performance.

  Q4: Will we have the ability to change our own content?

  This is not a necessity, but a content management system (CMS) that lets you login, edit and add your own content is a valuable and efficient tool for keeping your site optimized and relevant.
  
  If you don’t have a CMS that let’s you edit the site yourself, make sure you know the process to request timely changes to the Website.

  Q5: How will our Website generate leads?

  Your Web firm must build the site around a desired call-to-action. When a visitor lands on your homepage, within three seconds they should know what action you want them to take (e.g. request a demo, sign up for an event, download a white paper, visit the blog, etc.). This is an essential part of the Website design.
  
  There are probably another dozen or more questions, but asking these five will get you started in the right direction.

• Newspapers without the Paper? (Part 1 of 4)

  By Lyndsey | Posted Oct 21, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing, Public Relations

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  (Part 1 of a 4-part blog series on The Battle for Influence: Online vs. Print Media)

  A weekend ritual, I woke up mid-morning on a Sunday in June, brewed some fresh Dunkin’ Donuts coffee and plopped down on the couch to read the newspaper — online. As I logged on to Cleveland.com, the Cleveland Plain Dealer online outlet, a letter from the publisher was staring back at me.

  “In addition to coping with the cyclical economic realities affecting everyone, our industry is reacting to a revolution in how Americans get their news and information,” wrote Terry Egger, publisher of Ohio’s largest provider of news and information.
  
  Additional content, as well as the full versions of the brief print articles, were to appear online.  
  
  As I read on, I couldn’t help but wonder, is the day when newspapers and magazines will abandon their print versions closer than we think?
  
  Major dailies and other publications are rapidly shrinking, cutting hundreds of jobs and hemorrhaging dollars because of plummeting circulation numbers. The week of Aug. 18, 2008, The Plain Dealer offered buyouts to its non-union workers.
  
  The Plain Dealer is not alone. In fact, the PD’s radical changes reflect a national trend:

  • In late April 2008, The Capital Times of Madison, Wis., stopped printing to devote itself to publishing its daily report entirely on the Web.
  • The Washington Post plans to merge its Web and Print newsrooms, bringing job-cut fears to Post editors.
  • In March 2008, Minneapolis’ The Rake abandoned its printed magazine for the online space.

  I am a statistic myself. After working as a journalist for four years, I am now building a career as a public relations and marketing consultant. Based on my experiences, I offer the following blog series, “The Battle for Influence: Print vs. Online Media,” where I will discuss the future of the printed newspaper and what the shifting landscape means to those of us on this side (the PR side) of the fence.

  Blog Series — The Battle for Influence: Print vs. Online Media

  Part 1 — Newspapers without the Paper?

  Part 2 — Views from the Mainstream

  Part 3 —  Print Media is Losing

  Part 4 — Public Relations: The New Fundamentals

• 8 Blogging for Business Tools

  By Paul | Posted Oct 21, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Internet Marketing, Social Media

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  Blogging gives businesses an incredibly effective and measurable vehicle to connect with consumers and build relationships online, while generating Website traffic, inbound links and leads.
  
  And while there are more than 112,000,000 blogs published today, the vast majority of businesses have yet to harness the power of corporate blogging.
  
  So let’s take an introductory look at the blogging tools you need to effectively monitor, participate and publish.

  1) Blog Search Sites

  Blog search sites, such as Technorati and Google Blog Search, give you the ability to discover blogs in your industry, and find out what other influentials are blogging about.
  
  Simply enter keywords for your industry and/or expertise (e.g. public relations), and see who’s out there and what they’re saying.

   

  

   

  

  2) Really Simple Syndication (RSS) Feeds

  According to Forrester[1], only 8% of consumers use RSS feeds, so if you don’t know what they are or how to use them, then you’re not alone.
  
  RSS feeds are sort of like wire services for Websites with frequently updated content. The feeds are transmitted from a host site (e.g. a blog, chat group, news site), and received by your RSS feed reader (see #3 for description), giving you the ability to consume enormous amounts of information from dozens, or even hundreds of sources, without having to spend hours surfing the Web, watching TV and reading newspapers.

  

   

  3) RSS Feed Readers

  RSS feed readers make it incredibly simple and efficient to monitor content updates from across the Web. All you have to do is create a free account on one of the leading readers — Netvibes, Google Reader, NewsGator — and start subscribing to RSS feeds from your favorite sites.
  
  Check out a demo Netvibes site we’ve created featuring blogs from presenters at the 2008 Inbound Marketing Summit:

  www.netvibes.com/pr2020

   

  

   

  4) Google News Alerts

  Google News Alerts is a free tool that makes it possible to monitor an unlimited number of keywords and phrases. It takes 10 seconds or less to set up an alert, and then Google delivers updates right to your email inbox.
  
  You should consider monitoring your company name with variations (e.g. PR 20/20, pr2020, PR 2020), key executives, priority keywords, competitors, events and products/services.

  

   

  5) Social Bookmarking

  Social bookmarking sites such as Digg, StumbleUpon, Delicious and Reddit, give you the ability to find and share great content.
  
  You’ll be amazed at the volume of Website traffic that can be generated when you create great content on your blog, and it gets shared to one of these popular sites.
  
  Get started by creating a profile on one of these sites, then begin exploring.

  Sample StumbleUpon Profile

   

  

   

  6) Blogging Platforms

  When you decide it’s time to join the blogosphere as a publisher, selecting your blogging platform is one of the most important decisions you’ll make, so do your homework.
  
  Wordpress, Typepad and Hubspot offer some of the more robust blog publishing tools, so that’s a good place to start looking. Here are a few features you’ll want to be sure are included in the platform you choose:

  • Simple RSS and email subscription
  • Social media integration
  • Technical & community support
  • Search by categories
  • Tagging and search by tags
  • Pinging services
  • Multiple authors
  • Custom URL with your own domain

  7) Search Engine Optimization

  Sharing great content and insight with your readers is rewarding on its own, but if you’re serious about building your business too, you’ll want to optimize your blog for search engines.
  
  At minimum, check out Google’s Keyword Tool to see what keywords people are searching for, and then try to tailor some of your posts to the wants and needs of your audiences.
  
  For example, based on our inbound marketing software (we use Hubspot) keyword analysis, I know that a good amount of people are looking for information on “public relations trends,” so we regularly publish content related to those keywords.

  8) Microblogging Platforms

  Microblogging platforms like Twitter are exactly what they sound like: tiny blogging tools.  Another form of social networking, Twitter works like so: You set up a profile, find people you know (or find interesting) and follow them. You then receive each of your new friends’ 140-character-or-less updates, and anyone that follows you gets yours.
   
  Since people who follow you are most likely interested in what you have to say, you can “tweet,” or send an update, when you post a new blog article.  Just another way to promote your content and drive relevant traffic from people who are clearly active in social media.
  
  
  Stay tuned for more Blogging for Business posts, and check out our presentation at the 2008 Inbound Marketing Summit.
  
  
  
  [1] US: Forrester's North American Social Technographics Online Survey, Q2 2007, 10,010 respondents.

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