I recently found this great article from SearchEngineWatch.com the deals with the best practices for SEO. Article link. It goes over some of the basics that beginners can take into consideration when deciding on their SEO strategy. Having a strategy when it comes to your SEO, will help businesses build organic traffic for long term presence on Google.
The article encompasses these 4 principals:
1. Subject-matter expertise
2. Information Architecture
3. Technical Implementation
4. Marketing
Take a look at the article and let me know what you think
Monday, January 25, 2010
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Consumer Skeptism About Online Advertising
I am currently reading the book, The Digital Handshake by Paul Chaney, I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get more insight into the social media world. The first chapter is about the consumer skepticism about online advertising and social media.
What Paul Chaney and the Edelman PR firm state below in Chapter One below is true, I see it everyday at work:
1. There is a 3 to 1 margin of people who are far more likely to trust "average people like me"
2. Consumers trust word-of-mouth recommendations far more than traditional marketing or advertising.
3. They wanna hear about real experiences rather than marketing speak
I work with a lot of SMB's that say the majority of their business is from word-of-mouth referrals. Luckily, my job is to get them to put their business on Kudzu.com, a local search site, where word-of-mouth is found online. So, social media is a game that I have to explain every day to my potential clients.
I have noticed that the SMB's that I have came across lately have started to create a online presence. The majority have done the following:
1. Created a website with all biased testimonials
2. 30% of those have invested in SEO placement
3. 60-80% are doing some type of SEM bidding
4. 10% have created a Facebook business page
5. Less than 10% have created a Twitter page
Here is what I see is the problem with the above stated observations:
1. Less than 10-15% have a dedicated person managing their online reputation
2. 75% just put it up online and do not know what steps to take next
My recommendations for my clients have been to have their customers drive their reviews/word of mouth comments to national or local sites like Kudzu or Yelp. That will allow other people to see their responses in a non-biased location, that holds more weight when consumers make a buying decision. Other suggestions have been to pay attention to their online reputation and spend time on social media; it will pay off. At least once a month Google their company name- see what comes up.
Paul states in Chapter one that, "by, re-instituting the conversation, social media can help companies reconnect with consumers, rebuild with bridge of trust, renew customer loyalty, re-energize brand evangelism, and re-humanize the company." Imagine, if you are a customer and you feel that company X cares about you, that you are not just a number, you will share that positive feeling with all of your neighbors.
I have seen this happen several time at Kudzu for example, if a merchant gets a negative review, and they reply to it. The consumer who reviewed the company gets notified that they got a response to their review. We have had clients call and email us saying that customers have chosen them for their service provider because of the way they handled the negative review. This example just proves that if a company pays attention to what their customers are saying, they can win the "hearts" of other potential customers.
What Paul Chaney and the Edelman PR firm state below in Chapter One below is true, I see it everyday at work:
1. There is a 3 to 1 margin of people who are far more likely to trust "average people like me"
2. Consumers trust word-of-mouth recommendations far more than traditional marketing or advertising.
3. They wanna hear about real experiences rather than marketing speak
I work with a lot of SMB's that say the majority of their business is from word-of-mouth referrals. Luckily, my job is to get them to put their business on Kudzu.com, a local search site, where word-of-mouth is found online. So, social media is a game that I have to explain every day to my potential clients.
I have noticed that the SMB's that I have came across lately have started to create a online presence. The majority have done the following:
1. Created a website with all biased testimonials
2. 30% of those have invested in SEO placement
3. 60-80% are doing some type of SEM bidding
4. 10% have created a Facebook business page
5. Less than 10% have created a Twitter page
Here is what I see is the problem with the above stated observations:
1. Less than 10-15% have a dedicated person managing their online reputation
2. 75% just put it up online and do not know what steps to take next
My recommendations for my clients have been to have their customers drive their reviews/word of mouth comments to national or local sites like Kudzu or Yelp. That will allow other people to see their responses in a non-biased location, that holds more weight when consumers make a buying decision. Other suggestions have been to pay attention to their online reputation and spend time on social media; it will pay off. At least once a month Google their company name- see what comes up.
Paul states in Chapter one that, "by, re-instituting the conversation, social media can help companies reconnect with consumers, rebuild with bridge of trust, renew customer loyalty, re-energize brand evangelism, and re-humanize the company." Imagine, if you are a customer and you feel that company X cares about you, that you are not just a number, you will share that positive feeling with all of your neighbors.
I have seen this happen several time at Kudzu for example, if a merchant gets a negative review, and they reply to it. The consumer who reviewed the company gets notified that they got a response to their review. We have had clients call and email us saying that customers have chosen them for their service provider because of the way they handled the negative review. This example just proves that if a company pays attention to what their customers are saying, they can win the "hearts" of other potential customers.
Friday, October 9, 2009
The proof is in the pudding...
With today's economic situation marketing dollars are getting tighter and tighter. I found this article that shows that US ad spending is down 14% but Internet spending is seeing gains. I have been in the marketing space for many years now and I agree with the article.
http://www.dmnews.com/US-ad-spending-down-14-in-first-half-but-FSIs-and-Internet-see-gains/article/149076/?DCMP=EMC-DMN_iMktingNewsDaily
Over the past few months I have been trying to break ground in a new market; Phoenix, AZ. My previous experience with east coast business owners has shown me that they are moving their ad dollars onto the internet. I have seen the same migration with my west coast clients.
What I have seen concerning the advertising campaigns is that the majority of these clients spend a majority of their online budget on SEM or SEO. That proves that advertisers are wanting more proof that their ad dollars are working, ROI.
Unfortunately, I have noticed that the business owners truly do not know how to maximize their online presence. They are growing their online presence, but they truly do not know what they are getting themselves into. For example, one of my clients spent a good portion of his budget on a SEM campaign, not knowing how to truly optimize the exposure. After a few months, he quit his ad campaign and has become internet leery.
For an effective online campaign and for profitable results I recommend that before a company invests money into a online campaign, that they gain a basic understanding on how their user interacts with the Internet.
If you or you know of some educational articles concerning online marketing tricks, please send them my way. I would like to share them with my clients.
Remember when you sell an advertiser; the proof is in the pudding- make sure deliver on your promises.
http://www.dmnews.com/US-ad-spending-down-14-in-first-half-but-FSIs-and-Internet-see-gains/article/149076/?DCMP=EMC-DMN_iMktingNewsDaily
Over the past few months I have been trying to break ground in a new market; Phoenix, AZ. My previous experience with east coast business owners has shown me that they are moving their ad dollars onto the internet. I have seen the same migration with my west coast clients.
What I have seen concerning the advertising campaigns is that the majority of these clients spend a majority of their online budget on SEM or SEO. That proves that advertisers are wanting more proof that their ad dollars are working, ROI.
Unfortunately, I have noticed that the business owners truly do not know how to maximize their online presence. They are growing their online presence, but they truly do not know what they are getting themselves into. For example, one of my clients spent a good portion of his budget on a SEM campaign, not knowing how to truly optimize the exposure. After a few months, he quit his ad campaign and has become internet leery.
For an effective online campaign and for profitable results I recommend that before a company invests money into a online campaign, that they gain a basic understanding on how their user interacts with the Internet.
If you or you know of some educational articles concerning online marketing tricks, please send them my way. I would like to share them with my clients.
Remember when you sell an advertiser; the proof is in the pudding- make sure deliver on your promises.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Trends for Digital Marketing
Today I was doing research on what the landscape is going to be for digital marketing/advertising for the next year or so. With being in the industry for such a long time and knowing what clients want; I wanted to make sure my assumptions were supported.
I found a great article on Ad Age: http://brandedcontent.adage.com/mic/emarketer/ that supports what trends I am seeing.
The Trends I See In Marketing and Digital Media:
1. Overall marketing spending will be down- that is a given
2. Traditional media will feel the brunt of the cutbacks due to the tracking ability of digital media.
3. When they pull back the money from traditional, they will expect more from them in return when they do give them money in future buys. For example, CPL buys instead of CPM buys like they used to get for print.
4. Display and Search will grow, but Search will grow at a higher rate than Display
5. Advertisers that run Display campaigns will expect a certain ROI on their campaigns due to the precedent that Google and other Search campaigns have set.
In summary, it will be a tough year due to the cutbacks but if you design a campaign that is targeted to the online consumer that your client wants and you keep optimizing it on a regular basis you will have a long-time customer.
If you have found any additional articles that pertain to this topic, please let me know.
Thanks,
Ruthie
I found a great article on Ad Age: http://brandedcontent.adage.com/mic/emarketer/ that supports what trends I am seeing.
The Trends I See In Marketing and Digital Media:
1. Overall marketing spending will be down- that is a given
2. Traditional media will feel the brunt of the cutbacks due to the tracking ability of digital media.
3. When they pull back the money from traditional, they will expect more from them in return when they do give them money in future buys. For example, CPL buys instead of CPM buys like they used to get for print.
4. Display and Search will grow, but Search will grow at a higher rate than Display
5. Advertisers that run Display campaigns will expect a certain ROI on their campaigns due to the precedent that Google and other Search campaigns have set.
In summary, it will be a tough year due to the cutbacks but if you design a campaign that is targeted to the online consumer that your client wants and you keep optimizing it on a regular basis you will have a long-time customer.
If you have found any additional articles that pertain to this topic, please let me know.
Thanks,
Ruthie
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Women in Interactive Media Networking Group
May 26th was the launch of the Women in Interactive Media networking group's website: http://www.wiim-atlanta.com/
The reasoning behind creating the WIIM group is to fill a void in the networking space. Over the past few months I have been meeting and networking with a wide range of people- from this the idea was born. I feel there are many groups that an individual can join and become involved with, but there was no women only groups to my knowledge.
As we all know women are excellent at creating relationships and spreading information; this fact is why I created the group. There are a lot of women out there that have extensive knowledge of the interactive space and whom truly want to help out their peers. With having a place where these experts can share their knowledge, I feel that many boundaries will be crossed and connections made.
Not only is the goal to learn and network; I also want to help these women relax after a day in the office. Relaxation will be promoted by having massage therapists, consultants from a variety of groups i.e. Pampered Chef, and group outings.
Additional goals are to create a community where women can:
1. Get a fresh-eyes perspective on scenarios they have been challenged with at work
2. Have women meet other women in their industry- grow their network
3. Learn new industry knowledge and sharpen their skill set
When I announced the group concept, feedback was very positive and supportive with the target audience, this shows that not only I have been wanting this void filled.
With the first event in a few weeks I am extremely excited about who will attend and how it will be accepted.
If you want to learn more or sign up please visit:
http://www.wiim-atlanta.com/
http://www.meetup.com/WIIM-Atlanta/
Ruthie
The reasoning behind creating the WIIM group is to fill a void in the networking space. Over the past few months I have been meeting and networking with a wide range of people- from this the idea was born. I feel there are many groups that an individual can join and become involved with, but there was no women only groups to my knowledge.
As we all know women are excellent at creating relationships and spreading information; this fact is why I created the group. There are a lot of women out there that have extensive knowledge of the interactive space and whom truly want to help out their peers. With having a place where these experts can share their knowledge, I feel that many boundaries will be crossed and connections made.
Not only is the goal to learn and network; I also want to help these women relax after a day in the office. Relaxation will be promoted by having massage therapists, consultants from a variety of groups i.e. Pampered Chef, and group outings.
Additional goals are to create a community where women can:
1. Get a fresh-eyes perspective on scenarios they have been challenged with at work
2. Have women meet other women in their industry- grow their network
3. Learn new industry knowledge and sharpen their skill set
When I announced the group concept, feedback was very positive and supportive with the target audience, this shows that not only I have been wanting this void filled.
With the first event in a few weeks I am extremely excited about who will attend and how it will be accepted.
If you want to learn more or sign up please visit:
http://www.wiim-atlanta.com/
http://www.meetup.com/WIIM-Atlanta/
Ruthie
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Changing it up a bit, what do you do?
So, I'm in a coffee shop working on my laptop looking for jobs and emailing my contacts like normal. Today I decided to "change it up a bit." Do you ever get in the same routine day after day? I know we all do.
When I was working full-time; I truly had a real routine. I would go to the gym, work, sit in traffic, dinner, watch CSI, then sleep; repeat x5. There would be some variation, but for the most part it was the same. I would love to hear some your routines. Please comment about them.
The theme for today is "changing it up a bit." So, I encourage you to do that exact thing. If you normally go home and watch TV with your "other" how about play a board game or actually talk to them about your day. Today is kind of rainy outside so maybe tomorrow, go outside and take a walk with your dog (if you have one that is) and your family instead of sitting on the couch after dinner. This different activity may spark a new idea for a weekly event.
If you do not have "little ones" in the house; I recommend skipping dinner at the table and surprising your "other" with "dinner in bed." If you do not want to eat, you do not have to, just stay in the bedroom (you get the idea).
So, my advice today is to change it up a bit. Just make sure you have fun with it.
Ruthie
When I was working full-time; I truly had a real routine. I would go to the gym, work, sit in traffic, dinner, watch CSI, then sleep; repeat x5. There would be some variation, but for the most part it was the same. I would love to hear some your routines. Please comment about them.
The theme for today is "changing it up a bit." So, I encourage you to do that exact thing. If you normally go home and watch TV with your "other" how about play a board game or actually talk to them about your day. Today is kind of rainy outside so maybe tomorrow, go outside and take a walk with your dog (if you have one that is) and your family instead of sitting on the couch after dinner. This different activity may spark a new idea for a weekly event.
If you do not have "little ones" in the house; I recommend skipping dinner at the table and surprising your "other" with "dinner in bed." If you do not want to eat, you do not have to, just stay in the bedroom (you get the idea).
So, my advice today is to change it up a bit. Just make sure you have fun with it.
Ruthie
Monday, May 4, 2009
Do what you love- it makes it easier to go to work
DO WHAT YOU LOVE- It makes it easier to go to work.
That is a powerful statement to make while you are laid off in an recession. During the past two months I have been meeting with some wonderful folks who are passionate about their jobs and some who are content in where they work. It is amazing the difference of connections that I have been able to make from those meetings. For example, some one who loves what they are doing has been able to connect me with more "quality" people than someone who is just content in their job.
You ask how?
Here is the only justification that I can come up with: if you love what you are doing- you are more involved in the industry, you interact/network with more colleagues, and you generally are more open-minded to becoming a member of an association within your industry. This involvement is paying huge dividends to those who become involved in their "work community."
One afternoon, I had coffee with a sales director who had been at his company for eight years and who had a reputation for being passionate about his job and the industry. During the meeting he mentioned that when he had to lay off some quality sales staff, the ones that were involved and passionate about their careers found new positions quickly.
That supports my theory that you should do what you love. If you hate driving to the office everyday- you have a problem. I have been lucky in my career to date, no matter what job I current have, I do what I love. There may be a part of the job that I do not like, but you have to focus on the positive and the benefits that you are giving to the customer or your company. For example, I have been doing sales for many years; I refuse to sell a product or service that I do not believe in. I have stuck that the rule my entire sales career; by doing that I have exceeded my sales goals in each role that I have had.
So, even if times my seem like they are bad, you must remember that a job that you would love is out there. You need to make a list of what you like to do and what you do not like to do in a career position. When you have this list created you can go out and find a position that meets you personal needs and the company needs.
Good Luck
Ruthie
That is a powerful statement to make while you are laid off in an recession. During the past two months I have been meeting with some wonderful folks who are passionate about their jobs and some who are content in where they work. It is amazing the difference of connections that I have been able to make from those meetings. For example, some one who loves what they are doing has been able to connect me with more "quality" people than someone who is just content in their job.
You ask how?
Here is the only justification that I can come up with: if you love what you are doing- you are more involved in the industry, you interact/network with more colleagues, and you generally are more open-minded to becoming a member of an association within your industry. This involvement is paying huge dividends to those who become involved in their "work community."
One afternoon, I had coffee with a sales director who had been at his company for eight years and who had a reputation for being passionate about his job and the industry. During the meeting he mentioned that when he had to lay off some quality sales staff, the ones that were involved and passionate about their careers found new positions quickly.
That supports my theory that you should do what you love. If you hate driving to the office everyday- you have a problem. I have been lucky in my career to date, no matter what job I current have, I do what I love. There may be a part of the job that I do not like, but you have to focus on the positive and the benefits that you are giving to the customer or your company. For example, I have been doing sales for many years; I refuse to sell a product or service that I do not believe in. I have stuck that the rule my entire sales career; by doing that I have exceeded my sales goals in each role that I have had.
So, even if times my seem like they are bad, you must remember that a job that you would love is out there. You need to make a list of what you like to do and what you do not like to do in a career position. When you have this list created you can go out and find a position that meets you personal needs and the company needs.
Good Luck
Ruthie
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