Things to avoid in Social Media

Here is yet another great article from blog.hubspot.com, 10 Sloppy Social Media Mistakes to Fix NOW. What I did not see that I would like to add is basic editing…

• ·         Use spell check!!
• ·         Read over your posts, make sure it is readable.

 Here is the top ten list from the article - I think we can all learn something here.

10 Sloppy Social Media Mistakes

1. Not using the social media accounts you set up.
2. Not linking back to your website in social media profiles.
3. Not claiming your accounts.
4. Not separating your business accounts and personal accounts.
5. Not explicitly asking someone to engage with your content.
6. Not including a picture.
7. Not having a blog subscription and RSS feed set up.
8. Not having social media follow and share buttons on your website.
9. Not including links in your tweets.
10. Not posting updates with context.

Read more: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/28970/10-Sloppy-Social-Media-Mistakes-to-Fix-NOW.aspx#ixzz1f45QegGL

Repackaging Content...

I just read an interesting article on blog.hubspotcom, 5 Ways to Repackage Existing Content to Create MORE Content, and I’m having mixed reactions to their methods.

By their own definition, ”All that repackaging content means is taking something you've already produced and either putting a different spin on it, changing its format, adding new content, or updating existing content to bring additional value.” And that sounds great for marketing to your existing customers and keeping those retention numbers high. On the other hand, if a campaign is starting to lose ground why do they want us to regurgitate the same information to the same people? 

What I can appreciate about the article, is taking comments from blogs and expanding on them, making them into content.

Or maybe the “Turkey Coma” has affected my brain this week…

Read more: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/29112/5-Ways-to-Repackage-Existing-Content-to-Create-MORE-Content.aspx#ixzz1f3va0PmV

Getting The Best Search Engine Optimization

We have all of these potential clients out there, now how do they find us? For most of us finding what we want is a matter of firing up our trusty Google search engine and typing a word or two. For example: I typed in Laundry Detergent, and after the usual Wikipedia listing – there was Tide. Yet when I typed truck, Jeep was not even in the top five brands listed. So I started doing some reading to find out what determines where a business falls into the vast Google listings, and how this search engine optimization (SEO) works. Because as we all know, the easier someone can find us, the more money we can generate.

I found an informative article today, The Importance of Google PageRank – A Guide for Small Business Executives on blog.hubspot.com. The first thing I learned is there is more than one type of search, who knew? The one most of us use on a regular basis is free, and in this article refers to it being a natural search. Google has come up with some complicated ways to figure all of this out, but according to blob.hubspot.com how a web page is listed can be summed up as:

“Search Ranking = Relevance * PageRank”

According to the article, page rank is essentially how many other pages are linked to you. Relevancy is how well your site matches the search phrase. In my opinion, that is the most controllable. This is where good use of titles and frequency of important key words come into play. This could also be another opportunity to use your value proposition as an advantage. Keeping things to the point and stating what the customer wants is a great way to make sure your website will be visible.

Read more: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/45/The-Importance-of-Google-PageRank-A-Guide-For-Small-Business-Executives.aspx#ixzz1eJLWq9K5

How To Gain The Trust Of Facebook Users

It seems like everyone is on Facebook these days, and I have become just as guilty. It has been intertwined with my daily life, just like e-mail (maybe even more so). However, everywhere I go it seems like I'm bombarded with ads to "Like" a brand or retailers page. So I started wondering, how many people really spend time looking up an advertisers page? So I found an interesting article on emarketer.com - "Facebook Users Are Slow To 'Like' Brands and Retailers." This section interested me the most.

Among the online buyers who had “liked” a retailer’s Facebook page, the most important feature was the presence of sales and promo codes—not a surprising response from social media users who shop online. But more than half also considered the customer service aspect of a brand’s Facebook page to be important, showing that those who “like” brands also like sharing experiences, whether positive or negative. http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008700&ecid=a6506033675d47f881651943c21c5ed4

I would have to agree with their findings. I am not going to subject myself to more ads than I absolutely have to endure. Unless, there is something in it for me, such as a discount or freebie.

What the article did not talk about was “Contests.” What better way to reel someone in than a chance at winning. Right now Jeep has a great one, and what they have done to gain even more response is after you “Like” Jeep, you then have the opportunity to invite your friends. It gives you more entries and them more viewing time by potential customers.

Importance of Inbound Marketing

Consumers are constantly inundated with information; ads for products and services interrupt our television viewing – and more annoyingly, our web site viewing. Just today, I received yet another cold call – about a service that does not pertain to my lifestyle. My annoyances are not unfounded, a recent post on blog.hubspot.com explains:

I think outbound marketing techniques are getting less and less effective over time for two reasons.  First, your average human today is inundated with over 2000 outbound marketing interruptions per day and is figuring out more and more creative ways to block them out, including caller ID, spam filtering, Tivo, and Sirius satellite radio.  Second, the cost of coordination around learning about something new or shopping for something new using the internet (search engines, blogs, and social media) is now much lower than going to a seminar at the Marriott or flying to a trade show in Las Vegas. 

What a concept, let people who want your products and services find you! Today with the use of social media and search engines, it is more important to have clear and visually attractive sites that bring in customers. It’s all a matter of knowing your audience. Today I did a Google search for “laundry detergent,” and found most of the major brands represented on the first page. However, I clicked on Tide, because it was on the top of the list. Their website was easy to navigate, and highlighted everything I wanted to see including; tips for dealing with difficult stains, deals and coupons, links to Facebook, and their concern with both social and environmental issues. Obviously, placement of their page on Google was a great start, but the usability of their website is impressive – and a great example of using inbound marketing to its potential.

Consumers Want To Be In Control.

Even while I was creating this blog, my first question was whether or not I would be able to stay in contact using my I-Phone, and was happy to find an App for that! I feel that I’m like many consumers out in the cyber world; we want to stay informed with our news and information fast, convenient, and on the go.

It is becoming increasingly important to stay up on the newest technology. According to the emarketer.com newsletter “Mobile Advertising Goes Mainstream,”

US mobile ad spending will grow 47% in 2012, reaching $1.8 billion, as marketers seek to capitalize on rising smart device and mobile web adoption. As on the desktop, search and display (banners, rich media and video) are emerging as the dominant mobile ad formats.

The companies that are not making the investment into a mobile site are losing out. Just this past week, I found myself in the grocery store looking up product information and “the deals of the day” – At this point, I don’t even walk into my favorite coffee place without checking my e-mail for this week’s special, and my scan-able coupon. Even fast food giant McDonald's has put product and nutrition information at our fingertips.

If you want an example of how frustrating it is to use a full view website on your smart-phone, try spam.com. By the time I chose a recipe, and expanded it to a readable size – I was dizzy!! With this being said, I encourage all of you marketing professionals to ask yourselves, is my business accessible to mobile users?

Testing

Hi everyone, this is just a test for my new blogger mobile app!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day.