2011 June | 60 Second Marketer

June 30th, 2011

23 Questions That Help Determine Your Page Rank

Just when you’re getting the hang of things, Google changes the game. As the search engine giant has phased in their new search ranking algorithm, Panda, over the past few months, some websites have watched in dismay as their site rankings have tumbled.

In order to address questions regarding the changes, and what exactly constitutes as a “Quality Site” in Google’s eyes, the company released a series of 23 questions that webmasters can ask themselves to help predict where their pages will fall on the all-important search results page.

Google's 23 newly released questions provide a bit of insight into the mystery of the search engine algorithm.

The questions are as follows:

Would you trust the information presented in this article?
Is this article written by an expert or enthusiast who knows the topic well, or is it more shallow in nature?
Would you be comfortable giving your credit card information to this site?
Does this article have spelling, stylistic, or factual errors?
Are the topics driven by genuine interests of readers of the site, or does the site generate content by attempting to guess what might rank well in search engines?
Does the article provide original content or information, original reporting, original research, or original analysis?
Does the page provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?
How much quality control is done on content?
Does the article describe both sides of a story?
Is the site a recognized authority on its topic?
Is the content mass-produced by or outsourced to a large number of creators, or spread across a large network of sites, so that individual pages or sites don’t get as much attention or care?
Was the article edited well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced?
For a health related query, would you trust information from this site?
Would you recognize this site as an authoritative source when mentioned by name?
Does this article provide a complete or comprehensive description of the topic?
Does this article contain insightful analysis or interesting information that is beyond obvious?
Is this the sort of page you’d want to bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend?
Does this article have an excessive amount of ads that distract from or interfere with the main content?
Would you expect to see this article in a printed magazine, encyclopedia or book?
Are the articles short, unsubstantial, or otherwise lacking in helpful specifics?
Are the pages produced with great care and attention to detail vs. less attention to detail?
Would users complain when they see pages from this site?

While any information about their algorithm is a welcome change from the tight-lipped Google, the insights from this list aren’t exactly revolutionary. Most of these questions address issues that we’ve already known affect site rankings. Namely, that your site will rank well if your website and authors have authority, your content is researched and well written, the site provides a positive user experience and it doesn’t appear that you are trying to game the system by loading content with irrelevant keywords.

These broad generalizations are of course important, but are by no means a golden ticket to a #1 page rank. In order to answer these questions satisfactorily, companies must implement an SEO strategy and execute tasks such as finding strong writers with expertise, building authority via inbound links, and deciding which keywords they want their site to rank for, all of which take time.

Therefore, it is important that marketers view this small peak into the search engine as an evaluation tool for an ongoing process, as opposed to a roadmap to a final destination. To make the most out of this information, use it to assess your current site, establish an SEO strategy, and to continually evaluate your site and the content you’re publishing.

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Posted by Nicole Hall, Account Manager with Mobilize Worldwide. Mobilize Worldwide develops mobile apps, mobile ad campaigns, mobile websites and just about anything else related to mobile marketing for brands interested in growing their sales and revenue using this new and emerging medium.

Google, SEO | No Comments »

June 29th, 2011

Top 10 Must Have Applications to Build Your Company’s Facebook Page

The Social media sphere is an area where businesses and marketers need to be, but many are unaware of how to move beyond the initial faze of creating a Facebook page. For those of you that have a page, but are not quite sure where to go, this blog is for you. Adding a Facebook application can not only move your page from ordinary to extraordinary, but also help increase traffic and interaction from your fans and followers.

So where do you start? Below are the top 10 Facebook applications that can help take your Facebook page to the next level.

1. Wildfire

This is a great application for those interested in implementing a social media marketing campaign. Applicable for businesses, bloggers ad agencies and non-profit organizations, this application helps you design branded interactive promotions.

If you’re interested in doing a contest, sweepstakes, product giveaways or giving out coupons this application can help. This app gives you the ability to design your promotion with their customizable promotion builder. They also make it easy for you to publish your promotion to all of your social network platforms so all of your fans and followers are made aware of the campaign.

Running a sweepstakes or contests is a great way to build brand awareness, increase followers and their engagement as well as drive traffic to your site. After all, according to Jupiter Research, companies that run contests or sweepstakes have twice as many fans on their sponsored social network pages as those that don’t.

2. Wizehive

This application helps you build a web-based contest. They make it easy for you to create contest forms and surveys through their Facebook contest software. This app allows you to customize your forms and voting system, so if you want the public to decide the winner or have a randomized selection process, they can make it happen.

If you’re interested in turning a profit, Wizehive allows you to charge a fee through their system to generate revenue for entries. This application may not be the most affordable, so check out their site to see if it’s right for you. They offer three different plans that range in price from $750 (silver plan) to $7,500+ (platinum plan).

3. Votigo

This is a full-service photo and video contest application that allows you to do a lot with your Facebook fans and customers. Not only does it allow you to create customized promotions, but it also allows you to tap into the registration data so you can learn more about your contestants and build a more extensive customer database. This app focuses on user-generated content allowing for video and photo submissions, comments, voting and support for YouTube embedded content. Their services range in price, but start around $5,000.

4. SocialFly

This application acts as your personal secretary. It’s a great way for marketers to keep in touch and keep up with their businesses contacts. The application has a notes system that allows you to create and setup reminders as well as develop notes to help you organize your contacts. Their location feature allows you to identify where each of your contacts live or where you have to be at your next meeting.

5. Telephone and Voicemail

These applications allow you to communicate with your fans and customers on a more personalized basis. You can talk, IM, leave a voice mail and voice chat all through Facebook. It’s a great option for those that want to interact more with their customers and allows those in business to communicate more efficiently.

6. Networked Blogs

This is a great app for all you bloggers. It basically provides you with a community of bloggers allowing you to connect with others, promote yourself and promote other blogs on your Facebook page. It’s an easy way to import your blog feed through your Facebook page, so all your fans and followers will be updated with your recent posts. The app also helps categorize the different blogs you read, making it easy to navigate through your favorites.

7. Web Trends Analytics

Want to learn more about your fans and the success of your campaigns? This is a great tool to do just that. This app pulls information from your Facebook page allowing you to track your social media efforts. You can track conversions, engagement, who you’re active followers are, what they’re doing on your page and the ability to earn more about their demographics. It’s pretty simple and very effective at pulling insights, allowing you to dig deeper into your Facebook audience.

8. Buddy Media

Buddy Media calls themselves a power tool for your Facebook page. And they’re right. They have the ability to amp up your page and take it to the next level. Their platform helps you build your audience, increase engagement, drive fans to your site, launch pages, track feedback and make updates easily.

9. Context Optional

This is a pretty cool company that helps major companies design and manage their brand on social media platforms. Their sophisticated technologies provide businesses with analytics tools to track their social marketing campaigns and measure results. Their Social Marketing Suite is designed to help you create and publish applications and find solutions for your brand’s Facebook page. Context Optional has created effective branded pages, interactive branded applications and has helped businesses develop integrated social marketing campaigns. You should check it out.

10. Virtue

Virtue is a web development company that can do a lot for your company. They specialize in web application development, web site promotions and developing software to run across your social media platforms. What can they do for your Facebook page? Step-by-step, they help you design a branded page, your own branded application as well as market your application through their SEO services. They focus on concept and strategy so you’re not just creating a page or app to create one. They give it purpose and the ability for you to track your results and find opportunities to advance your social presence.

We may have missed a few cool Facebook Apps that you’d like us to mention. If so, let us know about your favorite Facebook App in the comments section below.

Posted by Rebecca Wilson, Marketing Analyst for the 60 Second Marketer.

Advertising, Facebook, Interactive, Marketing Techniques, Marketing Tips, Mobile Applications, Social Marketing, Social Media | 1 Comment »

Tags: Branded content Facebook Facebook applications Marketing tips Marketing Tools mobile applications Social Marketing Tips Social Media Social Media Marketing

June 28th, 2011

Top 10 Tips on Using Twitter for Business

Twitter, launched in July of 2006, has emerged as one of the top social media platforms enabling users to connect with friends and companies and stay current with constant streams of information. With over 200 millions users generating 190 million tweets a day, Twitter has become a great resource for businesses to engage with consumers.

So, what can you possibly say in 140 characters or less to help your business expand and increase traffic to your website? Well, Blogstrategies.com, Mashable and ChrisBrogan.com have identified a few tactics businesses should keep in mind while Tweeting.

Here are the top 10 you should check out:

1. Hashtags: You should familarize yourself with this symbol (i.e., #) and make it your friend. Put this hashtag in front of a keyword or your company website and Twitter will convert these hashtagged words into searchable keywords. What does this mean for you? Anyone searching for something can find all tweets containing your hashtagged word in a single location, thus making it easier for them to find your tweets even if they’re not one of your followers. Search the database for hashtagged questions pertaining to your business or topics of your expertise and connect with these followers. You’ll find you not only do you have more readers, but possibly more customers as well.

2. Engage with your followers: Simply sending out tweets and not responding to your followers will get you nowhere. It’s important to respond to those that tweet at you and answer any questions they might have. Each time you interact with your followers, make sure it’s a personalized message. No one wants to feel like their receiving a mass tweet. If they feel your message is sincere and they like what you have to offer, the chances of them retweeting your information is even greater, thus ultimately exposing your business to more followers.

3. Combine your platforms: Make it easier on yourself by synchronizing your Twitter account with all of your other social platforms. You can do so by associating your Twitter account with the RSS feed of your company website, Facebook page or blog. By doing so, every time you make an update it appears across all of your platforms, meaning you only have to make one update at a time. Sounds efficient, right?

4. Update your profile: Although most of your followers are only reading your tweets and not your bio, it’s important to have a profile in place that’s up-to-date and professional. Think of it as an extension of your brand. Potential new followers and customers will be checking out your profile to see what you’re about before hitting the golden “Follow” button.

5. The power of a list: This Twitter feature has helped companies gain followers and spread their knowledge to a larger audience. A Twitter list is somewhat similar to a Facebook group. Basically a compilation of followers, grouped together for whatever reason you come up with. You can use these lists to your advantage by promoting and rewarding customers. How? Try creating a list comprised of all your valued customers and reward those on the list with a 20% off coupon or free gift with purchase. Lists can also help your business internally. By creating a list of all employees and those that tweet on your behalf, it’s an easy way to manage these tweeters and aggregate accounts. Once you’ve created your list make sure people know about it by adding it to a list directory such as Listorious.

6. Keep track: It’s important to track your followers and identify whose really paying attention to your tweets. You can do so by tracking retweets, clicks, messages and hashtag mentions. This will give you the opportunity to engage with your loyal followers and maintain these relationships.

7. Ask questions: Get feedback from your followers by asking the right questions. Find out what you’re doing right, what you need to work on and what they want more of. This shows not only that you’re listening, but can provide you with valuable insights about your followers and consumers.

8. Tweet about others: You don’t always need to talk about yourself and your company. It’s important to integrate other’s ideas and links into your tweets. Retweet what your followers have tweeted, share their links and let your followers know what you find interesting about a particular tweet. This lets your followers know that you’re human and are interested in what they have to say as well. Not to mention it’s a great way to build and expand your community.

9. Promoted tweets: This is a new feature of Twitter that enables businesses to speak to a larger audience, even those that don’t follow them. How does it work? First, send a tweet to your followers and then promote that tweet. The promoted tweet then appears as content in search results, so those looking for something pertaining to your tag will see it in the search engine. Twitter offers these promoted tweets on a cost-per-engagement basis, meaning you only pay when users retweet, reply or clicks on your tweet.

10. Customer Service: Best Buy is a great example of how to use Twitter to provide real-time customer service. Create an account in which users can tweet questions about products or services to you directly and tag the answers with a hashtag back to your company website. This allows you to interact with your consumers and provide them with something of value. Best Buy is leading the ranks with over 2,900 employees on board to answer questions and have responded to over 38,000 inquiring tweets. You could be next.

What are some of your favorite tips on using Twitter? Did we miss any you think we should add? If so, let us know in the comments section below. While you’re down there, how ’bout Re-Tweeting this post for us!

Posted by Rebecca Wilson, marketing analyst for the 60 Second Marketer.

Advertising, Marketing Techniques, Marketing Tips, Social Media, Twitter | No Comments »

Tags: build awareness building consumers expand audience generate traffic marketing tactics Marketing tips Twitter Twitter and busines Twitter relationships

June 23rd, 2011

Top 10 Indispensable Tips on How to Take Your Blog to the Next Level

Blogging is a great outlet to provide information, promote your business and establish relationships with your readers. Whatever the reason you have a blog, it’s important that your blog has a purpose and is written for a specific audience.

So, how do you take your blog to the next level? Avid bloggers, Chris Brogan and Michael Pollock have identified some great tactics to get you there. I’ve broken down the top 10, so check them out:

1. Write with purpose: First and foremost you must have an objective for your blog. It’s important to have a focus and think about what you want your readers to get out of it, what you can do for them, and what you want them to do after reading your blog.

2. Give them a purpose: Okay so you’ve provided your readers with all of this information, now what? Extract the insights for your readers and let them know what to do next. It’s better to provide your readers with content that’s helpful versus thoughtful. Give them a reason to read your blog and a reason to come back for more.

3. Know how people read: Put your best information first. If they like what they read, they’ll keep reading. People want information fast, so make it easy for them to get through your post. Bold the first sentence of paragraphs and lead with a strong sentence. Break up the post and make it easy for your readers to skim through and understand what they’re going to get out of it.

4. Be Brief: The key is to keep your blog short and simple. No one wants to read long complicated paragraphs. They want the facts, so be short and direct.

5. Ask Questions: This is a great way to get your readers thinking and involved in what you’re talking about. It’s important to make the question relevant to the reader and to ask thought-provoking questions, not just ones with yes or no answers. Make sure you check back and see if people are commenting, if so respond. Another great tactic is to start your post with a response to one of your reader’s questions.

6. Be human: It’s okay to sometimes let your personality shine through. Find a way to connect with your audience on a deeper level, if it’s appropriate.

7. Learn from others: Some of the best blogs are a compilation of others ideas. See what people are talking about and what people are reading. This might give you some inspiration or help you go in a different direction. You’re in the blogging business now, so get out there and see what’s going on in the blogging world.

8. Join the conversation: Start commenting on other blogs and provide a link to your blog in the comment section. This is a great way to not only learn from others, but gain possible new readers as well.

9. Build your audience: Want more readers? Try promoting your blog. There are many ways to do this, but one is to run your RSS feed through a service such as FeedBurner. This allows you to extend your feed and gain more exposure. Your URL is the ultimate link, so make sure it’s everywhere. Facebook, Twitter, company website, back of your business card, a part of your email signature, you name it, just get it out there.

10. Don’t overstuff your post with Keywords: Keyword search tools are great ways to figure out the terms most commonly searched by your audience. But don’t over-do it. Google, Bing and Yahoo will discount your blog post if they feel that you’re trying to game the system. The best approach is always to simply write good content that your target market will share with others.

For 5 more tips on blogging, check out the 60-second video below:

Posted by Rebecca Wilson, marketing analyst for the 60 Second Marketer.

Category Blogs, Marketing Techniques, Marketing Tips | Comment 1 Comment »

Tags: blogging blogging tactics Blogging tips Blogs building audience Business Blogs promoting blogs

June 22nd, 2011

Jack in the Box Gives Up Toys in Kids’ Meals a Technique Made Famous by McDonald’s

Jack in the Box restaurants decided to stop providing toys in their kids’ meals, a technique made famous by McDonald’s over 30 years ago.

“While we’ve been aware of efforts to ban the inclusion of toys in kids’ meals, that did not drive our decision,” Jack in the Box spokesman Brian Luscomb said.

“Our advertising and promotions have focused exclusively on the frequent fast-food customer, not children,” added Randy Carmical, also a Jack in the Box spokesman.

As reported in the International Business Times, “Carmical said the San Diego-based company has been more focused on the food in its meals for children, such as grilled cheese sandwiches or grilled chicken strips. The company pulled toys from the meals when it began offering parents the option of substituting sliced apples with caramel sauce as an alternative to French fries, he said.”

Not long ago, I created a 60 Second Marketer video for our YouTube channel that discussed the Kids’ Meal technique developed by McDonald’s over 30 years ago. To watch the video (and learn why this was a revolutionary strategy), click the video below.

If you like what you read today, you can have these blog posts delivered to your in box each morning by clicking marketing blog. Or, you can sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter by clicking marketing newsletter.

Posted by Jamie Turner, Chief Content Officer of the 60 Second Marketer, the online magazine of BKV Digital and Direct Response. Jamie is also the co-author of How to Make Money with Social Media.

Category General Marketing, Marketing Best Practices, Marketing Techniques | Comment No Comments »

Tags: Jack in the Box Jack in the Box kids' meals McDonald's Kids' Meals McDonald's marketing Restaurant marketing techniques

June 21st, 2011

What is Instagram? And How Are Big Brands Using it to Connect with Customers?

“WAIT! I have to Instagram that!” has become a common refrain over the past few months that can be heard whether you’re walking down the street, sitting at the office or laying by the pool. It seems that no one can walk more than 5 feet without seeing something that they need to photograph, apply an artsy filter to, and upload to the iPhone app. But while its popularity is undeniable, many companies have yet to use Instagram to promote their business.

Using the app, even camera phone pictures can look like professional photos.

While the promotional benefits of the photosharing app may not be as obvious as the benefits of more established social media tools like Facebook, with a bit of creativity several brands have come up with cool ways to leverage the app. Check out these four ways that big brands have used the app to drum up business:

Crowdsourcing Content: Take a note from Brisk, who ran a special promotion surrounding SXSW where users could take photos with Instagram and post them to Twitter with the hashtag #briskpics to be entered to have their photo run on Brisk cans at the event. These types of contests work especially well on Instagram because their special filters and artsy treatments allow amateur “iphonetographers” to take professional looking photos.

Posting Editorial Content: In highly visual industries like the clothing and food industries, many big brands have acquired huge followings on Instagram by posting editorial content. Check out Gucci, Levi’s and Burberry on the app to see their latest lines and celebrity looks. Or follow celeb chef Jamie Oliver’s Instagram to see pictures of the food he’s serving at his restaurant.

Disseminating Exclusive Content: Companies ranging from T-Shirt Company Threadless, to Red Bull and Playboy are using the sites to post “behind the scenes” photos from special events and the production process. These business accounts give users a specific reason to follow your company on the app, helping you grow your audience.

Running Contests: Add a social and mobile component to your contests by using Instagram. The international hotel chain, NH Hotels, whose slogan is “Wake Up to a Better World,” asked contestants to send in pictures of “wake up moments” where the world is full of hope. Photos submitted with the hashtag #wakeuppics were entered to win one of three vacation packages provided by the hotel.

Instagram hit 5 million members in just 8 months, a benchmark that took photosharing site Flickr 2 years to achieve. And they show no signs of slowing down. As their popularity continues to grow, we will continue to see more and more companies finding creative ways to connect with Instagram. Will your company be one of them?

Category General Marketing, Innovation, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Media | Comment No Comments »

Tags: Instagram Instagram download Instagram for Android Instagram for iPhone What is instagram?

June 20th, 2011

New Research About the Effectiveness of Groupon, LivingSocial and Other Daily Deal Sites

“Why Groupon is Poised for Collapse,” “More Red Flags for the Daily Deals Market,” and “Tough Times Lay Ahead for Daily Deals Sites” are just a few of the articles that are popping up all over the web about daily deals sites.

These ominous titles are replacing the titles from just a few months ago that praised the sites for stimulating local business and giving consumers a much-needed financial break. So what happened in just a few months that has the skeptics coming out of the woodwork?

What You Should Know Before Running a Daily Deal

These deep discounts are great for customers, but are they too much for merchants to handle?

While there is definitely still a strong draw for consumers, a lot of people are questioning whether the deals sites will be able to find enough merchants willing to offer the deep discounts going forward. Many of these articles claim that disappointing results will prevent merchants from returning to the sites for repeat promotions, damaging the sites ability to turn a profit.

These claims are supported by a slew of studies done on the sites and the merchants use them. Despite the fact that Groupon claims that 97% of businesses ask to be featured again, an independent study by Rice University that surveyed participants on 5 major daily deals sites reported that number of merchants willing to run deals a second time is actually closer to 50%.

So why aren’t companies coming back after their first foray into daily deals? Simply, they’re just not making enough money to make it worth their while. Only 55% of business reported making any profit off of the promotions, with 27% saying that they lost money on the deal and 19% reporting breaking even. For many companies, even if they are turning a bit of profit, the drain on resources and time spent administering the promotions are not worth the modest return.

Additionally, many companies aren’t seeing the long-term results that they had hoped for. Though the coupons tend to do a good job in attracting new patrons, with 80% of people redeeming coupons being first-time customers, customer retention is not high. Only 20% of deal participants returned to make full-price purchases after using a coupon, which is lower than the rate usually seen for coupons posted in other mediums.

However, despite some of these disappointing statistics, there are still companies that thrive on daily deals sites. Surprisingly, health services and special events do particularly well, with 70% making money off of the promotions. And even for restaurants and spas which are the least profitable, with only 44% seeing profits, it is possible to put parameters in place that make it more likely that your company is one of the ones that makes money.

How can you do this? First, make the discounts on higher priced items that are more difficult to move. Only 36% of discount shoppers spend over the value of the deal, so upselling once you get them in the store is difficult. Instead, discount the high-ticket items to ensure customers spend more.

Additionally, if the deal site allows you, make the discount lower. Discounts closer to 25% are much more manageable while still providing enough incentive to get customers in the store.

Finally, cap the number of coupons available for purchase, keeping in mind that 79% of people who purchase the coupons will redeem them.

The future of daily deals sites are still unknown, but regardless of their ultimate fate, if you’re a business considering running a promotion, it’s important to realize both the pros and the cons of these controversial sites.

Social Couponing | 2 Comments »

Tags: coupons daily deals discounts Facebook Deals Groupon Living Social Social couponing

June 16th, 2011

Free E-Book by David Meerman Scott: The Ultimate How-To Marketing Guide

As you probably know, David Meerman Scott is one of the pioneers of social media. He’s written several pivotal books on the topic including The New Rules of Marketing and PR as well as Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead (affiliate links).

David's free e-book is packed with helpful tips and techniques. You can download it instantly from the HubSpot website.

He’s now teamed up with HubSpot (one of our sponsors) and written a terrific (and free) e-book called The Ultimate How-To Marketing Guide. I’ve read the e-book and it’s packed with great tips and content.

Here’s just some of what is covered in this 34-page e-book:

How to Get Found Online as a Local Business
How Do You Use Your Email List Effectively
How to Optimize Your Press Release
How Do You Keep Up with the Competition
How Do You Make the Most of Web Ads
How Do You Write an eBook
How to use the Web to Optimize Your Offline Events

The Bottom Line: If you’re looking for great tips packed into a single e-book, then you’ll want to check this out. It’s written by one of the industry’s key thought-leaders and has enough good ideas in it to keep you busy for months to come.

Posted by Jamie Turner, Chief Content Officer of the 60 Second Marketer, the online magazine of BKV Digital and Direct Response. Jamie is also the co-author of How to Make Money with Social Media.

Category General Marketing | Comment No Comments »

Tags: David Meerman Scott

June 15th, 2011

Top 13 Email Marketing Tips Every Marketer Should Know

It seems as though every new marketing article or blog post these days is focusing on social media or mobile media. But email marketing is still one of the most efficient ways to connect with customers and prospects.

So, how do you get consumers to actually open your email and read the valuable contents inside? Mashable and AdAge broke down a list of smart and effective email marketing tactics. Here’s a baker’s dozen you should consider implementing into your campaign.

1. Combine with social platforms: Brands are seeing success when using Twitter and Facebook to gain email subscribers. Send your followers tweets with a shortened URL that allows them to easily click and opt-in to your email mailing list. By creating easy email subscription sign-ups on your Facebook page you have the opportunity to attract more subscribers.

2. Know who you’re talking to: Companies often make the mistake of sending universal email blasts to their entire mailing listing with zero regard to who they’re actually talking to. Segment your database and design personalized emails that the specific viewer will actually want to read. One way is to screen your subscribers when they first sign up. Ask them what they want to get out of these emails and find out who they are as a consumer. This way, you’re sending them content they actually want to and will read.

3. Let them know who’s talking to them: According to AdAge, 70% of consumers say the “from” line drives their decision to either open or ignore the email and 30% say it’s the subject line. These two touch points give you an opportunity to brand your email and let consumers know who’s talking to them.

4. Give them an incentive: Everyone loves getting a little something special in the mail. Send your subscribers a free gift on their birthday or a 20% off coupon for Father’s Day. Give them a reason to open up the email and they’ll be wanting to come back for more.

5. Extend the offer across social platforms: Extend this incentive across social media platforms by giving viewers the ability to share their news on Facebook and Twitter. By making consumers an advocate for your brand, their friends and followers will be interested in signing up, too.

6. Create mobile-friendly emails: According to ComScore mobile email usage increased 36% in 2010. By creating mobile-friendly emails, your on-the-go viewers have the opportunity to read and click-through while on the train or waiting at the doctor’s office.

7. Where to put your most important message: When designing mobile-friendly emails, the key is to make sure the first line in the email is your most important message. Why? The first line is what shows up as the preview on smartphones. It’s about putting your best foot forward.

8. Expand your email list with SMS text: Give consumers an easy way to opt-in to your email database with a simple text. You can do so by letting consumers know all they have to do is text their email address to you SMS short code to subscribe.

9. Make announcements: Consumers are more likely to open up an email with announcement of news. Letting them know a sale ends soon, a new product alert or limited time offers gets them to open up the email and act fast.

10. Frequency and Relevance: AdAge reports that these are the two key elements to keep in mind when using email as a marketing tactic. Don’t bombard your subscribers with a flood of emails, but don’t neglect them either. Provide them with relevant content. If they just bought a product at your store, send them a survey to learn about their experience.

11. Current event tie-ins: Mashable states that viewers respond well to emails related to current events and pop culture. Find creative and fun ways to tie in what’s going on in the area with your brand.

12. Test your tactics: Test subject lines, offers and messages to see what works and what tanks. By testing your tactics you have the ability to know what grabs readers attention and gets them to interact with your email.

13. Listen to feedback: Make it easy for your consumers to leave comments and give feedback so you can give them more of what they want. Email is and always should be a form of two-way communication, so give them the opportunity to respond.

Posted by Rebecca Wilson, Marketing Analyst for the 60 Second Marketer.

Email marketing, Facebook, Internet, Marketing Techniques, Marketing Tips, Mobile Marketing | 4 Comments »

Tags: Email Marketing tips email techniques Marketing Techniques Marketing tips Mobile Marketing social media integration

June 14th, 2011

Three Things to Think About Before You Re-Do Your Landing Page

You’ve labored through the keyword research. You’ve written strategic ad copy. You’ve built your campaigns. Launched them, and now you’re monitoring.

Quality scores are good. Clicks are good. But you can’t get the conversions you want.

Is something wrong with the landing page? How should you optimize it to make an impact?

Here are three landing page optimization tips that will help you along your way:

1. People don’t buy from websites – people buy from people. Or download. Or sign up. Or really whatever it is you want them to do. People interact with a website like they do a person – a person that has engaged them in a conversation.

Think about a dinner party. If someone sitting next to you says, “Wow. Your company sounds like it may be a fit for my needs” (the conversation equivalent of a click) you wouldn’t respond, “We’re the best. We’re the most important, so buy from me right here, right now! Or read this brochure, it will tell you everything you need to know!” Awkward party conversation, huh? Well, awkward landing page copy, too.

Today’s consumer is jaded and reluctant, and you’ve got only seconds to start to build trust. So be specific:

And remember to have a voice that sounds like a human, not a brochure!

2. You don’t optimize a landing page, you optimize a thought sequence. This is the tricky part. You’re the marketing person. You’re so far in the weeds of what your company does it’s hard to get outside of your own head and think about it from an outsider perspective.

So turn off the monitor. Stop thinking about the page and think about the person – the prospective customer- using the page and using your website. Think about the conversation: what does this prospect need to know to get them to convert, and in what order do they need to know it?

3. To optimize a thought sequence, enter the “conversation.” You have 7 seconds or less to answer three important questions that every prospect has when they hit your landing page:

Where am I? I just clicked this ad – is this what I was looking for? Is it what the ad promised? Who are these people? Think about what the conversation needs to succeed. Is the page confusing? Overwhelming? Unclear? Strip out the noise and friction on the page. Avoid unnecessary design or images.
What am I supposed to do on this page? I’m scanning copy and scrolling to the bottom to see what they ultimately want from me. Hopefully this is the same as what the ad copy promised. Be wary of too many options: Don’t ask a prospect to buy, learn more, and sign up all at the same time. Move through the conversation – one step at a time. And be clear what you want them to do, and what they will get if they do it.
Why should I do what you want me to do? What will I get? How will this help me? Why shouldn’t I just click ‘back’ right now? This is the most critical: if this person who just landed on your page is your ideal customer, why should they buy from you and not someone else? The answer is your value proposition. This is why you’re in business. This is what makes you different from your competitors. Be crystal clear.

Small tweaks to landing page organization, copy and design can lead to big changes in conversion. Be a person in a conversation instead of a marketer designing a web page, and conversations will begin. Conversions will rise. You may also be the hit of your next dinner party.

Krista Chism is a digital strategist based in Denver, Colorado, and has over 10 years of B2B & B2C experience in online marketing for agencies, startups, and established brick & mortars. Her clients include Proctor & Gamble, Vectra Bank, Huntington Learning Centers, and others. You can reach Krista by connecting with her via LinkedIn.

Category Landing Pages, Lead Generation | Comment No Comments »

Tags: how to get more conversions landing page best practices landing page optimization tips Landing page tips tips on landing pages

June 13th, 2011

New Research on the Plans, Trends and Measurability of Mobile Marketing

What’s on the mind of all marketers today? Mobile.

Because of that, King Fish Media, Maxmiser, HubSpot and Junta42 conducted research to understand the plans, trends and measure-ability of mobile marketing. The online study collected responses from 560 participants including both corporate management and marketing/sales management professionals.

So, what did they find? Lots. Let’s break it down.

Given the low (but growing) penetration of Smartphones, it’s no surprise that King Fish Media found that mobile marketing is actually in its early stages. Only 33% of the companies that responded currently have a mobile strategy in place. For larger companies (those with 100 + employees) that number rises to 45%.

Where does mobile fit into the budget? Only 12% of brands’ marketing budget is spent on mobile, however 82% plan to increase their spending over the next year. According to their research, 30% of the increased funds will be taken from traditional marketing and advertising.

So what are marketers aiming to do with the their mobile marketing initiatives? Build relationships. This seems to be the core focus, which explains why social media, branded, email capabilities, geo-location/maps and general reference are the top content types right now.

What about mobile applications? There are hundreds, I know. So, are companies really involved in creating them? Well, 28% of companies are using native apps and their development is predicted to increase to 43% by next year.

The iPhone seems to be the most popular platform for application development with 75% of all companies planning apps on this platform. We’re also seeing a significant rise in apps using the iPad platform, 41% to a 76% increase by next year.

What are the take-aways from all this? There are several.

Track your followers. Nearly 60% of companies are tracking visitors to their website from mobile devices. Google Analytics is a great tool to help you track visitors and see where they’re coming from.
Realize the benefits. Mobile marketing can help improve customer retention and help establish closer relationships with customers. Want to gain new customers and strengthen your relationship with current consumers? I’m assuming the answer is an unfiltered, YES. These are cited as two of the many relationship benefits for mobile marketing.
Develop different mobile strategies to build relationships. Original branded content, ads, expert content and videos are popular types of content used by consumers. Find a way to tap into what their using to establish and build relationships with your consumers.

Mobile may still be in its infancy, but consumers are using it more and more frequently. If you’d like to differentiate your brand, then mobile marketing may be just what you’re looking for.

If you’d like to read the full report, click King Fish Media, HubSpot, Maxmiser and Junta42.

If you like what you read today, you can have these blog posts delivered to your in box each morning by clicking here. Or, you can sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter by clicking here.

Posted by Rebecca Wilson, Marketing Analyst for the 60 Second Marketer.

Category Advertising, Marketing Techniques, Marketing Tips, Mobile Applications, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Media | Comment No Comments »

Tags: building relationships customer relations customer retention ipad iphone application Mobile Marketing mobile trends mobile usage

June 10th, 2011

Information You Should Never Share via Social Media

The Anthony Wiener scandal has raised several questions about what’s appropriate and what’s not appropriate to share on social media. It’s safe to say that sharing lewd photographs using a public forum is not a good idea.

Despite the fact that it’s possible to send information semi-privately using social media, as a business person, you should assume that all communication using social media is public.

The internet is not private, despite what you may believe. Don't share anything you wouldn't want your grandmother to get ahold of.

If you approach social media as a public forum, you can avoid finding yourself in a Wienergate situation. And that would be a good thing.

A quick search online about internet security brought me to a post by Kathy Kriston on MoneyWatch.com. It’s a good post which can be read in its entirety here.

For a 60 Second excerpt of her post that includes the 6 things you should never share on Facebook, read on:

What should you never say on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site?

Your birth date and place. Sure, you can say what day you were born, but if you provide the year and where you were born too, you’ve just given identity thieves a key to stealing your financial life, said Givens. A study done by Carnegie Mellon showed that a date and place of birth could be used to predict most — and sometimes all — of the numbers in your Social Security number, she said.
Vacation plans. There may be a better way to say “Rob me, please” than posting something along the lines of: “Count-down to Maui! Two days and Ritz Carlton, here we come!” on Twitter. But it’s hard to think of one. Post the photos on Facebook when you return, if you like. But don’t invite criminals in by telling them specifically when you’ll be gone.
Home address. Do I have to elaborate? A study recently released by the Ponemon Institute found that users of Social Media sites were at greater risk of physical and identity theft because of the information they were sharing. Some 40% listed their home address on the sites; 65% didn’t even attempt to block out strangers with privacy settings. And 60% said they weren’t confident that their “friends” were really just people they know.
Confessionals. You may hate your job; lie on your taxes; or be a recreational user of illicit drugs, but this is no place to confess. Employers commonly peruse social networking sites to determine who to hire — and, sometimes, who to fire. Need proof? In just the past few weeks, an emergency dispatcher was fired in Wisconsin for revealing drug use; a waitress got canned for complaining about customers and the Pittsburgh Pirate’s mascot was dumped for bashing the team on Facebook. One study done last year estimated that 8% of companies fired someone for “misuse” of social media.
Password clues. If you’ve got online accounts, you’ve probably answered a dozen different security questions, telling your bank or brokerage firm your Mom’s maiden name; the church you were married in; or the name of your favorite song. Got that same stuff on the information page of your Facebook profile? Are you playing games where you and your friends “quiz” each other on the personal details of your lives? You’re giving crooks an easy way to guess your passwords.
Risky behaviors. You take your classic Camaro out for street racing, soar above the hills in a hang glider, or smoke like a chimney? Insurers are increasingly turning to the web to figure out whether their applicants and customers are putting their lives or property at risk, according to Insure.com. So far, there’s no efficient way to collect the data, so cancellations and rate hikes are rare. But the technology is fast evolving, according to a paper written by Celent, a financial services research and consulting firm.

Posted by Jamie Turner, Chief Content Officer of the 60 Second Marketer, the online magazine of BKV Digital and Direct Response. Jamie is also the co-author of How to Make Money with Social Media.

General Marketing, Social Marketing, Social Media | No Comments »

Tags: information to share on social media internet security social media security

June 8th, 2011

60 Second Book Review: The Third Screen by Chuck Martin

When I first grabbed The Third Screen (Amazon affiliate link) by my friend Chuck Martin, I thought, “Okay, I’ll take a quick spin through this over the weekend and write a review of it on Monday.” Now, 14 days later, I’ve gone through the entire book and dog-eared so many pages of good, useful information that it’s hard to know where to begin my review.

Chuck’s premise, embraced by most marketers these days, is that mobile media is the third big revolution involving a screen. The first two — TV and the PC — changed our lives dramatically. The third screen — mobile — is going to be just as important as the first two.

The Third Screen by Chuck Martin is filled with in-depth information about mobile media and mobile marketing.

The book is written to appeal to people who are taking a deep dive into mobile media. While there are plenty of tips and techniques to digest here, there’s also a lot of in-depth research and information about how people interact and use their mobile devices.

Case in point — about halfway through the book, Chuck talks about in motion research. “With in motion research,” he says, “you can look at your customers’ patterns of movement, including where they go and what they’re likely to do; that information helps you determine how to best serve them.”

Hmmmm. Interesting. Tell me more.

“Research using location and movement of mobile devices can provide marketers with additional insights and context about their customers’ behaviors. Following are some of the findings of the Mobext study (which tracked consumers using their mobile devices):

Those who preferred Dunkin’ Donuts were 33% more likely to dine out than those who preferred Starbucks.
Those who shopped at Walmart were 60% more likely to dine out compared with Target customers.
Of Target customers who dined out, about 25% went to a restaurant before going to Target, while 25% went to a restaurant afterward.
The average frequency of fitness activities for those who went to quick-service coffee or doughnut locations was 50% higher than those who did not visit those types of locations.”

The information above is just one example of the fascinating ways marketers are using the third screen to improve their understanding of consumers and their behavior patterns.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to get a superficial understanding of mobile media, this book probably isn’t for you. But if you’re looking for an in-depth book that’s packed with new and relevant information, you’ll want to take a deep dive into Chuck Martin’s The Third Screen.

Posted by Jamie Turner, Chief Content Officer of the 60 Second Marketer, the online magazine of BKV Digital and Direct Response. Jamie is also the co-author of How to Make Money with Social Media.

Category General Marketing, Mobile Marketing | Comment No Comments »

Tags: marketing mobile mobile apps Mobile Marketing Mobile Marketing Best Practices Mobile media

June 7th, 2011

Top 5 Features of Next Generation Mobile Websites

Are you Mad about Mobile? Well, Thomas Lichtwerch is and thinks you should be, too. Thomas and his team at Mad Mobile in Tampa, Florida design and build mobile websites and applications for top brands and retailers including Pier 1, Suzuki, Hunter Douglas, TJ Maxx, and Disney just to name a few.

Mad Mobile’s advanced technology and expertise can quickly convert the content and functionality from your desktop sites into mobile form. And the bonus is they can do it with little impact to your IT group.

Why take your brand mobile? Mobile is one of the fastest-growing platforms in the world. With 40% of U.S. mobile subscribers regularly browsing the internet on their phone and a projected 12.5% of all e-commerce transactions going mobile by the end of the year, it’s a channel that you need to be aware of. According to Google, mobile web traffic will surpass PC traffic by 2013.

Mad Mobile can transform elements of your regular website to seamlessly become part of your mobile website.

The mobile web space is flourishing with retailers creating innovative mobile-friendly browsers for consumers. And they are seeing the benefits. According to Mad Mobile, retailers have reported higher conversion rates and larger order sizes due to mobile-friendly websites.

So, what can we expect to see from these next generation mobile websites? Well for starters, they feature animations, layered menus, touch events, offline caching, embedded video and location awareness.

There’s a lot going on here, so Mad Mobile breaks down the top 5 Features of Next Generation Websites:

1. Hero Shots: The glamorous model shots and glossy product photos on retail sites are now going mobile. Developers have the capability to create animated rotating shots while incorporating touch events. Consumers have the opportunity to browse with a simple flick of the finger allowing for increased engagement and interactivity. Not to mention it’s FUN!

2. App-like Experience: ‘Mobile-web apps’ is what they’re calling it these days. Native apps provide speed and easy functionality capabilities. Now your mobile website can, too. Next-gen mobile sites include sliding menus, quick sort functionality and product list views that change without reloading the page. This means consumers can see your products quicker and get to the check-out line in no time. This translates into more conversions and less abandoned shopping carts.

3. Location Awareness: This is key. Mobile sites leverage the geo-location API to track users current location allowing them to provide relevant content specific to user’s surroundings. Looking for a product, but don’t know if it’s stock at your local Pier 1? With geo-location capabilities you can now find out!

4. Zoom/move product images: It’s no secret our smart phone screen is significantly smaller than the typical desktop. Product photos and information appear smaller, but ZOOM is a game changer. Zoom and move capabilities allow users to see the products in more detail. This easy function enables consumers to make smarter buying decisions.

5. Social Media Integration: Outside of email, social media ranks as the top mobile activity. Mobile and social go together, it’s that simple. Integrating social media platforms into the mobile website help brands engage with their consumers ultimately increasing the amount of time they spend with your brand. Include social media and you will enlist your viewers as brand activists, giving them the power to share your site and products with Facebook friends and Twitter followers.

If you’d like to read the full report, click Mad Mobile.

If you like what you read today, you can have these blog posts delivered to your in box each morning by clicking here. Or, you can sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter by clicking here.

Rebecca Wilson is a Marketing Analyst for the 60 Second Marketer.

Consumer Behavior, Interactive, Location Based Services, Marketing Tips, Mobile Applications, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Media, Mobile Website Best Practices | 21 Comments »

Tags: applications geo-location Marketing tips Marketing Tools mobile Social Media websites

June 6th, 2011

Is VC Funding the Best Strategy? A Look at Marketing Automation.

Marketing automation software is still considered a relative newcomer in the enterprise software space. However, there are new entrants popping up regularly, leading to a lot of activity and buzz in the market.

With the growth in this space, the topic of venture capital comes up fairly often. Some vendors are taking on new rounds from top tier VCs, while others are pursuing what they perceive to be the more sustainable method of bootstrapping.

I decided to explore both ends of spectrum: from the Marketos that have raised $58 million in VC funding to the Pardots that have gone it alone. Do you really need that much money to build a software company? What kind of growth can you expect with minimal financial backing?

Since 1998, the marketing automation market has received $398 million in funding.

What is it about Marketing Automation?

VC’s are continually turning their attention to the cloud. They are pouring their investments into new companies that are focused on the Web because that’s where the majority of activity is happening these days. Marketing automation is almost entirely a cloud-based market, and the stories these vendors are pitching – excellent approach and measurement of Internet-age marketing efforts – is in line with what VCs are hearing from their portfolio companies.

But let’s see how this money has really affected these vendors. The chart below outlines VC funding in relation to number of customers and total revenue.

Overall, we see that these companies are enjoying good market momentum, particularly Eloqua and Marketo, who are considered to be the leaders in marketing automation. Based on these numbers and direct quotes from the vendors, it seems that these companies seem to be heading for a $1 billion valuation that will support a long-term, independent company. And they are using other successful cloud vendors (Salesforce.com, SuccessFactors, etc.) as their models for growth.

It seems pretty clear that if these marketing automation vendors want to become leaders and hit that $1 billion mark, it has to be go big or go home. By investing a lot of capital, they can ensure their vision. Also, the road has been paved by previous cloud successes, giving these vendors the confidence in knowing that if they raise enough money and execute on their strategy, they will likely do well.

For a more extensive analysis, head to my site for the full post.

Lauren Carlson is a CRM Market Analyst for Software Advice in Austin, Texas.

Category Marketing Automation Software | Comment No Comments »

Tags: marketing automation Marketing automation software

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Archive for June, 2011

23 Questions That Help Determine Your Page Rank

Top 10 Indispensable Tips on How to Take Your Blog to the Next Level

Jack in the Box Gives Up Toys in Kids’ Meals a Technique Made Famous by McDonald’s

What is Instagram? And How Are Big Brands Using it to Connect with Customers?

Free E-Book by David Meerman Scott: The Ultimate How-To Marketing Guide

Three Things to Think About Before You Re-Do Your Landing Page

New Research on the Plans, Trends and Measurability of Mobile Marketing

60 Second Book Review: The Third Screen by Chuck Martin

Is VC Funding the Best Strategy? A Look at Marketing Automation.