Online Marketing Blog

LinkedIn has quickly achieved top status as “the” business to business social networking destination.  In fact, less than two years after going public, LinkedIn’s value has risen from $4 billion to over $18 billion.

Not only has LinkedIn’s value increased significantly, but their capabilities and engagement have as well.  The same Wall Street Journal article that included the valuation above also shared the following insight:

• In the most recent quarter LinkedIn’s page views have risen 67%
• LinkedIn’s new “content” features include news aggregation and hosting of expert blog posts

If your company hasn’t quite figured out the secret sauce needed to really make your executives’ LinkedIn profiles shine or how to make meaningful connections, you’re in luck.  Whether you want to increase your brand or individual online visibility, this post shares insights into the 5 elements of an optimized LinkedIn profile.  

If you are like most Americans, Sunday night was spent in front of the television watching Seth McFarland sing songs that ran much too long and make awkward jokes.  I was actually one of the few that did not watch the Oscars (I don’t have the attention span) but I did follow the buzz online.

As an online marketer, it’s always interesting to see how companies take advantage of events such as the Super Bowl, Oscars, Grammy’s, etc.  Many viewers are just as interested in seeing the glamorous outfits and train wrecks which can all be found on the red carpet.  Similarly, there were a select number of companies that successfully carried off an integrated Oscars marketing campaign, as well as some that just didn’t hit the mark.  Below you’ll find what I consider to be the best and worst “dressed” social media marketing moments from the Oscars.

After a long and stressful week at the office it’s time to kick back, relax, and make the most of your weekend.  The easy option might be to stay in, order take-out, or watch Golden Girls reruns.  However, you might also be ready to blow off some steam.  Let’s face it, as attractive as a lazy night on the couch sounds, you know once you put in the extra effort a night out will be much more fun.

Comparatively, there are two ways to plan a social media strategy.

• Plan 1 consists of a lazy and solo mission where you simply share a few things here and there that are just a regurgitation of social media stories and promotions that your readers have already heard.

Striking down opponents with your ninja online marketing skills can provide a sense of satisfaction that many marketers crave.  However, there is danger in focusing all of your efforts on the front end of the customer buying cycle.

Do you know how much it costs to acquire new customers versus retaining those that have already signed with you?  According to a recent study it costs roughly six to seven times more to gain a new customer, than to keep an existing one.  Email marketing is one of the many ways that we can communicate with customers on an ongoing basis.  If you’re tired of the same old ninja stars and nunchuks, I’ve uncovered 5 email marketing tips to add to your arsenal.

Social media marketing for business has become a necessity, not an option.  However, with quickly evolving social graph algorithms, applications, and platforms it can be hard to keep up.  An essential part of marketing any product or solution is ensuring that you reach as many of your prospects and customers as possible.

In recent months Facebook has made several changes which affects which of your fans see specific content that you post.

According to Mari Smith (one of our favorite Facebook marketing gurus), “The way Facebook’s Edgerank algorithm works is that each piece of content – whether posted via a personal profile or fan page – passes through a three-part filter and has a different score for each user or fan. In other words, we all see content from fan pages differently.” So when every post counts, what can you do to better attract and engage your Facebook fans?

As the online landscape becomes increasingly more competitive, marketers are finding that great content isn’t just about what you say, but how content is presented as well.  Content marketing that is injected with visually appealing images not only attracts readers to your message, but it helps to tell the story you’re trying to convey.

Visually pleasing content, videos, eBooks, or graphics (to name a few) can make your customers feel a connection to your brand that they might otherwise not.  This post shares examples from  four consumer brands that have integrated visual content to help tell their stories, and engage customers.

#1 – Kraft Foods: Recipes For the Modern At-Home Cook

When many of us think of Kraft Foods a nostoligic picture of childhood favorites comes to mind.  Whether it be Mac-n-cheese, Jello, or Kool-Aid we have all craved their products at one time or another.

Retail websites are flush with product information, specs, and images of items available for purchase.  However, it may be difficult to find a way to provide detailed and engaging content for customers visiting a website when they’re just looking to purchase.

Starting a company blog provides a good opportunity to attract new customers and engage current customers with content about your products and other topics that are of importance to them.  It doesn’t matter if the items being sold are car parts, clothing, electronics or furniture, there is an opportunity to help solve pain points and arm your customers with information that encourages engagement and purchasing decisions.

2012 Social Media Report Cards

This recent infographic from Pardot features the social media platform winners and losers in 2012.  You’ll find scoring based on growth, number of users, ROI as well as insight into which platforms are best for mobile, visual, or connecting.

Up Close With Facebook Graph Search
First off, what is Graph Search?  Facebook has amped up its search capabilities by rolling out this new feature.  Danny Sullivan’s article provides a step by step deep dive into using Facebook’s new Graph Search.   Via Search Engine Land.

The New Myspace: What A Mess
The recent launch of Myspace’s new design has left many users wanting more, or is it less.  The interface is confusing to navigate and includes a lot of scrolling that you might not have anticipated.  Also, might of the site appears to be one giant ad for Justin Timberlake.  Via CNN.

Matt Ridings & Michael Brito Advocating For Employee Advocacy

Employee engagement is key in improving productivity in any industry.  A happy employee is much more likely to be more productive than their counterparts.

A recent study from the National Business Research Institute (NBRI) shares just how important it is to keep employees engaged.  Findings include:

• Engaged employees product twice as much work product in the time as unengaged employees
• The average adult spends a quarter to a third of their waking life at work
• 40% – 80% of customer satisfaction is affected by employee attitudes

Additionally NBRI identified the following six traits of engaged employees:

1. Believe in their organization
2. Have the desire to work to make things better

The Retailer’s Guide to Big Data

The explosion of mobile and social media has changed the ways that retailers view customer data. This recent infographic from Monetate takes a dive into big data and presents challenges, goals, and tips for developing a big data game plan.

Google To Hire More Help, Users Enticed To Search While Signed In
Google is determined to see G+, local search, and personalized search succeed. To that end, they’re hiring a new product marketing manager for search. This person would be responsible for developing plans, creatives, campaigns, and programs to increase the number of users that are signed in. Via everythingpr.

I am amazed at how much Debba Haupert (@girlfriendology) was able to cover in one short session at NMX Las Vegas.  Debba’s session on Pinterest proved to be very informational and provided practical advice and tools that marketers can use to better engage their followers.

Many brands are still struggling to determine if Pinterest is a platform that will work for their business.  Companies that have taken the leap may be unsure of how exactly to use Pinterest and what their strategy should be.

The numbers don’t lie.  Pinterest has proven that it has staying power.

• 10.4 million users
• 25 million uni visitors/month
• 1/3 use for shipping inspiration
• Average time spent: 1hr 17 min
• Draws more referral traffic than Google+, LinkedIn, and youtube combined

“I love Las Vegas.  I love New Media.  What’s not to love?” – Guy Kawasaki

Day two of NMX Las Vegas kicked off with a fireside chat between Mark Fidelman (@markfidelman) and Guy Kawasaki (@guykawasaki).  Guy is well known for his work at Apple, as founder of Alltop, as well as his books and speaking.

In the interview Guy discussed everything from the devices he uses to what he’d like to change about social platforms.  However, the highlight of the conversation was surrounding Guy’s new book APE: How to Publish a Book.

What Is APE?
APE is a book for authors looking to stray from traditional publishing in favor of self-publishing.