Archive for the ‘Internet Marketing’ Category

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Where do you go to search for content?

Monday, January 17th, 2011

Last year, social platforms surpassed the number of visits by Internet users when compared to the search giant Google. Google is the most popular search engine in town, if not the only search engine that really remains "standing". Top visited sites remain Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and then the rest.

Facebook-YouTube-Twitter

Facebook and other social platforms have "user-generated" content. So from a user reach perspective, they are great tools for businesses. But individuals and companies will continue to use Google as a search engine to find relevant information. Hence the need for search engine optimization and top rankings. But since top rankings can benefit from links from social networks, businesses benefit from incorporating search engine optimization and social networking together.

Google's got competition in Facebook for sure from a simple "user" number perspective which I can see why. Grandmas who'd never go to Google to search for anything would definitely go to Facebook to see pictures of their grandkids. Right?
 
So is it really surprising then that Facebook will continue to lead the "number of users" statistics? But when it comes to finding anything at all; from cooking tips to products to vacation spots, Google's still on top… FOR NOW.

Posted in BING, facebook, Google, Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »

Online Marketing Blog: Search Engine Optimization + Social Networking!

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

In May 2010, social platforms surpassed the number of visits by Internet users when compared to the search giant Google. Google is the most popular search engine in town, if not the only search engine that really remains "standing". I mean who uses Yahoo for search anymore (anyone???)?
 
Top visited sites remain Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and then the rest.

But I don't see how Facebook can ever become a "search engine". It just doesn't have the content that Google has. Facebook and other social platforms have "user-generated" content. So from a user reach perspective, they are great tools for businesses. But individuals and companies will continue to use Google as a search engine to find relevant information. Hence the need for search engine optimization and top rankings. But since top rankings can benefit from links from social networks, businesses benefit from incorporating search engine optimization and social networking together.

Google's got competition in Facebook for sure from a simple "user" number perspective which I can see why. Grandmas who'd never go to Google to search for anything would definitely go to Facebook to see pictures of their grandkids. Right?
 
So is it really surprising then that Facebook will continue to lead the "number of users" statistics? But when it comes to finding anything at all; from cooking tips to products to vacation spots, Google's where I'm going to be and so are you.

 

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Posted in Google, Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »

Online Marketing Blog: Social Brandcasting for Business!

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

If I had a dime every time I heard "but I don't see how "Facebook" can help my business", I'd be a rich man! Yes, I know I've said this a guzzilian times but it's true.

Social networking is really nothing more than social brandcasting – meaning casting your brand out there in the social networks, period! So why are businesses not able to see the value of Brandcasting and leveraging the tools available to them to promote themselves?
 
Social Brandcasting benefits are quite simple:

  • You can reach more people through popular sites like Facebook & Twitter than through ANY chamber event you may attend
  • You can continuously promote your services and company events without spending a dime on print materials
  • You can go on a "ra ra" campaign in a non-obtrusive manner and no one will think twice about it online

You can do "horizontal" brandcasting which is to everyone and everywhere across the board, same message, same positioning. Then you can do the "vertical" brandcasting where you position different messages on different platforms.  By balancing quantity (number of followers, fans, connections) and quality (what you say, how you say, the personna you create of yourself or your company online, etc.) you get the biggest bang for your buck.

Capice? If not, call me and I'll be more than happy to discuss this at length cause this is what my company does day in and day out!

 

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Posted in facebook, Internet Marketing, Linkedin, Social Media Marketing, twitter | No Comments »

Social Media Blog: Social Media Addicted Students – Anyone Surprised?

Monday, April 26th, 2010

A University of Maryland study released last week suggests social media addicted students may be real. 200 students who participated in the study were asked to abstain from ALL media for ONLY 24 hours.

Yes, all media which meant no cell phones, no computers, no television or ipods, and no newspapers (although how a newspaper is media I'm not quite sure).  And this abstinence was only for 24 hours.
 
The students ended up writing about their boredom, loneliness, and anxiety in what totaled up to 400 pages between them writing about their loneliness, anxiety, withdrawal symptoms, and  dependency. Interestingly,  the study's authors think that the symptoms reported by the students were akin to those who felt withdrawal symptoms from drugs and alcohol.
 
The study reported that students felt that cell phones and the Internet were "basic necessities" for college students. I think it's a basic necessity for most of us who want to remain connected. I've tried staying away from the computer over the weekends but I cheat by checking my emails on my phone. 

Can I remain unconnected to the world and abstain from "all media" for 24 hours? Probably. But can I live without it for 48 hours? Definitely not! I guess that makes me addicted too eh?

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Posted in Internet Marketing, Mobile Phones | No Comments »

Social Media Blog: Malware Loves Social Networks!

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Cyber criminal activity is growing and social networking sites are leading the pack in helping spread this activity. No, not intentionally but by virtue of the fact that social networking sites allow ease of sharing content, malware is easy to pass around.

According to a new report released by Blue Coat, a cyber security firm, cyber criminal activity is spreading so rapidly that security solutions providers are unable to keep up and continue to play catch-up.

Blue Coat reported that online storage and software downloading sites were two of the most common sites where malware was hidden. However what was most concerning in Blue Coat's report was that since social networking sites accounted for 25% of top internet activity, that's where most of the cyber attacks are happening. When networking on popular networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, opening links that contain malware is the leading cause for the spread of malware.

We've seen such attacks on Twitter where a user gets a tweet asking him or her to change their password and the minute they do so, their account is hacked into.

Some simple, common sense steps will help you from falling victim to malware and cyber criminal activity:

  • Change your passwords on a regular frequency
  • Make your passwords complicated enough so they cannot be guessed. Trust me, "password" is NOT a good password.
  • Use tools like Tweetdeck for Twitter where you can "preview" links before opening them.
  • Do NOT click on links sent to you via Direct Message (DM) on Twitter from someone you know
  • On Facebook, use caution when accepting friend requests from people even if they are connected to others in your network
  • Think before you post ANYTHING, and I mean anything. Sharing vacation plans online, is a strong no-no.
  • Use caution when providing your information on new sites, you can't know how secure or not secure they may be.

Social networking requires MORE not less caution than before. Before, all we had to worry about was spam in our emails. Now, it's real-time information that's out there for anyone and everyone to see. Prevention is better than cure when networking online; so prevent the "bare-all" behavior and you'll be fine.

 

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Posted in Blogging, facebook, Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing, twitter | 3 Comments »

Social Media Blog: Ecommerce Shopping Using Smartphones: Is Your Website Mobile Compatible?

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Wow! I shop online using my phone but even I was surprised to read that online shopping in the US tripled between 2008 to 2009, according to ABI Research which released its Mobile Commerce report last week.They also predict that 2010 will see a sharp increase in online commerce (shopping).

According to ABI Research, approximately $1.2 billion dollars in trade took place using smartphones and in 2010 that number is expected to double.  Consumers shopping online frequently do impulse buying
But the trend goes beyond comparison shopping. The report shows that consumers are using their smartphones for impulse shopping such as buying video games and social networking games. Also items like pizza and flowers were quick purchase items via mobile phone.
 
The reason this is an easy way to shop is because consumers can pay for these items simply by entering their phone number. No credit card is required because the charge is added to the user's cell phone bill which is then deducted from their monthly billing.

International ecommerce trade is predicted to grow as well as mobile usage is gaining popularity across the world. The report predicts that internationally, users will spend around $119 billion by 2015.

So double-WOW! The question that begs an answer is how will retailers begin taking advantage of this trend in online ecommerce? So many companies are still not actively accepting online payments from the web, never mind from mobile phones. It's time for retailers to spruce up their web presence and make sure that their website not only accepts online payment but also is mobile compatible to accept mobile orders. So get set pizza parlors, icecream shops, florists, car washes, and companies that deal in impulse or casual items for sale. It's time to get online and mobile!
 

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Posted in Internet Marketing, Mobile Shopping | 2 Comments »

Social Media Marketing Blog: Google Buzz

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Google's Got Buzz! 

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A whole new networking site from Google for it's Gmail users who can share updates, photos and videos.

You know why Google needed to launch the BUZZ……it needs to hold its own against Facebook & Twitter.
Gmail has over 176 million users according to a market research study conducted by comScore. So that's a ready audience. Buzz provides a "built-in circle of friends" which is basically a group that Google selects based on who you communicate with most frequently using Gmail and Gchat.

Meanwhile as I was writing this blog; Twitter was aflutter with both positive and negative comments about Buzz.

So will Buzz give Facebook a run for its money? Lets wait and watch…..

 

Posted in Google, Internet Marketing | No Comments »

Social Media Marketing Blog: January 19th Seminar in Downtown Orlando on “Unleashing the Power of New Media”

Sunday, January 17th, 2010

What are you doing on January 19th 2010 from 12 pm to 2 pm EST?

My team and I will be presenting a seminar on UNLEASHING THE POWER OF NEW MEDIA at the Orlando Science Center (www.osc.org).

The entire discussion will be around Businesses finding ROE and ROI from Social Media Marketing. I'm pretty sure you know what ROI stands for but not sure what ROE stands for? Ah, you're gonna have to be there OR you'll have to call us after the workshop so that we can clue you in.

By the way, the Seminar is at NO-COST and we'll even buy you lunch. Good deal? Well, so if you aren't doing anything exciting, come on down. What do you have to lose?

P.S. We currently have 80 confirmed participants so it's going to be a FUN, FUN, afternoon.See you there???

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Posted in Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing | No Comments »

Internet Marketing: Direct Mail Making a Comeback?

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) talked about companies who cut back on direct mail finding out that their clients are also dropping off as a result of that cut-back and regaining them when the company went back to their direct mail marketing strategy.

Now I found that article very, very surprising because I'm a total online media geek. Give me a phone and a computer and I am in heaven with text messaging, skying, facebooking, tweeting, and emailing. You get the point, I'm a total new media addict. I also do email marketing, direct mail, cold calling, etc. along with my team members to get myself out there in front of customers. But if I had a choice, I'd stick to doing all business through the Internet.

I never thought I'd say this but perhaps it's time to step back and take a look at direct mail campaigns again more comprehensively. If a company can spend $4000 and win $270K in business (according to the WSJ article I reference above), I can certainly spend some money to get a lot of business!

Ok so all of you who are so used to receiving dozens of texts and emails from me, look out! A direct mail postcard may be in your physical mailbox sometime soon!

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Posted in Internet Marketing, Marketing Consulting, Social Media Marketing | 2 Comments »

SPAM – The New Four Letter Word!

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Say the word “SPAM” and people cringe. Anyone and everyone who deals with emails and electronic information feels the SPAM blues and wishes they could somehow avoid it.

I read a tweet today that said something to the effect of “I hate SPAM more than I hate the real chatty person sitting next to me on an airplane”. That’s saying something!

Some more common forms of spam include promoting phishing sites; enticing users to download a video or an application; malicious code or rouge code which provides others access to your profile and personal information.

Since Social Networking thrives on “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours”, “friends” on social networks are more than happy to open links, forward information you request be forwarded, etc. And guess what? This results in an instantaneous SPAM infection to others, unknowingly!

Here are some techniques which will prevent you from being a SPAM-spreader:

  • Set your website privacy settings on “high to protect your identity.
  • Think before you accept friend requests – do you know or want to know this person?
  • Limit access to your profile
  • Careful what you click on; links may be dangerous
  • Report Spam to site owner when you encounter it

Be careful out there, SPAMMERS are not always “harmless”

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Posted in Internet Marketing | 4 Comments »

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