I’m Louise Rijk, and we’re back with the latest installment of AMP Talk. This time, it’s all about blogging. I start with a brief history of blogging, and some tips for creating a better business blog. Our Social Media Marketing Manager, Dan Zarrella, fills us in on what it takes to make a blog successful. Last but not least, Paid Search Manager David DiMartino gives us the ins and outs on using content networks to add advertising value to a blog.

A “blog” (a portmanteau of weblog) is written in journal-style and usually has a single focus or theme. Originally used as online diaries, blogs and “vlogs” (video blogs) are now used by major companies in a variety of industries, making corporate blogs big business. There are a few key points to remember when blogging, especially for business: post often and on-topic, use links frequently and optimize your posts.

It takes time and talent to make a blog really work, and not every blog is successful. Companies need their blog to support their brand, and business blogs can be even trickier to maintain effectively. SEM Manager Dan Zarrella explains what goes into a blog and what types of business should—and shouldn’t—blog.

The question for a lot of people is how to get their blog to “show them the money.” Paid Search Manager David DiMartino outlines how to do that with content networks, and provides insight on who this should work well for (and who it won’t) and what it takes to run a profitable ad campaign on a blog.

Webmaster World PubCon 2007: Word of Mouth Marketing

I’ve spoken at Webmaster World’s marketing convention the past few years. PubCon 2007 was held in November, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and I once again attended had the honor of attending as a speaker. Here’s a summary of my presentation on Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM), along with the full video.

What is Word of Mouth Marketing?

WOMM can be organic, when consumers start talking about a product or service naturally, or amplified by marketers driving campaigns in order to create buzz and accelerate the discussion. Either way, consumers must be given a reason to talk about something in order for word to spread; in order for the “buzz” to become viral, it needs to be worth buzzing about.

The Internet’s Role in WOMM

WOMM works by getting “influencers”—highly regarded, in-the-know consumers—to talk about the product, both online and off. The internet allows influencers to reach a wider audience much more quickly through email, instant message, social networks, chat rooms, social news sites and any other form of social media on the web.

Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Social Media Marketing operates on many of the same principles as Word of Mouth Marketing, but does not rely on human influencers as much as online communication channels. SMM is strictly an online tactic and generally more outrageous and less brand specific than WOMM.

Planning, Integrating and Implementing a WOMM Campaign

A WOMM or SMM campaign generates more buzz when supported by traditional media buys and a larger marketing or advertising campaign. Successful integration requires extensive planning, carefully timed execution and comprehensive tracking and measuring.

Watch my full presentation (24 minutes) for a more in-depth look at the ins and outs of planning and executing a successful WOMM or SMM campaign.

I’m Louise Rijk, and I’ll be your host once again for the latest installment of AMP Talk. In this special holiday edition, we dive into the holiday shopping madness, kicking off with my comparison of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Then, Social Media Marketing Manager Dan Zarrella will explain what goes into a seasonal SEO campaign—and how soon to start it. In a special interview segment, our producer Alison Driscoll will try out the mic to get a rundown on PubCon, a convention I recently spoke at. Finally, our Paid Search Manager David DiMartino breaks out a PPC budget for the holidays.

“Cyber Monday,” the new “it” day of internet shopping, fall on the Monday after Thanksgiving and is the web equivalent of the cultural phenomenon “Black Friday,” the biggest day of the year for retail. To capitalize on the online shopping marketplace, etailers need to develop web promotions like free shipping and free gifts with purchase in order to drive traffic and compete with the big mall stores.

SEO campaigns need to be revamped for the holidays just like any traditional advertising campaign or promotion. However, the how and when are a little different on the internet and effective holiday Search Engine Optimization techniques and strategies can vary widely for different types of online businesses. Dan Zarrella gives businesses of all sizes an early gift with SEO tips for the holiday season.

AMP Talk producer Alison Driscoll puts me in the hot seat for an interview on the recent PubCon Search Marketing Conference in Las Vegas, where I caught up with Matt Cutts to get the inside scoop on social media, link building and other hot topics industry insiders were buzzing about. I also give a recap of my presentation on Word of Mouth Marketing.

David DiMartino gives etailers the scoop on seasonal PPC ads and promotions, detailing what to do and when to start planning. Take notes for next year, because holiday PPC campaigns are all about strategy and preparation early on, especially for smaller businesses.

In this edition of AMP Talk, Louise Rijk discusses the importance of social media for online marketing, in particular the use of blogging to create buzz and gain links. Social Media Marketing Manager Dan Zarrella breaks down the buzz over Facebook and other social media networks, and explains how to use them to your benefit. We’ll hear an internet success story from Advanced Media client Peter Marinilli of Target Consulting. Finally, Paid Search manager David DiMartino gives us the dish on click fraud and how to avoid pay-per-click attacks.

Blogs are the latest form of viral marketing, picking up where email left off. When used correctly, a blog adds valuable SEO content to a site that is highly relevant and timely for readers. A strong strategic marketing plan should incorporate both email and blogging in order to reach a broader range of interested consumers.

Facebook and other similar social networking sites offer some of the most cost effective means of acquiring links and driving traffic. Webmasters need to learn how to take advantage of these social media marketing methods to gain links and build buzz, but this is not without risk for some types of companies.

Advanced Media Productions’ client Peter Marinilli of Target Consulting outlines how the internet has changed business industries and how he has used the web to further his business and make himself a more successful sales recruiter.

Click fraud thwarts even the best laid pay-per-click campaign efforts, but you do not have to be a victim. By detecting a potential click fraud attack, you can take steps to avoid losing your customers—and your budget.

Effective Email Marketing

Generating Links and Using Google Universal Search

Crafting Compelling PPC Ads

 

- Shop.org released a report (State of Retailing Online 2007) emphasizing the effectiveness of commercial email as on online marketing vehicle. Here are the finding:

 

- Email campaigns, send from an in-house email address list, can deliver sales orders for a cost of $7.00 per order compare to $71.89 for banner ads, $26.75 for paid search and $17.47 for affiliate programs.

 

- Another impressive email marketing stat from the Direct Marketing Association, via the Email Insider: Email marketers are getting a return of $48.29 in return of every dollar spent on email marketing campaigns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blogging and podcasting are becoming increasingly important functions of businesses on the web as companies learn the value of integrating audio and video components to their websites. Both add valuable content to sites and can contribute to a well-thought out Search Engine Optimization (SEO) campaign to raise search engine rankings. Louise Rijk, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales at Advanced Media Productions, explained the key concepts of blogs and podcasts in a keynote address at the 128 Business Expo 2007.

Corporate Blogging Benefits

Business blogs can be used to communicate internally with employees, or externally with clients; both methods provide a means of direct communication with readers. An internal corporate blog helps employees share knowledge and generate ideas efficiently, making sure everyone in the organization is up to speed and on the same page. An external blog will raise awareness of your products or services, position you as experts in your field and build up your brand image.

Audio Podcasting

Podcasting is another means of relaying information over the internet whose popularity is growing rapidly. Some consider podcasting a form of “audio blogging,” and it can be used as such, if produced and promoted correctly. A podcast can be played in many forms and used in much the same way as a blog to communicate new ideas and promote products, concepts and services. When properly integrated with text, a podcast can also help an SEO effort.

 

Besides the lost opportunity cost associated with delayed delivery of email to new subscribers he suggests that it would be a good industry practice to guarantee new subscribers delivery of email within 10 days of signing up. A practical implement of this would be to add a statement to the welcome message, which could read like  “Your subscription will be processed shortly and your first promotion or issue will arrive within 10 days”.

The 10-day rule obviously must fit within the frequency that email newsletters are published. For instance a bi-monthly newsletter would not be able to make this pledge to all subscribers, but in this case the rule could be adjusted to 14 days.

 

The report highlights again that timely delivery of the first email promotion or newsletter limits the chance that people will flag the email message as spam because they forgot they subscribed.

 

People that actively seek your company out to receive email promotions or a newsletter usually have high expectations and those can only be met with prompt email delivery after they have signed up for the list.

 

Let me know what you think.