Button link to home pageButton link to about pageButton link to contact pageButton link to support pageButton link to careers pageButton link to the Advanced Media Productions BlogButton link to the Advanced Media Productions BlogButton link to News and Events
 

Louise Rijk
Vice-President of Marketing and Sales
Bio
AMP Newsletters
 

Blog

Planning & Integrating a Targeted Internet Marketing Campaign


Apr 22, 2008

Posted by: Louise Rijk


Planning and Integrating a Targeted Internet Marketing Campaign

Email, Social Media and Search in the Overall Internet Marketing Mix

I was recently asked to give a guest lecture on the intersection of new and old media for a class at Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts. In my presentation I discussed how to plan and integrate a targeted internet marketing campaign by using organic search, paid (PPC) search, SEO, email marketing, social media, social networking, blogging and cross-channel, multi-media endeavors to complement each other in a comprehensive marketing plan.

Here’s a sampling of what I taught them. Watch the video to see the full presentation with all my tips and hints.

Search Marketing
How to optimize for and utilize Google’s Universal Search (blended search), from traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques for natural (organic) search, to blog marketing and new advertising for paid search (PPC), as well as video and image optimization for new media.

Social Media Marketing
Explanation of the different components of social media marketing—blogging, podcasting, photo- and video-sharing, social bookmarking, social networking and social news—and how they can work together to create a powerful marketing and branding force.

Cross Channel Integration
Intersection of online and offline media marketing, and how they can work together for maximum brand awareness through cross channel integration.



 

Planning and Integrating a Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) Campaign


Feb 05, 2008

Posted by: Louise Rijk


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.

 

BizAction 2007: Email, Social Media and Search in the Overall Marketing Mix


Jan 11, 2008

Posted by: Louise Rijk

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Download the MP3

This presentation, recorded at the BizAction Conference, deals with the many factors that come into play when creating an effective internet marketing plan and strategy, what I call the “internet marketing mix.” This mix is the combination of strategies and tactics applied on the internet to support an organization’s overall online marketing objectives, such as driving targeted traffic and creating brand awareness.

What is Internet Marketing?

Internet marketing consists of email marketing, affiliate marketing, website development, online display and rich media advertising, search engine marketing (including search engine optimization and search engine advertising) and various aspects of social marketing, such as online reputation management, business blog marketing, podcasting, word of mouth marketing and social media marketing and optimization. Together, these various internet avenues form a comprehensive marketing package that can be targeted and tracked for maximum results and efficiency.

Email Marketing

Permission-based email marketing is one of the most enduring and effective internet marketing tools. Used to promote products and/or services to existing or interested potential customers, email promotions are a precisely targeted, yet inexpensive means of reaching your target market.

Social Media

Social media is a network of online tools and platforms that allows users to share opinions, insights and perspectives in an online community experience. User generated content on blogs, message boards, vlogs and community sites like MySpace and Facebook create valuable marketing spaces for viral campaigns to spread through word of mouth marketing (WOMM).

 

AMPTalk Episode 4: Holiday Edition


Dec 27, 2007

Posted by: Louise Rijk

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Download the MP3

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.

Take Advantage of Cyber Monday with Online Promotions

“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.

‘Tis the Season…to Develop an Effective Seasonal SEO Campaign

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.Matt Cutts of Google with Louise Rijk

Tales from the Road: an Interview with Louise Rijk

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.

Cash in on Christmas Shopping with a Holiday PPC Campaign

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.

 

AMPTalk Episode 3


Nov 06, 2007

Posted by: Louise Rijk

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Download the MP3

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.

Blogging for Internet Marketing

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.

Using Social Media Networks to Build Buzz and Gain Links

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.

Utilizing the Internet’s for Better Sales Recruiting

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.

Counteracting Click Fraud in Your PPC Campaign

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.

 

AMPTalk: Email Marketing, PPC, SEO and Ecommerce, Episode 2


Oct 15, 2007

Posted by: Louise Rijk

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

Download the MP3

In this edition of AMP Talk, Louise Rijk covers the essential features of any online marketing campaign, highlighting the importance of a well-executed email campaign. Social Media Marketing Manager Dan Zarrella covers the debate over paid links and the tremendous impact Google’s new universal search has had on Public Relations—and what this means for your online reputation. Finally, PPC expert David DiMartino discusses the ins and outs of creating a successful pay-per-click account, including how to use Dynamic Keyword Insertion for greater success.

Effective Email Marketing

When done correctly, email marketing delivers the highest ROI of any online marketing technique. It is still the dominant communications method between client and customer, and as such is perhaps the most valuable resource a company can utilize.

Generating Links and Using Google Universal Search

Buying links is not a new search engine tactic, but now Google is cracking down on filtering out these types of links. However, there are lots of new strategies for acquiring links and moving your site up in search engine results pages. Google’s new blended search brings in video, image and news results that can help with page ranking.

Crafting Compelling PPC Ads

A successful pay-per-click campaign relies on persuasive copy, a clear benefit statement and a compelling call-to-action—in only three lines. Campaigns then need to be maintained to ensure they are performing correctly. Add in the nuances of Dynamic Keyword Insertion and you can see where the need for PPC specialists comes in.
 

Email Marketing Campaigns Are Delivering Highest ROI


Oct 07, 2007

Posted by: Louise Rijk

A flurry of email marketing statistics from various sources has been distributed via the Internet over the last couple of weeks indicating that email marketing remains one of the most effective tactics in the online marketers’ toolbox.

 

- 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 Audio Podcasting for Business


Sep 27, 2007

Posted by: Louise Rijk


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.

 

Timely Email Delivery After Sign-up To Meet Customer Expectations and Avoid Spam


Aug 21, 2007

Posted by: Louise Rijk

Over at the MediaPost’s Email Insider blog blogger Chad White recently blogged about the time elapse that often occurs between the time an email subscriber signs-up and when they actually receive the first email message or newsletter in their email box. His comments are based on the recent “Retail Email Subscription Benchmark Study”, which concludes that nearly one-third of the major online retailers that were included in the study did not deliver their first regular email to a new subscriber within two weeks of the subscription date. For nearly 20 percent of retailers it took more than a month to deliver the first regular email and some did not deliver any email at all. 18 percent delivered their first regular email within three days.

 

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.

 

Google Updates Adwords Algorithm For Top Spot Placement


Aug 13, 2007

Posted by: Louise Rijk

Google recently announced changes to the algorithm that determines which ads are placed above the organic search results. In the past your CPC (Cost -Per-Click) in each auction was a major factor in determining your ad placement, along with the quality score of your ad. Now that formula is being changed again, and the maximum CPC you set for keywords in your account will be used to determine placement rather than the actual CPC you pay.

Breaking The Spending Cap

Because PPC is an auction, the CPC of your competitors affects what you pay; in order to rank above your competitors, you need to be willing to pay more than what they are paying. The auction is set up in such a way that you spend no more than you have to in order to rank ahead of your competitor. This limits your spending, which is good. However, it can keep you from breaking the spending cap that’s necessary to achieve the valuable PPC space at the top of the page. In the past there was nothing you could do about that - if your competitors were bidding low the CPC for your ad may have been enough to outrank them, but it wouldn’t be enough to get you to the top of the page.

Now, Google is allowing you to break that spending cap by taking your maximum CPC into account in determining placement, rather than the actual CPC you’ll spend on that ad.  This doesn’t mean you’ll pay more than you would have to outrank your competitor. The CPC still stays the same. But now Google gives you the opportunity to break the spending cap for top positions if you let them know you’re willing to spend more. How do they know that?  You raise your maximum CPCs. Of course, raising those maximum CPCs is likely to lead to higher spending. So competitors with deeper pockets can raise maximum CPCs easily in order to quickly gain better positioning. They have the money to spend if they need to, but if you and other competitors are still bidding low, they’ll get the high placement and still only pay a little bit more than what you are on clicks.

A lot of people are seeing this as nothing more than another way for Google to tweak the algorithm in order to increase revenue (again, higher CPCs is likely to lead to more spending). However, Google’s trademark difference still remains - quality still factors into your ad placement. It’s also important to note that your quality score also affects the aforementioned minimum spending cap for top positions. If your quality score is high, that spending cap will be lower, and you won’t have to raise your maximum CPCs as much to get that top page placement. So you may need to bring maximum CPCs up, but continue to work on increasing your quality score, and hopefully, you won’t feel as much of an effect on your PPC budget due to these changes. 

 

Commercial Email Marketing is Still a Powerful Online Marketing Channel


Aug 10, 2007

Posted by: Louise Rijk

Despite the hype around social media marketing and new marketing studies that predict that email is loosing appeal among younger Internet users, commercial email marketing seems to have a bright future. According to research conducted by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) indicates that email marketing is emerging as one of the most powerful online marketing channels, expecting to generate $21.9 billion in US sales. Actually, each dollar spent on commercial email is expected to generate more than $48 in sales. The high ROI on best practice email marketing is not going unnoticed. A study by Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS) predicts that spending on email marketing services by businesses and online marketers will rise from $403 million in the 2007 to $821 million by 2011. So regardless of all the bad press email has received lately commercial email marketing is alive and well as an effective online marketing tactic.
 

Google AdWords Campaign Optimizer Tool "Invisible" to Agencies


Aug 02, 2007

Posted by: Louise Rijk

A little over a month ago, Google released it’s “Campaign Optimizer” tool, which can be used to find ways to “fine-tune your Google Adwords PPC advertising campaigns.”  The tool can be found via a link in the Campaign details page or under the Tools tab in your Adwords account. Using the tool will generate an on-screen custom proposal for your account with suggestions on how to improve your campaign. Running a quick test of the Optimizer yielded some interesting suggestions. The first was a budget increase. In a lot of cases, an increase in a campaign budget is often warranted. PPC is a competitive landscape, and if you want a better presence, you often need to spend some more money. Another proposed option was changing the destination URLs of the ads to capitalize certain words (i.e. www.greenwidgets.com becomes www.GreenWidgets.com). I found this to be a pretty useful suggestion, though it’s one we’ve already implemented with other campaigns in the past. A little more dubious were the suggestions that most of the keywords be switched to broad match. One of the most important parts of optimization is targeting more tightly, and broad match is something that widens targeting rather than reduces it. The seemed to me like a way for Google to put more of your money in it’s pocket by getting you to generate unnecessary clicks.

The most interesting thing about Campaign Optimizer was just how long it took me to find it. After first hearing about it I had kept my eye open for it, but never noticed it appear. Upon further reading about where the link to the Optimizer was supposed to be, I noticed it was missing in all of the accounts that Advanced Media Productions was managing through the Client Managert. Out of curiosity I logged out of Client Manager account, and logged into one of the individual AdWords accounts. There was the Campaign Optimizer links, right where they should be. It seems that Google has made the Optimizer unavailable to their Client Managers. This is interesting, since most Client Manager accounts are Google Advertising Professionals or agencies that are managing accounts for clients. This could be looked at two different ways. One, more innocently, that Google assumes Client Managers are agencies that don’t need a tool like Campaign Optimizer in order to manage an account optimally. The other, more sinister reason would be that Google wanted this tool to be inconspicuous to agencies, and obvious to the average Google AdWords user. This could potentially undercut some agencies who are performing only basic PPC campaign management tasks for their clients. With a tool like Campaign Optimizer, a regular business person wouldn’t need an agency to improve their account; Google will do it for them. Of course, do you trust Google to manage your account in a way that’s best for you, or that’s best for them? The Campaign Optimizer’s proposals might be a good start, but true optimization comes from constant testing and maintenance by experienced professionals.

 

Video: The Rise of the Internet as a Mass Advertising Medium


May 31, 2007

Posted by: Louise Rijk

Through the use of new Internet tools and social networking, the historically passive consumer is taking more control over content development, messaging and distribution, a task that traditionally was perform by marketers and PR people at agencies, studios, publishing houses, retailers and media outlets. Louise Rijk, Vice-President of Marketing and Sales at Advanced Media Productions, explained, in a keynote address at the 495 Business Expo that this trend will cause a significant rise in prominence of the Internet as a major content consumption, marketing and advertising medium. The keynote will identify and discuss the trends that drive the changes in advertising in the next five years and make the Internet a mainstream media outlet that is rivaling traditional media for reach and advertising dollars.

 

AMPTalk: Email Marketing, PPC, SEO and Ecommerce


May 01, 2007

Posted by: Louise Rijk

Get the Flash Player to see this player.

In this episode of AMPTalk, talkshow host Louise Rijk, discusses the problem of Email Marketing image blocking and provides tips on what you can do to get your HTML email message rendered properly in the your customers’ email box.

In the segment "The Secret of You Success" Louise interviews Nora Duclos of HeadGamesOnline.com on how a small online retailer can produce consistently crisp and professionally-looking images without breaking the marketing budget. We close with two sessions on PPC Paid Search and SEO/SMM you don't want to miss. Dave Dimartino gives his view on bid management in the new world of the hybrid auction-based search ad networks Google AdWords, Yahoo Search and Microsoft adCenter. Dan Zarrella covers duplicate content, getting links and traffic with Digg, Reddit and StumbleUpon and much more.
 

Product Reviews and Ratings - Friend or Foe


Feb 27, 2007

Posted by: Louise Rijk

Integrated product reviews and ratings are becoming increasingly popular among consumers who are using those reviews for online product research, but only a small number of online merchants are currently offering this feature mainly out of fear of losing sales due to negative reviews.

Recent studies from Jupiter Research and Forrester reveal that the fear for negative reviews is overblown and that they are generally considered helpful to consumers in that they present the pros and cons when making a purchase. In addition, negative reviews often give customers a good insight of any shortcomings a product may have, lowering the risk of costly side-effects, such as high return rates. Additional research from various high-end retailers like CompUSA.com, Overtock.com and Petworld.com, that have been using integrated product reviews for sometime, have also indicated that consumers value unbiased product reviews and ratings, especially when they consider highly priced purchases.

The positives of the integrated consumer reviews and ratings seem to outweigh the possible negative exposure. Here are some considerations for online merchants who are sitting on the fence on this issue:

- Social ecommerce, which will have a major impact on how consumers buy online in the future, requires the inclusion of customer reviews and blogs into ecommerce web sites.

- One drawback of including customers in the marketing process is that you have no control over what type of review or feedback you may get, but the anxiety may be unfounded.

- Although most customers review systems, whether this is integrated outsource system like Bazaarvoice or a custom build internal system, have preview systems, the dilemma often is that the decision on how much to control.

- Negative reviews do not seem to have much impact on the sales. It is natural that there are always some users who complain or have a negative experience.

- User reviews and ratings can drive up conversion rates by 20 to 30 percent.

- Integrating customer reviews and ratings add content to the web site that boost search engine rankings, provides feedback on products and services, build customer loyalty and reinforces credibility.

 

Previously...