One-click Business Listening: Workstreamer

July 29, 2010 10:40 by dmacdonald

I’ve come across a great real-time information advantage when monitoring competitors for clients – it’s called Workstreamer. Workstreamer is a business listening platform that delivers a competitive information advantage to business professionals.  And...it's free!

If you can relate to any of the following – you need Workstreamer:  

  1. You want to know when someone is talking about your company in a public forum (online).
  2. You want to stay on top of your competitors. Keeping your enemies closer.
  3. You want to know when your biggest customers are making moves in the marketplace.
  4. You're always looking for new ways to arm your salesforce with competitive information. 

Listen to your competitors (or even your own company/business) so you can be in the know, before anyone else. 

Best,

Denice MacDonald 

[Information and logo courtesy of http://www.workstreamer.com/]


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The New Content Experience

July 20, 2010 05:51 by dmacdonald

My favorite resource Website Magazine has posted a timely article in their August publication: The New Content Experience - Driving awareness, providing entertainment and generating profit.  

Strategic Web Content Kicks Brochureware Content to the Curb
This timely article indicates that ... "there is more content available on the Web than ever before, and it’s being delivered to consumers at blinding speeds. To make content stand out in a saturated market (and ensure that it ultimately influences sales and conversions), you will need to rethink content as an asset — then retool for the new content experience." 

Great Example: White Papers and Thought Leadership
“Those seeking information on solutions, trends and technologies are the ideal audience for a content marketing strategy. Our question throughout is not just what kind of content to create but what format will resonate best. The answer, particularly for those in business-to-business industries, is white papers…”
 

The article goes on to discuss video and other rich media has part of the content mix. 

Check out the article. 

Subscribe to Website Magazine.  

More on content strategy by MacDonald Consulting:

Web Content: Relevant, Persuasive and to the Point 

Get it right: Web Copy 

Best

Denice MacDonald

[Photo courtesy of: http://andyet.net/services/content-strategy/]

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Corporate Blogs as part of the Social Mix

July 12, 2010 03:24 by dmacdonald

Corporate blogs have become the hub for many social media intiatives. And, anyone who has a vested interest in a corporate blog knows it takes time and effort to produce a great blog - especially if it is the cornerstone for most of your corporation's social media content.

Here are my 'must-haves' for a successful corporate blog:

Blogger shows enthusiasm for his/her blog. If it's written to fill space, I can tell. I’m only interested in blogs that surprise, delight, amuse and inform offering a unique view into your organization.

The blog is well written. I read certain blogs because I not only enjoy reading them, but I’m truly getting information that is important to me – in a style of writing that is more conversational and with the bloggers point of view (good or bad) in mind.

The blog has links to other blogs, newsfeeds or other relevant information. I want to know that this blog is going to get me the next relevant click of information. I love resources, links back to other blogs and creditable information so that I can understand the bloggers opinion or slant.

The blog is updated regularly. There’s nothing worse than finding a great blog only to find out that the blogger blogs on a sporadic basis. I want a blog to be committed to me, the reader, by providing ongoing, updated content – especially if I have subscribed to their feeds.

The blog embraces comments and feedback. I welcome an opportunity to comment on content and provide my opinion on topics. More sophisticated blogs allows sign in and the ability to post comments making the blog very interactive and viral in nature. Corporations can reply (in kind) - especially to diffuse any negative connotation about the organization or its products and services.

The blog is properly tagged and categorized. Make it easy for me to move around your blog, clicking on other categories or relevant tags.

Great Blogging Resource at Amazon:

The Corporate Blogging Book by Debbie Weil

More Great Bloggers:

The Rules Behind Creating a Great Blog by Tom Hung, ProBlogger

27 Tips for Building a Kick-ass Blog by Ahmed Bilal

What Makes a Great Company Blog by Mack Collier

Best

Denice MacDonald


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E-mail Marketing: Still Viable Strategy for Second Half of 2010

July 6, 2010 03:16 by dmacdonald

With budgets still tight, how are companies managing to stay connected while bringing engaging and relevant messages to customers?  

Successful companies are learning that if they use interactive elements such as video, polls, FLASH and RSS feeds within their e-mail marketing campaigns, they see higher conversion rates and a stronger connection to their customers.

Video, if created properly, can really enhance your e-mail message and recipient interactivity. By using an enticing image with descriptive impact statements, recipients will be eager to click and link to the video. Include the file size, length of video or formats supported. Use flash video (FLV) whenever possible to achieve higher compression rates. 

Polls are a great way to entice recipients and engage audiences that want to be heard. Create topics or subjects that will resonate with your intended audience. Provide immediate results, along with associated support material, newsletters or additional links.  

RSS feeds are another way to keep customers connected post e-mailing especially if your company has a blog, dedicated community or news section. RSS feeds provide the right amount of content to recipients on their terms making it the perfect connection outside of targeted e-mails.

In summary, once you have created an on-going e-mail campaign with customers, remember to include interactive elements and content that will continually engage your customers. Remember to measure the effectiveness of each campaign and refine where necessary.

Best,

Denice MacDonald


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Just for fun: KAYAK Travel Portal

June 24, 2010 09:36 by dmacdonald

Now that I’m an avid traveler, it has become increasingly important that I find the best travel, hotel or car deal. I routinely use Expedia, CheapTickets and even Priceline. Now, with the intro of KAYAK , I can maximize one-stop-shopping to all these sites by allowing KAYAK  to do all the work.   


        This is how it works     .     .     .     .     .
 


KAYAK is a travel search site
.
Everybody knows what a search site is, and everybody knows what a travel site is. KAYAK is like both, but it’s different in some important ways. 

Like a search site, they can help you find what you want. What makes them different is that they’re specialized. Their tools are made to deeply understand things like airfares and hotel stays. And like a travel site they have flights and hotels. But they’re very different from most travel sites because they don't actually sell plane tickets, hotel rooms, or anything else. 

KAYAK  helps people find the best travel choices easily by searching the data from hundreds of travel sites at once. KAYAK  lets you compare options, and when you find something that fits your budget and tastes, you book it where you want: at the airline site, from the hotel, or from a travel agent. 

OK, now you’re wondering how they make money. It’s all advertising. Just like you can watch (most) TV shows for free, you can use KAYAK  all you want, free. 

KAYAK  has local websites in eleven countries including US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, India, and Spain, and offer free mobile apps for the iPhone, iPad, Android, and BlackBerry. 

Just for fun - check them out for your next travel destination.

Best,

Denice MacDonald 


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A “Must-Read”: Socialnomics

June 14, 2010 09:30 by dmacdonald

The new reality: brands can now be strengthened or damaged by social media. Online networking sites are being used as a means for immediate feedback. Advertising has lost its grip on influencing consumers being replaced by ‘peer’ opinion sharing through Twitter and Facebook.   

Bottomline: if you aren't using social media in your business strategy, you are already behind your competition. 

Explore how the concept of "Socialnomics" is changing the way businesses produce, market, and sell.  

Consider “Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business” – a must-read for anyone wanting to learn about -- and harness -- the power of social media, rather than becoming obsolete by it! 

BTW - this book is currently on sale at Amazon.com - get it here now.

I got my copy through the Kindle store here!

Best,

Denice MacDonald


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Webinar Alert: Drive Sales with Online Video

June 8, 2010 08:51 by dmacdonald

Video on the web is exploding and becoming one of the most clicked-on features. It has proven to increase conversions by double digits, reduce returns by as much as 10%, build brand loyalty and enhance customer experience.

Don't miss this opportunity to hear from Priscilla Lawrence, Principal Product Manager of Adobe Scene7, at an exclusive free webinar on making the most with online video slated for Thursday, June 17, 2010.

Sign up now. 

(Note: If you are reading this post after June 17th, Adobe Scene7 has weekly Webinars each Thursday at https://www1.scene7.com/registration/weekly_webinar.asp).  

About Adobe Scene7

Adobe Scene7 is the leading on-demand cross-media platform that enables companies to grow revenues, enhance customer experience and cut production costs.

More Resources:

The 10 Golden Principles of Successful Web Apps by Vimeo

16 Tips for Successful Online Video Marketing by Social Media Examiner

Web Multimedia Strategies by Web Style Guidelines (Includes production tips, formats and right-sizing for the Web) 

Best,

Denice MacDonald 


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Maintaining E-mail Marketing as part of the Social Mix

May 9, 2010 12:04 by dmacdonald

Social media and social media marketing are quite the buzz these days. My user groups and close business colleagues remind me how ‘hot’ this topic is.  Although social media can be the silver bullet for some, e-mail marketing is still quite viable for others.

Customers still want to hear from you

Your strongest (and most loyal customers) still want to have a personal interaction with you. E-mail allows a strong format for segmented content to your customers – reminding them of your products, services or news. 

Some prefer to have the message delivered to their in box

Undeniably, no one can underestimate the power of a third party sell through a strong social networking community – but believe it or not, some prefer to have targeted information sent to them routinely, if not daily through e-mail.

E-mail can be delivered based on opt-in parameters from your mail list (what, when and how content is delivered). That way, there is a win/win for both parties: customers get the content they want and you have a way to stay connected - intimately.

Social Media – some not getting it quite right

Overzealous fan pages, corporate pages with no viable links, as well as poor content will lead to a marginal social media experience – possibly eroding any chance that your company will get noticed – nonetheless virally promoted. 

In order for social media to be successful, there needs to be a strong integrated interactive marketing strategy.

Until a strong social media plan is place, continue some form of e-mail marketing to stay connected to your customers. 

Other exceptional thought leaders who agree: 

Social Media vs. Email: Which Is A Better Marketing And Communication Channel? By Robin Good, MasterNewMedia  

Social Media Marketing Vs. Email Marketing By John Chow Dot Com 

Is Email Marketing Endangered? By ExactTarget (White Paper Download) 

Best

Denice MacDonald


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Connect Your Business to Everyone

April 23, 2010 08:49 by dmacdonald

With the social media craze in full action, how do you keep ahead of the pack relative to the best social resources? 

Below you will find my top picks that will help your organization connect social media to business initiatives – including the last resource on building influence while maintaining your brand reputation. Enjoy! 

 

Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel

This is the first book to integrate digital marketing, social media, personal branding, and entrepreneurship in a clear, entertaining, and instructive manner that everyone can understand and apply. 

Buy it at Amazon

 

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     . 

 

Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuck

Cash in on your passion! The social media revolution has changed the way we live our lives and conduct our business. Learn how Crush It will give you the tools to take advantage and WIN.  

Buy it at Amazon 

 

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .    



Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith

Use the web to build influence, improve reputation and earn trust. 

Buy it at Amazon 




Best

Denice MacDonald


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Staying Nimble: Social Media 2010

April 19, 2010 06:36 by dmacdonald

According to several leading experts, social media has been the number one priority in 2010. Social media will be used by organizations to lift their brand, stay connected to customers while using networks to grow their lead-gen pipelines. To learn how your organization can capitalize on what others are doing, check out these ‘top’ resources, articles and blogs from leading subject matter experts.   

Social media on marketers' menu for 2010 by Helen Leggatt, Biz Report   

"It looks like social media is on the menu for most marketers this year. A survey of almost 2,000 MediaPost subscribers found that over half plan to have "a presence on social networks" as part of their marketing mix in 2010..."  

10 Ways Social Media Will Change In 2010 by Ravit Lichtenberg from Ustrategy.com

"It is impossible to separate social media from the online world. Facebook reached 350 million users last month -- 70% of whom are outside the US -- and it accounts for 25% of the Web's traffic, according to Pew nearly one in five people on the web use Twitter or some other service to check status messages, and 94% of enterprises plan to maintain or increase their investment in enterprise social media tools. The social media conversation is no longer considered a Web 2.0 fad -- it is taking place in homes, small businesses and corporate boardrooms, and extending its reach into the nonprofit, education and health sectors. From feeling excitement, novelty, bewilderment, and overwhelmed, a growing number of people now speak of social media as simply another channel or tactic..."

Why You Need A Social Media Policy in 2010 by Vanessa DiMauro, Customer Think   

"Policies are dull. No one wants to create them, no one likes to read them and certainly, few desire the job of enforcing them.  But they can play an important role in outlining the rules of engagement around a particular set of online behaviors and have a strong role to play in the face of new situations where the there are no standards.  This is especially true with the wild west world of social media in business..."  

Six Social Media Trends for 2010 by David Armano, Harvard Business Review   

"In 2009, we saw exponential growth of social media. According to Nielsen Online, Twitter alone grew 1,382% year-over-year in February, registering a total of just more than 7 million unique visitors in the US for the month. Meanwhile, Facebook continued to outpace MySpace. In 2010, social media will get even more popular, more mobile, and more exclusive — at least, that's my guess. What are the near-term trends we could see as soon as next year..."

Best,  

Denice MacDonald 


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Get It Right The First Time: Web Metrics

April 14, 2010 09:49 by dmacdonald

Many organizations are obsessed with volume – measuring their web metrics strategy by how many web pages that were viewed or by how many people that have visited. In many cases, this type of information is meaningless as it is not directly linked to a web plan or strategy.

Whether its website traffic analysis, search engine optimization or tracking business success metrics, you need to develop a web strategy ‘up front’ to support measurement objectives. This thought process seems so fundamental but rarely exercised.  Take these simple rules:

A strategic plan for evaluating your website will help you:

  1. Collect only the data you need to make informed, strategic decisions
  2. Identify priority “action areas” for improvement, measure the impact of those actions -- and keep your customers coming back
  3. Determine benchmarks and performance goals you should aspire to, and the extent to which you’re achieving them
  4. Determine whether you’re getting a return on the investment you’ve made to build, operate and maintain your website(s)
  5. Evaluate how well your website is performing relative to competitors, your company's brand, mission statement or hiring criteria

Develop a plan – a strategy – and review and adjust it regularly by asking these questions:

  • What do you need to measure
  • What are your requirements
  • How will you measure it
  • What tools will you use
  • What methodologies are needed to gather the data you need
  • What will you do with the results
  • How will the results help meet the goals for your website and your company's mission
  • How does the plan fit with your company's overall strategic and performance plan

Once armed with this process and validation, you will find that your ROI exceeds expectations. 

Great Resources:

Coremetrics Web Metrics
Get powerful website metrics with the leading provider.

Web Measurement Data Fast
ClickTracks web measurement shows behavior, conversion, groups, SEO.

WebTrends Analytics
Marketing Intelligence Solutions, leading analytic & metrics software.

Web Analytics
Compare web analytics products and get a free report sample from CMS Watch.

Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics
If you have an interest in measuring the success of your website, then this book is definitely for you!

Best,

Denice MacDonald


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Writing for Social Media

April 9, 2010 14:58 by dmacdonald

If you want consistent social media success, you have to understand what social media users crave. For social media content, that means understanding the type of content social media users want.        

Next, determine who your audience is—are you going for success on big social media sites or are you looking to engage customers on niche sites within your industry?

If you want the full scoop on how to develop consistent, relevant, eye-catching content, check out a recent SlideShare by Sara Meaney of Comet Branding.

The SlideShare presentation covers the gamut from creating compelling headlines to call to action scenarios that get users coming back for more.

Best,

Denice MacDonald


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Merging Twitter and Blogging: Tips and Tools

April 5, 2010 09:15 by dmacdonald

Merging Twitter and blogging can simply be done by using these simple tools:

Add to Any: Get your posts shared on Twitter by using Add to Any on your WordPress blog.  

TwitThis: Make use of this plugin to send Twitter messages about your blog post.

MyTwitter: Use the MyTwitter plugin to display your Twitter status on WordPress.  

Twitpress: Twitpress will send out a Tweet every time you post a new blog entry. 

TwitterCounter: With this plugin, you can display the number of followers you have on Twitter.

TwitterFeed: Announce your blog post on Twitter with a customized message using TwitterFeed. 

TwitterButtons: Just as you want Twitter to send visitors to your blog, you’ll want your blog to send visitors to your tweets. 

More Resources: 

10 Ways Twitter Will Change Blog Design 

Twitter Versus Blogging

Twitter and Blogging: Tips and Tools

Best

Denice MacDonald


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Web Content: Relevant, Persuasive and to the Point

March 18, 2010 05:34 by dmacdonald

Everyone wants to create useful rich content. But it's not as easy as it sounds. Content needs to reflect user needs and requirements, contain an adequate amount of words to support search engine optimization while reflecting the organizations' unique brand proposition. 

Know Your Industry - Know Your Customer.

In order to create relevant content for your web site, gather information about all aspects of your industry – including competitors. Then, determine exactly who your customers are.  Are they busy professionals or non-techie information gatherers?    

The More Relevant Content You Provide on Your Site, the Better.

Relevant content is not only helpful in gaining the interest of search engines, it also piques the interest of diverse web site visitors. Let visitors know quickly that they are on a site that has information related to what they are interested in. Doing so will help lessen friction in the users experience and lead to conversion (act or buy). 

Summarize, and then Expand.

Most content developers start with bloated brochure copy. Instead, begin with a well thought summary picture paragraph (100 words) and then provide additional content within your site’s category subpages to provide more information regarding expanded learning. Well-written, persuasive copy should be moderate and to the point.

Place Top Keywords within Your Text.

Search engines have always loved content paragraphs and keywords. In order to further optimize your site, combine the two by placing relevant keywords within each content paragraph

Check out these great resources: 

How to Create Web Content that Works by Leanne Bergey

Web Content, Writing for Web Sites by WebsiteTips.com

Best

Denice MacDonald


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Measuring Your E-mail Reputation

March 11, 2010 09:21 by dmacdonald

You’ve completed several highly charged e-mail campaigns and have come up short on conversion and high on complaints. Where to you go for help? You can use Return Path’s Sender Score Monitor tools to figure out how reputation is affecting your individual campaign results

Return Path’s monitoring suite provides real-time feedback on how your campaigns actually fare in the inbox. It also tells you why a campaign failed. For example, if you see that the campaign generated a high complaint rate, you should take steps to stop complaints by making sure subscribers understand what to expect from you and that you are sending e-mail that is of benefit to them.   

This includes segmented content by audience type, relevant and noteworthy links to resources or other valuable information along with other interactive functionality. 

Lastly, poor infrastructure hurts your reputation because it makes you look like a spammer. Or, at the very least, it makes it appear as if your system has been or could be compromised by hackers effecting both open rates and credibility. 

Resources: 

Sender Score Lookup (free) - A Sender Score is a measure of e-mail sender reputation.

Reputation Rules Series (free subscription) – Four week e-mail series on how “E-mail is a Relationship”.

Reputation Monitor - With Deliverability tools and services from Return Path, more of your e-mail can reach the inbox-which means more responses.

Webinar and Events – Includes both hosted and industry events.

More about Return Path: 

Since 1999, Return Path has helped some of the world’s most successful companies use email more effectively. Return Path began with the notion that there was a better way to do things: that email marketing didn’t have to be a war between marketers and consumers, that it was possible to do more with less, that the smartest email solutions were the ones that not only impacted your bottom line in the short term but also benefited your reputation for the long term. 

Sources and Excerpts

The aforementioned comments are abbreviated highlights from Return Path’s Reputation Rules Series. I highly recommend that you subscribe to this free learning and/or contact Return Path if reputation is affecting your e-mail campaign outcomes.

Best

Denice MacDonald


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Get it right: Web Copy

March 3, 2010 07:31 by dmacdonald

Writing copy for the Web that grabs attention and gets the results you want takes special skill and attention.

Oftentimes, companies will forgo writing web copy and repurpose brochure copy. Writing copy for the web is remarkably different than writing copy for print. Here are a few tips to make sure your web content is spectacular and resonates with site visitors.

Before any web copy is written, the following information should be available to the web copywriter(s).

  1. SEO/SEM Report or Findings – the web copywriter will use the report as a guide to segue words or phrases that will help ‘optimize’ the content web page.
  2. Persona or Voice of Customer - understanding the attributes of customers that you want to engage at your content web page will help dictate the impact statements or ‘headings and sub heads’ for the section (different and distinct from navigation or menu).
  3. Functional Web Page Elements – understanding what other functionality will appear on the page will help the web copywriter(s) craft content that will work collaboratively with feature boxes, call to action scenarios or other promotional items.  Having a layout or ‘wireframe’ of what will appear on the page will work well here.

Now that the web copywriter has a clear vision of the type of customer, how the customer gets to the page and what the customer will likely experience, they are ready to begin writing.

  1. Headings and Sub Heads - On the web, you can ‘make or break’ interaction to your web pages with headings. A good one makes it easier for readers to understand the significance of the content and will likely get them to read more. Headings and sub heads should be short, clear and concise ranging from 7 – 10 words.
  2. Amount of Content – Begin by envisioning a ‘picture paragraph’ – that is, content that is solid and clear enough to get the point across and fall ‘above the fold’ (fits within the visitor window). Remember that shorter is better – paragraph length should be no more than 50-60 words.
  3. Editing – It is always advisable from both a quality assurance perspective and from a visitor’s view to have someone review and edit web copy.  Reason simply, diverse users to the web content may not interpret or understand what has been written and may need some ‘dumbing down’ for the content to resonate. 

Whether you're trying to sell products or services at a business or commercial site or if you just want to let people know the latest at your personal site, content is just as important as any of the other elements that constitute the overall brand strategy for your web site – chose wisely.

Resources:

Net Words: Creating High-Impact Online Copy by Nick Usborne

Content is King! Evaluating Content Management Systems

Best,

Denice MacDonald


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Audience Profiles by Compete.com

February 18, 2010 10:03 by dmacdonald

Compete has recently released Audience Profiles on Compete.com. This free offering allows website owners to gain never before seen insights about their online audiences.  

Audience Profiles allow site owners to look beyond standard demographics and discover the lifestyle preferences, hobbies, and interests of their online audiences. These insights can then be used to create highly targeted marketing campaigns and attract more customers. 

All you need do is go to audience profiles at compete.com and sign up for a myCompete account and copy some simple XL code onto your home page.   

Within a month, you should be able to see some quantifiable data on your web audience – information that will help you create defined messaging and targeted marketing campaigns. 

Compete.com is a ‘must-have’ resource for web analytics, competitor analysis and now, audience profiles.  

To learn more about Compete.com – go here. 

To learn more about the significance of Audience Analysis – go here. 

Best

Denice MacDonald  


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Social Video

January 31, 2010 09:58 by dmacdonald

The application of social video - often referred to as using the strategy of video as the central piece for social interaction and storytelling online - is beginning to grow rapidly.  

Take for example Samsung's HD Camera Phone Trick. That YouTube clip was created and produced for Samsung Mobile by London's Viral Factory. Its traffic and engagement patterns were tracked and analyzed by Visible Measures – with unprecedented results.  

The social video piece was specifically designed for social interaction – prompting the consumer to take the challenge and solve the puzzle. The formula was a simple one (you’ll need to view to see why). To be perfectly honest – I was drawn in and wanted to take the challenge!       

 

What does this engaging video tell us? 

  1. Modern brand building with social video is a necessary part of the marketing mix
  2. Due to its authenticity, engagement with video is beginning to rank higher and more desirable in comparison to TV viewing or radio broadcast
  3. Bottom-line, people like to watch video, share it and get involved with it making it a natural word of mouth strategy

Obviously, everyone who uses social video as part of their marketing mix is curious about direct measurement – meaning, does it really work and feed the bottom-line?

As social video become more active, click thru activity as well as viewing and registration are good indicators of brand lift, interaction and sharing offering much better results than highly charged broadcast metrics. Based on the Samsung example – how could argue with its success?  

BTW – there’s a follow-on video that reveals the puzzle. Here’s the answer. 

Best

Denice MacDonald


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Is Your Brand Reputation at Stake?

January 24, 2010 09:15 by dmacdonald

You've spent a lot of time building up your reputation and image both online and off, so it's important to make sure that someone or something has not jeopardized your brand.

One of the simplest and easiest ways to track your reputation is to use Google Alerts. With this free service, you can search either all of Google's properties, or you can specify that only News, Blogs, Web, Video, or Groups is searched. You can then configure the Alerts results to be emailed to you either as it happens, once a day, or once a week. There is also a page where you can edit the alerts once they are created or delete them when they are no longer in use. 

If making a good name for yourself online is a priority, it's time to take a proactive approach to getting your name out there the way you want.  

BUSINESS SOCIAL NETWORKS – Complete your profile in its entirety and connect with key professionals in your network.

BLOGS – Consider a business blog and one that you contribute to – showing you are a thought leader will aid in elevating you or your products in your industry. Likewise, use blogs to amend or respond to bad hype.

WEB 2.0 PR – Get news interviews, podcasts, webinars with clients 'live' online. Third party testimonials by key constituents regarding your products and services will go a long way in building brand reputation.

LINKING – If you have a web site, consider carefully where and how inbound and outbound links are connected – bad links will reflect poorly on your brand.

SUB-DOMAINS - Add a sub-domain for careers, corporate and/or product info for little or no cost.  Not only will sub-domains elevate your search results but add depth to your reputation.

PPC/ONLINE ADVERTISING – This can only help protect your brand and will help influence visitors to see who is the real website that should be visited.

SEARCH - Take control of the visible results of any search related to your brand. By taking a coordinated approach to search engine optimization, you take greater control of the other nine slots.  

FREE MONITORING TOOLS:

Similarly to Google Alerts, Yahoo! Pipes is also a good tool for aggregating and combining feeds into one central repository.

Using Twitter search you can locate any instances of your name and decide whether you want to tweet back or ignore them. 

If you have a blog, then you have to be on Technorati. Technorati tracks “blog reactions,” or blogs that link to yours. Search for your brand on Technorati, and subscribe to RSS alerts so that when someone blogs about you, you find out.

Yacktrack lets you search for comments on your content from various sources, such as Blogger, Digg, FriendFeed, Stumbleupon, and Wordpress blogs.

Best,

Denice MacDonald


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Take the 2010 Social Media Survey

January 20, 2010 11:28 by dmacdonald

Website Magazine's March, 2010 cover story is about social media for business. And, as an educated audience of Web professionals in the industry, they want your input!

Please take just a couple of minutes to take their 2010 Social Media Initiatives survey. They want to know how social media is affecting your business, and what some of your objectives might be in 2010.

The survey is very brief, and they will share responses (anonymously, in aggregate) with all of their readers in the upcoming issue of Website Magazine. 

Take the survey now.  

Why should you care?

Social Media is getting quite a bit of hype – but is anyone truly doing it correctly?  With a lot of chatter and just plain noise – web strategist may need to get back to the basics: who is the intended audience and is the organization creating the right conversation that invokes engagement and sharing? I’ll be anxious to share the results of what others are doing in 2010.

More About Website Magazine (Denice's favorite web resource)

Website Magazine is the one magazine to focus exclusively on the business of running a website: tips for successful websites, solutions for enhancing website traffic, the latest Internet industry trends and statistics, as well as news analysis on the Internet industry.

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Best

Denice MacDonald


Currently rated 5.0 by 3 people

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