Posted by Jody Raines
Social Media marketing is about sharing and transparency. I met with a client today who is concerned about identity theft as well as sharing too much. When is sharing your information about what you are doing too much?
Should you hide your identity?
Much has been said about privacy and Facebook, as well as privacy and social media in general. This week, Facebook launched Places - another way to check in while you are out.
It's a narcissistic way of sharing with the world all the neat places you've been to - Kind of like a "don't you wish you were here" for cyberspace friends.
When you note where you are in Fourquare or Facebook Places or Gowalla, can this lead to stalking issues? Robberies? Or worse?
Is Facebook Places Annoying?
Just yesterday, I posted a question on Facebook: Do you find Facebook Places annoying?
100% of the respondents said "YES", and they also had concerns about burglaries due to sharing where they are on Facebook Places.
But you can learn some interesting things by following the stream of posts on Facebook. One of my male "friends" on Facebook apparently has a great nightlife! He seems to know a lot of clubs and restaurants! As the evening goes on, you can track exactly where he is... and it's kind of funny... another friend (female) is checking into the same places at the same times! But, wait, they are married - but not to each other! So much for keeping that affaire a secret!
Too much sharing?
I worry about the ramifications of too much sharing, and pictures that others can post. Pictures that may not be the most flattering, or portray the best situations. Especially for my friends who are job seekers, what does this mean for their chances of employment. We know that employers are Googling us or Binging us or Yahooing us. No doubt there have been hiring decisions made based upon what was posted on Facebook.
What's the solution?
I am not sure there is a solution - other than be careful what you post and monitor what is said about you. Check your privacy settings often and be careful... That being said, I found this video to be absolutely appropriate, and while humorous, it does point out some of the scarier downsides to social media. Thanks to my friend Glenn Gabe for sharing this on his Facebook wall!
Are you going to change your name, have your face surgically altered or self-delete? LOL! What do you think?
Posted by Jody Raines
When it comes internet strategy and social media marketing, one of
the most powerful tools in the tool kit for businesses is Linked in. Linked in is especially great for B 2 B marketing. Bottom line, I can tell you how valuable it is, but you actually have to invest the time to use it to see what I mean.
I have friends and contacts from many places, including companies where I've worked, groups that I network with, friends and acquaintances, relatives and social groups. Some of these connections were from long ago on a planet far far away, but Linkedin helps me stay in touch!
One of the coolest things about Linked in is that it is a "living breathing" directory. Even when someone changes companies, or positions, I find out as soon as they change their profile! In the old days I used to lose track of folks, now they keep me in touch so I don't have to.
Last week, I taught a program for Rutgers University, Family Business Institute, that focused on how to effectively use social media for business. The enthusiasm from the attendees as we discussed Linked in and how to use it was so rewarding. That prompted this blog post, since I figure the info is great to have, and once you start using it, you'll be asking for more... (And believe me, I do have more...)
For starters, I'm sharing some of the most effective "power tips" for Linkedin to get you started... Stay tuned for part II!
5 tips for using Linkedin for your business and lead generation:
1. Announce what you are up to:
Linked in has a great little place where you can post your latest accomplishments or links to your latest blog post. This is a wonderful way to get exposure if you are hosting an event, or speaking. Keep in mind that this message must be brief.
I did link this with my Twitter account, but I'd caution that I use Twitter and Linkedin VERY differently! It's not OK to post every tweet on Linkedin... in fact, that would be quite unprofessional. So use caution when linking different social media platforms together to observe the appropriate protocol.
2. Optimize your profile:
One of the simplest things you can do with the greatest return is to optimize your Linkedin profile. If you work with websites, you'll recognize the value of a keyword and of anchor text. So, take a hard look at your verbiage in your profile, and rewrite it using one or two powerful keywords that you want to be found for! Linkedin shows up in GOOGLE, so this is a powerful, yet simple change to make.
3. Make your anchor text count:
Another simple thing you can do is to change your company and blog from "My Company" and "My Blog" to something that can work as anchor text for your website. To do this, go into your profile and edit the settings. Where you currently have a link for your website, chose "other" then use anchor text to link to your site. Take a look at my profile on Linkedin (and connect with me!) to see what I mean.
4. Join Groups:
Groups are a terrific way to connect with people you don't have a connection to. What do I mean? Well, if you don't know someone yet you want to connect with them, you will be challenged for their email address. If you both belong to a group, you can identify that group and you don't need to have the email address! Also, it sounds more like a warm intro if you both share a group, doesn't it?
5. Ask for intros:
If you are connected by one or even two degrees, you can ask your connection for an introduction. Be sure to write a great letter to the person you targeted - which focuses on why they want to meet you and the value you offer. To simply create a sale-sy note will wind up shooting you in the foot - the person you asked to make the introduction will likely not forward the request, and if they blindly did forward it, they stand the chance of losing their credibility with the recipient of the request.
Drop me a note or post a comment here if you have other tips that you've found helpful and would like to share.
Sharing is a good thing!
Posted by Jody Raines
Do you want to spice up your Internet marketing life and create some steamy sizzle on your site? They say that sexy sells... and lets face it, you want your website to attract more than furtive 
glances.
If you are struggling with what to do, to enhance your website's shape, and get back into the Google groove, here's a list of 5 to get you started:
1. Shake it up. When you put that old site together, you were logical and you covered all the bases. You wanted the reader to move through the site, starting at "Home", then logically reaching a conclusion at "Contact Us". Surprise - it doesn't work that way! Readers are not logical, and they don't want to read every word. What they want is what they are seeking - a slim-downed and attractive piece of the site. Focus on a sub-category of your business and define the keywords your clients may be using in their Google search. Every page should be unique and considered a landing page, with a clearly identified message and target. The more specific your pages and content, the better you will look in the eyes of your customer.
2. Trashy or Flashy? Google announced recently that load times for your site are now a metric that will be taken into account for your ranking. Slow dancing is sexy, slow sites are not. Why lose points on a site that is all show and no go. Simplify and streamline your page so it loads quickly. Of course if you prefer a site that is a beautiful monument, that's an option. On the other hand if you prefer a site that has hot leads, through traffic and conversion, go fast and keep it elegant.
3. Give it up. Yep. That's right, we are going to give away your secrets for free. Why? Because that's the reason your clients come to the site. They are seeking answers, and our goal is to position you to answer their questions. Of course, there is always more to know - if you client had all the answers they would do it themself. Maybe it's a webinar, maybe an ebook, or a guide? You have the answers... So, get started on a mission to position your content to appeal to your customer's needs.
4. Establish a relationship. Today's marketing is not just about telling your audience, it's about sharing with your audience and listening. Are you ready to listen? Do you have a way to monitor your brand? Are you able to make changes to your site as you learn more about what will appeal to your potential customers? Maybe now is the time to put together a site that will be more responsive or pro-active. It's the new way to do business in an Internet world.
5. Make the First Move. If you are waiting for clients to find you, it may take a long time. Organic SEO means creating compelling content that is keyword rich and appropriately positioned. Even though some clients will find you, think about where your clients may be and reach out to them. If you have a blog post that may appeal to a group, don't be shy - but tell the group you have some hot tips to share. But don't be salesy - that will backfire.
Overall, it's important to communicate and share. Offer great content, optimize your pages and blog, blog, blog.
Posted by Jody Raines
If your website isn't producing leads, perhaps you should
consider beefing up your blog. Blogging adds content, value and information and gives your potential customer a reason to find you. Here are 5 sustainable reasons that you should consider spendin
g more time on the lifeblood of your social media program, your blog:
1. Credibility. Based upon the less formal structure of a blog, your articles can encompass a wider range of ideas for utilizing products and services as well as share how-to's and guides. Generally, people turn to the Internet when they start to research their purchase, and the blog articles are a great way to answer questions that someone early in the purchase cycle may be asking.
2. Links. A well done Blog will feature the type of content that people and sites want to share with others. Some of the types of articles that you'd find on a blog are lists of links for resources, great how-to's and references for the rest of us. Sometimes blog posts can be controversial, and get attention on a more viral approach by being shared and discussed by others. This activity results in in-bound links, more than the factual information typically presented in a web site.
3. SEO. Blogs can be written by cleverly incorporating keywords into the article. Whether the goal is to be number one on Google, or whether it's to be found for certain keyword phrases, adding a blog post is like adding another page of content. As long as the info is presented in a readable and enjoyable format, it can add great value to be found in Google and to improve keyword ranking.
4. Anchor Text. One way that Google can distinguish what a page is about is by anchor text that links to the page. While you may not be able to control anchor text from outside sources, you can control anchor text within your own website. By using keyword phrases or keywords as the anchor text to link to pages within your site, you are reinforcing the optimization of your page content.
5. Fresh Content. Frequent updates to the site result in more frequent indexing by the search engines. While the company website may be somewhat static with the exception of new product additions, a blog is updated regularly. The fresh content not only lends the opportunity to add keywords and links, it also serves as an opportunity to improve ranking for your site.
If you haven't added a blog yet, it may be time to start blogging. If you already have a blog and haven't actively been posting, keep in mind that it's never too late to start.
Make a resolution to improve your site's Google Ranking and Alexa ranking performance by adding a well-focused blog with interesting and timely content.
Posted by Jody Raines
Building a better website is one of those experiences that can be incredibly rewarding. By better, what I mean is an effective website or effective internet presence. The effective website is known for having been developed for the right reasons and which appeals to the right audience, resulting in real sales.
In other words:
- Site ranks on Google for keywords
- Site improves in Traffic results over time
- Site is a lead generation magnet
Would you say that your website is effective based upon this standard?
What does it take to create an effective website?
- Is it the bold graphics?
- Creative writing?
- Unique page layout?
While all of that is fantastic, the real guts of what makes an effective website is whether it delivers value.
Not just guts... but GLORY. And glory = value.
By value, what I mean are leads. Hard, cold, fast, closed, new customers. Leads.
How do you do that?
It starts by using a fairly scientific approach. And time. And a bit of creativity and skill. And pixie dust...
1. Determine what your keywords are. Then try different iterations. Then try even more. Try keyword phrases. Use a spread sheet and keep a record of where all of these keywords rank for number of hits per month, difficulty and where you may rank for that word.
2. Look for 'low hanging fruit'. Find those words that have decent monthly clicks, but may be lower in difficulty.
3. Start optimizing your pages for keywords. How do you do that? Develop content around a topic. Keep content fun, keywords relevant and yet topically focused.
4. Develop relationships and links. No one lives in a vacuum, but that sucking noise you'll hear is when you are talking to no one. Social Media monitoring is very important for understanding the audience and developing social media strategies. By developing relationships, based upon listening to the social media conversation, and developing social media relationships, you develop an audience. Others want you to listen to them, and in return they listen to you. Compound this by their recommendation and you have a winning combination.
5. Boldly add content. Go where others may not have gone, by writing interesting content, discussing the ills of an industry, or by uncovering new ways of doing things. Be fearless about adding lists of relevant topics or sites. Suggest a controversial approach to intrigue comments.
6. Answer your potential client's question. How to, Why, Critical reasons, Frequently asked, Frequently Omitted, Major Blunders. All start an article that promises to be interesting. How to answer your client's questions is one of the most frequently omitted topics in a social media program. Even if you learn about blogging or tweeting, what are you adding to the conversation and how are you using social media platforms to add value? It's a matter of being part of the conversation.
7. Create downloads that are of value to your potential client. Don't just place articles hoping for google to index you, instead create a logical progression of articles to landing page to content.
It all starts with the keyword and the keyword is content. Nothing can replace it or take its place. Even in social media marketing, the tweets, and posts are google-able. So start with using your keywords and you will earn and improve search engine results.
Its how we deal with the content and how cleverly we can sculpt it to do our bidding that will differentiate the masters from the sheep. Additionally, its' the clever twist of adding value that enables us to cultivate leads.
Posted by Jody Raines
Search Engine Optimization is important for every website. It's the art and science of positioning a web site to be found in the search engines for specific keywords. Everything else being equal, the authority that your site builds through incoming links will differentiate and elevate your site in the ranking race.
So, what is the best way to build links? According to Matt Cutts of Google, there are ten ways you can effectively build links. He doesn't recommend all of these, but they all work:
1. Original Research. This can be as simple as keeping a diary of how effective your outbound email is, and what seems to get more opens or click throughs.
2. Newsletter. Information that you share in the newsletter is a great source for inbound links.
3. Social Media. Participating in the conversation in Twitter, Friendfeed and Facebook (among others) is excellent for link building. Get to know your customer and spend time where your customer is.
4. Get a blog. Establish yourself as an authority. Build up your blog to become a resource of information. Post great content or things that you find interesting or humorous.
5. How to's or Tutorials. Share information on how to do something and others will link to your info.
6. Build a resource or service. Open source applications that are posted have many inbound links and traffic. Do the work once, and they will come.
7. Good site architecture. Make sure your site can be crawled and indexed. Make it easy to get to your pages and be bookmarked.
8. Make a few videos. These can be simple as talking, but they are effective for generating inbound leads.
9. Controversial posts. This is not recommended, but it can be effective. Posting something controversial can get a conversation started.
10. Lists. Building lists of resources is also not recommended but can be an effective way to build incoming links.
To hear more about effective link building, here is Matt Cutts of Google explaining his thought on how to be effective:
Posted by Jody Raines
If you are like me, you've been glued to the television on at least one occasion, watching the activities of the Olympic Games in Vancouver. How exhilarating to watch these incredibly talented athletes perform at the pinacle of their chosen event. The competition is fierce, there is just one gold medal winner.
When it comes to having a terrific blog, there are some analogies that can be made with the Olympic champions. For example, when a prospect hovers above the search bar in a search engine, and types in their query, is your content going to be among the results? Will you be the Gold Medalist when they decide to click on a link?
Partially, this has to do with relevance, partially with your understanding of the audience, and partially with creating really great blog topics. The relevance and understanding of your audience are related to SEO and search engine optimization - in other words, understanding what terms to use, which relevant keywords will lead to being discovered, and how to create content that will rank for those terms. That's very important to being found, but you also have to have Gold Medal topics - you know, the one that gets clicked and read... This article is about how to create blog topics.
Great blog topics. What are they? In a nutshell, the idea is to create topics that creates interest in the reader. It's a way to share knowledge, develop relationships and create a flow of interested parties to your website.
What makes great topics? And how do you know that you have a great topic?
Before writing an article, I typically ask myself these three questions that I've boiled down into simple rules to follow when deciding what to write about:
1. Is my topic helpful? If my blog topic is preachy or salesy, I toss it. Frankly, there are enough people blasting you with commercials. That's not what 'inbound marketing' is about. The topic has to be of interest to companies or individuals in order to attract interest and readership. I liken this to the old days on the Atlantic City boardwalk - you may remember walking past those shops where they had an auction taking place - or maybe they were trying to get you to buy those knives that never get dull...? In any case, there was someone outside the store who was 'hawking' at you, or soliciting you to get you to come and participate. Today's consumer is smart, and when they decide to opt-out or block you, you are left without a way to appeal to them. If however, you offer information that they need at a time when they are looking for exactly what you are presenting, then you have a chance of appealing to them through opt-in marketing! Your prospect finds YOU and asks YOU for the information.
2. Can you tell me how-to? Many of my best clients are companies that understand what I do. They also recognize why I am good at it. It's not a matter of whether they can do it themselves - most likely they can. The value is the depth of knowledge and the level of understanding that I bring to the table. Here's what I mean - you are an attorney who practices divorce law. Can someone buy a kit to do-it-yourself-divorce? Yes. Is that advisable? Not really. So, if that's the case, explain what the pitfalls are, and how to protect yourself if you go that route. The people who are looking for this advice are in the market for what you offer. They may have thought that they would save money by doing it themselves, and that is what they are seeking. However, what they find (assuming that your content is well thought out and developed and that you used appropriate keywords and SEO positioning strategy) is that it's not as simple or easy or inexpensive as they originally thought. Now you are in a great position to help them.
3. Is it relevant? No one wants to read the same old stuff that you published last week. It's got to be fresh and new and timely. If the Olympics are today, then discuss the Olympics. If the Word Series is today, don't discuss the Olympics, discuss the World Series. In a day and age when 140 character micro blogs (such as Twitter) rule the planet, you have to be timely and relevant. Consider news events, topical events and activities that are compelling for angles and buzz.
Bottom line - keep your postings helpful, entertaining and relevant. Like the Olympic athlete, it takes training - the more you do it, the better you get. So, practice often. Learn from others. Watch the competition, and then when it's your turn, make it original and make it your best.
Posted by Jody Raines
Argh. Are you tired of Cold Calling? Another week of rejection on the phone?
Recently, when I attended the Voorhees Business Association lunch, one of my business acquaintances was sharing his frustration with making fruitless calls. It occurred to me, something is wrong with that picture...
Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if the leads came to you instead of doggedly pursuing them? Imagine a business where potential clients volunteer their contact information and even request you call them when they are ready to buy! Even more exciting, imagine that there are so many of these leads coming in that you barely have time to respond to them.
What's a sales person to do?
If your company is smart, they'll get on the band wagon of a new wave of Internet Strategy called inbound marketing. Inbound marketing in a nutshell, is positioning your website in a way that it becomes a lead magnet... But let me explain...
As an "Internet Strategist" my role is to help businesses take advantage of the power of the Internet to get found. How? The method I use is not really a secret, and I'm happy to share this with you.
Formula for inbound success on the Internet:
1. Develop your website with correct architecture. If your links are broken or your code is 'funky', you risk Google or Bing or Yahoo spidering your site and penalizing it. Make sure that your website is constructed correctly, and if you are not sure, try using our website grader. You can find this at www.websitegrader.com
2. SEO is important, but content is KING. Do you have a blog? Are your pages optimized? Is someone checking to be sure that you are being found in searches? What terms would your customers be using?
3. Are you posting comments and articles? Using Social Media? When did you post on Facebook last? How is your Linked In account holding up. Has your business created a Linked In business profile? Are you Tweeting on Twitter and if so, are you tracking the clicks on the shortened URLs?
4. Once you've been found, do you have a call-to-action that is compelling? Are potential customers sharing their contact info with you?
5. Who does your lead nurturing? What is the system you are using to follow up when someone submits their info?
SO much to do, so little time.. but if you consider that most people will search the Internet before making that large purchase, it makes sense to be found, and it makes sense to connect.
In closing, keep us in mind if you'd like a plan to help put an Internet marketing and strategy program together for your business. In the meantime, put your rap hat on and enjoy the video...
Posted by Jody Raines
The age of social media and viral video has changed the complexion of business communications.
Your employees are Twittering, posting on Facebook and "connecting" through Linked In. Should you condone this behavior or censure it? How does social media in New Jersey and Pennsylvania impact the way businesses go-to-market? And should it?
Many sharp business leaders are struggling with this question.
At a recent breakfast meeting, when Bob Earl, President of VBA (Voorhees Business Association) and owner of Express Personnel asked me to think about a good topic for the VBA to present, it sparked a passionate rant about the public relations nightmares that social media could foster. Imagine workers complaints about quality virally expanding through the Twittersphere. Or a disgruntled employee's criticism being re-tweeted with geometric progression. It's terrifying how vulnerable a company is these days.
So, what's a CEO to do?
Cut off the Internet? Hmm. That doesn't seem right. The Internet is full of good information and represents a valuable way to reach potential clients.
And hence an idea was born: To put together a panel of experts to discuss their perceptions of how to legally deal with Social Media from an HR perspective.
On February 10, at 8 am, I'll be moderating a panel which will focus on this issue. Our keynote speaker is Chris Blackman, VP of News for NBC 10 in Philadelphia. Chris is a true luminary and intellectual. Nonetheless, he faces an incredible challenge the likes of which would cause many HR professionals to cringe. Imagine if every employee on your staff had a following of thousands who truly pay attention to their every post or tweet. As VP of news, part of Chris's job is making the tough decisions that teeter at the edge of personal expressive freedom and the company's best interests.
In addition to Chris, our panel includes Alex Nemiroff of Archer Greiner. Alex specializes in Labor Law and he deals with issues surrounding social media on a daily basis. He'll share the state of the law as it exists and has evolved with regard to rights and ownership and usage.
We'll also hear from Deb Myerson, Licensed PI and paralegal for Intelysis. Deb uses the Internet, among other tools, to screen candidates for positions to report back to the employer. Deb will point out the wealth of information that can be found out about anyone, from ebay purchases to Amazon reviews, you'd be surprised how much you can learn.
Gary Finger, former Voorhees Mayor and former member of the Voorhees Township Committee is also an expert with pre-hire screening. Gary will highlight the strategies and legalities of investigating your employees.
The event starts at 8 am with a full breakfast (yep, including eggs!) at Elite Caterers, located at 333 Preston Ave in Voorhees, NJ. Cost to attend is $20.
If you have a business, or have employees, this is one event you won't want to miss.
More info at www.voorheesbusinessassociation.com
Posted by Jody Raines
Well, it's only a few weeks into the New Year and I've managed to break my resolution for blog articles! I wanted to post two each week, but last week definitely got away from me. With Social Media and Internet Marketing it's important to be consistent. By posting on my blog and also reading and posting on other's blogs, I am able to grow Internet Presence and help my cause with the search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo.
So, here we go, with part III, the rest of my resolutions for 2010.
9. Facebook Is Important. Facebook, which started as a platform for College students to communicate has now become a platform for the over 30-somethings to re-connect with friends and family. Even more important, however, is the presence that Facebook poses for businesses. With over 350 million subscribers who are incredibly loyal (over 50% log on every day and the average user spends more than 55 minutes per day on the site), the power and visibility for businesses who use Facebook is enormous. Interesting - that Facebook user profiles are generally not google-able, but Facebook pages (which are great for businesses) are! Today there are over 700,000 local businesses who have a page on Facebook.
I do have a Facebook page, which, when it reaches 100 fans, I can customize with a vanity URL. (I'm close, so please become a fan!) I use the page to post updates on Social Media and Internet Strategy for friends, fans and family. My resolution is to continue to use my page, and to post more often.
10. Read And Post. Repeat. There are some fantastic blogs that share wonderful thoughts and information on this rapidly changing landscape that we call "Social Media" or "Social Media Marketing". I learn from my colleagues and as I do, I try to post a note with a thoughtful response to their article. Again, it's a great way to network and communicate. And that's what it's all about. Isn't it?
The Internet has become the required instrument of communication. If you aren't being found and you aren't using the tools, your business may suffer. Join me in utilizing the tools - it takes some time and there is a learning curve, but the benefits in fast-forwarding your business for SEO, being discovered on the Internet, capturing leads, interacting and communicating through social media marketing is wonderfully enriching.
Start your 2010 right, and join me on your Social Media and Internet Marketing regimen!