Can Google+ Bring Online Marketing Strands Together?

Until now, there have been two very distinct strands to online marketing, informed by the two giants of their fields – Google and Facebook.

The search engine giant has always been the undisputed ruler of the SEO marketing world, with Yahoo and Bing coming a clear second, while Facebook – along with Twitter – have been instrumental in pushing social media to the forefront of all successful online marketing strategies.

Now everything is likely to change again as the two strands come together, thanks to the launch of Google’s very own social network, Google+.

Google+ has already been the victim of its own success, going over capacity within two days of its launch and necessitating a temporary halt until it could recalibrate its systems.

Experts are saying that Google+ could herald a new dawn for online marketing, bridging the gap between such business-orientated networks, such as LinkedIn, and the more casual friends networks like Facebook.

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Online Marketing Mindset

Many small businesses are on the Web these days, which means, out of necessity, that online marketing must be part of the small business owner’s strategy. Though certainly no small business owners should be under the illusion that simply throwing up a Website is sufficient to launch their business on the Web, few may have fully considered what marketing online really entails. Do you have a blog, a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, a YouTube or other video channel, etc.? You get the idea! Do you know what you’re up against? Here’s just a sample of the things you need to consider on your way to an online marketing mindset.

Commenting is great, but don’t overdo it. Paul Wolfe looks at the comment, the basic weapon in the social media arsenal of all online marketers and asks, have we gone too far? Commenting can be a great part of your marketing strategy, but what happens if it degenerates into a “comment love-in?” Want to know how to avoid this social media marketing trap? Read on. One Spoon at a Time

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Small business lending opens up — a crack

Jorge Martinez spent eight months jumping from bank to bank, trying to find financing for his Hialeah-based small business, E & M Equipment Corp. The installer of underground utilities kept getting turned down in its quest for funds to cover a payment gap on large county contracts.

Finally, Martinez secured a $250,000 line of credit from Continental National Bank of Miami, through the Community Small Business Enterprise program, guaranteed by Miami-Dade County. That helped the company complete a $1.2 million drainage project on the Marlins Stadium, despite a 45 to 90 day lag in payment on the work.

“With that amount of money, it is very difficult for a small company to front the work for a couple of months without getting money in,’’ said Martinez, vice president of E & M Equipment, which he founded five years ago with business partner and president Edrey Rodriguez. “So that line of credit is really helpful to let us do the job. Otherwise, we would have been very stretched to finish that job.’’

For Martinez, like scores of other small businesses in South Florida, getting necessary financing has been a difficult challenge, as the economy slumped, banks shied away from lending, and loan demand waned in a sort of recessionary Catch 22.

Now, the door to small business financing is finally opening, at least a crack, as more businesses are getting bank loans that are guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration or through other programs. Some banks are even granting more conventional loans to small businesses.

“I see a little bit of flickering of a light, way out at the end of a very long tunnel,’’ said Marie Gill, president and CEO of M. Gill & Associates, a Miami-based management, public relations and economic development consulting firm. “But I do see a flicker, which is better than total darkness.”

The Latest Business Mailing Lists For 2011

Special Databases has updated all its business mailing lists for 2011. The lists have also been restructured and upgraded for countries like the UK, Canada, and the US. The company has an all-inclusive database that is hard to find. All the business listings have been updated. The company has all types of business lists from all over the world. The website has a more comprehensive list than any competitor. It is easy to find the latest business lists for developing business economies like China, India, and Dubai on their website too. They have every business list anybody may need. Also, clients would not be disappointed if they are looking for current lists with various features for countries like the UK and Canada.
Just view the detailed records that the website provides. The competitors go green when they see these lists. Special Databases is the pioneer on the web when it is about the latest business mailing lists. Just navigating the organization's website makes the excellent results visible. The website is convenient and very resourceful. The records and listings are updated time to time to present only the latest information to the clients. The company is sure that its experienced team is trustworthy and satisfies every customer's need. All the business lists are of top quality, are available at low prices and do not dig a hole in anybody's pocket. Those who want to buy updated and superior email lists should contact the company.

Online marketing allows for 'real-time tweaking'

John Schulte, president of the National Mail Order Association in the US, suggested that while some marketers may have turned their backs on direct mail, the channel remains a highly effective means of targeting customers.

Writing for DM News, he therefore set out a number of tips for optimising direct mail campaigns, noting that businesses should aim to get to know their customers before devising promotions.

"Knowing your customer value will influence mailing presentation and delivery method, what your offer is, and how often you mail," said Mr Schulte.

"If you always take into account how much a customer is worth - it's hard to go wrong in direct mail."

The comments come after an article by wowwhatsavings.com noted that once a clear aim has been established for a direct mail promotion, marketers can begin to develop the offers and creative aspects around it.

Obama to seek common ground with business in speech

The Democratic president will speak to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as part of a renewed outreach to the corporate community that began after Republicans routed Democrats in last year's congressional elections.
The rift between the White House and the Chamber has been wide and the process of healing slow.
The business group balked at Obama's initiatives to revamp Wall Street regulation and overhaul the healthcare system and took umbrage at the president's sharp rhetoric on executive pay during the height of the financial crisis.
The White House, while irritated by the Chamber's opposition to policies it designed to help the economy, has sought to mend relations with less sharp presidential rhetoric and staffing choices that appeal to the business community.
Obama picked Bill Daley, formerly of JPMorgan Chase, to be his chief of staff and recently brought on General Electric Co. Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt as his new top outside economic adviser. He also agreed on a tax deal with Republicans last year and has promoted initiatives to boost U.S. exports.
Obama, elected with the help of labor unions, is seeking to boost growth and reduce unemployment ahead of the 2012 presidential election.
The staffing moves are heartening to businesses, but neither side has declared a complete thaw in relations yet.
Tita Freeman, a vice president for communications at the Chamber, said the group hoped the president would give a solid commitment to moving forward with outstanding free trade agreements during the speech.
"We're optimistic, but what really counts is action, not words," she said about Obama's shift in the past few months.
"Tone will be critically important, and I think the tone has indeed changed and this is a new day. And we are really embracing this speech and this outreach by the White House," she said.

Most online marketing services to utilise mobile in 2011

The majority of companies engaged in internet marketing services activities will look to capitalise on the opportunities afforded to them by mobile phone, it has been claimed.

A report by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) in partnership with the Mobile Marketing Association revealed 88 per cent of firms in the US will look to take advantage of the platform this current year.

Expenditure will also increase, with 75 per cent saying they would put more money into the area in 2011, for an average spending increase of 59 per cent compared with 2010.

The study also found that organisations that reported the top success rates were those that integrated their mobile advertising with other platforms and used a wide range of metrics to analyse their performance.

Bob Liodice, president and chief executive officer of ANA said: "With the anticipated raise in adoption this current year, we expect to see fresh, innovative approaches, increased brand-building success and better accountability for this exciting channel."

Business leaders give budget input

A group of female business leaders met with Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose Monday to offer input into this year's federal budget.
The roundtable discussions, held behind closed doors, gave the women an opportunity to share their priorities with Ambrose, also minister for the status of women, as the Conservatives finalize the 2011 document.
Kerry Weiland, vice-president of Titan Contract Welding, said it's important to have a voice.
"I think it gives an opportunity to hear the voice of a diverse group of people," she said.
The Wardlow-based businesswoman said she had a specific list of items to discuss with the minister, including better access to technology for rural entrepreneurs.
Shannon Lenstra, president of Kon-strux Developments, also had budget suggestions. Those included making the renovation tax credit permanent and cracking down on under-the-table contractors.
Lenstra said bringing together female business leaders -- Treasury Board president Stockwell Day held a similar round table on the economy with local business leaders last summer -- also makes sense.
"Women do have different opinions and different strengths," she said before the meeting.

2010 weakest year for US home sales since 1997

The number of people in the United States who bought previously- owned homes last year fell to the lowest level in 13 years. But home sales in December jumped to the fastest pace in seven months.
The National Association of Realtors says sales dropped 4.8 per cent to 4.91 million units in 2010. That was slightly lower than 2008, which had been the weakest level since 1997.
Home prices have been de-pressed by a record number of foreclosures and high unemployment. Many potential buyers held off on purchases last year, fearful that prices hadn’t bottomed out yet.
The poor year for sales ended strong in December. Buyers snapped up homes at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.28 million units, an increase of 12.8 per cent from November and the strongest sales pace since last May.
Still, many economists believe it will take years for sales to rise to a normal level of around six million units a year. And some say 2011 will be even weaker than last year because more foreclosures are expected and home prices are likely to keep falling through the first six months of the year.
The foreclosure crisis has left a glut of unsold houses on the market. That has played a major role in lowering home prices.
For December, the inventory of unsold homes stood at an 8.1 months supply, down from 9.5 months supply in November. That represents the amount of time it would take to sell the remaining supply of homes on the market at the December sales pace. A normal inventory supply is six months.
Even historically low mortgage rates have done little to boost the sales

Online marketing should become more targeted

Businesses looking to develop their online marketing campaigns could start using behavioural marketing, one expert suggests.

According to Nurun's Amy Manus, writing in a post for ClickZ, behavioural marketing can be an effective way of furthering customer relationships using data already in the company's possession.

Giving the example of brands sending electronic vouchers for their consumers birthday, she notes that simple touches like this can go a long way to retaining people's loyalty.

Businesses to benefit from free online seminar

Where does your business grade when people do an online search? Do you want a high listing without paying a small fortune?

These are just two of many questions people are asking about online marketing. And, The Reporter and Times Herald trust to provide answers to. The organizations will be offering two free online and search engine marketing seminars for area businesses.

The seminars take position on Monday Jan. 17. The first one is set for 9 a.m. at the Times Herald building, 410 Markley St., Norristown. The second one is set for 3 p.m. at The Reporter, 307 Derstine Ave., Lansdale.

Online Marketing Experts & Author Team Up To Launch New Integrated Marketing Firm

Two online marketing experts have joined forces to launch a latest marketing firm focused on helping companies integrate their marketing efforts. Rebecca Ryan, a Search Marketing and Keyword Research & Tools expert and Liana "Li" Evans a Search & Social Media Marketing expert and award winning author of the social media marketing book entitled Social Media Marketing: Engaging Strategies for Facebook, Twitter & Other Social Media have formed LiBeck Integrated Marketing with offices in the Philadelphia, PA and Los Angeles, CA areas.

"Companies are continually looking to become more efficient and smart about their marketing strategies. Rather than employing 10 different vendors to control each channel of their marketing strategies, companies are now looking to one or two companies to pull it all together for them. Our team's combined expertise allows LiBeck Integrated Marketing to fill that need for companies looking to integrate their market efforts," explained Rebecca Ryan, the company's COO and co-founder.

R.R. Donnelley buys online real estate marketing company

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. has acquired 8touches.com, a provider of online marketing solutions for the real estate business.

Donnelley told the acquisition would expand its portfolio of Internet-based solutions, in particular its software development and distribution services, as well as add targeted applications for additional industries and vertical segments. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Facebook – the Online Marketing Platform of 2011?

Online marketing specialist Craig MacDonald said this week that Facebook will be the place to be seen in 2011, with an expected surge in the number of companies advertising on the social network.

In an article for Search Engine Watch, Mr MacDonald estimated that online marketing departments are going to devote up to 20 per cent of their entire advertising budgets to Facebook alone.

He admitted that promotions on Facebook suffered from “atrocious” clickthrough rates previous year, but insisted that things are now very different, with the social media platform now competing with established search engines such as Google for conversion rates.

Stressing that Facebook is “huge, it’s global and it’s growing,” Mr MacDonald insisted that it currently operates “dollar for dollar” as efficiently as Google, in online marketing terms.

Online travel firm Expedia drops American Airlines

Internet-based travel company Expedia told it has suspended the sale of American Airlines tickets from its site, calling American's new direct online marketing strategy "anti-consumer and anti-choice".

"As a result, the sale of American Airlines flights on our site has been suspended," Expedia said in a statement, adding however that it remained "open to doing business with American Airlines on terms that are satisfactory to Expedia".

"American Airlines is attempting to introduce a new straight connect model that will result in higher costs and reduced transparency for consumers, making it difficult to compare American Airlines ticket prices and options with offerings by other airlines," it added.

The airlines' AA Direct Connect model "would compromise travel agents? ability to give travelers with the best selection," said Expedia, adding the new commercial strategy "we trust is anti-consumer and anti-choice".

B2B Marketing & Lead Generation predictions for 2011!

Lead generation is an intrinsic part of each B2B organization, without this activity it is not possible to keep a business up and running. 2010 saw several interesting trends in the space of B2b online Marketing and Lead generation.

According to a current eMarketer report, in 2010 marketers put more money into online advertising than newspapers, with online marketing budgets touching a whooping $26 billion.

The year also saw, B2B marketers taking to social media with a vengeance, according to a study by Biz Report, 86% of B2B firms today are using social media, compared to 82% of B2C outfits. This is in line with Outsell’s ‘Annual Advertising and Marketing Study 2010′, where it stated that B2B Marketing spending on social networking sites would increase 43.3% in 2010.

Insurance Claim Industry-2011 Online Marketing Specials

All marketing services emphasize search engine optimization features to help clients' with organic search results. From Google video ads and directory listings, to website development and full page search engine optimized ads, Insurance Claim Contractor is dedicated to providing their customers with the best bang for their buck!

The use of the internet continues to be recognized as a primary source of searching for services and provides tremendous opportunity for growing a business, therefore Insurance Claim Contractor Group is committed to assisting their customers develop a solid online presence in their local area and profit from the claims industry’s most innovative resources.

Insurance Claim Contractor Group offers EVERYTHING insurance claim professionals need to advertise their business and services. ICC offers “one-stop shopping” for a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising by utilizing cutting-edge search engine optimization features. Insurance Claim Contractor Group work effortlessly to drive local traffic to customers seeking insurance claim services.

Localisation and Good Copywriting Keys to Online Marketing in 2011

One online marketing expert has made his predictions for the major areas of interest in the sector set to dominate the New Year.

Hit Search founder Andrew Redfern said that copywriting skills will become “more important than ever” in 2011 as quality of content starts to be the decider in many online advertising campaigns.

He said that marketing teams will have to raise the bar when it comes to their knowledge skills, as they respond to the increasingly fragmented nature of the online marketing arena.

A third area in which online marketing is due to develop is in terms of planning, he went on. The new ability on search engines such as Google to carry out localised searches and focus on cross-platform resources, ­­­means that online advertising campaigns will need to be better integrated over the next 12 months if they are to be successful.

Google Adwords and Adsense, Marketing Assistance for Online Business

Google Adwords and Adsense are two of the services that Google offers to businesses both offline and online. Their inclusion in any marketing campaign can generate a lot of revenue for very little investment. Even if you own a small business in a small community, you can still become global using Google Adwords and Adsense.

This is a service that allows a member (anyone can sign up), to advertise on websites across the internet. You can use as much money as you like, setup your marketing campaign based on a budget, days you want it to run and even how much you want to spend on each click that you get. PPC, or pay per click is how advertisers get websites to display their ads, they pay the websites, through Google and Google Adwords.

Online marketing budgets near $26 billion in 2010

According to a latest report from eMarketer, internet advertising expenditures reached nearly $26 billion in 2010, further highlighting the importance of B2B online marketing.

For the first time, internet-based channels have exceeded spend devoted to traditional newspaper marketing. The source reports that online marketing expenditures hit $25.8 billion during 2010, while newspaper budgets shrank to $25.7 billion. This is a tremendous difference from previous year, when companies spent nearly $5 billion more on newspapers ($27.6 billion) than the web ($22.7 billion.)

The gap between the two formats is only expected to develop. The source predicts that in 2011, online marketing spend will reach $28.5 billion, while newspapers will trail by nearly $4 billion at $24.6 billion.