Gazzang Names Heidi Farris Director of Online Marketing

Gazzang, Inc., the company securing data in the cloud, today announced the appointment of Heidi Farris as director of online marketing, where she will oversee web, email and social media programs, including demand and lead generation.

Farris brings more than ten years of experience in demand generation at high-growth software companies. Most recently she served as senior Internet marketing manager at SolarWinds SWI -0.31% , where she was responsible for high-volume lead generation for inside sales utilizing various online marketing channels. She led an award-winning email marketing team and was consistently recognized for producing data-driven marketing programs that directly impacted the bottom line. Prior to SolarWinds, Farris was marketing programs director at Cooper Marketing Solutions, where she drove the go-to-market strategy for product launches, conducted market research and developed competitive analysis. Earlier in her career she was a production manager at TV Guide Network.

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How To Make YouTube Part Of Your Social Media Marketing

Small businesses often don't appreciate all the benefits of online video--and especially YouTube--to their social media marketing. Here are some expert tips on how to use YouTube to your advantage.

Small businesses often don't appreciate all the benefits of online video--and especially YouTube--to their social media marketing. Here are some expert tips on how to use YouTube to your advantage.

Julie Perry is the social media director at BLASTmedia, a PR and social media firm that works with companies on their YouTube strategies. She recently shared some of her top tips on how you can get the most out of your YouTube channel.
1. Make sure that YouTube is part of your social media marketing.

"When I start talking to a potential client, the first words out of their mouth are always 'Twitter' and 'Facebook.' They'll say, 'We've heard we need to be there. We heard this is a place where we need to be.'

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Venture Bets on Chance Online Gambling Comes to U.S.

U.S. Digital Gaming, a venture backed by prominent casino executives, on Monday is expected to name Jon Richmond, a former entertainment industry executive, as its new CEO—placing a bet that online gambling will become legal in the U.S.

U.S. Digital Gaming was founded in 2009 by former casino executive Richard Bronson, who once ran development operations for casino impresario Steve Wynn's former company, Mirage Resorts, and remains close to Mr. Wynn.

The company, which currently has no revenue stream, is trying to position itself as a provider of all the services other companies would need to run online gambling sites, including software and guidance on laws and licensing rules.

It also expects to run Web sites for clients and handle marketing and advertising operations for them.

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When it Comes to Marketing on Social Media, Consistency is Key

The numbers behind the social networking surge are startling: Facebook has more than 600 million active monthly users that the Web site reports spend close to 22 billion minutes daily on the site. While those numbers sound mind-numbingly high, small businesses should see them as dollar signs.

Clara Shih, author of The Facebook Era and the founder of social media company Hearsay Social, said Facebook has given rise to a new consumer psychology and businesses need to embrace the new-found accessibility by making sure their social media practices work in their favor rather than an uncontrolled liability.

Shih offered the following tips for small businesses on how to embrace social media to generate business and boost their bottom lines:

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Cendyn Wins Five IMA Awards for Social Marketing and Web Development

Cendyn Earns Coveted Interactive Media Awards for Outstanding Achievement with The Breakers Palm Beach, Hotel Le St. James, Universal Hollywood, and Abbington Banquets

Cendyn, a full service hospitality sales and hotel internet marketing agency, won five coveted IMA Outstanding Achievement awards for the elegant, engaging, and-most importantly-effective online identities created by the company for four of its valued clients. The Breakers Palm Beach, Hotel Le St. James, Universal Hollywood Events, and Abbington Banquets earned the highly competitive Interactive Media Awards™(IMA) in the Social Networking and Website development. Click here to learn more about Cendyn marketing solutions.

The IMA Awards are conferred by the web professionals of the Interactive Media Council, Inc. to recognize the highest standards of excellence in website design and development. Cendyn is the leading single-source provider of turnkey online internet marketing solutions that increase profitability for hotel companies.

Cendyn distinguishes clients in a crowded online market
"In an era of anywhere/anytime web access and mobile devices, a hospitality company must engage customers with both practicality and imagination to distinguish itself in the crowded online world," says Robin Deyo, Executive Vice President of Cendyn. "We are honored to be recognized for striking this balance for four important clients-The Breakers Palm Beach, Abbington Banquets, Universal Hollywood Events and Hotel Le St. James. Cendyn is grateful for our partnership with them."

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Google Set To Acquire Online Marketing Firm

Google has set its sights on buying online ad optimization firm Admeld, according to reports out this week.

If the sale goes through, Google could use Admeld in conjunction with their DoubleClick ad exchange to help publishers choose ads in real-time across ad networks and exchanges, with the option to go with the highest bidder.

Details are yet to be confirmed by either Google or Admeld, but, according to the New York Times Blog, the price could be in the area of $400 million.

Apparently this isn’t the first time Google has tried to buy the display ad company.

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Confidence in small business Internet marketing

Entrepreneurs and small businesses often struggle to work out the best way to begin an effective Internet marketing campaign for their business. The answer isn't immediately straightforward because as any good online marketer will tell you, the marketing you do depends on what you want to achieve.

In addition, many people shy away from aggressive marketing because it requires, to some extent, that you put yourself out there. Opening yourself up for criticism or disparaging comments is an especial concern for people who are not used to creating content online. Accordingly, many small businesses stick to less effective techniques because they are perceived to be "less likely to attract personal criticism".

While it can be hard to take the plunge and start getting your name out there, it is really important you do so as quickly as possible. The sooner you start writing content regularly, the sooner you will get better at it, and the sooner you will build up a good base of SEO enhanced, useful and relevant content that will generate organic search traffic and boost your PageRank.

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Announcing 2 Day Boot Camp: Social Media Marketing and Internet Marketing Training in Cincinnati

Boot Camp Digital (www.bootcampdigital.com), a market leader of custom social media marketing training programs invites business professionals to its most popular and top rated 2 Day Boot Camp: Social Media Marketing and Internet Marketing Training on June 23rd and 24th, 2011 from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM at Boot Camp Digital’s Cincinnati Training Facility located at 1600 Main Street, Cincinnati.

During this extremely popular 2-day training class business professionals learn exactly how to use internet marketing and social media to grow their business. The course is designed for both the new to social media as well as the avid user. With over 700 million users on Facebook and more people checking Facebook each day than listening to the radio or reading a newspaper, you can’t afford to ignore social media any longer.

The course includes Social Media 101, Internet Marketing 101 and Social Media Marketing Training. 2-Day Boot Camp is designed to ensure that the training has a lasting sustainable impact on its clients. In addition to the training, each participant receives a Social Media Workbook and Action Plan that is designed to enable easy implementation of the subject in everyday business. Participants also receive a copy of Krista Neher’s bestselling book – Social Media Field Guide, free lunch both days of training and the opportunity to network with other business professionals attending the course.

“In this day and age it's absolutely crucial to integrate social media tools into your marketing strategy. The key to success is not only to understand the principles of social media but have an action plan so that you can start growing your business immediately.” says Krista Neher, Boot Camp Digital CEO.

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An exceptional marketing year in review

Commercial sales stood at 22.7 million metric tons (MMT), the lowest total in 29 years. With what appeared to be abundant supplies of lower priced Black Sea wheat, most analysts and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had similar expectations for 2010/11.

USDA’s initial 2010/11 estimates showed only a slight increase in U.S. wheat exports to 24.5 MMT.

News about dry conditions in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan first appeared in June 2010 and grew more ominous through July. Then, just as importers were absorbing the potential impact of the deepening drought, Russia’s government shocked the markets by halting wheat and feed grain exports. Ukraine and Kazakhstan quickly implemented grain export quotas.

Because the importers that were counting on Black Sea supplies are kept informed through the 15 overseas offices for U.S. Wheat Associates (USW), they knew they could rely on the U.S. wheat supply to meet their needs immediately and throughout the marketing year. In just one month, USDA’s U.S. export projection jumped more than 40 percent to 32.7 MMT.

That number continued to grow as additional weather problems affected the Canadian, German and Australian wheat crops. Ultimately, U.S. commercial export sales reached 35.3 MMT in 2010/11, a 56 percent increase from 2009/10 and the highest level since 1992/93.

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Europe shows rapid online marketing growth

Display direct marketing has shown an average growth rate of 21.3 per cent in the past year, according to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) Europe.
The marketing channel has overtaken search advertising in Europe as the fastest growing online marketing method, enjoying growth rates of 20 per cent and above in many countries.

Online advertising spending totalled €17.7 billion (£15.7 billion) compared to €15.3 billion (£13.6 billion) in 2009, and included video, mobile and social media contributions.

The research compiled by IHS Screen Digest was conducted in 25 countries, showing that the UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain accounted for almost three-quarters of total online ad spending.

Alain Heureux, president and chief executive officer of IAB Europe, claimed that the effects of creative online advertising campaigns are finally being realised.

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Mobile advertising, commerce becoming heavy hitters

Nearly one-third (31%) of consumers are now smartphone users, helping to push the consumption of content and the increase in advertising dollars. Smartphone adoption saw a 20% increase year over year.

"[Mobile advertising] is quickly gaining importance as new advertisers come into the field," said Hans Fredericks, comScore Vice President. "The acceleration of mobile media consumption, driven by adoption of smartphones, 3G/4G networks and unlimited data plans, provides a ripe environment for advertisers looking to reach consumers through a variety of platforms including mobile browsers, apps and SMS. As consumer usage and technology continue to advance, look for advertising to play an increasingly important role in the development of the mobile ecosystem."

According to comScore's research mobilecontent and mobile publishing accounts for about half of display ads, but consumer discretionary is also high at 26%. Impressions are also served in information technology, financials and telecom services. For consumers, mobile browsers and downloaded apps are nearly equal (82% vs. 85%) in use.

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Consumers still see relevancy with email marketing

Marketers looking for a relevant channel to reach consumers should aim to extend content and boost revenue with email marketing. Even with the gains of social media and mobile marketing, consumers still see email as a valuable channel, and it claims the second greatest influence on online traffic, recent data revealed.

Email still remains the preferred method through with 74 percent of online adults wishing to receive communication, according to Epsilon. Additionally, email conversion rates reached a three-year peak in the first quarter of 2011, at 3 percent.

According to a statement by Natalie Giddings of email campaign firm Pollen Marketing, this channel remains to be the highest performing online marketing channel. It is also the easiest for firms to track and monitor.

However, firms often experience difficulty in determining where to begin their campaigns and which aspects to optimize. When examining their efforts, companies should focus on the timing of a campaign, keeping copy short and pointed and ensuring that messages are optimized for mobile platforms so as not to miss out on the on-the-go consumer.

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7 Tips on Matching Your Online and Offline Marketing

With many businesses having both an offline, as well as an online presence, much of the time the two operate as 2 separate entities. Having the two elements work hand in hand can really give your business a boost, as what the customer sees in one area will be reinforced in full on the other.

I’ve outlined 7 handy tips that will help you to integrate both aspects of your business, and blur the line between your offline marketing, and online.

1. Use the same messages and slogans

If you have a particular business slogan, or catch phrase, make sure it appears on any marketing that you do, whether it is offline or online. This will allow your marketing message to remain consistent across the board.

If you have slogans running in specific offline campaigns, you can also have these appear on your website as the offline campaign is running.

2. Have a consistent look and feel

Your offline marketing should match with your website, and other online marketing.

This can apply to colour schemes, logos, fonts on headings etc.

Matching these up will keep your brand consistent, and make it easier for customers to recognise your business.

3. Incorporate your web address into all marketing activities.

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Precision Mirror And Glass Names New Houston Online Marketing Manager

Precision Glass and Mirror owner Bobby Garcia announces that Jon Sterling is their new online marketing and sales manager. This move to hire in house help to increase online visibility to drive leads and sales to the company comes at a time when traditional printed advertising in the form of yellow page ads, direct mailers, and bill boards have not been presenting the positive return on investment that they have had in the past years. Bobby realized that he was saving money in advertising currently, but new incoming business had started to lessen.

He says that having Jon come on board with his twenty-nine years of offline, and online sales, marketing, and search engine optimization experience has already had a positive effect in the few weeks since implementation of the position. The residential and commercial Glass Houston service industry is a highly competitive arena, and keeping their visibility high is key to success. Other companies in the Bayou City may have to follow suit to keep their names, and phone numbers in front of the same-targeted market.

Some may think that this could and should be outsourced, to save the hassle of extra expenses when it comes to having an extra employee show up at the office everyday. The truth is that Bobby did the math, and returns will exponentially be higher, than just occasionally have a SEO/SEM contractor give their glass website a little tweak or boost.

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The importance of social media for marketing to women

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, 90% of U.S. adult women are responsible for health-care decisions for themselves and their spouses/significant others, children, and/or adult relatives. This includes dental care. Unfortunately, many dentists fail to market effectively to women. In many cases, they actually alienate the very demographic they are trying to target.

Women have more control over purchasing decisions and spending power than ever before. In fact, women-owned small businesses contribute more than $3 trillion to the economy annually.

Female consumers are also the most likely demographic to use social networks when making purchasing decisions. When it comes to personal health and their loved ones, women are much more likely to be influenced by their peers in choosing a provider.

In the U.S., 56 million women use Facebook on a regular basis. This makes the social networking platform one of the most valuable tools when it comes to introducing yourself and your practice. There are many different ways to effectively attract women to your practice using Facebook:

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Online Marketing: How to Build a Website to Make Money

Rapid Cash Tornado is an interesting new internet marketing learning tool to learn and create successful websites for Online Marketing.

Created by the trio of Salman Sadiq, Imran Sadiq and Simon Woodington, Rapid Cash Tornado has software that helps create new automated WordPress websites with 15 plug-ins, giving a boost to online marketing businesses. For an internet newbie or even those who can find their way around the web, Rapid Cash Tornado is a goldmine of information that will teach you to create affiliate websites where you can sell stuff online, with links and strategies that are used by top sites like Amazon, Ebay and Clickbank for Online Marketing purposes.

Online Marketing has evolved over the years and new ideas to easily build and operate your own website, build links and monetize your website successfully is no longer the domain only of net gurus and computer professionals. Even the layperson can achieve that with training obtained from programs like Rapid Cash Tornado.

Rapid Cash Tornado is about developing websites using wordpress themes, and the inbuilt software will help create 15 plug-ins that are useful tools for a visitor who wants to look for products through the website.

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2011 Online Marketing Summit International & Regional Tour, San Francisco, CA

Why attend Online Marketing Summit?
The Online Marketing Summit returns bigger and better than ever before with more topics, more cities and more networking opportunities.

Day 1: Online Marketing Boot Camp: Accelerate your learning and choose from 12 intensive, interactive workshops offered the day before the main OMS conference.
Day 2: OMS Conference Day. Attend sessions across 3 tracks covering online marketing best practices and case studies presented by industry thought-leaders.
Day 3: Post-Conference: Social Media Workshops. Go beyond introductory courses and receive intensive intermediate and advanced social media training at these partner workshops.

Bonus Event: OMS Chicago attendees get free admission to the Integrated Marketing & Tech Expo.

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Online advertising irks Facebook users in Jakarta

Several Facebook users in Jakarta say they feel annoyed by users who have turned the social medium into a commercial site.

“It has become more like an online shopping site,” Facebook user Yulyani Meilia Suhinto said.

She said that other users were trying to sell products, such as shoes, bags and clothes by tagging her to the images had bothered her — a lot. “I once bought the stuff, but I would never do that again as the advertisers then tagged me again and again,” the 27-year old said.

She said that she had removed the photos or used the hide option to avoid the advertisements.

Being the second biggest Facebook user with more than 31 million people registered has made Indonesia a lucrative spot for online business, but at the same time there were many cases of people who have fallen victim to the misuse of the social networking site.

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Online Advertisement Revenues Hit New Record, Up By 23 Percent

Online advertisement market in the US grew by 23 percent in the first quarter, raking in a whopping $7.3 billion. During last year’s first quarter, advertisers had spent $5.9 billion on online ads.

According to figures released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers, this is the highest first quarter revenue level for the industry. However, it is not the best quarter performance ever, with the $7.45 billion Q4 2010 revenue beating it to the top spot.

The figures come as online advertising generated a record $26 billion in revenue in 2010, an increase of 19 percent from 2009.

The growing popularity of websites like Facebook, Twitter and Netflix has helped boost the digital marketing and advertising market.

“The consistent and considerable year-over-year growth we’re seeing demonstrates that digital media is an increasingly popular destination for ad dollars, and for good reason,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB.

“As Americans spend more time online for information and entertainment purposes, digital advertising and marketing has emerged as one of the most effective tools businesses have to attract and retain customers.” he added.

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Irvine online marketing firm moves to L.A.

WebVisible, which provides online marketing products and services to small- and mid-size businesses, has moved from Irvine to Playa Vista in Los Angeles, the company announced Wednesday.

In February, WebVisible said it had cut its staff by nearly half amid rumors that it would close its Irvine headquarters and consolidate at its Playa Vista facility. The layoffs included 112 people in Irvine and the company closed its Charlotte, N.C. facility.

At that time, Chief Executive Ron Burr said the company was planning to consolidate in Southern California but insisted no decision had been made about shutting down the Irvine office. A visit to the Irvine facility two weeks later showed no signs of life and a Post-it note on the door directing delivery people to a telephone number. The new offices are in the Electronic Arts complex at the Marina.

"This campus environment sets the right tone for us – open, collaborative and creative," Burr said in a press release. "We're certainly taking advantage of all the amenities it offers. We've been re-energized as a company and we're excited about where we're going. "

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New EU Regs to Affect Email and Online Marketing

Eloqua, a provider of revenue performance management solutions, has released new features that help marketers comply with the European Union’s new Web and email tracking regulations. The legislation, which takes effect today, impacts every marketer or retailer that interacts electronically with customers and prospects based in the 28 countries that comprise the European Union.

Under an added amendment to the existing EU privacy directive, organizations conducting online marketing campaigns in the member states must now receive explicit permission, or opt-in consent, to track any individual's actions online, including the use of cookies or other means. Depending on the country, they might also need permission before sending marketing materials via email.

Marketers, e-retailers, and others that rely on such information can get consent in a number of ways. They can, for example, post a click-box on their Web sites, request site visitors to fill out a form that pops up on screen when they visit a site, or ask customers to set their browsers to accept or reject cookies from the sites they visit.

"This is different than in the U.S.," explains Dennis Dayman, chief privacy and security officer at Eloqua. "In the U.S., you have to opt out. There, you have to opt in."

The new European laws will impact multinational corporations the most, according to Dayman. "If a company is headquartered in the U.S., the laws do not apply, but if it has subsidiaries in other countries, it could be affected," he says.

What's definite, though, is that the new regulations will affect how companies do business in Europe. "It adds more complexity to CRM practices and could hinder a company's ability to understand who its customer is," Dayman says.

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New York Online Marketing Firm Makes SEO Focused Acquisition

ProfitFuel, an SEO service for U.S. small businesses, was recently acquired by online marketing firm Yodle.

The acquisition will allow Yodle to serve a much broader set of clients who have smaller budgets but still want their marketing performance measured.

"With ProfitFuel, Yodle is doubling down on its approach of providing a clear ROI to the local advertiser, delivered through a combined 450 person sales and client service team," said Court Cunningham, Yodle CEO. "ProfitFuel's dedication to customer results and sales excellence made it a natural fit with Yodle."

ProftFuel's service helps small business news improve its visibility on major search engines, according to The Statesman. Partnering with New York-based Yodle will greatly expand their reach.

David Rubin, CEO of ProfitFuel, explains that merging with Yodle will maximize the company's potential for future clients, employees and shareholders.

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Small businesses embrace social marketing

Social media marketing has become a key ingredient in the marketing toolkit of small businesses, with 73% using social media to market their businesses, and even more expecting to increase their social marketing efforts this year, according to a new study from email marketing company Constant Contact.

While still relying heavily on email, websites and event marketing to drive business, small businesses have found Facebook to be their key social tool, with 95% using Facebook and 82% reporting it to be effective. Among other channels, video-sharing tools like YouTube were found to be effective by 73% of respondents, and 47% found LinkedIn and Twitter to be effective.

The study was based on an online poll conducted in March and April, with 1,572 small-business respondents.

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Get ultimate online marketing solutions from Ingenious Web Solutions 24x7

In the online market, only having a company's website cannot help to generate revenue, as in order to generate maximum revenue, a lot of web traffic is needed on the website. And, in order to get the best from internet market, you must take the online marketing solutions such as SEM and SEO services from Ingenious Web Solutions 24x7.

Ingenious Web Solutions 24x7 is the best India based company, which provides 100% genuine and very effective online marketing solutions to its clients, which are based in various parts of the world. It not only provides internet marketing solutions, but also provides cheapest bulk SMS, website designing and development services in India, and other region of the world. IWS 24x7 very well understands that a website can only provide a base for online identity to any company, however, having it is not just enough for turning a company into a global brand, and to generate the maximum revenue from highly potential online market.

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Why is Social Media Marketing Hard to ‘Get’?

Just last month I wrote a piece on whether Social Media is past its best which concluded that Social Media Marketing really works for those who are prepared to work at it and there is now a fresh survey which shows that while more than half of small business questioned admitted that Social Media Marketing was important, almost 60% were not using it.

Why? Why is something so obviously effective so hard to implement? There is not much point in asking questions if there is no answer we can look at and the issue, across the board, every time seems to be the same: Social Media Marketing is so new and so different that many companies, large and small, locked in a traditional mindset, simply do not know how to use it.

How, for instance, do you go from putting ads online and in newspapers to allowing your employees to play around in Facebook and Twitter, placing postings and Tweets which do not differ much from musings and interacting with Facebook visitors and still call this work?


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Internet Marketing How-To Book Series Released By Vertical Measures

Specializing in all aspects of online marketing, Vertical Measures has released three new how-to books that offer a detailed look at the major aspects of Internet marketing. The first book, Keyword Research for Business, highlights the importance of understanding the role of keywords in the marketing of products and services online. Author James Constable notes that keyword research should be implemented throughout every piece of a comprehensive business strategy.

The series also features Blogging for Business, which was written by Kristi Hines. This how-to guide illustrates how blogging can create a range of opportunities for both businesses and individuals. Various elements of an effective blog are covered, as well as integral search engine optimization strategies that can make blogging an even more versatile tool for businesses.

“Our how-to series is based on the knowledge of the very same people who provide the pulse of Vertical Measure’s proven industry-leading expertise,” said Arnie Kuenn, President of Vertical Measures. “To prosper in the current business climate, every company must have an online marketing strategy. A strong foundation in keyword research, blogging, and social media will get a business off to a head start.”

Facebook for Business, penned by Kaila Strong, offers companies a look at how to use the social media site to their marketing advantage. The guide provides a glimpse into the many marketing opportunities businesses can find within one of the most popular websites online. The site’s promotional value, the chances it gives to communicate with clients and customers, and its ability to help gauge their satisfaction are described in depth as well.

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Online marketing 'offers cheap branding opportunities'

The internet represents a vital resource for companies looking to increase consumer awareness of their brands, it has been claimed.

According to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), online advertising can build brand awareness in a highly cost effective way.

As a case study, the organisation tracked the effectiveness of Starbucks' recent online advertising for its new product Starbucks VIA.

The research showed that Starbucks' marketing activity created a strong uplift in brand awareness.

In addition, purchase intent also saw an uplift of 40 per cent within the product's key target demographic of 35-54-year-old women.

The IAB explained that Starbucks was able to reduce marketing costs by as much as 80 per cent by focusing on web-based promotions rather than print advertising.

Tim Elkington, director of research and strategy at the IAB, said the organisation would be conducting further research to investigate the potential of online promotions to add value to businesses.

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Think E-mail Marketing Is Dying?

Mark Twain said it best: "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." With all the hype surrounding social media and mobile marketing, it would be easy to assume that e-mail is yesterday's news, with little chance of keeping up with the other marketing methods now available.

But according to the numbers, this assumption is incorrect. E-mail usage has remained remarkably steady, even in the face of new competition. Research shows that for 74 percent of adults surveyed, e-mail is still the preferred method for receiving commercial messages. This perhaps surprising statistic can help explain the continued proliferation of e-zines and other e-mail marketing today.

It's no longer true that only the largest businesses are the most likely to use e-mail. As smaller companies outgrow their sole-proprietor beginnings, they increasingly look for new ways to expand their businesses to support higher headcounts and overhead. Business surveys reveal that almost half of small businesses were using e-mail marketing in 2010, with an additional 36 percent reporting plans to begin this year.

The dollars spent annually reflect this high participation rate. On average, e-mail promotion accounts for about 15 percent to 22 percent of total marketing budgets. These billions spent every year have certainly attracted attention, with many new e-mail distribution and copywriting firms popping up.

This gives today's marketer many options to choose from, ranging from self-serve programs to ones that are completely managed by an outside vendor. Choices are often dictated by the level of expertise and resources available internally.

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8 Tips For 'Social' Marketing

Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms can be effective ways to market your company, but only if you do it right. Power up your efforts with these tips from Web-based application provider Wildfire.

Perhaps you're just discovering the power of social media. Or maybe you've known about for quite some time. Either way, if you're using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to market your company, you probably want to make those campaigns as effective as they can be, right?

Last week I wrote about Wildfire, a company that offers a Web-based application for social media marketing. Here are some tips, courtesy of Wildfire CEO Victoria Ransom, that might help you maximize the effectiveness of your "social" campaigns.

Tip #1: Keep It Simple And Easy

The shorter the entry form, or the fewer steps required to engage, the more people will enter your contest. And if you're looking to collect user-generated content, ask for content that consumers have readily available--for example, photos of their vacations, pets, friends, children, and hobbies. This is more effective than asking for content that requires effort to create, such as a video.

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6 Keys to Mobile Search Marketing Success

A funny thing happened on the bus on my way to work recently. I was on my phone searching for a lunchtime haircut spot, the lady next to me was shopping for new curtains on her iPad, and a Wall Street type was talking loudly on his phone asking for tips prior to laying a bet with his bookie (you have to love New York City).

Each of us, in our own way, was using our mobile devices to reach out and find answers to our pressing questions. But until a few years ago, the only way we could reach out and answer these questions in a mobile fashion was via email and/or asking someone on the other end, a process that was inefficient at best and frustrating and without closure at worst.

Due to the advances in mobile hardware, software, and user experience, much of this has changed and finally rivals what we love about desktop searching. Screens are big enough to read, keyboards are ergonomic enough to allow for speed, and -- most importantly -- the search engines and marketers have begun to adapt their search offerings to address our mobile needs.

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Marketing online? Videos say it bigger, brighter and better

The average Internet user watches an astounding 186 videos a month, according to comScore Inc., a global digital market measurement service.

This includes news and entertainment clips, personal videos, advertising videos gone viral — you name it.

Video engages people in a way that photos and text alone can’t.
For small-business owners, using video in your marketing can bring faces, voices, personality and heart to your operation, while also demonstrating your authenticity.

To top that, video in email is said to be able to boost conversion rates by as much as 50 per cent.

Thanks to affordable video cameras and easy-to-use software, video has become a tool that nearly any small business can use to enhance their marketing efforts on any channel.

Your videos don’t have to be big Hollywood productions to be engaging and effective.

You can even use your smartphone camera to create them. Here’s a quick example:

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Integrating email and search marketing programs

Integrating email marketing and search marketing programs can yield big results, but many companies aren't yet taking advantage of this powerful combination.

“Integration is one of ... the most effective strategies,” said George DiGuido, VP-email marketing at digital marketing services agency Zeta Interactive. “While the two channels are talked about extensively as silos, we rarely hear clients talk about the two as integrated channels.”

Those marketers looking to more intimately link search and email marketing can get started with the following four tips, DiGuido said.

Customize search landing pages. Paid search results very often link to a customized landing page, DiGuido said, but more often than not there's just a form that captures information for the sales team while overlooking the email marketing opportunities.

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Online Marketing Tools Get Savvier for Global SMBs

On the internet no one can tell if you are dog, as the iconic New Yorker ad goes - they also are unclear how big or small or globally-oriented your firm may truly be. Consider for example, Jonathan Defoy, the founder and CEO of BizTree, a Montreal-based business that sells templates for everyday business transactions. Using search in various markets around the world, he has expanded into a a 40-person shop, offering products in eight different languages, the Globe and Mail reports.

More and more, small businesses are able to expand their scope and reach across borders using online tools that magnify their resources. Marketing is just one category of these tools - a category that is growing daily.

What Google Offers

Chief among these is Google Ads for Global Advertisers, which Google launched in December 2010. It functions as a central hub for Google's tools and tips for businesses looking to expand to foreign markets. This website offers resources to help businesses find the right market for their products and services, translate websites and ad text, find new customers with relevant online ads, and understand options for international payment, shipping and customer service.

It also introduced Global Market Finder, a new free tool to help businesses identify markets with high demand for their products or services. The Global Market Finder automatically translates a keyword - Google gives the example of business suit - into 56 languages and then uses Google search trends data to see where in the world people search for the product or service.

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10 marketing lessons from the Royal Wedding

The big day is almost upon us. Tomorrow, billions of televisions around the world will be tuned into the wedding of the future King of England, Price William of Wales, to his fiancée Kate Middleton.

Regardless of what you think of the Royals (or marriage for that matter) there is no mistaking that this is a likely to be one of the biggest events of the year. And big events with big audiences mean big opportunities for smart marketers.

With this in mind, here are 10 marketing lessons from the Royal Wedding – it's not too late to use some in your business.
Become an expert

With the media desperate for any sort of content in the lead-up to the wedding, an army of business people – from fashion designers right down to humble bridal shop managers – have emerged to pontificate on everything from bridal dresses, wedding cars, wedding cakes and even cutlery. In most cases, these people aren't privy to the actual details of the wedding, but that doesn't matter – they are "experts" in their field and therefore have a platform.
Back it up with social media

Any event with a big television audience is almost guaranteed to create huge social media traffic and the royal wedding is no different. With this is mind, any promotion or marketing must be supported by an appropriate social media campaign – something the Royal Family itself is doing well with a steady stream of Tweets from its account @ClarenceHouse.

One of the best examples of a specific social media campaign comes from Schweppes, which is itself an official supplier to the Royal Family. The company, which is selling a special range of Royal Wedding-branded bottles, has created a virtual giant wedding card on Facebook for users to sign.

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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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Online marketing for hotels and tourism

In recent years, the tourism industry has been moving forwards and the introduction of many new hotel chains, independent lodging facilities and travel agencies has broadened opportunities for travellers.
Tourists are also finding that popular online channels are helpful for investigating availability and rates for multiple reservations, such as lodging, ticketing, airlines and car rentals, via the Internet. For suppliers, the same online channels can reduce supply-chain costs, improve services and enable new distribution technologies.

Online channels for the tourist industry are now growing faster than offline channels, as a greater proportion of the population goes online and begins to use the Internet more intensively. The number of people turning to the Internet for vacation and travel planning has increased dramatically. There seems to be millions of vacation-planning websites out there!

The best example is TripAdvisor, which provides reviews and photos, along with advice on hotels, attractions and restaurants for people scheduling their next trip. This is why most travel providers are now increasing their marketing budgets for online tools. Travel is the most frequently sold thing on the Internet and the trend is accelerating.

Getting Internet users to visit your website will surely increase your revenue opportunities, as long as your website is effective - that is, informative, competitive, usable and creditable.

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Race for Selectmen moves from door-to-door to online marketing

The battle for Board of Selectmen is usually carried out through lawn signs and meet-and-greets. This year, Grafton's candidates are taking their campaigns to a whole new arena: online.

With five men competing for two open Selectmen seats in the May 2 election, each candidate is attempting to get the message out in whatever format is available. This marks a first for Grafton: in previous races, only Mary Ann Cotton used a website to campaign.

"You have to go with what's happening now," said Bob Lewis, who said his children urged him to create a site. "I had to learn to text to keep up with my kids, and now I have a website for the campaign. You can't stand still -- you get run over."

The sites, like the candidates, vary in personality. Dan Pogorzelski said he wanted to keep his as simple as possible -- that's why it's only one page.

"I didn't want to make it complicated and there's something that's missing from my page that's intentional: there's no 'click to donate here,'" Pogorzelski said. "Asking for donations just doesn't sit well with me. If someone wants to give me a donation, I'll accept it, but what I really want is a vote -- and that, I'll ask for."

John Dowling said a website is a way to respond to the town's shifting demographic.

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The Great Online Offers Social Media Marketing Package

Highlands Ranch, CO (WiredPRNews.com) Online marketing firm The Great Online launched its latest online marketing package called Social Media Digital Drip. The offering will allow companies to outsource marketing their products or services over social media sites including Facebook and Twitter.
The Great Online’s customer base is increasingly requesting help with social media marketing.

The demand is not surprising given that in a recent survey performed by the Pew Research Center for its Internet and American Life Project, 88 percent of respondents see social media marketing generating increased business exposure, and 72 percent said it improved search rankings.

“It’s no wonder the popularity of social media marketing is growing: it offers a much lower cost per lead than more traditional marketing strategies like direct mail and brochures, and is fairly easy to implement,” said Jim Mueller, co-founder of The Great Online. “However, social media marketing is more than just posting consistent information online. We show our clients how to make that content more engaging so they can better interact with and grow their customer base.”

The Great Online’s Social Media Drip package follows a five-step program to launch an ongoing social media marketing campaign:

• Setup and optimize Facebook business page and Twitter profile
• Create “vanity” website addresses for more memorable identification (i.e. www.facebook.com/thegreatonline and www.twitter.com/thegreatonline)
• Provide customized Facebook and Twitter pages that match the company’s online brand
• Create, distribute, and manage engaging, consistent content that builds the company’s follower base
• Analyze users’ engagement on each medium to identify what is and isn’t working

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Retailers dominate online marketing spend

Online marketing budgets are highest for the retail sector - and are likely to stay that way for some time to come.

Figures published by eMarketer put the industry's combined allowance for online marketing campaigns at $5.73 billion (£3.52 billion) in 2011.

This represents a total increase of 26.5 per cent compared with 2009, in a period when web marketing budgets in general grew by a slightly smaller 25.8 per cent.

Retail seems set to dominate spending until at least 2015, rising almost to the 11-figure mark in dollar terms.

By the middle of the decade, the sector's combined budget is forecasted by eMarketer to hit $9.36 billion, up by 63.4 per cent.

That compares with total growth across all industries of a predicted 56.1 per cent, to reach $44.5 billion.

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Blog marketing impacts purchase decisions

BlogHer's 2011 Social Media Matters report reveals that social media and blog marketing are increasingly important in influencing purchase decisions – especially among women.

The report found that both blog readership and social media use are rising in the United States. This year, 87 percent of online Americans surveyed said they use Facebook (up from 80 percent in 2010). This almost matches the number of consumers who watch offline television (93 percent).

Additionally, more than half of internet-using consumers (55 percent) read online news – supporting suggestions at the recent ad:tech SF conference that custom news marketing's moment is here. BlogHer also found that 40 percent of online Americans read blogs (up from 37 percent in 2010) and 22 percent use Twitter (up from 16 percent last year).

When asked about the impact blogs have on their online shopping, 53 percent of respondents (88 percent of active blog readers) indicated that they trust the information in blogs they visit regularly. Nearly one-quarter of the U.S. population (24 percent) said they make purchases based on blogs – that's 53 percent of active blog readers.

BlogHer also found that Facebook and blogs represent a high-use, high-passion media pair. Female respondents cited both the social giant and blogs as two forms of media they consume regularly and are “passionate” about.

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Small Business News: Online Business Brief

Whether your business or functions basically online or off, today the Web probably plays a role of some kind. Whether it’s simply to be sure your business is found when potential customers search for products and services you provide in your region or to make sales from a business that is completely online with no real physical place of business doesn’t matter. The need to understand online business is critical for most small business success these days. How important is online business to you?
Policy

Will defeat of net neutrality really hurt small business? The jury is still out. While proponents of ‘Net Neutrality” insist that without it small business Websites may be harder to access, other insist these predictions of doom and gloom for small businesses are exaggerated. What are your thoughts? Will changes in the “Net Neutrality” regulations have an impact on your business? USA Today
SEO

Why your business must worry about Search Engine Marketing. You don’t need to have a Web-only business to use search engine marketing. In fact, in the era that has seen the decline of phone books and even newspapers as a means for getting local information, the need for sharing your business with an online audience becomes ever more critical. Search Engine Tutorials

How to create “authority” for your business online. When we talk about “authority” online, we are usually talking about how search engines perceive your Website. The way search engines perceive your blog may impact the kind of business you get and the kind of brand you created for your business. Knowing the best will help you improve how your business is being perceived. SEODesignSolutions.com

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U.S. Postal Service to aid small business marketing efforts

While today's small business may be adopting social media and online business promotion technologies at a more rapid rate - often at the expense of traditional print techniques - the United States Postal Service has launched a new effort to show entrepreneurs that direct mail should still be a part of their marketing mix.

The USPS is hosting more than 1,300 "Grow Your Business" days across the country to introduce its new program, called Every Door Direct Mail, Post & Parcel reports.

The program was devised after receiving feedback from small business owners who said that certain permit and mailing fees as well as mailing list requirements were proving to be financial barriers to companies that wanted to use direct mail services such as saturation mailing.

And already, the program appears to be popular. Despite only being open for registration since last week, approximately 500 small businesses have already signed up, David Mastevich, manager of catalogs, periodicals and saturation mail for the USPS, told the source.

"We're getting very, very good stories from businesses across the country, that this is fitting with exactly what they are looking for," he added.

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Blue Archer Introduces Integrated Online Marketing Services

Blue Archer, Inc. recently expanded its service offerings to provide an integrated approach to online marketing. Tailored to fit the needs of each client, an integrated online marketing plan may include a combination of the following services: website design and development, online marketing strategy, identity and branding, search engine optimization, social media marketing, mobile applications, and custom software solutions.

"Our new integrated online marketing plan is designed to deliver maximum results," said Al Polanec, Blue Archer Principal. "We first consult with clients on an overall marketing strategy, then use our findings to establish a comprehensive marketing plan."

Blue Archer's new integrated approach to online marketing features an initial marketing strategy consultation, which is followed by the development of an integrated online marketing plan structured to best achieve the client's online goals. Blue Archer's creative approach to online marketing converts established businesses into digital identities with websites equipped with a blend of online marketing tactics.

"Choosing Blue Archer over the competition is even easier now that our integrated online marketing plan incorporates a wide variety of services," said Robert Faletti, Blue Archer Principal. "We are able to help clients develop a clear marketing strategy, market themselves online and represent their brand with a professionally-designed website."

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Maruti logs into Google for online marketing drive

What does a car company have in common with an internet search engine brand? Actually a lot. Auto market leader Maruti Suzuki is looking to tie up with Google among other domain specialists for a more focused foray into the digital marketing space. The company, which is already "working closely" with the search engine biggie, will also forge similar tie-ups with other "specialists," said a senior Maruti Suzuki executive.

"The digital media is changing fast and we feel we require a specialist because we don't have the expertise needed for it," said Shashank Srivastava, chief general manager (marketing), Maruti Suzuki. "So we need to engage specialists for the job and these will be specialists who have domain knowledge about a particular area."

Maruti and Google, he said, have been working closely on "search engine optimization and online reputation management" initiatives. In other words, Google helps Maruti track any traffic that uses words that are relevant to the company. "The search engine helps to catch relevant words online so Maruti can track and even take action if need be," said Srivastava. It means that if you have posted something about Maruti's service or products on Facebook or Twitter, the search engine will alert the company which can then address your grievance if any.

Maruti is also working closely with other domain specialists like the Singapore-based company Affle for sms/mobile marketing.

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Most local merchants stick to traditional online marketing

Local merchants are increasingly using simple, low-cost online marketing methods, including Facebook and other social media, in addition to search and email marketing, according to California-based MerchantCircle, an online network of local business owners.

And while new marketing services — such as mobile marketing and group buying — are generating buzz, most local merchants have yet to tap the marketing methods, MerchantCircle found in its quarterly Merchant Confidence Index survey of more than 8,500 U.S. small and local business owners.

Other survey highlights:

* Local businesses have little time or budget to devote to marketing.
* Social media is now the top marketing strategy for local businesses.
* Traditional online methods trump new, unproven approaches.
* Use of traditional offline marketing methods continues to decline.
* Online marketing services companies are aggressively targeting local businesses.

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Online video tips to help improve marketing success

Social Media Monday is a weekly feature that helps businesses and consumers understand how to use social media tools to their best advantage. This week, Mark Shapiro, a San Diego PR consultant, looks at ways online video can help business marketing. Find him on Twitter @SRSTechPR or on the Web at www.srs-techpr.com.

Online video is one of today’s most engaging and powerful social-media marketing mediums.

It’s a wonderful tool for showing what your company does, explaining how your products work and spotlighting customer testimonials. Many businesses want to use video to help them market their products and services but don’t know how to do it well.

To be effective, a Web video has to look good, sound clean, and be short.

You don’t have to hire a professional video producer to shoot your online videos. You can do it yourself if you just remember a few basics.

Keep it simple. A plain background behind a talking head or a product demonstration is very effective — the viewer’s attention stays on the subject. Also, video with a plain background compresses better for streaming versus a background with lots of details and colors.

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Facebook is driving online marketing, says internet specialist

Social media marketing in general and Facebook in particular are the most important drivers in online direct marketing, according to one UK-based internet specialist.
Ben Hatton, who runs a digital media agency in Liverpool, told the Liverpool Daily Post that businesses needed to embrace Facebook and social media marketing if they wanted to be successful online.

He dispensed his advice following the announcement by the Internet Advertising Bureau that internet marketing has now tipped the £4 billion mark - £500,000 above the spend for TV advertising last year.

Mr Hatton said: "The growth of the mobile and social media world is only going to continue, and advertisers will increasingly head online as technological advancements bring new ways to reach consumers."

Facebook's model for marketing has been considered to be so successful that other social networking sites are considering taking it on

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Local Internet Marketing Company in Phoenix Caters To Small Business

Local GoldMine a Local Internet Marketing company announces Local SEO for the little guy! In today's struggling economy many small business owners are looking into the benefits of local Internet Marketing. Unfortunately, many small business owners are also falling prey to unscrupulous Local Internet marketing consultants that do not have their best interests at heart. The truth is, local search is so new that many local SEO companies are new to the industry and do not have the skills or knowledge to take their local business to the top of Google.

Another major problem for the really small businesses is that many local Internet marketing companies are not interested in taking on clients that do not have huge marketing budgets, leaving most small businesses with no where to turn. The fact is, most local businesses do not need to pay thousands of dollars for SEO to rank high in a local market for the right keywords.

Phoenix based Local Internet Marketing company Local GoldMine is filling that void nicely. With over 15 years of search engine marketing experience they have a solid knowledge of what it takes to achieve top Google rankings in local markets and want the really small businesses turned down or over priced by SEO companies to receive the same quality SEO the big guys are getting.

Local Goldmine Founder and 15 year search engine marketing specialist Jeffrey Taylor explains, "We talk with small business owners everyday, and it seems that if they don't have a huge budget, nobody wants to help them. This is a shame because in most cases they do not need a lot of local SEO to reach page 1 of the Google local results. It is usually as simple as redesigning their website, optimizing their local business listings, and building a solid local presence in their market area."

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Overstock to stop marketing in N.C

Overstock.com Inc. says that even though it's stopping its marketing efforts in North Carolina, it hopes to keep its best customers in the state by offering them a reward for their loyalty.

Overstock said Monday that it will give its top 40,000 N.C. customers a free Club O account — which the company values at $20 — and $10 as a loyalty reward. The offer also applies in Illinois, New York and Rhode Island.

The four states have passed laws requiring Internet companies with affiliates within its borders to collect taxes on sales to their customers. The states' goal is to gain new revenue as they try to lessen budget shortfalls.

There could be billions of dollars in potential online sales tax at stake.

For example, lawyers for the N.C. Revenue Department say either Amazon or its customers owe North Carolina $50 million in sales and use taxes on Internet purchases over several years before the state law was changed in 2009.

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How government should do online marketing

The Central Office Of Information (COI) is being scrapped in a multimillion pound cost saving redevelopment, being replaced by the new Government Communications Centre (GCC).

The COI always had benefit in the past because it could collectively buy media in bulk at a preferential rate, giving Government departments net savings when advertising. However, that doesn't work in a digital environment as bulk offerings rarely offer additional savings. So what can the new GCC do to add value to the digital operations?

There are many organisations that have gone through the process of redistribution of offline to online recently. As organisations have struggled to cope with this process, it has resulted in many offline marketers being made redundant, whilst those that convert to online marketing tend to do much better.

Online marketing tends to be a little cheaper than offline and is much more measurable. The Government is going to have to move through this process too.

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