In scanning my Google reader for blog fodder over the past several weeks, I noticed the same three topics coming up over and over: social media, mobile advertising, and real-time search. Some of you may be familiar with these trends, and if you are an online marketer, let’s hope you are. For those late to the party or looking for a little clarification, here is a brief overview of three things reshaping the way users experience the web and advertisers do their jobs. 1 – Social media is a big deal It’s been in the spotlight for awhile, but the time has come when no marketer can afford to ignore social media, if only for the fact that competition is fierce, and all your competitors are using it. Campaigns are becoming more integrated and the ad industry must get social or risk being left behind. This is not to say … Continue reading
Category Archives: Social Media
Client Profile – TOMS Shoes
TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: For every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what TOMS Shoes is all about. TOMS mission is made possible because they minimize their marketing budget by utilizing an enormous volunteer network across the US. In fact, one of the few areas they have a significant marketing spend is in Search Engine Marketing. The Business Challenge Tomsshoes.com had decided to create and launch a new website to promote their business of giving one pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased. The new design would need to be search friendly, but also user friendly and clearly stay on track for their marketing initiatives. The timeline for the launch was for mid-summer (August 1st, 2009). Site … Continue reading
Should Google Buy Twitter??
Don’t say you didn’t see it coming. Last Friday, the blog world churned out post after post investigating claims that Google is in talks to buy Twitter. There was quite a bit of finger-pointing going on – whose sources were more legit, who was reporting on derivatives, blah blah blah. I’m less interested in handing out journalism awards and way more excited to discuss just what a Google takeover would mean for Twitter users, marketers included. For those unfamiliar with Twitter, check out this blog post. If you aren’t sure about what Twitter means to marketers, this should give you an overview. For Twitter users, addicts, and fans who don’t necessarily tweet but understand its value, I want to know what you think. The idea that Twitter could be controlled by Google is upsetting, to say the least. One of the best things about Twitter is the fact that it … Continue reading
8 Things You Aren’t Doing That Will Boost Your SEM Results
1. Always. Test. Everything. It is impossible to create the perfect ad campaign or website on your first try. No matter how great your ideas are or how well you know your client base, it is simply not possible to create the best performing options right away. That is why I live by the motto Always Test Everything (ATE). This includes ad creative copy, overall messaging, keywords, buttons, colors, forms and traffic sources. For example, running a PPC campaign is a great way to test a promotional tagline quickly and efficiently. It is like your own infinite focus group. We were able to do this when deciding on the topic for this blog! We posted 6 different ads, each with a slightly different title, to find out which one would get the most traffic. After a day of testing and $100 spend, we had a clear winner. In the current … Continue reading
Tweeting to Transparency: 4 Reasons to Be Who You Are in 2009
I know we’ve discussed social media tools like Twitter here before. We’ve even got a blog post on intermediate tweeting from our Director of Viral Marketing, Josh Tauber, in this month’s issue of The Wprogram. But the more I think about it, I realize there is a lot more to say! While the meaning and implications of Web 2.0 have been discussed at length, and some will even say the mere mention of the term is cause to be tarred and feathered, the business world is only beginning to harness the power of social media – and some brands are reluctant to harness it at all. I’m not sure they get it. I know many of us reading this may scoff. ‘What do you mean,’ you may say, ‘I’ve been tweeting since 2004?’ and I get that. But you are tech-savvy. And while some who follow business trends may argue … Continue reading
The Intermediate Tweeter – Intertweetiate?
by Josh Tauber Director, Viral Marketing & SMO twitter.com/JoshTauber OK, we get it. Twitter is amazing and it can do amazing things. We have all jumped on the bandwagon and are posting a few times here and there, but now what? Here you will find a few examples of what those symbols and weird words mean, as well as some resources to bring you to the next level – an “intertweetiate”. There is no real true way of tweeting but a bit of a standard is being formed. Hopefully this will help you with some of the top twitterizms. @Username: This allows you to tweet at someone. If you see that someone you follow asks a question about something, you can respond to them directly(or if you spied on someone through a third party app like tweetdeck.. more on this below). To do this, simply hit the respond arrow (on … Continue reading