SMM or Social Media Marketing is about using our existing skills and expertise, to develop social media skills, to leverage the Social Web to promote and market our products and services.
Marketing has its roots in word-of-mouth conversations that have connected buyers and sellers for thousands of years. Now many of us call ourselves Professional Marketers. One's reputation has always been built on experience. With the introduction of modern advertising, mass communications, and public relations, the individual conversations that drove the sales cycle were all but buried. The Marketers gained control over the message with every professionally created tag-line, PowerPoint slide deck, and ad. As one-way mass communication grew, so did the Marketers control.
Now the pendulum is swinging back; individual voices are once again being heard and asserting their primal value. The voices have taken on a new roll by creating collective conversations expressed on the internet. The social Web - Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace, or social networks, along with blogs and conversational communities such as Seesmic and Twitter - is bring the consumers voice into the collective conversation in a big way, and those voices are being heard. As a result, some Chief Marketing Officers now find themselves in a tough spot. Markets, at all levels, not only need to deal with the fragmentation and new landscapes in traditional marketing channels, but they are now looking at the takeover of the brand communications by consumers as they restate, remix, and publish how they, themselves, see the brand and product. When they agree and boost your message, it is the wonderful, but if they do not, things look bad real fast.
Building on the individual freedom and empowerment that the Internet is known for, consumers are actively talking online with each other, to share stories and information about anything and everything from toys and tools to food and drink. As they do so, they are amplifying and reinforcing marketing efforts or beating marketers at their own game by simply sharing their experiences and thoughts with each other. Because customers are more likely to trust conversations between themselves more than any form of advertising, marketers are now faced with the advertising message being routinely held up for verification in online communities where they or their PR and ad agencies have a very small amount of control, if any. For the marketers and agencies who are very much used to control - this is a game changer.
This series of training is about teaching the skills needed to properly use the Social Web to your marketing and business advantage, and how to join in and participate as a marketer, by incorporating the underlying behaviors that drive the Social Web, enabling you to make marketing and business plans. t's about giving up control - you can not control social conversations - while asserting influence by becoming a respected member of those communities that matter most to you. This training will impress upon you, the importance of the connection between participation and influence, and help you see what is on the horizon. You will see many examples of trends and best practices all laid out and the motivation to create winning plans.
This editorial is part of the Commanding The Social Web article series, available to the community, at no cost, and can be easily found on the World wide web. I know you will want to find and read the whole series, to capture the triumph that can be yours from your interaction with the web community. You will be choreographing your own success on the Social Web.
Read more: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Avoiding-Pitfalls-Of-Social-Media-Marketing----Flourishing--Social-Media-Marketing-Comunities/1201674#ixzz0pczxRNjP
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Web Sites' Discovery
As Web sites strive to be
flashy and addictive, the drug
of choice of some is . . .
money.
A few online retailers, video
portals and gaming sites are
offering cash or cost savings
in a bid to make up ground
against Web giants such as
YouTube and Amazon.com.
E-tailer Jellyfish.com, video
site Metacafe and game site
Weblo are among the startups
using dough as a lure to snag the attention of more online users.
Success will be tough, but lessons might have been learned from the past. This
time around, e-tailers seem to be tweaking their promotions to their audience,
says Peter Kim, a Forrester Researcher analyst. That's something many failed to
do "in the last dot-com boom and bust," he said.
Offering financial incentives can work, "but it has to be tied into good content
through a good experience," Kim said.
The firms have different ways of providing financial incentives.
Madison, Wis.-based Jellyfish.com is an e-tail site, where users can search for
products and get a list of links and ads from its participating merchants. But then, if
a Jellyfish user ends up buying a product from that merchant, Jellyfish will return
to the buyer a portion of the price, generally 3% or more.
How can it do this? Basically, it gives its users a kickback from the ad revenue
Jellyfish gets from its participating vendors.
"It's been incredibly successful for a number of reasons the addictiveness, the
retention, the amount of users it has attracted," said Brian Wiegand, chief
executive and co-founder of Jellyfish.com.
The company says its users on average visit the site 18 times a month and spend
50 minutes there. "That's an eternity when you think about Internet time,"
said. Forrester's Kim agrees that both figures are high.
The site launched last year, and in October announced it had received $5 million
in funding from private equity firms Clyde Street Investments and Kegonsa Capital
Partners. Clyde Street principal Ralph Dillon, former CEO and chairman of Cost
Plus Imports, joined Jellyfish's board.
In November, Jellyfish has added a gaming element to its site. It's a regular
feature it calls Smack Shopping. Several times a day the site will auction a random
item at a continually falling price. Users can guess what the final price will be. The
winner gets to "spin" an electronic wheel to win prizes that have included $1,000 in
cash and a Nintendo Wii video game player.
"Smack Shopping is really using advertising to create fun, to create
entertainment," said Mark McGuire, Jellyfish's president and other co-founder.
"Over the next couple years more and more creative kinds of advertising are going
to be invented and brought to the mainstream that sort of invites consumers in."
The company says Smack Shopping has sold more than 1,000 goods at a 44%
average discount.
Jellyfish also reaching out to Web communities such as MySpace and blogs,
letting users of those sites know about its Smack Shopping and other "shopping
events."
For 4-year-old YouTube rival Metacafe, the money lure goes to the amateur
makers of videos that prove to be popular. Its producer rewards program awards
$5 for each 1,000 clicks a video gets, assuming the video adheres to a few
company rules. The company says one person has made more than $26,000 this
way. Its home page lists the weekly top earners.
With more than 24 million unique monthly visitors, Metacafe is a leading video site.
The company, with offices in Israel and Palo Alto, Calif., has secured $20 million in
funding, mostly from big-name venture firms Accel Partners and Benchmark
Capital.
"We're growing because we have a great audience and great content," said Erick
Hachenburg, CEO of Metacafe. "We're seeing revenue growing month over
month, quarter over quarter. And advertisers want to be associated with great
content. Producer Rewards provides the incentive to have more great content, so
it's been very successful for us."
Hachenburg says the site's traffic rose 26% in March vs. a year earlier, which he
partly credits to the release of the site's "Caf Confidential" competition. It offered a
$1,500 shopping spree to clothing retailer American Apparel for the best video.
Weblo is also using a gaming element, and the chance to earn money, to try to
build an audience that will click on the ads placed on the site. The 6-month-old
startup is building a site where people pay real money for virtual real estate and
then try to attract visitors to that real estate.
The site, which describes itself as "monopoly on steroids," will share some ad
revenue with some members of its community.
"We're paying people to be part of the community," said Sean Morrow, Weblo's
director of marketing.
The site's sales include its virtual state of California, which it says netted $53,000.
Morrow said people use their Weblo sites as places to blog, provide links, make
profiles, anything that might generate traffic. But the key to financial rewards is to
get people to click ads, not just look at them.
"We're moving to an era of online advertising that's moving to actions, not just
page views," Forrester's Kim said. "In the greater scheme of marketing, marketers
need to be more accountable for their spending and where their leads come from
and how efficient their leads are."
s
flashy and addictive, the drug
of choice of some is . . .
money.
A few online retailers, video
portals and gaming sites are
offering cash or cost savings
in a bid to make up ground
against Web giants such as
YouTube and Amazon.com.
E-tailer Jellyfish.com, video
site Metacafe and game site
Weblo are among the startups
using dough as a lure to snag the attention of more online users.
Success will be tough, but lessons might have been learned from the past. This
time around, e-tailers seem to be tweaking their promotions to their audience,
says Peter Kim, a Forrester Researcher analyst. That's something many failed to
do "in the last dot-com boom and bust," he said.
Offering financial incentives can work, "but it has to be tied into good content
through a good experience," Kim said.
The firms have different ways of providing financial incentives.
Madison, Wis.-based Jellyfish.com is an e-tail site, where users can search for
products and get a list of links and ads from its participating merchants. But then, if
a Jellyfish user ends up buying a product from that merchant, Jellyfish will return
to the buyer a portion of the price, generally 3% or more.
How can it do this? Basically, it gives its users a kickback from the ad revenue
Jellyfish gets from its participating vendors.
"It's been incredibly successful for a number of reasons the addictiveness, the
retention, the amount of users it has attracted," said Brian Wiegand, chief
executive and co-founder of Jellyfish.com.
The company says its users on average visit the site 18 times a month and spend
50 minutes there. "That's an eternity when you think about Internet time,"
said. Forrester's Kim agrees that both figures are high.
The site launched last year, and in October announced it had received $5 million
in funding from private equity firms Clyde Street Investments and Kegonsa Capital
Partners. Clyde Street principal Ralph Dillon, former CEO and chairman of Cost
Plus Imports, joined Jellyfish's board.
In November, Jellyfish has added a gaming element to its site. It's a regular
feature it calls Smack Shopping. Several times a day the site will auction a random
item at a continually falling price. Users can guess what the final price will be. The
winner gets to "spin" an electronic wheel to win prizes that have included $1,000 in
cash and a Nintendo Wii video game player.
"Smack Shopping is really using advertising to create fun, to create
entertainment," said Mark McGuire, Jellyfish's president and other co-founder.
"Over the next couple years more and more creative kinds of advertising are going
to be invented and brought to the mainstream that sort of invites consumers in."
The company says Smack Shopping has sold more than 1,000 goods at a 44%
average discount.
Jellyfish also reaching out to Web communities such as MySpace and blogs,
letting users of those sites know about its Smack Shopping and other "shopping
events."
For 4-year-old YouTube rival Metacafe, the money lure goes to the amateur
makers of videos that prove to be popular. Its producer rewards program awards
$5 for each 1,000 clicks a video gets, assuming the video adheres to a few
company rules. The company says one person has made more than $26,000 this
way. Its home page lists the weekly top earners.
With more than 24 million unique monthly visitors, Metacafe is a leading video site.
The company, with offices in Israel and Palo Alto, Calif., has secured $20 million in
funding, mostly from big-name venture firms Accel Partners and Benchmark
Capital.
"We're growing because we have a great audience and great content," said Erick
Hachenburg, CEO of Metacafe. "We're seeing revenue growing month over
month, quarter over quarter. And advertisers want to be associated with great
content. Producer Rewards provides the incentive to have more great content, so
it's been very successful for us."
Hachenburg says the site's traffic rose 26% in March vs. a year earlier, which he
partly credits to the release of the site's "Caf Confidential" competition. It offered a
$1,500 shopping spree to clothing retailer American Apparel for the best video.
Weblo is also using a gaming element, and the chance to earn money, to try to
build an audience that will click on the ads placed on the site. The 6-month-old
startup is building a site where people pay real money for virtual real estate and
then try to attract visitors to that real estate.
The site, which describes itself as "monopoly on steroids," will share some ad
revenue with some members of its community.
"We're paying people to be part of the community," said Sean Morrow, Weblo's
director of marketing.
The site's sales include its virtual state of California, which it says netted $53,000.
Morrow said people use their Weblo sites as places to blog, provide links, make
profiles, anything that might generate traffic. But the key to financial rewards is to
get people to click ads, not just look at them.
"We're moving to an era of online advertising that's moving to actions, not just
page views," Forrester's Kim said. "In the greater scheme of marketing, marketers
need to be more accountable for their spending and where their leads come from
and how efficient their leads are."
s
Free Web Traffic
We all know that traffic is the most important thing for a successful Internet business firm. There are m reliable ways to jumpstart your traffic flows even though most of them would cost some money. Moreover, some of them will save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The first strategy alone can produce you through $2,000 equivalent of free-targeted traffic.
Well, here are the 7 surefire formulas capable of skyrocket your traffic commencing from today.
1. Free Pay Per Click Marketing That Works
The Adwords by Google, Yahoo's Overture and many other pay per click search engines provide superb sources of targeted Internet. They are very truly popular among web marketers. However, as the pay per click search engine managers want to increase their buyer base so they require persuading people like you that pay per click advertising surely works.
Here is the good news, there are dozens of pay per click search engines who will give you up to $100 in free credits to endorse that pay per click marketing will work for you. To claim your credits all you require do is visit the many engines and web directories and sign up. There are no catches and it will not cost you whatever accepts your time. It could not be simpler to accumulate such free pay per click marketing.
2. Use remunerative Keywords Or Keyword Niches For Your Site's Content
Generally, internet users use search engines to find what they are looking for. Search engines in return use keyword rankings to divulge relevant search results. If you would like your site to appear at the most recognized lines of search engine results, you must use proper keywords and keyword phrases.
Try to take into service the most remunerative, of higher demand keywords at your site content. You could write your own content or you could hire somebody to do it for you. If you are generating articles on yourself, you have to make it more entertaining and informative. In doing so, you can get high rankings in search engine results and potent incoming traffic without any expenses.
3. Exchange Links With Partner Sites
Another superb idea is trading links with partner, or even competitor sites. This works well mainly when both sites feature an identical niche. Exchanging or trading links with other sites, both of them could benefit. When one site characteristics another sites link, they will provide one another with the traffic they both produce.
The efforts are very beneficial because it sounds like both sides are in employment to produce much enhanced traffic. The more links exchanged with more sites the more traffic might be expected. Again, you do not have to spend a cent. All you have to do is to communicate to another webmaster and to reach with him an arrangement.
4. Write Articles And Publish Them Across The Internet
Many sites offer free submission and posting of your articles. You had better to submit articles to sites containing an identical subject that your site deals in. If you sell computers, write press releases and articles about computers and personal computer parts. Try to provide helpful considerations guides and good advice. Making articles that contain good service and know-how would bring the needed mileage your traffic flow requirement.
When people find in your article something of interest, you have good chances of going after the track by finding out where the article originated. It lasts for you just to attach a brief description of your site or service at the closing of the article and to include a link.
5. Join Forums, Blogs And Other Online Communities
You can profit from online forums, blogs and web communities. The superb thing about forums and online communities is that you can target a particular group that fits the certain demographic that you are looking for. You can discuss about multiple things about the goods or services that you represent or offer.
With online communities and forums, you can create recognition for your firm. You must capture the market niche you represent and show your expertise and credibility. When you created a good foundation for your site, people will trust you and your web business. Your buyers will pass their trust and credibility to many people all through the Internet. Traffic will definitely increase for the reason that they know that you can provide what they require.
6. Offer Newsletters Or Ezines
You can also make usage of newsletters. Provide people with a catalog of your products and attractive useful articles. If your texts are really attractive and entertaining, more people will register for your newsletter and suggest it to other people. The more people who signs up for your newsletter, the more people will be willing to arrive to your site. Therefore, if you arouse the curiosity of your buyers they would be pushed to help you growing your traffic.
7. Advantages Of Viral Marketing
Viral marketing is a promotional technique that enables you to spread the word about your firm and product without any expenses. All it takes is to provide a great idea, a good addicting game, a funny story, many ideas are even out there. Start a gossip or a buzz, many web projects are advertise by the utilization of scandals and rumors to make them more generalized.
In addition, you can provide your web site visitors with content they would not read anywhere else. People will hold on longer at your web site to read the unique content. With this technique, people are infecting with the creativity and entertainment of the website content and they will pass it on to numerous people.
Each of the above-mentioned formulas can drive streams of free traffic to your website. All it takes is a bit of effort and generalized person hours. Learn all you can about the formulas depicted here and you will soon have a site with an excellent traffic flow without the common costs that come with it.
Well, here are the 7 surefire formulas capable of skyrocket your traffic commencing from today.
1. Free Pay Per Click Marketing That Works
The Adwords by Google, Yahoo's Overture and many other pay per click search engines provide superb sources of targeted Internet. They are very truly popular among web marketers. However, as the pay per click search engine managers want to increase their buyer base so they require persuading people like you that pay per click advertising surely works.
Here is the good news, there are dozens of pay per click search engines who will give you up to $100 in free credits to endorse that pay per click marketing will work for you. To claim your credits all you require do is visit the many engines and web directories and sign up. There are no catches and it will not cost you whatever accepts your time. It could not be simpler to accumulate such free pay per click marketing.
2. Use remunerative Keywords Or Keyword Niches For Your Site's Content
Generally, internet users use search engines to find what they are looking for. Search engines in return use keyword rankings to divulge relevant search results. If you would like your site to appear at the most recognized lines of search engine results, you must use proper keywords and keyword phrases.
Try to take into service the most remunerative, of higher demand keywords at your site content. You could write your own content or you could hire somebody to do it for you. If you are generating articles on yourself, you have to make it more entertaining and informative. In doing so, you can get high rankings in search engine results and potent incoming traffic without any expenses.
3. Exchange Links With Partner Sites
Another superb idea is trading links with partner, or even competitor sites. This works well mainly when both sites feature an identical niche. Exchanging or trading links with other sites, both of them could benefit. When one site characteristics another sites link, they will provide one another with the traffic they both produce.
The efforts are very beneficial because it sounds like both sides are in employment to produce much enhanced traffic. The more links exchanged with more sites the more traffic might be expected. Again, you do not have to spend a cent. All you have to do is to communicate to another webmaster and to reach with him an arrangement.
4. Write Articles And Publish Them Across The Internet
Many sites offer free submission and posting of your articles. You had better to submit articles to sites containing an identical subject that your site deals in. If you sell computers, write press releases and articles about computers and personal computer parts. Try to provide helpful considerations guides and good advice. Making articles that contain good service and know-how would bring the needed mileage your traffic flow requirement.
When people find in your article something of interest, you have good chances of going after the track by finding out where the article originated. It lasts for you just to attach a brief description of your site or service at the closing of the article and to include a link.
5. Join Forums, Blogs And Other Online Communities
You can profit from online forums, blogs and web communities. The superb thing about forums and online communities is that you can target a particular group that fits the certain demographic that you are looking for. You can discuss about multiple things about the goods or services that you represent or offer.
With online communities and forums, you can create recognition for your firm. You must capture the market niche you represent and show your expertise and credibility. When you created a good foundation for your site, people will trust you and your web business. Your buyers will pass their trust and credibility to many people all through the Internet. Traffic will definitely increase for the reason that they know that you can provide what they require.
6. Offer Newsletters Or Ezines
You can also make usage of newsletters. Provide people with a catalog of your products and attractive useful articles. If your texts are really attractive and entertaining, more people will register for your newsletter and suggest it to other people. The more people who signs up for your newsletter, the more people will be willing to arrive to your site. Therefore, if you arouse the curiosity of your buyers they would be pushed to help you growing your traffic.
7. Advantages Of Viral Marketing
Viral marketing is a promotional technique that enables you to spread the word about your firm and product without any expenses. All it takes is to provide a great idea, a good addicting game, a funny story, many ideas are even out there. Start a gossip or a buzz, many web projects are advertise by the utilization of scandals and rumors to make them more generalized.
In addition, you can provide your web site visitors with content they would not read anywhere else. People will hold on longer at your web site to read the unique content. With this technique, people are infecting with the creativity and entertainment of the website content and they will pass it on to numerous people.
Each of the above-mentioned formulas can drive streams of free traffic to your website. All it takes is a bit of effort and generalized person hours. Learn all you can about the formulas depicted here and you will soon have a site with an excellent traffic flow without the common costs that come with it.
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