Websites get found, not because they have pretty graphics or clean code, but instead, because they have great content that is worth finding. Often, we focus so much on promoting ourselves that we forget what visitors really want. They want to learn how to solve a problem, increase their knowledge in an area, or be entertained.
The search engines understand what visitors want and they look for signs of quality content. They often do this by looking at how many people share your content, by looking for links from other websites. However, they don’t stop there. In many cases, they will look at the importance of those websites that are referring traffic to you. For example, if CNN links to a page it must be far more important than if I link to it in this blog. Search engines, like Google, know that CNN has a huge collection of great content and that many people visit it on a regular basis.
The search engines, like people, also want to see that your content is fresh. That article you wrote two years ago many longer be relevant. And, even if it is, your visitors won’t return unless they expect new content to explore. So, you need to post new content regularly.
Even better, everything you post is more content that can be indexed by the search engines and which your visitors can link to and share. For this reason, a blog is often a great way to increase the exposure of your site. In fact, according to a recent study by HubSpot, websites with a blog get on average 55% more visitors.
And, if your content is good, there is also a better chance that your visitors will share it with their friends on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and bookmark it on social sharing sites like StumbleUpon and Delicious.
While it is import to add new content to your site regularly, it must be fresh. Simply copying content from other sites won’t impress the search engines. They know what’s out there. They want to see that you are adding something new to the conversation. That is why I discourage clients from buying pre-written articles from companies that sell the same content to multiple people.
Bottom line, most modern search engines understand what visitors want and try to show them only the most relevant pages. For your site to gain momentum, it needs great content, posted regularly, that will be of interest to someone other than you. How does your site measure up?
In terms of social media, we often restrict ourselves with the information we post online. Most people on Facebook, for example, have hundreds of friends and probably do not share their most personal moments with everyone.
Well Path, a private social network, allows you to do just that. Dave Morin, founder of Path, describes it as a place that “allows you to capture your life’s most personal moments and share them with the 50 close friends and family in your life who matter most.” You can take pictures or video with your phone and tag people, places, or things. The pictures are then shared among your select list of friends and family members. Thus, Path creates a kind of personal journal of your life to share with the people you cherish most.
Path already has hundreds of thousands subscribers and more join each day. Google also sees the potential of Path and has reportedly offered a $100 million to buy the company, which the company turned down. Will this new social network pose a challenge to Facebook or will it work along side it to increase their number of users?
In today’s evolving market every company needs to be on top of the current trends in order to stay fresh and relevant in their consumers’ minds. For example, social media is no longer an option, but rather a mandatory aspect of business that every company should have if it wants to be successful. Likewise, guerrilla marketing may become more and more prevalent as traditional forms of promotional activities become obsolete.
The term guerrilla marketing was first coined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book Guerrilla Marketing. Levinson is famously known for being the mastermind behind the Malboro Man, the Pillsbury Dough-boy, and Tony the Tiger. In his book Levinson described guerrilla marketing as unconventional promotions that rely on creativity rather than big budgets. Therefore, guerrilla marketing is ideal for entrepreneurs and small businesses, although large companies have been known to use guerrilla marketing as well.
Some famous examples of guerrilla marketing are the Folgers Coffee campaign, the Mr. Clean campaign, and Big Pilot Watches’ campaign. (Those and other campaigns can be found here). Folgers went to the New York City manholes where steam was rising up and simply put a circular printout of the top of a Folgers cup of coffee to give the appearance that the steam was rising from the cup. Mr. Clean’s campaign was installed on crosswalks where all the white strips were faded, except for the one with the Mr. Clean logo, which was bolder and whiter than all the rest. Big Pilot Watches simply had their watch designs printed and put around the handles of the bus railing. That way when bus riders held onto the rail through the loop, they got to see a Big Pilot Watch on their wrist.
It is very important to know that guerrilla marketing has to reach out to the consumers, spread a positive message about your product, and, ultimately, intrigue them. Guerrilla marketing campaigns should not be as plain as chalking a sidewalk, but should also not be as intrusive as trimming someone’s hedges in the shape of your logo. A careful balance of creativity and sensibility will lead to the best results.
As for whether or not guerrilla marketing is optional or mandatory, I would say that it is still optional…for now.
Google recently announced that it is adding a “+1″ button to its search results. This button works pretty much like Facebook‘s “Like” button. The “+1″ button will be a way to see which sites have been recommended by friends and contacts in an effort to bring you more relevant links first; click on the link to hear Google’s explanation of +1. In the midst of today’s social media revolution, it is very interesting to see how such enormous and important companies like Google are incorporating these principles into their business plan.
This announcement has been met with excitement by some and criticism by others. Some think it could be a privacy issue, others do not see the point and some are even annoyed that more things are being added to the search engine which could translate to more clutter and difficulty in browsing. The biggest concern that has been raised I think is the fact that sites could +1 themselves multiple times.
Personally, I believe Google is doing a smart thing in keeping their services up to date with the social behaviors of consumers today. It is obvious that people will believe an acquaintance’s recommendation over a random person’s. Also, nowadays thanks to the ease of sharing and things such as the “Like” button, amazing things such as deals on products or singing babies are brought to us! We don’t even have to search for them. I think this is a great strategy for Google to differentiate from its competitors and deliver better, more relevant results. As for the concern about sites giving themselves +1′s, the key here is that Google will weigh your contacts’ recommendations(+1) when delivering your results, not just any +1′s and you must be signed in to your Google account to use the +1 feature; this takes care of people wanting to +1 something multiple times.
It will be interesting to see how users will take to this new button and how soon we will see it on other sites alongside Facebook’s “Like” and Twitter‘s “Tweet” button.
Members of the social media generation (myself included) often find themselves lost on Facebook or Twitter rereading the same updates over and over. In order to minimize this, we should first understand the general purposes of these unique sites.
Basics
Facebook is a place to go to when you want to converse with close friends or family members. The feel of Facebook is personal and tailored. You can share pictures, videos, messages, and even IMs – though IMs are sometimes unreliable.
Twitter on the other hand is for voicing yourself to the rest of the world. You have fewer limitations on who can hear from you and who you can hear from. Twitter is a simpler and easier to navigate site and is used solely for communication purposes.
Personal Usage
Now, people using these sites for personal use just have to understand that Facebook is a more detailed and intricate version of Twitter. If it can’t be said in 140 characters, then put it on Facebook. Similarly, if you only wish to share with close friends, Facebook is your best bet. Twitter is more useful if you are trying to be professional. You can have a larger following, and you can get responses much faster than on Facebook.
Also, since there is a limit on the number of Facebook friends you can have, many celebrities choose to have a Twitter instead. Following an athlete such as LeBron James on Twitter gives you a more personal and real figure. A follower would know exactly what the celebrity is up to at any given moment. There is also a chance to get a direct response from our idols who may reply to a post or even retweet it.
Business Usage
If Facebook and Twitter are being used from a business perspective, then the same general rules apply. Facebook is good for letting customers and fans know what is going on in the long run. However, Twitter can be used to display things that are happening now. For example, if Trey Burton walked into Innovation Gainesville, they would be able to tweet about it right away and have their followers instantly alerted. Twitter can also be used as a marketing tool to reach new target markets. There is a feature that allows a user to search for things that are tweeted. For example, Trendy Entertainment can search for tweets about their games and then engage those users. Being accessible and personal is a way to grow your business beyond the typical borders.
(A more detailed synopsis of using social media for businesses can be found here for Facebook and Twitter)
In synopsis, Facebook is more personal and detailed, whereas twitter is more professional and instantaneous. Using these programs as tools of communication can help any person or business achieve their goals.
It is no longer enough to simply offer a good product. If a company wants to become a leader in their industry, they must be willing to create an experience for their customers and be innovative in the way they do business. Companies like Apple, Disney, and Coca-Cola have managed to stay innovative and are constantly looking for ways to improve. As a result these companies have been able to succeed even through the recession.
Every year Fortune Magazine creates a list of the world’s most admired companies. This list encompasses key attributes that executives and analysts find crucial in a successful company. Some of the key attributes are innovativeness, quality of product and service, and effectiveness in conducting business.
According to Fortune’s list, Apple is now number one. Apple has managed to create an experience for their customers not only through its products but its stores as well. No other computer brand offers the extended customer service at their local store or allows them to test the products before they purchase them. More importantly, Apple has completely changed technology in the way we communicate and interact with technology. With gadgets like the iPad and iPod, Apple has and will continue to revolutionize technology.
Thank you to all those who attended yesterday’s social media workshop at the Gainesville Hilton. A special thanks to the presenters: Eunice Coughlin from Simple Internet Strategies, Joni Kilgour from the CIED, Dominic Orsini from SeeGrowth, and our very own Joseph Grutta.
