How to control SEO spending post-recession
Remember back when the credit crunch was new? Every other blog post, including a fair few of mine, urged firms not to lose faith in online marketing, not to hack at their search engine marketing (SEM) budgets or lay off members of their online PR team.
I still think it’s important to hold marketing nerve. If you are to grow your business then a successful marketing strategy is essential and budget cuts are not going to help.
However, as the country shudders its way out of a historic recession, achieving an estimated 0.1% of growth in the last three months of 2009, it’s time to face facts. Your money need to work harder.
The rules of email engagement: part two
A couple of weeks ago I posted a piece on the rules of email engagement, very much laying out fairly broad thoughts on the subject.
Now I want to follow up with a more pointed ‘plan’ that, if followed, will ensure a virtuous spiral of engagement and increased ROI...
Q&A: Ian Hendry of WeCanDo.BIZ on social media and lead generation
WeCanDo.BIZ is an online network which helps SMEs find sales leads and business referrals, and it also offers a sales lead service for Twitter.
I've been talking to CEO Ian Hendry about the company, the potential of Twitter for finding leads, and the effects of social media on Customer Relationship Management (CRM).
Is social media destroying trust in friends?
Just as marketers increase their spending on social media marketing comes potentially discouraging news: consumers are trusting their friends a whole lot less.
According to AdAge, the 2010 Edelman Financial Services U.S. Trust Barometer found that only 25% of those surveyed considered friends and peers to be credible sources of information. That's down from 45% in 2008.
Super Bowl ads still work for brands that care about digital
The internet was a major star in the Super Bowl commercials last night, with websites, social media links and digital campaigns taking up valuable seconds in the game's ads. But more than a few companies threw away their chance to grow their fan base with these $3 million spots last night.
What's more? One of the most popular Super Bowl ads wasn't even new. Google's "Parisian Love" ad has been on the web for over three months. What does that say about big TV buys? They still have plenty of value. But only when used in a smart way.
Could email fatigue give social media the upper hand with marketers?
Americans are suffering from "email fatigue." At least that's the take away from a new study from marketing service provider Implix, which found that Americans are one of the least likely groups to open emails worldwide.
Due to its newness, social media is fast gaining ground with marketers as a way to reach out and build relationships with consumers. But a turn away from email messages could also make social media the go to for marketers trying to reach customers and grow revenue.
The horror, the horror: @VodafoneUK's social media balls up
You may not think that social media is rocket science, but those big brand early adopters are certainly astronauts exploring an unknown quantity. And space exploration is not without its challenges. Or risks.
One intergalactic incident occurred late on Friday as a member of Vodafone’s social media team cut loose and posted a homophobic remark via the company's official Twitter account.
How to use Google Analytics to track telephone leads: Part three
This is part three of a four-part series on how to use Google Analytics to track Telephone Leads.
Part one described the overall call tracking system. Part two explained how the data can appear in Google Analytics. Part three (this one) will start on the technical side and explain how to get the phone numbers on your site to switch according to the route to site the visitor has taken.
The final part, yet to be written, will explain how to get the data from the telephone call into Google Analytics (this is the CallTrackID bit).
Google buys a Super Bowl Ad
Google may have one of the most valuable brands in the world, but that hasn't meant that it's acted like one. Unlike other brands with global recognition, Google has never really engaged in much traditional advertising.
And for good reason: it really hasn't had to. After all, Google built its reputation with consumers in an almost grassroots fashion. As a search upstart, it found a way to beat larger, entrenched players by offering a more compelling search experience. And with the launch of AdWords, it turned its massive audience into a massive cash cow.
The blurring of online fashion retail and publishing
The link between retail and publishing has always been strong. A product promoted in print sells products that are available online or in store.
Thanks to online, the link is getting stronger, and now the lines are becoming blurred, as retailers become publishers and publishers begin to move into retail.
20+ mind-blowing social media statistics revisited
Gleecommerce: 10 ways to improve job satisfaction
Google
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
