Archive for KristenM

Mobile E-Mail Marketing

July 30, 2012 Internet Marketing No comments

SEO companyAny online marketing company will tell you that e-mail marketing is a viable option for many businesses. For any online retailer, it’s not a maybe; it’s a must. Some are afraid that e-mail marketing is dead. People’s inbox are far too cluttered to check everything they receive and most will delete your e-mail anyway. Yes, some people are of that mindset. But if you give people a reason to sign up for your e-mail, it won’t end up immediately in the trash. Customers expect exclusive deals and news, an opportunity to take advantage of products before anyone else.

But even if you’re all for this great marketing expedition, you have to do it correctly and that means creating emails that are mobile friendly. More than 40% of consumers now check their emails on mobile devices, as well as in tablet form such as on the iPad. Emails should be optimized for both the PC and mobile markets. That means reducing the amount of content and images in the email and making it interactive. Consumers need a reason to either click links right away or to remind themselves to read further when on their computer. Of course the better option is keeping them engaged while still on their phone. Add mobile surveys, ask for merch feedback, etc. With the help of the right SEO company, you can reach a wider mobile audience.

Using Online to Help Offline

July 23, 2012 internet marketing strategy No comments

online marketing companiesWhen businesses think about online marketing, the goal in mind is to increase traffic online. But what about offline? It may seem rare, but people still interact and converse with people outside the web. Businesses should attract just as much buzz for offline chatter. Research shows that in 15% of conversations about products and 23% about services, someone references the Internet as a source.

Keep in mind you cannot measure how effective an online campaign is. Many get caught up in clicks, conversation rates, and re-tweets. But offline, word of mouth still has an impact. How can you increase offline buzz? Start by creating content that is worthy of conversation. People talk about content that is funny, surprising, or exciting. They only share what they deem is worthy of being shared.

Not everything in life boils down to location. Timing is also a key factor. Post content when people are most likely to be online. On weekdays, that time is between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Content should be easy and useful to find. In such a fast paced, media driven world, people want to access information as quickly as possible. Lastly, design your site with brand advocates in mind –the people who return to your site regularly.

How to Enhance Your Facebook Page

July 16, 2012 Facebook, Facebook Marketing No comments

By now every business should have a Facebook page. But do you know about all the clever tips and tricks to not only make your page better, but to increase your social reach? Here are some helpful hints to make the most out of Facebook.

  1. Target posts by location and language. Is your business international? Do you want to only target a specific part of the country? Before you upload a post, click the “Public” icon and select “Target by: Location/Language.”
  2. Highlight particular posts to the top of your profile. You can pin a post by clicking the “Pencil” icon and select “Pin to Top.” It will stay at the top for a week or until you pin another post. You can also unpin a post from the top as well by clicking the same “Pencil”.
  3. Reposition photos to make your timeline more visibly attractive. Just click the “Pencil” icon and click the “Reposition Photo” option.
  4. Share other pages on your timeline. Sharing is caring! If you see another page you feel your fans will enjoy, share them by hitting the “Cog” icon on the top-right.
  5. Create polls to engage fans. To create, click on “Event,” and  then “Milestone+” in the status box on the top-left of your profile. Choose “Question.” Choose from either open-ended questions or provide answers for your fans to choose from.

Learning More About Social Media

July 9, 2012 marketing, Social Marketing, social media, social media marketing, social media trends No comments

internet marketing agencyYou feel fairly confident about your skills using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. But in just a few months that could all evaporate. We’re all well aware that Facebook likes to change their interface about 3-4 times a year by manipulating the layout and such. Facebook isn’t the only social media outlet to constantly improve their design and function. The whole concept of social media is to create platforms that are user-friendly. How can you stay up-to-date and brush up your skills?

  1. Read blogs: A quick search will lead you to hundreds of blogs that focus primarily on social media. Sign up for an RSS feed. You will be informed every day on changing social media news.
  2. Attend webinars: Never leave the comfort of your desk as you learn valuable information. There are both paid and free webinars.
  3. Sign up for newsletters: If you don’t mind receiving daily or weekly newsletters, you can get a crash course with well written articles. Check out SmartBrief and SocialFresh.
  4. Look at trending topics: Every so often the trending topics on Twitter are about relevant news and not Justin Bieber’s new haircut.
  5. Receive training: People serious about educating themselves on online marketing should sign up for a training program. There are courses available both online and off.

Keep Up a Good Twitter Ratio

July 2, 2012 social media, twitter, Twitter Marketing No comments

Twitter is an important social media outlet, for both individuals and businesses alike. For businesses, it is yet another way to become involved with customers, clients, and to put your name out there on the vast interweb. There’s always been a sort of unspoken rule about keeping a good Twitter ratio. This means that you shouldn’t follow 500 people and only have 10 followers. Of course it’s always better to have more followers than people you follow, but unless you’re a celebrity, you probably can’t afford to be that choosy and elitist.

While it’s certainly not bad for you to follow more people, do not follow anyone just for the sake of it. The idea is not to just follow people you are interested in, but to follow people that you think will be interested in you. Think about how you view your personal Twitter account. Do you always return a follow? Do you bother “clogging up” your feed with pointless tweets? So why would you do the same for your business? Twitter is just like any other social network. You want to connect with people relevant to what you do.

Let an SEO company like Ajax Union help you manage your Twitter account and keep a healthy ratio.

Consider Facebook Advertisements

June 25, 2012 Facebook, Facebook Marketing, small business advertising No comments

online marketing companiesIt’s easier to think about the people you know who are not on Facebook rather than the people who are. Millions of people around the world use the social network. So why would you ever hesitate to place advertisements on the website? Ads are a great way to promote your business, inform users of sales, and drive traffic to your website. They’re easy to set up and you can target the right audience with a few simple clicks too. This way only people who would be interested in your business are shown the ads. It’s a smart choice for small business internet marketing.

You can target an audience multiple ways, including location, language, education, likes & interests, age, and much more. After choosing your audience, design an effective and engaging ad that will encourage clicks. Ads should be clear and concise, informative and attractive. Just like Google AdWords, you can manage your budget and choose either cost-per-click or cost-per-impression. Then all you need to do is set your daily budgets and bid prices. It’s as simple as that! After some time, review your ads, view how each campaign is doing, and make adjustments for improvements.

With so many people spending hours a day on Facebook, you can gain a wider audience, drive traffic, and gain sales. You’re probably on it right now, might as well set up an ad!

Being Creative with Online Blogging

June 11, 2012 Bloggers, Blogging for Internet Marketing, BloggingTips No comments

internet marketing agencyStarting up a business blog is important to give you not only a better online presence, but to help build your company’s reputation. It looks good to customers that you can maintain a blog, a place on the web to engage readers and help others learn more about you. If you feel as though you’ve exhausted some topics and want fresh content, this small business internet marketing company can help.

When you feel as though you should take your blog to the next level, try to be more creative with ideas. Don’t just talk non-stop about your services. Talk about the industry as a whole. It’s not only relevant to your company, but it’s interesting. Don’t be afraid to go off-topic a bit as long as you can still tie it in to your business. Consider doing some Q&A with other coworkers. Do some interviews or perhaps a webinar. Do what you must to create high-quality content that will make readers check back again next week. And don’t forget to check out the competition. See what direction similar companies are taking. It never hurts to look and it could get the wheels turning in your own head.

And when you need more help, enlist the services of an SEO company.

Add E-Mail Marketing to Your Marketing Efforts

June 4, 2012 E-mail Marketing, online marketing services No comments

SEO companyIf you’re an online retailer, there is no excuse not to perform e-mail marketing. This is a great opportunity to increase traffic to your site and hopefully increase sales. E-mail marketing should target interested customers, though, and you shouldn’t be purchasing e-mail lists that simply put anyone and everyone on it. Start by placing e-mail subscription forms directly on your homepage. It should be visible without taking away from your site’s layout.

You shouldn’t be bombarding people every single day with e-mails either. Think about if you want to do them once a week, twice a month, etc.  –whatever you feel works best for your company. Use them to promote sales, new items, contests, etc. Customers need a reason to visit your site, so do not just send out e-mails every week because you feel that you have to. Wait until there is something to entice them. Make the e-mails visually appealing without too much text. Readers have a short attention span and within a few seconds of looking at the e-mail, they’ll know if it’s worth to click through to the site.

Also consider offering special discounts and coupons to those who sign up for e-mails. This will gain more subscribers and give people a reason to shop. Need more help? Visit the NY SEO company Ajax Union for more information.

YouTube: A Fun Way to Gain Internet Attention

March 21, 2012 Internet Marketing, social media marketing, Viral No comments

YouTube isn’t just for music videos or for those who want to film themselves playing Rock Band. Businesses can get in on the visual market just as easily as anyone else. People create YouTube accounts as yet another way to brand themselves. Whether you’re selling discount apparel or provide Internet marketing for clients, YouTube can be a useful and fun tool. From an SEO perspective, it is another social profile, another link back to your business.

To your customers it shows even more credibility. They’d like to see a face behind the website. But what to film? Well, I can’t give you all the answers, but that really depends on what your business does. Retailers might want to make interesting videos about their products or fashion trends. The key word is “interesting.” If people aren’t intrigued within the first 20-30 seconds, chances are they will click away and look for a cat video. If you can make them laugh, they’ll be more willing to share it with friends. Soon your video goes viral over Facebook and Twitter. Bam! More customers checking out your website to find out who you are and what you do.

If you’re struggling for ideas, online marketing companies are here to help.

Online Marketing Trends for 2012: The Age of Smartphones

January 6, 2012 Google, Internet Marketing, internet marketing strategy, marketing, online marketing strategy No comments

internet marketing solutionMany so-called experts are already making predictions for what path online marketing which choose in the new year. Everyone seems to agree that the biggest trend for 2012 and online marketing will be smartphones and mobile marketing. In 2011 there were 5.3 billion mobile subscriptions! Mobile ad spending is predicted to jump to $20.6 billion by 2015. If that isn’t a clear indicator, maybe you should reevaluate your marketing strategy all together.

Within a few years, it’ll be rare to find anyone without a smartphone. It’s nearly impossible to even purchase a standard flip-phone anymore. (The only ones offered are those cheap pay-as-you-go models.) Users will be seeking easy to navigate websites and shopping apps. The biggest way to boost revenue this year is to create a mobile version of your site, if you haven’t already. Likewise, also considering an app development. Developing an app is a great way to reach your target audience and provide them with an easy way to access your information and products.

Almost 23% of the mobile population will turn to smartphones. Can you afford not to include them in your marketing strategies? It’s not all just about ranking on Google anymore. It’s about knowing how your key audience receives the majority of their data and tapping into that.