I remember when being an internet professional was just knowing about Google and how to manipulate your site in order to rank high, and then all of sudden that high ranking resulted in more traffic, to more sales, to a bigger database, to more growth etc… Awwh those were the good ol days when it was still the new “thing” to do and it was so easy to dominate your competition because everyone else was sleeping at the wheel!

As the evolution of the internet just kept growing and websites increased numbers to their websites, advertising became more attractive for b2b and b2c companies. The light bulb was finally turning instead of flickering. Wow it makes sense to be on these sites because, wow a lot of our target market is here! Look out now its serious because the internet grew at such an explosive rate and internet advertising platforms and agencies popped up like popcorn all over the place traditional marketing managers were just in way over their heads. Now the internet became this whole other segment which is now Digital Marketing that needed to handled as a department of its own.

What’s funny is that now leading the Digital Strategy forefront I find myself in over my head and now being able to relate to those traditional Marketing professionals because this too is growing at an alarmingly fast pace. Especially since Social Media Marketing is now out of the “do I need to be there” phase and is accepted as an important peace of an effective digital strategy this too has become a marketing niche of its own. And it’s even predicted this year that the position of “community manager” is going to be a priority position for many companies this year. Check out 4 Community Management Predictions for 2012 on Mashable. Com.

Not to mention the boom of mobile that I talked about in my last write up. Constantly staying up to speed on the new latest and greatest apps, or marketing techniques, and the analytic s alone! There’s an entirely different specialty or skill. The proof is easy to see because of all the different companies specializing in all of these niche areas.

All in all even when I’m feeling overwhelmed at times its such a fun and exciting space to be in because when it comes down to it you have to be sharp and educated in all facets that makes up a digital strategy because with all these moving pieces you need a point person to be able to put all the pieces together and effectively communicate the ROI and strategy throughout your organization, among  a long list of other things:-\

I <3 Digital!

Ciao~

Toward the ladder end of last year while putting together the digital attack plan for 2012 I realized that looking at it on paper Mobile played a big part in my digital strategy universe.

Seeing how mobile access to the web is projected to surpass pc access within 5 years if not sooner it only makes sense to stay ahead of the curve and prepare to be flexible in the ad budget to throw at new mobile advertising techniques. For example when creating my SEM and SEO strategy I’ve really taken into consideration on marketing differently on our mobile storefront. An interesting stat showed how women are the biggest users of mobile web and in the marketing space that’s huge to know!  On the social side of my  digital strategy mobile had to be considered in this as well becaue almost 50% of mobile use is spent in social networks.

Knowing all the big stats on mobile which I included below,  ask yourself how can you leverage mobile technology to bridge the gap to your virtual storefront. Are you considering QR codes, and how will you use them? Have you tested text campaigns? Are you effectively using location based social networks and if so are you A/B testing and measuring effectively and does everyone in your business understand how to use them?

I hope that was some good food for thought. Below are 15 mobile statistics thought have helped me in my brainstorming sessions and I hope they help you too!

Ciao~

1.Smart phones

“Of the world’s 4 billion mobile phones in use, 1.08 billion are smartphones.”

2. SMS

Of those, 3.08 billion are SMS enabled.

3. Mobile

One half of searches are done via a mobile device: smartphone,tablet, etc.

4. Mobile

86% use their mobile devices (smartphone/tablet) in conjunction with watching TV. My question, aren’t most of them watching TV on their mobile device too?

5. Mobile Apps

Over 300,00 mobile apps have been developed in three years. The best mobile applications have been downloaded 10.9 billion times. But demand for download mobile apps is expected to peak in 2013.

6. Mobile Web

The number of people accessing the mobile Internet is growing fast and is expected toovertake the PC as the most popular way to get on the Web within five years.

7. Mobile Hours

Average Americans spend 2.7 hours a day “socializing” on a mobile device (i.e.instant messaging, social media apps, SMS, etc.).

My thought…that’s all?

8. Mobile Use

61% use their mobile devices to play games.

9. Mobile Use

Almost 50% use for social networking. Like it, Share it, Tweet it, + it.

10. Mobile Demographics

Women 35-54 most active in social networking on a mobile device.

11. Mobile Marketing

Search ads and location ads (paid-for positioning on maps and augmented reality apps) will deliver the highest revenue, while video/audio ads will see the fastest growth through 2015.

12. Mobile Search Engine and Advertising

Google’s gross revenue from mobile advertising is over US$1 billion per year.

13. Mobile Marketing

71 percent of smartphone users that see TV, press or online ad, do a mobile search for more information.

14. Mobile Marketing

But 79 percent of large online advertisers still do not have a mobile optimized site.

15. Mobile Apps

One in four mobile apps once downloaded is never used again.

In short, Mobile devices, mobile marketing, and mobile apps are not going away. My advice, get in while it’s hot…!

Well everyone always knew there was a motive behind the search giants plan, I mean come on when you rule the internet for so long what else is there to do? Take over the world… lol Well Google has always been about making sure that they’re serving up the most relevant information to it’s consumers. Because lets face it, Google has turned us into the most instant gratification craving society in history. It’s taken away a need to really think… because why do that when you can “google” what you’re looking for? But, that’s a whole other topic in itself! 

So anyway you’ve seen the announcement 2 days ago on how you’re Google Plus network influences the search results for what you’re looking for, well I didn’t really want to write anything about until I experienced it for myself. Since the tapering of the Google Plus “invite only” phase I’ve encouraged businesses to be sure to promote your site to get plus oned…. for at least the consumers that have a Google plus.  So far I like what I see and I know Google is all about making the search experience as user friendly as possible. Well how genuis is it to serve the content that has been endorsed by people within your network??  Absolutely Awesome!!  And by looking at how it is served up today it’s ranked higher than a paid search! You hear bells?

This is yet another way for small businesses to compete in a very competitive market. Have your customers plus 1 your business! Just think if you’re searching for something on the internet and you see the 3 or 4  or 50 people have endorsed the same business, what a strong influence!

Although this is a pretty neat feature, reality is it would be great to have more people using it. Sure it has a lot of momentum and Google is being aggressive on getting plus 1 accounts, Ie .. forcing people to join G+ for their party at the Consumer Electronic Summit 2012, nice tactic. But in reality do everyday people not in the business realm of social media really care about being on G+? That’s the big question, but time is the only answer.

Ciao,

The A.D.

Just think that cool cover, is no longer thumbnails of your most recent pictures. Now you can actually have a BIG professional banner, maybe displaying a big event or something special. Now that wall isn’t just a garble of “stories” Info overload, p.s. thank you for the status ticker FB, yet kind of annoying. With the new timeline layout just think you can choose what story you want to show up big at attention on the left. And not to mention the milestones that you can add in for your company. Are your wheels turning?

Although Facebook has not disclosed when they plan to make the switch for Fan Pages to the timeline format, it never hurts to be prepared!

Get comfortable with your new Timeline format. By comfortable I mean very familiar. Enhance your profile using all the new tools available ie… Life Events (very cool)

Brainstorm on how you would use it to your advantage for your business, like the examples above.

As of right now my list of pros definitely out weigh any minor cons of the new format. Then it makes you wonder about the companies that have had a lot of negative outcomes through out the years, now there’s an interesting Timeline!

Ciao,

A.D

Well during my speed typing I was planning on visiting Twitter.com but instead I typed Twtter.com. honest mistake, but I saw right away the URL was for a survey site, and these sneaky little programs mirrored Twitter, so I’m sure many people fell for the spoof and ended up paying up from all the text messages racked up because they prompted you to enter a mobile number. 

These Typesquatters take full advantage of popular sites and use similar “typoed” urls to fool you. So be aware of what is displayed in the URL bar not what the site looks like. Just just a word of advice that is valuable to pass onto those that are less internet savvy.

Cheers,

Your Diva:)

This was a great way to get insight on how larger companies are utilizing social networks. It would leave me brainstorming on how to scale it down to work for small businesses. Stay tuned for 2012, In this ever changing industry you’ve got to stay in “the know” and these seminars are such a convenient way of doing it!

But, have you really taken a look at the real importance of short links? So many different providers out there offer these convenient little tools and the best part is that most of them are free. To help you narrow it down go for the ones that aren’t throwing up advertising. To narrow it down even further go with one that offers tracking and analytic tools.

I have found that if you’ve got event specific banners that you can really zoom in how effective it is and when used simoultaneously with your web analytics you can really trim off the “fat” and know what’s really working. URL shortening services even offer social toolbars to help  enhance your business or personal social media efforts. One that I particulary like using is Visibli. Super call and totally customizable with great analytics, well at least for being free. if you want some more advanced tracking simply upgrade to pro.

Well happy marketing!

Ciao,

The A.D

I was listening to talk radio in the car on my way home when a discussion came up about how a dentist was trying to get patients to sign a disclosure saying that they would not be able to post or say anything about him or his practice! I couldn’t believe this guy and listening to the callers who phoned in were with me! It makes you think that, wow is the service really going to be that bad? Not to mention the freedom of speech topic.

Long story short that didn’t fly so well in the legal sense of course. And we all have to face it, no business is going to be perfect. But as a consumer if see that a business or product has hundreds of reviews and small number of negatives it makes you think what that customer did differently to have such an off the wall experience. And in most cases it looks more credible anyway, because we all know no one is perfect.

So just keep building your reputation by offering the best customer service ever and just learn and grow from negative reviews to help you become better!

Ciao<3

The A.D

These are pretty much the Social Network 7 Commandments to live by and thought I would share it.

Enjoy!

1. Give Your Customers a Place to Talk

Some companies are afraid to set up Facebook pages because they allow customers to comment, which means someone might write something negative. It seems counterintuitive, but you should actually want customers to complain on your company’s Facebook page. If your customers are complaining about you on their personal, privacy-protected Facebook profiles, you have no way to know if they’re complaining, much less reach out to them and make it right.

When customers complain on your brand’s Facebook page, you can respond and resolve issues. If you do it right (and get a little lucky), unhappy customers will turn their opinions around and recommend you to friends because of your fantastic customer service.

2. Integrate Social Media Into Your Customer Service

Neglecting your social media properties when they’re full of customer complaints is suicide for your brand. It’s like publishing a customer service hotline phone number that no one ever answers. (Except worse, because the whole Internet can see your negligence.)

Don’t open up the floor for complaints without a plan to handle them. Predict the complaints you may get and construct policies for replying to them. You should also plan on responding to fans who compliment you. At the very least, you should thank customers for the compliment. But if you really want to make customers happy, show happy customers your appreciation with coupons or other rewards.

3. Activate Your Existing Customer Base

Most brands have more customers than they do Facebook fans and Twitter followers. Start building your social media fan base by reaching out to your current customers — after all, they already “like” your brand in real life.

Think about how you currently contact your customer base and how you can use those communication channels to draw customers to your social media properties. For example, you could run a contest or promotion on Facebook and then include that promotion on your product’s packaging, in your next email, and in any touch point you have with your customers.

4. Be Proactive

Don’t just wait for someone to post on your wall or tweet your account. It’s especially easy on Twitter to monitor for mentions of your name and reach out when someone has a problem, even if they haven’t mentioned your account. Set your brand apart by proactively interacting with customers who are talking about your brand, whether you’re thanking them for a compliment or helping them solve a problem.

Think about why your customers use social media sites like Twitter — it’s because they want to “connect” and to have a voice out there. Make them happy that someone, most importantly your company, is listening to what they have to say.

5. Reward Influencers

Find the social media influencers for your audience and give them extras. This could be as simple as giving them advance notice of a special promotion, or complex as giving them a free trip and tour of your facilities. For example, check out what Musselman’s apple sauce did for its blogger network. Making people feel special will help turn them into advocates for your brand. Reward your brand ambassadors when they least expect it and you’ll see some pretty phenomenal results.

6. Create Compelling Content

Give your fans something of value on your page. For example, Nordstom’s “Beauty Central” on Facebook provides a ton of relevant, useful content. You can do something similar to this in every industry. If you’re a movie producer, post behind-the-scenes photos, and if you’re a bank, write money saving tips. It’s hard to get people to engage with your brand when you don’t have anything interesting to say. Every brand can (and should) create quality content.

Social media can be a channel to make customers or followers feel special, like they’re in an exclusive club with your brand because they follow you. Make them feel this exclusiveness whether you have ten social media fans or 100,000.

7. Stand Out From the Crowd

Some of the most memorable social media experiences are created by going beyond text. This can be as complex as Starbucks’s Pumpkin Picture app, or simple as using voice applications to let your brand’s spokesperson actually speak to your fans. The more interactive and engaging your social media presence, the better. In part, social media is a little anti-social because there can be a lot lost in plain text. By giving your fans a true voice on social media, or encouraging participation through photos and videos, you humanize the experience that much more. You’ll be doing so when most of the other companies out there aren’t really participating effectively this way.

Cheers,

Your Diva

Source: mashable.com