Posts filed under 'Podcasts'
Podcast Number 72 – January 2012
In this podcast Glenn and Tom talk about business profile pages within the major social media outlets of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.
What should be considered when setting up a business profile page?
- This social media is about business and is not personal.
- Brand the pages like your Website, they are not personal social pages.
- Allow for ease of communication and content.
- Strive for interaction with these pages from users.
- Develop a strategic plan for social media for 2012.
- Page look and feel, content and how you get support are key areas.
- Include your key products and services.
- Who and what will be the voice of your brand in the social media content?
What are a few examples of strategies for business profile pages.
- The people at your organization are highlighted.
- Smart use of photography works as branding and messaging.
- Link back to your company Website and landing Web pages for conversions.
- The content is the implementation of your strategy.
- Include brief content on services and products.
- Find ways to conveniently help people solve problems or gain benefit.
How is the content posted on these pages different from other content postings?
- Content is brief snippets that drive attention to links or the principle Website or blog.
- Keep content relevant, current and use multiple media.
- Assign someone in the organization to drive this content.
- Keep it brief and interesting with photos.
- Be aware of posting the same content on all social media sites, some variety is needed based on your strategy and how users interact with the content.
Here are the action items from the Podcast:
- Build a great company Website first.
- Layout your social media strategy for the year and find a team to implement.
- Build a business profile page for Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter.
- Do user testing and check your stats.
- Recognize direct and indirect benefits that can be measured.
January 10th, 2012
Podcast Number 71 – January 2012
In this podcast Glenn and Tom review 10 Website trends that are expected to be hot for 2012. Plan ahead and be ready for these trends before they happen.
- Prepare for the “Internets”
- Some Websites are so large, have many users can be considered an “Internet.”
- This includes Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter and the emerging Google+.
- Business profile pages and regular content additions are a must.
- Users will stay on these Web pages for resources, to solve problems and help.
- Each site will have their own strategy and stats monitoring.
- The Mobile Web
- Mobile traffic is growing fast.
- Develop a mobile version of your site when traffic hits 10% or more.
- Mobile traffic is highly qualified and needs conversion points.
- Adapt your Website to the screen size of the user.
- Publishing and Content
- Content is free and valuable content will draw traffic.
- eBooks are the future of publishing and magazines are next.
- Stale content is a negative influence of Web results.
- Google Wants New, Relevant and a High Volume of Content
- Fresh Content is more important than ever for Google’s search results.
- Google will continue to grow and Google+ will increase market share.
- Blogs and regular Website content updates will drive growth.
- Apple Slips
- Apple will start to struggle for the first time in a while in 2012.
- There is a lack of awesome break-through products.
- Service is dropping in the stores.
- Competitors are likely to come in.
- Lack of leadership will be evident in 2012.
- Excellent run for Apple could start to end in 2012.
- Offline Success Drives Online Growth
- Brands that are strong outside the Web will enjoy the most growth.
- Websites without a strong offline presence will struggle.
- More strong offline brands will embrace the Web fully in 2012.
- Wild Election Process
- The 2012 election will be won on the Internet.
- Fundraising will go online and voter influence will come from the Web.
- Obama will easily be re-elected with more online support than ever.
- This will influence elections at all levels.
- Website Knowledge Explodes
- Knowledge of Web marketing is no longer for the geeks or Web masters.
- This knowledge will explode among small to medium sized businesses in 2012.
- Web marketing terms will become an accepted and critical part of marketing.
- Integrated Media and the Death of Flash
- User preferences will drive the use of more media on Websites.
- Video, audio, written content, photos, slides, graphics and more will need to be on Websites to meet user needs.
- This will drive job growth for graphic design and Web media jobs.
- Flash will decline and HTML5 and other universal formats will emerge in 2012.
- Website Development Speeds Up and Budgets Fall
- CMS systems and Web savvy developers will build Websites faster and cheaper.
- CMS templates and modules will make Website success more about strategy, messaging and content and less about development.
- Good design is not going away, but development is now a piece of cake.
- WordPress will continue to lead the way along with substantial growth for Magento.
- This will also drive job growth in 2012.
Here are the action items from the Podcast:
- Be looking ahead at where the Web is going so it is not a surprise when you arrive.
- Set as a New Year’s resolution to include training and education in Web marketing.
- Learn more about CMS, open source platforms of WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and Magento.
- All these things may not happen in 2012, but they are coming soon.
January 10th, 2012
Podcast Number 69 – November 2011
In this podcast Glenn and Tom talk about content for the Web and how often should content be added to blogs and Websites. When is it too much for the user and when is more content needed to drive conversions and traffic.
How often should content be added to a Website or blog?
- It depends on the goals of the site and why is content being added to the site?
- There are pros and cons to the volume and timing of content.
- Content can be added to drive traffic or conversions
How can new content drive more traffic?
- Google is now rewarding new content and punishing stale Websites.
- Find a happy medium from daily posts to monthly updates.
- Think like your target market.
- Seth Godin blog’s too much.
- Steve Marten and Stephen Colbert Twitter too much.
What about back-dated content?
- This is OK to help spread out the dates of your posts.
- Does not work as well if you write many articles or posts.
How does new content drive conversion?
- New content creates new search engine landing pages.
- Fresh content shows the site is relevant.
- Content-rich sites compete better.
- Google loves new content.
Who should write the content and how do we come up with ideas?
- Find a writer or do it yourself?
- Content writers for the Web are available for higher.
- Use topics that happen in your everyday work life.
Here are the action items from the Podcast:
- Schedule and write new content based on your site goals.
- Keep notes of interesting stories and events that happen during the work day or week and turn them into blog posts.
- Review www.CastingWords.com
- Content comes in many varieties including videos, audios, photos with captions and more. Use a variety of content sources.
- Track the results in Google and in your stats.
- Go back and listen to our podcasts on content for the Web for more information.
November 28th, 2011
Podcast Number 70 – November 2011
In this podcast Glenn and Tom review strategies and recommendations on meeting the needs of Website visitors who may not understand your Website or come from various market segments. Can a Website be everything for everyone? Or should it focus strictly on its target market?
Should Websites be expected to meet the needs or even be understood of all Web visitors?
- Remember the Seinfeld Soup Nazi?
- You don’t want your Website to follow that role.
- Look at the upside risk versus the downside risk.
- As a rule of thumb, keep the site understood by as many visitors as possible.
- Follow the 10-out-of-10 rule.
- Don’t assume any Website visitors “get it” just because you do!
- What if Bill Gates visits your home page?
How does a Website go about communicating with a broad ranges of users?
- Keep it simple and use direct, easily understood concrete terms.
- Landing pages should be easily understood.
- More detailed and market specific content should be in place on interior pages.
- Keep in mind the reading level of your visitors.
Is there a risk that the actual target market may be alienated?
- If you upset a segment with content, then buy a separate domain name because you will need multiple Websites.
- Research and talk to your target market and referral sources.
Where should Websites find a middle ground in these area?
- The best and most popular Websites have wide segments.
- The best Websites communicate broadly, even in niche areas.
Here are the action items from the Podcast:
- Analyze your market segments and understand each’s hot buttons and triggers.
- Understand and know how referral sources work on the Web.
- Use this to develop a messaging strategy and Website segmentation approach.
- Track your data and do user testing on broad segments and niches.
- We all tend to be focused too much on how we perceive the world, the Web forces to get out of this bubble or vacuum and better communicate to new and current target markets and referral sources.
Websites Discussed in the Podcast:
November 28th, 2011
Podcast Number 66 – July 2011
In this podcast Glenn and Tom discuss the importance of developing and implementing a strategy around lead generation and the specific paths users take before they contact your company via the Web. Website marketers must understand how users prefer to convert and the sales funnel they follow on a Website. This drivers a higher percentage of lead conversions.
What is the “lead conversion funnel?”
- The path users take on your site before they make contact.
- Specific content, photos and Web pages that generally lead to conversions.
- Website visitors can take multiple paths and those paths can be segmented.
- They can also come to your site from other Websites.
What are a few examples of how this funnel works?
- Real Estate Websites start with a home search.
- Product Websites that start with shop and compare.
- The Netflix “How it Works” page.
- Special offers and free samples can be part of the funnel.
- A Facebook referral or special offer.
How should Website owners and marketers go about setting up a funnel on their Website?
- The Website should be designed and developed around the content that will drive conversions and make up the conversion funnel.
- It starts from a strategic standpoint and the content follows.
- The navigation menu supports this path.
- Specific pages can be funnel pages.
- The contact us page is a conversion.
- Website clutter is a barrier to the conversion funnel.
Here are the action items from the Podcast:
- Write a Web marketing strategy for lead generation based on content strategies and specific page views.
- Set-up Google Analytics, along with goal tracking.
- Watch your Webs stats on a regular basis.
- Have an excellent Contact Us page (see our previous podcast).
- Develop and improve the writing skills on your team.
- Write conversion-based content, including photos, images and graphics.
- Include a blog and regular content updates.
- Understand how users convert on your Website.
November 6th, 2011
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Welcome to the “Internets” - Business Profile Pages for Social Media [ 17:41 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
