Last webinar of 2012 this Wednesday! Twitter Marketing for Professionals

The holidays are upon us, but there's no time for rest in the Internet marketing world! We understand your need to stay above the competition, so we are proud to present the last Wednesday Webinar of 2012 this Wednesday, December 26th!

Last week, Ten Golden Rules founder and CEO Jay Berkowitz presented his webinar on Internet marketing for professionals, or anyone who is not a full-time marketing wiz. Whether you're a doctor or a small business owner, Internet marketing can be detrimental to the way you reach your audience these days. With that said, this week's webinar comes to us from IMC host Matt Wooddy. We will explore the DOs and DON'Ts of Twitter and how you can infuse a successful campaign into your business.

Click here to register for FREE (12-26-12 at 12:30pm EST):http://bit.ly/WBVuEZ

About Matt Wooddy:


For the last five years, Matt Wooddy has used his social wizardry to completely turn around the online presence of over 200 brands. Understanding that social media is more than just a place to promote your business, he uses personal interaction and entertaining messages to improve the branding and interest of any given company.


Click here to register for FREE (12-26-12 at 12:30pm EST):
http://bit.ly/WBVuEZ

New for 2013: Google Plus Hangouts On Air

There has been a lot of speculation this year about whether or not Google Plus (G+) will take off as an important social media channel or if it will be Google’s fourth social network failure. Despite a general lack of interest from the typical Internet user, online marketers are pretty enthusiastic about the possibilities of G+ and more and more companies and agencies are starting to take notice.  

One tool in particular that could make a huge difference for businesses is the Hangouts On Airfeature that is a part of the Google Plus platform. Similar to regular G+ Hangouts, Hangouts On Air have a host and up to 9 participants in a video chat room. The only difference is that Hangouts On Air allows you to broadcast the Hangout live to the public from your G+ account to your YouTube channel and record it. Check out this SlideShare presentation by Sue Reynolds for more on Google Plus Hangouts. One thing to keep in mind is which G+ account you are hosting from – your personal profile or a brand page?

Whatever your strategy, the possibilities for this tool are endless if you think about it. It’s essentially your own television station with no overhead costs! What ways can you think of to use Hangouts On Air in your business strategy for 2013?

Twitter Announces New Targeting Improvements for Promoted Tweets

Twitter recently announced several new targeting improvements to Promoted Tweets. These targeting features include three different matching options, negative keyword targeting, bulk importing tool (allowing you to use exported keyword lists from other search advertising platforms), and the ability to automatically match your Promoted Tweets in search to relevant and related trending topics.

If you are testing Twitter ads for your business, it is recommended to test these new features. In the end, the objective of these tools is to make your ads more relevant in an effective manner. Utilize these tools to optimize the campaigns you are running.

To learn more about these new product offerings, check out Twitter’s blog post for details.

Twitter advertising is still fairly new. Have you tested Twitter ads for your business? What has been your experience so far?

Like this post? Connect with Erika Barbosa on Google+.

Image credit: Rob Ellis'

Jay Berkowitz presents Internet Marketing for Professionals

Today's online marketing world is very user-driven, and more and more non-marketers are able to practice techniques and tricks to help them convey a real message to the intended audience. However, not every professional is utilizing the power of Internet marketing like he or she should be. Online marketing is not rocket science, and Ten Golden Rules' own Jay Berkowitz presents this week's webinar on Internet Marketing for Professionals. Whether you're a doctor, lawyer, small business owner or graphic designer, you'll learn some helpful tricks on marketing your profession in this Wednesday's new webinar.  

Click here to register for FREE (12-19-12 at 12:30pm EST):
http://bit.ly/ZDXYH4

About Jay Berkowitz:

Jay Berkowitz is an author, an educator, an International keynote speaker and an award-winning thought leader. A senior online marketing professional with over twenty years of marketing experience, Mr. Berkowitz has managed marketing departments for Fortune 500 brands: Coca-Cola, Sprint and McDonald's Restaurants, and he has developed online and offline strategies for AT&T and leading health and fitness website eDiets.com.

Mr. Berkowitz is the author of The Ten Golden Rules of Online Marketing Workbook, the Founder and CEO of www.TenGoldenRules.com, a strategic online marketing consulting business based in Boca Raton, Florida. He is the host of the Ten Golden Rules of Internet Marketing Podcast, an Adjunct Professor with the University of San Francisco Internet Marketing Course and he has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, The Business Journals and he was interviewed on FOX Business TV.
Click here to register for FREE (12-19-12 at 12:30pm EST):
http://bit.ly/ZDXYH4

One Key Takeaway for SEO in 2013

One word: Diversify.

Aside from the obvious importance of producing quality content, Dr. Pete’s blog post on SEOmoz highlights the word “diversify” as the #1 tip for SEO in 2013. Your marketing strategy has to include unique and quality content along with a rich mixture of tactics, or soon Google will catch up to your website.

What does he mean by diversify? Here is a breakdown:

1. Diversify Anchor Text
2. Diversify Your Links
3. Diversify Traffic Sources
4. Diversify Your Marketing
5. Diversify Your Point Of View

The SEO landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years. Some of the prior methods just don’t work as effectively nowadays. It is more important now than ever before to update your approach to present day SEO.

Like this post? Connect with Erika Barbosa on Google+.

Image credit: Capture Queen ™

Why You Should Rethink Your Website Design in 2013

Mashable has predicted that 2013 will be the year of responsive design. What is responsive design? It's when your website scales to the device it's being viewed on, giving each individual user the best possible experience with your site. With responsive design, flexible grids ensure that your website will look stunning no matter if it's being viewed on a tablet, smartphone, or computer.

Responsive design is becoming more and more important - for the first time since 2001, PC sales are projected to be lower than the previous year, with tablet and smartphone sales skyrocketing. It's why companies, small and large, retail or service, B2B or B2C, should all start thinking about the consumer's experience with their website. In an increasingly mobile world, a better user experience can mean a huge difference in sales. If your consumers can't make a purchase from their smartphone at the moment they're thinking about it, or if purchasing it from their smartphone is time-consuming, they may not convert later.

Is your company using responsive design on their website?

Using "Facebook Candy" to Increase Engagement

Engagement seems to be a buzzword among social media marketers who are trying to get the most interaction from fans to increase their brand visibility online. So how do you get fans to share, like and comment on your posts? Let’s focus on Facebook since this is still by far the largest social network, but realize that this can be applied across all social media sites.

One way to spark engagement is by using what we like to call “Facebook Candy” – visual images like photos and videos stand out in a users’ feed and makes them more likely to interact with your post. You can add a single photo or upload a group of photos at once into a photo album. Both are eye-catching in your fans’ newsfeeds, but clicking on a photo album requires the user to leave their newsfeed, so single photos are sometimes more effective. Types of photos you may want to post include product photos, event photos, behind-the-scenes photos and memes. Remember to add a brief comment or question with each post to help jump start the conversation.

Posting relevant videos that are humorous, educational or awe-inspiring can also generate a lot of engagement. Don’t be afraid to go out and create your own videos. Use the title and description to help make the video stand out and always include a call to action. Creating engaged users means you’re building a devoted fan base that will help spread the word about your brand or product. That’s why it’s important to craft posts that grab attention in this media-saturated world. You can raise your brand awareness and build lifelong customers by creating more effective posts with images and video.

Tell us how you engage your fans in the comments below.

InternetMarketingClub.org Presents: Extending Your Brand Using Animated Videos

Over the past few months, we've featured helpful webinars on navigating Instagram, supercharging your Twitter accounts and how to align your Facebook marketing to really deliver powerful messages to your audience. For this week's installment of the Wednesday Webinar series, boutique marketing firm Element-M's Dave Kustin stops by to present his webinar on infusing animated videos into your marketing campaign. As always, the webinar is free for everyone to register and attend, so just click one of the links below to learn more information. 

Click here to register for FREE (12-12-12 at 12:30pm EST):
http://bit.ly/XFZA2u

About Dave Kustin:

Dave Kustin, Principal of award-winning boutique agency, Element-M, has more than 15 years of experience in media, marketing and building brands. During his career, he has worked with media giants like MGM, Sony, and Comcast, as well as luxury brands, consumer packaged goods, software, professional services firms and numerous start-ups. In addition to being a culinary school graduate, Dave holds a bachelors degree in Communications from Florida International University and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business at Nova Southeastern University. Dave’s work has not only produced awards and been featured in books, but more importantly has led to increased sales for his clients and greater brand recognition. Those are the best awards of all.

Click here to register for FREE (12-12-12 at 12:30pm EST):
http://bit.ly/XFZA2u

LinkedIn’s Annual Top 10 Most Overused Profile Buzzwords

How “creative” is your LinkedIn profile? Your profile is intended to distinguish your skill-set from other professionals. Are you truly accomplishing this?

LinkedIn released their annual list of the top 10 most overused profile buzzwords. Despite adding 50 million new members since the last analysis, “creative” topped the list again.

Here is the top 10 list for the United States:

1. Creative
2. Organizational
3. Effective
4. Motivated
5. Extensive Experience
6. Track Record
7. Innovative
8. Responsible
9. Analytical
10. Problem Solving

Do any of these buzzwords sound familiar? Take a moment to review your profile to ensure it doesn't heavily reflect these overused words.

Like this post? Connect with Erika Barbosa on Google+.

Image credit: TheSeafarer

Instagram Declares War

For those who may not yet have heard, Instagram has cut support for Twitter cards. What does that mean? It means that now hundreds of thousands of Instagram photos will stop properly displaying on Twitter. It seems a huge step backwards from the accessibility and happily synchronized social media services that we, the users, have become accustomed to. Instead of making things better, Instagram has purposefully made things worse.

But why? It seems that the decision might be tied to Facebook's Instagram purchase - and Twitter is a large and growing rival for the social media giant. Teens are leaving in mass exodus for Twitter now that they have to be Facebook "friends" with their parents, grandma, and boss - and Twitter offers a new social sphere that isn't yet completely dominated by adult control. In addition, Twitter has been working on its own set of photo filters - ones that could rival Instagram.

Only one question now: will there be a social media war in the near future?

Awesome internet stats - Mary Meeker's State of the Internet - Year End Edition

Mary Meeker from Kleiner Perkins has become the defacto tracker of all stats internet, mobile and online. Here is her 2012 year-end State of the Internet.

The highlights for me from the presentation:

- 29% of US Adults now own a tablet or eReader (slide 2)

- 48% of kids 6-12 want an iPad for Christmas (slide 13)

- 24% of Black Friday shopping was on mobile or apps, up from 6% 2 years ago (Slide 18)

- Windows is down from 96% share to 35% (Slide 24)

- More smartphones and tablets were shipped than PC's (Slide 25)

- Encyclopedia Britannica went out of print in 2012 (slide 30)

- Evernote (Always synched multi-device), no stat here I just love Evernote. In fact I wore my Evernote shirt to the gym this morning (Slide 36)

- Khan Academy and others 'Anyone/Anywhere/Anytime learning' (Slide 50)

- Yelp had 33 Million user-generated reviews up 49% (Slide 56)

- Asset-Light services: Pandora, Netflix, Zipcar, TaskRabbit, Amazon Textbook Rental, Square, eLance (Slides 61-75)

And here is a link to the slides.

Using Hashtags for Branding

Originally posted by awkwardimages.com

A few weeks ago, we revealed the mystery of hashtags to explain what they are and how to implement a hashtag strategy on Twitter. But did you know that hashtags are also very useful for other social media sites, such as Instagram, Pinterest and Google+? They are becoming so popular, one couple recently named their newborn daughter Hashtag!

You use hashtags on other social networking sites in much the same way you do on Twitter. Simply add a # symbol in front of the word or phrase you wish to tag (without spaces) in your post. You can also add hashtags to words in comments, although you must be the original poster for this to work on Instagram.

So how can your brand benefit from using hashtags? You can run a promotion asking users to upload photos of your product or from your event with a specific hashtag and use the content in later promotions. (See this Mashablearticle for some examples of branded hashtag contests on Instagram). The best thing about hashtags is that you can be really creative in coming up with ways to use them for your brand – and let your fans get really creative with the implementation!

Please share your hashtag success stories with us in the comments below.