1) Search
Search is easily the most reliable, trackable and ROI focused channel for online marketing. If you are interested in showing up when people search for your products and services, then a search marketing strategy is a must. For more information on SEO and Paid Search, visit our website.

2) Blog/Digg/Tumblr/Content Marketing
Content marketing refers to the strategy around creating interesting and compelling written resources for a specific target audience.

Typically, this will include blog posts, white papers, tip sheets and many other forms of content. Content marketing can help build subject matter expertise, can increase search engine visibility and serve as a repository for social media marketing channels.

3) Facebook
Facebook pages for businesses can be very effective at improving engagement, assisting in customer relations, and providing a unique experience for customers. Facebook also offers a rich and targeted advertising that is cost-per-click. Facebook also has a nice viral component with both its “share” and “send” functionality. With over 800 million users, and 50% logging in daily, Facebook is a smart place for marketers to be.

4) Twitter
Twitter provides businesses with the opportunity to develop a relationship with their customers. Businesses have the ability to customize their Twitter page and to join lists and add photos to tweets. These features plus many others can help make Twitter a strong channel for creating a following or community around the business or products that you offer.

5) YouTube
Posting videos within a website or a social network can cause slow loading times leading to user frustration. If your business encompasses product demonstrations, customer testimonials or employee / product information sharing, YouTube may be a good fit. YouTube offers free and highly customizable channels for personal and business use.

6) Flickr
Is your company delivering products or services that are creative and visual in nature? If you are an aesthetic or visual company, Flickr is a great way to compile, organize and share your images. You can send people to your Flickr page via your website, Facebook and Twitter.

7) LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an excellent resource for companies who are in high growth mode and have a need for recruiting new talent and employees. Also, LinkedIn offers a group function as well as a Q&A section. Ask yourself and your colleagues if you will be focused on bringing in qualified candidates or if you are looking for a way to create groups or communities around a subject matter. If these strategies are important to your business, LinkedIn may be a powerful resource.

1. Create Urgency
   Utilizing tools such as Google Alerts, Social Mention or Radian6 can help monitor the social media “misses” that are most likely already happening. Frequently, we can spot missed opportunities for engagement around the brand through this listening process. Simply set up alerts for the mention of your company’s brand name or products. This will demonstrate that the conversation is already taking place.
2. Competitors
   It is very common for a company to launch a new marketing initiative solely due to the strategy of the top competitor. Sometimes the simplest way to obtain high level buy-in, is a competitive analysis.
3. Create added value with Social Media
   Unfortunately, just having a presence on Facebook and Twitter is not always valuable enough for corporations to build a team and allocate budget dollars toward social media. However, additional important targets within social media can become difference-makers. Consider opportunities such as: lead generation, hiring and recruiting, product launches, viral video opportunities, customer service and more.
4. Integrate Social Media
   C level executives and corporate marketers need to understand new media in order to allocate resources. Often, they feel overwhelmed by buzz words and lingo around social media and online marketing. If social media marketing is integrated into the overall marketing strategy, following similar company goals and processes, it can be more easily adopted. In order to do this, it’s important to create a social media policy as well as a strategic road map including company approved key performance indicators and marketing goals.
5. Track and Analyze
   Smart marketers typically utilize dashboards and data analysis. In order to obtain buy-in for social media marketing, it’s important to get the right people involved. Using tools like Google Analytics, create custom dashboards tracking social media programs in an easy to digest format. Important metrics include referring traffic from social media sources as well as engagement metrics within social sites. These dashboards can help paint the picture for social media as a marketing channel and an important part of the integrated marketing plan for the company as a whole.

1) Referral Traffic to the Website
This is a simple metric that can help understand how many new and returning visitors are getting to your website via your social media campaigns. Some marketers are focused on driving users over to the corporate website from social media sites, in order to convert those users into new customers or a leads. Google Analytics is the idea tool for this type of tracking. Simply click on Traffic Sources, then click on Sources, then Referrals. You will be able to see how much traffic comes to your site from your social networks and other top referring domains.

2) Brand Sentiment
Using tools that are readily available (and free!) can be a quick and easy way to keep track of brand sentiment. Our favorite tools for this are Google Alerts and SocialMention. Both of these tools are designed to help marketers track their brand’s mentions across the web. It’s also important to track the brand sentiment of competitors and partners. We recommend setting up benchmarks and keeping an eye on trends. Things like PR, seasonality and advertising can all be indicators in changes to brand sentiment.

3) Volume of Fans and Followers
This metric is the leading success indicator for many marketers, as they evaluate the performance of their social media marketing campaigns. In order to track this effectively, make sure to monitor the total number of Like’s (Facebook), Followers (Twitter), Subscribers (YouTube) and any other quantifiable metrics within your social programs. It’s important to look at these numbers on a consistent basis (we recommend monthly) and to look at percentage increases as well as total counts.

4) Engagement of Fans and Followers
Both Facebook and Twitter provide deep levels of engagement tracking. There are also a host of additional tools available, some free and some paid, to deepen the level of tracking within social media. Facebook Insights is a smart tool offering free detailed information regarding comments, sharing, segmenting and more. Twitter allows you to see who has re-tweeted your tweets. Third party tools offer the ability to track click thru’s to your links. A few interesting tools are Twitrratr, Hashtags.org and Klout.

5) Social Content Performance
Smart marketers recognize that there are costs and resources associated with content marketing (also referred to as earned marketing). Although these are not fixed costs, as with advertising, they can add up. It’s a good idea to keep track of how well your content is performing. This can be done using some of the tools outlined above and related to articles, tip sheets, white papers and blog posts. Keeping track of the sharing and commenting will help determine how many resources to put toward future content marketing efforts.

6) Conversion Attribution
Social Media is often used during the “browsing” phase of the buying cycle. Frequently people will need to be exposed to a product or service multiple times before purchasing. Because of this, we find that social media typically converts at a lower level than a direct response channel like search. However, we commonly see social media attributing to a final purchase which is made via another channel. This can be tracked through Google Analytics, using the Multi-Channel Funnels tab, under Conversions.

Also, there’s no denying the fact that sharing a name with the richest search engine in the world, has inherent benefits. Here are some things to consider with Google +.

1) Google + currently has four key business opportunities, including Sparks, Circles, Hangouts, and Snippets.  These allow for easy access to what is trending, segmenting content, live group chat, and sharing content/images/video.

2) Integration between Google + and search will have a large impact in online marketing.  The backbone of search marketing is content and integration.  With Google + offering increased ease of sharing content and hyper-customization for users, search results will be impacted.  Sparks, in Google + allows users to subscribe to topics by keywords.  This is expected to become a social signal for search in the future.

3) The social signal is key.  The new +1 feature from Google appears to be their social signal, similar to the Like signal used by Facebook.  The +1 feature lives in Google +, also in Google, and is now available around the web, on owned media, for maximum sharing.  In order to drive +1′s and engagement, content editors need to deliver the highest quality content.

4) Google + is crazy for mobile.  Earlier this month, Google + announced that they were rolling out improvements to their mobile strategy.  Google + has web- app- and SMS- based versions.  On their basic mobile site, they offer streamlined design, easy to use comment posting and clean people and circle view, including people search functionality.  Also, Google + has recently made Hangouts available via mobile and included Messenger for mobile, where you can post photos, share content and receive notifications.

5) Connect with You Tube.  Marketers will be able to quickly and easily integrate You Tube with Google + by going to the You Tube settings page and connecting with Google +.  Allow a bit of time for videos to transfer, but soon enough the sites will be linked.

Source: ChromatixSEO

Building Links

Like any website, getting links to your Facebook page is extremely beneficial. Every time your site receives a link, your site becomes more authoritative.  The more links that your Facebook tabs and pages receive through different sources, the more important Google will think your page is.  If possible, be sure the links are coming from popular, recognized sources, as Google will also take this into consideration.

It is also important to understand that “Likes” count as “Links!” The more people that Like and share your posts, the better the SEO value will be.  Posting things that engage users will increase the share and like using.

Optimize Your Multimedia

Optimize videos to their fullest potential by giving them good titles, both on Facebook and on sites like YouTube and Vimeo.  Videos are the easiest form of multimedia to optimize because the titles are heavily weighted in the eyes of the search engines. So make sure you’re giving your videos good titles, both on Facebook and on sites like YouTube and Vimeo.

Use your brand name in your post
Search engines crawl the content of your page. Using your brand name will help boost the SEO for name recognition. For starters, tag the text in your posts with your brand name or company to give your page an even larger SEO boost.

Use Fan Boxes

Facebook allows users to add “Fan Boxes” on your site that will feature recent posts to that your fans can see them all. This will ultimately drive traffic to your site and is a great way to engage your audience.  If you are just starting out and don’t have many fans yet, fan box has an option that allows you to show recent posts until you get over 25 fans.

Vanity URLs

Now that Facebook allows its users to have “vanity URLs,” everyone should be jumping on board.  These URLs make it easier for fans and people who like your brand to find you and your page.  When selecting your vanity URL, remember to keep your company or brand name in mind.  You want to select a name that will be easy for people to remember.

Source: Marketyourhospital.com

Below are 5 actions to avoid like the plague when engaging in social media marketing.

1. Shhh…quiet please.  If your company plans to launch a social media marketing strategy, be sure to plan ahead and allocate resources effectively.  It is crucial to set up filters and triggers for notification and moderation of user feedback.  Ignorance is not bliss, and it is detrimental to the health of your digital brand. Respond to all feedback; negative or positive.  Users have the expectation that social media is a two way street, and that their voice will be heard. They expect a timely and truthful response.  If you are wondering, “How do I keep up? There is just one of me?” Take heed that once the proper moderation tools are in place, social media should not take more than 15 minutes to an hour each day to manage properly.




2. Sell, sell sell.   No, no, no. Remember that the goal of social media should be to create a peer-to-peer, conversational community around your products and services, not to SELL your products and services.  Peddling your “stuff” is a surefire way to offend and annoy your customer base, and can have a rapid and negative impact on your brand. This is not to say you can NEVER promote your brand, but do it tastefully and tactfully.




3. No time for make believe.  Frequently appointed social media personnel will tout themselves as product experts hiding behind the curtain of a Twitter handle or Facebook page.  Your audience will see right through this tactic.  Many companies, big and small, have been burned.  I recommend that marketers involve product experts and encourage them to identify themselves. For instance, create a Twitter handle or Fan Page chat that specifically addresses questions about your product or services. Assign a time and a place for these chats to take place, on a regular basis, and have a product manager handling the designated Twitter feed.




4. Debbie Downer.  Unavoidably, users will post negative comments at times.  However, if your social space becomes a repository for complaints, people will feel more compelled to air their grievances.  If you find that the majority of user feedback is negative, try sparking new and positive conversations by asking simple questions.  People enjoy responding and joining a conversation around a topic that is of interest to them.




5. Same ol’ Same ol’.  Create a unique and engaging experience within your social sites.  If you have a Facebook presence, post different photos, videos, surveys, polls and quizzes than what will be on the website.  Users on Facebook are in a less formal mindset.  Give them an appealing reason to come back to Facebook, for updates, real-time info, live events etc.  When users visit your social presence they are expecting something distinctive from the website experience.  Don’t let them down!

Souce: Mashable

These days, search marketing is a line item on every savvy marketers budget.  However, social media marketing for business still hasn’t been accepted across the board.

My answer when asked about dipping a toe in social media marketing?  Facebook is not going away.  (This is the exact comment I had re: Google circa 2004).

The great thing about Facebook is it offers marketers the chance to be creative and reach customers in a new and different way.  If Facebook is taken too seriously, it loses its value.  If we take a more playful approach, there is less pressure.  Here are 5 reasons marketers should not get hung up on Facebook.  Instead, relax and try it.  You just might like it.

Kelly Cutler, CEO, Marcel Media

1. Set yourself up for success. Do your research up front to understand the competitive environment.  What are my competitors doing with social media and where are there gaps or opportunities?  How are customers engaging?  Also, identify how much time and resources will be needed to keep your Facebook business page fresh and engaging.  With the right tools (see #5) and team (even if it just you to start), Facebook can become very manageable.
2. Keep it light. Facebook offers a unique and casual environment for your customers and prospects to find important and timely information about your products and services.  The experience you create with your business Facebook page can stand out as less formal than the typical website experience.  This is extremely valuable when your marketing goals include creating a community around your brand or products.  Kodak is a great example of this.
3. Consistency is key. As with all marketing channels, it’s important to keep brand messaging consistent.  Facebook offers a lot of interesting ways to communicate your brand message in a new format.  Facebook applications, quizzes, polls, surveys, catalogues and videos are all examples of ways to continue building on your other marketing messages but in a more social and engaging format.
4. Less red tape. One of the biggest issues clients face is the ability to make timely updates to their website.  This can result from lack of resources or process / technical issues. Facebook offers a smart way to interact with customers regularly without having to go through a long, arduous process.  Post away.  If something does not work or is not appropriate, pull it down!
5. Easy does it. With a host of time-saving tools available for free or nominal fees, managing a Facebook business profile is easier than ever.   Free tools like HootSuite, Social Oomph, Ping.fm and Tweet Deck allow you to spend an hour on Monday scheduling posts for the entire week.  This way, Tuesday – Friday, you will only need about 15 minutes a day to check in, post anything new and relevant and respond to any comments or feedback.

With a little tweaking, many of your existing marketing tools can function as a digital sales associate (that you don’t have to pay overtime.)

Your website should always be the “hub” of any marketing campaign. It is important to make sure that your approach to social media is integrated, and incorporate social media into your website as well. So what is the secret?

Below are 4 ways effective and easy ways to apply social media tools for lead generation.

1. Frequent Blog Posts -Your company blog serves many purposes. A strong, frequent blog supports any good SEO and social media campaign. Your greatest task here will be to continually feed your blog with new, unique content. According to the “State of Inbound Marketing Survey” There’s a strong correlation between how frequently a blog posts and the amount of traffic generated.

• Businesses that post daily will generate 5 times more traffic than those that post weekly or less.
• The likelihood of acquiring a customer through your blog increases significantly the more frequently you post.
• The study found that blogs that have accumulated at least 51 posts see 53% more traffic than blogs with 20 to 50 posts.
• Additionally, blogs with more than 100 posts see 3 times the traffic, while those with over 200 posts see nearly 4.5 times the results.

2. With Twitter, Quantity and Quality Matter- Research from the Inbound Marketing Survey shows that businesses with over 1,000 followers saw 6 times more traffic than businesses with 25 or fewer followers. Additionally, those businesses with over 1,000 followers saw 5 times more leads than those with 1 to 25 followers. You may have questions about the value of a Twitter strategy, but know that 20 million Americans are on Twitter (half between the ages of 18 and 34, according to Edison Research)

3. Step Up Your Game on Your Facebook Fan Page- Interactive applications such as contest, sweepstakes, and promotions are a great way to generate new leads through Facebook. However, these applications are more likely to go viral if you have a fair amount of Facebook fans, so make sure people can find your page!

• Edison Research recently found that Facebook is the one social media site that people allow to influence their buying decisions, with 24% listing it as their first choice.
• Businesses able to grow a fanbase of 501 to 1,000 fans have 3x more traffic than those with 25 fans.
• Businesses with over 1,000 fans had 22x more traffic.
• Businesses with 501 to 1,000 fans saw 4x as many leads as those with 1 to 25 fans, and businesses with over 1,000 fans saw 12x more leads.

4. Pay Attention to User Behavior- In the Social Media Marketing Industry Report, they discovered that 51% of all Americans are on Facebook, and 46 million Americans are on social media sites multiple times per day.

• Super fans or heavy social networkers tend to be young and female. 68% of these active networkers are between the ages of 12 and 34.
• Heavy social networkers are also 50% more likely to access social networks via their mobile phones.

Source: Harper Marketing

1. Google Analytics: If you don’t already have G/A installed on your site, request the free code at google.com/analytics and add it to your site ASAP. It’s important to set up Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) and to monitor those consistently. We prefer to track Visitors, Time on Site, Bounce Rate, Conversion Rate and Goal Completion as standard KPI’s. Each site will have its own benchmarks and set of goals and objectives.

2. ClickTale: Heat map and visualization tool, ClickTale, offers valuable insights into the behavior and experience of your users. This tool (or one like it) is key to increasing conversions (ecommerce, number of leads, newsletter sign ups etc) and should be used to help track and understand what users do (or don’t do) when they land on your website. ClickTale offers mouse tracking, heat mapping and conversion tracking. There is a free trial for ClickTale and monthly packages start at around $99. www.clicktale.com

3. Website Grader: This is a free tool that offers an analysis of your website, as well as your top competitors. It will take several factors into consideration and calculate an overall score for your site. Website Grader will also give information and tips about the SEO value and the Social Media popularity of the site. www.websitegrader.com

4. Google Insights for Search: This tool is essentially a crystal ball for keyword search volume. It can be very helpful when planning and projecting the success of paid search or SEO campaigns. Simply type in a few keywords and see the trends that Google is predicting for the search volume (number of searchs) for those keywords into the future. You can also segment by geography, category, seasonality and Google properties (shopping, local, image etc). http://www.google.com/insights/search/#

5. Optimizely: The simplest and most effective CRO (conversion rate optimization) tool, Optimizely does not require a lot of technical heavy lifting to get an A/B test started. By creating experiments, the stress-free interface allows you to test small tweaks to the website (like changing the color of a button or the wording of a call to action) and see dramatic results. www.optimizely.com

6. Blogger: This free blogging tool makes it quick and easy to create and launch a blog. Blogger integrates well with your website and your analytics and is very simple to manage and keep up to date. Blogger also recently launched a mobile friendly app which optimizes your blog for mobile devices. www.blogger.com

7. Compete: Track and compare your competitor’s online performance, using this free or subscription tool. Compete also allows keyword comparisons and demographic target audience tracking.

Source: Conversionscientist.com

Social media, without question, affects the health of your brand. Tracking sentiment, as well as user interaction, will help you to customize the user experience and drive conversions. Below are several guiding steps that will help you start tracking social media ROI with Google Analytics.

1. Implementation: In order to measure the direct impact of your social media marketing, you need to ensure you’re always using campaign tracking on any links you syndicate social media sites that direct users back to your website. Adding this code is a simple but tedious process to manage at the outset. Google offers a simple URL builder tool to help create campaign tracking strings. The last piece is creating an Advanced Segment that allows you to get a breakdown of the last-click conversions that occurred as a result of your direct social media efforts.
2. Track “Last Click” Conversions: Last-click conversions are how most transactional data is reported in web analytics tools. Through this method, each conversion is attributed to the source that drove the visitor to the site (i.e. Google, Facebook, Twitter). When looking at just social media referred visitors, you’ll want to apply the Advanced Segment that was created in step one. Once applied you will see the revenue that’s generated by your direct social media efforts.
3. Social Media Assisted Conversions: This tool is not yet available for the majority of Google Analytics users as it involves multi-channel funnels, which are still in beta.  By definition, a social media assist means that the referring source wasn’t the last click, but the source did refer the visitor to the site in the 30 days prior to the conversion. Once this function is released to the masses it will provide phenomenal value for conversion attribution and sales funnels.
4. Tracking Off Site Social Media Influence: Often times social media will lead to conversions without ever referring the visitor to your site. A new customer might learn about your brand through social media, but come to your site through a search campaign or offline marketing to make the purchase. When this occurs, there’s no record in Google Analytics of social media having any impact on the conversion. To counter this, include a couple quick questions at the point of conversion. I.E. “how did you hear about us” or “what influenced you to sign up?” You will need to capture this information in Google Analytics as part of the conversion process. Use the Affiliation attribute in the e-commerce tracking to capture the answers instead of using it for its typical purpose.

Happy tracking!