Web Marketing Strategies, SEO, Social Media Marketing, Podcasting

I’ve been so busy writing my social media marketing book (due out this spring) that I didn’t get around to blogging my web marketing predictions for 2009. Turns out there are several good predictions, none better than Online Marketing 2009 Predictions from Hubspot.

Peter Caputa of Hubspot makes some very compelling points. I won’t steal his thunder. You should read his post. I will however offer a complementary point of view.

Peter’s predictions revolve around the rapidly evolving changes in web marketing. He says:

• Business blogging will grow
• SEO consultants will deliver leads, not rankings
• Marketing software is a must

I agree with all three points with this to add…Effective marketing in 2009 is a paradigm shift.  I even argue it’s a mindset change. Even in a weak economy all businesses must continue to market. No one disagrees with that. The question is how do you make the most of your marketing budget in 2009?

In most industries buyers turn to the web to find products and services they need.  Marketers need to commit to a strategy that whole-heartedly allows them to be found on the web with effective engagement strategies.

Notice I didn’t say that marketers need to commit to being found in search engines with an effective conversion strategy. Marketers want qualified buyers coming to their doorstep.  To do this a whole-hearted strategy is needed of producing a lot of great content which can engage prospective buyers on the web no matter the platform - search engines, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, industry blogs, industry social networking sites, etc., etc.

Notice I said whole-heartedly, not half-hearted. Pete points out the cost of an SEO consultant is several thousands per month. That’s because an effective SEO strategy requires creating and optimizing a lot of content. It’s not just about optimizing for search engines. SEO in 2009 is about optimizing for the web. That takes a whole-hearted commitment, not a half-hearted commitment.

Software platforms like those mentioned by Pete are also important just like CRM and accounting software is important.  Measuring results requires tools and technologies coupled with smart strategies.

A whole-hearted commitment to ongoing content development for communities of people across the web is a must for effective web marketing success in 2009.

The only question this raises is should we change our company name to Find and Engage?

Bernie Borges
@berniebay

Tags: @berniebay, business blogging, Hubspot, marketing software, SEO consultants, Twitter

One of the most exciting developments in 2008 was the rapid growth of Twitter.  Much has been written about it. Hubspot recently released their first annual State of the Twittersphere Q4 2008 report. Shel Israel is writing a book called Twitterville which I look forward to reading. In his forthcoming book Shel profiles several brands and individuals using Twitter in their business such as Zappos, Rubbermaid and Scott Monty of Ford Motor Company. Visit Shel’s blog for more details and to keep tabs on the book’s progress and availability.

In addition to some great reading on the impact of Twitter on our culture and society mentioned above I want to offer some thoughts of my own.  The following list is not based on any scientific research.  Rather this list is based on my gut instincts. In other words, this list is just my humble opinion.

You just might be addicted to Twitter if you….

• Load Twitter first thing in the morning before you check your email.
• Tweet something as the last waking moment before you go to bed.
• When you meet someone for the first time after asking their name, the next question you ask is if they follow you on Twitter.
• The next question you ask this new person is how many followers they have.
• You check your Twitter Grader daily.
• You check your Twitter following growth daily (or hourly).
• You feel lame if you haven’t Tweeted in an hour.
• You always Tweet what you’re doing where ever you are.
• You look at people who don’t use Twitter as aliens from another planet.
• You can’t remember life before Twitter.
• You have grown to hate email because you’d rather use Twitter.
• You review every new Twitter application as soon as it’s available.
• You post more than 100 Twitter updates per day.
• You feel compelled to reply to every one of Chris Brogan’s Tweets.
• You check Twitter names just to see if they are available.
• You dream up new Twitter names just because.
• You revise your Twitter profile once per week.
• You change your Twitter picture once per week.
• You dream up ways to talk about Twitter with your non-Twitter friends.
• You are seriously considering ditching your non-Twitter friends if they don’t get on Twitter.
• You invent new Twitter vocabulary all the time.
• When you visit a website you look for their Twitter identity.  If you don’t find one you think less of the company.
• Your significant other accuses you of spending more time with people on Twitter whom you’ve never met than you spend with him or her.
• No matter how many Twitter followers you have, you’re never satisfied.
• You have a separate calling card just with your Twitter identity. You’ve been handing out that card more than your regular business card recently.
• You haven’t been responsive to people calling your name because you prefer to be called by your Twitter name.
• You get the shakes if your mind draws blank and you can’t think of something to Tweet about.
• When you attend business meetings, you send and reply to Tweets from your mobile device.
• Your mobile device buzzes non-stop because you have enabled the device setting for most of the people you follow on Twitter.

You are really addicted to Twitter if you have set up one or more additional Twitter identities so you can lead a secret double or triple life.

This is a partial list of attributes of Twitter addiction.  If you or someone you love suffers from Twitter addiction, please seek help.  There must be other signs of Twitter addiction not listed here.  I encourage you to add them so you can help someone who suffers from Twitter addiction.  Please add to this list in the comments section below.

BTW, are you following me on Twitter?

Bernie Borges
@berniebay

Tags: @berniebay, Hubspot, Shel Israel, Twitter, Twitter Grader

 

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In this brief year end podcast I reflect on our 2008 podcasts and look ahead to 2009.

In 2008 Chuck Palm and I have brought you podcasts on SEO, paid search marketing and social media marketing trends. We always strive to bring you web marketing content that helps marketers create actionable strategies for measurable results.

In 2009 we’ll bring you more of the same as well as interviews with interesting guests. In February I’ll begin podcasting content from my forthcoming book: Marketing 2.0: Bridging the Gap Between Seller and Buyer on the Social Web.

Best Social Media Podcasts in 2008

On December 21st, social media strategist Lee Odden posted a list of the best podcasts on social media of 2008 on his popular TopRankBlog. I’m proud to say that the Find and Convert podcast is on this list!  Please visit this list and please vote for the Find and Convert podcast. I will greatly appreciate your support!

Thank you for your loyalty in 2008.  I wish you many blessings this holiday season.  And, I wish you blessings of health and prosperity in 2009.

I look forward to reaching out to you with our first podcast of 2009 in a couple of weeks!

Cheers,

Bernie Borges
@berniebay

Tags: @berniebay, best social media podcasts, Chuck Palm, Lee Odden, Marketing 2.0 book, Podcasts, social media marketing, TopRankBlog

Sharing…

Why beat around the bush? The Christmas holiday season is a time to share and give. And, isn’t that one aspect of social media that we all enjoy?

The most prolific social media people are always sharing. They share their thoughts, their expertise, links to great content and their time. When Christmas time rolls around isn’t it natural for those of us who actively use social media to also share with those who don’t have our good fortunes?

In this blog post I want to recognize three recent examples of social media people who are setting an example. The reason I’m singling them out is because there are probably many others out there and I want others who know them to recognize them by adding them to the comments area.

The reason I want to recognize them is partially to give them thanks. But, mostly I want to use them as inspirational examples. We know the social power of the web. We use the social web to connect and to market ourselves. We regularly share links to content. Let’s use these links as inspirations and personal challenges to do great things for needy people.

As the world around us reels from economic hardships among other hardships, each of us can do something to help others. No matter how small, every little bit is a help to someone.

Let’s look at these examples for inspiration:

Your Donations Really Made a Difference: A few days ago Chris Brogan raised $1,200 in donations by putting out a challenge to his Twitter followers to make a difference. Chris is adding $700 of his own money to buy “really big” toys for underprivileged kids. Chris humbly says “You did this…You made it possible for me to pick up several carts full of toys” as he gives credit to his friends on the social web. Way to go Chris for showing leadership and caring!

A month ago Epic Change a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization run by Stacey Monk ran a two day donation campaign in the 48 hours preceding Thanksgiving. Stacey assembled a group of volunteers to organize Tweetsgiving. This event raised more than $10,000 to build a school building in Tanzania. Way to go Stacey for boldly blazing a new trail on Twitter!

In October, JD Rucker wrote a blog post: With Great Social Media Power Comes Great Responsibility. JD is calling on the companies in social media and their executives to give back to the needy.

I don’t want to give you the impression that I believe you aren’t already generous with your giving. I merely want to point out the power of social media. No disrespect to Chris Brogan, Stacey Monk or JD Rucker, but you don’t have to be Bill Gates to make a difference.

Rather than sit by, these people just to name three, are stepping out and taking action. They are inspiring all of us to take action.

Last week I provided pro bono social media strategy advice to Meet the Need a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. After that experience I was inspired to do more of it. I will stay close to Meet the Need because it can reach so many people and because I’m in a position to help.

This time of year calls more attention to the needy. My challenge to all my friends on the social web is to share and give of yourself all year long.

I invite you to offer your comments and tell us who else you know on the social web that is taking action to share with the needy.

@berniebay

Tags: Chris Brogan, Christmas, Epic Change, JD Rucker, Meet the Need, social web, Stacey Monk, Tweetsgiving, Twitter

 

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I recently blogged about SEO becoming SMO. Call me fickle but in this podcast I suggest that SEO should become SO (search optimization). Whichever acronym you prefer, this is a healthy debate.

The demand for SEO services is at an all time high. A recent survey from B2B Online survey says that nearly one third of B2B marketers will spend more on marketing in 2009. 42% will remain unchanged in their marketing budgets. 62% said customer acquisition was their highest priority. The highest increase in marketing budget allocation in 2009 is going to online activities including search (50%) and social media (46%).

Given this trend of “search” and “social media” why do we still call search “SEO?” The answer is simple. It’s an entrenched term. Have you ever noticed that when a musician has a new release it’s still called a new album? But, it’s not an album, it’s a CD. The point is obvious. Some old terms just don’t die.

The point in this podcast is we should consider pulling “engine” out of search optimization. Searching on the web is no longer the sole domain of search engines. Buyers have the easy ability to visit all kinds of sources on the web to find information.

People who search on the web are still finding information from search engines as well as from other sources such as Technorati, Blogsearch.Google, DIGG, Stumbleupon, Slideshare even Twitter as well as vertical industry web destinations with blogs and other links to credible sources of information.

A related factor to this trend is the “social” culture of the social web. Users create content and express opinions about products and services. These contents and opinions shape buyer’s opinions and their decisions as they get shared prolifically on the social web. The interaction that occurs on the social web is dynamic compared to a search engine result.

I don’t expect SEO as we know it to dramatically change tomorrow. But, there are changes coming from Google in 2009. They recognize the shift in content on the social web and will display results of all kinds, not just websites. The websites with rich media will get the best results in Google and other search engines.

You could say that Google doesn’t just view their competitors as Yahoo! and Microsoft. They understand that people can get answers to their searches from many other sources on the web. So, like the old cliche goes rather than fight it they are joining the movement.

The point of this podcast theme: SEO becomes SO is that buyers are looking for information on the web, not only in search engines. Buyers get their information from various sources on the web. The culture or mindset of searching on the web has shifted and will continue to shift.

Have a listen to this podcast. Do you think I’ll get on Larry King or Anderson Cooper talk shows due to my radical suggestion?

I’m sure you have an opinion on this topic. Many people do…Let’s hear your opinion below.

@berniebay

Tags: DIGG, Google, SEO, Slideshare, social web, StumbleUpon, Technorati, Twitter

When Mike Volpe of Hubspot first mentioned on Twitter and on Hubspot TV that they were producing a “viral video” I couldn’t help but wonder: “What to do you mean Mike? A video is considered viral only after it goes viral. The people decided if it’s viral. You can’t just call it a viral video until it goes viral.”

I guess Mike has a crystal ball. Here are the top five reasons why the Hubspot viral video rocks!

5) The people in the video are real Hubspot employees. There is not one paid actor in the video. The whole production was done in-house. It’s authentic, not Hollywood.

4) It’s hilarious. When the team popped up from their desks to play instruments to accompany the lead singer, I laughed. Come to think of it, I laughed through most of the video. Humor is always one of the best characteristics of a viral video.

3) The Hubspot team did a great job spreading the word about the upcoming video through Twitter, their blog, Hubspot TV and webinars for weeks prior to the event. They created anticipation for the video. When they launched it on the 8th, they likewise spread the word through online chatter.

2) The video has intensity to it. In the opening scene when the boss (Mike Volpe) slams down a command to the cold caller, the mood is set for the video. Throughout the rest of the video the intensity and the action is high. I can really feel the frustration from the lead character in the video. She is passionate about her disdain for cold calling and her desire for inbound marketing leads.

1) It speaks truth. The message focuses on bringing leads to the sales team using SEO, SEM, blogs, Twitter, RSS enabled content and other forms of great content on the social web. This is the absolute truth!

One more reason this video rocks. It ranks #1 in YouTube for the keyword “marketing.”

I guess Mike Volpe knew all along this video would go viral. I suppose the sales staff at Hubspot is pretty busy handling all the new sales leads. Way to go Hubspot!

If you haven’t seen the video, here it is…

Tags: Hubspot, Inbound Marketing, SEO, social web, Twitter, viral video

I argue that SEO is becoming social media optimization (SMO). We devote a lot of attention to details to gain high rankings in search engines. Of course, this process is known as organic search engine optimization. But, when people search on a keyword in a search engine are all the search results limited to web pages? No!

A new organic SMO strategy is all about being found on the web by people who want your products or services. It’s great to be found by people doing a Google search. But, I don’t want to limit relevant traffic to my website only to those doing a Google search. I also want people to visit my website who are engaged in online conversations on the social web and visit it simply because of a referral by someone or a link from interesting content on the social web.

When I study my website analytics over the past 30 days I see the top referral source is Google organic, followed by a recent link building blog post on Hubspot and referrals from Twitter and Facebook.

How do I work at organic SEO? I still focus on relevant content and all the SEO basics pertaining to search engine friendly website architecture and organic link building strategies. These SEO fundamentals help get Google rankings which are still very important and very desirable.

But, as evidenced above Google is not the only valid referral source of traffic to my website.

When I find good content on the web I share it with others. On average for every 10 links to good content that I share, 9 of them are links to interesting articles from social media industry experts such as Hubspot, Lee Odden, Andy Beal, Paul Dunay and Chris Brogan among others. About 1 out of 10 links that I share are to my own blog posts because I sincerely believe that I provide interesting content too. I can say this with humility based on comments received from people on the social web.

The point I’m making is that organic optimization on the web is not limited to being found in search engines. Marketers who focus all their attention to being found in Google are potentially limiting their traffic.

This is more true in some industries than others. But, in most industries you’ll find people having online conversations, sharing links to content and generally engaged in communities on the social web. If your organic web strategy includes being engaged and found by these communities then it qualifies as a social media optimization (SMO) strategy.

So what’s your organic web strategy?

Tags: Andy Beal, Chris Brogan, Hubspot, Lee Odden, Paul Dunay, SEO, SMO, social media strategy, social web

 

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This podcast is a brief introduction to Bernie Borges’ forthcoming book: Marketing 2.0: Bridging the Gap Between Seller and Buyer. Targeted publish date April 2009.

So, what exactly do I mean by Marketing 2.0?

Marketing 2.0 is a play on words on which parallels Web 2.0. As you know Web 2.0 allows for an interactive experience on a web site (blog, social network, podcast, wiki, etc.)

In Marketing 1.0 we interrupt, we intrude, we disrupt our prospective buyers through various advertisements, direct mail, email messages and cold calls. Marketers have tried for decades in 1.0 to interrupt the buyer in hope of getting a message across with a call to action. Then, if we get a 1% response to our interruptive marketing, we think we’re doing well!

Some forms of Marketing 1.0 can be effective, such as advertising on the side of a shuttle bus at a convention to a targeted audience. Or, some banner advertising can be effective in a very niche industry website. If you are a supplier in a narrow niche and there are good niche portals in your industry this can be an effective marketing strategy.

But even effective 1.0 marketing should be supported with 2.0 strategies comprised of great content on blogs, podcasts and other social web platforms where you can engage in two way conversations.

Marketing 2.0 shifts all the power to the consumer (the buyer). It’s a paradigm shift. I argue it’s even a mindset shift. The power is no longer in the hands of the marketer. The buyer has the ability to engage in conversations on the web with others who share common interests to learn, research and hear from others about products and services of interest. The buyer can learn about a company whose product is being considered, the industry trends, employees, the people of influence, etc. Before a buyer makes a purchase decision he/she has an unparalleled ability to hear from others who have made a similar purchase decision.

Then, how can marketers influence buyers in a world of social interaction on the web?

Through a Marketing 2.0 mindset!

As marketers we have to be aware of this shift of power and engage our buyers in sincere and authentic conversations. A conversation is two way. We need to speak with, not talk (shout) at them.

In the old 1.0 world marketers blasted messages out. Marketing 2.0 is speaking with your buyer in conversations, getting engaged and listening to them.

For example I heard a story about how Paul Colligan was flying somewhere on a Southwest Airlines flight and his flight was canceled. He posted a comment on Twitter (his Twitter name is @colligan) about his frustration and when he eventually landed on the other side, Southwest Airlines had contacted him through the web (on Twitter) to say “we heard you and we want to make it right.” Kudos to Southwest Airlines for listening and taking action quickly! Paul Colligan then Tweeted about the positive reaction he got from Southwest Airlines. In the end, Southwest Airlines got good exposure for their swift action, not in the media but on the social web (which I argue is the new media but that’s the subject of a future blog post).

Too many people view the web as a one way communication experience. However, social media allows us to have two way communication through engagement. For example, if you have a comment to add about this podcast/blog post you can leave comments below.

All companies of all sizes have the opportunity to get engaged and listen to their prospective buyers using Marketing 2.0 strategies.

Are you using Marketing 2.0 strategies?

Bernie Borges
@berniebay

Tags: @berniebay, marketing 2.0, Podcasts, social media, social web, Southwest Airlines, Twitter, Web 2.0

Most of us know the history of Thanksgiving. It’s admirable that we stop to give thanks once each year in the form of a national holiday. For many of us it makes us think about how much we have to be thankful for even in the face of hardship and uncertainties for many.

This year there is one charitable cause on Thanksgiving I want to highlight, not because it is more special than others. All charitable causes are admirable. This one demonstrates the power of social media and the hearts of people who use social media.

Epic Change is a charitable organization using Twitter as a platform to raise funds to build a classroom in Tanzania. They created a Twitter stream using #tweetsgiving which allows anyone in the world to follow the comments of people on Twitter about this charitable cause. It also allows us avid Twitter users to spread the word to our network (following) and point them to this Twitter stream conversation about a worthy cause.

Most notable is the Tweetsgiving website which is where the fund raising takes place during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

I sincerely believe the vast majority of people generally want to help those in need. Thanksgiving is a time where that innate quality is even more pronounced.

It’s very worth noting that users of social media are passionate about using the social web as a platform for benevolant reasons as much as any other reason.

Social media users understand the power of word or mouth (WOM) online. It is second nature to us to promote good content, and good content during the Thanksgiving holiday is a worthy cause such as Tweetsgiving.

My hope is that you take two points away from this brief blog post:

1) If you haven’t contributed to Tweetsgiving, please consider it (even after Thanksgiving).

2) Social media is a world wide platform where great causes can be achieved.

I wish you a blessed Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Cheers,

Bernie Borges
http://twitter.com/berniebay

Tags: Epic Change, social media, Thanksgiving, Tweetsgiving, Twitter

At the annual SEO geek-fest at Pubcon last week, there was a lot of buzz over predictions for 2009. Specifically, SEO guru Bruce Clay made some predictions about changes he expects to see from Google. Additionally Matt Cutts from Google went on camera and gave us his insights into what we might expect to see from Google.

Here are some of the highlights and my take on these predictions.

Getting Personal

We don’t have to wait until 2009. Google launched GoogleWiki yesterday. You now have the ability to personalize your search results by editing out irrelevant search results, moving around your favorite rankings and even adding some. Google will remember this so your future search results will be more relevant. You can also comment on search results similar to commenting in a blog. You must be signed into your Google account. The idea is to get more personalized results when you search in Google. But, beware the rankings people see will no longer be exactly the same or predictable. Search engine rankings can vary from one person to another due to this personalization capability.

Google has enough history on your IP and search history that it will serve you relevant results based on your location and your search history. If you search for a bank and you’re located in Florida, you’ll get different results than the person searching for a bank who is located in Michigan.

Rich Media Content is King

Google’s Universal Search approach to presenting search results is evolving. If you provide your visitors a diversified mix of content including images, voice, video and interactive functions like RSS widgets Google will reward this mix of content. Universal search results present searchers with options to view results not limited to web pages including those shown below from SearchEngineLand.

Comparative Ranking Sources Expand & Blending No Longer Subtracts

When Universal Search launched, comparative ranking ran against these vertical or specialized search engines as well as web search:

1. Web Search
2. Book Search
3. Images
4. Local/Maps
5. News
6. Video

Since around December, Google says two more vertical search engines have been added to the list:

1. Blog Search
2. Product Search

What Does This Mean to Marketers?

Ah, this is the question of the day. First, it means that we need to be thinking about our content strategy. We need to plan to offer our audience a diversified mix of content. Text content alone will not cut it in the long run for competitive keywords. Content such as images, video, audio, widgets, PDFs, blogs, wikis, etc., offer visitors a richer experience than just plain text content. In essence Google wants to reward marketers who give their site visitors a rich media content experience.

What Does This Mean to SEO Services Firms like Find and Convert?

SEO services firms need to be marketers first and foremost and SEO geeks secondly. We need to focus on driving qualified sales traffic to your website and tracking conversions and the real business value of your overall SEO program. Rather than tracking search engine rankings, we need to track business results. Some of the metrics we’ve tracked in the past will need to change with more focus on business results.

This will force some SEO services firms to change their business model to deliver tangible value to their clients. I don’t expect this to be a major problem for most SEO firms except perhaps those whose background is very technical with limited marketing expertise.

I have a high opinion of the vast majority of my peers in the SEO industry. Whenever I attend an industry event such as Pubcon I am always impressed with the quality of people I meet. So, I am optimistic that SEO firms will generally continue to be valuable resources to their clients.

Are you ready for the evolution of SEO in 2009? It’s already started. So, the time to get ready is yesterday.

Bernie Borges

http://twitter.com/berniebay

Tags: GoogleWiki, Matt Cutts, Pubcon, SearchEngineLand, Universal Search