How Online Marketing Will Change in 2011

Technology and the ways we use it are constantly changing. Online marketing will change in 2011, and it is important that business owners monitor these changes to stay competitive this year.

Mobile marketing will continue to grow in 2011. The success of Foursquare and use of Facebook Places indicates that mobile marketing and offline marketing will integrate to provide customer reward programs. The increasing use of mobile devices, inexpensive RFID chips and credit card integration will make this process easier to manage.

Social media will change this year. While its usage may not increase, companies will place a greater emphasis on social media than they did in the past. It will focus more on creating a culture that engages customers. Social media will change the way that many people conduct business.

SEO has been thrown around for the past few years, but it will become even more important in 2011. More companies are taking advantage of optimized websites. Small businesses gain a particular advantage by choosing to optimize their websites to certain key search terms that showcase their products and services. Along with increasing SEO, more businesses will choose to invest in online marketing. An online presence is now necessary for the survival of any business, and more energy will be placed in the Internet.

The use of metrics and measurements that gauge the effectiveness of online marketing will rise in 2011. This began last year and will continue to increase in the future as more people strategize their online presence and creating marketing models with measureable achievements. However, the ability of companies to track their progress may become harder as privacy issues take center stage. Government policies may intervene and make tracking more difficult.

More companies will integrate their websites with social media. They will add features of social media to their web designs. This will allow them to control their brands while engaging their customers on a personal level. As websites develop, shopping online will change. Customer feedback and algorithms will streamline online shopping and improve the experience.

Online publishing will increase as the cost of printing becomes unsustainable. Many publishers will endeavor to do more online, and the shift will be difficult. This year will test the staying power of most publishers.

Email List Mistakes

Company email lists are fast becoming a common business practice. When done correctly, they are useful tools that allow you to stay in close contact with your customers. However, many small businesses fail to benefit from a successful email list because they make common mistakes.

Forgetting to ask people for their email addresses is a mistake that most small business owners make; even companies with Facebook and twitter accounts make this mistake. Email lists are much more cost-effective and useful at communicating with customers directly than any other marketing method. Along with directly asking for email addresses, websites need to have clear email list opt-ins. The opt-ins should be visible and not buried in the back of the webpage.

When requesting email addresses, be consistent. Make sure that employees understand the importance of requesting as many email addresses as possible. Provide them incentives for gathering information, and train them in the appropriate techniques. As important as it is to gather email addresses, it is equally important to keep customers happy. If a customer does not want to share any personal information, tell your employees not to force the situation. Harassing a person for his or her email address will only create tension and possibly cost you business. Try creating a script for employees to follow that is informative and low pressure.

When asking customers if they want to join an email list it is essential to provide them with a valuable exchange. In an age when identity theft is rampant and inboxes are spammed with useless information, people need to know what signing up for an email list will do for them. Inform your customers about the many benefits that the email list will provide. For example, tell them about any money that they will save. It is also important to promise not to spam people, and then do not spam them. Unless you already agree to sell customer information, promise them that you do not share their information with anyone else. Often, people opt-out of email lists because they do not trust companies to keep their personal information secure and confidential.

Submitting Your Website To Yahoo: The Basics

If you have an e-commerce website, a company website (or really any type of website in which you'd like to attract more visitors), you will typically rely upon search engine crawlers to find and rank your site. However, an additional method utilized in order to have your site rank in a specific category for various search terms is to use website directories.

Yahoo is easily one of the most popular website submission directories, and as such, it is inundated with thousands of requests each day, which obviously causes your website submission to be delayed, sometimes for months.

Delays aside, HOW you submit your website is what counts. You will want to ensure that you are placed in the proper category, or your website is liable to fall into the abyss of websites that never get found due to poor placement. There are a large number of specific categories to choose from, however, so finding one that best fits your website shouldn't be a problem.

Additionally, Yahoo will ask you for a short description of your website. Choosing the proper keywords here can be critical, as they can help you rank higher than other websites within a specific category.

You can also pay to be included within the Yahoo directory, which ensures you a quicker response. Paying does not increase your chances of receiving a higher ranking.

SEO within your site will still play an important role regardless of whether your site has been approved by Yahoo into their directory or not. Strong SEO will help you rank higher on Yahoo, both within directory categories and for organic search results.

SEO: True Facts For SEO Success

Everyone wants to rank high on search engines. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a frequently used term, but SEO success is difficult to obtain and there are many myth circulating on the subject. However, understanding the facts related to SEO will increase the chances of success.

The most important aspect of SEO writing is content. A badly written entry will not compensate for a search term appearing frequently. You should always consider your reader. Your ranking on a search engine will not help your business if your audience cannot understand the content. Besides, a link can fall in ranking if the readers do not share the link and generate further hits.

Word counts are another fact to consider when developing SEO content. There is a rumor that blog content needs to be 450 words and that a new post needs to be added each day. The truth is, however, that the word count should fit the content. There is no magic word count, although people are more likely to read short and concise entries over long rambling pieces. Include at least two keywords placed throughout the content to increase the chances of SEO success.

Research can definitely separate your SEO content from the crowd. There are two ways to research key words: long tail and short tail research. Long tail research is useful for targeting a particular market and will allow you to choose the most effective key words available.

Be careful about your inbound and outbound links. Links can increase your presence online and lend authority to your content. Choosing the appropriate links for your content will enhance your visibility and increase the number of hits you have which is the point of SEO in the first place.

Writing and posting SEO content is not enough to guarantee success. Social networking sites are essential to getting content noticed. People often share links and content through social networking sites. Promote your content on as many social media platforms as you can. Using this technique will help you find referrals, increase your lead generation and promote recognition of your content and your company.

Successful LinkedIn Marketing Strategies

Social networks are useful for doing more than socializing. Networks such as LinkedIn act as a helpful marketing strategy to help businesses increase their client base. There are, however, ways to ensure that your LinkedIn marketing strategy is successful.

The first step is to determine your target market. Identify people whom you need to make connections with, and locate them. Search for these contacts directly and also look through the networks of your existing contacts. Once you locate your customers, identify your objectives. For example, the objective may be to increase your network or increase your client base. This will require a different plan of action than simply creating business recognition.

Look for relevant connections to add on LinkedIn based on your market and objectives. Inviting people to join your network is not always straightforward. There is a standard introduction line with LinkedIn, but it might be helpful to personalize your introduction to contacts. Unless you are adding a close friend, remind people of who you are and how you met.

Take the time to build strong relationships with your connections. Staying connected with people will breed trust and enhance the business relationship. When doing this, remember to be genuine. People usually do not react well to a simple sales pitch. They are more likely to trust someone they can relate to. Personalize your connections by exporting their information in order to make it easier for you to keep track of important contact information as well as remembering birthdays and other important dates.

Your profile allows you to stand out. Make sure that your profile is professional and creates a good impression. It is also helpful to include SEO keywords in your profile. Use LinkedIn Answers to develop a rapport with your connections and future customers. The polls connected with these questions include everyone in your network. This is an effective way of indirectly communicating with your contacts.

If you join a professional Group, you will be notified of any group discussions. Adding professional and insightful opinions will allow you to increase your credibility and establish your reputation in front of potential clients.

Using Google Alerts for Marketing Trends & Strategies

Google alerts have the ability to inform you about any topic you are interested in a matter of seconds. They are useful for planning marketing trends and strategies. This tool allows you to track of different subjects, products and stories. Simply create an account and choose the keywords relevant to your subject, and have the alerts emailed to you. It is possible to

Google alerts allow you to keep tabs on the online reputation of your company as well as your own online reputation. Monitoring your personal and business name will provide you with the opportunity to make necessary changes that will draw in new customers. You can also keep track of your domain name. This way you will know who is linking to your domain and why. To track your domain name, you do not need to add the www at the beginning, but be sure to add the .com, .org etc. The same rule works for keeping an eye on your blog, if you have one. Monitoring your blog will let you know who is reading or sharing it, which will give you an idea of your target market.

Google alerts will also email you if someone is linked to any of the articles you have online. These alerts will show you who your audience is so that you can create effective marketing strategies for your demographic. Your target audience and niche market has a number of keywords associated with them, so discover what they are. Monitor these keywords to discover new trends and changes in the market. This will keep you aware of new products and allow you to develop the ideas and promotions that are necessary to give you a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Along with keeping track of your own presence online and the developing trends in your market, Google alerts are a great way to keep track of the competition. Use them to monitors the news, biographies and websites of your competitors. Keep an eye on any changes in their products or ideas. Monitoring the competition is an effective way to stay informed about the industry in general.

Why Your Facebook Marketing Strategy Isn't Working

The popularity of social networking makes advertising on Facebook a logical marketing strategy. It can compliment traditional marketing strategies and allow you to find new clients in your target area. However, many people make critical errors when they first use Facebook to market their businesses, which will limit the effectiveness of the marketing technique.

Advertising on Facebook is not free. However, if your have the budget, it is effective. Facebook is not a quick fix. Social networking takes work, and if you begin with unreasonable expectations you are sure to fail before you begin. Make sure that your goals are reasonable and attainable. Each business and user is different. Just because one person on Facebook has 1 million fans, there is no guarantee that yours will.

There is a risk of marketing a new venture on the social networking site. Specifically, any failures that the venture experience occur in a public setting, which will deter future clients. Using Facebook as a marketing strategy can only work if it is allowed to grow at its own pace. Use natural ideas to build an audience. The further that the ideas develop, the greater potential there is for expanding the audience. Facebook is able to connect with a great percentage of your audience quickly.

In order to reach your target audience it is important to understand who they are. This will help keep you from overestimating your audience. Once you know who your audience is, you will need to create a message that speaks to your audience. The message that your audience receives is an essential marketing strategy. Take the time to understand your audience and appreciate your core customers. This will allow you to frame a message that will draw supporters beyond your first supporters.

Marketing through Facebook requires time, energy and dedication. It will give back what you put into it. Over time, it is possible to grow a large audience base. There is no easy marketing strategy, and understanding your audience will keep you from creating unrealistic goals, which is the greatest mistake that people who market on Facebook typically make.