Actionable Social Analytics

This recent infographic by awareness takes a dive into social analytics.  In an era where virtually every brand is online, it is essential that action is being taken off of the data we are collecting from social networks.  This infographic provides not only some of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that your company should be tracking, but how to calculate these numbers as well.  Examples of the KPI’s your company should be tracking:

• Brand Awareness Reputation
• Marketing Program Effectiveness
• Lead Generation Effectiveness

Use LinkedIn to Get Juicy Industry Scoop
LinkedIn has proven to be a great recruiting mechanism and means of connecting business professionals.  Many organizations are now using the social networking platform to gain insight into potential clients.  Sounds a little bit like stalking to me, what do you think?  Via Inc.

You’re Fired! Facebook “Likes” Gone Wrong
Should companies have a say in what their employees post on social networks on their own time?  Can these posts or “likes” be grounds for termination?  That is exactly what judges are trying to figure out based on two recent cases where employees claim they were fired for what their employers deemed inappropriate “likes” on Facebook.  Via BtoB.

Google is King of the Mountain on Mobile
comScore’s Mobile Metrix report examines mobile media usage across different devices, applications, and web browsing.  According to this report, Google is leading the pack by reaching over 98% of the U.S. mobile audience.  Via TechCrunch.

Use Social Media to Target Existing Customers
Social media can be used in a variety of ways to target new and existing customers.  Your team can take a customer centric approach which involves answering questions and solving issues.  Additionally, social networks are a great way to offer loyalty programs which encourage repeat business.  This article offers 5 great tips for using social media to target your current customers.  Via Social Media Examiner.

Online Marketing News From the Top(Rank)

Shawna Kenyon – Facebook’s Stock Price in Context
Facebook is going public, well kind of. Last Thursday they announced the release of 337,415,352 shares to hit the marketplace, making Facebook one of the most valuable US Internet companies to date.  But is Facebook really a good investment? How does the offering/pricing compare to its tech counterparts?  Check out the Infographic in this article to see how Facebook stacks up.  Via Mashable.

Brian Larson -‘Cannibalization’ Not Good For Fast Food…Or Any Other Business
To be clear, we’re talking the cannibalization of revenue. Fast food giant Wendy’s launched the ‘W’ burger last year and saw sales for the new product display consistent growth. So where’s the problem? Sales of the ‘W’ burger were rising while higher ticket items were dropping. In effect, Wendy’s had been successful in down selling their menu. Let this delicious example be a friendly reminder that just because you can launch a product doesn’t mean you should.  Via AdvertisingAge.

Mike Yanke – Google Extends Search Results with ‘Sources’ Area
Extended information about movies, books, people and music will soon start populating the third column Google results as the search giant confirmed its ‘Sources’ experiment this week.  Learn more about this experiment – and see some early screencaps – in this article posted by Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Land.

Kodi Osmond – Google, Big Data What it Means for SEO
Big data – it’s exactly what it sounds like.  Marketers have always been astutely aware of how gathering and analyzing customer data allows for relevant, impactful, and timely communications.  Google, one of the grand poobahs of big data companies, has alluded to how big big data will be for the future of search.  So is big data really the next big thing, and what big impact will it have on search marketers?  Via Search Engine Watch.

Time to Weigh in: Has your company used LinkedIn to target customers in the past?  If so what were your results?  What is your policy or preference on employees and social media usage, both personal and professional?  We look forward to your feedback on the news articles we found the most interesting this week.  Have a great weekend.

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I will begin this review with a disclaimer (marketers usually like to place it at the bottom and in small and hard to read font!). If you buy through my link, I will be getting a commission (you won’t be paying more!). After all, I’m an Internet marketer myself, and affiliate marketing is part of the business With that said, only buy from me if my Keyword Canine review adds value to your decision making process!

What is it?

Keyword Canine (we’ll call it KC from this point onwards) is a web-based software that allows you to look for profitable niches and keywords. Web-based means that it all happens in your Internet browser (Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari etc…) and that it’s going to work on both Mac and PC.

Keyword Analysis

This “Analyze” section of the Members’ Area is dedication to the competition analysis of a certain keyword phrase. The first thing you see after the software fetches all the necessary information is how easy (or difficult) it is to rank for the term you chose.

VERY EASY, EASY, MODERATE, HARD, FIERCE

Not only that, but it also “grades” the difficulty on a scale of 0 – 100. The easier it is to rank, the lower the number.

This number is calculated based on many different factors, such as the average Page Rank of the top 10 results, the lowest number of backlinks pointing to one of the pages on top 10, exact match domain name availability, AdWords advertising competition and more.

You can also see how the top 10 sites are performing on the social media level, with the focus being on the Facebook Likes, Tweets and Google +1’s. As you know, social sharing is weighing bigger and bigger in the output of search results!

It doesn’t stop here! It also shows you what anchor texts are used to link to the top 10 results (hint: fight the Penguin!), and how many links point to the specific page listed AND to all the pages of the website as well.

Get Access To Keyword Canine NOW!

Niche Finder

You will want to use this section if you don’t already know what niche you want to go after.

Very basically, it’s all “done for you”. The guys at KeywordCanine.com constantly update the “Niche” section with new keywords. There are over 5000+ niches uncovered every month, and new are added every few minutes. You have the ability to sort them out by ranking difficulty, CPC, local search volume and more. Oh, and KC also gives you the possibility to not only target the U.S. market, but also the United Kingdom, Holland/Netherlands, and France!

You are probably worried about the increase in competition once the other members browse this area as well. Well, stop worrying, as the website takes down all the keywords that are 30 days + old, meaning no one will ever see the keywords listed today, next month! Plus, the membership to KC is limited.

New Backlinks Analysis Report Generator

KC now has its own proprietary backlinks report generator. In the “Report” section, simply paste in the URL of your own, or your competitor’s URL. Click on “Create Report”. You will be presented with some really cool data.

It shows you the anchor text breakdown and the Page Rank of the page on which they are found. You will also find how many of the backlinks are NOFOLLOW and DOFOLLOW.

A feature I haven’t seen in any other keyword research tool is the “Link Depth” feature. Basically, it shows you how “deep” is the backlink situated on a website. Let’s say your build a link on a PR8 website. It doesn’t have the same value if it’s on the homepage itself compared to another page on the domain. The PR juice flows less and less the further the link is from the homepage. “Link Depth” tells you exactly that: whether the link is on the homepage, or is 1 click away, or 2 or more!

KC also makes the word count on the pages available to you. This is probably how Google Panda differentiates between a “low value” backlink and a “high value one”. With many words, the link looks more “contextual” in general. Again, I’ve seen it only in KC!

Get Access To Keyword Canine NOW!

In-built Link Builder

Once you’ve built your website, you can use the “Boost” section of KC to give you the initial push. It basically builds one-way backlinks including social bookmarking and profile backlinks and you will be emailed the report once the link building is complete.

About Data Accuracy

KC seems to take data accuracy very seriously. As far as possible, it takes its data directly from Google. It also has its own proprietary algorithm that generates its own data and finally, for the data that Google and themselves do not provide, they pull them from the top sources available.

As a developer

If you are a developer, we’ve got good news for you! You will be given access to Keyword Canine API that you will be able to use to build your own apps using the power of KC!

Updates and Compatibility

KC will never charge us for an update! Whenever one is released, they will make it automatic and seamless! Oh and yeah, we can access Keyword Canine on PC, Mac and also our beloved mobile devices

Money-Back Guarantee

Keyword Canine is so confident that their product will help you make more money, that it is offering a 30 day money back guarantee, no questions asked!

Bottomline

You’ve got nothing to lose. Give it a shot before membership closes. If you don’t like the app, ask for a refund. If you see the potential in it, quickly build your high value websites in the low competition niches and rake in the profits.

Get Access To Keyword Canine NOW!

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Marketing Deja Vu Getting You Down?

At some time or another we have all experienced that eerie sense of familiarity where we’ve “been there” or “done that” before.  Whether it is an actual memory or simply a “brain fart”, deja vu is an interesting experience.

Let’s assume for a second that deja vu is real.  If you found yourself in a situation you knew for certain you had experienced before that had ended badly would you have the tools necessary to change your course of action?  Many organizations have faced and continue to deal with “marketing deja vu” or ending up in the same situations over and over again.  What can you do to avoid making the same marketing mistakes more than once?

*Speaking of deja vu: If you are looking for additional tips on improving your marketing strategy be sure to reference the posts from the TopRankBlog archive that appear in this post.

4 Tips For Avoiding Marketing Deja Vu

#1 – Learn From Your Previous Marketing Mistakes

The best way to avoid repeating mistakes?  By learning from each experience.  Do not expect that you will have different set of outcomes from the same actions.  We must remember that marketing mistakes can mean a decrease in current customer base, as well as the loss of potential new customers.

3 Tips for Learning From Your Marketing Mistakes:

• Mistakes happen, the worst thing you can do is avoid dealing with the problem
• Move on but don’t forget the lesson you learned
• Don’t let frustration get the best of you

We All Make Mistakes:  20 Social Media Marketing Do’s Dont’s

#2 – Create A Structured Marketing Process

Errors can in large part be attributed to lack of process.  A structured process provides a framework and guideline for accomplishing your marketing goals.  Marketing process improves your ability to:

• Plan effectively for future marketing needs
• Implement Scale your marketing plan
• Test, implement, and refine marketing tactics

Implement A Process: Practical Tips to Make Your Blog More Useful Interactive

#3 – Don’t Rationalize Bad Marketing Decisions

One of the biggest mistakes we can make as marketers is to rationalize bad decisions.  It is important that we accept and face the fact that we didn’t make the best choice.  Once we’ve overcome the hurdle of admitting fault it’s time to take action:

• Focus on why a particular marketing tactic didn’t work
• Determine how your team can improve going forward
• Debrief other team members so they can avoid making the same mistakes

To Be Avoided: 4 B2B Social Media SEO Blunders to Avoid

#4 – Ask for Help Advice to Improve Your Marketing Plan

Pride should never get in the way of improving your marketing strategy.  Some of the best ideas come from where you least expect. Suggesting collaboration with other team members and influentials can:

• Help you come to a conclusion for next steps faster
• Remind you of mistakes they may have made in the past that you will want to avoid
• Provide a fresh set of eyes that may have a different perspective

Get the Help You Need: 4 Tips for Becoming A Better Influencer

Take Action

You may have heard some or all of the tips listed above prior to reading this post.  However, I want you to ask yourself:  How many of these tips has my team actually implemented and stuck with?  A good starting point to get on the right track to avoiding ‘marketing deja vu’ is to ask yourself and your team a few simple discovery questions:

• What are 3 instances in where your marketing team has made the same mistake more than once?
• Did you expect different outcomes each time the mistake was made?
• What were those expected outcomes?
• What have you done to rectify these mistakes, or adapt your process to avoid them in the future?

Remember, if you can’t answer these questions on your own perhaps you should try asking other team members.  Or you may want to consider or contacting an agency like TopRank Online Marketing to learn how you can attract and engage current and prospective customers by avoiding common marketing mistakes.

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I have been involved in weight loss and fitness related researches and projects for quite some time, and lately, I have been doing quite a lot of SEO and Internet Marketing for a couple of websites. And even though I wouldn’t rate myself as an authority on any of these topics, I can still brag about half a decade of research and reading on these topics. And one thing I’ve found true with both of these fields (i.e. weight loss and Internet Marketing) is that the Internet is beset with loads and loads of misinformation and half-baked theories coming from self-acclaimed experts. To say it in the most uncontroversial manner, there are quite some misperceptions and confusions when it comes to an internet marketing methods that deliver as well as a weight loss regime that works.

They say experience is the best teacher (and a very strict one too), and all my years as a close observer has taught me some lessons, and the best part is, these lessons have stood the test of time, regardless of how many updates Google makes. Keep on reading to find the lessons. Rest assured, they will continue to benefit you throughout your career.

Don’t Look Out for The Short Cuts

I can’t comprehend why so many weight loss and Internet Marketing experts are making it sound as easy as ABC. If reaching your weight loss or Internet Marketing goals was that easy, it wouldn’t have been an accomplishment worth going for? People are keen to drop excessive weight, or get more and more visitors on their websites because it’s something that will enable them to stand out of the crowd, mainly because every Tom, Dick, and Harry can’t do it. It is actually the difficulty level what makes it worth going for. So why make it sound ridiculously simple and easy?

You will often see promises like “A perfect plan to lose 15 pounds in two weeks? Here’s how to increase your website traffic to manifolds in 7 days? Five tips to get a body like Daniel Craig or Beyonce in a month?”

Those who “have been there and done that” knows that such claims are all bull crap, there’s no short cut when it comes to getting on to the top and staying there. It takes patience and years and years of hard work. So, if you are an Internet Marketer looking to make it big, or an overweight fellow looking to get the mouth-watering figure you have always yearned for, you should be ready for a long journey, that too full of bumps.

You Must Persist

Talking of the journey, reaching to your destination, whether it is the waste size that you were aiming for or the number of unique visitors that you’d like to have, is never going to be an overnight accomplishment. I’ve seen many going for the glory and then stopping as soon as the initial excitement fizzles out. It’s good to have big ambitions, but you must cherish the smaller milestones to keep getting the much needed motivation, to make sure that you don’t stop in the middle. It always takes some time, months, or even years, but that’s not really a big price to pay when you look at the rewards.

So, whenever you are facing a setback, and you feel that you don’t have the energy or patience to carry on, try to remind yourself of the rewards and consequences of giving up, and how you will regret it later on.

Stick The Basic and Time Tested Methods:

There’s an entire world of hogwash and half-baked theories on internet, especially when it comes to the highly searched topics like weight loss and internet marketing. Being humans, we are inclined to opt for the shorter and the easier routes, the problem is, nature has its own pace and its own laws, and in most cases, opting for the shorter routes for success, fame, or money will backfire. Therefore, you have got to stick to the time tested methods. They might not be as quick in delivering sizeable results, but when the results come, they are going to be a lot more endurable and long term. You shouldn’t be doing a lot of experiments with your health or online business, because that’s a risk not worth taking.

Keeping Track

A very important routine that many Internet Marketers ignore is to try and keep track of their progress, and same is true for the people looking to lose weight. Keeping track ensures that you will be able to see the distance you have made. If you keep on waiting for the ultimate goal and forget to keep a tab on your progress, you will never be satisfied. Also, the graph showing your progress (or vice versa) will let you identify the methods or approaches that really worked, so that you can focus more on these methods and stop wasting time and money on others.

Self-Control and Application Is Important

At times, you will be coerced by the idea of reading more and applying less. You will keep on planning and procrastinating and the time will keep flying by. Remember that you are not going to reach anywhere without moving a muscle. You can hire the best of the trainers but they can’t do the reps for you, and you can employ the best of Internet Marketing experts but they aren’t going to put their best foot forward as long as you aren’t putting your foot on the pedal.

Don’t Overdo It

Something very common with the people looking to earn money online, or those looking to lose weight and getting toned up is the impatience, at times people exhaust themselves by overdoing the drills. Make sure that you are keeping up with the pace of the nature, both when setting your expectations, as well as making the effort to get there. Learn to enjoy the journey, because you never know if the destination is going to be that much fun or not.

Bashir offers coupon codes like 24 hour fitness promos and ediet coupons at his website. 24 hour fitness and ediet coupon codes will help you save while purchasing diet plans or fitness programs from these websites.

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Content Marketing World, We Found A Home

This recent video from Content Marketing Institute Founder Joe Pulizzi, provides some background into how Content Marketing World came to be.  If you are big or small brand, B2B, B2C, or virtually any organization that creates content this conference is for you.  Scheduled this year for Sept 4-6 in Columbus, Content Marketing World is now the largest content marketing conference in the world. TopRank is proud to be one of 4 exclusive media sponsors along with Copyblogger Media, Social Media Examiner and SmartBusiness Content Marketing.

Forget Big Brother – What About Giant Google?
Last week Google released its full FCC report which contained information about data collection from unsecured Wi-Fi connections.  It appears that Google’s Street View cars were not only taking photos of streets, but were also intercepting email and SMS traffic.  Read more to see what else Google has up their sleeve.  Via Forbes.

Searcher Personas Driving Landing Page Design
Determining what drives your customers to purchase is invaluable information for any online marketer.  Using searcher personas to determine what techniques to use for your landing pages will improve targeting and therefore your results.  What motivates people to click?  Read on to find out more.  Via Search Engine Land.

Google Keeps It Real (Time)
Google News is getting an upgrade.  Google will begin rolling out further integration between Google+ and Google News.  Starting today Google News users will be able to see what their circles are covering and what they have to say about trending topics.  Another new feature is a “realtime coverage page” which will surface Google+ comments and new articles as they become available.  Via TechCrunch.

Enhance SEO with Author Avatars
Launched in June of 2011, Google’s authorship markup allows websites to connect individual authors to their posts across the web by adding a simple rel=author tag to their content.  Google plans to use this information to help connect people with authors and ultimately their content.  Via ClickZ.

5 Key Strategies for Building Your LinkedIn Network
With over 150 million members, LinkedIn is a valuable asset for business professionals.  This article provides some seemingly simple but effective tips on sharing relevant and engaging information with your network. As well as tactics for continuing to grow your network on an ongoing basis.  Via Social Media Examiner.

Tip Top TopRank(ing) Internet Marketing News

Brian Larson – Your Search Results Just Went Retro
Bell bottoms made a comeback, so why can’t a simplified SERP as well? Although Bing originally led the charge in creating a more customized (and busy) SERP, the search engine is simplifying its search results. Don’t expect anyone to copy the Alta Vista UI, but Greg Sterling of Search Engine Land shares what this retro look means for Bing searches.  Via Search Engine Land.

Jolina Pettice – Segmenting Traffic Based of Value of Device
Search Marketers are used to segmenting traffic based on sources which are known to convert at higher rates. i.e. Search Engines vs Direct vs Referrals.  However, we may need to add an additional layer onto this segment to account for the type of device the visitor is using. For example, are visitors from iPads more valuable in terms of time-on-site and conversion than a visitor from a different type of tablet or desktop.  This may be a data piece to mine further, if your visitors are viewing your site from an array of devices.  Via Search Engine Land.

Shawna Kenyon – How 7 Top Brands Are Using Facebok’s New Ad Tools
In 2012 Facebook previewed a slew of new ad products to people outside the industry, though to some these new initiatives might have appeared to be ‘old hat’, advertisers see them as anything but.  Among the new products were Premium on Facebook, Reach Generator, Offers and Logged Out ads.  These new advertising offers came as a way to showcase new products and services in more than a two dimensional way allowing for ads to reach all of a brands fans and designed to expose them to things they might not otherwise see. The article above showcases 7 big brands and how they are utilizing the new services.  Via Mashable.

Time to Weigh In: What emphasis does your company place on developing customer personas?  Do you consider an article in your Google search more credible if there is an author avatar attached?  Is your company currently segmenting traffic?  If so, based on what data points?

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The new book on internet marketing we’ve recently published, “Optimize“, has been very well received and I’ve been doing a number of interviews and speaking engagements (as you do) around it. One of the most common questions I hear concerns the challenges of implementing an integrated “optimized and socialized content marketing” approach within an organization.

This is a reasonable question, because while it makes sense that content, SEO and social media (as well as email, online PR and advertising) should work together, the challenge for many corporate marketers and communications professionals is how. That’s where a good approach and plan come in to play and Optimize is a blueprint for such a plan – in particular, when it comes to optimizing and socializing content. Here are a few key considerations for integrating these high impact online marketing tactics:

The challenge of optimized integration. When SEO is owned by marketing and public relations runs social media and content creation is shared across multiple departments, integration of those tactics across a company’s content efforts can be a challenge. What brings things together are:

• Leadership support through common goals
• Identification of how an integrated approach will help each individual group as well as the company overall
• Training, process and tools/technology to enable integration of tactics

Find the low hanging fruit for an integration project and share the results upstream and horizontally. Make sure that as different departments work together to integrate Social, SEO and content (as well as other online marketing tactics where appropriate) that there is a feedback mechanism in place for those involved to see that they are having an impact. Even if it’s not specific to them, showing a trend line of how something like website traffic, or share of voice or leads and sales have improved during the time integration best practices are in place can be very motivating.

Make sense?

This week I’m in Belgium on my continued travels to spread the good word about an “Optimized State of Mind” and integrated online marketing. On May 3rd I’m giving a keynote presentation at Fusion Marketing Experience “Digital Marketing Integration: the Mix of Social, Search and Content“. Details on this keynote:

The sheer volume of content produced and shared by connected consumers is overwhelming. With independent search, social media and content marketing efforts, brands are hard pressed to find an effective model for integration.

The search and social web are reliant on content and it is through more effective content marketing that brands can cut through the noise to meaningful customer engagement and sales.

This keynote will outline key trends in the relationship between consumers and content by understanding Discovery, Consumption and Sharing preferences and how a content marketing strategy that integrates the best of SEO and Social Media can boost Digital Marketing effectiveness.

On May 4th I’ll be doing a workshop at Fusion Marketing to put those key integrated concepts into action: “Setting up a Winning Customer-Centric Content Marketing Strategy”. Details on this workshop:

Who are your customers? What do they care about? What content do you need to create in order to guide customers through the sales process from attention to purchase to advocacy? Get answers to these questions and more with a customer-centric content marketing strategy.

Improving content marketing isn’t about creating more content. It’s about content that’s meaningful vs. mechanical for customers that also inspires engagement and business outcomes. Effective content marketing helps brands reach more people ready to buy, refer and share. This workshop will provide the framework for an Optimize and Socialize approach to content marketing to attract and engage customers across the buying cycle.

Granted, I’m looking forward to a weekend in Antwerp and Brugge but I’m also excited to give these strategic and tactical presentations that exemplify the key messages of Optimize. Since the vast majority of our readers are not in Belgium this week, please be sure to check out future speaking events in the right sidebar of this site.

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