Digital Marketing Latest Commentary
There is an ethical dilemma for many social media marketers when it comes to Facebook. On one hand we are told that we should only try to get likes from the most relevant people because this will garner a higher possibility of interaction with fans. On the other hand there is pressure to get as many likes as possible.
I don’t have to tell you how much the field of search engine optimization is constantly changing. Google is always looking to improve their algorithm and provide their users with the most relevant (and sometimes profitable) results. With this, the method to get your webpage to the top of the search results is always evolving. There is no explicit guide on how to do it, which I think makes SEO kind of a cool field. SEOs are always looking for new ways to adapt to Google’s changes. A lot of SEOs have different opinions on what works, but Mashable published an article entitled “6 Best Practices for Modern SEO” which I liked, so I’ll share my thoughts on some of those best practices.
If you have ever visited a business’s page and found yourself receiving a lot of banner ads for that business afterword, it’s no coincidence. I remember during my senior year at Boston College, I was researching Las Vegas as a possible destination for spring break and I was hounded by Vegas banner ads on a number of websites. I kept thinking, “it’s a sign, this is my calling to go to Vegas.” Ahh how na?ve I was back then. Retargeting is a common online marketing strategy. If you visit the page of an advertiser using retargeting, the HTML of that page contains a retargeting code which installs a cookie on your browser. That cookie is then recognized by advertisements and a banner ad for that advertiser is displayed. Retargeting is a great way to target users who have already expressed interest in your product. Retargeting also allows you to target those same users with another value proposition that they may not have gotten from the first time they viewed the site.
inSegment has been engaged by the Newton, MA based Russian School of Math. RSM is a unique afterschool enrichment program that has schools in 12 locations in three states. inSegment will design and develop an innovative site with full SEO integration and interactive elements for both students and parents. inSegment will also carry out all post-launch digital marketing initiatives.
With Sweeps Week starting tomorrow, many networks have to roll out new ways to get people watching. CBS will be bumping up their social media presence for this week, having anchors and stars take control of the Facebook and Twitter accounts for their programs. CBS is calling it CBS Social Sweep Week and I for one think it’s a great idea. The sports anchors and TV show stars should be Facebooking and Tweeting all the time! I know ESPN requires that all of their anchors be active on Twitter. They do a great job of continuing the conversation after the show is over. Being able to tweet questions at your favorite Sportscenter anchor adds great value to the program and network.
According to Mashable, Twitter is currently exploring the idea of adding a “Top News” and “Top Stories” feature to the top of their search results page. This idea is still early on in its development, but I think it could make for an exciting addition to Twitter. I recently blogged about the “top news” function on Facebook. I have always felt that Twitter’s search results page for Twitter is fairly weak. The most relevant results are often not at the top, which can be frustrating. If Twitter can find a way to get the most relevant search results to the top with “top news” or “top stories,” that would definitely make for a better user experience.
Or at least in serious trouble. Today on Mashable there was an article about how the owner of the Miami Heat was fined $500,000 for Tweets about the NBA lockout (which he is legally not allowed to discuss). As social networks like Facebook and Twitter have become mainstream corporations have begun taking more notice of how their employees (or potential employees) are using them. In 2009 it was reported that about 50% of employers were using social media sites for hiring purposes including checking the information that perspective employees had posted on their profiles. Now, Facebook apps like BeKnown by Monster and the Career Builder app have further integrated social media into the hiring process. But even after you have a job you can still be penalized for doing unsavory or legally compromising things on your personal profiles. Reading about this story lead me to consider the various high-profile cases of 2011 in which online missteps by employees have led to their termination or financial ramifications.
Google announced yesterday on their official company blog that they will be adding two new features to Google ads. Both of these features are substantial and hand knowledge and power to the user. They are the “Why these ads?” button and the “Ad Preferences Manager.” Even as someone who often sees the decisions of Google with a bit of a cynical view (see my earlier blog posts), I think this is pretty cool.
