Category Archives: Marketing Tips

Mar 24 2013
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Marketing Tips

Is Delivery Greater than Content?

We live in a very technological and digital age. Everything is extremely visual and condensed. The average consumer does not have the capacity or inclination to excavate through poor delivery to discover good content. Content and delivery are both important, but poor delivery will negate the efficacy of good content. The reality is that poor content is easily sold by good delivery, Delivery therefore becomes more efficient and effective than content. If I want to deposit good content into the minds and affinities of a constituency, I must match excellent content with excellent delivery.

- Hugh Johnson

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Jan 16 2013
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Marketing Tips

LinkedIn and SEO

LinkedIn MarketingIn today’s corporate world, you aren’t somebody until you can be found on professional networking site LinkedIn. But as more individuals and businesses add their profiles, it’s becoming more challenging to turn up in searches.

What most LinkedIn users aren’t aware of is that the results displayed for these searches aren’t random. LinkedIn uses an internal set of algorithms to prioritize certain profiles over others, giving the businesses and individuals who have optimized their accounts correctly a leg up in using the service to find jobs, clients and more.

If you’re using LinkedIn for any of these purposes, getting a strong ranking in its internal search results should be a top priority. Here’s how to do it:

Related: What You Can Learn From Disney, CNBC and Adobe About Creating a Great LinkedIn Page

Fill out your profile completely: One of the most important ways to improve your position in LinkedIn’s search results is to fill out your profile completely. Not only does this give LinkedIn additional opportunities to identify search-related keywords in your profile, but the company is also more likely to rank completed profiles over partially finished ones.

If you aren’t sure if you’ve filled out your profile completely, LinkedIn provides a helpful tracker in each profile that shows both the percentage of fields completed and any specific areas that still need information.

Include relevant search keywords in profile areas: As you’re completing your profile, include the keywords for which you’d like your name to appear in LinkedIn’s internal search results.

Keywords you target in your LinkedIn profile shouldn’t be the same long-tail search engine optimization phrases you target on your website. Instead, the keywords in your profile should be those that a potential client or employer would probably enter into the LinkedIn search bar.

Related: The 10 Most Overused Buzzwords on LinkedIn

For example, on your website, you might target the long-tail keyword phrase, “best Raleigh NC accounting practice.” But the odds are small that a potential client or employer will enter this exact phrase into the LinkedIn search feature. Instead, they’re likely to search for phrases like “accountant” or “accountant NC.” So in optimizing your LinkedIn profile, try to think like your target clients or employers and focus on the keywords you believe they would search for.

Expand the size of your network: In addition to considering the different keywords it finds in your profile, LinkedIn also looks at the size of your network. In particular, LinkedIn prefers to display results that have at least some connection with the search user — even if these connections are only second or third level, rather than first level direct relationships.

As a result, you will probably improve your LinkedIn profile’s visibility in the search results by expanding your network. First, make it a point to connect with your past coworkers, managers, clients and other contacts. Once you’ve completed this step, you can try to further improve your LinkedIn search presence by reaching out to new contacts, especially people who share your professional interests and qualifications.

Participate in LinkedIn Groups: Participation in LinkedIn Groups can be as powerful a ranking signal as the size of your personal and professional network. So if you aren’t having much luck connecting with new contacts, you can join groups to boost your overall level of profile activity.

To find groups to join, you can search LinkedIn using your industry’s keywords, as well as see which groups the members of your network participate in. Once you become part of a group, do your best to contribute in a positive and professional way. Simply joining a group isn’t as beneficial to your search ranking as actively engaging with it.

 

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Jan 08 2013
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Marketing Tips

2013 and SEO

Predictions: What Business Owners Should Expect From Google and SEO in 2013

Because Google gives out such little information about the internal workings of its algorithms, it’s nearly impossible to say with certainty what issues webmasters can expect to face in 2013. Digital marketers failed to predict the widespread changes that would result from 2011′s Panda update, just as they couldn’t foresee the scope of the 2012 Penguin change.

Google typically does about 200 algorithm updates each year, but there’s no way to know if another Panda or Penguin is in store.

But based on the changes we have seen recently, it’s possible to make a few predictions about how the field of search engine optimization (SEO) could change during the coming year.

Related: 5 Deadly Sins of SEO and Online Marketing

The Issues 
A few fundamental shifts have occurred recently that will likely continue throughout 2013:

• Google’s perpetual goal is to rid its results pages of spam. While the Penguin update took major steps in the right direction, this series of changes revealed a few new loopholes that allowed webmasters with low-quality pages to sneak into the natural search results. Expect further refinements of the Penguin update or an entirely new algorithm change, as Google continues its battle against spam.
• Link building continues to become more difficult. As Google’s algorithm updates invalidate popular linking schemes, the process of finding and securing backlinks for search engine optimization grows more challenging. As a result, it would be more appropriate to call the techniques that will work best in 2013 “link earning,” rather than “link building.”
• Mobile internet usage grows, changing the scope of required SEO activities.With predictions that mobile internet usage will account for as much as half of all web traffic by 2014, it’s imperative that companies implement mobile SEO best practices for their websites.

The Players
Although Google’s changes are made behind closed doors, there are a few SEO industry insiders to follow for the early word on important new updates:

• Matt Cutts: You’ll want to give any updates that come from the head of Google’s Webspam team and the company’s unofficial spokesperson extra consideration. Subscribe to his personal blog and pay special attention to his Twitter feed, for what Cutts calls “weather updates” — messages that indicate new algorithm changes and that data refreshes are being released.
• Danny Sullivan: The editor-in-chief of Search Engine Land is one of the rare people in the SEO industry who is often able to get clarifying responses from official Google spokespeople. I recommend following his updates on the Search Engine Land website and his Twitter account.
• Rand Fishkin: The founder and CEO of Seattle-based SEO and social monitoring service SEOMoz is recognized as a member of the SEO world’s “in crowd.” To stay up-to-date on changes in the industry, follow the general posts on the SEOMoz blog, along with Fishkin’s personal blog and Twitter account, which offer additional insights into the latest SEO news.

Related: Beyond Basic SEO: When Hiring a Consultant Makes Sense

Predictions 
Despite Google’s secrecy, I’m comfortable making a few predictions about the relative importance of certain elements in the field of digital marketing. Specifically, I believe:

• ‘Structured data’ will play an increasingly important role in SEO. Structured data, or “microdata,” is a special mark up language that websites can use to provide additional information about their content to the search engines. Given that Google has relatively few indicators to objectively assess quality and given how much it has been pushing the adoption of this system, I believe schema.org microdata and other forms of structured mark up will become even more important to website performance in the natural search results. 
• Good content marketing will become a more accessible path to website success. To be clear, “good” content marketing doesn’t involve spamming sites with fake guest posts or distributing infographics simply because they’re popular. Instead, valuable content on topics readers care about is what will help websites increase their inbound backlinks, brand reputation and referral traffic naturally. This will lead to success in the search engine results with much less effort than traditional SEO techniques.
• Data-driven marketing techniques will drive out intuitive promotions. ”Big data” was one of the hottest digital marketing buzzwords in 2012. Because the amount of information marketers have access to is only going to increase, it’s wise to assume that data-driven decisions will become even more important to marketers this year.

Related: A Quick Guide to Better YouTube Video Search Rankings
 

Read more stories about: Google, Panda, Search engine optimization, SEO, Penguin

 

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Dec 04 2012
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Marketing Tips, Mobile Tips

3 Reasons to Use SMS Marketing in Your Ads.

J2 Marketing SMS Marketing

Are you running a TV/Radio/Billboard/Print ad for your business? How are you supposed to know if it’s working? I’m sure the producers will convince you that it’ll work or that somehow it is working. We suggest always making sure your marketing efforts are easily measurable, or else you could just be throwing money into a rat hole in the name of “marketing.”

That’s one of the greatest advantages we’ve seen with text marketing. It’s a simple concept and easily inserted into many different avenues. For example (I’ll use our company); at the end of your commercial Ad or bottom of your print Ad, you can ask the viewers/listeners to text “J2″ to 72727. (Obviously you fill in your own credentials.) When they do, their information is now saved into your database and you can easily measure your Ads return.

Here are some benefits to SMS Marketing:

1. You are giving your viewers/listeners an immediate call to action after hearing/seeing your ad

2. With those collected phone numbers, you have hot leads from your Ad instead of waiting for people to come to you

3. After your Ad campaign is up, you can have a better measure of how many people were reached by counting all the phone numbers you’ve collected. (let’s keep those advertisers honest!)

Bonus: Now that you have those phone numbers from your Ad, you can send follow-up text blasts with coupons or deals to try to secure more customers!

Here’s a link to SMS Marketing if you need it :)

Blessings,

EJ

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Nov 26 2012
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J2 Marketing, Marketing Tips

How to: Create iPhone icon for your website

How can I save an icon on my iPhone that links to my website (like an app icon)?

J2 Marketing iPhone icons

1. Visit your website in the Safari web browser

Safari

2. Type in your website address (for this example I will use our website)

Type in your website address

3. Once your website loads, tap the arrow button at the bottom.

Click the "Share" button at the bottom

4. Tap the middle-most option, “Add to Home Screen.”

Tap "Add to Home Screen"

5. Done

Done!

Notes:

* If your icon looks like a mini picture of your homepage, and not a mini version of your logo; you need to create an iPhone app icon and upload it to your server.

* If you are still confused or want us to create an attractive App icon for your website, click here.

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Apr 04 2012
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Marketing Tips, Web

Keywords? SEO? Ranking?

The web runs on keywords and, yet, most website owners don’t know the first thing about how powerful keyword research can be or how to integrate it into their websites.

A keyword or keyword phrase is a word or series of words that a user enters into a search engine. Keyword research refers to the process of choosing a few of the infinite number of possible keyword phrases to use in search engine optimization efforts for your website.

For example, if you’re planning a family trip to Disney World and want to find the weather forecast, you might search for the phrase: “average Orlando weather in June.” Google takes this text and compares it against the billions of web pages in its index, using its complex algorithms to determine which sites represent the best matches.

Here’s a look at what you need to know about keyword research for your site, why you should care and how to get started:

What makes a good keyword?
Getting a high rank in search engine results pages is important, but it’s the specific keywords you’re ranked for that can determine how successful your website will be.

To understand the difference, compare a site that’s ranked for “make money online” to one that gets a high ranking for “online tutorials on underwater basket weaving.” Because more people are searching for the first phrase, a search engine ranking for that term can generate significantly more traffic and hopefully enable the site to make more money.

Two important concepts help us determine which keywords to target: search volume and competition. Volume refers to the number of people who enter your chosen keywords into the search engines. Greater search volume is usually better, enabling your site to draw more natural traffic.

But search volume should be tempered by a careful analysis of the competitiveness of the keyword phrase. In the example above, the keyword “make money online” receives significantly more volume, but it will be much more difficult to get your site bumped into the top 10 search results for that phrase than for “online tutorials on underwater basket weaving.”

Related: How Backlinks Can Boost Traffic to Your Website

How do I conduct keyword research?
The first step involves researching potential keyword phrases to target. There are plenty of tools that provide this data, but one of the easiest to use is Google’s freeAdwords Keyword Research Tool.

You can enter phrases related to your website or just your site address, and the program will generate a list of keywords to consider. The tool also will provide data on how many global and local searches occur for a particular word or phrase each month, as well as Google’s estimate of the difficulty of getting ranked for the keyword.

Unfortunately, there are no “search volume versus competitiveness” rules to follow when choosing keywords to target from this list. But keep in mind that while the competitive keywords will require more time and effort to build a high ranking, they can pay off in increased search traffic to your site.

As you research keywords and integrate them into your site, you should start to see a pattern in terms of the ideal mix of search volume and competitiveness. Much will depend on how big an investment you’re willing to make in search engine optimization.

Related: How Using Microdata Can Improve Your Website SEO

How do I integrate keyword research into my website?
Once you’ve identified a few potential keyword targets, start integrating them into your site. To increase your chances of getting ranked for your chosen terms, you’ll want to follow standard search engine optimization practices, including any of the following:

  • Create pages on your site featuring helpful content based on your target keywords.
  • Incorporate your target keywords into your page’s HTML in various places, including your site’s title, heading and meta description tags.
  • Build backlinks pointing at your site using your target keyword as anchor text. The anchor text of a link refers to the part that remains visible and underlined on the referring page. For example, the link <a href=”http://www.yoursite.com”>keyword phrase</a> would appear like this: keyword phrase. This lets the search engines know that this phrase is relevant to your site.

It will take some effort to target particular keywords but, over time, your research should yield significant improvement in search traffic volume.

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