Brafton: How your phone analytics affect your content marketing strategies … and more

Brafton News Content Marketing

How your phone analytics affect your content marketing strategies … and more Mar 29th 2013, 18:03 What do you want your website visitors to do? It's a question you should answer before you continue reading. No matter what the action you want your customers to perform, you need a strategy to compel leads forward along the sales cycle, and calls to action help you achieve your goals. Do you want them to buy your book? Call for your service? Download a white paper? Sign up to vote in an election? You can convert a high percentage of traffic when you understand your audiences' motivations and the type of persuasive language they respond to most effectively. Many of my clients who depend on offline transactions are initially skeptical about content marketing's ability to drive meaningful website conversions. If website downloads or online forms aren't your wheelhouse, you can get literal about "calls to action" by encouraging web readers to CALL your company. There are a ways to use your call data to to strengthen your web marketing for better results - and it's equally important to analyze the critical conversion moments when people dial in. Do you make it easy for your customers to convert? You should. You should have your phone number on your site, and it should be visible. Whether you're trying to get visitors to call or not, data suggests a phone number on your site increases conversions. But what if you're depending on incoming calls, and want to understand what content helps drive offline connections? I want to talk about how you should be tracking leads through these phone numbers. Even if generating sales online is your top priority, always establish additional ways for consumers to contact your brand. Track where your leads come from to focus your digital marketing efforts, cutting costs and building ROI. Website metrics can take you so far, but you need to go above and beyond. Do your PPC campaigns have tracking numbers? Do your SEO landing pages have different tracking numbers? How about your Yelp profile? Was that a tracking phone number on that killer PR piece you put out last month? If not, how will you know if you are throwing money down the Google toilet (PPC)? How will you know where to concentrate your content marketing and link building efforts (SEO landing pages)? How can you confirm that your reputation management campaign is working (Yelp)? And don't you want to keep your PR department honest (Press Release)? Website metrics can take you so far, but you need to go above and beyond. I am from the school of thought where you should increase investment in your strengths and manage your weaknesses. If you are getting great leads off PPC, up your spend and invest more in your landing page copy for better Quality Scores. Then, get even more granular - put different tracking numbers on different ads so you can see which copy performs better. This can work great for SMB local businesses that advertise on Adwords and have strong content marketing campaigns. If you're ranking favorably for high converting keywords, and call numbers on these pages are bringing in the best leads, keep the pedal on your SEO strategy. If specific landing pages or subject categories within your blog consistently produce higher-engaging phone calls, shift your strategy accordingly. In this day and age of internet saturation, it's hard to own every marketing channel in your vertical. So don't spread yourself too thin in the beginning - focus on what you're good at. We have seen clients with great blogs test the pay per click waters, only to get crushed because they did not have the experience or solid strategies. They should have invested that money and time into their branded communities. If you're ranking favorably for high converting keywords, and call numbers on these pages are bringing in the best leads, keep the pedal on your SEO strategy. Treat phone analytics the same way your treat web analytics. Make sure you tear your phone analytics apart, analyzing them up and down to find every pattern and secret hidden in the metric nooks. Looking at your phone analytics will take the truths you find from web analytics and extend them to how they affect your bottom line. Think of "time of call" the same way you think of "time on page" and your marketing efforts will come full circle. Most digital marketers analyze traffic-driving metrics, but they should also evaluate call - and conversation - trends. On top of identifying the strategies that yield the most meaningful calls, ask yourself if there's anything about the numbers, themselves, that might be impacting call volumes. Phone numbers are a little different than lead gen forms. There isn't too much you can "tinker" with them. You might consider which vanity numbers work the best (1-800-CONTENT? 1-800-BLOGGER?). Overall, watch out for an overpowering vanity number that kills your online tracking. The work with phone number tracking comes after the customer has called. Number analysis can help, but focus more on what the callers can tell you about your strategy - and your people. Treat phone analytics the same way you treat web analytics. Make sure you tear your phone analytics apart, analyzing them up and down to find every pattern and secret hidden in the metric nooks. Looking at your phone analytics will take the truths you find from web analytics and extend them to how they affect your bottom line. Think of "time of call" the same way you think of "time on page" and your marketing efforts will come full circle. Are you listening to your calls? A seasoned Customer Service Representative is one of the best hires a company can make. You should be. CallSource has a service that does this, but really it's best if you can perform this task in house. It behooves you to identify the best people are in your company to manage incoming calls. What is their conversion ratio? It may not be the most chipper person. You may realize that calls for certain products or services are harder for your team to close, allowing you to dig into the reason. Are your employees informed of the product or service you are actually trying to sell them on the landing page? It's possible the landing page has an offer on it that you have not communicated to your team. A seasoned Customer Service Representative is one of the best hires a company can make. It's the first human touchpoint a prospect usually engages with offline. If your end goal is to increase conversions over the phone, make sure you have the resources in place to support your strategies. Custom content can attract a wider internet audience and provide them with educational information to compel them to convert. Be smart in identifying which content drives call transactions - and remember, if your sales team drops the ball on the phone, not even the best content marketing strategy can improve your bottom line. Media files: shutterstock_90660403.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.4 MB)

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Brafton: 41 percent of Twitter users click on #hashtags to learn more about brands

Brafton News Content Marketing

41 percent of Twitter users click on #hashtags to learn more about brands Mar 29th 2013, 17:38 ​Brafton has reported that 87 percent of Twitter users indicated positive social media engagement on the network impacted their likelihood to buy from specific brands online. The fast-paced social media network delivers custom content to users in real time, compelling followers to form opinions or refine their current ones about the brands they connect with online. How do companies get their custom content to stand out in users' real-time, cluttered feeds? Brands use a variety of features to promote and amplify their Tweets, including hashtags, which RadiumOne found​ ​have the power to help marketers consistently get in front a subset of users. According to the survey, 58 percent of Twitter users said they use hashtags on a regular basis​, and​ 70 percent of these people do so from their mobile devices. RadiumOne evaluated how users perceive, value and use hashtags - the feature has become less of a traffic drive now that Twitter's search option has become stronger and more accurate. Of the 494 surveyed respondents that use hashtags, 71 percent identified as female, and 41 percent as middle-aged. Twitter has worked hard to improve its search - keywords introduce new media to users, and help brands' Tweets get noticed by new prospects. However, hashtags still hold an important place in Twitter's functionality. RadiumOne noted that these tags are used to communicate personal ideas and feelings most often, followed by content discovery tools. Solid social marketing plans branch out of the common keyword hashtags and introduce new, branded terms that users will want to click. Forty-one percent of surveyed Twitter members say they would click on hashtags to learn more about a brand or product. The source recommends brands use hashtags to build stronger social presences with causes or events. For example, Brafton holds bi-monthly Twitter chats using the hashtag #cmQs. This allows Twitter users to enter a public chat, participate by adding their own ideas, and our team can review responses and interactions post-event and months down the line. Hashtags are a marketing feature here to stay. Twitter's Nick Kakayama covered some recent updates to the social network's mobile offering, including an autocomplete option that suggests possible hashtags to include in Tweets. The feature makes it even easier for social users to participate in social events on the network, and encourages people who may not know about a certain hashtag to check out the brand and the social chatter taking place online. Media files: shutterstock_98718980.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB)

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Brafton: Social SEO alert: Webmasters can now acquire keyword data from Graph Search

Brafton News Content Marketing

Social SEO alert: Webmasters can now acquire keyword data from Graph Search Mar 29th 2013, 15:54 ​Since Facebook announced Graph Search in January, the social media giant has introduced several new functions across its platform, like greater ad targeting tools and a revamped News Feed. All of these updates put user experience front and center, and it's the marketer's job to understand how to engage with social users in genuine ways. As internet marketing​ ​evolves, brands see content creation as the ideal practice for interacting with new and existing customers online.  At SES NY, Brafton's marketing team spoke with industry folk about their perceptions of content marketing, and many professionals still view web content as a secondary task​ compared to other web marketing techniques. Yet every emerging channel today depends on custom​ ​content,​ ​and that's especially clear with​ ​Facebook's Graph Search feature. One of the first flaws people noticed about the social site's search function was its lack of keyword data. Brands wanted to know the phrases that drove traffic to their Pages, as the data could inform optimization practices on the network and across the web. However, G-Squared Interactive's Glenn Gabe uncovered that Facebook has begun​ ​sharing keyword data within referral strings. Gabe writes that the keyword insight goes through a query string [q={keyword}] at the end of the referring URL. Unfortunately, website analytics tools from both Google and Bing don't view Facebook as a search engine, so webmasters must dive into the code to find this data manually. For those interested in acquiring this data, Gabe outlines a step-by-step guide here. Media files: shutterstock_105475076.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.3 MB)

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Brafton: Brands move budgets from traditional toward online content marketing, study shows

Brafton News Content Marketing

Brands move budgets from traditional toward online content marketing, study shows Mar 29th 2013, 14:00 ​Brafton recently reported on a new Econsultancy ​ information that predicted 39 percent of surveyed companies will increase their digital marketing spend in 2013 at the expense of other channels. In many instances, traditional avenues would take the biggest hits, as organizations restructured their internet marketing tactics to include content writing, video marketing and social media strategies. But how much truth is in one report? For those on the fence about investing marketing dollars on the web, yet another report has surfaced that proves competitive companies are turning toward online content. Where are brands finding money to invest in digital channels? 41 percent of surveyed businesses indicated they save money by replacing traditional tactics with digital practices, and this funds further online investments. A new report from Gartner supports Econsultancy's prediction, showing that businesses have saved significant amounts of money transitioning their marketing to the web, allowing brands to invest even more resource toward various new-media channels. According to Gartner, 41 percent of surveyed businesses indicated they save money by replacing traditional tactics with digital practices, and this funds further online investments. Twenty-eight percent of brands said they decrease traditional marketing spend to free up room for digital programs. How much will various industries put toward internet marketing programs? Gartner also noted that companies spent 10.4 percent of their revenues on marketing activities last year, of which 2.5 percent went to digital media. The source has discovered that the average budget will dedicate 6 percent of funds to online avenues​ this year​, but some industries will invest much more. For example, media enterprises will funnel up to 10 percent of overall marketing spend toward digital initiatives. Retail (7 percent), financial services (6 percent), healthcare (5 percent), high tech (4 percent) and manufacturing (4 percent) sectors will invest more in online media, but at a slightly slower pace. Why content deserves a significant percentage of the average marketing budget Business owners investing in internet marketing channels must look down every avenue, explore all options and take calculated risks that show rewards. Content marketing has become an established practice across the globe, earning brands' attention in North America, the U.K. and Australia, just to note a few high-traffic markets. Gartner found that content creation and management garners the second biggest share of digital marketing budgets (11.6 percent), closely following digital ads (12.5 percent). Many of the other leading investment areas - email, social media, blogs, video - also depend on quality content. A well-crafted content marketing strategy gives companies the chance to produce media for their ideal customers, and host information in such a way that internet users happen upon content organically across the web. Media files: shutterstock_107853932.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.5 MB)

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Brafton: Leveraging insights from social listening for ROI – #SESNY

Brafton News Content Marketing

Leveraging insights from social listening for ROI – #SESNY Mar 29th 2013, 13:09 "If you don't remember any other tip for social ROI, remember that you should be listening," said Tami Dalley as she kicked off the SES New York Session: Social Media Meets ROI. Social listening often gets put on the back burner, but Dalley, senior director of analytics at Salesforce.com, affirmed that leveraging insights from what audiences are saying is one of the most beneficial practices for a business. She reflected that modern marketers wear many hats – especially as the web constantly presents new outreach channels and monitors additional metrics. The leading reason companies don't do enough social listening is the overwhelming volume of real-time conversations: It's impossible for a single human to find the signal in the noise. It's impossible for a single human to find the signal in the noise. - Tami Dalley To start, she recommended businesses invest in technology that can help cull web conversations. Then, she emphasized the importance of building a social strategy that gets every team involved in social listening (and subsequent action). This isn't a job for marketers alone, and brands need a social marketing plan that accounts for audience response and business action across departments. What happens when brands fail to listen (and respond) on social media? They run the risk of "shouting from the mountain" instead of living among the people – the same people they rely on to generate revenue. Dalley referenced the recent Lululemon recall of "too-sheer" pants. As fans (or fuming former fans) were tweeting and commenting across the social web about how the pants were see-through, the brand only engaged in positive conversations and ignored responses. The company ultimately looked foolish across its social channels, as customers' voices overshadowed the seemingly ignorant brand voice on Lululemon's Pages "The brand is no longer the marketer, the customers are the marketers," said Dalley. "The brand is no longer the marketer, the customers are the marketers." - Dalley. She offered insights on how every department can use social listening to better the brand. Social listening for customer service The rise of social service makes customer service participation in social marketing almost mainstream. For those looking to refine their customer service outreach across networks, and for companies just getting started, Dalley advised: Identify and solve problems. Detect breaking issues and communicate before there's a crisis. Create a knowledge base from Q&A and determine what customer reps must be able to answer and give them resources. She referenced Dell's use of social listening to determine the products that generate the greatest share of questions, complaints or other feedback. The company uses this information to build training sessions for customer service reps based on what they'll need to be able to answer common questions in real time. Social listening for Marketing/PR Even as responsibilities in leveraging insights should be shared, marketing departments will likely spearhead social listening initiatives. When it comes to actionable insights, Dalley suggested: Uncover conversations around the brand, its products and the industry. Respond in real-time to opportunities. Leverage topic insights to improve SEO and PPC. She gave an example of Taylor's Guitar, which found that "breaks" and "United" starting becoming commonly used words with brand references on social media. A little research showed a customer had posted a video complaining that United Airlines had broken the guitar he checked. Once the brand picked up on the viral topic, they quickly and proactively created a response video to connect with the conversation. The company succeeded by creating a response with three key ingredients. It was authentic, conveying condolence for the damaged guitar. It educated viewers about the problem (turns out there's a TSA policy that lets musicians take guitars on planes). It also promoted a brand offering, highlighting that Taylor's has a repair service. The video got awesome response and boosted customer loyalty. Social listening for product development Audiences know what they want, and brands that listen can create offerings they'll love. Dalley advised product teams monitor: Product problems. Success of product launches. Product input and ideas from customers. Real-time focus groups. Competition insights. After announcing it would reduce the alcohol content of Maker's Mark in response to supply constraint, the brand got a ton of negative backlash. The company reversed the decision on the product end. Simultaneously, the marketing team ran a campaign reading: "You spoke, we listened." Maker's Mark responded on social media, put a note on the company website and even ran a PPC campaign with the headline "You Spoke." Social listening for sales Dally recommended that, much like marketing departments, sales teams leverage social listening for proactive outreach and opportunity identification. She suggested sales teams: Uncover conversations that indicate intent to purchase. Keep an ear out for discontent. Social listening for HR Hiring top talent is always a top concern for businesses. An HR department can benefit from social listening through the following strategies: "Leverage what you learn. Listening without action is like having a gym membership never used." - Dalley. Find where to fish recruits. Uncover the experts and influencers and head hunt in their networks. Discover the perception of you as an employer. Listen to employee issues the brand can resolve. Ultimately, social listening should be leveraged across the entire organization for a better business. Marketers need to pioneer the social listening movement, and – again – it's important to have technology to gather the mountains of data, and dedicated teams to analyze what the metrics mean. But every member of a company can have a role in acting on the social insights to fulfill a solid social marketing strategy. "Leverage what you learn. Listening without action is like a gym membership never used," said Dalley. Media files: Social-ROI-at-SESNY.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.2 MB)

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Brafton: Where does creativity factor into B2B video marketing? Everywhere – #SESNY

Brafton News Content Marketing

Where does creativity factor into B2B video marketing? Everywhere – #SESNY Mar 28th 2013, 21:47 Sure, YouTube hit the 1-billion-monthly user mark this month, but how many of those consumers watched B2B video content? Brands investing in video marketing can't capitalize on internet memes as often as B2C counterparts, but they also shouldn't overlook video completely – they just need a unique approach. Google's Account Executive for Business and Industrial Markets Judith David suggested in her SES NY presentation that B2B marketers must reverse their creative processes. Rather than mirroring sales funnels, build engagement pyramids. "Instead of starting with broad reach and goals, prioritize the platforms that offer the most engagement, surface the 5 percent of viewers who matter and allow them drive future engagement," David said. Of course, before any B2B marketer flips the traditional marketing funnel around into the engagement pyramid (David's idea for video marketing success), challenges must be outlined and tackled. David highlighted top three changes video marketers face today: 1. How do we find our customers interested in video? 2. How do we facilitate engagement with our video content? 3. How do we inspire our viewers to share our branded content? Finding the right customers David offered two tips on identifying the right customers. She noted that B2Bs must tap into the passion of their communities by either feeding their cravings for engaging content or by creating the appetite and passion for content through interesting media. B2Bs must tap into the passion of their communities by either feeding their cravings for engaging content or by creating the appetite and passion for content through interesting media. To many marketers, these tips might seem obvious, but they touch on core marketing principles that many B2B organizations overlook. Content marketing depends on brands' ability to understand their audiences, whether through testing or general feedback, as this media will only have an impact if it resonates with its intended viewers. Foster sharing: How can marketers inspire their customers to share video content? David advised attendees to consider the variety of content they have the opportunity to produce for the web. "Every brand has the chance to build creative assets in a way that is compelling for their audiences – client testimonials, employee how-to videos and product demos." The only way to foster sharing is by making video content memorable. Product demos shouldn't go over the basic features and functions, but instead build narratives around the nature of the offering and how it's life changing. How can one understand what makes visual media inspiring? David refers back to her idea of marketers tapping into the passion of their communities. Be the brand that is so immersed in the industry that your confidence memorizes your fan base. Don't just create video content – be creative  Be the brand that is so immersed in the industry that your confidence memorizes your fan base. Austin Craig, spokesman for Orabrush, showcased unique video content examples of media that drew in crowds of internet users and sold millions of products via YouTube. (Check out Brafton's YouTube Marketing Playbook for Channel optimization tips.) "You want creative, data-driven video. If your content isn't creative enough to engage your audience, you lose your marketing opportunities," he said. This advice holds true for B2B brands in any niche market - from the glass industry to used cars and beyond. "Use keyword trends to discover what people are searching for on YouTube – results can inspire your marketing campaigns." Craig also introduced a new approach to video marketing – creating a relationship building asset. "Use video to deliver personal content to potential partners and prospects." Of course, the average B2B marketer might still be at a loss as to where to start. That's OK – business owners must be open to testing and measuring every aspect of their video marketing campaigns. As Craig put it, measure absolutely every aspect of the creative and business processes that go into producing, publishing and distributing video content to the web. What works for one B2B might not have an impact for another, especially with so much going into the scriptwriting and social side of content proliferation. However, Craig also warned the audience not to think they need a fancy camera or a big budget to create compelling visual media – the first videos produced by Orabrush cost around $500 each. What can your strategy take away from this session? Break down the barriers that hold content direction back and truly let the Freak Flag fly sometimes. Video marketing is still too new of a marketing practice for there to be clear-cut tips that deliver results to every company – not that any marketing venture can say it produces immediate ROI, either. But video requires an added amount of creativity, and marketers have to tap into their own minds in order to find success. Break down the barriers that hold content direction back and truly let the Freak Flag fly sometimes. Why should your audience pay attention to you? They certainly don't have to, but you can convince them, as long as you deliver a unique on-brand experience created for the ideal customer. Media files: photo-8.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.4 MB)

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Brafton: Google’s Universal Analytics gives businesses new insights on customers’ content journeys

Brafton News Content Marketing

Google's Universal Analytics gives businesses new insights on customers' content journeys Mar 28th 2013, 19:20 ​Website analytics allow business owners to understand their internet audiences' motivations and behaviors. The web has expanded into a landscape ripe with juicy lead-gen opportunities that impact brands' bottom lines directly. Without a clearer picture of online consumers and their demands, marketers will continuously miss the mark when targeting custom content at certain users. To perfect audience targeting initiatives, brands use content analytics services, and Google Analytics oftener garners much of the attention from internet marketing professionals. Google improves its reporting functions and features almost regularly, providing brands with new opportunities to understand web users and how they engage with branded content online. However, the search engine's Universal Analytics beta release suggested that professionals would soon be able to connect online and offline data to track new and existing customers' behaviors at a greater scale. Since October 2012, a few companies have used Universal Analytics with great success, and now the search engine will introduce the option to every Google Analytics customer. Google Analytics Product Manager JiaJing Wang highlighted the major benefits of Universal Analytics in a recent blog post. Features include: - Users can understand how customers engage with businesses across many devices. - Marketers will gain new insights into mobile-app performance. - Brands can evaluate offline and online interactions to improve lead generation and ROI. - Business owners experience improved latency on their sites by reducing client-side demands. Google also included a testimonial from Rojeh Avanesian, VP of marketing at PriceGrabber.com. He noted: "At PriceGrabber, we know it's important to understand consumer shopping behavior so we can provide a more customized experience to our users. Google's Universal Analytics will solve this problem for us and many sites that are facing this challenge and help us serve our users better by providing them with more relevant content and shopping results..." Marketers already using Google Analytics can switch to the Universal setting by creating a new web property in their accounts. When a new web property has been established, select the Universal Analytics column to get the new analytics.js code snippet, and then implement this into the website's architecture. Media files: shutterstock_120297835.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.8 MB)

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Brafton: Social search & the future of SEO: Insights from Bing at #SESNY

Brafton News Content Marketing

Social search & the future of SEO: Insights from Bing at #SESNY Mar 28th 2013, 20:10 Social search is a serious topic of discussion. The SEO world, and search in general, has moved away from link building as a stand-alone practice, and many online marketers see the future in Page Likes, Retweets, +1s, pins and Channel subscriptions. At SES New York, Bing's Duane Forrester talked about search engine's continued efforts to reward sites for creating great user experiences - through content marketing and intuitive user designs. In the same session, Dan Cristo, director of SEO innovation at Catalyst, spoke about how social cues and interactions influence online behavior directly and indirectly. He highlighted some notes on the impact Google+ members searching the web for content - a subject Bing steered clear of. Fueling Google+ (and other networks) with fresh, quality content is a critical first step to leveraging the network for search visibility. "It's not just shared content, though," Cristo noted. "It's the actions and interactions you and your social connections make with web content that determine SEO value and page results." How Google+ can impact Google SEO … and beyond SEO boils down to two things: Relevancy and trust. He reported that SEO boils down to two things: Relevancy and trust. Why do social cues and recommendations matter so much to search engines? Cristo hypothesized it's because certain queries just cannot be answered by the web – no matter how intelligent crawlers and developers get. But these questions CAN be solved by friends and family. For example, consider the query, "Who should I vote for?" The web can offer a bevy of results suggesting who Cristo can vote for (no matter the election), but his social connections likely have similar views on politics, and can point him toward the right direction. If these people have made their own leanings clear online, that's where search engines come into play – technology allows the categorization of data based around these interactions. He referenced a quote from ex-Googler Eric Schmidt: "Within search results, information tied to verified online profiles will be ranked higher than content without such verification, which will result in most users naturally clicking on the top verified results. The true cost of remaining anonymous, then, might be irrelevance." Cristo said, "Every strategy has three distinct elements: Goals, Objectives and Tactics." All of this hinges on a website's ability to create high-quality content – brands have a responsibility to produce content that engages their audiences. This will inherently boost website conversions, and subsequent interactions and social shares will tell marketers MORE about their customers. On to insights from Bing! Everyone knows social is important, but HOW important? Bing's Senior Program Manager Duane Forrester expanded on the value of social listening and how it plays into search. He compared today's social SEO market to that of traditional SEO ten years ago. Metadata, title tags, etc. were once the gold standard of SEO, but now they're the base line. The reality: If there is a big collection of people talking about a person, search engines are drawn to the person or site to try and understand what all the fuss is about. Unfortunately, the technology to truly hone in on these conversations and chatter remains in infancy. Forrester covered some statistics that showed how imperfect search is today: Imprecise results – one in four searches delivers successful results. Refinements – forty-two percent of sessions require refinements. Lengthy tasks – forty-four percent of page sessions last a day or more. "We want to showcase the things that interest people. Is your voice in demand?" - Bing's Duane Forrester Keyword research tip:  Forrester paused, and focused on the term "sessions." He asked, "How many of you focus on queries, and not sessions?" Many SES NY attendees raised their hands. He continued, "A query is a single action, but a session is a collection of related actions that take place over time." Sessions help brands uncover search behavior patterns and highlight points that compel internet users to convert. "As social media influences sessions, brands begin to understand more about their customer base – who they thought were their customers, might actually be inaccurate." It's essential for web marketers to evaluate a variety of data throughout social listening, especially in conjunction with SEO and search. Review semantic search trends, research patterns and consumer personas. The more companies know about their prospects, the better they'll do long term…obviously. Real relationships for social search Search has changed, and so have internet users. New devices demand different search experiences and make community connections around SERPs easier, even on the go. Brands must consider voice, picture, gesture and sound display - as well as connections with constantly searching audiences that can bring them closer to top of results on smaller screens. Bing and Google continue to build a universal world of search, and companies must immerse themselves in the culture because the ROI and benefits are really real - but only when the connections are meaningful. Companies must immerse themselves in the culture of SEO and search because the ROI and benefits are really real - but only when the connections are meaningful. "Autofollow is not your friend," he said. When Bing sees that a user is "following" thousands of accounts, it doesn't give the impression that a person is actively consuming and engaging responses from the followed accounts. On the other hand, those who have a lot of followers reveal in-demand voices. Instead of trying to artificially create a high-volume of contacts, nurture real relationships to build a following. While Forrester suggested that Twitter data is not a direct ranking signal, Bing works with third parties for more social data to determine people's intentions. Forrester outlines why social matters for search: Signal of topical authority. Real-time engines want fresh content, fast.  Integrated social signals influence click actions. Social signals remain only a few thousands of signals for organic ranking. 'Social is all about the psychology of human beings' Every online marketer understands quality content is essential, but Forrester challenges this notion just a bit. "If there's not a good user experience or social campaign to amplify reach and compel people to share, the media won't float to the top of SERPs." How does Forrester advise listeners on creating a better search experience? "Take money out of SEO, paid search, and put it toward usability testing." He continued, "If you really want to attract search engines, amaze your customers with quality content." This content must inspire social chatter, and to better understand what drives more conversation, a company's social team must be connected to various departments, so insights can fuel results. He advised marketers that personas are a great way to personalize content. "People are actual human beings – not just 'users.'" 'Content: It's what people search for' Forrester reminded marketers that great content is what SEO is really all about. It's the glue that drives relationships for social influence on the web. "Is your content quality? You don't know – that's up to your audiences," he said. Quality standards are something marketers can work toward. Attempt to put good, editorial, polished information and ideas out there – but people decide what quality is, and search engines follow what people want. People decide what quality is, and search engines follow what people want. Forrester capped his session by talking about the importance of share of voice over keyword reports. SOV shows continuous growth, and it paints a more realistic picture of search and social ROI. If a professional works hard to make it to the first page of SERPs for a specific keyword, that's great - but the only place to go from there is down. Companies must advance how they measure their web presences' success to show long-term results. What's the deal with social and search? Social listening can be a shallow practice. Companies may hear what their customers say online, but they rarely respond effectively. More, brands often overlook how to leverage what they pick up on Twitter and Facebook. Cristo and Forrester both presented cases of why social will become an even greater asset for companies, and it all relates back to the user experience. Quality content is the cornerstone for your internet marketing agenda, but don't stop with written-text – social media and other engaging information are all part of the content experience that amplifies branded products and missions. Media files: photo-7.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.4 MB)

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Brafton: Why relationships matter more than links – #SESNY

Brafton News Content Marketing

Why relationships matter more than links – #SESNY Mar 28th 2013, 13:42 Every SEO or content marketing professional knows link building is a less-than-rewarding task. Even with unpaid, honest attempts at guest blogs, marketers can spend countless hours reaching out to potential partners about linking opportunities, but rarely do they ever pierce through email clutter and make actual connections. In a presentation at SES NY, 352 Media Group's Director of Web Marketing Erin Everhart compared intrusive link building to proposing to a stranger upon first meeting him or her. In a lot of ways, she's right. Both Everhart and Founder of SEO Jo Blogs, Jo Turnbull, emphasized that brands and individuals must rethink how they approach linking. Because internal and external links still matter for PageRank and search results, the industry needs to mature and discover how linking can regain some credibility it lost in the face of Penguin and all of the spammy activities taking place online today. Turnbull focused on the importance of personal relationship building through the day to day. For bloggers or marketers, look at every experience as a networking opportunity, and understand if professional gain can come from in-person and online interactions. She highlights five ways to build relationships: Being honest and open, attending events, taking the long-term view, doing something different and asking why anyone would want to associate with you or your brand. Getting started with relationship building Be honest – Don't be afraid to approach personal and professional contacts. Engage in the community to find like-minded peers who can also gain something from a newly formed relationship. Attend events – Approach people at conferences to connect with professionals who might add value to your website. The CMI reports that many businesses refer to in-person events as part of content marketing efforts. Think long-term – Too many companies think relationships form overnight, and that's simply not true. Put in the time to cultivate these connections. Do something different – Pave the way – stand out. Why you? – Identify what you want out of a relationship and consistently prove that your company is worth a contacts' time. Set goals. But where do agencies go to build these relationships? Turnbull offered great advice to bloggers and community managers, and agency folk got more actionable tips on cultivating relationships from social media connections from Everhart. It's one thing to understand that relationship building trumps dodgy link building, but it's a whole other game to know how to create those situations where a potential connection turns into a business opportunity. Everhart asked the audience, "Who are you building relationships with?" and she answers her own question, "The people behind websites, not the websites themselves." This is obvious, but not every marketer or blogger thinks this way. Relationship building requires a certain sense of personality, charisma and desire to actually glean more out of a connection than a link. Social media – the best tool for relationship building It should be obvious: Social media sites like Twitter and LinkedIn provide quality starting points to building industry contacts. Want to build relationships with people more likely to act as brand ambassadors for your company? Reach out to social connections who have already opted-in for your social media content. Analyze your Twitter followers, look at who connects to your LinkedIn account, and then begin actual conversations with key figures. Everhart also urged the audience to remember mass media outlets – journalists love relationship building, too. Analyze your Twitter followers, look at who connects to your LinkedIn account, and then begin actual conversations with key figures. Brands should also analyze their competitors' followers. Those social users can become invaluable resources for both relationship and link building, but also for lead generation and website conversions. Everhart tells listeners to tap into the breadth of data available for free on LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter. When it comes to reaching out, now what? After companies have researched their options, and they're ready to foster relationships with new connections, picking the right channel is key. Email can get lost in the clutter – think about how many inboxes get slammed by thousands of messages each day. Everhart suggested a straightforward and simple subject line can be an honest approach to relationship building online. In her own experiences, starting a conversation with someone using the line "Hi <person's name>" generates clicks and gets people's attention. At Brafton, we believe that content marketing is the ideal relationship-building practice. When brands provide their new and existing customers with educational information, they become essential resources, which Everhart emphasized is the most important part of relationship building. "The more information and guidance you can provide prospects, the higher the odds that your newly formed relationship will reciprocate your good will in the future," she noted. Everhart also suggested that attendees consider reaching out to school organizations that operate within the same industries. For example, a Boston-based marketing agency might reach out to EMcomm, a student-run Emerson College ad agency, for mutual link building and guest blogging opportunities. Everhart concluded the session saying, "Relationship building must fit into the broader picture. Make sure your site's user experience lives up to your hype – you need to be entirely presentable when engaging with new relationships online." Media files: photo-6.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.6 MB)

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Brafton: Finding ‘huge’ content marketing opportunities in ‘big’ data – #SESNY

Brafton News Content Marketing

Finding 'huge' content marketing opportunities in 'big' data – #SESNY Mar 27th 2013, 21:41 "Big data" is a big buzzword in the content marketing world. But marketers can't be intimidated by the phrase.  At SES New York, Jim Yu, CEO of BrightEdge, and Jacob Hagemann, CEO of Hoosh Technology, helped marketers break down big data into actionable ideas for their content marketing campaigns. Big data is really just "data," but "big" is often applied as an adjective because marketers have access to an overwhelming amount of new metrics that can have significant implications.  Ninety percent of global data has been produced in the last two years. The changing marketing landscape (and the general media market) gives brands access to new types of information. The overwhelming amount of data available on the web Search, social, local, mobile – each of these channels is constantly evolving, and with just about every new development comes new metrics. There are more figures at marketers' fingertips now than ever before. Yu shared some stats about the ridiculously high levels of web activity that translate into marketing figures: 2.7 zetabytes of digital data available 2.4 billion internet users across the web 634 million websites online 1.2 trillion Google searches in a year Millions (if not billions) of active social users The volume of consumer activity on the web constantly drives new data. It's helpful to categorize data into different buckets to determine how easy it will be to leverage figures into strategies. Yu suggested three data buckets: Structured data: This is information with a high degree of organization, found in databases, warehouses and enterprise solutions. Google is a good source of structured data, he said, and it's easy for marketers to turn these insights into results-focused marketing activities. Unstructured data: This is raw data that has been extracted from applications on the internet, but it has not been processed into productive or meaningful formats. This data isn't easy to organize or measure at scale, and splicing and dicing is necessary to analyze any sort of information. Semi-structured data: This is information you might gather from social media tools available on the leading networks. It's likely somewhat organized, but hard to act on without applying or comparing it to other (broader) insights. Order out of chaos, and focusing on the bottom line One of the most important lessons for marketers is ensuring measured data correlates with the bottom line: What do rankings mean for a brand's reach? How do returning visitors translate into leads or sales? When companies consider the real-world insights at data intersections, they stand to drive the strongest results. Yu offered anecdotal insights on Tiny Prints boosting PageRank for targeted keywords by 47 percent after the company effectively identified which content (and related keywords) received the biggest search lifts from social engagement and Twitter links. Similarly, Feeding America combined search ranking reports (used to reverse engineer top content strategies) with converting traffic patterns to develop a longtail SEO strategy. It ultimately saw a two-fold boost in conversions for the longer key phrases. How every brand can leverage big data For any brand looking to leverage big data, Yu recommended marketers seek insights (and correlating patterns) around: "Data-driven marketing is here to stay, but so are we, the people." - Hagemann Keyword progressions Universal search standing Local SEO Social SEO Mobile SEO Global SEO SEO ROI  Content marketing Compliance with search engine guidelines For those seeking more detailed or actionable tips, Hagemann offered some specific examples and insights on using data to refine content marketing campaigns. Of course, for any source of data, he reminded attendees that data doesn't do the work, marketers do. He asked attendees to reflect on a well-worn idea: "Advertising is fundamentally persuasion, and persuasion is not a science, but an art." Metrics may be science, but winning campaigns require the artistry of an analytical, creative mind. "Data-driven marketing is here to stay, but so are we, the people," Hagemann said. He then proceeded to share tips on what's worked for him. Applying data to local content strategies There isn't one SERP for a given query anymore: There are 25 result pages , or 125 result pages, largely influenced by location, Hagemann reminded attendees. He referenced an example of a query in Switzerland that resulted in maps and images. The same query in Germany was heavily dominated by AdWords. Italy SERPs, on the other hand, contained no paid results, and more organic text results than images. In the UK, video results were the most common, rewarding brands with video content marketing in place. Local data indicates the need for international content strategies, but it also applies to marketers focusing on U.S. audiences. The SERPs are dramatically different according to country, and there's also a difference – especially in terms of specific results' ranking – that can be observed within a single country. If content type presents itself as a trend for reaching different markets, consider how users in different regions demand different formats and diversify the content portfolio. Working on a tight budget? That doesn't mean a company can't use different content types... Still, those who want to be cautious with their investments can prioritize regional markets and invest most heavily in the content types local audiences want. Want to try this "at home?" Examine SERPs in different countries or regions Identify content trends Invest in content formats for different keywords that are responsive to audience demand (and SERP prominence) Fueling business development with social media intelligence Next, Hagemann showed data breaking down a jewelry brand's social comments. Rings were clearly the most commonly mentioned product. By subsequently analyzing the social comments according to occasion, the company learned "engagement" and "wedding" were the most popular events (at least for the studied period). When looking at the data, the brand realized its rings were the most popular category for engagement or  Christmas chatter, while necklaces took top prize in comments about birthdays. This information enabled the brand to refine its social content to market different products during different seasons. More, the business decorated its offline stores seasonally according to the social themes it uncovered on the web. To get product insights from social metrics: Discover which products fans and followers talk about most, and compare to seasonal or "time of day" data. Get ideas for new website themes or offline location marketing based on non-commercial buzzwords. Pair products and themes. Uncovering competitive insights through data With all the "big data" talk, Hagemann advised marketers to remember good old-fashioned SERP analysis. Rankings will naturally shift over time, but observe the trends in how a competing brand moves in organic and AdWords spots. Some of his top tips included monitoring AdWords position. If one brand appears more frequently than the next, don't assume it's paying a lot more… Explore whether the competitor refined the keyword positioning within the ad copy, or if the related landing page has been updated for more relevance. He also emphasized the need to do SERP analysis on organic spots. (Matt Cutts – and Brafton – have recommended that content marketers not underestimate the metadata and descriptions that appear on SERPs. That copy can impact click rates, which will influence rankings.) For smart SERP analysis: Know a company's keyword position in the market and where competitors rank. Understand the drivers for success and failures in search (often driven by content). Respond quickly if a strategy works. Of course, all of Hagemann's tips are only effective if the studied data is reliable. To avoid marketing missteps due to faulty metrics, Yu had some ideas for data quality assurance. Four tips for finding big data you can trust  Big data is a new weapon, but it needs to be wielded by an experienced professional. - Hagemann Know the data is accurate. Be sure the data source is reliable: Is it coming from partnerships? What quality standards are upheld for data coming from multiple sources or parties? Make sure data is secure. The technology that used to measure and merge cross-web data should be private and protected, as the metrics can reveal how a company generates revenue. Ensure data is accessible any time it's needed. Having high availability allows marketers to slice and dice the data according to timely ideas, campaigns or business needs. Get data at scale. Scale matters even for brands not self-described as big business. As marketing outreach evolves to incorporate new channels or target new markets, companies must ensure the data tools can grow with their efforts. Hagemann ended the session offering marketers a valuable reminder: "Big data is a new weapon, but it needs to be wielded by an experienced professional. Dare to add big data to the marketing mix." Media files: SES-NY-2013-insights-on-big-data-for-content-marketing.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.5 MB)

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Brafton: The New Inbox: How mobile and social have changed email marketing – #SESNY

Brafton News Content Marketing

The New Inbox: How mobile and social have changed email marketing – #SESNY Mar 27th 2013, 18:51 So, the new email inbox is now mobile. What does this mean? Connected consumers – the people with smartphones and tablet computers – check their email accounts more often and, in some cases, exclusively from these devices. In a joint presentation between Responsys' VP of Strategic Services Richard Fleck and BrightWave Marketing's CEO Simms Jenkins, the two spoke about how the changing email landscape must evolve to consider mobile and social access points. Each speaker touched on different aspects of email's evolution, providing SES New York attendees insights they can implement immediately into their own email and internet marketing strategies. Digital media raises expectations for quality interactions Today's savvy consumer expects a coordinated cross-channel experience, Fleck noted. Brands may start their consumer engagement projects with email, but they must follow through with mobile, social media and display marketing initiatives to keep leads active. Fortunately, email response data and analytics offer marketers robust tools that help them understand how channels perform. With a little A/B testing and market research, brands can use last week's insight to inspire next week's email content.  With a little A/B testing and market research, brands can use last week's insight to inspire next week's email content. Fleck asked the audience about how they segment their email prospects – "When you look at your new subscribers, active leads and at-risk prospects, do you understand how your email engagement performs long term?" He continues, "Are they engaged elsewhere, so you can connect the dots and bring inactive audiences back into the mix? Connecting through social can be the solution." It's important for all marketers – not just those interested in improving their email programs – to understand who their ideal customers are and work hard to learn more about their core motivations, behaviors and online activities. Fleck referred to this task as the, "know-me, engage-me brand-to-consumer component." Through data mining and market research, along with targeted display ads and social media content that encourage interactions, email marketers can gain a clearer idea of how to get the RIGHT message in front of the IDEAL customer. "What started as an email journey often evolves into a cross-channel experience to connect the dots and understand more about prospects," Fleck noted. What does this mean, exactly? While you might spark conversation with a customer through email initially, you must advance your relationship with said person by analyzing how she responds to your media, and then approaching her again from several touch points. Three ideas to drive customer-led marketing online Fleck offered three clear strategies to improve audience-responsive outreach. 1. Integrated lifecycle display – Use targeted display opportunities to sustain engagement and conversion. 2. Customer churn mitigation – Evaluate slow customer attrition with predictive churn mitigation programs and learn how to reengage active prospects before they become at-risk leads. 3. Social and email integration – Listen and analyze your leads' social behaviors to drive more personalized marketing programs. Mobile has changed email – just accept it, marketers Simms Jenkins focused much of his presentation on how mobile technology continues to change email marketing. He noted, "Email is the hub of all digital messaging. It's not the end-all be-all, but email is the glue that keeps marketing channels together. "  "Email is the hub of all digital messaging. It's not the end-all be-all, but email is the glue that keeps marketing channels together. " - Simms Jenkins. Jenkins outlined data from MarketingSherpa that showed the most common goals for email marketing resemble the leading objectives for mobile marketing. More companies plan to invest in mobile in the coming months compared to both email and social, despite email driving the highest ROI. "Email often works when it's done below average," Jenkins admitted, "Just getting email out still works, but everyone should strive to improve this part of the industry."   To get every attendee on the same page, Jenkins defined email as: - The best direct method for connecting brands to their customers. - A driver's license in a hyper-connected digital world. - Extremely cost effective. - A great way to make money. But before a company sees mesmerizing returns on its email investments, the business must act on ideas that matter. Jenkins offered six golden insights about email marketing for both B2Bs and B2Cs. Rule 1: Smartphone owners are more likely to read emails than make phone calls. Recognize it's the best way to reach mobile web audiences. Rule 2: Mobile email has grown 138 percent year-over-year, so you need to get on board. Rule 3: Understand how email content looks on smartphone devices. Eighty percent of people delete mobile emails if they don't look good on their screens. How does ugly email influence brand perception? An unattractive email generates a 24 percent strongly negative perception. Rule 4: You can't know the right email approach if you don't know where your customers hang out online. Look at analytics – what devices do people use to review emails? Rule 5: Set goals – these benchmarks help determine the type of email program that will work best. Rule 6: Device matters – Deliver the RIGHT email to the RIGHT device. With these rules in mind, marketers will be more prepared to use email as a way to start discussions with prospects, continue meaningful chatter via social and close deals with effective display ads. Jenkins concluded his presentation with five takeaways: 1. Identify and target your mobile audience. 2. Get serious about subject lines. 3. Get smarter about content creation. 4. Design for mobile NOW. 5. Use mobile landing pages to drive conversions. It's important to help email marketing continue its forward progress, and these tips can aid any marketer in developing stronger promotional strategies. Stay tuned for more SES NY coverage.    Media files: photo-5.jpg (image/jpeg, 0.4 MB)

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