Peer to Peer Loans are an old concept - now being applied online using both the power of community and the promise of enticing financial gain. Peer to Peer lending allows you to borrow or lend directly with a person, typically at better rates then with a bank. Web sites like British-based Zopa.com and Prosper.com, which has been featured in a variety of media, are becoming well known for creating an online "lending community". The marketing message for Peer to Peer Lending relies heavily on the human touch…"why allow banks to make all the money when you can give it to someone who can help you?" states one of the ads. This message appeals to those who seek a sense of community and have an aversion to "big business".
If this is the case, then launching a "lending community" on a social media website makes a lot of sense. Enter LendingClub.com operating exclusively within the Facebook.com interface. Although you can reach LendingClub.com via the public internet, in order to participate, you must add the LendingClub application to your Facebook profile.
Is this the next step in harnessing Web 2.0 technology for commercial purposes? The folks at LendingClub definitely think so. It will be interesting to see the progress of this venture and what trends it will spawn.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
New Search Engine Mahalo.com to feature human touch
Jason Calacanis (previously the co-founder of Weblogs, Inc. and the GM of Netscape) just announced on Twitter and at the Wall Street Journal Digital Conference that he had launched the Alpha version of a new Search Engine with human editors or 'guides' called Mahalo. Mahalo is a Hawaiian word meaning "thank you."
According to the site:
"Mahalo is the world's first human-powered search engine powered by an enthusiastic and energetic group of Guides. Our Guides spend their days searching, filtering out spam, and hand-crafting the best search results possible. If they haven't yet built a search result, you can request that search result. You can also suggest links for any of our search results. Mahalo. We're here to help."
Is your site listed in Mahalo? Here is a link to the Mahalo publisher's guide.
Jay Berkowitz, CEO, Ten Golden Rules, Internet Marketing Consultant
According to the site:
"Mahalo is the world's first human-powered search engine powered by an enthusiastic and energetic group of Guides. Our Guides spend their days searching, filtering out spam, and hand-crafting the best search results possible. If they haven't yet built a search result, you can request that search result. You can also suggest links for any of our search results. Mahalo. We're here to help."
Is your site listed in Mahalo? Here is a link to the Mahalo publisher's guide.
Jay Berkowitz, CEO, Ten Golden Rules, Internet Marketing Consultant
Free Pass to Search Engine Marketing Seminar
High Rankings® is offering a free pass to their search engine marketing seminar in Denver on Thursday June 28 and Friday June 29, 2007 for 2 deserving non-profit organizations.
Interested non-profits should send an email to npo AT highrankings.com with the following information:
- Name of contact person
- Organization name
- Organization contact information
- Postal Address
- Email Address
- Phone
- Organization URL
- Organization Mission Statement
- Brief description (500 words or less) of why your organization's web site needs the help
Note: Winners will be required to provide documentation of their non-profit status.
I attended a High Rankings® seminar hosted by Jill Whalen several years ago, and it was well worth the time and effort. For more information on attending the event, go to: http://www.highrankings.com/denver-07-seo-seminar.htm.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
To Blog or Not to Blog...
Hot topic around the status meeting table this morning. How much should we blog? Why do we blog? What kind of blogging are we doing? As we discussed these questions, we explored the different types of blogs and their purpose. I realized that we are involved in every type of blogging there is - either for us or our clients. In our jobs, it's just part of the deal. But we do sometimes have a hard time convincing our clients of the importance.
As a business owner, consider blogging for the following reasons:
- establish expertise (create thought leadership, comment on emerging trends, etc.)
- offer periodic updates (newsletter anyone?)
- gain a wider audience (it's amazing who will find your blog interesting)
- create additional links to your web site (and post strategic links to other sites)
- become a resource to your audience (they'll come back again and again)
- give a reason to visit your website (include links to specific pages)
There are a host of other reasons to blog, but these are probably most relevant to most businesses. And as you can see from this entry, it's pretty easy to do, too.
As a business owner, consider blogging for the following reasons:
- establish expertise (create thought leadership, comment on emerging trends, etc.)
- offer periodic updates (newsletter anyone?)
- gain a wider audience (it's amazing who will find your blog interesting)
- create additional links to your web site (and post strategic links to other sites)
- become a resource to your audience (they'll come back again and again)
- give a reason to visit your website (include links to specific pages)
There are a host of other reasons to blog, but these are probably most relevant to most businesses. And as you can see from this entry, it's pretty easy to do, too.
A 3rd Dimension to Live Concerts
A recent concert by local bands in Denver, Bad Weather California, Born in the Flood and Meese played a very unusual gig.
The abandoned warehouse they performed in is the studios of Internet video outfit ManiaTV, which streamed the performance live via its Internet TV network. The live video stream was only the second dimension to this concert.
What made this Denver concert different is that it was also simulcasted in the popular virtual world Second Life. This concert was an attempt to merge the three platforms--live, Internet and virtual world--into one common experience.
According to Tantra World Wide, who conceived of and produced the Denver event, the goal was to be totally seamless through the three platforms. Multiple camera angles were used for the Internet stream on ManiaTV and a special Second Life "cam" was used to splice the shots of the different bands' avatars performing in the virtual world. At the same time, for viewers jamming to the concert in one of the 25 venues within Second Life, they also saw streaming video of the live concert from a large screen behind the virtual "stage." Additionally, the live audience could see what was happening on all platforms on the 25 TV monitors set up throughout the space.
Time lag in Second Life, ticketing and controlling the artists' avatars all posed minor setbacks to the "seamless" experience, but overall it was a breakthrough for concerts to come. An upcoming concert, Live Earth will be broadcast worldwide through multiple media channels - TV, radio, Internet and wireless channels. Read more about Live Earth.
The abandoned warehouse they performed in is the studios of Internet video outfit ManiaTV, which streamed the performance live via its Internet TV network. The live video stream was only the second dimension to this concert.
What made this Denver concert different is that it was also simulcasted in the popular virtual world Second Life. This concert was an attempt to merge the three platforms--live, Internet and virtual world--into one common experience.
According to Tantra World Wide, who conceived of and produced the Denver event, the goal was to be totally seamless through the three platforms. Multiple camera angles were used for the Internet stream on ManiaTV and a special Second Life "cam" was used to splice the shots of the different bands' avatars performing in the virtual world. At the same time, for viewers jamming to the concert in one of the 25 venues within Second Life, they also saw streaming video of the live concert from a large screen behind the virtual "stage." Additionally, the live audience could see what was happening on all platforms on the 25 TV monitors set up throughout the space.
Time lag in Second Life, ticketing and controlling the artists' avatars all posed minor setbacks to the "seamless" experience, but overall it was a breakthrough for concerts to come. An upcoming concert, Live Earth will be broadcast worldwide through multiple media channels - TV, radio, Internet and wireless channels. Read more about Live Earth.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Personalized Search: How will we measure SEO Success?
Google's Peter Fleischer wrote an interesting article for the the Financial Times titled:
Google's search policy puts the user in charge . Personalized search will benefit the user, but as the search experience becomes unique for each user how will we as an internet marketing industry measure our performance for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Success?
Mr. Fleisher explains the need for personalized search with a couple simple examples:
"Our search algorithm is pretty sophisticated and most people end up with what they want. But there is inevitably an element of guesswork involved. When someone searches for "Paris" are they looking for a guide to the French capital or for celebrity gossip? When someone types in "golf" are they looking to play a round on the nearest course or to buy a Volkswagen car? An algorithm cannot provide all the answers."
In the following search for Florida internet marketing consultant Ten Golden Rules comes up # 2 in the natural result. Is this based on my previous searches that Google has cookied or can I assume that most users are seeing this result?
The broad answer to the question about measuring SEO Success is that we have moved beyond measuring search engine results on the page and we now measure search engine results on the website. Using Google analytics or other analytics programs we can measure the number of visitors to a website that come from natural search, and we can measure what actions they take on the website. Do they complete a contact us form, or do they download a copy of a presentation or white paper? Or, do they exit immediately on the first page they see?
Please share comments. How are you measuring internet success?
Google's search policy puts the user in charge . Personalized search will benefit the user, but as the search experience becomes unique for each user how will we as an internet marketing industry measure our performance for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Success?
Mr. Fleisher explains the need for personalized search with a couple simple examples:
"Our search algorithm is pretty sophisticated and most people end up with what they want. But there is inevitably an element of guesswork involved. When someone searches for "Paris" are they looking for a guide to the French capital or for celebrity gossip? When someone types in "golf" are they looking to play a round on the nearest course or to buy a Volkswagen car? An algorithm cannot provide all the answers."
In the following search for Florida internet marketing consultant Ten Golden Rules comes up # 2 in the natural result. Is this based on my previous searches that Google has cookied or can I assume that most users are seeing this result?
The broad answer to the question about measuring SEO Success is that we have moved beyond measuring search engine results on the page and we now measure search engine results on the website. Using Google analytics or other analytics programs we can measure the number of visitors to a website that come from natural search, and we can measure what actions they take on the website. Do they complete a contact us form, or do they download a copy of a presentation or white paper? Or, do they exit immediately on the first page they see?
Please share comments. How are you measuring internet success?
Saturday, May 26, 2007
New Business 2.0 features the Domain Name Game
I just received the new issue of Business 2.0 . I love this magazine. It is always smart and the content is right on the leading edge.
Kevin Ham who owns a $300 Million dollar domain portfolio is featured in a smart piece written by Paul Sloan. Ten Golden Rules knows the domain game well, in fact we helped Monte Cahn and the gang at Moniker.com conceive the Domain Name Auction mentioned in the article. As well we promoted a major domain sale Men.com this link was coverage from CNN.com.
We have had a lot of questions from clients about domain names, here are a few links to learn more about the Domain biz.
The Domain industry even has a booming trade show, now with three locations:
TRAFFIC
DN Journal covers the top domain stories and has the leading report on the top domain name sales. Here are the top five so far this year: Tandberg.com $1,500,000, Topix.com $1,000,000, SheMale.com $520,000, Greeting.com $350,000, RealEstate.net $300,000
Daily Domainer has a daily RSS feed
Some Top Domain Name Registrars:
GoDaddy
Moniker
NetworkSolutions
Register
And don't miss WebmasterRadio.fm who cover the domain biz.
Kevin Ham who owns a $300 Million dollar domain portfolio is featured in a smart piece written by Paul Sloan. Ten Golden Rules knows the domain game well, in fact we helped Monte Cahn and the gang at Moniker.com conceive the Domain Name Auction mentioned in the article. As well we promoted a major domain sale Men.com this link was coverage from CNN.com.
We have had a lot of questions from clients about domain names, here are a few links to learn more about the Domain biz.
The Domain industry even has a booming trade show, now with three locations:
TRAFFIC
DN Journal covers the top domain stories and has the leading report on the top domain name sales. Here are the top five so far this year: Tandberg.com $1,500,000, Topix.com $1,000,000, SheMale.com $520,000, Greeting.com $350,000, RealEstate.net $300,000
Daily Domainer has a daily RSS feed
Some Top Domain Name Registrars:
GoDaddy
Moniker
NetworkSolutions
Register
And don't miss WebmasterRadio.fm who cover the domain biz.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Andy Sernovitz has a New Book! Word of Mouth Marketing : How Smart Companies Get People Talking
I met the super sharp Andy Sernovitz at a series of events he organized for a few years at Ad-Tech called CEO dinners. I remember a surreal moment from the CEO event in San Francisco in 2004 when people at my table were buzzing about this new site to promote local bands called MySpace...I wonder if that idea took hold :) That's me in the light blue suit
I received an email from Andy announcing his New Book and I went straight to Amazon to buy it. Word of Mouth Marketing : How Smart Companies Get People Talking. Andy is a Word of Mouth marketing pro and President Emeritus of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association.
Look for a book review coming soon.
Jay Berkowitz
I received an email from Andy announcing his New Book and I went straight to Amazon to buy it. Word of Mouth Marketing : How Smart Companies Get People Talking. Andy is a Word of Mouth marketing pro and President Emeritus of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association.
Look for a book review coming soon.
Jay Berkowitz
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Google to Buy Feedburner?
There are numerous blogs most notably Techcrunch reporting that either the deal is done for $100 million in cash or it is almost done that it is worth commenting on. If this is true, Google has shelled out several billion dollars over the last couple months buying companies. This one, in my opinion makes the most sense. By buying Feedburner, Adsense will almost instantly get a presence into RSS Feeds which up until now Google certainly missed the boat. The announcement may be eminent, or may not happen at all. More news as it becomes official or goes dead in the water.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Want to see the Ten Golden Rules of Internet Marketing Presentation Live!
We have an exciting line up of live Ten Golden Rules presentations. We hope to see you live over the next couple of months.
If you're travel takes you to Nassau, we'll be at the Bahamas Travel partners on May 21.
On June 12th and 13th we'll be sharing the stage with Keynoter Seth Godin and other internet marketing gurus like Andrew Goodman Author of a fantastic book on Google Pay Per Click Winning Results with Google AdWords
, Shari Thurow author of our highest recommended book on natural search engine optimization Search Engine Visibility
and one of our favorites Mitch Joel of the Twist Image Blog and the 6 Pixels of Separation Podcast.
On Wednesday June 27th, CEO Jay Berkowitz is moderating a panel at Ad-Tech titled: Blogs, Podcasts and Vidcasts
On July 9th we will feature a new presentation Web 2.0 - The Ten Critical Affiliate Strategies at Affiliate Summit.
If you're travel takes you to Nassau, we'll be at the Bahamas Travel partners on May 21.
On June 12th and 13th we'll be sharing the stage with Keynoter Seth Godin and other internet marketing gurus like Andrew Goodman Author of a fantastic book on Google Pay Per Click Winning Results with Google AdWords
, Shari Thurow author of our highest recommended book on natural search engine optimization Search Engine Visibility and one of our favorites Mitch Joel of the Twist Image Blog and the 6 Pixels of Separation Podcast.
On Wednesday June 27th, CEO Jay Berkowitz is moderating a panel at Ad-Tech titled: Blogs, Podcasts and Vidcasts
On July 9th we will feature a new presentation Web 2.0 - The Ten Critical Affiliate Strategies at Affiliate Summit.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Winning Websites - Find Your Appropriate Download Time and Deliver It
News Flash! Despite what you might think, there are no perfect web sites. However, there are some very simple tips that you can apply to your website that will make it more effective and more reliable. One way you can improve your website is to be sure the download time is appropriate – after all, this is the first impression you make on your visitors. The thing that makes this complicated is that there is no single rule to follow. But, don't despair - there is a process...
You can start by running your web site homepage through some simple online tools to determine the download time. One good tool is: Web Page Analyzer.
But what download time is right for each site? As an example, as rich as Yahoo's homepage is (information-wise), it only takes 1.12 seconds to download on a typical ISDN/DSL connection (typical fast home connection) - and only 0.83 seconds on a T-1 (typical business connections). This is highly appropriate for Yahoo because it's a portal and search site - which means visitors are trying to get beyond the homepage very quickly. By contrast, Amazon.com's homepage takes 24.98 seconds and 13.31 seconds. This could be considered appropriate for Amazon as their visitors need more information to help them make buying decisions - including relevant recommendations and a quick glance at previous purchases. This kind of personalization, directly on the homepage, takes longer to appear - but is potentially worth the wait from the visitor's point of view.
Next, have a look at your average visit length, bounce rates and exit page stats for your website. Is your homepage one of your top exit pages? Is the average visit length a matter of only a few seconds? Does your homepage have a high bounce rate? While these stats can be an indication of other issues, they often point to a frustrated visitor who has decided to go elsewhere – most likely due to an inappropriate download time.
So what download time is right for YOUR website? Well, the key is to remember it's about what is appropriate for your visitors. It's all about user experience and satisfaction. As noted above, some users will wait if they believe the payoff is coming (valuable content and features), but there is a point at which all visitors will abandon the website and "go to the next one". The key is to determine what is the right download time for your website, then design for it. The tips above will help you do that.
Next time: designing for a faster download time.
You can start by running your web site homepage through some simple online tools to determine the download time. One good tool is: Web Page Analyzer.
But what download time is right for each site? As an example, as rich as Yahoo's homepage is (information-wise), it only takes 1.12 seconds to download on a typical ISDN/DSL connection (typical fast home connection) - and only 0.83 seconds on a T-1 (typical business connections). This is highly appropriate for Yahoo because it's a portal and search site - which means visitors are trying to get beyond the homepage very quickly. By contrast, Amazon.com's homepage takes 24.98 seconds and 13.31 seconds. This could be considered appropriate for Amazon as their visitors need more information to help them make buying decisions - including relevant recommendations and a quick glance at previous purchases. This kind of personalization, directly on the homepage, takes longer to appear - but is potentially worth the wait from the visitor's point of view.
Next, have a look at your average visit length, bounce rates and exit page stats for your website. Is your homepage one of your top exit pages? Is the average visit length a matter of only a few seconds? Does your homepage have a high bounce rate? While these stats can be an indication of other issues, they often point to a frustrated visitor who has decided to go elsewhere – most likely due to an inappropriate download time.
So what download time is right for YOUR website? Well, the key is to remember it's about what is appropriate for your visitors. It's all about user experience and satisfaction. As noted above, some users will wait if they believe the payoff is coming (valuable content and features), but there is a point at which all visitors will abandon the website and "go to the next one". The key is to determine what is the right download time for your website, then design for it. The tips above will help you do that.
Next time: designing for a faster download time.
Here's why Google bought DoubleClick and Microsoft bought AQuantive
I believe the ability to sell advertising by conversion is a big part of why Google bought DoubleClick for over $3 Billion and Microsoft bought AQuantive for $6 Billon.
Over a year ago Google introduced conversion tracking in its AdWords advertising program. When a visitor to a website takes a specific action such as making a purchase or signing up for a free trial this action can be measured as a 'conversion'. You should not be doing pay-per-click marketing unless you're tracking conversions.
Conversion tracking is the most significant difference between internet business in 1999/2000 before the dot-bomb crash, the internet business today. Instead of measuring hits to a website we can now measure what the consumer did on the website.
Earlier this year, Google launched 'Pay Per Action' in beta. This program works like an affiliate program where the referring website gets paid for a conversion on the site. This beta program was run in Google AdSense largely Google ads and banners run on partner websites. The purchase of DoubleClick gives Google strength in the banner impressions business (Google's strength was in small text based search ads). After they work out the technical kinks, Google (and MSN) will be able to offer advertisers one interface that measures ad performance in search and banners with conversion tracking.
Over a year ago Google introduced conversion tracking in its AdWords advertising program. When a visitor to a website takes a specific action such as making a purchase or signing up for a free trial this action can be measured as a 'conversion'. You should not be doing pay-per-click marketing unless you're tracking conversions.
Conversion tracking is the most significant difference between internet business in 1999/2000 before the dot-bomb crash, the internet business today. Instead of measuring hits to a website we can now measure what the consumer did on the website.
Earlier this year, Google launched 'Pay Per Action' in beta. This program works like an affiliate program where the referring website gets paid for a conversion on the site. This beta program was run in Google AdSense largely Google ads and banners run on partner websites. The purchase of DoubleClick gives Google strength in the banner impressions business (Google's strength was in small text based search ads). After they work out the technical kinks, Google (and MSN) will be able to offer advertisers one interface that measures ad performance in search and banners with conversion tracking.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
To Blog on Your Site or Off?
Yesterday I had the pleasure to speak with Kevin O'Keefe, the President of LexBlog, a company that helps Lawyers build blogs. Although his company specializes in Blawgs, many of his tools and ideas can be used for any person or company that has a blog or is looking to use blogs as a marketing tool. His blog is very insightful on numerous topics and suggest you check it out.
Kevin and I spoke at length about the value of blogs and where a blog belongs whether it belongs within your website or hosted on anyone of the numerous blog hosting sites out there. We both agree that the blog is most effective when it is not hidden on your site. Kevin also directed me to this blog post, although it is catered to lawyers, it again can be used as a point of reference for any inspiring blogger.
I look forward to reading Kevin's blog and hopefully working with him in the future.
Kevin and I spoke at length about the value of blogs and where a blog belongs whether it belongs within your website or hosted on anyone of the numerous blog hosting sites out there. We both agree that the blog is most effective when it is not hidden on your site. Kevin also directed me to this blog post, although it is catered to lawyers, it again can be used as a point of reference for any inspiring blogger.
I look forward to reading Kevin's blog and hopefully working with him in the future.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Are YOU Up for the Yahoo! 'Greenest City in America' Challenge?
Are you ready to take action against climate change in America? Yahoo!'s co-founder David Filo, joined by actor Matt Dillon and Global Green USA CEO Matt Petersen, will introduce "Be a Better Planet,"a program that empowers Americans to take action against climate change.
Yahoo! is on a mission to find and reward America's most eco-friendly city. Can your hometown claim that title? Join in now to help your city win a fleet of hybrid taxis, and get free compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) for your efforts.
Here's a breakdown of how the challenge will work, as stated in Yahoo! Issues 'Greenest City in America' Challenge With Reward of Hybrid Taxi Fleet:
"The winning city, which will be announced following the program's conclusion on June 8th, will be rewarded with a fleet of hybrid taxi cabs or the equivalent cash donation, to be dedicated toward city greening projects. To kick off the program, Yahoo! will also donate a fleet of hybrid taxis to New York City, recently determined to produce 1% of all U.S. greenhouse gases. By displacing traditionally fueled cabs with hybrid taxis, Yahoo! will be helping New York City edge closer to its ambitious environmental goals. The City will also save enough gas to drive a hybrid vehicle 56 times around the Earth."
Ready to get started? Go to Yahoo! Be a Better Planet and start earning "green" credits for your city. The more credits you earn, the greener your city becomes on the Yahoo! green map and closer your city comes to being the 'Greenest City in America!' Sign up and receive your first compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) free and for each additional 500 "green" credits you earn get another CFL free!
To assist you in making "green" choices for your life, Yahoo! has launched Yahoo! Green - a one-stop resource eco-site to inform consumers with the latest news, tips, and ways to take action. Yahoo! Green offers a personalized plan to protect the planet, it lets you choose from a menu of actions to reduce your personal carbon emissions and see the collective impact of everyone who participates. The site and personalized tool is very cool - I've already signed up and pledged to save 1.27 tons of CO2 emissions per year!
This is the perfect example of the internet making a difference in the world!
Take the challenge and help your city become the 'Greenest City in America!'
Yahoo! is on a mission to find and reward America's most eco-friendly city. Can your hometown claim that title? Join in now to help your city win a fleet of hybrid taxis, and get free compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) for your efforts.
Here's a breakdown of how the challenge will work, as stated in Yahoo! Issues 'Greenest City in America' Challenge With Reward of Hybrid Taxi Fleet:
"The winning city, which will be announced following the program's conclusion on June 8th, will be rewarded with a fleet of hybrid taxi cabs or the equivalent cash donation, to be dedicated toward city greening projects. To kick off the program, Yahoo! will also donate a fleet of hybrid taxis to New York City, recently determined to produce 1% of all U.S. greenhouse gases. By displacing traditionally fueled cabs with hybrid taxis, Yahoo! will be helping New York City edge closer to its ambitious environmental goals. The City will also save enough gas to drive a hybrid vehicle 56 times around the Earth."
Ready to get started? Go to Yahoo! Be a Better Planet and start earning "green" credits for your city. The more credits you earn, the greener your city becomes on the Yahoo! green map and closer your city comes to being the 'Greenest City in America!' Sign up and receive your first compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) free and for each additional 500 "green" credits you earn get another CFL free!
To assist you in making "green" choices for your life, Yahoo! has launched Yahoo! Green - a one-stop resource eco-site to inform consumers with the latest news, tips, and ways to take action. Yahoo! Green offers a personalized plan to protect the planet, it lets you choose from a menu of actions to reduce your personal carbon emissions and see the collective impact of everyone who participates. The site and personalized tool is very cool - I've already signed up and pledged to save 1.27 tons of CO2 emissions per year!
This is the perfect example of the internet making a difference in the world!
Take the challenge and help your city become the 'Greenest City in America!'
Monday, May 14, 2007
10 Things I learned from the Amazing Stephanie Frank Author of The Accidental Millionaire
Last week I had the pleasure of sharing a stage with the Amazing Stephanie Frank, author of The Accidental Millionaire at the Women That Win Event in South Florida.
Here are 10 Things I learned from Stephanie:
1. Make Money While You Sleep. Stephanie has built her website and web marketing programs to generate revenue 24/7. With auto-responders and strong sales pages you can sell informational products automatically through online downloads or someone else can handle the shipping.
2. CAPTURE NAMES. 'Give something First' to capture a first name and an email address. This creates 'The Online Connection'. At Ten Golden Rules we call this approach Golden Rule #4 Create a UVP (Unique Value Proposition) something you give away for free to engage the site visitor in a two way relationship.
What you can give for FREE:
- A Free Audio Interview
- A Special Report
- Teleclasses or Live Event attendance
- A Multi-Day Course
- A Free profile an online quiz with a relevant result
3. Use a 'Squeeze page' a page that hovers over the main web page with an email capture - only 1 thing to do.
4. Use a Powerful Headline. The 7 Deadly Sins, The 11 Things Your Mother Never Told You About, Solving the Million Dollar Mystery. A Secret Strategy that Makes Money Right Now.
5. Communicate to the Perfect Target Client. Write your page so that you are communicating to the perfect target client, communicate the exact message you would say to a huge prospect. Communicate that you understand their greatest need.
6. Focus Your Marketing Efforts.
If you Need Visibility, then do this:
- Advertising
- Pay Per Click
- Direct Mail
- Search Engine Optimization
If you Need Credibility, then do this:
- PR, Articles, Blogs, Referrals
If you Need Relationship with existing list:
- eZines
- AutoResponders
- Tips
- Thank you notes
8. The #1 Strategy to get noticed - ARTICLES. This is the best tool Stephanie has used to build the "I've heard of you" factor. PRINT = LONGEVITY.
Use the following approach in the article sandwich. Compelling Headline - e.g. 10 Amazing Things You'll Learn. 1st Paragraph - Develop a connection that you understand their problem. In the Middle - Spell out the 10 Steps. Conclusion - Sum it up.
9.
10. Before you Publish a Book - Create a BUZZ!
Here are 10 Things I learned from Stephanie:
1. Make Money While You Sleep. Stephanie has built her website and web marketing programs to generate revenue 24/7. With auto-responders and strong sales pages you can sell informational products automatically through online downloads or someone else can handle the shipping.
2. CAPTURE NAMES. 'Give something First' to capture a first name and an email address. This creates 'The Online Connection'. At Ten Golden Rules we call this approach Golden Rule #4 Create a UVP (Unique Value Proposition) something you give away for free to engage the site visitor in a two way relationship.
What you can give for FREE:
- A Free Audio Interview
- A Special Report
- Teleclasses or Live Event attendance
- A Multi-Day Course
- A Free profile an online quiz with a relevant result
3. Use a 'Squeeze page' a page that hovers over the main web page with an email capture - only 1 thing to do.
4. Use a Powerful Headline. The 7 Deadly Sins, The 11 Things Your Mother Never Told You About, Solving the Million Dollar Mystery. A Secret Strategy that Makes Money Right Now.
5. Communicate to the Perfect Target Client. Write your page so that you are communicating to the perfect target client, communicate the exact message you would say to a huge prospect. Communicate that you understand their greatest need.
6. Focus Your Marketing Efforts.
If you Need Visibility, then do this:
- Advertising
- Pay Per Click
- Direct Mail
- Search Engine Optimization
If you Need Credibility, then do this:
- PR, Articles, Blogs, Referrals
If you Need Relationship with existing list:
- eZines
- AutoResponders
- Tips
- Thank you notes
8. The #1 Strategy to get noticed - ARTICLES. This is the best tool Stephanie has used to build the "I've heard of you" factor. PRINT = LONGEVITY.
Use the following approach in the article sandwich. Compelling Headline - e.g. 10 Amazing Things You'll Learn. 1st Paragraph - Develop a connection that you understand their problem. In the Middle - Spell out the 10 Steps. Conclusion - Sum it up.
9.
10. Before you Publish a Book - Create a BUZZ!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Live Blog Patricia Seybold
I just completed my presentation "The Ten Golden Rules of Internet Marketing CRM Edition" at the CRM CALA conference in Miami, FL.
Best selling author Patricia Seybold
She has some awesome examples of web communities that have delivered sucess for companies through innovation.
Kraft formed a community of 300 women who came up with the insight that led to 100 Calorie packs a product that generated $100 Million in 9 months!
Karmaloop lets customers earn karma points for referring sales to the site and the points can be exchanged for clothes on the site.
Best selling author Patricia Seybold
Outside Innovation, Customers.com and The Customer Revolution
is presenting 'Outside Innovation' .She has some awesome examples of web communities that have delivered sucess for companies through innovation.
Kraft formed a community of 300 women who came up with the insight that led to 100 Calorie packs a product that generated $100 Million in 9 months!
Karmaloop lets customers earn karma points for referring sales to the site and the points can be exchanged for clothes on the site.
The Big SEO Picture
This week, Jill Whalen suggests to Don't Sweat the Small SEO Stuff. Rather than chase the search engine algorithms, search engine marketers should concentrate on:
- Age
- Popularity
- Authority of Your Site
- Usability
- Overall Appeal to Your Target Audience
Yes, I do agree with Jill's message; however, I have a slightly different philosophy towards search engine optimization: "Take Care of the Small SEO Stuff, and the Big Picture will Fall into Place." Now I'm not saying you should obsess about keyword density on a page or meticulously plan out the placement of your keywords in the keyword meta tag; however, if you plan and execute a well thought out SEO plan, paying attention to the small things, then the rest will take care of itself.
I agree with Jill that well thought out keyword research is critical to creating that plan, and yes, while some of the long tail keyword phrases make excellent low hanging fruit, I wouldn't recommend making that the core of your SEO campaign. Try for a little balance, a mix of low hanging fruit and more competitive phrases. Map out your SEO strategy to make sure you're not missing any of the details. Keep detailed documentation of what you did so if there's an issue, you can go back and see what influenced the SEO campaign.
Yes, build your brand and credibility on the Web, but do it using small SEO steps, keeping the Big Picture in mind.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Yahoo! Eliminated from the Online Auction Race
Yahoo! has decided to retire themselves from online auctioning in the US and Canada. Yahoo! US Auction sites and Yahoo! CA Auction sites will stop taking new listings June 3 and shut down completely June 16, according to a notice to users posted on the Yahoo! Auctions websites.
Their message to users:
"After careful consideration, we have decided to close down our Yahoo! US and Canada Auction sites to better serve our valued customers through other Yahoo! properties."
Seems they are admitting that they aren't a true player in the online auction game and they are closing to focus on other areas of service they offer users. These other areas, I hope, are areas they excel in. Yahoo! Actions closing isn't that surprising to me, I'm a die hard eBay fan. I've used Yahoo! Auctions but the results were way below eBay.
I welcome comments on this topic! Are there ANY die hard Yahoo! Auctioneers out there?
To read Yahoo!'s official announcement, visit Yahoo! US Auctions and Yahoo! CA Auctions.
Their message to users:
"After careful consideration, we have decided to close down our Yahoo! US and Canada Auction sites to better serve our valued customers through other Yahoo! properties."
Seems they are admitting that they aren't a true player in the online auction game and they are closing to focus on other areas of service they offer users. These other areas, I hope, are areas they excel in. Yahoo! Actions closing isn't that surprising to me, I'm a die hard eBay fan. I've used Yahoo! Auctions but the results were way below eBay.
I welcome comments on this topic! Are there ANY die hard Yahoo! Auctioneers out there?
To read Yahoo!'s official announcement, visit Yahoo! US Auctions and Yahoo! CA Auctions.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Building a Buzz
As a long time Beastie Boys fan, I have known about their upcoming instrumental album relased at the end of June for sometime now. But how does one of the more unique bands that have released 6 albums, a couple of compilations, and several EPs over the last 25 years create a buzz for the new album? Well one of the first steps is send out an email to your websites database, in text format with the Subject Line, "FYI" and 4 lines of text of 5 words (It's About To Go Down "and then a link to the site.
Once you get to the website, there is no big Banner about an upcoming album release date, no "Message From the Band," just a completely redesigned all black page with an image to click on in the middle of the page, and 3 links at the bottom. When you click on the main image, it starts what appears to be part 1 of 7 of a story that is shot in black and white and has no dialogue (its an instrumental) and then thats it. The site practically begging you to come back and get the next part of the story.
Another band that has been around for a while, Nine Inch Nails had a highly successful Viral Internet Campaign to create a buzz about their album, "Year Zero" over the last couple months, complete with different websites set up to promote the album. Trent Reznor was quoted as saying, ""The term 'marketing' sure is a frustrating one for me at the moment. What you are now starting to experience IS 'year zero'. It's not some kind of gimmick to get you to buy a record - it IS the art form... and we're just getting started. Hope you enjoy the ride." Despite that statement, you have to believe that it was partially motivated to build a buzz for the album, considering the other things they did to build a buzz including purposely leaving USB drives in bathrooms of some of their concerts.
What the Beastie Boys next steps in promoting "the Mix Up" are a mystery, but if you can expect one thing from the Beastie Boys, its well, you can't expect anything. This may be the last promotion of the album, or the first of many interactive tools.
Once you get to the website, there is no big Banner about an upcoming album release date, no "Message From the Band," just a completely redesigned all black page with an image to click on in the middle of the page, and 3 links at the bottom. When you click on the main image, it starts what appears to be part 1 of 7 of a story that is shot in black and white and has no dialogue (its an instrumental) and then thats it. The site practically begging you to come back and get the next part of the story.
Another band that has been around for a while, Nine Inch Nails had a highly successful Viral Internet Campaign to create a buzz about their album, "Year Zero" over the last couple months, complete with different websites set up to promote the album. Trent Reznor was quoted as saying, ""The term 'marketing' sure is a frustrating one for me at the moment. What you are now starting to experience IS 'year zero'. It's not some kind of gimmick to get you to buy a record - it IS the art form... and we're just getting started. Hope you enjoy the ride." Despite that statement, you have to believe that it was partially motivated to build a buzz for the album, considering the other things they did to build a buzz including purposely leaving USB drives in bathrooms of some of their concerts.
What the Beastie Boys next steps in promoting "the Mix Up" are a mystery, but if you can expect one thing from the Beastie Boys, its well, you can't expect anything. This may be the last promotion of the album, or the first of many interactive tools.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Bizrate, Shopping.com, Shopzilla and NexTag Own Over 61 Percent of the Shopping Search Market
Did I get your attention?
Gord Hotchkiss from Search Engine Land has written some highly informative blog posts on the shopping search market. Using Hitwise numbers, he shows how far Yahoo Shopping has fallen and how the consumers have flocked to four very special shopping engines, giving them over 61 percent of the shopping search market. While the big 3, Yahoo Shopping, Froogle and MSN Shopping Search hold only a combined 15 percent of the market.
So why have the mighty Big 3 fallen?
According to Gord, the independent shopping engines "were generally cleaner, with better user interfaces and more information scent for the user." Bizrate, Shopping.com, Shopzilla and NexTag are doing a better job of creating user friendly experience. Yahoo Shopping, who once dominated this market, loaded down their pages with sponsored ads, which turned off the shoppers.
Internet marketers with ecommerce websites, if you're trying to figure out which shopping engines to send your feeds to, check out Bizrate, Shopping.com, Shopzilla and NexTag.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Awesome YouTube Video that explores the massive implications of Web 2.0
Michael Wesch, an Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University has created a brilliant YouTube video that explores how Web 2.0 is changing so much of our experience and our reality. Enjoy:
Jay Berkowitz
Jay Berkowitz
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
See the Ten Golden Rules of Internet Marketing Presentation at Women That Win
I will be presenting the Ten Golden Rules of Internet Marketing Presentation at Women That Win 2007 .
In the presentation we will cover the following strategies and tactics for successful internet marketing:
* How to generate positive return-on-investment with internet marketing
* How to get your website listed on Google and the other search engines
* What online business models are working, and not working today
* How to build ongoing relationships with the customers who visit a website
* How to capitalize on the Ten Leading Trends in online marketing today
If you can't make it to the event, please download a free copy of the internet marketing presentation
Jay Berkowitz
In the presentation we will cover the following strategies and tactics for successful internet marketing:
* How to generate positive return-on-investment with internet marketing
* How to get your website listed on Google and the other search engines
* What online business models are working, and not working today
* How to build ongoing relationships with the customers who visit a website
* How to capitalize on the Ten Leading Trends in online marketing today
If you can't make it to the event, please download a free copy of the internet marketing presentation
Jay Berkowitz
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
MarketingSherpa’s Viral Marketing Hall of Fame 2007 Winners Announced!
Last week MarketingSherpa announced the Top 10 Efforts & Results Data to Inspire You from the Viral Marketing Hall of Fame 2007.
Here are the 5 prevailing ideas from the contest:
-> Organizations should take notice that viral isn’t just for commercial marketers. Use Web 2.0 in communities that make sense for whoever’s interest you represent.
-> B-to-B viral is gaining steam. This year, we have a winner who used a fun video (check it out, Space Invaders fans) and another that employed a crafty online contest.
-> As was the case in 2006, we saw marketers thrive despite shoestring viral budgets. Of course, these campaigns are often created by tiny in-house teams.
-> Track your results as specifically as possible. One of this year’s winners turned in video numbers from dozens of community sites. His results are already fabulous. But with that kind of tracking, we cannot wait to see what he turns in next year -- because the more you hone in on what works to achieve your goals, the better you will get at lassoing viral audiences by the clusters.
-> Blogs and message boards still appear to be the seeding source of choice. With that said, don’t forget about optimizing press releases. Plant optimized keywords in your headline, opening paragraph and hotlink wording!
Want more? Check out the details of these ideas here.
The entrants came from a variety of markets and niches both B-to-B and B-to-C. They received over 100 entries and picked the 10 most impressive and here they are:
1. Sunflower Market
2. NetQoS Netcosm
3. Farm Aid
4. The Gobbledygook Manifesto
5. Levi Strauss Hong Kong
6. TaxBrain.com
7. Six Degrees/Network for Good
8. Beacon Street Girls
9. Exeros Inc.
10. Fox's 'American Dad' DVD
View campaign details of the winners.
Here are the 5 prevailing ideas from the contest:
-> Organizations should take notice that viral isn’t just for commercial marketers. Use Web 2.0 in communities that make sense for whoever’s interest you represent.
-> B-to-B viral is gaining steam. This year, we have a winner who used a fun video (check it out, Space Invaders fans) and another that employed a crafty online contest.
-> As was the case in 2006, we saw marketers thrive despite shoestring viral budgets. Of course, these campaigns are often created by tiny in-house teams.
-> Track your results as specifically as possible. One of this year’s winners turned in video numbers from dozens of community sites. His results are already fabulous. But with that kind of tracking, we cannot wait to see what he turns in next year -- because the more you hone in on what works to achieve your goals, the better you will get at lassoing viral audiences by the clusters.
-> Blogs and message boards still appear to be the seeding source of choice. With that said, don’t forget about optimizing press releases. Plant optimized keywords in your headline, opening paragraph and hotlink wording!
Want more? Check out the details of these ideas here.
The entrants came from a variety of markets and niches both B-to-B and B-to-C. They received over 100 entries and picked the 10 most impressive and here they are:
1. Sunflower Market
2. NetQoS Netcosm
3. Farm Aid
4. The Gobbledygook Manifesto
5. Levi Strauss Hong Kong
6. TaxBrain.com
7. Six Degrees/Network for Good
8. Beacon Street Girls
9. Exeros Inc.
10. Fox's 'American Dad' DVD
View campaign details of the winners.
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