Use the 3 E's in social media. Educate, entertain engage. Dave the rapping Southwest airlines attendant does all three!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
New Video Podcast Episode 37: Live Presentation with Slides of the Ten Free or Low Cost Strategies for Marketing in a Recession
Video Podcast: Episode 37 Live Presentation WITH Slides embedded - Ten Free or Low Cost Strategies for Marketing in a Recession Jay Berkowitz Live at the American Marketing Association in Charleston, SC.
Go to the Ten Golden Rules Podcast page for show notes and to download!
Go to the Ten Golden Rules Podcast page for show notes and to download!
Friday, March 27, 2009
AdWords Trick - Dynamic Keyword Insertion
Many pay per click advertisers are now using dynamic keyword insertion in their ad copy. Many, however are no getting the most out of this trick because they do not understand the capitalization techniques. The way you use capitalization in your keyword insertion command will directly affect the capitalization in the ad that appears. Here are some ways to control capitalization in your keyword insertion ads.
Lets say a user is searching "ten golden rules". Here is how it will look using different keyword insertion capitalization variations:
If your ad uses this command: {keyword:Internet Marketing}, the ad will read "ten golden rules". (no capitalization)
If your ad uses this command: {Keyword:Internet Marketing}, the ad will read "Ten golden rules". (only the first letter of the first word is capitalized)
If your ad uses this command: {KeyWord:Internet Marketing}, the ad will read "Ten Golden Rules". (the first letter of each word is capitalized)
If your ad uses this command: {KEYWORD:Internet Marketing}, the ad will read "TEN GOLDEN RULES". (all letters are capitalized)
In most cases, it is best to capitalize the first letter of each word (KeyWord:). Play around with some different variations and see how they work for your campaign.
Lets say a user is searching "ten golden rules". Here is how it will look using different keyword insertion capitalization variations:
If your ad uses this command: {keyword:Internet Marketing}, the ad will read "ten golden rules". (no capitalization)
If your ad uses this command: {Keyword:Internet Marketing}, the ad will read "Ten golden rules". (only the first letter of the first word is capitalized)
If your ad uses this command: {KeyWord:Internet Marketing}, the ad will read "Ten Golden Rules". (the first letter of each word is capitalized)
If your ad uses this command: {KEYWORD:Internet Marketing}, the ad will read "TEN GOLDEN RULES". (all letters are capitalized)
In most cases, it is best to capitalize the first letter of each word (KeyWord:). Play around with some different variations and see how they work for your campaign.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Customer Reviews & Its Effectiveness
I'm the type of person who does a lot of research on a certain product, restaurant, book or movie before I buy, and I believe that consumer reviews are the most valuable information, next to the actual product. Reviews allow new customers to ease into becoming more comfortable with the potential product or service they are considering investing in.
There are many websites that allow you to add a review about your business, and it's best to let your customers know about these sites so they can return the favor by writing up an honest review. For local businesses, I am a big fan of Yelp.com, which has become popular with local restaurants, but you can basically review any type of business under the blue sky.
A great way for customers to leave testimonials for your business is to direct them straight to the review website, whether it is a link in a thank you email, confirmation page, or in a prominent area on your website.
Other popular websites to view and write consumer reviews are:
Merchant Circle
CitySearch
Google Maps - easiest if you already have a Google Account
InsiderPages
Judy's Book
Kaboodle
Of course, it's best to take any review written with a grain of salt, since anyone can create reviews.
There are many websites that allow you to add a review about your business, and it's best to let your customers know about these sites so they can return the favor by writing up an honest review. For local businesses, I am a big fan of Yelp.com, which has become popular with local restaurants, but you can basically review any type of business under the blue sky.
A great way for customers to leave testimonials for your business is to direct them straight to the review website, whether it is a link in a thank you email, confirmation page, or in a prominent area on your website.
Other popular websites to view and write consumer reviews are:
Merchant Circle
CitySearch
Google Maps - easiest if you already have a Google Account
InsiderPages
Judy's Book
Kaboodle
Of course, it's best to take any review written with a grain of salt, since anyone can create reviews.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Podcast Episode 36 Features Exclusive First Interview with Michael Stelzner
The Ten Golden Rules of Internet Marketing Podcast features Episode #36 and features an exclusive first interview with Michael Stelzner, author of the Social Media Marketing Industry Report, which was released yesterday. Also interviewed is Facebook Goddess Mari Smith, who gives insightful advice about using Facebook and other Social Media tools.Check out the latest episode of the Ten Golden Rules Internet Marketing Podcast and subscribe to the podcast today!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Invest in Electronics - Save Money in Recession
Have you been putting off purchasing an Xbox 360 or a PS3 because they are too expensive? I have. But if you think about it, how much do you spend outside the home on entertainment each week? With Xbox as low as $199.99 new, by staying in on Friday night and playing some games, you will quickly make that back in savings. Maybe video gaming is not your thing. There are plenty of small investments that can substitute for going out and paying cover charges, buying drinks, etc. Save your money, buy an Xbox.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
NBA Player Tweets During Half Time - Team Wins
Milwaukee Bucks, Charlie Villanueva rushed to his phone during half time against the Boston Celtics to tweet. ""In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. We're playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up."
It must have worked, he finished with a team high of 19, and the Bucks beat Boston, 86-77. He got a talking to after the game from head coach Scott Skiles...guess he's not a fan of Twitter.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
CheckUsernames Checks Your Brand Name Across Social Networks
With the popularity of Twitter and the many people starting to be aware of it, the best advice for businesses would be to secure your brand name. CheckUsernames.com allows you to check your brand name across popular social networks, such as MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Digg and Flickr. This site not only shows you what usernames have already been taken, but can also give you ideas on social networks to check out you may not have known about.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Unique Twitter Marketing Tactics
This past week, Maggianos promoted a gift certificate using Twitter. All you had to do was follow @Maggianos and send the tweet “Follow @Maggianos by 5pm CST to be entered to win $100 in Maggiano's gift certificates.” Once one person tweeted about it, more people would see that tweet in their feed and if they wanted to enter the contest (and why wouldn't you NOT want to, it's free, right?) tweet it as well, because the offer was valuable for others to tweet about it. Even after the contest, Maggianos will be able to reach its followers who entered the contest by providing discounts, new menu additions or even new Maggiano restaurant openings.
For businesses who offer products or services, Twitter would be a great idea to promote a contest where entering was as simple as tweeting about the contest. The Palm Beach Post recently has been doing this as, but in the form of asking its followers trivia questions with the winner receiving free Muvico tickets.
Twitter can be a great place to learn about current news, interesting blog posts and now even win free stuff. As long as you provide useful value, there won’t be any reason why other Twitter users shouldn’t follow you.
For businesses who offer products or services, Twitter would be a great idea to promote a contest where entering was as simple as tweeting about the contest. The Palm Beach Post recently has been doing this as, but in the form of asking its followers trivia questions with the winner receiving free Muvico tickets.
Twitter can be a great place to learn about current news, interesting blog posts and now even win free stuff. As long as you provide useful value, there won’t be any reason why other Twitter users shouldn’t follow you.
Want To Get Media Attention?
Seth Godin posted a great article about his differences on publicity and PR. He explains that, “PR is the strategic crafting of your story,” while publicity, “is the act of getting ink.” When talking about public relations, publicity is only one tactic to bringing attention to your company.
I want to share a list of “tactics” companies should be using to gain publicity and have the public buzzing about your product/brand/service:
Media Relations - contact the media! Use Twitter and Facebook, present them with stories that way. Provide them with links to your ideas, or press releases that you’ve written. Make them aware of upcoming news conferences, press tours.
Special Events – Host open houses, fund-raisers, trade shows, ceremonies, contests, stunts, receptions, speeches by V.I.P’s at your location. Invite local dignitaries and be sure to let your local media outlet know of what’s taking place and who is coming.
Letters to Editors – Send letters to your local newspaper for the Op Ed sections responding to news items where you are an expert. Let them know you can used as a resource for information about topics.
Sponsorships – Get involved with you local sports team or chamber of commerce, sponsor an event or a season. However, leverage this by making sure your sponsorship will be acknowledged on advertising, programs, uniforms, posters, or other promotional materials.
Donate to local charities - Even though a donation has to be very large to make the news, a consistent commitment to giving back to your community by supporting local charities will enhance your image. When you donate, ask for acknowledgment in newsletters, plaques, or other promotional materials they may have.
I want to share a list of “tactics” companies should be using to gain publicity and have the public buzzing about your product/brand/service:
Media Relations - contact the media! Use Twitter and Facebook, present them with stories that way. Provide them with links to your ideas, or press releases that you’ve written. Make them aware of upcoming news conferences, press tours.
Special Events – Host open houses, fund-raisers, trade shows, ceremonies, contests, stunts, receptions, speeches by V.I.P’s at your location. Invite local dignitaries and be sure to let your local media outlet know of what’s taking place and who is coming.
Letters to Editors – Send letters to your local newspaper for the Op Ed sections responding to news items where you are an expert. Let them know you can used as a resource for information about topics.
Sponsorships – Get involved with you local sports team or chamber of commerce, sponsor an event or a season. However, leverage this by making sure your sponsorship will be acknowledged on advertising, programs, uniforms, posters, or other promotional materials.
Donate to local charities - Even though a donation has to be very large to make the news, a consistent commitment to giving back to your community by supporting local charities will enhance your image. When you donate, ask for acknowledgment in newsletters, plaques, or other promotional materials they may have.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Top Things I Twittered from WebmaterWorld's Pubcon
I am at WebmasterWorld's Pubcon, and instead of taking notes just for me, I live Twittered everything I learned. If you don't follow me on Twitter here are the highlights, in Twitter format.
Also interesting to note, Twitter was the dominant theme of the conference from the opening keynote featuring internet entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki and the nicest guy on Twitter Chris Brogan through to my talk on 'The Intersection of Search and Social'.
Search.Twitter.com is a game changer. Faster than Google which takes 1-2 days to index @JayBerkowitz
No matter how much we say we're talking about social media at large, we're often just talking about Twitter @Chris Brogan
@DellOutlet on Twitter has done over $1,000,000 in business and over 154,000 followers in 1.5 years
Twitter growth 752% Dec. to Dec. (source Compete.com) @btabke
A number of people are using Twitter to search for product information instead of Google. They ask their followers what car to buy what movie to go to @JayBerkowitz
The ultimate form of flattery is how often people retweet your posts I check retweetthis.com all the time @guykawasaki
If you want to be retweeted keep tweets to 120 characters leave room for Rt message @ggroovin
The number one reason people stop following you is too much me me me @ggroovin
32% of the Fortune 500 use Google Analytics @btabke
Great post by @chrisbrogan - 50 ideas for using twitter for business
'Rankings are dead' (Important What this means is that due to personalized search you get different results than I do, so you can't look at rank results anymore) @btabke
Brett Tabke Main Themes: Google is winning, social media has arrived, affiliates are back for site monetization, what recession? @btabke
What's coming in Search widgets badges, apps, mobile, local and international @SEOmom
@chrisbrogan 'I cheat for blog content, I take pictures and blog about them like buy this shitty coffee the worst ad i've seen'
Also interesting to note, Twitter was the dominant theme of the conference from the opening keynote featuring internet entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki and the nicest guy on Twitter Chris Brogan through to my talk on 'The Intersection of Search and Social'.
Search.Twitter.com is a game changer. Faster than Google which takes 1-2 days to index @JayBerkowitz
No matter how much we say we're talking about social media at large, we're often just talking about Twitter @Chris Brogan
@DellOutlet on Twitter has done over $1,000,000 in business and over 154,000 followers in 1.5 years
Twitter growth 752% Dec. to Dec. (source Compete.com) @btabke
A number of people are using Twitter to search for product information instead of Google. They ask their followers what car to buy what movie to go to @JayBerkowitz
The ultimate form of flattery is how often people retweet your posts I check retweetthis.com all the time @guykawasaki
If you want to be retweeted keep tweets to 120 characters leave room for Rt message @ggroovin
The number one reason people stop following you is too much me me me @ggroovin
32% of the Fortune 500 use Google Analytics @btabke
Great post by @chrisbrogan - 50 ideas for using twitter for business
'Rankings are dead' (Important What this means is that due to personalized search you get different results than I do, so you can't look at rank results anymore) @btabke
Brett Tabke Main Themes: Google is winning, social media has arrived, affiliates are back for site monetization, what recession? @btabke
What's coming in Search widgets badges, apps, mobile, local and international @SEOmom
@chrisbrogan 'I cheat for blog content, I take pictures and blog about them like buy this shitty coffee the worst ad i've seen'
Monday, March 09, 2009
Improve Your Quality Score
When advertising in Google AdWords, quality score can mean the difference between profitable and break-even campaigns. Small tweaks to your campaign can be enough to improve your quality score enough to lower your cost per click. Especially if you are in a field with growing competition, you may see the cost per click of your keywords rising to the point that you just can't make any money. By raising that quality score, you may just be able to get the cost back down and start making money again.
The simplest way to improve your quality score is to take the time to break your campaigns down to highly specific ad groups. Instead of a single ad group with 20 somewhat similar keyword phrases, break it into four or five ad groups with four or five keyword phrases in each. For the ads in a specific ad group, include the keyword phrases in the ad copy. On the landing page for that ad group, include the wording you used in the ads. By simply separating keywords into ad groups, you will improve the relevancy of your ads and landing pages and effectively lower your cost per click.
The simplest way to improve your quality score is to take the time to break your campaigns down to highly specific ad groups. Instead of a single ad group with 20 somewhat similar keyword phrases, break it into four or five ad groups with four or five keyword phrases in each. For the ads in a specific ad group, include the keyword phrases in the ad copy. On the landing page for that ad group, include the wording you used in the ads. By simply separating keywords into ad groups, you will improve the relevancy of your ads and landing pages and effectively lower your cost per click.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Top 50 Celebrities on Twitter
The latest Rolling Stone magazine had a list of some musicians on the popular micro blogging site Twitter. So it got me to thinking who else is active? Here are 50 celebrities on Twitter, I tried to sort out the real celebs from the fakes.
FYI - If you haven't checked out Twitter yet, one tip - get your name right now! Twitter is becoming increasingly popular and you only have one chance to reserve your name. Register your name for free and the name of your company to save it.
To get started with Twitter, have a look at my Twitter feed to see some of the people I'm following.
Please add any other celebs you follow to the list in the comments and we'll update it in the future!
Politics
1. Barack Obama
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger
3. Al Gore
4. Joe Biden
Miscellaneous
5. Richard Branson
6. Deepak Chopra
Pop/Hollywood
7. Brittney Spears
8. Demi Moore
9. Ashton Kutcher
10. Ryan Seacrest
11. Perez Hilton
12. George Lucas
13. John Cleese
14. Jimmy Fallon
15. Jimmy Kimmel
16. Penn Jillette
17. Mischa Barton
18. Dane Cook
19. William Shatner
20. Kevin Smith
21. Stephen Fry
Music
22. Diddy
23. John Mayer
24. Dave Matthews
25. MC Hammer
26. Timbaland
27. Chris Cornell
28. Snoop Dogg
29. Yoko Ono
30. Taylor Swift
31. Lady Gaga
32. Katy Perry
33. Lily Allen
News
34. Rick Sanchez
35. Anderson Cooper
36. Stephen Colbert
Sports
37. Shaquille O’Neal
38. Steve Nash
39. Michael Phelps
40. Shaun White
41. Eli Manning
42. Lance Armstrong
43. Andy Murray
44. Jerry Rice
45. Natalie Gulbis
46. Alexander Ovechkin
47. National Hockey League
48. Dwight Howard
49. Chris Bosh
50. Jason Richardson
FYI - If you haven't checked out Twitter yet, one tip - get your name right now! Twitter is becoming increasingly popular and you only have one chance to reserve your name. Register your name for free and the name of your company to save it.
To get started with Twitter, have a look at my Twitter feed to see some of the people I'm following.
Please add any other celebs you follow to the list in the comments and we'll update it in the future!
Politics
1. Barack Obama
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger
3. Al Gore
4. Joe Biden
Miscellaneous
5. Richard Branson
6. Deepak Chopra
Pop/Hollywood
7. Brittney Spears
8. Demi Moore
9. Ashton Kutcher
10. Ryan Seacrest
11. Perez Hilton
12. George Lucas
13. John Cleese
14. Jimmy Fallon
15. Jimmy Kimmel
16. Penn Jillette
17. Mischa Barton
18. Dane Cook
19. William Shatner
20. Kevin Smith
21. Stephen Fry
Music
22. Diddy
23. John Mayer
24. Dave Matthews
25. MC Hammer
26. Timbaland
27. Chris Cornell
28. Snoop Dogg
29. Yoko Ono
30. Taylor Swift
31. Lady Gaga
32. Katy Perry
33. Lily Allen
News
34. Rick Sanchez
35. Anderson Cooper
36. Stephen Colbert
Sports
37. Shaquille O’Neal
38. Steve Nash
39. Michael Phelps
40. Shaun White
41. Eli Manning
42. Lance Armstrong
43. Andy Murray
44. Jerry Rice
45. Natalie Gulbis
46. Alexander Ovechkin
47. National Hockey League
48. Dwight Howard
49. Chris Bosh
50. Jason Richardson
Monday, March 02, 2009
Get the Scoop on a New Internet Startup!
On our new 10 Golden Rules Internet Marketing Podcast Episode # 35 you'll Get the Scoop on a New Web Startup by David McInnis founder of PR Web.
Also on the show:
- Podcast of the Week Morning Coach
- Ten Tips to Shake the Recession Blues
- Live From the Blog Susan with YouTube Annotations
- Marc discusses using Negative Keywords
- Mikhaila’s take on Netbooks
- Margie comments on Golden Rule #7 Trust is Golden and Authenticated Testimonials
- Grace features 302 Redirect Links
- Michael shares 5 Things to do when launching a new website
- Call-ins from Scott Wright from StreetWise Security Zone, The Real Tim Jones , Chi from Mamas Dresser
- Song of the Week Kerry Politzer Love is in the Atmosphere.
- Intro by Andrea Nierenberg
Please call in our digital recorder message line any time with questions and comments to join in on the next show 206-888-6606!
Also on the show:
- Podcast of the Week Morning Coach
- Ten Tips to Shake the Recession Blues
- Live From the Blog Susan with YouTube Annotations
- Marc discusses using Negative Keywords
- Mikhaila’s take on Netbooks
- Margie comments on Golden Rule #7 Trust is Golden and Authenticated Testimonials
- Grace features 302 Redirect Links
- Michael shares 5 Things to do when launching a new website
- Call-ins from Scott Wright from StreetWise Security Zone, The Real Tim Jones , Chi from Mamas Dresser
- Song of the Week Kerry Politzer Love is in the Atmosphere.
- Intro by Andrea Nierenberg
Please call in our digital recorder message line any time with questions and comments to join in on the next show 206-888-6606!
Get $1,000 Worth of Advertising from Google
In an attempt to create some buzz around their new Display Ad Builder Tool, Google began a contest to see how creative advertisers can be using this tool. The tool was created as an easy way for advertisers to create static image and animated ads for use on the AdWords content network. Using professionally designed templates, people with little or no design experience can build display ads for their business in minutes.
The first place winner, based on the creativity of their ad and innovation in using the tool, will receive $1,000 in AdWords credits. Put on your creative hats and enter the contest by simply filling out their entry form. Hurry up because the contest ends March 24.
The first place winner, based on the creativity of their ad and innovation in using the tool, will receive $1,000 in AdWords credits. Put on your creative hats and enter the contest by simply filling out their entry form. Hurry up because the contest ends March 24.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Want to be an Internet DJ? Check out Blip.FM
I believe in the rule of 3's for new internet products. The first time I hear about something I make a mental note, the second time I might check it out, if I hear about a new product or service for a third time I know that must give it a test drive.
I had been hearing about Blip.FM and then within 1 week Shawn Collins the founder of Affiliate Summit linked me to a Blip from Twitter and tonight one of the brightest young minds in social media, Amanda Mooney introduced me to a dynamic band called Vampire Weekend and this song Ottoman on her Blip.
So far I like it! The site plays some excellent fresh sounding music based on the DJ's recommended to me through 3 songs I selected when I registered.
Check out my 'blip':
I had been hearing about Blip.FM and then within 1 week Shawn Collins the founder of Affiliate Summit linked me to a Blip from Twitter and tonight one of the brightest young minds in social media, Amanda Mooney introduced me to a dynamic band called Vampire Weekend and this song Ottoman on her Blip.
So far I like it! The site plays some excellent fresh sounding music based on the DJ's recommended to me through 3 songs I selected when I registered.
Check out my 'blip':
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