Posts Tagged ‘online marketing’

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Internet Marketing Inc SEO Director Speaking At SMX Advanced

Posted by Myles Vives on April 29th, 2009

I’m speaking at SMX Advanced

I will be representing Internet Marketing Inc. at SMX Advanced in Seattle on June 2nd as a speaker on the Mobile Search panel.

SMX Advanced is a two day event taking place at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center from Tuesday, June 2 to Wednesday, June 3 in Seattle, Washington.

There will be a Meet & Greet party at the Odyssey Maritime Museum on Monday June 1st hosted by Microsoft who has timed the announcement of its new search engine KUMO later at the conference.

SMX Advanced in my opinion is the pinnacle of all major Internet marketing conferences as such if you could only attend one conference all year this should be the one, although PubCon would be a close second.

This conference has sold out each year and the last chance to get the early bird lowest pricing is on Friday May 1st by saving $200 at this SMX Advanced Registration page.

Please let me know if you will be attending the conference or in the Seattle area in early June by emailing me at mike AT internetmarketinginc DOT com

Related Blogs

Internet Advertising Almost Twice What TV Was In 15 Years

Posted by Myles Vives on April 15th, 2009

 

The inflation-adjusted dollar growth of Internet advertising through its first 14 years is already almost double the growth of advertising for both cable and broadcast television over their respective first 14.

Do you feel this will continue or bottom out in the near future?

internet advertising vs tv

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Where is all the Stimulous Money Going?

Posted by Brent on March 4th, 2009

According to economists…it is going to these key industries:  Energy, Green Tech, Water, Canada/exports, Higher Education (notably non-public institutions), Health Care Practices,  Leisure, Pets, Funeral Services, Alcohol, Security, and Legal Services.

For all you marketers out there these are the industries I would be targeting for new clients.  There will be many start up businesses in these industries as well in need of website design and online marketing.  Being a San Diego Internet marketing company, we are in one of the best locations for clean tech companies and healthcare.  There is a lot of institutional money funding these companies large and small.  I would suggest reaching out to Venture Capital firms as well and seeing what their clients are in need of.

Another great area mentioned above is education.  Online education is growing like wild fire and educational institutions are spending big buck on online marketing!  These are interesting times and we all need to be creative when seeking new business opportunities.  Follow the money!

Internet Marketing Defined: Get on Board

Posted by Brent on February 9th, 2009

The Internet has become the most important new communication platform since TV and is fundamentally reshaping the contemporary view of sales and marketing.  If your business does not have an Internet marketing strategy, you will lose market share and credibility…it’s that simple.

Good business owners and leaders know how to execute.  That is how they have achieved the positions they hold.  It is now more important than ever to change the way we do business.  If you are still doing business the same way you were six months ago, you may be in for a rude awakening.

All the same fundamentals apply to online marketing strategies as they do for traditional media:
• What are your overall business goals?
• Is your business model realistic?  (maybe it was 12 months ago but what about now)
• Who are your customers?
• What is the competition doing?  Who are your online competitors?
• What marketing mix strategies are most effective?
• When will you achieve a good ROI?

Questions about Internet marketing and why it is so relevant today.  We will make sure to answer then all eventually!

1. What does Internet marketing entail, what are the channels involved?
2. Why is Internet marketing becoming so popular and how is it different than traditional media?
3. How is it more cost effective?
4. What is the difference between paid search (pay per click) advertising and organic search engine optimization?  Which is better?
5. Explain why it is important to have a good website, how to get targeted traffic, and how to turn that traffic into business?
6. How can a company effectively use Internet marketing during tough economic times?
7. What is an example of a good comprehensive Internet marketing strategy?
8. If you really do not have any budget for any kind of marketing, how can you still tap into your online audience?
9. So what is social media anyway?
10. How is video content being used for online marketing?
11. How do I get started and what are some of the initial hurdles to overcome?  (convincing senior management)

The Growth of Internet marketing & The Power of Being Online

• Online ads expected to generate $19 billion by 2009. (Jupiter Research)
• Ecommerce transactions to total $329 billion by 2010, which represents 13% of total US Sales. (Forrester Research)
• Online advertising can boost brand impact at 60% less cost than piling on more offline ads. (Forrester Research)
• 50% of small to medium size firms attributed some portion of their annual sales to their online presence. (Forrester Research)
• 40% of consumers cite search engines such as Google and Yahoo as the chief way they research products and services. (Bwired.com)

Internet Marketing Defined: “Internet marketing is a set of activities that enable the acquisition of targeted Web traffic and the conversion of Web visitors.”  (Weidman Consulting)
• Lower costs for exposure to a global audience
• Ability to be extremely targeted
• Internet marketing is more measurable than tradition media
• Technology makes it easy to get in front of your customers and interact with them in real time
• Internet marketing brings creativity and technology together
• Effective internet marketing requires a comprehensive strategy that synergizes business goals with branding, online sales and marketing efforts, and conversions
• Internet marketing makes it easier to engage to customer during all stages of the sales cycle
• The strategy and effectiveness differs from industry to industry and depends on the company’s business goals cost/volume/profit analysis
• B2B and B2C:  basically the same principals apply

Marketing in a Down Economy: Engage Your Audience

Posted by Brent on February 3rd, 2009

So for all you people out there whose sole responsibility is to market the products and services of your company, I pose this question:  What is the first thing people at the top want to do when money is tight?

If you answered “cut marketing budgets” you would generally be correct.  One of the first corporate knee jerk reactions is to cut advertising and marketing dollars (and jobs) when the economy is down.  Naturally, I am making broad statements but hopefully you understand where I am going with this.  In reality, a recession is one of the best and most crucial times to market.  A company can not only gain valuable market share but use the opportunity to stay in touch with their customers.  Without effective marketing and constantly analyzing the analytics and results, how can a company know when to make adjustments.

Internet marketing is now one of the most effective ways to continually engage an audience and make them aware of your brand.  People now use the search engines more than ever to research products and services before they purchase them.  This is true for online and offline shopping.  People not only do research using the search engines but engage their online social communities for feedback from their peers.

One of the most basic aspects to marketing is to position your products to be visible where your target audience is looking.  Well, this is just as true for online marketing.  Its not just about search engine optimization and pay per click advertising anymore.  There are a vast amount of resources that can drive amazingly targeted traffic.  Proper usage of PPC, Facebook.com advertising, video optimization (YouTube.com), social media sites like Twitter, and organic SEO all can result in dramatic increases in traffic and hopefully sales.

So what does all this have to do with marketing in a down economy?

During poor economic times it is crucial to stay in touch with your audience and engage them.  Keep them aware of what your company is offering them, the incentives you bring to the table, the value you have over the competition, and what you are going to do to keep them interested in your product.  Keep in mind though that this is not the time for “smoke and mirrors”.  People want transparency.  They want to know the truth about what you are offering.  We live in a Web 2.0 world where the real information is a few clicks away, consumer ratings are available, and there are an abundance of sites that will shed the light.  So you might as well be truthful in your pitch.

Another tip is to consider offering more discounts and creating landing pages accordingly.  Many of the Internet marketing tactics necessary today will not be relevant when the economy turns, but we can cross that bridge when we come to it, right?  Now is the time to change the way you do business and the way you market to your consumers.

Internet Marketing: Best Solution for a Bad Economy

Posted by Brent on February 2nd, 2009

There are not too many companies out there who have not felt the effects of the economy…nobody is truly immune though some have obviously been hit harder than others.  Regardless of what industry we are talking about, companies large and small have to work twice as hard now to earn half the business.  Businesses still need a powerful way to market their brand and bring in new customers, but how can anyone afford to do this?  The answer of course is through strategic Internet marketing and online media buying.

Naturally, Internet marketing like any other form of media/advertising costs money.  The good news is that it is definitely more cost effective than traditional forms of media and it can be measured and adjusted on the fly.  Nothing out there is more fluid and adaptable.  Everyone wants the best possible return on their invested marketing dollars which is why businesses are changing the way they think about online marketing.

If your businss is new to the Internet marketing game, here are a few tips:

  • Understand where your customers are looking for companies like yours:  Research how customers seek your services online and gather information that will halp you determine keyword usage, estimated traffic volumes and possible conversions.
  • Reallocate the necessary budget for a comprehensive Internet marketing campaign:  Consider all areas of online marketing such as redesigning your website, search engine optimization, pay per click advertising, social media marketing, online media buying, email marketing, etc.  Do not be afraid to try something new because you will most likely need to pull some or all of your budget away from traditional media strategies that are too expensive and not measurable.
  • Make sure you know what you are doing:  The best way to approach this if you are new to the game is to hire an Internet marketing company that can help you plan your strategy based on your business goals.
  • Set bussiness gaols for the year and work backwords:  Your online marketing plan should reflect your goals and be designed to bring those exact goals to reality.
  • Internet marketing is the most measurable form of media, so don’t forget to measure it:  One mistake companies make when launching new SEO and PPC campaigns is that they forget what tools they have at their disposal to ensure the best possible ROI.  Test, adjust, and test some more.  Repeat this process every month so you can constantly refine the process.
  • Make sure all aspects of your campaign support one another:  For example, if you are doing PPC, have the appropraite landing pages set up to capture business.
  • Constantly monitor your online competition:  Chances are that other companies have a good head start…but don’t worry.  It is important to understand where your competition is appearing onine, what message they are sending to the target audience, etc.
  • Be flexible in your strategy:  Internet marketing can and should be updated and changed regularly to adapt to customer response and competitive shifts.

The best advice to offer is to not wait any longer.  Your competition may be way ahead of you and gaining market share.  If done properly, a poor economy can be a great time to get a leg up on your competition.  Raise money, invest in Internet marketing, hire people away from competitors, and grow!!

Transparency in a Web 2.0 World

Posted by Brent on February 1st, 2009

As the world continues to flatten and technology drives us all closer together, consumers are targeted with an overabundance of information many times throughout the day.  We are constantly inundated with media messages form all angles.  Do “we” (consumers) still believe the marketing hype that companies put out there or are we looking for something REAL?

In a Web 2.0 world where even the most basic consumer is given a voice to assert their opinion, companies must learn to be transparent in their messaging.  People don’t really believe traditional marketing strategies anymore.  They want real verifiable information and feedback from other consumers.  They want information from a non-biased source so they can then come to their own conclusions about a company’s products and services.  The reason consumers gather information this way is simple…because its right at their finger tips.  And because consumers spend so much time researching and surfing the web for the REAL answers, it is imperative for companies to have a strong but transparent Internet marketing campaign.

Even PR firms are changing the way they approach their business.  Most good PR companies are now either partnering with Internet marketing firms or bringing those capabilities in house.  With handy tools like reputation management  and social media platforms, PR firms, Internet marketing companies, or just companies themsleves can not only monitor their own reputation, but get involved in controlling it a bit more.  If consumers are out their talking about your business, good and bad, you need to show them that you are available to respond.  Consumers do not want smoke and mirrors, especially in this economy…they want the real story about what you can offer them, for what price, and the type of return they will get for making that “investment”.  So get real with your business and your consumers and make sure to have a comprehensive online marketing strategy to support your message!

Social Marketing

Posted by Myles Vives on January 29th, 2009

Social Marketing has become the latest buzz word in the internet marketing industry.  Organizations, companies, and bloggers are now using this method to convey their messages to their intended audiences effectively and quickly.  There are many tools, perhaps too many tools at their disposal to be able to create effective messages.

Some of these tools include the ever growing FaceBook, a social networking site that has grown from being exclusive to college students, to an internet marketing vehicle for companies, bloggers, and yes, even celebrities.  There are many other social networking sites besides FaceBook such as MySpace, Bebo, Xanga, and even Ning which allows you as a user to custom create your own little social network.

In addition to social networking sites there are also micro blogging sites.  These micro blogging sites such as twitter, tumblr, and Pownce (now Six Apart), have been great vehicles for launching the latest news, keeping tabs on the recent elections, and simply updating your friends and followers alike of your daily activities.  All of these tools, from social networking sites, blogging, microblogging, and doing search optimization, can become rather overwhelming for most companies, and surely so for people.  All of these tools have gotten a term coined by the marketing industry, called social marketing.  If you have a business, a blog, are a celebrity, or a large corporation, it becomes more and more important to hire professionals to do social marketing for you.

The days of getting the message out via static images in newspapers and magazines are over.  Television ads are also not as effective as before as more and more people have turned into engaged consumers, instead of passive consumers.  Consumers want to choose what to view, what to buy, and what to admire.  To become successful and get  your message out there, you need to be actively involved in all of these social marketing tools.  However, if you dedicate your time to that, you may not have the time of day to effectively run your business.  Perhaps now is the time for you to think about social media marketing by talking to people and see what they think about it, as well as do some research on your own.

Online VS Offline: When do you Make the Switch?

Posted by Brent on December 9th, 2008

No matter what kind of company you may own or work for, at some point the marketing and media strategies must adjust do to internal and external situations.  The internal situations could be derived from growing or shrinking budgets, changes in business strategy, new product launches, re-branding efforts, etc.  The externalities could be anything from buyer behavior to the economy.  Regardless, a company must be fluid in their decision making in order to survive.  Nothing is more true than when considering your media placement and offline VS online marketing strategy.

If you are a business owner you will most likely think in terms of the revenue, profits, and expenses.  Therefore, the return on any investment made for the company must be justified or it should be cut from the budget.  This is just business management 101.  If the company is making investments in things not producing profits for the company in some fashion, then they are draining resources and cash.

Many business owners that have been married to traditional forms of media like print advertising and direct mail for decades often find it hard to embrace Internet marketing and online media buying.  It is not uncommon for large companies that have big budgets to spend the same amount of money each year on the same type of media, simple because they have been doing it that way for 10 years.  Companies in this situation (assuming the company is healthy and profitable) sometimes rarely research better alternatives or greater cost savings because they have the budget and they know what works…right?

Gradually, these companies begin to employ more younger marketing talent that understand the importance of search engine optimization, pay per click, and even social media.  Many times the marketing team is swimming upstream trying to convince the person holding the purse strings that these “new” marketing avenues are NOT new and are in fact more cost effective (when done correctly).  It is interesting because the CFO to whom they might have to answer to demands that they show a good ROI.  How they have done that in a realistic fashion over the years using print advertising is beyond me.  You want something cost effective, measurable, and that has the ability to reach a larger audience…well here it is!  Internet marketing.

The old method of “how did you hear about us?” as an analytics tool is dead.  That system is infected with human error.  Real estate companies are a perfect example of this.  Over the past few years more real estate companies are hiring Internet marketing companies and online media experts to broaden their horizons.  There could be no better time than now as the economy struggles and consumers are losing faith in the previously traditional forms of media.  People want transparent truth, which is why strategies like social media optimization are so popular.

In the recent past most real estate developers, condo developers, etc. were perfectly happy with spending hundreds of thousands in print media each year, using signage and agent networks…and that was about it.  Now, with shoe-string budgets they are seeking less expensive but powerful tools for marketing their property.  Online marketing is the place to be and many have already shifted the majority of their budgets to this strategy.  Good for them!

So how do you know when to make the switch?  The answer is simple, if you have not already made it then you are a bit behind the power curve.  Print media and other traditional forms of marketing have their place and are even crucial to many marketing plans.  It really depends on the product as to what kind of mix you should have between online and offline media.  One imporant thing to note though is that is you hire and Internet marketing company to handle online media, they must be inlvoved and have an intimate understanding of your offline strategy as well.  The two must compliment each other or you might be losing valuable business.

E-commerce & Community

Posted by Brent on December 3rd, 2008

One of the most powerful growth factors in the world of e-commerce has been the Web 2.0 integrations of the “community” aspect.  Community refers to a sense of user loyalty where people are physically and emotionally engaged in the website’s experience.  This is why social networking sites are so popular.  From the perspective of online marketing and sales, the addition of the community further enhances the user experince allowing them to contribute content, provide feedback, give ratings to products and services, blog, contribute to forums, etc.

An e-commerce portal itself is by definition a community becuase people are emotionally and financially invested in the experience (so to speak).  As Web 2.0 has taken over the Internet marketing and online media world, sites that offer user interaction and user generated content have redefined the idea of “community”.

Most successful e-commerce platforms now offer blogs, forums, and customer rating systems so people can interact in the online marketplace, learn from one another, and gain valuable knowledge.  When properly integrated, the community aspect to the e-commerce platform will engage users more, keep them coming back, and increase sales.

There are many great e-commerce software platforms out there that can be easily integrated with many of the social platforms.  All of these pieces need to work in synergy with one another to achieve the best results.

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