Recently in marketing Category
Building the Community in Community Journalism
I have a family connection to Kevin Hessel, who has a nice handle on how traditional media outlets, in his case the Marin Independent Journal, can use social media to connect with their community, and secondarily, increase readership size and frequency in a way that supports the publication.
Affordable, professional web design
I imagine most designers get leads where the prospect needs a professional website, including logo, and some marketing, but doesn't have much of a budget. Perhaps a grand or two.
The problem with doing a site for a thousand bucks is how much of that gets eaten up in business development and the design discovery process.
My new partner and I have addressed this market head on with the launch today of Dennison+Wolfe Internet Group. We are streamlining the process, so that budget-conscious businesses can get professional web services at a fraction of the usual cost. Their hard-earned money goes into their site, not into getting their business.
The problem with doing a site for a thousand bucks is how much of that gets eaten up in business development and the design discovery process.
My new partner and I have addressed this market head on with the launch today of Dennison+Wolfe Internet Group. We are streamlining the process, so that budget-conscious businesses can get professional web services at a fraction of the usual cost. Their hard-earned money goes into their site, not into getting their business.
SMS, meet Digital Signage. Digital Signage, SMS.
SMS to Enable Interactivity for 40% of Network Digital Displays by 2012, According to MultiMedia Intelligence.
The promise of interactivity between potential customers and display technology is only at its beginnings; however, advertisers are looking to enable a higher level of engagement with digital signage audiences by enabling a backchannel. Due to the simplicity of SMS messaging and the ubiquity of wireless handsets, 40% of new network digital display platform installations will leverage SMS for interactivity by 2012, according to MultiMedia Intelligence. This is up from approximately 5% in 2007.
SEO Podcast
I was interviewed recently by Andrew Warner of Mixergy regarding search engine optimization and some basic internet strategy. You can stream or download the podcast at Andrew's blog.
Google Sitelinks
Google Sitelinks explained... sort of. For some searches, Google will display a cluster of internal site links, creating a much more robust, deep-linking #1 listing for whoever is at the top of the search. Here's an example from one of my sites:
There is nothing specific you can do to guarantee a listing like this, but sticking to good practices for a website in general, including strong navigation, lots of quality content and ongoing incoming link efforts will position you well. Try checking out articles on Google Sitelinks explained and How to Get Google Sitelinks for some additional info to improve your odds.
There is nothing specific you can do to guarantee a listing like this, but sticking to good practices for a website in general, including strong navigation, lots of quality content and ongoing incoming link efforts will position you well. Try checking out articles on Google Sitelinks explained and How to Get Google Sitelinks for some additional info to improve your odds.
The SEO Rapper
The Big Word Project
Addictive marketing from The Big Word Project... smart guys charging a buck a letter to link words to websites, similar to the Million Pixel Project. After spending $17 $19 to buy four five words and a half hour of clicking around other entries, I can attest they've got a nice thing working. (Of course, Paypal dollars don't feel entirely real...)
Green Travel and Hybrid Airplanes
An interesting article in the Pacific Coast Business Times on Avantair, a company in Camarillo that promotes "environmental responsibility in general aviation."
Avantair, a Clearwater, Fla.-based exclusive seller of fractional shares in Piaggio Avanti P.180 aircraft, keeps one of its few sales and only two maintenance facilities in the United States at the Camarillo airport. Dubbed by the company as the “hybrid of the skies,” the aircraft boasts the fuel efficiency of a turboprop and the speed and comfort of many jets.
To further the appeal of the P.180 as a green air transportation option, Avantair recently formed a partnership with TerraPass, an organization dedicated to the management of climate change.People aren't going to stop traveling via air anytime soon (unless the bird flu hits - then all bets are off. Would you get on a plane with 200 people, knowing that someone with the sniffles might have a virus that could kill you in three days?). And so, aviation becomes yet another industry that is moving towards being "green", in terms of fuel consumption, emissions and of course marketing. And look what happens when a company decides to take the lead in environmental responsibility. Others follow, which begins as a trickle and may turn into an industry-wide flood.
I particularly enjoyed this paragraph, if only for Ms. Goodspeed's name: “When people join a fractional program, they fly frequently. They want to have the best options possible to them,” said Ginger Goodspeed, Avantair’s Camarillo customer service manager.
Following Avantair’s partnership with TerraPass, NetJets, a major private aviation company and fractional seller, announced a plan to take several steps to offset its climate impact, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, offsetting unavoidable impacts and investing in research for environmentally efficient aviation technologies.
Social Network Marketing for Artists
An artist here in Ojai inquired about some web marketing assistance. I had a hard time pinpointing exactly where he was going
to get the most bang for his buck.
Search engine optimization probably won't help much because an artist has very little textual content on the pages. We could do some standard link building, but its fairly expensive and I don't think its going to have the kind of impact we'd both like to see for his site.
So I recommended that his best bet right now is to concentrate on social media, particularly social networking sites that focus on artists. Basically, an artist need to sell himself through his imagery, and traditional search engine optimization doesn't really cut it - an artist is better off seeking the communities where people are looking for art.
I did some research and found the following online communities that are chock-full of artists.
Search engine optimization probably won't help much because an artist has very little textual content on the pages. We could do some standard link building, but its fairly expensive and I don't think its going to have the kind of impact we'd both like to see for his site.
So I recommended that his best bet right now is to concentrate on social media, particularly social networking sites that focus on artists. Basically, an artist need to sell himself through his imagery, and traditional search engine optimization doesn't really cut it - an artist is better off seeking the communities where people are looking for art.
I did some research and found the following online communities that are chock-full of artists.
For an artist's own site, even without a lot of text, there are still some opportunities for visibility on the web. Be sure to name the files intuitively, and use the available attributes in the image tag (alt="" and title=""). This should increase visibility in Google Images and other image searches.Maccaca
Amateur Illustrator
MyArtInfo
ArtUproar
deviantART
Saatchi Gallery
Bebo
Ning Artist Search
Social Media SUPER List
ArtFlock.com (added 01/25/08)
Folio Link (fee)
ArtSpan (fee)
Really Simple Websites
A friend asks:
If I want to register a domain name for a non-profit idea of mine, and build
a simple inexpensive website for it, what service do you recommend for
registration?
Websites these days are commodities. For a simple "brochureware" website, I'd first look at whoever you already have domain(s) registered with (your "registrar") to see if they have anything you like. That would make it easier.
If working with your current registrar isn't a concern, I think godaddy.com, 1and1.com and register.com are good choices, based on their prices and templates offered. Following is a box for GoDaddy, where you can search for a domain, and select an appropriate hosting service.
And here's a link to 1and1.com, which a number of clients have been happy with, particularly considering their low prices. They have a really nice admin area for managing domains and emails.
Websites these days are commodities. For a simple "brochureware" website, I'd first look at whoever you already have domain(s) registered with (your "registrar") to see if they have anything you like. That would make it easier.
If working with your current registrar isn't a concern, I think godaddy.com, 1and1.com and register.com are good choices, based on their prices and templates offered. Following is a box for GoDaddy, where you can search for a domain, and select an appropriate hosting service.
And here's a link to 1and1.com, which a number of clients have been happy with, particularly considering their low prices. They have a really nice admin area for managing domains and emails.
