Ideas for Business

Social media can be a great marketing tool when things go right. It can also be a nightmare when things go wrong. A recent article looks at McDonalds; yes, we’re talking about the famous golden arches, which experienced the highs and lows of social media marketing, all in the one campaign. One of the most difficult areas to manage when it comes to social media is that of control. In most cases, businesses have little control once a campaign starts to move, and once your marketing campaign goes viral, then you have lost all control.

Of course, if you’re fortunate enough to have a positive viral outcome, control is not really an issue. You can sit back and harvest the results of that viral marketing campaign. It’s when that viral campaign is negative that problems really set in. Trying to wrest control back is almost impossible, leaving business owners with a reputation management problem that requires a lot of effort to repair.

For Mcdonalds, they spent money buying Twitter hashtags. There’s no problem there, and their first campaign, using #MeetTheFarmers as the hashtag worked reasonably well.  A cynical reader may well surmise that its success related more to the fact that readers didn’t relate that hashtag to McDonalds. MeetTheFarmers is the kind of hashtag that doesn’t really invoke many emotions. Where McDonalds went wrong is when they changed their hashtag to #McDStories.

Everyone has a story about McDonalds, and we’re talking about bad stories, not good. That hashtag immediately hooked into people’s emotions and it opened the floodgates. Every bad story about McDonalds steadily flowed through Twitter. About the only upside to this result was the humor that many found in these tweeted stories. The other upside is that others, like us here today, are talking about how McDonalds lost control of a social media marketing campaign. That, of course, is from an optimist who tries to find a positive in everything.

The lesson for small business owners is simple. Watch what you write, and watch how you use hashtags. McDonalds does have a poor reputation amongst some sections of the community, so a hashtag like #McDStories was bound to have a negative effect. If you do lose control, you will need to work hard to either reduce the damage or to turn it around to make it a positive.

Picturesque view of Lake Minnetonka from the TopRank office

Today marks my 4 month anniversary at TopRank Online Marketing and almost 5 years in the online marketing industry.  It has been a goal of mine to learn as much as I possibly can from those who know the industry best.  In this seemingly short amount of time I have received, and continue to receive a top notch education at an unbeatable price.

I would like to share some of my experience to give other marketers interested in breaking into Internet marketing or continuing their online marketing education an idea of what it looks like from one person’s perspective.

The Interview Process

Do Your Homework
Walking into an interview with no base knowledge of who the company is, what they stand for, and how they operate is a huge mistake.  Especially if you are an Internet marketer.  I would recommend reviewing the following information pre-interview:

• Company Website: This should give you a sense of the services they offer and who some of their clients are.
• Management: If you can find information about the management team be sure to do some additional research on them as well to get a sense of their background and accomplishments.
• Content & Social Profiles: At the bare minimum I would recommend looking at the company blog (if they have one), Twitter profile, Facebook page, and Google+ page.
• News & Press Releases: Do a Google search to see if the company has released any exciting news over the past few months.

If you are working with a recruiter be sure to ask as many questions about the companies services, their culture, and preferences as possible.  The recruiter will typically have spoken with contacts at the company and with other interviewees post interview.  This is a great opportunity to gain some inside knowledge before you step in the door.  These are all great ways to educated yourself before walking in the door and will allow you to have an intelligent conversation about the company during your interview.

Demonstrate Value
Depending on what position you are applying for take some time to identify what you believe to be areas of need or improvement for the company.  You should walk in knowing you may not be 100% correct but it will be appreciated that you made the effort.  If applying for a social media position I would take some time to analyze what they are doing currently, what the results appear to be, as well as some recommendations for increased customer engagement.

Spending some additional time to identify what you believe to be their competitors will also be a great source for gather information.  Perhaps you notice a competitors blog or social profile that has a lot of readers or followers.  Try to identify what they are doing and how the company you are interviewing with could do that better.

Asking questions is also a great way to demonstrate value.  If you can think quickly on your feet then this will allow you demonstrate immediate value.  Some questions you might consider asking are:

• What do you believe is your biggest area of need?
• What would you like/need to focus on but don’t have enough time to do?
• What personality traits are you looking for in a candidate?
• What does the typical day look like for this position?
• Are there any other areas of your business that you would like to grow?

Consider Each Interview a Learning Experience
Whether it is your dream job or not I believe that you should walk into each interview hoping to learn as much as you possibly can.  In addition to being a great networking opportunity it can give you a sense of what companies in the industry are looking for in a candidate, industry buzz words, and a chance to learn more from someone else in the industry.

Even If You Didn’t Get the Job, Ask For Feedback
As disappointing as it may be you will not get every job you interview for.  If you receive word that they have decided not to hire you don’t be afraid to ask why.  I recommend sending out a brief and polite email asking for feedback.  Thank the interviewer for the opportunity and ask if they have any recommendations on skills that would make you more attractive to a company like theirs because you are interested in constantly evolving your skill set.

Working for an Internet Marketing Company

There Will Always Be Other People Who Know More Than You
No matter how long you have been in the industry there will be other online marketers who know things that you don’t.  Instead of foolishly refusing to learn from these other influentials I would recommend keeping tabs on what they’re teaching and apply information that you find useful to your own strategy.  There may be tactics that you do not agree with but if anything it will give you a sense of what other respected members of the community are recommending to your potential clients.

Welcome Constructive Criticism
I for one thrive on feedback.  If I don’t know what I am doing wrong or how to fix it how will I get better?  I have a tendency to take some feedback personally because I put so much of myself into my work.  However, I’ve learned that you can’t consider it a personal attack but instead an opportunity to learn more.  Take the feedback that you’ve been given, add it into your process, and work to avoid the same mistakes next time.  Say perhaps that you don’t agree with the feedback provided?  I’ve learned that there is nothing wrong with having an opinion as long as you have data to back it up.  So, until you have that information do not present an argument.  An educated opinion is worth so much more than an emotional response.

The Best Internet Marketers are Passionate About What They Do
In a field like Internet Marketing I think it is essential that you care about your work.  Care not in the sense that you like the paycheck, but that you actually have a interest in what you are doing.  Companies and clients can tell if you are not invested in marketing their product and getting results.  Social media engagement is a full time job.  You must be willing to connect even when it may not be convenient to answer the questions and address concerns of your customers and potential customers.

Adaptability & Process Are Extremely Valuable
In an industry that changes from one day to the next those that are not adaptable will be left behind.  Once you find tactics that work be sure to document them and make them part of your process.  This process will clearly evolve over time but it will help maintain order for yourself and the rest of your team.  If each team member is taking a wildly different approach to online marketing you will not be able to truly measure the success of your efforts or provide a best practice approach.

What Next?
I don’t consider what I do a job.  It is a journey and an education that I am extremely thankful for.  Through my experience I have learned what should be done, as well as what not to do.  I know that I have shared some of my personal experience but I am curious to know what helpful tips other readers in the industry might have.  If you could tell everyone one thing that you’ve learned while working in this industry, what would it be?

Are you interested in working for a company like TopRank Online Marketing?  If you would like the opportunity to work with us we would love to hear from you.  We are currently looking for Account Managers, as well as Search and Social Strategists to join our team.  Our Careers page on our website provides some more detailed information on our current openings.

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© Online Marketing Blog, 2012. | Getting Your Internet Marketing Dream Job: How to Interview & Succeeding at a Top Agency | http://www.toprankblog.com

Search engine optimization is fine, however, small business owners should remember one important lesson – the Google Bot has never ever made a purchase; your customers do. There’s an interesting interview with Hamlet Batista that discusses how too much SEO can harm a website, and it can. Your web pages need to be written so that potential customers can access your content quickly and easily. The article discusses, for example, changing navigation links to match keywords. If customers find your navigation links a little confusing, they may just leave, and that’s going to cost you business.

Drawing traffic from search engines just to boost traffic numbers is not the best way to run a business. You are often better off drawing less traffic from a search engine whilst increasing the quality of that traffic. As a business, conversions are the most important metric, so your SEO efforts should be targeting quality traffic, not just ‘any’ traffic.

Traffic, even from a search engine, is not free. SEO takes time, and that’s either time away from your business or a cost to a business when you engage others to perform it for you. An experienced SEO professional will help you target your efforts towards quality traffic. This doesn’t mean you should totally ignore traffic of a lower quality, by all means, attract that traffic if you wish, but not by making on page changes that could hurt the conversion rate of your quality traffic. Batista makes the following point:

The key principle is to first make sure the site, the content, the layout, and the instruction and navigation makes sense for the users because …. you are not optimizing the site for the search engine bots to make a purchase. You have to optimize it for the user.

It’s an interesting situation for small businesses, especially those in competitive markets. SEO is designed to get the best search results, however, your website should be designed to achieve conversion goals from visitors. The real key is to get the balance right, and it can be done.

Your Small Business’s Blog and You

So, you’ve set up a blog for your small biz. Maybe you’ve had one set up for a while but haven’t really used it, or haven’t really seen a return on your investment in it. Hopefully, you realize that a blog’s overall purpose in the grand scheme of Internet marketing is to serve as a social tool, not necessarily a sales tool. You can use that blog to sell your goods and services, sure, but using it as a way of engaging your client or potential customer, and as a way for interacting with them is a much better use of your blog, and your time. Small business bloggers often get lost in all the confusion that is online marketing. And that’s where we’re here to help. With these tips for small business bloggers, let’s see if we can’t clear up some of that confusion, shall we?

First of all, your blog should be part of an overall Internet marketing strategy. It shouldn’t be your only Internet marketing effort, but it shouldn’t take a back seat to Facebook or YouTube or other “sexier” forms of marketing available today. In fact, it is quite possible that if you are just starting out in the online marketplace, your small business’s blog might just be the most important piece of your Internet marketing puzzle. It’s where loyal customers and potential new ones can find out about you, your firm, and your products. You can engage in conversations, answer questions and dispel doubts or myths all while dispensing information vital to your clients’ needs and buying decisions.

Secondly, your blog isn’t there to sell. Sure, that’s a major function of all marketing efforts, but it isn’t the only thing your blog should be doing. Today’s customers want to be informed, both before and after making a purchase. They also want to know that there’s a real live person behind the monitor. They want to know who you are – what you care about, what makes you tick – just as much as they want to know about your products and services. It’s called relationship marketing, and what it all boils down to is that you and I are more likely to establish a customer/merchant relationship with someone we can trust, someone we can like, and someone we can get to know. Your blog is the ideal channel to do just that.

Lastly, your small business’s blog should be treated as not so much a marketing tool, but as an extension of you and your small business. After all, it may be the first, and sometimes only, contact a client has with you. You don’t want it looking like something your kid threw together for a class project (unless your kid is a web design student, and maybe not even then.) Nor do you want it to give a stuffy, standoffish appearance. You want your blog to represent your small business in the best possible light. Keep it friendly. Keep it topical and relevant to your small business’s products or services. And by all means keep it updated regularly. New, fresh content is key to all your blogging efforts. Even if that means hiring a professional blogger to do it for you.

Your small business’s blog can do great things for you. You just have to know how to use. And how to use it right.

Google+ Optimization or Community Building?

Initially I looked at Google+ the same as other Google social projects like Wave and Orkut. But the more I use Google+ the more I like it. Maybe it’s the network effect because others are using it more too. I often find content and insights shared on G+ that I don’t find elsewhere.

While the addition of Google Search Plus Your World (SPYW) has made a big splash in the digital community, I actually think G+ is far more useful (from a personal perspective) as a social network than it is as an augmentation of search on Google.com. When I put my Marketer’s hat on, of course it doesn’t matter what I think of G+ – the task is to figure out how to optimize opportunities to gain an advantage.

There’s been no shortage of commentary about G+ and SPYW but I think there are a few pros and cons that are worth exploring.

Google+ Pros:

As a social network, there are inherent social engagement benefits of Google+.  The Google+ shares, pluses, comments and overall interaction behaviors necessary to improve Google+ inspired search visibility also benefit social network development and community engagement. Starting with SEO and Google+ seems a little backwards to me compared to leveraging it first as a social network.

Along the lines of optimizing for customers before keywords, what about starting on Google+ with engagement and building a network for the sake of growing a community first? As you grow content and community, then bring in the SEO component – or at least simultaneously.

Google+ can definitely serve as another spoke in a hub and spoke content distribution and social engagement model. While Google+ has been reported to have 90 million users, it’s a far cry from the 800 million on Facebook. That said, Google is doing everything it can to “encourage” mass adoption. As that happens, it can become a very productive channel in an overall content and social media marketing mix.

As for SEO and G+, there’s no reason Google+ optimization best practices and social networking efforts cannot happen simultaneously. G+ has rich social networking opportunities that have value on their own vs. viewing G+ solely for it’s SEO value. Together, they represent true social media optimization opportunity.

Google+ Cons:

Is Google+ participation mandatory? The clear advantages of Google+ presence and activity in search make it impossible for companies that value online visibility not to join in. But that incentive is not the same thing as joining a social network because you know that’s where customers and influentials are. As companies mature in their social media participation, those choices are increasingly based on customers vs. chasing shiny objects, the competition or because everyone is doing it. Joining Google+ for the wrong reasons is a bit of a con to me.

A boost in Google+ is a boost for “Unknown” keywords. The more people that are logged in to Google+ and other Google services, the more that search keywords will be reported as “Unknown” to website owners. I think this is the biggest potential con for Google+ success. Search encryption enables privacy with organic search results but not for PPC search clicks. Is that double standard?

The “unknown” segment of referring keywords for our most popular site is now over 25%. That’s a lot of traffic that we know comes from Google but we don’t know which specific keyword phrase it was. As a result, optimization refinement for better search visibility is a much bigger challenge for those phrases. Additionally, optimizing content for better user experience also suffers.

Of course, we’re an adaptable bunch and we’ll simply find another way to make connections between how customers discover our content and what inspires engagement and conversions.

Can Google create their own weather by incentivizing participation? Will it be enough to create momentum and the network effect that will create “true” value for membership? Yes or no, the incentive is too strong not to join. Now it’s a matter of what can brands do to actually make it meaningful vs. mechanical.

When I posted this question on my Google+ account, here are a few of the replies:

Mike Grinberg  -  Google is using a push strategy with G+. They are pretty much “forcing” people to join by integrating as much as possible with all their other services. As more people join, this will become more than just a “power user’s/geeks/nerds paradise” It is slowly happening already.

Benjamin Wright  -  I like G+ because I can post comments like this, including comments with links, immediately, without CAPTCHAs and without waiting for the blog/post owner’s approval. G+ is able to allow this, I believe, because it bans spammers.

Rohn Jay Miller – Lee, I’ve joined and I check and participate–at least some times. But I’m still using blogs and Twitter far more to keep in touch with communities I’m a part of. What’s the incentive to pay the switching costs? This seems like Google-think again: it’s a technology driven idea that’s cool in the overview, even compelling.

But down here at my user level Google+ is just a “mini-net” that I look at once a day. And that’s me, a full-time social media / content professional. What about my brother in law? This has a long way to go before it’s more compelling than compelled

Ian Lurie  - Google is taking this 1-2 steps further by creating a strong marketing incentive FIRST, and using that to drag us all to their property. But that kinda makes sense given that they already have the audience. Facebook didn’t, so they went about it a different way.

I DO think Google can create their own weather. Their huge advantage is their audience. It’s easy to forget, but they own the two most-used search engines on the planet. If they don’t get plowed under for anti-competitive practices they’ll likely win through brute force.

How have you approached Google+ personally or for your business?

Are you optimizing or building community? Are you doing both at the same time? How are you incorporating Google+ with the rest of your online marketing mix?

Be sure to check out TopRank’s Google+ account here.

Gain a competitive advantage by subscribing to the
TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.

© Online Marketing Blog, 2012. | Google+ Optimization vs. Community Building – Pros and Cons of Google SPYW | http://www.toprankblog.com