Simple Ways to Get More People to Your Website

You created what could easily be one of the most fantastic websites the Internet has encountered. It’s full of color and great pictures, it scrolls with grace and the content is top class stuff. You have registered your site with all the appropriate search engines and all meta and title tags are filled out. Now, you need to find a way to drive traffic to your site and here are a few easy ways to do just that.

The first thing you need to do is make sure your website is listed everywhere possible. Sure, you put in on your letterhead, newsletters, business cards and in your advertising, but that’s just scratching the surface. Consider investing in little trinkets to give out to the public sporting, along with your company logo, your website. Pens, letter openers and bumper stickers are an inexpensive way to get the word out, or for a few more dollars you can go with baseball caps, coffee mugs or t-shirts.

Make a list of all the newspapers, trade publications and other media in your community. Try to get mentioned or reviewed in these publications. Many local newspapers run weekly business briefs free of charge, all you need to do is submit a write-up about your company. And don’t forget to include your website address.

Another inexpensive approach involves a visit to your local sign company. Have a magnetic sign with your company logo and website made and proudly display it on the side of your vehicle. You would be surprised by how many people will see this each and every day.
If you have the funds, perhaps you can sponsor a local youth sport team. Just imaging the exposure you will get from a dozen 12-year-olds running around the mall wearing their soccer shirts with your website planted on the front. Because remember, those kids will wear those shirts everywhere, not just to the games. And don’t forget to get one for yourself, because a mesh soccer shirt goes well with anything.

image:idea/shutterstock

Article courtesy of Social Media Today

YouTube to advertisers: You need us to attract a younger crowd

Google executives say the site is a key way to reach 18- to 34-year-olds, but it didn't announce any major partnerships or revolutionary new programming during an event in New York.

NEW YORK--Google on Wednesday made its pitch for advertising on YouTube, telling companies that the site is a vital way to reach the highly desired 18- to 34-year-old demographic and a way to build a base of loyal fans. 

However, the company didn't announce any new major projects or partnerships. Instead, executives positioned YouTube as hip and in tune with what younger viewers desire -- something it said its online rivals and traditional cable networks lack. And it noted that the transition to online viewing has already happened.

"The future is already here," Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said as he kicked off an event for advertisers and brands on Wednesday at Pier 36 on Manhattan's Lower East Side. "Video is becoming the global shared experience."

Executives said during the event that more than one billion unique monthly visitors are watching more than 6 billion hours of video on YouTube every month. For a little perspective, that's equal to nearly 684,000 years of viewing -- or -- an hour a month for every human on Earth. And it's an increase from January's level of 4 billion hours of video watched per month. 

A good portion of those viewers are part of what YouTube called "Generation C" -- consumers who grew up with the Internet and are always connected. 

"If you want to win with that under 40 generation, you've got to be on YouTube," Margo Georgiadis, president of the Americas for YouTube, said. 

YouTube's pitch was part of the Digital NewFronts, a spin on the traditional upfronts where media companies pitch their newest TV shows to advertisers. Digital media companies are seeking to nab a bigger portion of ad spending in a time more content is moving online. Along with YouTube, many other companies such as AOL and CBS Interactive, which owns CNET, held their own events this week. 

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt talks up the company's vision for online video Wednesday in New York during YouTube's Newfront event for advertisers.

(Credit: Shara Tibken/CNET)

 

All of these companies, along with Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and many others, are vying for viewers online, and original programming is one way they're attracting consumers. Netflix's "House of Cards" series has proved popular, and the company will follow with other programs such as a new season of "Arrested Development. 

YouTube, known for its user-provided video clips, also has pushed to include more curated, premium content on its platform. It has launched dozens of funded channels as part of its initiative to bring original, higher quality content to YouTube. The company last month said it will launch a series of theme weeks to showcase its premium channels, starting with YouTube Comedy Week from May 19 to 25. 

YouTube's event for advertisers and brands on Wednesday included stars of some of the more popular YouTube shows, such as Felicia Day from "Geek & Sundry," as well as music acts such as Snoop Lion (formerly Snoop Dogg) and Macklemore. 

The company didn't discuss any revolutionary changes to the site or its programming, but it highlighted the success of some of its current popular channels and shared details about their planned programming. One, AwesomenessTV, has been successful targeting the teenage demographic. DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg took the stage to announce that his company earlier on Wednesday reached a deal to acquire AwesomenessTV.

Snoop Lion, formerly Snoop Dogg, performs at YouTube's event Wednesday in New York.

(Credit: Shara Tibken/CNET) 

 

"The essence of media is shortform, coming in bits, bites, snacks," Katzenberg said. "Today's acquisition puts us in the middle of this new arena... We see an incredible array of opportunities."

YouTube executives, meanwhile, urged brands -- and even sought the help of "kid president" -- to buy media on the site, sponsor programs, and build their own channels. And they argued there's a real business case for doing so, with a study showing that brands that invest about 10 percent to 15 percent of their media budget on YouTube post a 1 percent to 3 percent sales lift.
The 100 largest brands in the world are actively spending money on YouTube, executives said.
"We find ourselves in the middle of an incredible momentum," Robert Kyncl, global head of content for YouTube, said at the event Wednesday. "And we believe the momentum will continue. Why? There's an insatiable appetite for online video, and that appetite is our opportunity."

Article courtesy of c/net

Report: Who's Using Social Networks

Gain a deeper understanding of where your target audiences are spending time on social networks.



A recent report by Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project analyzes social media audience demographics for top social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr. This study was conducted through a national survey via landlines and mobile phones in English and Spanish in the fourth quarter of 2012.

The landscape of social media users was dominated by the most obvious group you may have guessed: young adults. However, 32 percent of respondents over the age of 65 claimed that they used social networks as a mode of communication. This represents the largest increase as a group when compared to last year's data. It was also interesting to note that women lead men on social media use by nearly 10 percentage points! Race and ethnic groups showed very little variance, but usage was led by Hispanic and black, non-Hispanic respondents. Not surprisingly, rural users were the group with the lowest adoption of social media platforms, with only 61 percent claiming use of social media platforms.



The survey also discovered various niche groups and which social media platforms each group uses on a regular basis. This information can help marketers more effectively choose the right social media platform to reach their target audiences.

 

Facebook

Two-thirds of online adults are Facebook users, making this social media platform far and away the most popular. There were some interesting trends among Facebook users, particularly the 10 percentage point lead of women over men mentioned earlier. The majority of users also had some college education or a college degree, which may be due to the fact that Facebook was originally launched exclusively for college students. Other demographical segment leaders include urbanites, users in the 18 through 29 age group and high earners ($75,000+ per year).

Twitter

Twitter has shown impressive growth by doubling the percentage of Internet users on Twitter from 8 percent to 16 percent since November of 2010. Twitter users are much more likely to be urban-based, be between the ages of 18 and 29, have some college education, and are led by African-American users.

Pinterest

The online social scrapbooking website has attracted 15 percent of all Internet users, which is nearly as much as the much older and more established Twitter platform has gained since its launch in 2006. Pinterest attracts five times as many women as men and has a large lead in the white, non-Hispanic ethnicity group. It's also interesting to find that rural users led the urbanity group, which is most likely due to crafts and scrapbooking being very popular with the rural demographic.

Instagram

Instagram holds a healthy share of Internet users, with 13 percent reporting the use of the photo sharing social platform. Women are much more likely to use Instagram, as well as minority groups including Hispanic and black, non-Hispanic users. Demographical hot spots also included users between the ages of 18 and 29 and urban residents.

Tumblr

This platform showed the lowest interaction by far with only 6 percent of all Internet users. There was a large degree of parity among most demographical segments. However, this platform was clearly dominated by users in the 18 through 29 year old age group.

This information is important to marketers who want to gain a deeper understanding of where their target audiences are spending time on social networks. Download the Pew Research Social Media Demographics 2012 Report and combine this data with my recent Inc.com post that highlights a HubSpot study that analyzed social network activity by industry, to hone in on which social network that your organization should focus on in the future.

Article courtesy of Inc. Magazine

Newly Relaunched Twitter for Business

A refreshed Twitter for Business brings you educational resources, tools, and success stories to enhance engagement for your organization.

 

Is your organization or marketing team new to Twitter? Need some inspiring examples for your next campaign? The newly relaunched Twitter for Business resources page can provide your team with education, tools, and success stories to enhance your Twitter engagement.

Unlike the previous version, the latest iteration organizes content into helpful and goal-oriented sections. There are three areas of the new Twitter for Business that focus on education, rather than just telling businesses how to spend money advertising on Twitter.

Section 1: The Art of the Tweet

Here, you'll find nearly everything you need to know about engaging on Twitter. The Basics section educates users on hashtags, searching, creating lists and engaging with people you want to know. If you're fuzzy on Twitter lingo, take a look at the glossary section to clear up the confusion. You'll also find great information on best practices and how to measure your impact on Twitter.

Section 2: Build Your Community

Here, you'll find instructional guides on how to attract followers, engage a target audience, and make the right impression with your profile. Of course, you'll also find guides on how to advertise on Twitter, as well as how to teach your employees to use the social network.

Section 3: Terrific Examples

The #Success section is all about inspiration. The assortment of examples spans many industries, but it's clear that Twitter focuses mostly on big brands like Porsche, American Red Cross, and ESPN. Every example digs into each brand's unique challenge, solution, and results. Rather than focusing on finding examples in your industry, look for case studies that share the same challenges as your organization. A wide variety of challenges are solved in these case studies, such as increasing subscriber bases, helping a brand relaunch, expanding into new markets, or simply increasing website traffic.

Section 4: Tools You'll Need

Here's where the new guides really pay off for Twitter. There are many guides and examples on how to use the Twitter advertising platform to target the right people, integrate on-page marketing efforts and scale your efforts.

There is also a very helpful section on understanding the Twitter analytics package and how to measure follower growth, engagement, reach, traffic, and conversions. Guides and examples on promotional tactics are also provided. Here, you can see examples of increasing Twitter engagement using events, product launches, and exclusive deals.

The relaunch of Twitter for Business is more of a re-shuffling of content than all new material. However, the new organization does provide a more intuitive experience for learning and getting inspiration. Even for seasoned Twitter users, there is something to take away from the new Twitter for Business.

Article courtesy of Inc. Magazine

5 Things You Should Never Do on Facebook

Not enough folks "liking" you on Facebook? Here's how you are driving your fans away.

 


Facebook has become an indispensable tool for business. Why? Yes, because there are a billion people interacting there. Also because your friends, relatives, and most importantly, your competition, are interacting--creating great relationships and building trust--in this global community.

Did you know that Facebook is primarily a consumer-driven community? And most of them are savvy enough to smell (and block) a disingenuous marketer a mile away. We asked author and speaker Brian Basilico for his top five Facebook "don'ts" for your business. What are your pet peeves? Go ahead, add to our list!

1. Don't Post and Run
People talk. A lot.

Either you are part of the conversation, or you're going to be the topic of conversation (that's not always a good thing!). You can't get away with simply posting information that is only about you. Be part of the conversation by liking and commenting on everyone's responses to your posts--and to other relevant posts.

If others' comments are negative, try having a direct-message chat to smooth out any questions or problems that people may have with you and your business.

2. Don't Only Be a Business
If you own a small business, people expect you to communicate in person.  They want to know that you are real and have a life, with passions and struggles, just like they do.

Having a personal profile is key to being successful on Facebook. If you have only a business page, people will feel like you are just there to make noise. Worse yet, treating a personal profile as a business profile is not only against Facebook user agreements, but also the fastest way to get hidden or un-friended!  Be real on your page and personal profile. 

Make occasional mention of your pets, hobbies, and other things that create human connections. When it's all about business, it just gets boring!

3. Don't Post About Politics or Religion
If you want to alienate about 50 percent of your audience, then creating posts about your political and religious views is the fastest way to do it. 

In business, you need to stay neutral--at least fairly neutral. Nobody is telling you not to have beliefs, values, or opinions, but you run a risk when sharing them openly on social media. Whether you are conservative or liberal, pro- or anti-anything, keep that limited to personal and off-line conversations. 

4. Don't Expect Anything in Return
If you want to have an impact in social media you'll want to find or create content that creates responses, likes, shares, and comments. You need to work hard at it and monitor your content well. Don't be offended if your posts get little to no response, just learn from that what didn't work for your audience. You may post a lot of duds before gaining meaningful traction. 

5. Don't Anticipate Immediate Success
Most people don't ask their first date to marry them, but that's how some people treat social media.  They don't take time to focus on the relationship and think that simply posting messages should yield results.  Most relationships take time to nurture.  It's taken years for some to see predictable and measurable results.  Be patient and continue to learn what enhances your relationship with your fans and followers.  

Do more of what works, less of what does not, and learn to know the difference. Don't be afraid to ask friends and colleagues what they like and what they don't; and don't take their responses personally!

Article courtesy of Inc. Magazine

LinkedIn Debuts New Visual Profile Options

LinkedIn today launched its new visual portfolios, which - for the first time - will allow members to showcase their story using visuals like photos, videos, and presentations.

"From the analyst who makes annual predictions on tech trends to the 3D animator who is looking to fund a new short film, the opportunities are limitless for how professionals can now use the LinkedIn profile to help showcase these unique stories in a visual way," LinkedIn product manager Udi Milo wrote in a blog post.

To get started, select "edit" on the profile page, then follow prompts in the "Summary," "Experience," and "Education" sections. Content can be uploaded from your own computer or from other websites.

In an effort to keep up with the social aspect of LinkedIn, members are encouraged to "like" and discuss each other's work.

The new visual content feature is currently rolling out to users in English-speaking countries.

This move is the latest in a slew of new LinkedIn features, beginning with March's launch of smart search, which expands queries beyond individual people, companies, or jobs. Simply type a word or phrase into the search box, and a comprehensive page of results will appear.
Additionally, auto-complete, or instant suggestions, is now available, as is the ability to type search terms (like "product manager") to reveal example queries for related people or jobs, as well as a preview of top results. The enhanced search option also got a new look and added features, like location, company, school, and other options.

Last month, meanwhile, LinkedIn added a new feature that lets users mention and hyperlink other LinkedIn users and companies in status updates and conversations, similar to features already available on Facebook and Twitter.

The professional network made headlines a few weeks ago, when LinkedIn confirmed its acquisition of popular news reader app Pulse in a $90 million deal.

Article courtesy of PC Magazine

What Jimmy Fallon Can Teach You About Social Media

Even if you're not half as funny as the newly-named Tonight Show host, you can learn a few tricks from him about how to Tweet and Tumblr.

Over the years, Fallon has grown a huge presence on social media. He has more than 8.5 million followers on Twitter, and regularly makes his fans and their comments part of his show.

No wonder NBC will be bumping him to the prized Tonight Show time slot, and he'll be taking over for Jay Leno. 

Here's a few things you can learn about social media from Jimmy Fallon, even if, chances are, you're not even half as funny: 

1. Go where your audience is.

Fallon began using Twitter back in 2008, when he realized that there was already conversation about him and his skits on the site. Going where your audience is already spending time is the best way to interact with your fans and grow your avid fan base.

2. Be yourself.

Part of what makes Fallon's Tweets so entertaining is the fact that he writes 100 percent in his own voice (indeed, its a funny one, at that). Often, those who try to sound human while instead being sale-sy, wind up coming off fake. Fallon always writes like he is interacting with real people on the other side of the computer screen and talks to them as such.

3. Get creative.

One of Fallon's most popular TV segments is Late Night Hashtags. He comes up with a hashtag, asks fans to tweet using it, and then reads his favorite ones among them on the next show. The key to Fallon's success here is the types of hashtags he creates. None of them are branded with his name, the show's name, or NBC. They're all just funny. When you see the trending topic #awwhellno you wouldn't necessarily immediately think of Jimmy Fallon, but that's how he curates some of his best content, and builds community around those who are in the know.

4. Access a live audience.

One reason Fallon first started using Twitter was because he loved getting instant feedback on his skits and jokes. You too can listen to your fans (or foes) and incorporate it into your product, marketing, or strategy. Or you can make explicit requests of your audience, like Jimmy does on Tumblr, and then incorporates into his show:

5. Be timely.

Social media can't make a bad comic funny--but it can make an incredible comic's message spread way beyond it's original audience. Check out this tweet from the day NBC announced Fallon would be replacing Leno as the host of the Tonight Show.

What has Jimmy Fallon taught you about social media? 

Article courtesy of Inc. Magazine