Welcome to the seventh edition of The Search, a weekly recap of all the interesting articles from the areas we deal with most: paid search, social media, web development, web analytics, SEO, display advertising, email marketing and mobile marketing. Check back each week to stay on top of the latest and greatest techniques in online marketing so that you can improve your skills and better serve your clients. Enjoy!
Do you know what the most expensive keywords are in Google AdWords? That is just one of the topics covered in these great articles regarding Paid Search and PPC. Check them out!
What is happening with Google and SEO? These articles are just what you need to learn more about what innovations are happening on the largest search engine.
New to the Search is Display Advertising. This week we take a look at different sources, publisher placements and how digital channels interact with traditional TV advertising. Take a look!
Just like last week, much of the buzz for social media still revolves around Google+. Take a look at the article from Search Engine Land or one of the other articles surrounding all things social.
Time to get back to the basics with web analytics? Want to measure social media engagement? Check out the article from Luna Metrics? Lead value? Try Future Now’s post. Or learn from your analytics and start optimizing your website with Zimana’s advice. Check them out today!
Zimana Blog: Outdated Website? Try These Six Starting Points For Website Optimization
Mobile
Every week there is a new prediction with where Mobile is currently and where it is headed. With these articles, you’ll learn more about where it is headed and whether it is poised to overtake TV advertising spend.
What do you think of these posts that we have shared with you? Do you agree or disagree with the ones posted? We’d love to hear your thoughts, and invite you to leave us a comment or tweet us @threedeep.
I have heard this enough and I would like to put this rumor to rest.
Facebook has continually stated that it will not charge users for its basic service. It is even stated when you login:
What Facebook Charges For
You can pay for two things (to my knowledge).
1. Facebook Credits
Credits allow a Facebook user to use a virtual currency to pay for things on Facebook. It is usually associated with upgrades in games and a myriad of other uses. More information on Facebook Credits can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/credits/
2. Facebook Advertising
If you want to promote your website, Facebook Page, or something else, there are numerous options you can pursue through Facebook Advertising. If you are interested in Facebook Advertising, please contact Three Deep Marketing for more information. If you are looking for some general information visit: http://www.facebook.com/adsmarketing
Do you have questions about Facebook advertising? We have answers. Contact Us Today.
We’re proud to bring back our Minneapolis/St. Paul Online Marketing Events calendar. New this month, we’re going to feature only the four or five top events in the industry, to give you a quick and easy calendar if you’re looking to sample the best that our community has to offer. Be sure to let us know what you think of our new format in the comments.
This July it’s time to Get Jobs, Get Mobile, Get Creative, and Get Golfing!
July 15th AdFed Golferoo
11:30 am – 7:00 pm
Como City Golf Course
Whether you’ve never picked up a golf club in your life, or if you’re the next PGA star, AdFed’s Golferoo is the premier event for marketing and advertising professionals who like to golf. Meet up with your favorite coworkers and industry contacts for a lunch on the grill, then channel your inner golfer on the traditional 18-hole course.
July 19th
Marketing Goes Mobile (BMA)
7:30 am – 9:00 am
Metropolitan Ballroom
The time for mobile presents itself constantly as a topic of discussion in marketing circles. Yet, what can you do to bring your marketing tactics to this new medium? The Minnesota chapter of the Business Marketing Association will cover this in their July event.
July 20th Crowdsourcing Creativity (MIMA)
5:15 pm – 8:00 pm
McNamara Alumni Center, U of M
Today’s advertising agency needs more than just creative ideas to thrive. Join Campbell Mithun’s Heath Rudduck, as he explores the qualities necessary for a team that not only develops innovative ideas, but has the abilities to deliver on those innovations in a timely manner.
In the midst of economic hardships, how do you stand out as a public relations professional? At this panel discussion led by Lisa Simon of Weber Shandwick, you’ll hear from four PR leaders on their vast experiences and what they think it takes to succeed today.
As always, if you want your event to be included in the next upcoming calendar, let us know. Tweet us @threedeep or contact us today!
In the world of Twitter, it is common practice to gain more followers, you should often follow users and hope that they will follow you back. This practice is a great way to not only gain more followers for your account, but also find relevant thought leaders who can be an invaluable resource to your team. There are many services that will charge you a fee to simply do precisely that. You’ll gain thousands of followers in the process, but since you are following numerous users at the same time, how do you keep relevance to those you follow?
Does “free” = Lots of MY time?
Of course there is a free option for all of this: manual following. While it may take a significant amount of time to develop such a list, pledging to follow even a few knowledgeable people a day can have a positive result on your efforts.
So where do you look when your Twitter account is looking for quality finders, who will also be likely to follow you back?
The easy answer for more people to follow?
Twitter itself. There are a variety of options to find quality people to follow:
1. Twitter lists: You know who you turn to for expertise on Twitter. See what lists they have and who influences their knowledge. Also, if you’re on any lists, see what commonalities you have with the others listed. Maybe there will be a few who offer a unique viewpoint that you’ve never considered.
2. FollowFinder by Google: Google has recently released a new tool called FollowFinder that takes accounts that are similar to yours and recommends them to you, with an OAuth login to immediately follow them without leaving the page. While this is a great tool, it has been known to have faulty relevance, and only has a limited amount of results.
3. Your RSS feeds and bookmarked websites: If you haven’t done this yet, you certainly should try to locate the Twitter accounts for your favorite websites. This provides more depth to the sites you subscribe to, and give you a better opportunity to express your thoughts to those in charge of the blog or website.
How do I know if they’ll follow me back?
There is undoubtedly no guarantee that sending out a follow will give you a follow back. The best way to gauge such a likelihood, is to check out the follower/following ratios. If they don’t follow a lot of people, but have thousands of followers (such as celebrities), you likely won’t get a follow. The opposite can also be true. If an account follows a lot of people, it may be more focusing on who to follow than looking at who is following.
In the end, it is always up to you and everyone else who maintains your account to determine who to follow, but one good principle is to try to follow back at least 10% of the people who follow you. For more information on who to follow, check out our Twitter Follower Flowchart.
As we close out the holiday season and move into a fast-paced New Year, the local online marketing groups have set up plenty of opportunities to further your marketing skills, and interact with other members of this great Minneapolis and St. Paul community. Whether you’re seeking more focus on users, publishing with social media, or just another happy hour to mingle with friends and new faces, there is an event that is perfect for your needs.
Know more than you ever thought you could (or should) about your prospects and clients.This interactive presentation has a huge “WOW” factor—you will be shocked at what you don’t know (but soon will). All attendees also receive complimentary access to the Know More! Center and downloadable toolbar, making it easy and fun to practice what you will learn.
Join Rick and Mykl and some of the SMBMSP members on a community call addressing the future of SMBMSP as well as your questions and concerns regarding the community.
In the 60s, graphic design changed the visual landscape. 50 years later, the ground continues to shift. Will Minnesota remain a design center? Come spend an evening with 13 leaders as they look at where design was, is, and needs to go. Communication Arts editor, Patrick Coyne moderates.
Decent cocktails. Moderately tasty apps. And deep, soul-searching conversations about the nuances of [ridiculously fascinating subject here] and the rampant misuse of [other, maybe more controversial subject here].So plan on DVRing Real Housewives (c’mon, we know you watch it), and join us as we blow your mind with a somewhat industry-relevant presentation, topic yet TBD. After all, we have the whole night before the event to come up with something riveting. Bring a pen and plenty of empty palm space. You’re definitely going to want to take notes.
January 19th
MIMA Cultivating a User – Centered Culture
5:15 – 8:00 pm
International Market Square
Please join us as Nancy Lyons and Meghan Wilkers of Clockwork Active Media Systems and Geek Girls Guide fame share their insights on creating a user-centered culture. Starting with the big things (what management can do) to the tactical things (what individual team members can do), they’ll also answer questions like “How does work culture impact the success of a project?” and “What can you do to create a support system that empowers people to influence change within an organization?” They’ll also share stories from their years of exploring and creating user-centered cultures in the workplace.
Mobile doesn’t have to be an elusive media. How can you use mobile in your own company, whether you are B2B or B2C? What else are people using other than apps? This innovative panel will help demystify the mobile world and give you ideas on how to incorporate mobile strategies and technologies into your marketing mix.
SMBMSP takes on Publishing in Social Media for their 33rd breakfast and bacon series. Stay tuned for more information on speakers and topics.
As always, if there is an event we missed, feel free to tweet us @threedeep on Twitter, or fill out a Contact Us form to make sure we put it on the list.
As the snow falls, it’s time to think about social media engagement, empowering others, and energizing brands. It’s also time to look toward the most wonderful time of the year. These great Minneapolis / St. Paul organizations have a great selection of events to not only celebrate the holidays, but learn something new!
To truly engage an audience in a brand, product, worthy cause or event now requires more than just a news release and talking head. The rules of PR have changed. The lines are blurred, and few can successfully navigate without integrating PR with other avenues of online marketing. If you are seeking guidance on when and how to integrate marketing efforts for bigger, better results, then join us for the 2010 Minnesota PRSA Professional Practices Conference.
Celebrate the holiday season with a Meet & Mingle hosted by OLSON, a fast-growing agency recently named to the Metro 100 and Inc. 5000 lists. Located at OLSON’s headquarters in downtown Minneapolis, this event will allow you to network with other public relations and advertising professionals while experiencing the fun environment this agency is known for.
After celebrating 50 years of innovation and solutions for healthcare providers this year, 3M Health Care took a closer look at the value of its 3M Medical Tapes and Bandaging brand, its relationship with customers, and the change needed to energize the image of this long established product line. In this presentation, 3M Medical Tapes Global Marketing Manager, Mary Glennon, will walk through the process that 3M and One–Up Marketing used to create a new brand strategy for the 3M Medical Tapes business and revitalize a mature product category. Mary will share key insights and surprising findings from this brand journey.
Join MWMC and Angela Chambliss, senior manager for Best Buy’s Women Leadership Forum (WOLF), to learn how Best Buy is driving innovation while promoting women leadership through its Women Leadership Forum (WOLF). WOLF is made up of Best Buy hourly employees, corporate and executive employees and even Best Buy customers. Internally it promotes women leadership and professional growth through WOLF packs and events, and allows Best Buy to learn more about their female customers by connecting WOLF packs with the community. Bring your business cards and network with other current and future female leaders.
December 14th Grown-up Leadership 7:30 – 9:30 am
University of St. Thomas, Opus Hall, Minneapolis Campus
If you are responsible for getting work done with and through others—whether they are co-workers, clients or other teams at work—you are a leader. Ever wonder why some leaders achieve results through others so effortlessly? Come and find out how. This is a golden opportunity to grow and learn from a skilled and experienced executive coach. Martha Carlson, an experienced leader and executive coach, will help you improve your leadership effectiveness, help you understand more about your personal leadership style and how to be a more mature leader.
December 15th
MIMA Holiday Party
6:00 pm
Five Event Center
The holidays will be here faster than you can say “Chrismahanukwanzakah.” Come celebrate with MIMA friends old and new at the Annual Holiday Party. Have a drink on us! It’s free to pre-registered members, as always. This year we got you something a little extra: FREE VALET PARKING. You’re welcome. Come and make sure it fits!
On September 10, 2010, I gave a speech to an organization called MENG. For those of you who are not familiar, MENG is a national organization of marketing executives. There are some pretty heavy hitters in the organization, so I was honored to be invited by the New Jersey chapter to speak to members. I was also a little nervous, because I would be talking about social media for the first time!
While I use social media every day in both my work and personal life, rarely does the opportunity arise for me to position myself as an expert on the subject. In fact, I wouldn’t call myself an expert at all. Knowledgeable is probably more accurate.
Continue Reading Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media Integration →
Are you ready for fall? This September brings many entertaining and invigorating interactive marketing events to the Minneapolis/St. Paul interactive scene. With events from the following organizations, there is sure to be an event that’s perfect for your needs. We look forward to your suggestions. Contact us to add an event or tweet us at @threedeep.
I read a very interesting article the other day on the Marketing Sherpa blog highlighting how social media and email work together. Some of the takeaways that stuck with me are statistics that were found in Merkle’s study “View from the Social Inbox 2010”:
42% of social media users check their email four times a day or more as opposed to 27% of those that do not use social media
63% indicated that their email address for social media is the same for opt-in permission based email
What does this mean and how do they relate to each other?
First the obvious: social media users are two times more likely to be checking their email at least four times per day, disproving the long standing notion that email deployment should only occur Monday – Friday and in the morning.
Since social media users are regularly checking their inbox, email campaigns can be deployed at non-traditional times (evenings and weekends), with greater confidence that they will be viewed, and even better, acted upon.
For example, if a restaurant would like to offer a special for the weekend, they can deploy an email Friday afternoon knowing customers on their distribution lists will view their email.
Given this information, experimenting with non-traditional email send times can dramatically increase the ROI of certain campaigns.
Continue Reading Making Social Media and Email Work Together →
Our company President, Dave Woodbeck, sent the above slide deck to several members of our team this weekend, and I found it worthy of sharing on our blog. I made the executive decision to tone down the actual title of the slide show (what the f**k is social media?) to prevent any misunderstandings from those who read the title and get scared away.
The actual content of the presentation is much less harsh than the title would imply. The underlying theme throughout: you need to join the conversation! You can’t simply ignore the social interactions that are happening around your company, brand, clients, friends, family, etc. While the tactics used to deliver messages may change, social interaction will only become more open and candid. Like-minded individuals will be forming groups, talking, interacting, etc… and those that listen will be the ultimate winners in the social media landscape.
Continue Reading What is Social Media? – Excellent Presentation Social Media →
