By: Shama l Date: December 29, 2009 l 1 Comment:; 
From years of executing SEO and SEM campaigns, I am now more than ever seeing the parallels of social media and SEO/SEM as well as how they all work together. Ten years ago, business owners thought their only option to improve their SEO was stuffing their meta tags and submitting their site to 1,000 search engines. Similar to SEO and SEM, business owners now realize it’s not enough to just plug the social media hole because they read in some business magazine it was needed. A new phrase has joined the lexicon of business buzz words, and rightfully so, showing a more sophisticated marketer: Social Media Optimization. You should not have a social media campaign for your business just because everyone else is doing. CEOs, marketers, entrepreneurs are now seeking solutions to optimizing their social media marketing campaigns. What do I mean by Social Media Optimization?
I’m not Shama. I didn’t write the book on social media and I’m not a social media speaker. My name is Neil and although I have been blogging since 2001 and have been learning online marketing since 2005, my main area of expertise is SEM/SEO. The reason I say this is I don’t claim to have all the answers in social media marketing. In the world of Internet Marketing, over the years I’ve seen techniques and tactics expand, evolve, diversify and sometimes disappear. I know social media is not going anywhere but up in usage, regardless the fortunate truth is, marketing techniques and tactics change, but their principles do not. Below are ten points on social media optimaiton, or getting the most out or your social media efforts.
For almost five years, Neil Lemons has worked behind-the-scenes to help create exposure, traffic, leads, and sales through major search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. Calling upon his diverse background in copywriting, advertising, marketing, and sales, he has been learning traditional SEO and SEM tactics since 2004 and implementing since 2005. He is the lead SEM Strategist at MarketingZen.com, a Dallas website design company. For more information on Internet Marketing, SEM & SEO contact The Marketing Zen Group for a free site evaluation.
By: Shama l Date: June 29, 2009 l 2 Comments:;
Facebook is, without a doubt, one the most popular social media services available. Largely created as a networking site, Facebook is used by individuals, businesses, and groups of all kinds to connect with people. Facebook pages have become more and more popular with businesses to build a presence – both online and one that spills over into the “brick and mortar” world, as well.
Don’t think, though, that just having a Facebook page is enough. With the sheer number of people on Facebook, it’s going to take more than a plain, boring page to not only attract people, but to get them to stay, or even better, come back. Here’s a few tips on creating an interesting, dynamic page that encourages people to linger and learn all about you.
There are some basic elements that, when used on your page, will set you apart from everyone else. If you’re planning to start social marketing, hopefully you’ve already got your brand identity pretty well determined, and that includes an image (or images) that represents your brand, and any phrases, keywords, or tags you’ll be using on your page. Don’t forget that a picture is worth a thousand words and can really go a long way to increasing your brand’s popularity.
If you haven’t gotten that far in your marketing plan yet, you may want to take some time to refine your brand identity before you start social marketing. Just because it’s called social marketing, don’t forget it is still marketing. Treat your Facebook page like you would your website. You want to draw people in, keep them interested, and get them to come back, and the new, revised Facebook makes that easier than ever.
The revised Facebook pages have been designed with better functionality in mind. There’s a new interface, new applications, and older applications are easier than ever to use.
The New Tabbed Interface – allows you to group your content and applications any way you like. You can add and remove tabs as you like, moving a tab is as easy as dragging and dropping it where you want it to go, and they are completely customizable.
Unlike the previous Facebook, almost any application – even most 3rd party apps – can be integrated into the new tabs. This allows you to create almost endless tabbed variations for your page.
Audio and Video Integration – with unlimited audio space available to you, and the ability to upload an unlimited amount of video files (up to 1gb in size!), your wall will soon become one of the most important marketing tools you have. You will be able to post marketing videos, podcasts, audio interviews, instructional materials, and anything else your customers, fans and viewers may want or need. Take a cue from the popularity of YouTube in marketing. Video is king.
Discussion Boards – the more interactive your page is, and the more dynamic and interesting a person finds it; the more likely he is to stay. Eye catching headlines will draw him in, and good, regularly updated content will keep him coming back.
Events - will keep viewers updated with new happenings and offers, and will help expand the reach of your page. If you create an event, and a fan RSVP’s to that event, it is visible on HIS page. His friends can then see the event and may choose to RSVP themselves. The more popular your event, the more possible fans you can acquire.
Third Party Applications – are a great way to increase interest in your page. Most applications are easy to use, functional, and work well. A trip the applications page in Facebook may surprise you. There are tons of applications available to customize your page, and you can add anything from a module to use html in your page to an rss feed box for up to date news or other tidbits. There may be even more applications available from the developers forums.
One application allows you to generate a Custom Page URL and is a great way to make your page easy to find – and remember. Instead of a long URL full of numbers and weird symbols, you’ll have something easier to remember, and ultimately, easier to market. With a simple URL, even the most rushed or impatient viewer will be able to find your page quickly and easily.
With all these new updates, Facebook is a marketing force to be reckoned with. You may be able to reach people you never would have networked with before. Keep these few final tips in mind, and you may increase your marketing success a great deal.
A little time and thought, and you can have an excellent Facebook page that will not only entertain your visitors, but will increase your network – and your customer base.
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