Blogging for business is a topic that I am hearing more and more about in the online media realm.  In addition, blogging transparency (being who you say you are) in blogs, forums, etc. seems to go hand-in-glove with the topic.  I have had the opportunity to get several blogs off the ground recently for clients in a variety of industries, all of whom see blogging as a critical partner of crafting their brand personality as well as boosting SEO efforts.

If blogging is not part of your business marketing strategy, we should talk.  Look for more on this topic to come shortly. 

Your online marketing partner,
Paul

I recently read a great report put out by Forrester on social networking, who's doing it, why they are doing it, where it is headed, and all kinds of other data goodness.  Below is a very interesting chart from the report.  For a small business online marketing strategy, social networks can plan a very cost effective role. More good news?  The household income of social network users is quite appealing, making them a great target for online marketing efforts.  Bombs away.

The recent Yahoo acquisition of IndexTools is not unlike the Google / Urchin partnership that happened several years ago.  And the cat is out of the bag that Yahoo will be offering IndexTools free to clients:

Yahoo! currently intends to provide the IndexTools Web Analytics service FREE of charge to clients and partners who accept the standard Yahoo! agreement.

Search giant buys analytics company, search engine offers analytics free to clients as a value add, search engine hopes free analytics lead to use of more paid services (i.e. search).  Not a new story.

Google has to be a bit sweaty over this one.  I have had the chance to use both and must say that the real-time, enterprise level features of IndexTools are quite snazzy.  Whether or not all these features will remain gratis remains to be seen.  However, this does put an interesting wrinkle in the Google world domination plan given the extreme importance that a robust analytics package plays in an online marketing program.  Yahoo ain't dead yet, folks. Let's watch this one unfold.

Another solid article today from eMarketer, this time on the importance of appearing on the first few pages of a search engine results page (serp).  While that is a very obvious statement, the numbers they share in the article reinforce how, more than ever before users attention span beyond the first serp is waning. The first paragraph of the article says in best:

Online search has become so efficient that most Internet users are now impatient with anything less than great results.

I would dare say that search engine optimization is the most important piece of a successful online marketing strategy.  Business blogging, paid search, social network marketing, and other internet marketing strategies are still pieces of the pie; however, if this article doesn't drive home the importance of a strong SEO strategy, well....

I have been doing some research regarding an upcoming online media buy and am becoming increasingly frustrated by the numerous models that sites use for selling their space. Specifically, I have been researching the online outlets for newspapers and TV stations (many of which are Sioux Falls marketing channels). Pay-per-click, cost per impression, cost-per-thousand, weekly rates, monthly rates, buy this/get that - there seems to be a lack of universal standards developing in online advertising models.  I guess the reason is obvious - those with higher traffic can monetize that traffic, while those with lower traffic can only attempt to monetize their brand, targeted audience, etc. Different sites, different types of visitors, different models. Unfortunately, it ends up being a big mess for the advertiser.

I can't help but wonder when performance based advertising will become the online advertising standard. It's Google's PPC model, and it works. You have to assume that (in most cases) advertisers are developing online ads in order to spur some action.  That being true, a performance based model provides the ultimate win-win for both advertiser and vendor. Plus, I wouldn't have to juggle 30 different online rate cards, all with different pricing structures, all geared towards lining the pockets of the media outlets vs. doing what's best for the advertiser.  The power of online marketing is targeting (compared to blanket media buys in radio, TV, print, outdoor, etc.). However, when online inventory is sold the same way as offline, you are stripping away what makes it great. 

While it is becoming increasingly common for an organization to begin blogging for business, it's no shock that teens are bloggers too. It's also not a huge surprise that according the Pew Internet, approximately 35 percent of all online teen girls blog, compared to only about 20 percent of teen boys. If children are our future, then digital communication is their food.  Here are some other interesting findings from the Pew report on teens and social media (you can check out the full report here...it's quite good):

• 70% of teens say they talk on a cell phone
• 60% send text messages
• 54% instant message
• 47% send messages over social network sites
• 46% talk to friends on a landline
• 35% spend time with friends in person (This seems low. Or, a sign of the times?)
• 22% send e-mail daily.
• 19% of online teen boys post video (girls are at 10%)

Teens turn into college students who eventually turn into adults with jobs and disposable income. Start reaching them via these mediums now if you want your piece of the pie.

Craigslist was recently valuated at a cool $5 billion.  That's $5 billion for a site that looks like this.  Silicon Alley Insider covers puts their spin on the recent valuation here and does a good job at applying some science to the numbers. 

2007 Est. Revenue: $55 million
2008 Est Revenue: $81 million
Monthly Pageviews: 9 billion
Monthly Job Listings: 2 million   
Monthly Ad Listings: 30 million
Employees: 25

You may recall that YouTube sold for $1.7 billion to Google not long ago.  Is Craigslist worth three times that?  Debatable.  Their old-school classified engine format is still working, but for how long? If I was Craig Newmark, I don't know how long I could keep looking at those valuation numbers and not open things up to the highest bidder. There's got to be another online marketing challenge he can tackle with that much startup cash.

If you are not a fan of Facebook, you will love this article. Sean X Cummings takes off the gloves and points out everything that he feels is wrong with the social networking giant.  Some points he makes are more valid than others (i.e. "Stop throwing sheep at me, and for Pete's sake stop poking me!") but the truth of the matter is that what makes Facebook great is that it is run by the people!  A true online marketing democracy. 

While I agree that Facebook has some issues, spamming me with useless widgets is something I will gladly put up with in order to stay connected to people that five years ago, I had no clue how to contact.  Now if you will excuse me, I have a free piece of flair that I need to decline.

Ask most businesses owners who their ideal clientele is, and chances are somewhere in their response will be a reference to deep pockets (for obvious reasons).  While many businesses want to get in the minds/wallets of those with high levels of discretionary income, targeting this demographic is an entirely different story.  The affluent are a sharp and savvy group who have been accustomed to being marketed to on a nearly constant basis (you need this Lexus....your TV is only 57"?.....take this trip to Ireland and wash your cares away with a pint of Guinness).  The increasing pressure (self-inflicted?) in our society for "more stuff" is an entirely different topic, so I'll try to stay to the point at hand. 

Online trends show that the best methods for reaching the affluent have shifted in recent years, which makes sense considering the growing number of affluent Internet users.

This demographic segment – defined as people with annual household income of $100,000 or above -- represents a large and growing percentage of the US Internet population. In 2007, an estimated 25% of US Internet users were affluent, up significantly from 16% in 2001. eMarketer projects that this percentage will increase to 27% in 2011. - eMarketer

Social media is not just for the afluent kids.  It's for their parents too.  Savvy marketers need to seriously look at shifting their online marketing efforts to the social media scene if they hope to get into the pocketbook of Mr. Drummond.

You can read the entire article on this subject from eMarketer here.

Make sure your online marketing efforts are focused...laser focused.  If people aren't seeing/hearing/understanding what you intended, you need to step back and focus on "your bear".


Via Seth Godin

A new email marketing term I recently ran across is bacn (actually, an ex-colleague of mine at Sanford Health turned me on to the term).  While everyone is familar with "spam" as it relates to e-mail, bacn refers to messages you have opted in to receive, but for a variety of reason you rarely (if ever) open.  I am guilty as charged....my inbox floods quickly with e-mails that I have signed up to receive, but during a busy day, I quickly send them to the deleted folder.  I guess it makes me feel like I am getting something done.  Bacn is apparently "better than spam, but not as good as a personal e-mail". As in real life, I will take bacn over spam any day.  Is it just me, or does online marketing make a person hungry?

This past weekend was the men's NCAA Big 10 Tournament in Indianapolis, IN.  As a die-hard Gopher fan, let me tell you that the tournament did not disappoint.  We had the opportunity to witness one of the best basketball finishes in Golden Gopher history. 

If you missed it, the biggest flop of the weekend was undoubtedly the slam poetry.  Yes, slam poetry at a basketball game.  In years past, rowdy fans have had the opportunity to get in front of a camera in the concourse and sing their school rouser/fight song.  The Big 10 then plays these clips on the Jumbotron between games, during time outs, etc.  This always goes over huge and is one of the best parts of the tournament.  This year, however, they decided to have fans read slam poetry on camera instead.  If you don't know what slam poetry is, don't feel bad.  Most basketball fans don't either....and don't want to.  Here is an example of slam poetry at its best (worst?)

I have never heard so many boos as I did when the fan slam poetry clips played on the Jumbotron.  The Big 10 took what was historically the best part of the tournament and turned it into a poetry reading.  The point here?  Know matter what your biz - online marketing, selling cars, flipping burgers - know your demographic, know what they like, and give it to them.  Your customers will be happy, they'll tell ten people about it, and will keep coming back for more.  Don't try and turn some meathead basketball fans into poetry reading intellectuals.  Just give me the fight songs, man.

I just completed a good whitepaper on search advertising spending while killing time in the airport. While still a cost effective marketing buy, the average cost-per-click in 2006 was $0.47, up from $0.39 in 2004 (according to JupiterResearch). Considering that growth pattern and the overall effect it can have on a marketing budget, having a comprehensive search/PPC strategy is a must....no more throwing noodles against a wall to see what sticks. As search competiton continues to heat up ($11 billion predicted to be spent on search marketing by 2011, up from $7 billion in 2006), a demonstrable search ROI is no longer optional. Winning organic search through business blogging and solid seo principles is looking more and more appealing.

It seems like one of the first things an organization looks to cut during a soft economy is marketing. With probably one of the hardest ROIs to measure, the target on the back of marketing never really goes away...it just gets bigger and smaller depending on other economic/market conditions.

iMedia Connection, has a good article today on how to manage your search and internet marketing efforts during a recession (if, in fact, we are in a recession.  Warren Buffett says we are so who am I to argue?).  The great thing about search is that more than TV, print, radio, direct mail, and most other marketing mediums, the ROI measurements on online marketing are extremely scientific. Analytics and various tracking tools allow an organization to directly determine if their online marketing efforts are having a bottom line impact.  The CFO is happy.  The marketer is happy.

So if the CFO has got you in trim mode, go ahead and cut your mass media budget, throttle back your direct mail volumes, and skip the Vegas tradeshow. But cutting out your search marketing and overall online marketing efforts? Think long and hard about that one.

I had a friend ask me today about a site (competitor) that seemed to be popping up organically on a lot of searches - some searches which were related to their business and some which were unrelated.  In looking at the site a bit deeper, not only was there some mad keyword stuffing going on, but they had embedded a small frame on their site which contained a boatload of copy - probably 2000+ words.  Are they benefiting from this in search right now?  Yes.  Will the Google cops eventually bust them?  Probably.  Just as in all walks of business, their are ethical and unethical ways to run your online marketing show.  If you are looking for blackhat seo (define) to cheat your way to the top, don't contact us.  If you want to earn it (through blogging for business, ethical seo, and online business development), we've got the Red Bull ready.   

If you don't have an online business development strategy, you need one. Nuff said. It's Friday. I'm out.

The video clip below has nothing to do with online business development, business blogging, online marketing, or any of the other stuff we post about here.  It's a video that I saw last year and recently stumbled across it again.  Take three minutes to watch this, smile, and I can almost guarantee that you will never forget this story.

Internet penetration is something I get asked about all the time - specifically as it relates to South Dakota (many people are under the impression that SD just got electricity a few years back, thus, the "world wide internet" is something we only see in picture shows). 

Before diving into an online marketing campaign, good marketers want to know what their reach and frequency will be using the web as a communication vehicle.  eMarketer's daily goodness today was in regards to internet penetration by state in the US.  I've always had difficulty finding good data on this, but the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has a tight little report here that summarizes broadband penetration by state.  The report puts good ole' South Dakota above the likes of Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, and Iowa in terms of broadband penetration. Yee haw, little doggies!  A business marketing strategy must include a web component, and understanding the technical capabilities of your audience is important to any internet marketing plan.

Here are the highs and lows...props to eMarketer for the charts.

The Sioux Falls marketing landscape - as well as on the national scene - has been shifting in recent years, with traditional agency models (being all things to all people) giving way to specialized shops (we do this, only this, and do it very well). There is a great WSJ article here from 2007 on this very topic that is worth the read. 

While claiming to be leaders in all mediums is bold, fulfilling on that promise is nearly impossible. Social media is a perfect example. AdWeek had a great article recently on online marketing / social media and how the traditional agency model of "placing ads = placement dollars" does not jive with social media concepts.  Social media and traditional media are very, very different and trying to apply blanket principles to both can potentially do more harm than good.  Heck, faking a social media profile can get you jail time in Morocco.

At Click Rain, we have our niche, and it's online marketing. Not branding. Not print. Not broadcast media.  We know online marketing and how it relates to a business marketing strategy. If you want something outside of our core competencies, we'll be the first to tell you it's not a fit. In the meantime, we'll keep sharpeing our axe on what we do best. 

We all know that kids are getting pretty sharp when it comes to the web. Point in case, I can hardly do any work from home anymore without my 2-year old daughter begging (whining) to watch Dora the Explorer on my laptop.  She even understands that "stuff happens" when you click the mouse.  And Nickelodeon is no dummy, either.  Sprinkled throughout the site and in between the online videos is a smattering of self promotion for their programs, getting kids even further hooked on the shows and subsequentially, driving offline sales of pajamas, DVDs, and sippy cups.

eMarketer's article today on the savviness of kids on the web is not a huge shock, but it still is quite interesting.  Depending on your vertical, business marketing strategy now needs to include an online element for reaching the tween and pre-tween demographic.  There is a new generation out there that online marketers need to target, and they watch Sponge Bob.