1). Style your tweets consistently. Decide up front that all hashtags, handlebars and links appear after written content or are integrated within it. Avoid listing more hashtags and handlebars than content–it looks messy.

2). Use as much of 140 characters as possible. When many users are posting four-worded tweets with a link, your 140-character-strong tweet will look robust and be attractive to click. It also shows you put thought into what you are saying.

3). When applicable, add a photo. Tweets with pictures have a much better chance of receiving interaction than those that don’t.

4). Research your hashtags. There’s no use tweeting about the #StanleyCup if you are using the hashtag #StanleyCupPlayoffs. The tweets won’t show up on the same feed. Categorize your tweets based on what hashtag is popular and use it consistently.

5). Tweet. Tweet more. Tweet even more. In fact, Michelle D’Attilio, president of Sosh, a social media marketing agency based in Milwaukee, recommends tweeting around 10 times per day. That’s not to say you should tweet just for the sake of doing it 10 times. There are no defined rules. But remember, feeds fill quickly and being an active voice will help you stand out.

6). Thank people for following, favoriting and retweeting. Consider it an icebreaker to start a conversation with someone. It also shows that a live person runs your twitter–not an automatic updater. Followers will appreciate you acknowledging their presence.

7). Follow relevant people in your field who seem credible. That means avoiding the egg avatar. Follow people you might actually meet up with outside of Twitter–screening their user bio and website helps to decide who is legitimate.

8). Demonstrate the same credibility on your page. Include a professional logo, description of who you are, what you do, and maybe an interest you have to show you are not all work all the time.

9). Talk about what you are doing. If you are in a business meeting with a company on Twitter, talk about it (if you can). Do the same with business decisions or updates in your office. Followers will like knowing what you are doing. Plus, it shows you care that they know what you’re up to.

10). Think of Twitter as an extension of your network. Most followers are real people with real business to offer. If a user might be of value for you to know, reach out and schedule a coffee or luncheon to talk shop. Twitter is only a digital forum if you let it stay that way.

By implementing these suggestions, you will begin to talk about your business better on the Internet while maintaining one of the most important elements of an effective marketing strategy: staying true to your brand.

The post Do you stink at Twitter? 10 tips to get better. appeared first on NeoCloud Marketing.

So, how do I add a blog to my website?

Adding a blog to an existing website can be as easy as installing your preferred blogging platform and uploading the files. At other times, it can be more complex and it may be more cost and time effective to simply start over with a new website on a new platform and transferring the existing content. Whatever method you choose, it is important to understand that external blogs with a link to your website are not the same as in integrated blog.

Adding an integrated blog to a website vs. an external blog page

The purpose of your blog, will determine whether you should spend the time and resources developing an integrated blog instead of an external platform. If you are just writing for enjoyment or a cause and do not have a website, an external blog is the place for you. It would be the most cost and time effective and will serve your purpose well. If you do have a website and are trying to promote it or the organization, product, or service that it is about, an integrated blog is for you.

There are a variety of integrated blog platforms and services out there. WordPress is the most widely used. It is very user friendly, and it is open source. Open source means that the way the coding behind the platform is written can be changed by just about anyone based on their ability. Many other platforms have closed source. Closed source means that the code is written in a way that only one company, or a select few, will be able to change it. This is often done to lock users in with that particular platform. So when considering a blog platform, choose one based on your own ability and tech-savyness.

Making the most of your blog posts

You did it! You created a blog page or platform and published your first post. Now what? If you aren’t a professional journalist or writer, the chances of someone going directly to your page to read what you just wrote is very unlikely. Whether you’re new to blogging, or even if you have done it for a long time, you need a strategy to market and distribute your message to people who will see it and take action on it.

The purpose of an integrated blog is to draw attention and traffic to your website. Therefore, in order for the blogging and posting to do so, it should always originate from the blog itself, not a social site. Choosing a social site to distribute to depends on your purpose of the piece. If it is professional advice, LinkedIn is your best bet. If it is a story or light hearted, reddit or stumble upon may be the best fit. Whatever the specific fit, the process of posting and distributing is a cornerstone for successful content marketing.

Creating an integrated blog can draw traffic to your website and get your message out. Creating one can be as simple or as complicated as you make it depending on your understanding and capabilities. Contact NeoCloud Marketing today and let the pros help you add a blog to your website.

The post How Do I Add a Blog to My Website? appeared first on NeoCloud Marketing.

Consider this. Through the magic of social media, billions of connections and impressions are possible. They can be very valuable to ROI too if you know what you are doing. Every time a user stumbles on a social page, whether it be your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn account or whatever, you are making an impression on them. Whether it is their first from discovery, or second, or third from search all depends, but you should treat every online tool you touch as if it will be the first and only connection with a user.

It doesn’t make sense to have a social profile that you don’t use. As a business, if you are not going to be actively updating and engaging with users, stick with just a select few that you will. When you are trying to decide what platform to bolster your social and online presence with, don’t just think about where your customers are. You should also think about where people who might influence your customers might be as well. People like bloggers, journalists, social media influencers, managers, CEOs, consultants, and family members, may never even consider buying your good or service but chances are, they know someone that will. So think about where your customers AND influencers would be and write content that will be engage them.

A Good Social Media Strategy Means Consistency

If after you consider the scope and online location of your ideal audience, you decide you need multiple social platforms, keep your message relevant and consistent.

Competition for the attention span of a user browsing on social media is fierce. You will be lucky if a visitor spends more than 10 seconds on your page. It’s not really luck though. Engaging users and keeping their attention on your social page is a well calculated science that requires both time and understanding. Understanding social media strategy means proving you are a knowledgeable and trusted source for the topics and items that you are talking about. Understanding social media also means knowing how to properly post and transmit the information in a way that will reach the people who are interested in what you are talking about. It also means drawing a response.

Social Is Not A One Way Conversation

Traditional media like television and radio ads talk AT an audience, social requires you to speak WITH your audience. That is the whole idea! If you are simply going to talk at your audience about your product or service, it isn’t really social media. A good social media strategy requires a back and forth dialogue between the user and the profile content. We see it all the time. Poor helpless Facebook and Twitter profiles become misused accounts used only to promote sales, deals, and specials. Not only does that lose followers and isolate the platform, it misses the point entirely. It is called engagement for a reason.

Social Media has created an entirely new pedigree of entrepreneurs and business owners. The social platform has developed to new market place where the number one commodity traded is attention. The ease of use, and low to non-existent cost of social technology has given new and small businesses a real fighting chance to not just survive, but to flourish. Harnessing this amazing technology successfully however, does require time and attention. Call NeoCloud today and see what a social strategy can do for your business.

The post Social Media Strategy, What is The Best Platform for your Business? appeared first on NeoCloud Marketing.

Our best guess is that these questions date back to the dawn of human communication or at least the dawn of the first ad agency. Determining the reach of your message and the effectiveness of your marketing efforts have always been a sort of holy grail among marketing consultants and admen. Organizations like Gallup and Nielsen have been providing insight into media trends and consumer preferences for decades, but with the world rapidly turning to the internet and social media for information, communication and commerce who can tell us what works and what doesn’t? Enter Klout, Kred and the new “science” of social influence measurement.

Several services have been launched in recent years that claim to measure and rank one’s ability to reach and influence audiences, especially through social media. At the moment, two companies, Klout and Kred, appear to have the strongest foothold among users and the most information to offer. But do Klout and Kred scores really matter? Should their rankings be a critical component of your business operation and marketing strategies? Here at NeoCloud we believe it is prudent to “proceed with caution” before taking these services too seriously.

Consider The Sources
Klout was first up, launching their influence metric in 2008. They claim to study “more than 400 variables on multiple social networks beyond your number of followers and friends.” With this information, they issue a Klout Score, a number between 1-100 which represents your overall influence in social media (100 is highest). The trouble is, Klout only reveals a few of the 400 variables they examine, such as Facebook “likes” or Twitter “retweets.” They’re also secretive about how their algorithm calculates a score, so it is difficult to draw any reliable conclusions about what the score really means.

Kred, on the other hand, has been remarkably transparent about how they determine their scores. Their site is brimming with details, allowing for a much better analysis of what the Scores measure, and therefore, what they really mean. Kred gives two scores, one for influence and one for outreach, providing another clear advantage. Kred has also stepped up the game by making their information interactive, allowing you to study your own data in different ways. The downside is that there’s so much information available that the site can feel cumbersome. It’s a bit more difficult than it should be to navigate through the clutter and get to the good stuff.

Consider The Consequences
When you’re considering the value of any new analytical service, beware of perpetuating a pitfall we like to call “algorithm abuse.” Relying solely on one or two metrics, no matter how popular they are, can lead to dangerous conclusions and unproductive, even harmful, business decisions. If you’re committed to making social media work for you, you’ll need more than Klout and Kred to guide you. At NeoCloud we prefer to use a wide variety of sophisticated tools to evaluate the reach and effectiveness of your social media strategy. We believe that Klout and Kred do matter, but not as much as some people want you to believe.

The post Do Klout and Kred Matter? appeared first on NeoCloud Marketing.

Keyword analysis is an essential cornerstone of any search engine optimization strategy. It sets the tone of the campaign and creates the most efficient way to make the most of your pay per click and search engine optimization dollars. As keyword rankings and volume are continually changing, a good keyword strategy requires constant monitoring, examination, and decision making.

We work with a wide variety of clients, businesses of all shapes and sizes. The amount of knowledge related to search marketing best practices varies from business to business, but one thing remains constant. Business leaders understand that they need to get involved online. They know that things are shifting and in order to remain relevant and successful, they need to be online. Sadly, there are many marketing and advertising firms view this as an opportunity to exploit versus assist.

In their haste to take advantage of the sales boom of businesses eager to get online, many marketing firms both large and small are selling inferior products based on false knowledge and flawed practices. Many companies sell search engine optimization and search engine marketing as packages or upgrades. A systematic one size fits all deal may seem like a bargain, but to a business owner who is not knowledgeable of search marketing, it can be harmful and downright deceitful.

Recently, I spoke a manager at one of the nation’s largest small to mid-size business marketing firms. I asked about their recent transition from print to online, specifically keywords. It was astounding to me that their keyword campaigns were based entirely on what the customer picked. This made absolutely no sense to me. If a customer is spending money to work with a marketing firm, they are likely seeking their professional guidance and advice. To simply check the box for keyword targeting, without a background analysis is not only lazy, but useless.

What makes a good keyword analysis and strategy?

Keyword volumes and rankings are continually changing, so simply picking a set of keywords to target is not really that effective. As competition changes, the strategy must follow suit. For example, if a particular keyword is very competitive, and a company is just getting online, it might not make sense to target that particular keyword right out of the gate. It might be more beneficial and cost effective to target several low ranking keywords to establish an initial presence and then work up from there. Likewise, if a company is ranking number one for a keyword that has no traffic or competition, it does not really matter.

Make sure the keywords you are targeting are:
1. Actually being searched for in the marketplace.
2. That the terms make sense based on competition levels.
3. That it is the most efficient use of your budget.

Whether it’s selling more flowers, or servicing more oil changes, search marketing is a vital ingredient to establishing an effective online presence.

The post Keyword Analysis is a GPS, Not a Roadmap appeared first on NeoCloud Marketing.

Somehow, somewhere on the way the term blogging has picked up a negative connotation. The truth is the concept of sharing information on a regular basis is nothing new or extraordinary. However, the importance of doing so cannot be underestimated. As we move to an increasingly online world, being found online will soon be a determining factor in whether a business survives in the 21st century. Blogging is an absolutely essential piece in being found online.

Lack of understanding is often a common source of skepticism. As a technology and communication firm, it is our job to educate people and dispel the myths and falsehoods that exist surrounding the new media landscape. Through education comes understanding, and through that understanding comes success. Blogging is any web site composed of an ongoing online collection of reflections, comments, sources, and facts. In other words, a blog or “blogging” is simply another word for “sharing information.” The terms are synonymous. The key word in all of this is ongoing.

Blogging Benefits

If done correctly, the benefit of blogging can be threefold; it can increase the online visibility of a product, organization, or cause, it can help improve a websites ranking in the search engine, and it can make a website a reliable source for information that people return to.

Another common reaction, and I hear it all the time, is “We can’t blog, we have nothing to talk about” and to that I say nonsense. Whether at work or at home we talk about our experiences every day. Successful companies are continually finding new ways to talk about and share their products, services, and business every day. The best salesmen are usually the best at sharing information in a way that is easily understandable. The idea of sharing information is not new. Rather, blogging is simply a new medium in which to share with. Any company can talk about what they do, why their product is the best, and why they do what they do. If they can’t, it really is a miracle they are still in business. The beauty of the blog is that it is affordable, easy, and can be very successful. This gives smaller businesses a huge advantage. In essence, the online world levels the playing field for all businesses regardless of size. So why is there such resistance?

Blogging Best Practices

It is most likely that those individuals who have a bad perception of blogging have had a poor experience with it, or just don’t have a full understanding of what it really is. Whatever the case may be, all blogging really is, is content. Content creation is all about two things; relevancy and quality. If you are missing either of those two ingredients, it can be very easy to lose credibility and with it.

We should look at blogs and blogging the same way we look at every other social interaction. We “blog” every day. When we talk about a product with our customers, share an experience with family or friends, or just express a fact or opinion, we are doing the same thing blogs do online. So whatever the purpose of your message, whether it be an explanation of a product or service, expressing a fact or opinion, or championing a cause, make sure it is accurate and relevant. Each blog should be treated as an extension of your PR and marketing. Online interaction is growing daily, and those who are blogging correctly will have a large advantage over those who do not.

The post Blogging, Why The Bad Rep.? appeared first on NeoCloud Marketing.

Understanding the search marketing landscape and new media terminology can help you make important educated decisions for your business. All too often related terms are misused and confused with their peer terms. They are all related, but understanding the difference is essential to making an effective marketing strategy. A marketing plan without strategy is foolish, a marketing plan without knowledge of how it works is just plain dangerous.

To ease the confusion, we created this mini-dictionary of the most important terms related to online marketing.

Search Marketing/Search Engine Marketing (SEM):

Increasing a website’s visibility in search engine results through a combination of optimization and paid advertising.

Search Engine Optimization:

Choosing specific keywords, content, images, and text to improve ranking of a website in search engine results. A good search marketing strategy attempts to optimize content by adjusting or rewriting in order to achieve a higher ranking in search engine results.

Ranking:

The order in which results, websites, appear in a search engine. Through complew and ever changing algorithms, search engines determine what order websites appear and where based on specific factors.

Content:

The words, phrases, videos, links, and images that make up a website. Content is what search engines base their results on.

Back Link:

(Also known as incoming links, inbound links, inlinks, and inward links.) A Back Link is any link to a web page placed on another web page. The number of quality backlinks is used by search engines to develop results ranking. They determine the popularity and relevance of a website by indicating who is actually looking at a particular page.

Keywords:

Terms or phrases used to target search results and drive traffic to a website.

Relevance:

The relation of online information to users interests, location, language, and demographics. Relevance in used in search targeting.

Targeting:

The placement on relevant ads in direct response to what a particular user or group of users is looking for. Targeting is being used more and more by mobile apps and mobile advertising because contextual targeting can place ads based on where a user is located.

Impression:

The number of times an ad or result displayed on a search engine or social media platform is seen, and how many people see it.

Search Ads (Ad Words):

Search ads are advertising programs used by search engines to make money. Google’s search ad program is called “Ad Words.” It is the largest and most used online advertising program today. Search Ads are very successful because they connect businesses to people who are already actively searching online for related information.

Cost Per Click/Pay Per Click:

By far the most popular option, pay per click bases the cost to the advertiser on the number of clicks they get on their ads. It is the most cost efficient and effective way for businesses to monitor and influence their advertising campaigns.

Query:

A word or phrase typed into the search engine to find a series of relevant results.

Search:

Search is any active or targeted seeking of information by a user through a search engine. Search engines help users find information, goods, and services online. Search attempts to provide quick, relevant, and accurate results by using complex algorithms to determine what information is returned, and in what order it appears. Results can be organic or search ads.

Organic Results:

Results which appear naturally based on a search engine’s algorithms. For instance, Google’s results are based on over 200 factors that are determined by relevancy to a query. They are the results that are not affected in any way by payment or advertising. Search engines are constantly changing their algorithms to make sure that results are fair, natural, and punish those that cheat the process. Search Marketing attempts to lift the placement of a website in the organic results by closely following a search engine’s algorithms.

Reach:

A targeted segment of an online audience actively consuming relevant content about products, services, information, and websites.

Search marketing is all about displaying a business’s products and services in front of their ideal audience or customer. Although still in its infancy, search marketing is proving to be very effective, especially for smaller businesses with tighter advertising budgets. The web allows businesses to spread awareness based on relevance and user interest. It is much more effective than the expensive blanket approach used by traditional media that has been largely out of reach to many small businesses. Let NeoCloud help your business leverage the web.

The post Search Marketing, A Brief Guide of Terms appeared first on NeoCloud Marketing.

Unfortunately, there are businesses out there that do not understand how people find and share information online. What is even more unfortunate is that there are companies that claim they understand but do not. Many of these companies sell their products and services based on false or poor information. At NeoCloud, education is the heart of our business. As with any business transaction, make sure you understand how information is found and shared online before you decide to work with a web developer or search engine optimization firm. We have created this simple diagram to help explain how search marketing and search engine optimization works. If something does not make sense, please feel free to give us a call. Let NeoCloud help your business navigate the web.

The post Milwaukee SEO Company Explains Search Marketing appeared first on NeoCloud Marketing.

Mobile apps allow people to digest more and more online content from mobile devices. This trend will only continue to rise. Within the next two to three years it is easily feasible that, just as websites, mobile apps will become just another part of doing business. For the time being, they are a great marketing tool and are changing the way companies advertise and do business. Mobile searches are on pace to exceed pc searches in 2013. Mobile marketing revenue exceeded $30 billion at the end of 2012, nearly double from 2011. It is easy to see why.

Winds of Change

Mobile app browsing is faster, more relevant, and readily available. As competitors try to undercut each other in the tablet and smartphone market, they will become accessible and affordable to more people. The introduction of new tablets like the iPad Mini, has exploded the number of tablet users from 34 million in 2011 to nearly 70 million in 2012. It is estimated that by 2017 there will be 5.2 billion mobile users.

The explosion of mobile app use is way fundamentally changing the way we do business. The smart phone has become the new personal computer. The uncertainty during the recession has only added to the trend. Freelance businesses have risen by 70% in just the last few years. More people are working from home and on the road, so the smartphone is the ideal place for commerce. Mobile users are now more likely to make purchases after researching the product on their device. As consumer habits develop and change, marketing must adapt.

Mobile App Data

User behavior is being monitored closer than ever. Mobile marketing is beginning to harness the potential to optimize campaigns based on performance. Mobile marketing is ideal because you can target individual consumers. From the moment a user lands on a site, to the second they close the page new technology can track every move. Millions of data points provide mobile app marketers with a wealth of knowledge on user behavior that wasn’t previously available.

Mobile Apps Using Targeting

All of this data is being collected with one purpose in mind; to get the ideal product in front of the ideal customer. Understanding demographics, behavior patterns, and their sources allow marketers to be more successful. The ability to target, create and track mobile marketing campaigns allows for a better understanding of your ideal audience.

Re-targeting and Real-Time Bidding

The job is not done by just getting a product in front of your ideal customer. Many times, inactive or dormant users can dilute the effectiveness of a campaign. Apple recently introduced the Advertising Identifier to help with this very problem. As most companies want to get the most return on investment possible, marketers are sure to use tools such as this to help them continue their campaigns.
The Advertising Identifier is a sophisticated real-time bidding and retargeting technology. It enables you to target inactive users directly in order to get them engaged with your product again. Real-time bidding is an immediate transaction that charges a market-driven price for every online ad impression. Retargeting coupled with real-time bidding gives buyers more access, marketers better campaign results, and sellers a greater return on investment.

Geo-Targeting

Smartphone advertising targets users by their specific location by displaying ads that are relevant to their geographic context. This advantage is two-fold. Businesses can make quicker decisions on campaigns based on real time information on what works in a particular location. And users only receive information that is actually relevant to them so they do not feel spammed. Coupons, offers, and promotions directed at potential nearby customers help both the consumer and the business owner. Consumers can be sure they are getting the best deal possible, and businesses are attracting new customers they may not have otherwise had.

Mobile apps are helping businesses through increased efficiency, and relevancy. Instead of screaming on deaf ears from traditional media, mobile marketing can narrow down the target audience to people who actually will buy a particular product or service. Businesses can lure both new and old customers more efficiently, and customers can shop on their own time and make sure they are getting the best deals. Everyone wins.

The post Mobile Apps: Navigating The New Landscape appeared first on NeoCloud Marketing.

We change the station when they come on, Tivo or DVR around them, and press the skip button when they sneak into our online media. We have more inventions and ways to avoid them than ever before, yet we seem to have a strong love/hate relationship with them. The Super Bowl proves that we love commercials, when they are good. But that’s not the only evidence. YouTube is the number two search inquiry hub on the web. It is not surprising then that web videos can have a strong influence on purchases and consumer decisions.

There’s no doubt about it. The best web videos and commercials make it feel like we are not watching them at all. So how does this translate into online marketing where most users have the ultimate choice of what to consume and what to completely tune out? If used correctly, Video marketing in social media can really work.

Good web videos are informal, brief, and entertaining. They should be real and conversational, not cheesy and directive. Some good ideas for web videos are, but not limited to; informational stories, entertainment, behind the scenes of an operation, product critiques, how to tutorials, testimonials, and interviews.

With any advertising, a strong emotional appeal is always beneficial. The best web videos walk a fine line between entertainment and persuasion. The correct balance between education, entertainment, and persuasion can make a web video a powerful marketing tool. But once it is created, getting in front of the right people is what is really important.

Who Watches Web Videos?

Business Executives
In a recent survey by Forbes, nearly 75% of business decision makers watch work related videos on a weekly basis. Half said that they made purchases after watching a video, and then shared the videos with their colleagues.

Shoppers
96% of all online shoppers have watched online videos at one time or another. Customers who are on a website and watch a web video are 64% more likely to actually purchase something from that website. Of all online sales, 83% are from people who were reached by businesses through web video.

But it is not just enough to get in front of people anymore. It is also very important how the web video got in front of them in the first place.

Where Are Web Videos Being Watched?

YouTube is the second largest search engine on the web. An astounding 4 billion hours are watched every month. It is no surprise then that YouTube and other social media hubs drive more sales than other sites. But it is not just enough for people to get on YouTube and start searching away.Even in the digital world, referrals are still the strongest driver of sales. People who get a video from a personal recommendation such as a facebook, e-mail, or other share are 100% more likely to purchase a product featured in the video. So we can see that there is value in using web videos where it matters most, conversions. That is why it makes sense to seriously consider adding web video as a strategy in the marketing tool box. Without it, you are seriously limiting the full potential for being found, as well as neglecting a serious advantage over those who do not have web videos.

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