10/14/11

Keyword Research

Digital marketing degree programs will cover keyword research extensively.  Keyword research is the practice of finding search terms that are typed into search engines by internet users.  Search marketers research the exact string of words that are searched and how often they are searched for.  This type of research is extremely powerful.  It can be used to improve search engine rankings.

Keyword research is the first step to every search marketing campaign.  It allows marketers to find exactly what keywords to target, to see how much those keywords are searched for and to get an estimate for the expected CPC.  There are several tools that allow marketers to preform keyword research.  The best is the Google Adwords Keyword Tool.  This tool is easy to use and it will give back quick and accurate results.  It suggests 800 similar keywords as long as you have a Google account.  This makes research quick and easy.  You can also export the data to Microsoft Excel which allows for easy sorting of many keywords.

Using an exact search match type will provide more accurate results for exact search results.  A broad match type will give results for every search that has the keyword in it somewhere where as an exact match type will give results for the exact keyword as it is.  Broad is good for analyzing the size of a market and exact is good for determining which keywords are best to target.

The Adwords Keyword Tool also allows search marketers to search in foreign markets and languages with ease.  Countries and languages can easily be added or removed.

Recent research in long-tail keywords so that they have a much higher conversion rate than short-tail keywords.  A long-tail keyword is any keyword that is more that one word.  For example, the keyword "buy shoes online" is a long-tail keyword that will have a very high conversion rate.  It is specific and shows the searcher is further along the buying cycle.  Someone searching for that is much more likely to buy then someone searching for "shoes".  Long-tail keywords are much more profitable than short-tail keywords and therefore, your marketing strategy should focus mostly on relevant long-tail keywords.

Permission Marketing

Digital marketing degree programs will cover a topic called permission marketing.  Permission marketing is a very powerful digital marketing tool that can significantly help email and search marketers.  At its core, permission marketing is gaining a customers permission to further pursue marketing tactics.  This includes explicit and implicit permission.  Explicit permission is obtained through customers signing up for email notifications or newsletters.  Implicit permission is gained when a customer searches for something in a search engine.  A customized ad would be displayed on their screen later on for a product or service that meets their need.

Permission marketing is a concept that relies on the fact that consumers can now choose to ignore marketing.  As a marketer, treating your consumers with respect is the best way to earn their attention.  Permission marketing works at its best when you have explicit permission from the customer.  You want them to want to hear your companies latest news or subscribe to your RSS feed and email newsletters.  That's the best kind of permission.  The customer is offering something very valuable, their attention.

Once you have their attention and once they've signed up for your newsletter, keep it at that.  You have made a promise to your customer and all it includes is them listing or reading to what they signed up for.  Don't sell their email or do more than they signed up for.  This can lead your customer to back out of the agreement.

The internet changes the way you can gain permission from customers.  It allows for you to obtain permission in new ways but make sure that you do have their permission and you don't exploit them.  This strategy will be covered in digital marketing degree programs.

10/12/11

Mobile E-Mail Marketing Tips

Digital marketing degree programs will discuss topics about mobile marketing.  With advances in technology, consumers are changing the way they do things.  And that includes check e-mails.  35% of adults currently own a smart phone and about 16% of e-mails are checked on them.  With statistics like these, marketers should make sure their e-mails are properly optimized so they can be read by smart phone users.  These few tips will help you make sure that smart phone users can read your e-mails.  They will help improve your mobile marketing and e-mail marketing strategy.


Tip #1:  Create a Mobile-Ready Site
Even if your website loads on a smart phone, it can be slow and frustrating.  Having a mobile-ready site will allow for faster loading and easier navigation.  Over half of mobile phone shoppers are more likely to buy from mobile specific sites and still most companies don't have one.

Tip #2:  Make Your Mobile Site Easy to Read
Smart phones have small screens so a site tailored to them should take this into consideration.  Most mobile users jump from page to page so make your content easy to digest.

Tip #3:  Important Things Should Be Bigger
There isn't much room on a small screen to capture a buyer's interest so make it perfectly clear what's important.  Bigger text and clear pictures do this very well.

Tip #4:  Use Social Media to Promote Your Mobile Site
The majority of mobile phone users are using Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites so integrate your marketing efforts onto these platforms.

Tip #5:  Use Analytics to Track Progress
This will help you keep track of how many users open your e-mails and click on your links.  You always want to measure your progress to see if you can improve your results.

10/9/11

Social Media Marketing

Since social media marketing is a large part of all digital marketing degree programs, I thought I would make a list of the top 5 most effective social media platforms.  These 5 outlets will help build your brand image, increase exposure and allow you to build a community of users around your brand.

  1. Facebook  - Facebook has over 800 million viewers making it the most popular and most effective social networking site.  Its big reach throughout many countries provides the most marketing opportunities with fan pages, groups and news feeds.  Get more out of Facebook.
  2. Twitter - Twitter has quickly become a very popular social platform for companies and consumers alike.  Twitter allows brands to communicate easily with their followers.  50 ways to use Twitter.
  3. LinkedIn - LinkedIn is the largest professional social network.  It allows brands to connect with a large network of people with features beyond the basic profile such as events and groups.  10 uses for LinkedIn.
  4. Wikipedia - Wikipedia is an authority when it comes to information online.  You can use this authority to send traffic your way as long as you have relevant and correct information.  Just make sure not to make your company's article look spammy.  Wikipedia for marketers.
  5. Digg - Digg is most effective for bloggers who regularly post relevant content.  However, Digg can sent massive amounts of traffic to any site that shows up on its first page leading to more sales and sign ups.  Build a 'Digg-Culture'.
There you have it.  The top 5 most effective social media platforms that can be used for marketing purposes.  There are many more that are useful and you should check out the top 52 social media platforms.